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Daemonifuge
Daemonifuge: Heretic Saint
A young warrior woman with a deadly psychic talent must come to terms with her newfound powers and determine whether they are a gift from the God-Emperor of Mankind or a curse from the Dark Powers.
208 pages, Paperback
First published September 27, 2005
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112 people want to read
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If an editor is known, however, Various is not necessary. List the name of the editor as the primary author (with role "editor"). Contributing authors' names follow it.
Note: WorldCat is an excellent resource for finding author information and contents of anthologies.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
August 7, 2021
Daemonifuge is one of the better 40 comics. The art is pretty good and the lore is in keeping with what 40K is all about.
The story centers around an Adeptas Sororitas who has been gifted by her order with a special gift. She is a Daemonifuge a weapon against the powers of Chaos. This volume collecting this three part story was a very cool hardcover version.
While the story is certainly entertaining, it tends to be incoherent. They are trying to show many of the different worlds, but sometimes it's do much. To go from one ending to a battle pit in Comorragh to ending up in Ahriman's hands...this needed to be a whole lot bigger than it was. That's a shame because the story is a good one. It has elements of the Inquisition, the Sisters of Battle, Grey Knighta and Black Templars. It just seems rushed and that is a shame.
Still compared to some of the truly awful 40k comics this one is a clear cut above and well worth your time.
The story centers around an Adeptas Sororitas who has been gifted by her order with a special gift. She is a Daemonifuge a weapon against the powers of Chaos. This volume collecting this three part story was a very cool hardcover version.
While the story is certainly entertaining, it tends to be incoherent. They are trying to show many of the different worlds, but sometimes it's do much. To go from one ending to a battle pit in Comorragh to ending up in Ahriman's hands...this needed to be a whole lot bigger than it was. That's a shame because the story is a good one. It has elements of the Inquisition, the Sisters of Battle, Grey Knighta and Black Templars. It just seems rushed and that is a shame.
Still compared to some of the truly awful 40k comics this one is a clear cut above and well worth your time.
November 13, 2022
Rating 4 out of 5| Grade: B+; Nuns with guns, in Space!
The Adepta Sororitas, or the Sisters of Battle always had a special place in my cold dead mechanical necron heart. There is something so mesmerizing about Nuns in space unloading a truck load of lead onto the heretic, mutant & xenos in one hand, and on the other hand preach the holy word of the Emperor so that you may reach salvation that only his divine grace may bring forth.
Plus there are a slap in the face of anyone who says that nerds only like female characters in scantily clad 'boob armor'. The Sororitas are an insult to such comments. I mean, look at them, clad in armament & swagger. They are the freaking emperor's favorite daughters.
Plus, plus, there are much needed inclusion in the sausage fest that is the Imperial roster, filled with Astartes, Mechanicus & the Imperial guard. I mean, the Aeldari & Drukhari have, let's say, 'strong' female characters, and the Emperor knows that the temptation they offer can sometimes make me question the Imperial Creed. So, having a bunch of nuns to simp over, reaffirms my faith in the Emperor. No Heresy.
When it comes to WH40k media, as far as I've seen, the Sororitas have gotten the short end of the stick. Almost all stories written are predominantly about the Space Marines, the Imperial guard or the Inquisitors. So this was a breath of fresh air.
The story follows the journey of Ephrael Stern, a Sister of Battle, the sole survivor from her group which was dispatched to investigate a long lost branch of their order. Her unlikely survival, combined by the fact that the Imperium is well, the Imperium meant that everyone strongly suspected her to have some manner of chaos taint.
Septimus Grinn an Inquisitor of the Ordo Malleus is dispatched to interrogate her. And if you know anything about the Inquisition, being in their radar in any capacity is definitely not a good thing. What transpires to Sister Stern, and what is mystery of her survival forms the crux of the narrative.
Art Style
The Art of Daemonifuge is reminiscent of the early era of Warhammer, where everyone was stout, muscular and masculine; even the women. Plus, it is all rendered in grayscale, which is something that I hate & like.
For one, this renders the frames with an eerie quality befitting the horror aesthetic of the story. But on the other hand, it makes the pages sort of blurred, making it seem like the whole thing is mist filled fever dream, and wreaking havoc in the pages which are action heavy.
But in pages where there is less clutter, and the art is allowed to breathe, it invokes an almost Mordor level of gravitas, which is something that I appreciate.
And it's not like the illustrators aren't trying. When they want to, they can draw massive, psychedelic, busy panels, which nonetheless are rendered with perfect clarity and flow.
Characters
The roster of the story, which focuses mostly on Ephrael Stern & the Inquisitors Silas Hand & Septimus Grinn are engaging. The Inquisitors, in their typical skeptical, paranoid, inquisitorial ways, are still those who are true to the Emperor's light, and show great conviction when faced with the forces of Chaos.
Sister Stern herself, a survivor of a great tragedy, and someone who repeatedly finds herself being captured, betrayed and sucker punch'd by the forces of Chaos, bears it all with a grace and dignity befitting of a sister of battle. At no point, even when she is in the underbelly of the beast, does her conviction & faith falter. She is willing to stand her ground in defiance until her last breath. And that makes her a charismatic and endearing lead, in her own gruff and competent way.
One gripe I have is how, half the time Sister Stern and co, find themselves fighting not against the daemons of chaos, rather the heretics and traitors amongst themselves. Those who have infiltrated like a rot, so deep into the echelons of the Ecclesiarchy, and every the Ordo Malleus. It almost feels like Chaos has no need to do anything, seeing as how the Imperials are so eager to murder kill each other.
The paranoid nature of the Inquisition & the Ecclesiarchy, is shown to be a double edged sword. One, giving them an edge in finding and rooting out the corrupted taint of chaos. On the other, it also makes them f**king paranoid to the point that they are willing to sacrifice no matter how many in an effort to eradicate it. Even when said people might be their best bet against facing this threat.
Daemonifuge by Kev Walker is a great entry to the Warhammer mythos, and I would recommend that you pick it up, bar some negatives.
The Adepta Sororitas, or the Sisters of Battle always had a special place in my cold dead mechanical necron heart. There is something so mesmerizing about Nuns in space unloading a truck load of lead onto the heretic, mutant & xenos in one hand, and on the other hand preach the holy word of the Emperor so that you may reach salvation that only his divine grace may bring forth.
Plus there are a slap in the face of anyone who says that nerds only like female characters in scantily clad 'boob armor'. The Sororitas are an insult to such comments. I mean, look at them, clad in armament & swagger. They are the freaking emperor's favorite daughters.
Plus, plus, there are much needed inclusion in the sausage fest that is the Imperial roster, filled with Astartes, Mechanicus & the Imperial guard. I mean, the Aeldari & Drukhari have, let's say, 'strong' female characters, and the Emperor knows that the temptation they offer can sometimes make me question the Imperial Creed. So, having a bunch of nuns to simp over, reaffirms my faith in the Emperor. No Heresy.
When it comes to WH40k media, as far as I've seen, the Sororitas have gotten the short end of the stick. Almost all stories written are predominantly about the Space Marines, the Imperial guard or the Inquisitors. So this was a breath of fresh air.
The story follows the journey of Ephrael Stern, a Sister of Battle, the sole survivor from her group which was dispatched to investigate a long lost branch of their order. Her unlikely survival, combined by the fact that the Imperium is well, the Imperium meant that everyone strongly suspected her to have some manner of chaos taint.
Septimus Grinn an Inquisitor of the Ordo Malleus is dispatched to interrogate her. And if you know anything about the Inquisition, being in their radar in any capacity is definitely not a good thing. What transpires to Sister Stern, and what is mystery of her survival forms the crux of the narrative.
Art Style
The Art of Daemonifuge is reminiscent of the early era of Warhammer, where everyone was stout, muscular and masculine; even the women. Plus, it is all rendered in grayscale, which is something that I hate & like.
For one, this renders the frames with an eerie quality befitting the horror aesthetic of the story. But on the other hand, it makes the pages sort of blurred, making it seem like the whole thing is mist filled fever dream, and wreaking havoc in the pages which are action heavy.
But in pages where there is less clutter, and the art is allowed to breathe, it invokes an almost Mordor level of gravitas, which is something that I appreciate.
And it's not like the illustrators aren't trying. When they want to, they can draw massive, psychedelic, busy panels, which nonetheless are rendered with perfect clarity and flow.
Characters
The roster of the story, which focuses mostly on Ephrael Stern & the Inquisitors Silas Hand & Septimus Grinn are engaging. The Inquisitors, in their typical skeptical, paranoid, inquisitorial ways, are still those who are true to the Emperor's light, and show great conviction when faced with the forces of Chaos.
Sister Stern herself, a survivor of a great tragedy, and someone who repeatedly finds herself being captured, betrayed and sucker punch'd by the forces of Chaos, bears it all with a grace and dignity befitting of a sister of battle. At no point, even when she is in the underbelly of the beast, does her conviction & faith falter. She is willing to stand her ground in defiance until her last breath. And that makes her a charismatic and endearing lead, in her own gruff and competent way.
One gripe I have is how, half the time Sister Stern and co, find themselves fighting not against the daemons of chaos, rather the heretics and traitors amongst themselves. Those who have infiltrated like a rot, so deep into the echelons of the Ecclesiarchy, and every the Ordo Malleus. It almost feels like Chaos has no need to do anything, seeing as how the Imperials are so eager to murder kill each other.
The paranoid nature of the Inquisition & the Ecclesiarchy, is shown to be a double edged sword. One, giving them an edge in finding and rooting out the corrupted taint of chaos. On the other, it also makes them f**king paranoid to the point that they are willing to sacrifice no matter how many in an effort to eradicate it. Even when said people might be their best bet against facing this threat.
Daemonifuge by Kev Walker is a great entry to the Warhammer mythos, and I would recommend that you pick it up, bar some negatives.
February 9, 2024
I'm really confused about what other people are reviewing on this entry because I feel like we're not reading the same thing. I think there's a mix up with this entry being marked #3, but called Heretic Saint, rather than The Thrice Born. Goodreads also has an entry for the original collected edition, but not one for the 20th Anniversary colour edition that is not longer in print and requires eight times eight times eight Tears of Isha containing Aeldari souls, your own soul, an eye, and the majority of your major organs second hand.
This review is for the original third volume of Daemonifuge: The Thrice Born Parts 1-4, originally published in Warhammer Monthly with part 4 in #86, the final issue issue of the phenomenal comic ending bookended with Daemonifuge, with the Heretic Saint, Ephrael Stern, first showing up in #4 with Part 1 of The Screaming Cage.
Ephrael starts in the way that makes her most comfortable, laying on the ground on the ground, dying, and getting to do her 'you'll never guess how I ended up here' thing. What proceeds is a strobe light of barely connected scenes that blend induced hallucinations, dreaming, and reality in a way that is interchangeable for the simple fact there's no context for a anything. Then it abruptly ends with the story unfinished unless you're able to get the 2012 collected edition or the 20th Anniversary Colour editing, which are both out of print and the only ones available are in the hands of truly ludicrous scalpers. Oh, and I have a connection with a Administratum clerk who assures me neither of the Collected versions can be found online for some reason, but the end of the story does exist, somewhere, and a few lucky people are even able to see it in colour!
Someone posted this page of a part of the black and continuation on reddit: http://moarpowah.com/wp-content/uploa...
Look, I am a Daemonifuge fangirl. There's no-one better with the bob and Bolter than Ephrael Stern. I absolutely cannot wait to read the continuation of the Heretic Saint's journey in the Indomitus era in David Annandale's novel, but not until I finish the Horus Heresy. This absolutely over the top, ridiculous stuff is the shit I love!
But even without the abrupt and unsatisfying ending, I just can't help feeling these are bunch of collected scenes, incredibly condensed, lacking connection or context that made this a a real disappointment.
I think this is only exacerbated by not having the regular team of Jim Campbell doing the writing and Kev Walker doing truly transcendent technicolour things in black and white. Like, I M still unable to keep socks on my feet or close my mouth entirely after seeing Walker's Webway with all the Eldar stuff going on. Tiernen Trevollion does a good job with the general art style with some nice grim and grimey, but a lot of it is lost in just how dark so much of it is and while some parts look great--Ahriman in the mini montage looks sick--there's something rather uncanny about how much they are emulating Walker that makes it feel a bit off. Si Spurrier's script is something else though. It's fine in the actual speech bubbles and textboxes, but the narrative and motivations are absent. I understand that Stern is powerful, downloading the Daemonifuge would probably be rather useful, and Ahriman is a cool character it sure would feel good to get to write about, but I can't help but feel like they just really wanted to write about him, rather than having any ideas or using him at all.
I'm definitely bitter about the abrupt end and the fact that I'm considering having kids just to offer to the Primordial Annihilator for that sweet anniversary edition, but it was feeling sketchy and confusing in a very different and negative way than the sketchy and confusing Daemonifuge usually feels like.
Ultimately, I wish I hadn't read this because the first two volumes are fucking fantastic. I've read this lot a bunch of times over the years, so I've either repressed the memory of the disappointment, or when my memory was better maybe I remembered to just re-read The Screaming Cage and The Dark Lord.
Oh well, there's only a bajillion other Warhammer storylines and comics that will very easily restore morale.
Hey, remember when I read and reviewed all sorts of stuff before heading into a Warp storm of flare ups and depression? Maybe one day again, but right now indulging in this special interest is helping to keep me going, so it's Horus Heresy and Warhammer for the next while, I guess!
This review is for the original third volume of Daemonifuge: The Thrice Born Parts 1-4, originally published in Warhammer Monthly with part 4 in #86, the final issue issue of the phenomenal comic ending bookended with Daemonifuge, with the Heretic Saint, Ephrael Stern, first showing up in #4 with Part 1 of The Screaming Cage.
Ephrael starts in the way that makes her most comfortable, laying on the ground on the ground, dying, and getting to do her 'you'll never guess how I ended up here' thing. What proceeds is a strobe light of barely connected scenes that blend induced hallucinations, dreaming, and reality in a way that is interchangeable for the simple fact there's no context for a anything. Then it abruptly ends with the story unfinished unless you're able to get the 2012 collected edition or the 20th Anniversary Colour editing, which are both out of print and the only ones available are in the hands of truly ludicrous scalpers. Oh, and I have a connection with a Administratum clerk who assures me neither of the Collected versions can be found online for some reason, but the end of the story does exist, somewhere, and a few lucky people are even able to see it in colour!
Someone posted this page of a part of the black and continuation on reddit: http://moarpowah.com/wp-content/uploa...
Look, I am a Daemonifuge fangirl. There's no-one better with the bob and Bolter than Ephrael Stern. I absolutely cannot wait to read the continuation of the Heretic Saint's journey in the Indomitus era in David Annandale's novel, but not until I finish the Horus Heresy. This absolutely over the top, ridiculous stuff is the shit I love!
But even without the abrupt and unsatisfying ending, I just can't help feeling these are bunch of collected scenes, incredibly condensed, lacking connection or context that made this a a real disappointment.
I think this is only exacerbated by not having the regular team of Jim Campbell doing the writing and Kev Walker doing truly transcendent technicolour things in black and white. Like, I M still unable to keep socks on my feet or close my mouth entirely after seeing Walker's Webway with all the Eldar stuff going on. Tiernen Trevollion does a good job with the general art style with some nice grim and grimey, but a lot of it is lost in just how dark so much of it is and while some parts look great--Ahriman in the mini montage looks sick--there's something rather uncanny about how much they are emulating Walker that makes it feel a bit off. Si Spurrier's script is something else though. It's fine in the actual speech bubbles and textboxes, but the narrative and motivations are absent. I understand that Stern is powerful, downloading the Daemonifuge would probably be rather useful, and Ahriman is a cool character it sure would feel good to get to write about, but I can't help but feel like they just really wanted to write about him, rather than having any ideas or using him at all.
I'm definitely bitter about the abrupt end and the fact that I'm considering having kids just to offer to the Primordial Annihilator for that sweet anniversary edition, but it was feeling sketchy and confusing in a very different and negative way than the sketchy and confusing Daemonifuge usually feels like.
Ultimately, I wish I hadn't read this because the first two volumes are fucking fantastic. I've read this lot a bunch of times over the years, so I've either repressed the memory of the disappointment, or when my memory was better maybe I remembered to just re-read The Screaming Cage and The Dark Lord.
Oh well, there's only a bajillion other Warhammer storylines and comics that will very easily restore morale.
Hey, remember when I read and reviewed all sorts of stuff before heading into a Warp storm of flare ups and depression? Maybe one day again, but right now indulging in this special interest is helping to keep me going, so it's Horus Heresy and Warhammer for the next while, I guess!
February 21, 2023
------------Updated review, *****, Feb 16th 2023
First time I read this book I was little bit puzzled. Reason was simple, I did not have much contact with the W40K universe and [thankfully] I made my first steps through period of relative normalcy in this universe, so called Horus Heresy.
As time went by I started reading additional books (and some comics) and very soon found myself face to face with nightmarish 40th millennium. And while comics weren't always that good, novels and short stories were truly excellent.
And so after reading this collection in 2012 I decided to go through it again, this time with better knowledge of the universe. And I have to say it had a much better effect on me than before so I give it 5 stars (from original 4).
Entire collection is made of comics published in 2000AD-like magazine and it does feel. Story flow is little bit short, you know trying to put as much in in 20-ish pages, but man does it pack the punch.
First thing, art. It is epic and it is something I have not seen up until the Robertson's fantastic covers for Horus Heresy and other series that followed it. FYI, art forW40K was usually like nightmarish Judge Dredd style, slightly cartoonish with exaggerated body language, ornaments, garments, weapons and limbs (and this is reason why W40K comics are general miss and hit for me, unlike books where I create images with my inner eye :)). All our heroes here, and gotta admit even the bad guys, are epic, greater than life. In heavy armor, piercing sight and lightnings coming out from everywhere every page is so full of dark atmosphere, almost suffocating darkness against which our champions stand against. Framing, composition ...... utter brilliance. Even when we move from the beautiful black and white painting style to more pencil style in later issues, entire book remains pure joy for the eyes.
Second thing, atmosphere. If you want to feel the W40K atmosphere - constant witch hunts, suspicions, trials and tribulations, daemons, betrayal, techno barbarians that would make Conan think twice, trust me this is book for you. One of the reviewers said that dialog and behavior in the book are very childish. It is age of puritans seeking evil in everyone, walking on steroids and enhancements and carrying tank-like armor and tank killing weaponry. It is time of zealots that can only utter various prayers to the Emperor, quote whatever passes for the holy book at that time and where even slightest hesitation in utter devotion would qualify entire planet to extermination. Free thinking is dangerous business, everybody is so full of religious zeal and lack of understanding toward the fellow man it is impossible to fathom it. And where you have zealotry and inability to communicate normally you have childish behavior (just look at zealotry in the last few years) - because that is how kids with tantrums behave, it is their way or the highway. Only difference is that tantrum people here are around 5+ meters tall, sized like tanks wielding huge handguns and powered cutlery size of ordinary man.
Do note apparently there is a colored version of the book. I did not read that one, I read the black and white one. For me black and white works are higher form of art so I am not sure how would I like one done in color, so depending on your preferences you might want to browse a bit to see original art (b&W) and then compare it to the colored panels and then make a decision.
Story - hey, it is W40K. While one might expect bolter-porn all the way (especially in time when it was originally published) story is very very interesting. Ephrael Stern, one of the high ranking warriors in order of Sisters of Battle finds herself without memory, locked down in the order's monastery, writing down weird texts and talking in tongues. While just lack of memory would put her in front of the Inquisition and flame-throwers (because in this universe you just never know :)) she manages to clear her name (which is epic in and on itself in this universe) and become living weapon against the Chaos. During all of this she will befriend pretty stubborn Inquisitor, evade Ordo Malleus, destroy daemons, smuggle through cordons of hive gangs and police and set herself on the path to mysterious Black Library with another, very very unlikely hero/companion/sidekick. Through this all we see (or do we?) how story ends but by following Miss Stern you will be so much entranced that you will want to scream when you come to .....
The end..... I love cliffhangers, I truly do......but when they lead to something :) Here we are left dry after so much things happening, allies dying left and right and spectacular combat (combat with Culexus was miiii-iighty)...... But again, even with ending such as this it is still 5 stars for me!
With hope that this story gets a proper conclusion at some future date I can only wholeheartedly recommend the book to W40K and in general fans of SF-with-fantasy-elements epic stories.
------------Original review, **** (Dec 16th 2012):
Read this one as part of Daemonifuge (print on demand) from Black Library.
Great art and very interesting story.
Highly recommended for any fan of SF.
First time I read this book I was little bit puzzled. Reason was simple, I did not have much contact with the W40K universe and [thankfully] I made my first steps through period of relative normalcy in this universe, so called Horus Heresy.
As time went by I started reading additional books (and some comics) and very soon found myself face to face with nightmarish 40th millennium. And while comics weren't always that good, novels and short stories were truly excellent.
And so after reading this collection in 2012 I decided to go through it again, this time with better knowledge of the universe. And I have to say it had a much better effect on me than before so I give it 5 stars (from original 4).
Entire collection is made of comics published in 2000AD-like magazine and it does feel. Story flow is little bit short, you know trying to put as much in in 20-ish pages, but man does it pack the punch.
First thing, art. It is epic and it is something I have not seen up until the Robertson's fantastic covers for Horus Heresy and other series that followed it. FYI, art forW40K was usually like nightmarish Judge Dredd style, slightly cartoonish with exaggerated body language, ornaments, garments, weapons and limbs (and this is reason why W40K comics are general miss and hit for me, unlike books where I create images with my inner eye :)). All our heroes here, and gotta admit even the bad guys, are epic, greater than life. In heavy armor, piercing sight and lightnings coming out from everywhere every page is so full of dark atmosphere, almost suffocating darkness against which our champions stand against. Framing, composition ...... utter brilliance. Even when we move from the beautiful black and white painting style to more pencil style in later issues, entire book remains pure joy for the eyes.
Second thing, atmosphere. If you want to feel the W40K atmosphere - constant witch hunts, suspicions, trials and tribulations, daemons, betrayal, techno barbarians that would make Conan think twice, trust me this is book for you. One of the reviewers said that dialog and behavior in the book are very childish. It is age of puritans seeking evil in everyone, walking on steroids and enhancements and carrying tank-like armor and tank killing weaponry. It is time of zealots that can only utter various prayers to the Emperor, quote whatever passes for the holy book at that time and where even slightest hesitation in utter devotion would qualify entire planet to extermination. Free thinking is dangerous business, everybody is so full of religious zeal and lack of understanding toward the fellow man it is impossible to fathom it. And where you have zealotry and inability to communicate normally you have childish behavior (just look at zealotry in the last few years) - because that is how kids with tantrums behave, it is their way or the highway. Only difference is that tantrum people here are around 5+ meters tall, sized like tanks wielding huge handguns and powered cutlery size of ordinary man.
Do note apparently there is a colored version of the book. I did not read that one, I read the black and white one. For me black and white works are higher form of art so I am not sure how would I like one done in color, so depending on your preferences you might want to browse a bit to see original art (b&W) and then compare it to the colored panels and then make a decision.
Story - hey, it is W40K. While one might expect bolter-porn all the way (especially in time when it was originally published) story is very very interesting. Ephrael Stern, one of the high ranking warriors in order of Sisters of Battle finds herself without memory, locked down in the order's monastery, writing down weird texts and talking in tongues. While just lack of memory would put her in front of the Inquisition and flame-throwers (because in this universe you just never know :)) she manages to clear her name (which is epic in and on itself in this universe) and become living weapon against the Chaos. During all of this she will befriend pretty stubborn Inquisitor, evade Ordo Malleus, destroy daemons, smuggle through cordons of hive gangs and police and set herself on the path to mysterious Black Library with another, very very unlikely hero/companion/sidekick. Through this all we see (or do we?) how story ends but by following Miss Stern you will be so much entranced that you will want to scream when you come to .....
The end..... I love cliffhangers, I truly do......but when they lead to something :) Here we are left dry after so much things happening, allies dying left and right and spectacular combat (combat with Culexus was miiii-iighty)...... But again, even with ending such as this it is still 5 stars for me!
With hope that this story gets a proper conclusion at some future date I can only wholeheartedly recommend the book to W40K and in general fans of SF-with-fantasy-elements epic stories.
------------Original review, **** (Dec 16th 2012):
Read this one as part of Daemonifuge (print on demand) from Black Library.
Great art and very interesting story.
Highly recommended for any fan of SF.
January 2, 2024
This was my first entry into "modern" 40k. I haven't been in the game for quite a while, so when some of the events were brought up, I was thinking I was missing parts of the narrative. We join Ephrael Stern again, well after she was last relevant as a character in a disconnected part of the universe, and we find her journey to accepting her role as a connected part of the universe I guess at least. The book ends building up to something happening, which then leads to looking up what book to read next, only to find its part of a core campaign book that also doesn't have a resolution.
Also, one of my favourite characters from the preceding comic series is here at the start, walks off screen to do something, and is narratively never seen again. A casualty of a separate dropped narrative thread in what I am guessing would have been in Gav Thorpe's Rise of the Ynnari series.
I enjoyed this book. Don't get me wrong, I just feel like it was the middle chapter of a series that doesn't actually exist and probably never will
Also, one of my favourite characters from the preceding comic series is here at the start, walks off screen to do something, and is narratively never seen again. A casualty of a separate dropped narrative thread in what I am guessing would have been in Gav Thorpe's Rise of the Ynnari series.
I enjoyed this book. Don't get me wrong, I just feel like it was the middle chapter of a series that doesn't actually exist and probably never will
January 1, 2021
DISCLAIMER: Not sure if this was the version I read, it had a looot more authors and was b&w hardcover.
I was looking forward to this, but the plot really was all over the place late game, I think I read some sort of hardcover omnibus with the original story and then a bunch of smaller, interconnected ones following Epareal's continuing adventures that ended in a cliffhanger, some of which were neat but some of which were pretty typical. I don't know. It was good but not a keeper, hence the three stars.
I was looking forward to this, but the plot really was all over the place late game, I think I read some sort of hardcover omnibus with the original story and then a bunch of smaller, interconnected ones following Epareal's continuing adventures that ended in a cliffhanger, some of which were neat but some of which were pretty typical. I don't know. It was good but not a keeper, hence the three stars.
October 8, 2011
This was a very interesting read. A good graphic novel with an interesting story about a Battle Sister. In this book she gets all kind of trouble because of her past, powers. In fact, Ephrael was all these things even before she had been born human. She did her duty and she did it well...until she died. When she is resurrected, things change. Ephrael is chosen to be the "Keeper of Secrets" by the "Screaming Cage" on Parnis. Inquisitor Silas Hand gave everything, including his life, to keep Ephrael alive so she could do her duty by delivering the secrets to the Black Library. The knowledge within her is transforming her. She is slowly learning what she has become and what she can do. Until the transformation is completed, she must simply survive and wait for "The Pariah" to find her. The Pariah is to guide her through the secret paths between worlds. Surviving is not easy. Besides Ordo Malleus and the Grey Knights, also the Dark Eldar, Thousand Sons and others will battle her...
Notable Quotes/ Parts
* Prayer May Cleanse the Soul. But Pain Cleanses the Body. Both are necessary for the survival of humanity.
* ... all is chaos andd unreason ... the absence of faith... the absence of faith is the mark of damnation.
* Chaos is devious, subtle... the way of shadows.
* A single man with faith can triumph over a legion of the faithless. Untold billions of the faithful can never be opposed.
*The righteous shall Fear no Evil, for we act in the divine light of the Emperor. May our deeds be noble in his sight and pleasing to his heart. We pray that in pleasing him, his divine will brings us courage in life and honour in death. All hail the Emperor.
* I'll not suffer a witch to live!!
* Blessed are they that reap the sinners from the sight of the emperor...
* The daemon has many forms. You must know them all. You must tell the daemon from his disguise and roothim out from the hidden places. Trust no-one. Trust not even yourself. It is better to die vain that to live in abomination. The zealous martyr is praised for his valour. The craven and the unready are justly abhorred.
* There is no place for the weak-willed or hesitant. Only by firm action and resolute faith will mankind survive. No sacrifice is too great. No tragedy too small.
Veredict
I really enjoy this graphic novel. It made me want read the Einshorn & Ravenor or the Inquisitor Trilogy or Grey Knights Trilogy or even Faith and Fire. Maybe it will be the October Reading Fest (I just invented it...) My only complain is that it felt uncompleted and some ballons with the letters were not that well printed. Mainly the Italic ones.
Notable Quotes/ Parts
* Prayer May Cleanse the Soul. But Pain Cleanses the Body. Both are necessary for the survival of humanity.
* ... all is chaos andd unreason ... the absence of faith... the absence of faith is the mark of damnation.
* Chaos is devious, subtle... the way of shadows.
* A single man with faith can triumph over a legion of the faithless. Untold billions of the faithful can never be opposed.
*The righteous shall Fear no Evil, for we act in the divine light of the Emperor. May our deeds be noble in his sight and pleasing to his heart. We pray that in pleasing him, his divine will brings us courage in life and honour in death. All hail the Emperor.
* I'll not suffer a witch to live!!
* Blessed are they that reap the sinners from the sight of the emperor...
* The daemon has many forms. You must know them all. You must tell the daemon from his disguise and roothim out from the hidden places. Trust no-one. Trust not even yourself. It is better to die vain that to live in abomination. The zealous martyr is praised for his valour. The craven and the unready are justly abhorred.
* There is no place for the weak-willed or hesitant. Only by firm action and resolute faith will mankind survive. No sacrifice is too great. No tragedy too small.
Veredict
I really enjoy this graphic novel. It made me want read the Einshorn & Ravenor or the Inquisitor Trilogy or Grey Knights Trilogy or even Faith and Fire. Maybe it will be the October Reading Fest (I just invented it...) My only complain is that it felt uncompleted and some ballons with the letters were not that well printed. Mainly the Italic ones.
March 22, 2025
Great art, but very difficult to follow the story.
July 23, 2016
As with most people I've always been a bit dubious when picking up a tie-in work. Regardless of its parent source (including Star Wars novels) they tend to be a bit….crummy? I've read a fair amount of Warhammer books over the years including a few issues of now ended comic series Warhammer Monthly. So this is the first actual graphic novel I have bought and it really does not disappoint!
The artwork is incredibly evocative and captures that gothic/cyber/dystopian feel of 40k in all its religious glory. I do have Inquisitor Ascendant which I've flipped through and the artwork in that one is pretty dire compared to the level in this one. As for the story it is pretty interesting, if you are interested the Inquisition and Imperium. Don't expect huge macho battles between the marines and the orks, although there is still plenty of action to keep bloody-thirsty fans happy (praise Khorne).
If you only ever read one 40k comic book, please make it this one. Cool character, cool story and definitely the best art of any warhammer comic. It deserves its place as the best of Games Workshops comic books
The artwork is incredibly evocative and captures that gothic/cyber/dystopian feel of 40k in all its religious glory. I do have Inquisitor Ascendant which I've flipped through and the artwork in that one is pretty dire compared to the level in this one. As for the story it is pretty interesting, if you are interested the Inquisition and Imperium. Don't expect huge macho battles between the marines and the orks, although there is still plenty of action to keep bloody-thirsty fans happy (praise Khorne).
If you only ever read one 40k comic book, please make it this one. Cool character, cool story and definitely the best art of any warhammer comic. It deserves its place as the best of Games Workshops comic books
December 30, 2016
This review refers to the hardcover table top edition of this book.
If your bookshelf can hold it, go for this book in the hardcover format. Large glossy pages enhance the story by bringing all of the art into clearer focus simply making everything easier to see. The manga style graphic novels from Warhammer are cramped and printed on cheap paper bound too tightly. The hardcover version is really nice and brings the story to life.
Daemonifuge tells the story of Ephrael Stern, a member of the Adeptus Soroitas who has forgotten her past and must seek out the answers to powerful and dangerous questions. As she and Inquisitor Hand seek to solve the mysteries of Stern's existence and powers, chaotic forces hound them and unknown mystical powers protect them. The story is dark and fast-paced (as are most Warhammer tales), and reads almost like a mystery.
The art work is amazing in this graphic novel, better than any I've found in the other Warhammer books. Detailed gore and beauty combine to make an exciting read that you'll be tempted to finish in a single setting.
If your bookshelf can hold it, go for this book in the hardcover format. Large glossy pages enhance the story by bringing all of the art into clearer focus simply making everything easier to see. The manga style graphic novels from Warhammer are cramped and printed on cheap paper bound too tightly. The hardcover version is really nice and brings the story to life.
Daemonifuge tells the story of Ephrael Stern, a member of the Adeptus Soroitas who has forgotten her past and must seek out the answers to powerful and dangerous questions. As she and Inquisitor Hand seek to solve the mysteries of Stern's existence and powers, chaotic forces hound them and unknown mystical powers protect them. The story is dark and fast-paced (as are most Warhammer tales), and reads almost like a mystery.
The art work is amazing in this graphic novel, better than any I've found in the other Warhammer books. Detailed gore and beauty combine to make an exciting read that you'll be tempted to finish in a single setting.
January 12, 2021
Ephreal Stern is a Sister of Battle, a sworn warrior-nun in the service of the God-Emperor. At least she was. But then she died. Now she's back. And changed. She's now a vessel for an unknowable power. Hunted by both the Emperor's Inquisition and the forces of chaos she is guided to her final purpose by an outcast from the strange xenos breed known as the harlequins.
This book makes very little allowance for people who don't know a fair amount of 40K lore even by the books' usual standards and it does rather feel it's age. The art is a real mixture but includes some talented individuals. In fact it feels like it could have come from the pages of 2000AD at the turn of the millennium. To a fan it's interesting seeing the ways in which some of the lore has been retconned since this was written, in particular who the Dark Eldar are and what makes them tick.
I would though recommend this to a 40K fan, particularly a Sisters of Battle one, and in particular this modern imprint with the full colour pages.
This book makes very little allowance for people who don't know a fair amount of 40K lore even by the books' usual standards and it does rather feel it's age. The art is a real mixture but includes some talented individuals. In fact it feels like it could have come from the pages of 2000AD at the turn of the millennium. To a fan it's interesting seeing the ways in which some of the lore has been retconned since this was written, in particular who the Dark Eldar are and what makes them tick.
I would though recommend this to a 40K fan, particularly a Sisters of Battle one, and in particular this modern imprint with the full colour pages.
September 8, 2012
So when we were in Paris in March I found a french copy of this but decided not to buy it as Paris was full of lovely French comics that hadn't been translated from English ones. So I was able to borrow this from a friend. It was really great to have a 40K story where the main character was female. It didn't make any difference to the story that she was a woman, she behaved like all the male characters in 40K stories but I kinda liked that.
The book is a collection of comics, done by different artists and I'm guessing writers and as such the story isn't nearly as cohesive as you'd expect a single graphic novel to be. The story seemed to go off in several different directions but it was still enjoyable. My only complaint was the version I read was novel sized which made it too small to see all the art well and sometimes had trouble reading things. The French version was a large hardback (And I'm pretty sure it was colored) which I think would be a much better to read it.
The book is a collection of comics, done by different artists and I'm guessing writers and as such the story isn't nearly as cohesive as you'd expect a single graphic novel to be. The story seemed to go off in several different directions but it was still enjoyable. My only complaint was the version I read was novel sized which made it too small to see all the art well and sometimes had trouble reading things. The French version was a large hardback (And I'm pretty sure it was colored) which I think would be a much better to read it.
July 15, 2020
Definitely a product of its time. Presentation is amazing, but the story within is very dated. Artwork is inconsistent but looks better with a new coat of paint. Just don’t be surprised to be left on the edge, because the comic does little to finish you off.
I suppose we’ll have to wait for the prose novel to release. In the meantime the Psychic Awakening Pariah book has some insight as to what Stern and Kyangil have been up to since this comic, but only a general taste rather than a full story.
This book is great for fans. If you can get it for less than $40, do so.
I suppose we’ll have to wait for the prose novel to release. In the meantime the Psychic Awakening Pariah book has some insight as to what Stern and Kyangil have been up to since this comic, but only a general taste rather than a full story.
This book is great for fans. If you can get it for less than $40, do so.
August 21, 2020
While a bit dated in story telling technique, seeing a 20th anniversary release was a treat. The graphic novel is targeted to those already familiar with the Adepta Sororitas and the 40K universe. You get dropped into the story pretty quickly and if you don't know who the Inquisitors are, the role of the Death Watch, and the Sisters of Battle, you could get easily overwhelmed.
The art is fantastic and full of action sequences that pull you in.
I do wish that more was focused on the interlude portions introducing the harlequin as his story felt more rushed.
The art is fantastic and full of action sequences that pull you in.
I do wish that more was focused on the interlude portions introducing the harlequin as his story felt more rushed.
November 13, 2020
I was predisposed to like this, but I have no time for edgy GI Joe comics that don’t make any sense. The art is sometimes crude, but has some redeeming value, unlike the dialogue, the pacing, the characters, or general clarity.
July 18, 2020
This is a phenomenal graphic novel, I really enjoy my audiobooks and paper novels but to read and see how terrible the world of Warhammer can be was truly amazing, must buy
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