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Knight of the Blazing Sun
Hector Goetz, Knight of the Blazing Sun, and his battle brothers fight to protect the Empire and Marienburg from an onslaught of Norscans and chaos
416 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
6 people are currently reading
111 people want to read
About the author
Joshua Reynolds
313 books339 followersJosh Reynolds’ work has previously appeared in such anthologies as Historical Lovecraft from Innsmouth Free Press and Horror for the Holidays from Miskatonic River Press, and his novel, Knight of the Blazing Sun, is currently available from Black Library. He can be found at: http://joshuamreynolds.wordpress.com
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
February 18, 2012
Original Post: http://thefoundingfields.com/2012/02/...
I haven’t read as much Warhammer Fantasy as I would like to. You see, I only started reading Warhammer Fantasy with the release of Wulfrik by CL Werner, and I can say that the novel really opened my eyes to the wonderful Warhammer world, and have been surprised, and quite glad to say, that I’ve enjoyed a large portion of every Warhammer Fantasy novel that I’ve read.
And Knight of the Blazing Sun is no exception. Although it may be Josh Reynolds’ first Black Library novel, I really enjoyed this novel, having wanted to read it ever since I saw the amazing cover-art which would easily catch my eye if I was browsing in a bookstore.
The novel itself follows the main character of young Hector Goetz, a Knight of the Blazing Sun, an Order that I didn’t even know existed in the Warhammer World until I read Reynolds’ novel. But apparently, according to Black Library’s novel description, they’re “a noble and venerable order of Templars dedicated to the warrior-goddess Myrmidia.” Well, basically – Goetz is dispatched to the island of Svunum, where a group of fellow Knights have gone missing. Once he’s reunited with his comrades though, Goetz soon finds himself pitted against pirates and raiders alike, and – on top of that, he suffers from increasingly disturbing nightmares.
But, is everything as it seems? What are the intentions of the Knights on Svunum, and what secret do they hold that could possibly threaten the whole order?
I’m going to say that I was quite surprised by Knight of the Blazing Sun; I never thought that it would be as good as it turned out to be. Varied action, interesting characters, nice plot with a couple of minor issues, the novel proves to be a pretty good read.
However, not all novels are without their flaws, and there are some in Knight of the Blazing Sun. It isn’t one of those books that you will be thrust into right from the start – you’ll find it pretty hard to get into at first, particularly if you don’t know your Warhammer Fantasy background like me. However, it isn’t really until later on in the novel when the action really kicks in, and if you stick with it to that far, you’ll be unable to let it go.
There are some pretty well-written action scenes in this novel, with enough cliff-hangers at the end of the chapters to keep you reading. There’s just another minor, very minor flaw that I had with Knight of the Blazing Sun, and that’s probably just me being nitpicky. I don’t particularly like sentences that end with exclamation marks when they’re not “spoken”, or thoughts, but that shouldn’t detract your reading experience from the book.
Once we get into the last half of the novel, this is where Reynolds really shines. The action-scenes are gripping, and the twists at the end are interesting enough to leave you looking forward to more by the author. Indeed, his next Black Library novel coming out is Neferata, a Time of Legends novel – although that isn’t available until January 2013. However, I’ll be reading it. Reynolds has impressed me enough, and despite the flaws in Knight of the Blazing Sun, if he continues to improve, Neferata will be a really enjoyable read. His short stories are also worth checking out as well, and can be found in various issues of Hammer and Bolter.
The novel itself is well-plotted, despite the pacing being a bit off. Goetz is a likeable enough character to be one that you’ll want to route for, and is a strong enough character to form his own series. Although nothing’s been announced officially so far that I’m aware of, I’d love to see the continuation of Goetz’s adventures, even though Knight of the Blazing Sun is effectively a standalone novel.
Verdict: 3/5
I haven’t read as much Warhammer Fantasy as I would like to. You see, I only started reading Warhammer Fantasy with the release of Wulfrik by CL Werner, and I can say that the novel really opened my eyes to the wonderful Warhammer world, and have been surprised, and quite glad to say, that I’ve enjoyed a large portion of every Warhammer Fantasy novel that I’ve read.
And Knight of the Blazing Sun is no exception. Although it may be Josh Reynolds’ first Black Library novel, I really enjoyed this novel, having wanted to read it ever since I saw the amazing cover-art which would easily catch my eye if I was browsing in a bookstore.
The novel itself follows the main character of young Hector Goetz, a Knight of the Blazing Sun, an Order that I didn’t even know existed in the Warhammer World until I read Reynolds’ novel. But apparently, according to Black Library’s novel description, they’re “a noble and venerable order of Templars dedicated to the warrior-goddess Myrmidia.” Well, basically – Goetz is dispatched to the island of Svunum, where a group of fellow Knights have gone missing. Once he’s reunited with his comrades though, Goetz soon finds himself pitted against pirates and raiders alike, and – on top of that, he suffers from increasingly disturbing nightmares.
But, is everything as it seems? What are the intentions of the Knights on Svunum, and what secret do they hold that could possibly threaten the whole order?
I’m going to say that I was quite surprised by Knight of the Blazing Sun; I never thought that it would be as good as it turned out to be. Varied action, interesting characters, nice plot with a couple of minor issues, the novel proves to be a pretty good read.
However, not all novels are without their flaws, and there are some in Knight of the Blazing Sun. It isn’t one of those books that you will be thrust into right from the start – you’ll find it pretty hard to get into at first, particularly if you don’t know your Warhammer Fantasy background like me. However, it isn’t really until later on in the novel when the action really kicks in, and if you stick with it to that far, you’ll be unable to let it go.
There are some pretty well-written action scenes in this novel, with enough cliff-hangers at the end of the chapters to keep you reading. There’s just another minor, very minor flaw that I had with Knight of the Blazing Sun, and that’s probably just me being nitpicky. I don’t particularly like sentences that end with exclamation marks when they’re not “spoken”, or thoughts, but that shouldn’t detract your reading experience from the book.
Once we get into the last half of the novel, this is where Reynolds really shines. The action-scenes are gripping, and the twists at the end are interesting enough to leave you looking forward to more by the author. Indeed, his next Black Library novel coming out is Neferata, a Time of Legends novel – although that isn’t available until January 2013. However, I’ll be reading it. Reynolds has impressed me enough, and despite the flaws in Knight of the Blazing Sun, if he continues to improve, Neferata will be a really enjoyable read. His short stories are also worth checking out as well, and can be found in various issues of Hammer and Bolter.
The novel itself is well-plotted, despite the pacing being a bit off. Goetz is a likeable enough character to be one that you’ll want to route for, and is a strong enough character to form his own series. Although nothing’s been announced officially so far that I’m aware of, I’d love to see the continuation of Goetz’s adventures, even though Knight of the Blazing Sun is effectively a standalone novel.
Verdict: 3/5
July 13, 2019
I enjoyed this story. It was my first warhammer book in about 22 years as I used to have lots of them when I was a teenager and I'm currently rebuilding my collection.
It is very well written, nor difficult to understand. The plot at times was a little predictable but that doesn't take anything away from the story as in a sense you're in essence making similar assumptions as the main character - an extension of his thoughts perhaps.
It's a sort of whodunnit or mystery type of story and is implemented very well with good dialogue and descriptions. The only fault I found with it is that it seemed rushed in the last couple of chapters, like it could have been drawn out a bit more but not by much.
I recommend this book.
It is very well written, nor difficult to understand. The plot at times was a little predictable but that doesn't take anything away from the story as in a sense you're in essence making similar assumptions as the main character - an extension of his thoughts perhaps.
It's a sort of whodunnit or mystery type of story and is implemented very well with good dialogue and descriptions. The only fault I found with it is that it seemed rushed in the last couple of chapters, like it could have been drawn out a bit more but not by much.
I recommend this book.
March 14, 2012
Well, this one certainly started out slow, and took a while to weave through some of the machinations of the Great Game. But, eventually, it picked up speed and revealed an interesting story. The interactions with the Northmen added depth to the Warhammer world, giving them more facets than crazed, evil chaos-worshipers.
Reynolds' previous involvement in Lovecraftian themes comes through pretty loud and clear, and is probably part of the reason for his build up. The story (and said themes) were interesting, it just wasn't executed very well.
Reynolds' previous involvement in Lovecraftian themes comes through pretty loud and clear, and is probably part of the reason for his build up. The story (and said themes) were interesting, it just wasn't executed very well.
November 16, 2019
The third novel in an omnibus edition. I liked it quite a bit--again, more than I expected.
The novel is more complex and complete than I expected in a game tie-in story.
I still have several short stories to go in the omnibus. I'll leave a fuller review then.
The novel is more complex and complete than I expected in a game tie-in story.
I still have several short stories to go in the omnibus. I'll leave a fuller review then.
May 8, 2022
GW "Josh, can you write a book about [INSERT TOPIC HERE]
Reynolds - "Hmm, can I turn it into an investigation of faith in a world where the gods are verifiably real but also flawed?"
GW - "Do you ever do anything else?"
Reynolds - "Hmm, can I turn it into an investigation of faith in a world where the gods are verifiably real but also flawed?"
GW - "Do you ever do anything else?"
June 2, 2022
A more or less average adventure story about a knight traveling the empire, doing battle against cultists. It's unique, if for nothing else, for its depiction of Norscan raiders working alongside men of the empire. Part of the story is told from the their perspective, and that aspect of the book was interesting to read, but this isn't supposed to be a book about Norscans nor even cultists, but about the Order of the Blazing Sun, and for me, there just wasn't enough of that.
I supposed my experience of this book was somewhat sullied by having read the book "Reiksguard" just before this, and that book goes heavily into detail about the workings of that order of knights. I was expecting a similar treatment for the Order of the Blazing Sun in this book but was disappointed.
To be fair, the book is called "KNIGHT of the Blazing Sun" not "Knights (plural) of the Blazing Sun."
I supposed my experience of this book was somewhat sullied by having read the book "Reiksguard" just before this, and that book goes heavily into detail about the workings of that order of knights. I was expecting a similar treatment for the Order of the Blazing Sun in this book but was disappointed.
To be fair, the book is called "KNIGHT of the Blazing Sun" not "Knights (plural) of the Blazing Sun."
January 4, 2018
You can read the full review over at my blog:
https://shadowhawksshade.wordpress.co...
Shadowhawk reviews Josh Reynolds’s debut novel for Black Library, Knight of the Blazing Sun, set in the Old World of the Warhammer Fantasy universe.
“A tale of betrayal, honour and strained loyalties, Knight of the Blazing Sun has something to offer for everyone.” ~Shadowhawk, The Founding Fields
Last year marked a resurgence in my interest for Warhammer Fantasy fiction, starting quite appropriately with Nathan Long’s Ulrika novels and Gav Thorpe’s Sundering novels. Warhammer, or Warhammer Fantasy Battles to give the setting its full name, is a very rich, very interesting, and very dark setting. The moral compass of the protagonists isn’t always as straight as you might expect and there is enough horror and betrayal mixed in that it makes WFB a very unique setting even among the wider selection of epic fantasy universes.
And one of the things that Josh has really excelled at in Knight of the Blazing Sun is playing up that imbalanced moral compass, especially where his protagonist, Hector Goetz is concerned. I am actually quite reminded of Reiner Hetzau from Nathan’s Blackhearts novels. While Hector is a Knight of the Empire compared to Reiner who is a spy against his will, they are both very similar in their approach to the world around them. Just like Reiner, Hector has to make deals left and right for the success of his mission and has to stomach some rather unwholesome events because of his responsibility to said mission. I have a feeling that if these two ever meet, they would make a good team. At least I hope so. Hector Goetz is a character to watch out for, that’s for sure, and if Josh gets a chance to write more stories about this young Knight of the Order of the Blazing Sun, he will definitely become one of the most well-liked characters in Warhammer Fantasy.
Knight of the Blazing Sun is a very different novel than the usual Black Library fare, since it is primarily about one of the Knightly Orders of the Empire. Unless I am massively mistaken, there hasn’t been a novel focused on Imperial Knights since Dan Abnett’s Hammers of Ulric, and that was quite a few years ago. As such, Josh Reynolds brings a very different tone to the setting, and it is very refreshing indeed. At least for me who has only read about Skaven, pathologically suicidal Dwarfs, warrior-poets, vampires, necromancers and spies so far. Several parallels can be drawn between the Knights of WFB and the Space Marines of Warhammer 40,000, especially where their doctrines and elite status is concerned. Being a massive fan of Space Marine fiction, this helped me connect easily with Goetz and his fellow Knights, from the Order of the Blazing Sun and the Order of Manaan alike, and that is a big plus. Coming off this novel, I quite fancy reading more about the Imperial Knights because my curiosity about these guys has definitely been piqued.
In terms of characterisation, I think Hector Goetz is almost spot on as a Knight of the Empire, although I couldn’t shake the feeling that he accepts what he is told by the people around him a little too easily too many times. Simply put, he is too gullible at times and it gets confusing. I expect him to be a staunch believer in Imperial mentality but he really isn’t. The fact that he is also a atypical Knight of his Order could play into this and validate how Josh handles him but I’m not sure. Its just one of those things that I’d really love to discuss with Josh in greater detail. On the whole though, he is a very likable and impressionable character and I wouldn’t mind reading more of his adventures in the Old World.
https://shadowhawksshade.wordpress.co...
Shadowhawk reviews Josh Reynolds’s debut novel for Black Library, Knight of the Blazing Sun, set in the Old World of the Warhammer Fantasy universe.
“A tale of betrayal, honour and strained loyalties, Knight of the Blazing Sun has something to offer for everyone.” ~Shadowhawk, The Founding Fields
Last year marked a resurgence in my interest for Warhammer Fantasy fiction, starting quite appropriately with Nathan Long’s Ulrika novels and Gav Thorpe’s Sundering novels. Warhammer, or Warhammer Fantasy Battles to give the setting its full name, is a very rich, very interesting, and very dark setting. The moral compass of the protagonists isn’t always as straight as you might expect and there is enough horror and betrayal mixed in that it makes WFB a very unique setting even among the wider selection of epic fantasy universes.
And one of the things that Josh has really excelled at in Knight of the Blazing Sun is playing up that imbalanced moral compass, especially where his protagonist, Hector Goetz is concerned. I am actually quite reminded of Reiner Hetzau from Nathan’s Blackhearts novels. While Hector is a Knight of the Empire compared to Reiner who is a spy against his will, they are both very similar in their approach to the world around them. Just like Reiner, Hector has to make deals left and right for the success of his mission and has to stomach some rather unwholesome events because of his responsibility to said mission. I have a feeling that if these two ever meet, they would make a good team. At least I hope so. Hector Goetz is a character to watch out for, that’s for sure, and if Josh gets a chance to write more stories about this young Knight of the Order of the Blazing Sun, he will definitely become one of the most well-liked characters in Warhammer Fantasy.
Knight of the Blazing Sun is a very different novel than the usual Black Library fare, since it is primarily about one of the Knightly Orders of the Empire. Unless I am massively mistaken, there hasn’t been a novel focused on Imperial Knights since Dan Abnett’s Hammers of Ulric, and that was quite a few years ago. As such, Josh Reynolds brings a very different tone to the setting, and it is very refreshing indeed. At least for me who has only read about Skaven, pathologically suicidal Dwarfs, warrior-poets, vampires, necromancers and spies so far. Several parallels can be drawn between the Knights of WFB and the Space Marines of Warhammer 40,000, especially where their doctrines and elite status is concerned. Being a massive fan of Space Marine fiction, this helped me connect easily with Goetz and his fellow Knights, from the Order of the Blazing Sun and the Order of Manaan alike, and that is a big plus. Coming off this novel, I quite fancy reading more about the Imperial Knights because my curiosity about these guys has definitely been piqued.
In terms of characterisation, I think Hector Goetz is almost spot on as a Knight of the Empire, although I couldn’t shake the feeling that he accepts what he is told by the people around him a little too easily too many times. Simply put, he is too gullible at times and it gets confusing. I expect him to be a staunch believer in Imperial mentality but he really isn’t. The fact that he is also a atypical Knight of his Order could play into this and validate how Josh handles him but I’m not sure. Its just one of those things that I’d really love to discuss with Josh in greater detail. On the whole though, he is a very likable and impressionable character and I wouldn’t mind reading more of his adventures in the Old World.
June 12, 2012
A different sort of novel in the ranks of Warhammer. There is the expected epic battles, intrigues and all the usual but the real surprising factors here are that all in all it is quite a 'nice' one to follow. Hector Goetz is the focal point as a 'knight of the blazing sun' and a lot of focus going on this order making for quite an easy page turner as Goetz is an idealist who has to come to terms with the fact that nothing around him is a simple case of black and white and the struggles that then come with this. The supporting characters lend a lot to the twists and ever apparent lack of trust that is prevalent throughout. Like I said, as far as Warhammer novels go, this is about as easy going a sword and sorcery tale as you will be likely to find. Very enjoyable.
April 11, 2013
I had so much trouble getting into this book. It wasn't bad per se, it just didn't grab me at all. The first half was pretty slow and felt like a bit of a slog, but at least picked up in the back half. It's pretty standard Warhammer fare, knights, daemons, norscans, etc. Not terrible, just average.
March 30, 2013
I met the author at a signing in 2012, after being talked into Purchasing his book by another author Sarah Cawkwell, and I can honestly say this is a fantastic read, fast paced, entertaining and kept you guessing until the last Page.
July 18, 2013
Really enjoyed although the end was a little rushed. Wish there were more with these characters.
May 22, 2014
Enjoyed,
Good book.
Good book.
April 12, 2017
Review in progress
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews