Shadowbreed

Konrad #2

by David S. Garnett, David Ferring (Pseudonym)

warhammer

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Novels, High Fantasy

256 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 29, 1993

About the author

David S. Garnett (born 1947) is a UK science fiction author and editor whose novels include Cosmic Carousel, Stargonauts and Bikini Planet. He edited a paperback anthology revival of Michael Moorcock's New Worlds magazine, two Zenith anthologies of original British SF stories, and three Orbit Science Fiction Yearbooks.

Reviews

[Lorewarden]

This second volume of the trilogy starts off the instant the first volume ends, and only ramps up from there. Nonstop twists and turns with mayhem and violence.

[Tarl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my third time reading this novel and each time I find it equally as enjoyable as the first. Though it takes place at a time when the Warhammer world was still relatively young (as opposed to today), Garnett has done a good job capturing what the early Warhammer Fantasy world was like.

Shadowbreed continues Konrad's story, and just like the first book, moves from action scene to action scene as the once slave tries to solve an ever enlarging mystery. Throughout this book we get resolution to some of the events set forward in the first book, but also manage to pick up more in the mystery involving events in Konrad's life.

Garnett wrote this book as if someone were just picking it up without having read the first one in the series, meaning that at certain points it breaks into a bunch of exposition as to the events in the first novel. This detracts heavily from the storyline and feels more like filler than actual content for the novel itself. These sections could have easily been blended, but sadly this is not the case, and was one of the major sticking points for me in an otherwise smooth reading novel.

Still, the action is handled well, Chaos is handled with a flair we seem to only find in the older versions of Warhammer games/fiction, and there is a certain grittiness to everything you don't find in later fiction. Garnett has created an interesting character in Konrad, and certain elements, like the crest with the clenched fist and arrows, continues to draw the reader forward page by page.

In the end, Shadowbreed was a pretty good read. It is a quick novel from a time when there wasn't a lot of fiction that took place in the Warhammer world, and it's nice to see the roots of the game world. I enjoyed this book, but it isn't for everyone. Current Warhammer players will probably find certain elements confusing, though interestingly enough, I think people not into the game world will actually have an easier time with this series than more modern fiction. Still, if you're read the first book and liked it, you'll enjoy this one as well.

[Arthur B · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cruder, more violent, and sillier than its predecessor, and includes some sequences which are outright juvenile. Full review: https://fakegeekboy.wordpress.com/200...

[Virdomarus · Rating 2 out of 5]

Skips over a lot of what should be the more interesting parts and the plot seems to be one coincidence after another. I guess it will all turn out to be fate etc, but seems contrived. Also alot of repetition of previous scenes, far more than is needed to remind me what happened previously

Mainly the setting is interesting

[Mitch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice continuation. Still suffers from the underdeveloped Warhammer lore, but enjoyable, nonetheless.

[Kelvin Green · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's no real plot to speak of, the characters are barely sketches, and it's not really about anything. It's probably a bad book, by any sensible measure, but you know what? It's great fun. The book rattles along at a great pace, lurching wildly from one fantasy set-piece to another, with only the loosest of narrative connections, and the protagonist Konrad is (unintentionally?) hilarious in his complete inability to remain focused on any sort of traditional character arc.

It feels, bizarrely, a lot like Don Quixote, only much, much shorter, considerably trashier, and rather more enjoyable.

[Sebastien · Rating 5 out of 5]

Je bénis encore l'univers pour m'avoir accordé le privilège de ne pas avoir eu à attendre trop longtemps pour avoir la suite de Konrad. À peine quelque jours après avoir fini le premier livre, qu'Orthanc m'appel pour me dire qu'ils avaient reçu la suite de la trilogy. Je n'ai donc pas perdu de temps et je suis allez chercher la suite.

Point que je n'ai pas traité dans ma première critique, est le fait que l'auteur prend lui aussi plaisir à jouer avec les Cliffhangers. Différence avec l'autre livre qui était comme ça, celui-ci répondait entièrement aux attentes. Alors, comme Konrad finissait un peu sur un cliffhanger, je dois vous dire que j'avais beaucoup d'attente face à ce deuxième opus. J'en avait même peur d'être déçu. Heureusement pour moi, ce deuxième livre est à la hauteur du premier, voir peut-être même meilleur car il n'y a pas de longue introduction, c'est de l'action à l'état pure et une histoire qui n'arrête pas.

Konrad est maintenant mercenaire, et dire qu'au début il est la bitch d'un homme important au village, ça c'est de l'évolution de personnage :)!!! Il se bat dans le nord de l'empire et se rend compte qu'il est peut-être lier à une destiné beaucoup plus importante qu'il aurait pu le croire. Voyangeant à travers l'Empire pour trouver réponse à ses questions, Korad affrontera des ennemies, tous plus coriace les uns que les autres.

Second d'une trilogy qui a su me plaire au point de passer tout mes temps libres à dévorer ce livre au point d'avoir de la difficulté à m'arrêter.

[Declan Waters · Rating 3 out of 5]

Things are going from bad to worse for Konrad. He has left his friend of the last five years to chase Skullface - the one he shot when his village was attacked by Beastmen and everyone was killed. In chasing Skullface he is captured by the Beastmen horde, escapes and eventually finds himself in Middenheim... where there are skaven to deal with.

Much like the first in the trilogy, this book paints the picture of a dark Empire falling apart from within and with enemies at every corner. There is chaos, corruption and warpstones and a Thanquol like Grey Seer.

Despite all this, it didn't quite live up to the promise of Konrad (Book 1) and fell a little flat in places. The series is struggling a little from Konrad constantly surviving against all odds, but some of the escapes are somewhat unbelievable. That said, it is still a fun read and I am hoping that the story will pay off in book 3 - Warblade - which I have just started to read.

[Ed C · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second in a series of three. These books cannot be read alone without dissapointment, as one leads into the other with cliffhangers forming one long epic story. A review of the series can be found here under the Konrad Omnibus edition.

This book picked up a little from the first, taking Konrad into new adventures, with new foes and new allies, but still on the trail of his nemesis. The book manages to raise more questions than there are answered, but this leads only towards the final book, for all the strands of fate to weave together. Yet another cliffhanger ending to drive you onwards.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Konrad continues his struggles for identity, and clear understanding of where he falls between Chaos and good. Cool Warhammer background on how warpstone and Chaos relate. Some cosmology scenes which are gratefully pretty short, as they get a bit silly. Some interesting new characters introduced. But, do we really need the protagonist to repeatedly observe that there is a spider web of connections between these various characters entrapping him? A bit of spoon feeding for the lazy reader? Skaven get involved, which is always amusing, but not as well executed as it could have been.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

The second book of the Konrad trilogy is set with a faster pace than the first, sees a lot of action, and tries to tie up some loose ends from the first book. There are still many unanswered questions though when one reaches the cliffhanger ending.

[Gavin Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Inspired by my nostalgia trip, I continued on to the second part of the trilogy. It doesn't have the same narrative momentum as the first book but does a decent enough job of developing the main character.

[Eri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Better beginning, better end, compared to the books one, but otherwise, lacking something more entertaining. Let's see how the book 3 deals with remains of the story.

[Alison Tala]

I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/14829910