Hammer of Daemons

Grey Knights #3

by Ben Counter

In the nightmare future of Warhammer 40,000, a superhuman warrior must battle his way free from a world of daemons.

Genres: Science Fiction, 40k, Fiction, Fantasy, War, Pulp

415 pages, Paperback

First published February 26, 2008

About the author

Ben Counter, as well as making several contributions to Inferno magazine, has written the Soul Drinkers and Grey Knights series and two Horus Heresy novels for the Black Library. He is an ancient history graduate and avid miniature painter with a bronze demon under his belt.

Reviews

[Gianfranco Mancini · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a perfect galaxy they would have sent armies of Space Marines and storm troopers led by daemon hunters to crush the Chaos forces on the polar cap, but the galaxy was far from perfect, and those legions and inquisitors were spread across a thousand worlds threatened by the Black Crusade.
The Inquisition's contribution to the defence of Sarthis Majoris consisted of Justicar Alaric and four Grey Knights.

After battling lovecraftian abominations, Adepta Sororitas, Dark Mechanicus Hereteks, their daemonic possessed bio-mechanical abominations and daemon possessed Titans, Justicar Alaric finds himself in unfamiliar territory, stripped of his gear and battle-brothers, risking of becoming more like the foes he swore to destroy while fighting his way free from a whole world filled with demons inside the Eye of Terror.

It was the sound of Hathran. It was a funeral song. Alaric had heard it
sung over the same pile of dead in which he was lying.
They were singing their own funeral dirge. The Hathrans knew they
were going to die. They knew it because they had seen a Space Marine,
the Emperor's warrior, defeated and thrown down from the heavens by
the champion of the Blood God.
'No', gasped Alaric, 'not here. Not now.'

Essentially something like Conan the Barbarian, Gladiator and Spartacus meet Ben Counter's Daemon WorldDaemon World with final outcome never in doubt and main character just could have been from just every Space Marine chapter, but I really enjoyed this visceral tale about heroism, Chaos and a lot of ultra-violence.



The Wrack drifted back towards the arena entrance, where the slaves on the Unholy were already disembarking. The orks around Alaric were celebrating their victory, following his lead by hurling chunks of dead daemon towards the stands. One-ear bellowed a war cry and the other greenskins joined in.
For all Alaric knew, they were chanting his praises.

More a three stars read, but some totally  unexpected twists and the bloody bleak ending rised final vote to full four ones and I would like to read more adventures about Alaric and inquisitor Nyxos seems to have plans for him, sadly author Ben Counter never wrote a follow up since 2008.

'They call you Alaric the Betrayed, you know, because you were betrayed by your Emperor. You asked him to deliver you from Chaos, from Drakaasi, and he ignored you. He is just a corpse, who cannot hear your prayers, Grey Knight. That is the ultimate betrayal.
My lord will grant you everything you want if you only get his attention!'

Not bad at all for an old school W40K trilogy, but just try Aaron Dembski-Bowen's The Emperor's GiftThe Emperor's Gift if you are looking for a less out of date and better take about demon-hunter Grey Knights.

[Mathias Jedborg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just... Wow.

[Станислав · Rating 1 out of 5]

Не повезло Серым Рыцарям с серией. Если первые две книги Каунтера были посредственны, даже по не очень высоким меркам Warhammer литературы, то это просто дно дна. Такая интересная фракция - орден Серых Рыцарей, уникальные астартес, происходят непосредственно от Императора, все псайкеры, отбор такой, что не снился другим чаптерам, совершенные демоноборцы, не подвержены хаосу, оружие настолько уникально, что на производство одного болта уходят сотни жизней простых смертных. Потресающий материал и такая плохая новелизация. Прямо надо брать другого автора и переписывать. Слог у Каунтера просто унылый, возможно в других руках фабула бы заиграла, но здесь "он пошёл, она сказала" - скукота. Предполагается, что из трилогии о Серых Рыцарях мы узнаём об этом загадочном ордене. Нет мы ничего не узнаём. Аларика просто побеждает какой-то герцог Веналитор (или Велинатор, это неважно) и отправляет его в рабство на гладиаторские арены Кхорна. Во-первых, что это за герцог, который может взять и отправить серого рыцаря пахать на арене. Это неизвестно из текста. Вроде просто смертный чемпион Хаоса. Эээ. Это книга, напомню, 2008 года, я понимаю если бы это был примерно 1992, там были ещё такие кислотные трипы для 12-летних, но это тот же года, когда Абнетт выпустил потрясающий "Легион". Оказывается так можно: нарисовался смертный хаосит с толпой оборванцев и захомутал серого рыцаря. Надевают ошейник Кхорна и всё его псайканство на 0. Собственно после этого про весь ваха-лор можно дальше забыть. Дальше действие происходит на хаоситском мире Дракаази, которым правит Лорд Эбондрак, который выглядит ... догадайтесь как? Как большой чёрный дракон, то есть планета Драконовка и там Чёрный Дракон, который чёрный дракон. Нет, это не Шварц Евгений Шварц - Дракон . Дальше сюжет фильма "Гладиатор", где Кроу. Планетой правят лорды Хаоса, частью смертные , частью демоны. Все они общаются между собой как французские герцоги и графы из романов Дюма: "Прошу вас, дорогой герцог, больше крови Богу Крови", "Ну что вы, мессир! Давайте ещё черепов Трону Черепов". Мир Кхорна, все потихоньку тзинчуют и интригуют друг другу на чём свет стоит, некоторые ощутимо нурглиты. Автохтонное население мира - хитрые, но забитые жучары (реально), которые ходят на задних лапках и дерутся ножницами.
Только упрямство заставило меня закончить этот идиотизм до конца.
Если брать схожую тематику, то про "Пожирателей Миров", Кхарна есть отличные книги, типа Anthony Reynolds - Chosen of Khorne , там гладиаторские арены, черепа, всякое такое. А эта книга просто никуда не годится.

[Meitnerio · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quizás es que Ben Counter quería escribir un libro dedicado a los malos y no le dejaron, o iba a estar protagonizado por otro personaje y luego las decisiones editoriales forzaron a meterlo de la saga de los Caballeros Grises, pero no acabo de entender tanta diferencia respecto a sus dos novelas precedentes. Han desaparecido las historias complejas, los personajes con aristas y el carisma de la Inquisición Imperial y quedan las toñas, los tiros y los desmembramientos.

Podríamos decir que se distingue del cánon habitual en la franquicia por la gratuidad de la acción (que ya es decir). De la misma manera, también debemos reconocer que los juegos y las matanzas son presentados con habilidad, las páginas pasan con ritmo y, aunque no se sepa muy bien hacia dónde va, el viaje es divertido.

Para más datos, la reseña completa aquí ;)

http://meitnerio.blogspot.com/2018/01...

[Bogdan Balostin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Compared to the previous entry, Hammer of Daemons has all the punch and the pulp of the first novel, without the horrible prologue. Though it had a weird ending, full of battles among named characters we never met before, who only show up to die. It's almost like the end of the trilogy tries to mirror the beginning, even if those parts were my least favorite.

That doesn't mean I didn't like the ending. It was satisfying to see the end of Alaric's journey. I only have a problem with the way the final battle was presented.

Anyway, why this book was awesome? Because it's Spartacus in Space, with chaos demons, rivers of blood and gore, and more deformed demons. And Alaric being made a slave forced to fight in arenas adds an extra layer of depth to his character, as well as the much-needed tension. I couldn't make sense of demons made of data so the second novel lacked the sense of danger, but gladiators and a planet of terror, this I can work around it.

[Oscar Camacho · Rating 5 out of 5]

Es un libro muy bueno, el mejor de los que hay sobre el Juez Alaric y los caballeros grises. Esta muy bien escrito y los diversos giros de trama que contiene la verdad es que no vi venir ninguno. Es un libro que te mantiene interesado todo el tiempo y deseas saber que va a pasar después, porque en absoluto es un libro predecible, eso si es totalmente épico desde el inicio hasta el punto final.

Además no se parece a sus predecesores o al resto de libros sobre marines espaciales, donde vez la gloria de los astartes desde el punto de vista de un personaje singular. Este libro es totalmente sobre Alaric y el caos, esto es algo que hace necesario haberte leído los dos anteriores, porque para que todo lo que pasa Alaric cobre sentido para ti, creo que es importante conocer quien era antes.

Muy recomendado si eres fan de Warhammer 40K y de los caballeros grises en particular.

[Khonsu · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's not a bad book however it is directly opposed to the character which was built in the first two books of the series and completely goes against all lore in the universe regarding the Grey Knights.

Taken on its own it's an easy read, but if you're looking for a book to delve into the Grey Knight chapter, give this one a miss.
It would have been a much better novel if it was about a "standard" chapter, written about a Grey Knight, it simply doesn't work or make sense.

[Matthew Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book packed to the brim with excellent Chaos imagery and a real visceral world - but the book in general feels a lot like just a vehicle for these great images. I began to be surprised where a section, or chapter, didn't end with the main character taking a bonk on the head so he could be transferred to the next excellent environment.

[Kym Jackson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very silly. Gets better in the second half when the escape story gets going. The first half is essentially just ridiculous over the top and embarrassing descriptions of a chaos planet (one of those things that the more you take away the mystery the more it loses—actually like most stuff in 40k).

[Little Butts · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as the first two in the Grey Knights series but entertaining enough. More blood for the blood god, skulls for the skull throne, etc etc

[Ulzeta · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun read

[Michael T Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much like Graham McNeill's Dead Sky, Black Sun, this is a Chaos book masquerading as a Loyalist book.

In a supremely Conan-esque fashion, Alaric is taken hostage during what should have been a pretty straightforward liberation attempt by a Chaos lord who's a member of a large group of Chaos folk who like to have each other's champions fight in arena duels. The really frustrating thing for Alaric is that they put a ... psi-dampening (?) collar on him, so that he's essentially mentally just a normal human. How far is he willing to go to stay true to his morals? Which is more important, escape or staying virtuous? How big of a creature can he beat or stab to death?

All these very important soul-searching questions are answered through the book. There's a good amount of time paid to the other prisoners, and I'll admit, their stories were not handled in the way that I assumed they would be. There are rumors of something called the Hammer of Daemons, said to be a weapon that can slay those imprisoning them. Is it just a rumor? Is it a metaphor? Is the hammer really inside all of us, all along?

Again, you'll have to read to find out. And if you enjoy scenes of big badass guys in loincloths in cages falling into humongous pools of blood and having to fight the skeletal hands that reach out of said blood, you're going to enjoy reading and finding out. This is by far the best book I've read by Ben Counter. Usually he impresses me simply by not being terrible, but this book is actually incredibly engaging. Very glad I read it.

[Wyatt. H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hammer of Daemons
book review-Wyatt Holtkamp
for Mrs. Murphy's class

The Hammer of Daemons follows the path of Justicar Alaric, The Grey Knight, as he battles his way across the stars. Fighting against the greatest foes that the universe has to offer, his job in dangerous, but it is what he was designed to do. As a Grey Knight, Justicar Alaric fight daemons, creatures of corrupt energy from a place beyond reality known as the warp. They are the greatest enemies of mankind, and are each much larger and stronger than atleast 5 full grown men. How is it that Alaric can fight them, and regular men cannot? Well, the answer is simple, Alaric is a space marine.

Space Marines are the champions of man kind. Genetically altered to be strong, fit, and without fear, they fight what we can not. Comming in at 3 meters tall, with two sets of lungs, two hearts, and the strength of 20 men, one space marine can lift a truck without pause and bench press it. Even so, Alaric is not even a regular space marine, he is a grey knight. The best soldiers that the imperium have to offer, the grey knights combine the strenght and mass of a space marine with the cunning and inteligence of a veteran soldier. They do not just fight against the enemies of man kind, the daemons, they turn it into a hunt.

As if the Space Marines don't already have a big enough advantage, they also have the best equipment. Each, stand a half meter taller when dressed out in full and complete armor, which not only protect them from the rigours of combat, but lends them even more strength. Each warrior carries a Nemesis Halberd, the preffered weapon of the Grey Knights. Designed specifically for killing daemons, the Halberd operates with the same energy that the daemons live on, giving it the ability to harm them where other weapons would have failed. And as a side arm, each Knight carries a heavy storm bolter. Loaded with mass reactive shells, each shot not only hits its mark with deadly accuracy, but with a bang, sending each daemon back to the warp from hence it came.

Alas, Even with all of this, Space Marines still die. Each Marine is created with the ability to be immortal, to live forever. The ability is there, in their DNA, but most will never realize this great gift they have been given. Infact, Most Space Marines never live past a single century. Born to fight, Space Marines are transported from one combat zone to the next, never ceasing in their fight. They may have been specifically built to fight daemons, but there is a reason why they were created to do so, Daemons are just as deadly as any Space Marine, and any just as many Marines die as do Daemons. but do not fear, For to be a Space Marine does not only mean fighting for man kind, it means dieing for man kind, and each and Space Marine has accepted this oath of commitment. To them, the greatest honour is not to FIGHT for their purpose, the greatest honour is to DIE fighting for their purpose

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like most WH40K books, Hammer of Daemons is dragged down by an overabundance of action and gore. The heavy reliance on arena combat is both a fun throwback to corny sci-fi of the 1980s and a repetitive trope. I found the section where Alaric struggles internally with the demon Razazael to be the most interesting part of the book, but even then it felt truncated by the action on the exterior. Ultimately the conclusion is grim and a little hard to swallow.

It's best to approach this book 1) with lower standards, and 2) as part of the Grey Knights: The Omnibus.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I find the Warhammer 40,000 universe very interesting. I am a fan of sci-fi in general but always found the idea of giant, fanatical, genetically modified, heavily armoured warriors roaming around the battlefields of the future cutting down aliens and heretics with the withering hail of gunfire or the buzz of a chainsword.

I enjoyed this book although it will never win any book prizes it was entertaining. Very violent but fun to read without being too taxing. If you are a fan of the warhammer 40,000 universe or just want a bit of sci-fi fluff to read to pass the time I highly recommend it.

[Christian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ben Counter has definitely redeemed himself for my taste. The final part of his Grey Knights trilogy is kind of like 'Passion of the Christ' mixed with 'Spartacus the TV show'. It's a great read about remaining steadfast in the face of overwhelming physical, psychological and spiritual hardship. The trilogy really made me respect Grey Knights and I see the bad ass hierarchy as: Space Marine-Space Wolves-Grey Knights.

[Richard Mann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this book told an interesting tale of the lengths to which a Grey Knight may go in order to achieve victory without losing their soul to corruption. As with the previous books in this series, Ben Counter painted excellent pictures of each scene and the struggle Brother Alaric faced as he looked for a way to defeat the champions of the Blood God.

[Sarah Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

As this is the last book in the Grey Knights Omnibus and as far as I know this is the last one with Alric...I feel quite sad. I will miss his character as he majorly grew on me. I really want to have him on a never ending quest of little adventures. Although, preferably once that don't require him to almost die every 5 pages. XD

[Brian Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Justicar Alaric finds himself cut off from the rest of the Grey Knights when he is captured by Chaos forces.
Forced to fight his way through a planet which is nothing more than a massive arena for Khorne the blood god, he has to rely on his ingenuity to survive.

Lots of good moments but the ending did show how far removed from humanity he has become by being a Space Marine.

[Alexander Draganov · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent conclusion to a series, which gave no indication that can end so strongly. Complex and interesting plot, non-stop gory action, memorable characters - I can't ask for more.
Detailed review in Bulgarian here:
http://citadelata.com/hammer-of-daemons/

[David Hellstrom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably one of the most interesting and unique plots I have ever read within the 40k universe.

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Out of the other two Grey Knights books, this one was the best.

[Marc · Rating 3 out of 5]

A really fun read; though it seems like they're playing a bit loose with the whole Grey Knight mentality and what's acceptable behavior....

[Kamal Sawyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ben gets better with each book. Hopefully he's next bk will be the one for him.

[Michael Borunda · Rating 5 out of 5]

A vaunted Grey Knight becomes a Champion of Khorne...what else do you need in life?

[Nicholas Mastrodicasa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unique idea which I really enjoyed and was refreshing from the usual Space Marine thing. Also an awesome ending, definitely worth a read.

[Peter Kohut · Rating 3 out of 5]

Daemon hunters are pretty cool ;)

[Neil Gunfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book, right up to the end where it completely goes against everything I've ever read about the Inquisition!

[Curtis Finnigan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a fantastic read.
It's a shame Ben Counter doesn't get as much appreciation as Aaron Dembski-Bowden and Dan Abnett.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Horrifically cheesy fun. Viva Alaric! You have to give yourself over to the 40K myths/world, but if you can do that, you'll be pleased all the way.