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Warhammer Age of Sigmar
Blacktalon
A Neave Blacktalon Novel
The Blacktalons are Sigmar's chosen assassins, a hand-picked crack team of Stormcast Eternals whose lethal skills enable them to strike down even the most powerful foes with ruthless efficiency.
READ IT BECAUSE
The discovery of a devastating, long-buried weapon threatens Sigmar himself! Legendary warrior Neave and her lethal companions, the Blacktalons, are charged with eliminating the Chaos threat and defending the Mortal Realms once again.
THE STORY
When Sigmar sends the Blacktalons on an ambiguous and troubling vision of their latest quarry, they leap faithfully into action as they have done for countless centuries – killing first and asking questions later. But this hunt is no simple task.
Neave and her companions are charged with slaying five powerful champions of Chaos. They must do so before these brutal followers of the Dark Gods can procure a long-buried, devastating weapon – one whose destructive power will be felt across all the Mortal Realms.
A weapon that could even threaten Sigmar himself.
The Blacktalons are Sigmar's chosen assassins, a hand-picked crack team of Stormcast Eternals whose lethal skills enable them to strike down even the most powerful foes with ruthless efficiency.
READ IT BECAUSE
The discovery of a devastating, long-buried weapon threatens Sigmar himself! Legendary warrior Neave and her lethal companions, the Blacktalons, are charged with eliminating the Chaos threat and defending the Mortal Realms once again.
THE STORY
When Sigmar sends the Blacktalons on an ambiguous and troubling vision of their latest quarry, they leap faithfully into action as they have done for countless centuries – killing first and asking questions later. But this hunt is no simple task.
Neave and her companions are charged with slaying five powerful champions of Chaos. They must do so before these brutal followers of the Dark Gods can procure a long-buried, devastating weapon – one whose destructive power will be felt across all the Mortal Realms.
A weapon that could even threaten Sigmar himself.
- GenresFantasy
345 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 11, 2023
13 people are currently reading
77 people want to read
About the author
Liane Merciel
40 books114 followersLiane Merciel's novels include Pathfinder Tales: Hellknight and Nightglass, Dragon Age: Last Flight, and The River Kings' Road. She has written for game companies including Pathfinder, Dungeons & Dragons, and Warhammer's Black Library. She lives and works in Philadelphia.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
October 5, 2025
Man, I had some really high hopes for this book. Neave Blacktalon is the leader of the Blacktalons, an assassin group serving Sigmar, The lightning God of Civilization and Order, to remove threats to the world. Mostly killing off Chaos worshipers. Except they're not really assassins. They're much more of a strike force because they have 3 close range melee specialists (just saying it took them almost 300 pages for Neave to use the pistols she carries), a single crossbow sniper, and a mage. There's very little stealth in this group, but at least we got some legit stealth when we get to the Slaanesh cultists even if they literally had to declare the presence of Stormcaste Eternals to get into the building...
At this point, I'm going to get specific on my criticisms. I won't cover too many details on the assassinations/hunts, but I will address the emotions and character conflicts (or rather lack there of) from here. This is your spoiler warning.
Anyway, the first 100 pages of this book set itself up well. We have legitimate intrigue with this frozen monastery and the Great Flayer's prophecy. Shakana and Neave's relationship is briefly explored and how losing part of yourself through reforging impacts both your relationships and identity. Gerispryx's realm shakes the emotional foundation of the team. But then it just stops developing relationships and questioning motives. It'll give us bits of Neave's self-criticism, faith in Sigmar, and desire for a better world. That's really all the emotional conflict for the rest of the book and this will come up for three more sections of the book because this book is ultimately 5 short stories about killing different chaos cultists. And credit where credit is due, the Great Flayer section is short but a good introduction including the bits of travel afterwards, Gerispryx section is actually quality fiction, and the Pelokoa section is generally great worldbuilding with some decent attempts to fulfill the assassin fantasy even if it's got some odd choices to how it tries to fulfill that fantasy. The Red Tree was so rushed it felt genuinely inconsequential. The final part with the Vorgemi is more interesting as worldbuilding than it is as an actual story despite almost 90 pages of this 333 page book.
This book feels like it wanted to try to be a deep exploration of the Neave and Shakana if not the entirety of the Blacktalons that balances out the emotional story beats with grimdark horror and action. Unfortunately, it didn't pace itself well enough, dedicating too much time to action because you have to create hunts for 5 targets, even if one of them is killed in the first 18 pages. At least the Great Flayer section remains relevant as setting the tone through intrigue and character conflict around that assassination. Midway through the Pelokoa arc (~150 pages in), the story just stops going from character conflict to just a bit of Neave's internal conflict. Even when she does externalize her emotions to Hendricks or Lorai, it serves mostly just to confirm her stance instead of challenging her perspective. There's also too much exposition on other peoples' perspective. Rostus's guilt and doubt following Gerispryx's arc was great! You don't need Neave to explain it to me. At least not 100% of it. Express more of it through his actions instead of telling me how his actions relieved his guilt.
My assumption here is that Liane Merciel was doing a good job setting up this emotional, character conflict driven story, but limitations imposed on the work given resulted in advisement from the editors to focus more on the action. This likely results from the editorial staff knowing more about the group's interpersonal relationships from the Blacktalons TV show and assuming the audience knows enough from that show to make assumptions or recognize some significance from the shift to Neave's self-doubt. I don't know. I haven't seen the show. If they did assume people would come from the TV show first and this book is more for dedicated fans, that's a poor assumption as any book could be an entry point into Age of Sigmar lore. Perhaps it was a poor decision on my part to not look for earlier stories about Neave before jumping into this book.
Regardless, this book serves as a decent worldbuilding book for Age of Sigmar. The travel scenes and descriptions of the environment were enjoyable. The story of go kill 5 boss monsters was repetitive and left little room for exploration of characters' perspectives. The initial build up of the relationship between Neave and Shakana is something I would take a whole 150 pages of with ease. I'd like to see Liane Merciel return to the Blacktalons with say 1-2 boss monsters to hunt, some legitimate intrigue and magical McGuffins for Lorai, and actual breathing room for Neave to talk to her team and let their personalities flourish. I think she has what it takes to make an excellent book for these characters if she is allowed to focus more on the relationships and how the environments shape those relationships as opposed to needing to focus on the hunt.
At this point, I'm going to get specific on my criticisms. I won't cover too many details on the assassinations/hunts, but I will address the emotions and character conflicts (or rather lack there of) from here. This is your spoiler warning.
Anyway, the first 100 pages of this book set itself up well. We have legitimate intrigue with this frozen monastery and the Great Flayer's prophecy. Shakana and Neave's relationship is briefly explored and how losing part of yourself through reforging impacts both your relationships and identity. Gerispryx's realm shakes the emotional foundation of the team. But then it just stops developing relationships and questioning motives. It'll give us bits of Neave's self-criticism, faith in Sigmar, and desire for a better world. That's really all the emotional conflict for the rest of the book and this will come up for three more sections of the book because this book is ultimately 5 short stories about killing different chaos cultists. And credit where credit is due, the Great Flayer section is short but a good introduction including the bits of travel afterwards, Gerispryx section is actually quality fiction, and the Pelokoa section is generally great worldbuilding with some decent attempts to fulfill the assassin fantasy even if it's got some odd choices to how it tries to fulfill that fantasy. The Red Tree was so rushed it felt genuinely inconsequential. The final part with the Vorgemi is more interesting as worldbuilding than it is as an actual story despite almost 90 pages of this 333 page book.
This book feels like it wanted to try to be a deep exploration of the Neave and Shakana if not the entirety of the Blacktalons that balances out the emotional story beats with grimdark horror and action. Unfortunately, it didn't pace itself well enough, dedicating too much time to action because you have to create hunts for 5 targets, even if one of them is killed in the first 18 pages. At least the Great Flayer section remains relevant as setting the tone through intrigue and character conflict around that assassination. Midway through the Pelokoa arc (~150 pages in), the story just stops going from character conflict to just a bit of Neave's internal conflict. Even when she does externalize her emotions to Hendricks or Lorai, it serves mostly just to confirm her stance instead of challenging her perspective. There's also too much exposition on other peoples' perspective. Rostus's guilt and doubt following Gerispryx's arc was great! You don't need Neave to explain it to me. At least not 100% of it. Express more of it through his actions instead of telling me how his actions relieved his guilt.
My assumption here is that Liane Merciel was doing a good job setting up this emotional, character conflict driven story, but limitations imposed on the work given resulted in advisement from the editors to focus more on the action. This likely results from the editorial staff knowing more about the group's interpersonal relationships from the Blacktalons TV show and assuming the audience knows enough from that show to make assumptions or recognize some significance from the shift to Neave's self-doubt. I don't know. I haven't seen the show. If they did assume people would come from the TV show first and this book is more for dedicated fans, that's a poor assumption as any book could be an entry point into Age of Sigmar lore. Perhaps it was a poor decision on my part to not look for earlier stories about Neave before jumping into this book.
Regardless, this book serves as a decent worldbuilding book for Age of Sigmar. The travel scenes and descriptions of the environment were enjoyable. The story of go kill 5 boss monsters was repetitive and left little room for exploration of characters' perspectives. The initial build up of the relationship between Neave and Shakana is something I would take a whole 150 pages of with ease. I'd like to see Liane Merciel return to the Blacktalons with say 1-2 boss monsters to hunt, some legitimate intrigue and magical McGuffins for Lorai, and actual breathing room for Neave to talk to her team and let their personalities flourish. I think she has what it takes to make an excellent book for these characters if she is allowed to focus more on the relationships and how the environments shape those relationships as opposed to needing to focus on the hunt.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 27, 2023
Not bad, but a very mixed experience. Starts off well, but I struggled to connect with the characters as things went on. There are revelations and hints at personal struggles and emotional baggage, but never gets expanded upon so aside from Neave the others feel a bit bland and under-developed.
Some good action, but often too much exposition and some clunky lines in general that took me out of it. Yet there are also some interesting discussions about memory and again, hints at more complex personalities and relationships that sit frustratingly out of reach.
The last few chapters did redeem things a fair bit, with an emotive climax that genuinely caught a tear from me. So, I can’t say I didn’t enjoy it, but I hope future Blacktalon stories focus a touch more on the characters as this one felt a little too pedestrian at times.
Some good action, but often too much exposition and some clunky lines in general that took me out of it. Yet there are also some interesting discussions about memory and again, hints at more complex personalities and relationships that sit frustratingly out of reach.
The last few chapters did redeem things a fair bit, with an emotive climax that genuinely caught a tear from me. So, I can’t say I didn’t enjoy it, but I hope future Blacktalon stories focus a touch more on the characters as this one felt a little too pedestrian at times.
April 18, 2024
I know what irks me in Stormcast Eternals now.
They all feel like Imperial Fists in a fantasy setting.
There might be different Stormhosts like there are different IF successors from the Executioners to Black Templars but in the end they all act and behave like the progeny of Rogal Dorn.
I read so many AoS stories. I read Blacktalon now and all of them feel like Imperial Fists.
Hendrick feels like a veteran sergeant, Shakana feels like a space marine scout and Neave like a morally perturbed Imperial Fist captain.
I don't mind if other people like it, but watching 7th legion of Space Marines in a fantasy setting is just not my cup of tea.
They all feel like Imperial Fists in a fantasy setting.
There might be different Stormhosts like there are different IF successors from the Executioners to Black Templars but in the end they all act and behave like the progeny of Rogal Dorn.
I read so many AoS stories. I read Blacktalon now and all of them feel like Imperial Fists.
Hendrick feels like a veteran sergeant, Shakana feels like a space marine scout and Neave like a morally perturbed Imperial Fist captain.
I don't mind if other people like it, but watching 7th legion of Space Marines in a fantasy setting is just not my cup of tea.
January 11, 2025
The novel follows the Blacktalons as they hunt down a serious threat to Sigmar and the Mortal Realms.
Some fun little additions to the lore of AoS as thr Blacktalons face off against different Chaos factions (my favourite being a former city built around a god-tree that became corrupted by Chaos).
One critique i would have is that there were hints of inter-personsal drama that seemed compelling but were never developed on. The protagonists are Stormcast, warriors of Sigmar who can die and come back again but at the cost of their memories. This can be a great source of drama but it never felt fully utilised.
Some fun little additions to the lore of AoS as thr Blacktalons face off against different Chaos factions (my favourite being a former city built around a god-tree that became corrupted by Chaos).
One critique i would have is that there were hints of inter-personsal drama that seemed compelling but were never developed on. The protagonists are Stormcast, warriors of Sigmar who can die and come back again but at the cost of their memories. This can be a great source of drama but it never felt fully utilised.
September 11, 2024
The story was overall interesting, but I do feel like it doesn't provide a full and satisfying ending and falls under the same trap of other Warhammer books; these characters must continue, so the lore is neverending. The writing was sometimes more poetic and I would lose the thread of where it was going until it gave something more concrete to hold onto.
At the end of the day, I didn't hate it, didn't super love it. Will probably read more AoS books.
At the end of the day, I didn't hate it, didn't super love it. Will probably read more AoS books.
August 23, 2025
I’m a sucker for a zealot facing a truth that shakes their faith (is this a Freudian slip?)
Great cast of characters and a great fantasy adventure, with the gore and horror absolutely cranked up
Perhaps less exciting or revealing than the Blacktalon animated series - the reveal in the series is not part of this book, so I sure do hope the next Blacktalon book has at least something to do with it because THAT is what sold me on this character
Great cast of characters and a great fantasy adventure, with the gore and horror absolutely cranked up
Perhaps less exciting or revealing than the Blacktalon animated series - the reveal in the series is not part of this book, so I sure do hope the next Blacktalon book has at least something to do with it because THAT is what sold me on this character
November 25, 2023
The premise is intriguing and the characters could have been interesting, but the writing tells far more than shows. Might be fun for fans of the animated series but for me it's just a very average over-explanatory journey to the Mortal Realms.
December 2, 2023
Pues además de estar muy bueno y ser entretenido, pone mucho a pensar al final sobre temas de teología y asuntos de religión. Me mantuvo entretenido y me dio algo interesante en que reflexionar, ambos elementos que espero y busco en un buen libro.
September 16, 2025
I rated only a 4 star because I feel like it didnt have that "I NEED to keep reading" feeling for me like others have. However, it is still a great Stormcast adventure with lots of detail as you would expect for an AOS book.
February 15, 2024
Highly recommend if you're a fan of the Bible Man television show
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews