Lioness of The Parch

Warhammer Age of Sigmar

by Evan Dicken

A Tahlia Vedra Novel

Rogue. Mercenary. Champion. Tahlia Vedra is all these things and more. But overcoming the new threat facing Hammerhal Aqsha will require more than just her battlefield experience.

READ IT BECAUSE
It’s a gripping tale where the legendary Tahlia Vedra must use all her skills to overcome a new threat. But what can she do against a Chaos Warlord and master strategist who can seemingly anticipate her every move?

THE STORY
When Chaos Warlord Mausolus Ebonpyre’s forces annihilate a well-defended citadel, Tahlia is thrown into the bloody arena of Sigmarite politics.

Surrounded by uncertain allies and hidden foes, Tahlia must forge common ground with old rivals, overcome betrayal from within, and learn the arts of diplomacy to face down Ebonpyre, a master schemer and strategist. To save Hammerhal from total war, Tahlia must become more than just a soldier – she must become a leader. She must become the Lioness of the Parch.

Genres: Fantasy

353 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 10, 2024

Reviews

[Chris Steele · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've definitely got mixed emotions about this book The narrative and characters are interesting and there was a nice plot twist which I wasn't 100% expecting. I think the problem I had with it was it felt very disconnect the main character would jump around a lot and you're not giving clear direction on where they are and where they have been, which had me going back a couple of times to re-read pages, because I felt like I had missed something

[this_curious_thing · Rating 3 out of 5]

6/10. I'm not super familiar with the lore of Age of Sigmar, but I found this to be a decent read overall. I do like Tahlia Vedra, but she's a bit less clever than I expected her to be and a lot of this book (particularly the battle scenes) kind of jumps around abruptly. The politics also felt a bit "video-gamey", for lack of a better word - go here, talk to this person to get their vote, then go here, talk to another person, then go here, talk to another person and voila, quest completed. Overall, I'd say this is a pretty average book, and not one that I would recommend to anyone unfamiliar with Warhammer. Way too many names and places get bandied around with very little explanation or description of what they actually are.

[Christian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fun read! This is how you write for the Black Library. Fast paced, interesting characters, easy to understand, and battles, battles, battles. I think the AOS side is more fun to read than the 40K side. I hope to read more stories of the Lioness.

[Marc · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have some mixed feelings about the novel. It tells the story of Tahlia Vedra, First Marshall of the City Hammerhal and her struggle against the politics of the city and invaders from outside. 

Tahlia and many of the side characters are very well written and the dynamics between her and the people around her are well displayed. I especially liked the politicking and the way she tries to navigate this, at least for her, unfamiliar territory. Here is where the book really shines in my opinion. 

Unfortunately, the novel sticks to one point of view. Apart from the prologue, every chapter is written from the perspective of Tahlia herself and I would have wished for more variety in that regard. Also, some of the battle scenes could have been written more captivatingly.

Overall, I had a lot of fun with the book, but one can only recommend it to a niche audience. Personally, some knowledge concerning Age of Sigmar and especially the area around Hammerhal is very helpful. Also, it helps if one is invested in the character Tahlia beforehand, either because of the miniature or through her appearance in the second Dawnbringer campaign book.

[Dillon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story, bland characters. Read via audio book terrible narration.

[Alexandre · Rating 1 out of 5]

dnf at about 60% just bored