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Iron Kingdoms
Rites of Passage: A Warmachine Anthology
In the beginning, great power is only great potential . . .
Renowned for both martial and arcane skills, the mighty warcasters of the Iron Kingdoms possess the unique gift of bonding with and commanding mighty warjacks on the field of battle. Yet despite their inborn abilities, these powerful soldier-sorcerers began as novices, forced to harness their talents in rigorously structured military training programs or through the brutal crucible of battle.
Rites of Passage tells the tales of six novice warcasters, some from the great military powers of the Iron Kingdoms and others destined for a more independent path.
Journey to the Cygnaran front lines with Lieutenant Allison Jakes as she learns the difficult lessons of what it means to be a battlefield commander.
Balance faith with arcane might alongside Initiate Tristan Durant of the Protectorate of Menoth.
Navigate the treacherous politics of the Druzhina, Khador’s military training academy, with Kovnik Andrei Malakov.
Take to the bloody high seas aboard a Cryxian ship with the ruthless pirate raider Aiakos.
Follow the trials of the assassin initiate Elara as she struggles to accept her changed destiny as a warcaster within the Retribution of Scyrah.
Finally, prowl the war-torn streets of occupied Llael with the gutter rat Gastone Crosse as he becomes the most wanted man in Merywyn.
Renowned for both martial and arcane skills, the mighty warcasters of the Iron Kingdoms possess the unique gift of bonding with and commanding mighty warjacks on the field of battle. Yet despite their inborn abilities, these powerful soldier-sorcerers began as novices, forced to harness their talents in rigorously structured military training programs or through the brutal crucible of battle.
Rites of Passage tells the tales of six novice warcasters, some from the great military powers of the Iron Kingdoms and others destined for a more independent path.
Journey to the Cygnaran front lines with Lieutenant Allison Jakes as she learns the difficult lessons of what it means to be a battlefield commander.
Balance faith with arcane might alongside Initiate Tristan Durant of the Protectorate of Menoth.
Navigate the treacherous politics of the Druzhina, Khador’s military training academy, with Kovnik Andrei Malakov.
Take to the bloody high seas aboard a Cryxian ship with the ruthless pirate raider Aiakos.
Follow the trials of the assassin initiate Elara as she struggles to accept her changed destiny as a warcaster within the Retribution of Scyrah.
Finally, prowl the war-torn streets of occupied Llael with the gutter rat Gastone Crosse as he becomes the most wanted man in Merywyn.
420 pages, ebook
First published April 15, 2014
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62 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 21, 2014
From a Warmachine fan or a business perspective, it's pretty cool to see these new characters being introduced across fiction, source books, tabletop models, card game cards, and a computer game. From a reader's perspective, the first and last story in this anthology are my favorites. They felt the most like actual stories rather than game tie-ins, and I understand it's a hard line to straddle since they are in fact all game tie-ins.
In some ways its just simple story telling conventions that need better focus to make the stories stand out as actual stories. The Allison Jakes character from the first tale and Gastone Crosse from the last tale make serious personal mistakes of judgment that cost them and those around them. Andrei Malakov's story by contrast shows him making all the right decisions and always coming out on top with his friends, which just doesn't make for as interesting reading.
In some ways its just simple story telling conventions that need better focus to make the stories stand out as actual stories. The Allison Jakes character from the first tale and Gastone Crosse from the last tale make serious personal mistakes of judgment that cost them and those around them. Andrei Malakov's story by contrast shows him making all the right decisions and always coming out on top with his friends, which just doesn't make for as interesting reading.
November 5, 2014
It's hard to rate this collection overall. It was a decent slice of life from around the Iron Kingdoms. The story about Tristan was probably the best written, and the most sympathetic for what are often considered the "bad guys" of the Iron Kingdoms. Recommended for anyone interested in the setting.
April 30, 2014
This anthology is best broken down by individual story:
Jakes: Awesome
Tristan: decent, but kinda annoying
Malakov: Fantastic
Aikos: Baller
Elara: decent insight into Iosan culture, but meh at best
Gastonne: Same as above; cool world-building, boring story
Jakes: Awesome
Tristan: decent, but kinda annoying
Malakov: Fantastic
Aikos: Baller
Elara: decent insight into Iosan culture, but meh at best
Gastonne: Same as above; cool world-building, boring story
August 4, 2024
Lieutenant Allison Jakes ****
Great description of a young officer among veterans, delivers the feeling of a Cygnaran warcaster really well through action in both training and battle, gives character to both Sturgis and Jakes.
Good battle scenes with the menonites.
Tristan Durant ***
Different but also good description of warcaster training with the faithful. No turn of faith which I appreciate. Action is sometimes a bit lame.
Andrei Malakov ***
He is a fucking asshole at first, but the author manages to give him depth, which is admirable. Khadoran training sounds very intriguing, but it takes back seat to the conspiracy plot sadly.
Aiakos **
His story is not about becoming a warcaster, that is a tertiary thing in this. Which I really don't like.
Cryx is written a bit over the top, unnecessarily so.
And the events depart from the system way too far, like the dude controlling 2 jacks within a week of realizing he can control a jack at all.
Elara ***
She is written somewhat inconsistently, but I like the religious aspect of the assassin training.
Her Crucible is fun too, a good insight into the Laelese Rebellion, and a funny image of the young elf rushing the guys in her white plates.
Gaston **
It was a relatively well written story, though the action is terrible and doesn't make sense, people feel like teleporting, events don't follow. The emotional part is fine.
But this one finally discards all attempts at portraying warcaster training, because we get none of that, even though the story is probably the longest.
Great description of a young officer among veterans, delivers the feeling of a Cygnaran warcaster really well through action in both training and battle, gives character to both Sturgis and Jakes.
Good battle scenes with the menonites.
Tristan Durant ***
Different but also good description of warcaster training with the faithful. No turn of faith which I appreciate. Action is sometimes a bit lame.
Andrei Malakov ***
He is a fucking asshole at first, but the author manages to give him depth, which is admirable. Khadoran training sounds very intriguing, but it takes back seat to the conspiracy plot sadly.
Aiakos **
His story is not about becoming a warcaster, that is a tertiary thing in this. Which I really don't like.
Cryx is written a bit over the top, unnecessarily so.
And the events depart from the system way too far, like the dude controlling 2 jacks within a week of realizing he can control a jack at all.
Elara ***
She is written somewhat inconsistently, but I like the religious aspect of the assassin training.
Her Crucible is fun too, a good insight into the Laelese Rebellion, and a funny image of the young elf rushing the guys in her white plates.
Gaston **
It was a relatively well written story, though the action is terrible and doesn't make sense, people feel like teleporting, events don't follow. The emotional part is fine.
But this one finally discards all attempts at portraying warcaster training, because we get none of that, even though the story is probably the longest.
March 4, 2020
A fun read, but one which really got repetitious towards the end.
Highlight: finding out that Malakov isn't actually a terrible person
Lowlight: Jakes taking on the Harbinger and a Judicator with an ironclad and a tiny squad of trenchers strains the tenuous suspension of disbelief established by the setting.
Highlight: finding out that Malakov isn't actually a terrible person
Lowlight: Jakes taking on the Harbinger and a Judicator with an ironclad and a tiny squad of trenchers strains the tenuous suspension of disbelief established by the setting.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews