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Path of the Dark Eldar #Omnibus
Path of the Dark Eldar
For millennia, Asdrubael Vect has ruled the dark city of Commorragh, crushing any who dare to cross him. His reach is long and his position unassailable... or so he thinks. A kabal of rebellious archons, allied with other, darker, forces, seek to unseat the tyrant and rule the city in his stead. But as their actions bring about a cataclysm and draw the attention of the mysterious Harlequins, they are cast into grave danger... and Vect is watching.
In this novel trilogy, the backstabbing politics and twisted nature of the dark eldar is explored in grisly detail. So too is the twilight realm of Commorragh, making this a must-read for any fan of the Dark Eldar.
This omnibus contains:
Path of the Renegade
In the hidden city of the dark eldar, a crisis is coming. An ambitious archon and a twisted haemonculus unite to challenge the city’s rulers, and Commoragh will burn in their wake.
Path of the Incubus
The eternal city of Commorragh has been cast into turmoil by the Dysjunction, a cataclysmic disturbance in the very fabric of its existence.
Path of the Archon
In the wake of a catastrophic Dysjunction, Supreme Overlord Asdrubael Vect strives to reassert his authority over the anarchic dark city of Commorragh.
In this novel trilogy, the backstabbing politics and twisted nature of the dark eldar is explored in grisly detail. So too is the twilight realm of Commorragh, making this a must-read for any fan of the Dark Eldar.
This omnibus contains:
Path of the Renegade
In the hidden city of the dark eldar, a crisis is coming. An ambitious archon and a twisted haemonculus unite to challenge the city’s rulers, and Commoragh will burn in their wake.
Path of the Incubus
The eternal city of Commorragh has been cast into turmoil by the Dysjunction, a cataclysmic disturbance in the very fabric of its existence.
Path of the Archon
In the wake of a catastrophic Dysjunction, Supreme Overlord Asdrubael Vect strives to reassert his authority over the anarchic dark city of Commorragh.
768 pages, Paperback
First published January 30, 2015
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331 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
October 21, 2016
Whew..........finally done with a trilogy, before doing that, I was really thinking if I would like it............so pardon me Ladies and Gentlemen.........and here we go..............
Book one (forgot the title),
We are introduced to the Dark Eldar (think of them as Drow living in space), a race so advanced, haughty (they even brought down their own pantheon/gods) and merciless, anyone not their kind is considered game even their own!!!!
The story starts with Yllithian archon of the White flames, planning the downfall of Supreme Overlord Asdrubael Vect, tyrant of Commoragh the greatest planet/city of the Dark Eldar, together with Kraillach and Xelian, they attempted to resurrect one of Vect's notorious rival El'Uriaq.......with the help of a renegade haemonculus Bellathonis, they succeeded in gathering the necessary components( a worldsinger and the essence of El'uriaq).......I have omitted some of the more colorful chars, some of which I feel are irrelevant and some that I feel have become larger than the main protagonists!!! I leave the journey to you readers..........to embark on your own!!!
4 stars
Book two Path of the Incubus (do correct me if I am wrong)
The journey of two characters into their own brand of redemption........Morr and Motley and furthering the story........an incubus who will not bend, no matter the consequences and one of the enigmatic Harlequin, eldars who have agenda entirely their own, unwelcome to both Eldars and Dark Eldars......Morr, Morr more Morr, unfortunately the ending was not to my liking, the whole book rotated on this headstrong, stubborn(any difference between the two words......siiiggghh) but steadfast character, a paladin of the darkest sort......but still a paladin........
Writing further would destroy any future readers enjoyment.......I leave it to them........to satisfy their own curiosity..........
4.5 stars
Book Three Path of the Archon
Last book of the trilogy, wherein all roads converge.......unfortunately, this third book did not work it's charm, After finishing the second book, I tried to look for anything to look forward too, Yllithian was still alive and kicking, Bellathonis......ahhhhh the ingenious haemonculus......Xagor, the hardworking wrack, and a lot of more....well like my writing, the story became convoluted...? Suddenly we have the appearance of two Chaos gods(or rather their hands/presence/prompting???)........
3 stars
Overall, a really wonderful read since I truly do not have any idea of any sort for this evil race, even comparing them to the Drow, I can say they do have their own uniqueness.........honestly Morr, Morr and more Morr!!! But his story has ended, but Dark Eldar's have more to come!!!!
Book one (forgot the title),
We are introduced to the Dark Eldar (think of them as Drow living in space), a race so advanced, haughty (they even brought down their own pantheon/gods) and merciless, anyone not their kind is considered game even their own!!!!
The story starts with Yllithian archon of the White flames, planning the downfall of Supreme Overlord Asdrubael Vect, tyrant of Commoragh the greatest planet/city of the Dark Eldar, together with Kraillach and Xelian, they attempted to resurrect one of Vect's notorious rival El'Uriaq.......with the help of a renegade haemonculus Bellathonis, they succeeded in gathering the necessary components( a worldsinger and the essence of El'uriaq).......I have omitted some of the more colorful chars, some of which I feel are irrelevant and some that I feel have become larger than the main protagonists!!! I leave the journey to you readers..........to embark on your own!!!
4 stars
Book two Path of the Incubus (do correct me if I am wrong)
The journey of two characters into their own brand of redemption........Morr and Motley and furthering the story........an incubus who will not bend, no matter the consequences and one of the enigmatic Harlequin, eldars who have agenda entirely their own, unwelcome to both Eldars and Dark Eldars......Morr, Morr more Morr, unfortunately the ending was not to my liking, the whole book rotated on this headstrong, stubborn(any difference between the two words......siiiggghh) but steadfast character, a paladin of the darkest sort......but still a paladin........
Writing further would destroy any future readers enjoyment.......I leave it to them........to satisfy their own curiosity..........
4.5 stars
Book Three Path of the Archon
Last book of the trilogy, wherein all roads converge.......unfortunately, this third book did not work it's charm, After finishing the second book, I tried to look for anything to look forward too, Yllithian was still alive and kicking, Bellathonis......ahhhhh the ingenious haemonculus......Xagor, the hardworking wrack, and a lot of more....well like my writing, the story became convoluted...? Suddenly we have the appearance of two Chaos gods(or rather their hands/presence/prompting???)........
3 stars
Overall, a really wonderful read since I truly do not have any idea of any sort for this evil race, even comparing them to the Drow, I can say they do have their own uniqueness.........honestly Morr, Morr and more Morr!!! But his story has ended, but Dark Eldar's have more to come!!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 11, 2021
This series kicks ass! It gives you a really good look into how life in the Dark City works while also not making it to 'human' in the process. Never while reading this did I get the feeling I was just reading about some oddly dressed humans. While the characters are great and relatable and the city of Commorragh is wonderfully fleshed out it still remains very...alien, very strange.
Getting to see how the Exodites and Harlequins live and operate was also a very nice. The action was amazing as well and once again gives you a good look at how the Dark Eldar fight whether it be against each other or other races.
Morr, Motley and Bellathonis are characters I will never forget.
All I can say is read this. You will not regret it.
Getting to see how the Exodites and Harlequins live and operate was also a very nice. The action was amazing as well and once again gives you a good look at how the Dark Eldar fight whether it be against each other or other races.
Morr, Motley and Bellathonis are characters I will never forget.
All I can say is read this. You will not regret it.
January 28, 2023
This is my favorite book I have ever read, with the caveat that I’m not that prolific a reader. That does not mean it is the ‘best’ book I have ever read; it certainly has its flaws, but the flaws are often superficial and don’t take much away from the experience. In summary, this trilogy is a mixture of political scheming by characters with absolutely no empathy or morals and a fantasy tale featuring apocalyptic demonic forces. The plot moves quickly and the characters’ choices make sense. I will never forget the characters of Nyos Yllithian and Motley. Only available as eBook, not audio and out-of-print.
THE SETTING
This is the first book I have read in the “Warhammer 40,000” setting. The setting is based on a tabletop wargame which grew to encompass various stories within the setting. This book is by no means a major plot for the overall setting, and to my understanding the events of this book would not necessarily be known to the majority of fans of the setting. However, it is an amazing trilogy in its own right. In a way, it succeeds both despite the setting and because of it.
That said, I did know of the Warhammer setting and some of its lore before reading and enjoyed learning more from podcasts and other sources while reading. The book does require the reader to understand some aspects of the setting in order for some of the plot points to feel earned, and it is hard for me to judge how well the book would communicate the requisite knowledge to those unfamiliar with the setting. The main piece of prerequisite knowledge that I worry about is knowing the four evil “chaos gods” of the setting, which are important context for both the world and some portions of the story. Essentially, you have Khorne, focused on battle; Nurgle, focused on pestilence and disease; Slaanesh (“She Who Thirsts”), focused on excess; and Tzeentch (“Architect of Fate”), focused on schemes and fate. That’s basically all you need to know, it’s just hard for me to judge how well the book would deliver this context to a reader completely unfamiliar to the setting.
The Warhammer 40,000 setting is vast and there are many “races” (alien species). There is an “Imperium of Man,” which is the primary protagonist group of the setting overall, but this book is not focused on that group. Rather, this book is focused on one of the most evil, vile groups—a group of space elves called the Drukhari, or Dark Eldar. The Eldar split into different factions after an apocalyptic event destroyed their society.
The Drukhari are the evil faction of Eldar. On one hand, they have to be—one of the evil chaos gods is after their souls, constantly draining them, and feeding on their suffering. Whereas different Eldar factions have saved themselves in different ways, the Drukhari have learned that they can stave off the chaos god by themselves feeding on the suffering of others. On the other hand, they have no moral compunctions about causing suffering and most individual in this society are entirely self-serving. Before reading this book, I doubted they could be good point of view characters, but I was very wrong.
Drukhari society is very dark and brutal, but luckily this is a book. If this were tv, there would be a lot of scenes with horrible depictions of torture and brutality ongoing in the background. In book form, the author can quickly describe this and then move on, without you having to read pages upon pages of such things. Sometimes the author does focus on it, but not too frequently, so it should be okay for those de-sensitized to faceless fictional violence.
The Drukhari do enslave others and occasionally use the term “slave races” to describe anyone other than themselves. You’re not supposed to think they are right or agree with them, but I doubt that term would have made it past a sensitivity reader. That term is the only very problematic element I can currently recall from the book, but I could easily be forgetting something at the moment.
THIS TRILOGY
The trilogy overall focuses on the political schemes of evil characters, as well as apocalyptic demonic forces. The schemes are usually intelligently-written and the resolutions are earned. This is a book for readers who want a fast, intense plot, not necessarily beautiful characters. The characters are alien (literally) and are not primarily written to be relatable, even if they have occasional relatable moments.
The schemes are usually intriguing and feel intelligent. In particular, Nyos Yllithian is an intelligent, charismatic schemer and an absolute joy to read. Even though there are many aspects of this sci-fi/fantasy world that are beyond the reader’s understanding, these usually are not used to make a character seem artificially intelligent or in a way that feels like a deus ex machina, but the second novel arguably crosses the line just a bit once or twice.
It does feel like the final edit was rushed, with too many spelling and grammar typos, such as starting a new sentence with a lowercase letter at least once or twice. It’s less polished, but these do not take away from the strengths of the book. It does not feel like a poorly-written book, just like a final edit could have caught the lingering errors.
THEME
Most of the themes or morals of the story emerge from following one of the non-Drukhari characters. The themes of the book are (1) the altruism of saving evil people, and (2) strength in the differences between groups. The themes emerge most heavily in the second and third books, less so in the first book. Not all characters are evil and self-serving. Also, like all good fantasy, the book explores our lives and society by exploring an extremely different comparison.
QUICK REVIEW OF EACH COMPONENT PIECE
This ‘omnibus’ consists of a trilogy of novels and three related short stories. I’ll discuss each briefly in the order in which they appear.
The book starts with the short story ‘The Treasures of Biel-Tanigh.’ This is the weakest entry by far and the only bad story in here. Nyos Yllithian is a fascinating character in the trilogy but much less so in this story. I would say skip it, but perhaps it establishes some piece of information that I no longer recall 900 pages later.
Midnight on the Street of Knives is a fine story. On its own it’s good-not-great, but as a part of the trilogy it is great and enriches the books.
Path of the Renegade is the first novel and my favorite of the bunch. It has intelligent scheming, interesting characters, and is incredibly entertaining. It does not focus as much on the non-evil characters and does not contribute as much to the morals of the story. There is some fantasy magic that plays into the story and I could see different people feeling differently about whether some of the consequences feel earned, but overall it is fantastic. In addition to the schemers we have a group of unlikely companions that come together in the second half of the book for an enjoyable adventure.
Path of the Incubus is the second novel, and personally my least favorite. It is good overall, but it starts slow by constantly jumping between different perspectives throughout some world events. Part of the issue here is that I was extremely interested in some of the perspectives, so I would get annoyed when shifting perspectives away from those characters; so, arguably not a bad thing. However, there are also long spans of action or adventure that take a while to feel like they are headed somewhere relevant. In the end it does come together well. This book has the most unexplained sci-fi/fantasy magic and left me with some lingering questions. However, even the vague fantasy moments still require quite a character journey to get to such moments. A morally good major protagonist emerges and is a joy to follow. There is less scheming as some characters are forced to be more reactive. The weakest of the trilogy, but still good.
Bellathonis and the Shadow King is the final short story. It’s okay, but it is vital for setting up the third novel.
Path of the Archon is the final novel and is amazing. It has the best combination of sci-fi/fantasy apocalyptic forces and intelligent schemes. These two elements are complementary, and the schemers still have to win or lose by their own plans. A heart-racing and satisfying conclusion.
THE SETTING
This is the first book I have read in the “Warhammer 40,000” setting. The setting is based on a tabletop wargame which grew to encompass various stories within the setting. This book is by no means a major plot for the overall setting, and to my understanding the events of this book would not necessarily be known to the majority of fans of the setting. However, it is an amazing trilogy in its own right. In a way, it succeeds both despite the setting and because of it.
That said, I did know of the Warhammer setting and some of its lore before reading and enjoyed learning more from podcasts and other sources while reading. The book does require the reader to understand some aspects of the setting in order for some of the plot points to feel earned, and it is hard for me to judge how well the book would communicate the requisite knowledge to those unfamiliar with the setting. The main piece of prerequisite knowledge that I worry about is knowing the four evil “chaos gods” of the setting, which are important context for both the world and some portions of the story. Essentially, you have Khorne, focused on battle; Nurgle, focused on pestilence and disease; Slaanesh (“She Who Thirsts”), focused on excess; and Tzeentch (“Architect of Fate”), focused on schemes and fate. That’s basically all you need to know, it’s just hard for me to judge how well the book would deliver this context to a reader completely unfamiliar to the setting.
The Warhammer 40,000 setting is vast and there are many “races” (alien species). There is an “Imperium of Man,” which is the primary protagonist group of the setting overall, but this book is not focused on that group. Rather, this book is focused on one of the most evil, vile groups—a group of space elves called the Drukhari, or Dark Eldar. The Eldar split into different factions after an apocalyptic event destroyed their society.
The Drukhari are the evil faction of Eldar. On one hand, they have to be—one of the evil chaos gods is after their souls, constantly draining them, and feeding on their suffering. Whereas different Eldar factions have saved themselves in different ways, the Drukhari have learned that they can stave off the chaos god by themselves feeding on the suffering of others. On the other hand, they have no moral compunctions about causing suffering and most individual in this society are entirely self-serving. Before reading this book, I doubted they could be good point of view characters, but I was very wrong.
Drukhari society is very dark and brutal, but luckily this is a book. If this were tv, there would be a lot of scenes with horrible depictions of torture and brutality ongoing in the background. In book form, the author can quickly describe this and then move on, without you having to read pages upon pages of such things. Sometimes the author does focus on it, but not too frequently, so it should be okay for those de-sensitized to faceless fictional violence.
The Drukhari do enslave others and occasionally use the term “slave races” to describe anyone other than themselves. You’re not supposed to think they are right or agree with them, but I doubt that term would have made it past a sensitivity reader. That term is the only very problematic element I can currently recall from the book, but I could easily be forgetting something at the moment.
THIS TRILOGY
The trilogy overall focuses on the political schemes of evil characters, as well as apocalyptic demonic forces. The schemes are usually intelligently-written and the resolutions are earned. This is a book for readers who want a fast, intense plot, not necessarily beautiful characters. The characters are alien (literally) and are not primarily written to be relatable, even if they have occasional relatable moments.
The schemes are usually intriguing and feel intelligent. In particular, Nyos Yllithian is an intelligent, charismatic schemer and an absolute joy to read. Even though there are many aspects of this sci-fi/fantasy world that are beyond the reader’s understanding, these usually are not used to make a character seem artificially intelligent or in a way that feels like a deus ex machina, but the second novel arguably crosses the line just a bit once or twice.
It does feel like the final edit was rushed, with too many spelling and grammar typos, such as starting a new sentence with a lowercase letter at least once or twice. It’s less polished, but these do not take away from the strengths of the book. It does not feel like a poorly-written book, just like a final edit could have caught the lingering errors.
THEME
Most of the themes or morals of the story emerge from following one of the non-Drukhari characters. The themes of the book are (1) the altruism of saving evil people, and (2) strength in the differences between groups. The themes emerge most heavily in the second and third books, less so in the first book. Not all characters are evil and self-serving. Also, like all good fantasy, the book explores our lives and society by exploring an extremely different comparison.
QUICK REVIEW OF EACH COMPONENT PIECE
This ‘omnibus’ consists of a trilogy of novels and three related short stories. I’ll discuss each briefly in the order in which they appear.
The book starts with the short story ‘The Treasures of Biel-Tanigh.’ This is the weakest entry by far and the only bad story in here. Nyos Yllithian is a fascinating character in the trilogy but much less so in this story. I would say skip it, but perhaps it establishes some piece of information that I no longer recall 900 pages later.
Midnight on the Street of Knives is a fine story. On its own it’s good-not-great, but as a part of the trilogy it is great and enriches the books.
Path of the Renegade is the first novel and my favorite of the bunch. It has intelligent scheming, interesting characters, and is incredibly entertaining. It does not focus as much on the non-evil characters and does not contribute as much to the morals of the story. There is some fantasy magic that plays into the story and I could see different people feeling differently about whether some of the consequences feel earned, but overall it is fantastic. In addition to the schemers we have a group of unlikely companions that come together in the second half of the book for an enjoyable adventure.
Path of the Incubus is the second novel, and personally my least favorite. It is good overall, but it starts slow by constantly jumping between different perspectives throughout some world events. Part of the issue here is that I was extremely interested in some of the perspectives, so I would get annoyed when shifting perspectives away from those characters; so, arguably not a bad thing. However, there are also long spans of action or adventure that take a while to feel like they are headed somewhere relevant. In the end it does come together well. This book has the most unexplained sci-fi/fantasy magic and left me with some lingering questions. However, even the vague fantasy moments still require quite a character journey to get to such moments. A morally good major protagonist emerges and is a joy to follow. There is less scheming as some characters are forced to be more reactive. The weakest of the trilogy, but still good.
Bellathonis and the Shadow King is the final short story. It’s okay, but it is vital for setting up the third novel.
Path of the Archon is the final novel and is amazing. It has the best combination of sci-fi/fantasy apocalyptic forces and intelligent schemes. These two elements are complementary, and the schemers still have to win or lose by their own plans. A heart-racing and satisfying conclusion.
August 11, 2016
A great series of short stories and novels giving us a peak at the lives of the Dark Eldar. A huge cast of characters, many of whom I was cheering on even as they perpetrated unspeakable cruelty and evil. Such characters such as Yllithian of the White Flames Kabal, Bellathonis the Haemonculus and his underling Xagor the Wrack, and Morr the Incubus. I can't forget to mention Motley the Harlequin, who brought a spark of humor in his role as fool and storyteller. As is only right for a book set in the Warhammer 40k universe there is also plenty of action in the form of bloody battles, both small and large. A great read for any fan of the setting.
April 14, 2019
The biggest problem with these 3 books is that they are the only official dark eldar literature except a couple of short stories. I wanted to read them because I'm fascinated with this grim sofisticated race like every other fan. It started interesting but unfortunately as the story gets bigger the depth got lost. The author mentioned every possible character involved with the drukhari, who became fillers till the end. Another problem is that I didn't really feel the superiority and sophistication of the race in their dialogues. I know it's not simple to create that effect but I couldn't loose the feeling that I'm reading about humans and not the powerful drukhari. I just want Black Library to publish more books about this race or other xenos in generally. Still, if you are a fan od the drukhari you should read this omnibus.
March 16, 2019
Overall Rating: 4.5/5
Path of the Renegade: 4 Stars
Path of the Incubus: 5 Stars
Path of the Archon: 4.5 Stars
As a whole, the entire trilogy (including the 3 novellas in this omnibus) was a fantastic read. Near perfect for a Warhammer 40k Drukhari player, but would be great for anyone familiar with the Warhammer 40k universe. The first book starts of a little slow, and can be a little hard to follow at times, but makes up for it with a strong ending. The second book picks up at the pace of the first book and dives head-on into a very deep and solid story. The finale takes a step back, and seems to slow down to the crescendo at the end but still fits very well with the overall arc through the world of Commoragh.
Path of the Renegade: 4 Stars
Path of the Incubus: 5 Stars
Path of the Archon: 4.5 Stars
As a whole, the entire trilogy (including the 3 novellas in this omnibus) was a fantastic read. Near perfect for a Warhammer 40k Drukhari player, but would be great for anyone familiar with the Warhammer 40k universe. The first book starts of a little slow, and can be a little hard to follow at times, but makes up for it with a strong ending. The second book picks up at the pace of the first book and dives head-on into a very deep and solid story. The finale takes a step back, and seems to slow down to the crescendo at the end but still fits very well with the overall arc through the world of Commoragh.
April 20, 2025
Brilliant series that highlights the multifaceted nature of the Drukhari
A much better story than Path of the Elder in showcasing the complexities of Eldar as figures from all three strata of the Dark City scheme and clash with one another. These figures are richly crafted whilst being both relatable and despicable. This is how Eldar should be written.
A much better story than Path of the Elder in showcasing the complexities of Eldar as figures from all three strata of the Dark City scheme and clash with one another. These figures are richly crafted whilst being both relatable and despicable. This is how Eldar should be written.
October 1, 2019
I would say 3.5 stars if it were possible, the novels were well-written, but a bit confusing from novel to novel. Individually I would have given at least one of the novels a 5star (Book 2,) but it couldn't make up for the failings of the rest.
December 17, 2024
excellent depiction of drukhari society
Excellent trilogy. It perfectly portrays the life of the denizens of the dark city including aelindrach. The ending also is immaculate. I highly recommend this books for any 40k enthusiast. One of the best books I have read.
Excellent trilogy. It perfectly portrays the life of the denizens of the dark city including aelindrach. The ending also is immaculate. I highly recommend this books for any 40k enthusiast. One of the best books I have read.
October 12, 2019
Fantastic
Three novels, three novellas. A great set to read for a great insight into the life of the Drukhari, or the Dark Eldar, as they were once known!
I just wish there was more! :)
Three novels, three novellas. A great set to read for a great insight into the life of the Drukhari, or the Dark Eldar, as they were once known!
I just wish there was more! :)
May 27, 2023
This trilogy, including thr short stories, is the single best representation of the dark eldar you will find.
It's brilliant.
Simply amazingly brilliant.
The twist on twists on twists is amazing, and I've enjoyed it throughly.
It's brilliant.
Simply amazingly brilliant.
The twist on twists on twists is amazing, and I've enjoyed it throughly.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews