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Warhammer
Matthias Thulmann: Witch Hunter
Omnibus edition of CL Werner's three classic witch hunter novels -- Witch Hunter, Witch Finder and Witch Killer.
768 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
August 21, 2013
OK, let's deal with the elephant in the room first of all. His name is MATHIAS, not Matthias. One T, not two. (I know, I know -- the cover photo. But that's how his name appears on every page of my copy of the book. And, in fact, on my copy's cover.)
With that behind us ...
This is an omnibus edition of three short stories and three novels about (surprise!) Mathias Thulmann, a Witch Hunter in the world of Warhammer, a setting (very) loosely based on medieval/Renaissance-era Europe. The action of the book takes place primarily in the local equivalent of the Holy Roman Empire -- middle ages Germany. But the feel of the books is decidedly more gothic (as in Hammer horror films, that is) -- Thulmann is equally at home with a flintlock as with a sword, which he uses in the pursuit of all manner of unclean things -- witches (of course), vampires, the odd necromancer, Skaven (Warhammer's race of chaos-tainted rat-men) ... Events are suitably grim and desperate and Werner does a fine job of conveying atmosphere.
With that behind us ...
This is an omnibus edition of three short stories and three novels about (surprise!) Mathias Thulmann, a Witch Hunter in the world of Warhammer, a setting (very) loosely based on medieval/Renaissance-era Europe. The action of the book takes place primarily in the local equivalent of the Holy Roman Empire -- middle ages Germany. But the feel of the books is decidedly more gothic (as in Hammer horror films, that is) -- Thulmann is equally at home with a flintlock as with a sword, which he uses in the pursuit of all manner of unclean things -- witches (of course), vampires, the odd necromancer, Skaven (Warhammer's race of chaos-tainted rat-men) ... Events are suitably grim and desperate and Werner does a fine job of conveying atmosphere.
September 5, 2020
If you are looking to scratch that Warhammer Witch Hunter (or Inquisitor) itch, then this book is for you. While C.L. Werner doesn't spin a tale like Dan Abnett does in this theme of the Warhammer universes (mankind's zealot defenders against corruption in all forms), his work is still fitting for the mood and the story. I think I actually found Mathias Thulmann's tales to be more disturbing.
This collection of Witch Hunter Thulmann's stories includes the three main books (Witch Hunter, Witch Finder and Witch Killer) and three short stories (which are all prequel stories that take place before the first book). The stories contain everything that you would expect to find in a great Witch Hunter (Inquisitor) story- investigation, the powers of corruption and the daemonic, great adversaries and forbidden tomes. There are definitely some epic battles and I actually found myself quite amused on how numerous foes converged together for this one particular conflict.
If you enjoyed Eisenhorn and Ravenor, then you'll like Mathias Thulmann.
This collection of Witch Hunter Thulmann's stories includes the three main books (Witch Hunter, Witch Finder and Witch Killer) and three short stories (which are all prequel stories that take place before the first book). The stories contain everything that you would expect to find in a great Witch Hunter (Inquisitor) story- investigation, the powers of corruption and the daemonic, great adversaries and forbidden tomes. There are definitely some epic battles and I actually found myself quite amused on how numerous foes converged together for this one particular conflict.
If you enjoyed Eisenhorn and Ravenor, then you'll like Mathias Thulmann.
November 10, 2010
This is definitely one of the better Warhammer novels and I'd put Werner on a par with William King. Werner's style is suited perfectly to the Warhammer style of writing - there was lots of fighting/brawling, a range of viewpoints, multiple storylines happening at once and a plot that was always interesting. And Matthias and Streng are as great a double-act as Gotrek and Felix. Streng in particular was wonderfully obnoxious and vulgar.
Werner mentions in his introduction that the character of Matthias was in part inspired by Vincent Price's role in the film Witchfinder General and I happened to watch the film on television when I was about a third of a way through the book. At first the parallels between the two characters seemed huge, but as I continued reading I realised that Matthias is a more moral, human version and ultimately far more likeable than Vincent Price's character Matthew Hopkins. As I got to know him better I also realised that he is a distinct character in his own right, as is Streng (who is remarkably like Matthew Hopkins' henchman). Watching the film did give me some interesting insight into Werner's influences, though.
The highlight of this omnibus for me was the second novel Witch Finder. Amongst the other antagonists plaguing Matthias were my beloved skaven! Werner's skaven are always a delight to read and those little critters are just so darn cute. I loved the climax of this novel, in which a number of different threads/antagonists are drawn together into one place where a mad battle ensues between all of them. It was like a bit like a literary Scooby Doo sequence with everyone running in and out of laws-of-physics-challenged doors - complete madcap, high-octane violence, just like Warhammer novels should be.
If I had a wide-brimmed witch hunter's hat, I would take it off to Mister Werner.
Werner mentions in his introduction that the character of Matthias was in part inspired by Vincent Price's role in the film Witchfinder General and I happened to watch the film on television when I was about a third of a way through the book. At first the parallels between the two characters seemed huge, but as I continued reading I realised that Matthias is a more moral, human version and ultimately far more likeable than Vincent Price's character Matthew Hopkins. As I got to know him better I also realised that he is a distinct character in his own right, as is Streng (who is remarkably like Matthew Hopkins' henchman). Watching the film did give me some interesting insight into Werner's influences, though.
The highlight of this omnibus for me was the second novel Witch Finder. Amongst the other antagonists plaguing Matthias were my beloved skaven! Werner's skaven are always a delight to read and those little critters are just so darn cute. I loved the climax of this novel, in which a number of different threads/antagonists are drawn together into one place where a mad battle ensues between all of them. It was like a bit like a literary Scooby Doo sequence with everyone running in and out of laws-of-physics-challenged doors - complete madcap, high-octane violence, just like Warhammer novels should be.
If I had a wide-brimmed witch hunter's hat, I would take it off to Mister Werner.
May 11, 2012
This is an omnibus of three books Witch Hunter, Witch Finder, and Witch Killer. It deals with Matthias Thulmann a member of the Order of the Templars of Sigmar also known as the Witch Hunters. The Witch Hunters are feared by all, for everyone has something or someone to hide. They seek out and destroy heretics by fire be they; warlocks, witches, sorcerers, fortune-tellers, necromancers, worshippers of dark gods, deviants, mutants, blasphemers, sinners, mutterers of profanities, servants of Demons, pornographers, or anything else that is an affront to Sigmar.
Matthias and his companion Streng, a mercenary who tortures heretics for Thulmann, are pitted against the undead, skaven, curses, and a heretic doctor, while looking for a book of powerful spells before it can be used against the people of the empire. this was a great book to read.
Matthias and his companion Streng, a mercenary who tortures heretics for Thulmann, are pitted against the undead, skaven, curses, and a heretic doctor, while looking for a book of powerful spells before it can be used against the people of the empire. this was a great book to read.
March 23, 2013
Matthias Thulmann could be taken out of the Witch Finder General movie with Vincent Price. His description certainly matches that of Price's Matthew Hopkins, and his often cruel mercenary sidekick Streng is a Warhammer version of Hopkin's sidekick Stearne. Werner, the author, is a big Robert E. Howard fan and in many ways he is also emulating Solomon Kane, a zealous Christian puritan swordsman hero, with his Thulmann stories. He has another character, Brunner, who sounds an awful lot like Robert E. Howard's Conan during his mercenary era.
The omnibus book has three short stories. The first of these is a run in with Chaos cultists that sets the scene nicely, the second is a medieval zombie survival horror story and the third is a witch hunt that links to the start of the first book. It seems a bit cheeky to make the last story interconnect with the first book - I read the book first and was confused by references to a seemingly non-existant set of adventures. This is how the character was first introduced and a continuity-freak like myself should not really complain.
The main story in the three volumes concerns Thulmann's search for an evil scientist (though the trail only picks up in Book 2) and various shennanigans pertaining to a sorcerer's spellbook. The book was stolen from a vampire and used by witch hunters for their own interesting purposes, but now a whole host of characters want the book back. One character, a villianous necromancer, is always in the background throughout the trilogy, but is never seen by the heroes.
Books 2 and 3 concern the book falling into the hands of the scientist and his skaven buddies. The skaven are written fairly menacingly, though I often feel they are overused in Warhammer. (Mind you this probably stems from when I started roleplaying with Advanced Heroquest. Skaven were the only monster you got in the box). I'd love to see a story or even a Warhammer adventure with fimir behind the nefarious goings on.
My problem with the continuance of the "get the book" arc throughout the novels is it starts to feel a bit old. Enemies are seemingly killed and come back with worrying regularity. At times it feels like watching a season of "Whacky Races" or "Stop the Pigeon". With Carrandini the Necromancer in the role of Dick Dastardly, usually ending the episode driving off a cliff and his car exploding yet emerging next week unscathed. Book 2 in particular does not stand on its own as a read - the ending is abrupt and a sizable amount of the third book is spent rounding off the second book and getting our heroes out of Wurtbad.
I would like to have seen Thulmann investigate a few new cases, perhaps some Chaos cultists in Altdorf or Marienburg. There is actually quite a lot of backstory of old cases hinted at in the story for Thulmann that I think would make for an interesting collection of short stories - and certainly more interesting than some parts of Book 2, which really dragged in places and yet also felt too short.
My favourite book is definitely the first one, though the third one picks up once our heroes leave Wurtbad, the setting of the 2nd novel. In Book 1 and the short stories our main characters are quite dark anti-heroes - Streng is an expert in torture and seems to enjoy his trade, Thulmann is happy to threaten his innkeeper to ensure he gets the best room in the tavern and the best food. He gets little help from the local lord, an ex-witch hunter, and there are conspiracies with conspiracies, including a nice little twist I didn't see coming.
In the second and third books the two main characters become more 'good'. Thulmann's high-handed and haughty manner to peasantry is explained (or dare I say retconned) as being an act - a necessary evil, as a witch hunter must be feared by the populace in order for him to function properly. Even Streng has some redeeming moments as he shows he might actually care about his employer and goes beyond what I would consider reasonable for a hired thug. Personally I was happy for the characters to stay very grey. They still do questionable acts, but compared to their peers it is pretty clear they are saints who go by the book.
This comes across a bit odd in the third book when they are teamed up with more zealous and self-interested members of the Church of Sigmar. There is the inevitable clash between the zealots and a group of peasants hiding a mutant child. Thulmann intercedes on the mutant's behalf, trying to stop the zealots from having a good old burning (almost a 180 from how I felt the character was initially portrayed) by saying they have more important things to do. Then later on in the book the villagers are revealed to be in league with the bad guys... making the zealots right in hindsight to want to burn the mutant. I personally thought that was a bit odd - but that's life I suppose. If the zealots have already gone to the bother of arranging a lynching for a legitimately identified mutant why not just go through with it? (Mutants in Warhammer are a brilliant storytelling mechanism as ultimately there is something sympathetic about someone shunned in society through no real fault of their own).
As to the church there is some interesting politicking in the Church of Sigmar. Events from Marks of Chaos get a mention, as Gamow, the Lord Protector of the Templars of Sigmar (i.e. the head witch hunter) died in suspicious circumstances during the events of that novel. In this trilogy we learn that the Grand Theogonist Volkmar has decided to replace him with three new Witch Finder Generals, rather than give one man all the power. However the third book has Volkmar replaced as Grand Theogonist by Johann Esmer and Lord Bede about to be is installed as his Lord Protector. Apparently in the Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay books when Volkmar returns from the Storm of Chaos he brings back the three Witch Finder generals! Confusing!
The Grand Theogonist thread is part of the Storm of Chaos metaplot, and a bit jarring in this book as it doesn't really lead anywhere. This is probably the downside of a shared universe where the Storm of Chaos was intended to be a massive crossover event that affected even the novels. The new Lord Protector is to make the stories consistent with Marks of Chaos. The author goes to some pains - even Sister Karin from Marks of Chaos gets a brief mention in the third book, so extra marks for that.
Silja Markoff, a character introduced in the second book, is not a character I am keen on as she becomes the mascot for the "softening" our protagonists in the later books. She seems to be the quintessential 'generic adventurer' who is employed as an agent for her father, the Lord Justice of Wurtbad. This is a job that seems to leave her completely free of responsibilities (especially given what happens to Wurtbad in Books 2 & 3) and able to up sticks and follow our hero. She serves as the romantic interest, something that I find somewhat jarring when our main character should be a cold religious zealot. However if Werner kills her off in later books I'll give him a free pass on this - that would be an interesting twist and could send the character to a really dark place.
It's also worth noting the story ends on a cliffhanger after 3 books. The last book was published in 2007 and the author does plan to return to the series but says that we should not expect anything new for Thulmann imminently.
The omnibus book has three short stories. The first of these is a run in with Chaos cultists that sets the scene nicely, the second is a medieval zombie survival horror story and the third is a witch hunt that links to the start of the first book. It seems a bit cheeky to make the last story interconnect with the first book - I read the book first and was confused by references to a seemingly non-existant set of adventures. This is how the character was first introduced and a continuity-freak like myself should not really complain.
The main story in the three volumes concerns Thulmann's search for an evil scientist (though the trail only picks up in Book 2) and various shennanigans pertaining to a sorcerer's spellbook. The book was stolen from a vampire and used by witch hunters for their own interesting purposes, but now a whole host of characters want the book back. One character, a villianous necromancer, is always in the background throughout the trilogy, but is never seen by the heroes.
Books 2 and 3 concern the book falling into the hands of the scientist and his skaven buddies. The skaven are written fairly menacingly, though I often feel they are overused in Warhammer. (Mind you this probably stems from when I started roleplaying with Advanced Heroquest. Skaven were the only monster you got in the box). I'd love to see a story or even a Warhammer adventure with fimir behind the nefarious goings on.
My problem with the continuance of the "get the book" arc throughout the novels is it starts to feel a bit old. Enemies are seemingly killed and come back with worrying regularity. At times it feels like watching a season of "Whacky Races" or "Stop the Pigeon". With Carrandini the Necromancer in the role of Dick Dastardly, usually ending the episode driving off a cliff and his car exploding yet emerging next week unscathed. Book 2 in particular does not stand on its own as a read - the ending is abrupt and a sizable amount of the third book is spent rounding off the second book and getting our heroes out of Wurtbad.
I would like to have seen Thulmann investigate a few new cases, perhaps some Chaos cultists in Altdorf or Marienburg. There is actually quite a lot of backstory of old cases hinted at in the story for Thulmann that I think would make for an interesting collection of short stories - and certainly more interesting than some parts of Book 2, which really dragged in places and yet also felt too short.
My favourite book is definitely the first one, though the third one picks up once our heroes leave Wurtbad, the setting of the 2nd novel. In Book 1 and the short stories our main characters are quite dark anti-heroes - Streng is an expert in torture and seems to enjoy his trade, Thulmann is happy to threaten his innkeeper to ensure he gets the best room in the tavern and the best food. He gets little help from the local lord, an ex-witch hunter, and there are conspiracies with conspiracies, including a nice little twist I didn't see coming.
In the second and third books the two main characters become more 'good'. Thulmann's high-handed and haughty manner to peasantry is explained (or dare I say retconned) as being an act - a necessary evil, as a witch hunter must be feared by the populace in order for him to function properly. Even Streng has some redeeming moments as he shows he might actually care about his employer and goes beyond what I would consider reasonable for a hired thug. Personally I was happy for the characters to stay very grey. They still do questionable acts, but compared to their peers it is pretty clear they are saints who go by the book.
This comes across a bit odd in the third book when they are teamed up with more zealous and self-interested members of the Church of Sigmar. There is the inevitable clash between the zealots and a group of peasants hiding a mutant child. Thulmann intercedes on the mutant's behalf, trying to stop the zealots from having a good old burning (almost a 180 from how I felt the character was initially portrayed) by saying they have more important things to do. Then later on in the book the villagers are revealed to be in league with the bad guys... making the zealots right in hindsight to want to burn the mutant. I personally thought that was a bit odd - but that's life I suppose. If the zealots have already gone to the bother of arranging a lynching for a legitimately identified mutant why not just go through with it? (Mutants in Warhammer are a brilliant storytelling mechanism as ultimately there is something sympathetic about someone shunned in society through no real fault of their own).
As to the church there is some interesting politicking in the Church of Sigmar. Events from Marks of Chaos get a mention, as Gamow, the Lord Protector of the Templars of Sigmar (i.e. the head witch hunter) died in suspicious circumstances during the events of that novel. In this trilogy we learn that the Grand Theogonist Volkmar has decided to replace him with three new Witch Finder Generals, rather than give one man all the power. However the third book has Volkmar replaced as Grand Theogonist by Johann Esmer and Lord Bede about to be is installed as his Lord Protector. Apparently in the Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay books when Volkmar returns from the Storm of Chaos he brings back the three Witch Finder generals! Confusing!
The Grand Theogonist thread is part of the Storm of Chaos metaplot, and a bit jarring in this book as it doesn't really lead anywhere. This is probably the downside of a shared universe where the Storm of Chaos was intended to be a massive crossover event that affected even the novels. The new Lord Protector is to make the stories consistent with Marks of Chaos. The author goes to some pains - even Sister Karin from Marks of Chaos gets a brief mention in the third book, so extra marks for that.
Silja Markoff, a character introduced in the second book, is not a character I am keen on as she becomes the mascot for the "softening" our protagonists in the later books. She seems to be the quintessential 'generic adventurer' who is employed as an agent for her father, the Lord Justice of Wurtbad. This is a job that seems to leave her completely free of responsibilities (especially given what happens to Wurtbad in Books 2 & 3) and able to up sticks and follow our hero. She serves as the romantic interest, something that I find somewhat jarring when our main character should be a cold religious zealot. However if Werner kills her off in later books I'll give him a free pass on this - that would be an interesting twist and could send the character to a really dark place.
It's also worth noting the story ends on a cliffhanger after 3 books. The last book was published in 2007 and the author does plan to return to the series but says that we should not expect anything new for Thulmann imminently.
April 5, 2018
Not only is this trilogy the best to come from the Warhammer Fantasy saga, it is easily in the top two or three series ever published by the Black Library in general. It really is that dang good.
Matthias Thulmann is a Templar of Sigmar, better known as a Witch Hunter (think Spanish Inquisition, but far more lethal, and fights daemons, vampires and other undead, practitioners of black arts and occult magic, necromancers, and occasionally arch heretics). Throughout the course of the omnibus, the three novels and several excellent short stories, Thulmann and his oft times hilarious though always tough as nails mercenary assistant Streng are on the hunt for a crazed practitioner of Chaos magic by the name of Herr Doktor Freiher Weichs.
Weichs believes himself to be a scientist, looking for the path to harness warp magic while freeing humanity from the curse of the mutations of the dark gods. In short, he is sort of a fantasy version transhumanist, playing with powers and magics/sciences he doesn't fully understand with consequences he can never fully control.
Along the way, Thulmann and Streng happen to run into a malicious, and so bad you sort of end up admiring him, necromancer from Tilea named Carandini who also happens to ally with a necrarch (a vampire, an extremely ancient and powerful one who also happens to be a sorcerer...yeah, that's a true nightmare) named Sibbechai.
Blistering action, wonderfully portrayed scenes of evil and villainy, and heroism ensue.
Part of the joy of Clint's writing is that Thulmann is a genuinely good man (though not a perfect one), truly fighting for righteousness in a dark, gloomy world filled with genuine evil. And when I say evil, his baddies are really quite dark and evil. The Witch Hunter tale is not a nihilistic one, and while it is dark, it is not by any means hopeless, light does pierce the gloom and a warrior in a holy and righteous cause refuses to back down from tbe darkness surrounding him.
In that, truthfully I found this omnibus fairly uplifting and not a little inspiring.
Also these stories are not ones of massive armies marching under furling banners and shining armor, or sonorous clouds and beastial warcrys. Rather this is a more domestic tale, as in we see the Empire not from the viewpoint of Marshalls, Lord Generals, and Chaos warlords, but the common folk of the province's, heavily accented Reikspiel and all. As it is such a down to earth tale, the darkness is made all the more visceral and shocking for it. Which adds to the joy of reading it.
The only downside is that, for a reason I cannot fathom, Black Library never commissioned more Matthias Thulmann. As a result, the series is only half over. The omni ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, and it would be great if it could be resolved.
With the wild success of the Total War Warhammer Fantasy PC franchise, which has revived mass interest in Warhammer Fantasy, (and now that Black Library is reprinting many of the older, long out of print, tales in their Warhammer Chronicles series) there is a bit of a spark of hope that maybe, just maybe, Herr Werner will be asked to finish the series.
A man can dream...
One of the best BL series of all time, and my personal favorite tale of Warhammer Fantasy. Extremely highly reccomended.
Matthias Thulmann is a Templar of Sigmar, better known as a Witch Hunter (think Spanish Inquisition, but far more lethal, and fights daemons, vampires and other undead, practitioners of black arts and occult magic, necromancers, and occasionally arch heretics). Throughout the course of the omnibus, the three novels and several excellent short stories, Thulmann and his oft times hilarious though always tough as nails mercenary assistant Streng are on the hunt for a crazed practitioner of Chaos magic by the name of Herr Doktor Freiher Weichs.
Weichs believes himself to be a scientist, looking for the path to harness warp magic while freeing humanity from the curse of the mutations of the dark gods. In short, he is sort of a fantasy version transhumanist, playing with powers and magics/sciences he doesn't fully understand with consequences he can never fully control.
Along the way, Thulmann and Streng happen to run into a malicious, and so bad you sort of end up admiring him, necromancer from Tilea named Carandini who also happens to ally with a necrarch (a vampire, an extremely ancient and powerful one who also happens to be a sorcerer...yeah, that's a true nightmare) named Sibbechai.
Blistering action, wonderfully portrayed scenes of evil and villainy, and heroism ensue.
Part of the joy of Clint's writing is that Thulmann is a genuinely good man (though not a perfect one), truly fighting for righteousness in a dark, gloomy world filled with genuine evil. And when I say evil, his baddies are really quite dark and evil. The Witch Hunter tale is not a nihilistic one, and while it is dark, it is not by any means hopeless, light does pierce the gloom and a warrior in a holy and righteous cause refuses to back down from tbe darkness surrounding him.
In that, truthfully I found this omnibus fairly uplifting and not a little inspiring.
Also these stories are not ones of massive armies marching under furling banners and shining armor, or sonorous clouds and beastial warcrys. Rather this is a more domestic tale, as in we see the Empire not from the viewpoint of Marshalls, Lord Generals, and Chaos warlords, but the common folk of the province's, heavily accented Reikspiel and all. As it is such a down to earth tale, the darkness is made all the more visceral and shocking for it. Which adds to the joy of reading it.
The only downside is that, for a reason I cannot fathom, Black Library never commissioned more Matthias Thulmann. As a result, the series is only half over. The omni ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, and it would be great if it could be resolved.
With the wild success of the Total War Warhammer Fantasy PC franchise, which has revived mass interest in Warhammer Fantasy, (and now that Black Library is reprinting many of the older, long out of print, tales in their Warhammer Chronicles series) there is a bit of a spark of hope that maybe, just maybe, Herr Werner will be asked to finish the series.
A man can dream...
One of the best BL series of all time, and my personal favorite tale of Warhammer Fantasy. Extremely highly reccomended.
March 6, 2014
Like many Warhammer books, it borrows ideas from other books and adapts it (just check others review.
I rated it a generous four (edited to three) stars because I enjoyed reading it even if it wasn't a great book.
The omnibus starts with two really good short stories with the Witch Hunter on small case. The three novel after that have many up and down. A good parallel could be a TV shows like Supernatural. You got many plots that lead you to a big final but you always have a few episodes that aren't fitting right. l got this feeling a few times...
Most fighting scenes were the same and you got bored by them on the second novel. Same thing with the interaction between characters.
Spoilers
Main plot is every body looking for an evil tome of magic. One of them was a powerful vampire and peoples protecting the book used evil magic with human sacrifice to make wards again him. Later he got the books but a last ward kill him instantly... why they just don't give him the book before instead making sacrifice for decades ?
Or you have a chapter when a guy with a knife and broken ankle hidding behind a boulder can't be kill by two archers and a soldier, the same guy kill a vampire after that.. you could have remove all that part.
But it's a Warhammer book so if you like the genre as me you will like this one too for what it is, probably better to take pause between novel instead reading the entire omnibus one shot.
I rated it a generous four (edited to three) stars because I enjoyed reading it even if it wasn't a great book.
The omnibus starts with two really good short stories with the Witch Hunter on small case. The three novel after that have many up and down. A good parallel could be a TV shows like Supernatural. You got many plots that lead you to a big final but you always have a few episodes that aren't fitting right. l got this feeling a few times...
Most fighting scenes were the same and you got bored by them on the second novel. Same thing with the interaction between characters.
Spoilers
Main plot is every body looking for an evil tome of magic. One of them was a powerful vampire and peoples protecting the book used evil magic with human sacrifice to make wards again him. Later he got the books but a last ward kill him instantly... why they just don't give him the book before instead making sacrifice for decades ?
Or you have a chapter when a guy with a knife and broken ankle hidding behind a boulder can't be kill by two archers and a soldier, the same guy kill a vampire after that.. you could have remove all that part.
But it's a Warhammer book so if you like the genre as me you will like this one too for what it is, probably better to take pause between novel instead reading the entire omnibus one shot.
October 10, 2011
The first warhammer book that I read and didn't really like that much. It had its entertaining moments but they were few and far between. The first three short storys were rather good but the novels were a bit of a let down. I think the reason I didn't really enjoy this one was because I didn't really like Werner's writing style, especially in the second book where he was juggling more than a few plot lines, half of which were overlong and uneccesary. Despite all that I'd still read the sequel if Werner churns out one because the omnibus ends on an interesting cliffhanger and I wouldn't mind finding out what happens next.
May 29, 2011
I generally like Werner's writing but did he have to wait till the last book in this omnibus to get to characterization? lol. The book starts off with some solid short stories and then the three novels. I was kind of hoping for more than an ABC plot but oh, well, it passed the time. I think Werner is better at straight forward action writing than trying to do intrigue. It's a fun read that demands a sequel.
November 29, 2017
Borrowed from C.R. It didn't really end and I didn't really like
October 12, 2020
Loved it! Wonderfully dark, brooding and gloomy. Full of action, great characters, wonderful villains. Fully recommended for gothic lovers and Ravelnoft fans. Mathias is Ravenor of the Old World.
September 23, 2019
The three books in this omnibus are very uneven.
The first book is very strange with its different parts. The first part is some sort of introduction which in the end, after a very strangely told battle, leaves a thread hanging which is never picked up again. Ever. The second part is written so that it sounds like a bunch of young teenagers power gaming a Warhammer Fantasy RPG. Then the third part is something completely different with a good, gory detective story and a somewhat unexpected ending.
The second book starts well enough but the ending is once again written as if some young people were power gaming. It also feels a lot as if the author had no clue how to finish the book. Worst of all though is the pathetic love story that unravels. It more or less ruins the whole book and definitely does not add anything to the plot except for some embarrassingly poorly written passages about longing looks and feelings that must be denied at all costs. Reading some of these passages aloud for my wife made us both double over with laughter (so maybe they were not useless after all?).
The third book is by far the worst though. Once again you get the feeling that the author reenacts role playing sessions. The plot is bad, the love story is abysmal and repulsive "on the most primitive, primal level", as the author so elegantly puts it. The ending is just an open one, leaving the author with the option to write more stories in the future without having to tear up and rearrange history.
In all books, but especially the third, there are several clear and annoying mistakes and claims that have no foundation from earlier parts of the books. It is as if the author forgot what happened. Also, mortally wounded people that can only crawl through the gutters looking for help are only mortally wounded for maybe 20 minutes, after which they fight as if there is no tomorrow and with not a trace of their former agonies. It is once again the role playing coming into the text: He took a sword through the guts but he still has 1 hit point left so he can go on as if was in prime condition. Or something like that.
But it is entertaining at least and I do not regret having read the book. It is just so annoying that the Warhammer World draws such poor authors. Why can't we have good or at least decent fantasy authors writing about Warhammer? Like those writing about AD&D worlds? The Old World is much more interesting and complex than Dungeons & Dragons, no matter how Advanced.
The first book is very strange with its different parts. The first part is some sort of introduction which in the end, after a very strangely told battle, leaves a thread hanging which is never picked up again. Ever. The second part is written so that it sounds like a bunch of young teenagers power gaming a Warhammer Fantasy RPG. Then the third part is something completely different with a good, gory detective story and a somewhat unexpected ending.
The second book starts well enough but the ending is once again written as if some young people were power gaming. It also feels a lot as if the author had no clue how to finish the book. Worst of all though is the pathetic love story that unravels. It more or less ruins the whole book and definitely does not add anything to the plot except for some embarrassingly poorly written passages about longing looks and feelings that must be denied at all costs. Reading some of these passages aloud for my wife made us both double over with laughter (so maybe they were not useless after all?).
The third book is by far the worst though. Once again you get the feeling that the author reenacts role playing sessions. The plot is bad, the love story is abysmal and repulsive "on the most primitive, primal level", as the author so elegantly puts it. The ending is just an open one, leaving the author with the option to write more stories in the future without having to tear up and rearrange history.
In all books, but especially the third, there are several clear and annoying mistakes and claims that have no foundation from earlier parts of the books. It is as if the author forgot what happened. Also, mortally wounded people that can only crawl through the gutters looking for help are only mortally wounded for maybe 20 minutes, after which they fight as if there is no tomorrow and with not a trace of their former agonies. It is once again the role playing coming into the text: He took a sword through the guts but he still has 1 hit point left so he can go on as if was in prime condition. Or something like that.
But it is entertaining at least and I do not regret having read the book. It is just so annoying that the Warhammer World draws such poor authors. Why can't we have good or at least decent fantasy authors writing about Warhammer? Like those writing about AD&D worlds? The Old World is much more interesting and complex than Dungeons & Dragons, no matter how Advanced.
April 21, 2019
I picked up this book with an interest in the world of warhammer, assuming it would be some light reading. I didnt expect it to be as deep and thoughtful as other writing. Even still I was pretty disappointed. Book 1 of 3 kept to par of my expectations. Interesting action with a quick pace. Book 2 is where my major complaints lie. The one interesting thing the original book had, is removed in the sequel. Unfortunately, nothing of value is put in that empty space. You get a longer look at the main characters, as well as some new characters. However they get absolutely no characterization. You get introduced to a new location, with no descriptions. Sigmar remains completely undefined, even though the main character and others have devoted every ounce of their beings to him.
The plot as well leaves a lot to be desired. Its a fairly straightforward mystery. Much of the plot is easily guessed right at the beginning of the story, even though its intended as a mystery. Even the subplot of Thulman looking for a specific person is dropped? Some of the choices also feel very deus ex machina. Its hard to tell that there are any consequences when nothing is defined very well.
There are interesting descriptions in this book, but they are incredibly sparse and always leave you wishing you knew more (not in a good way).
The plot as well leaves a lot to be desired. Its a fairly straightforward mystery. Much of the plot is easily guessed right at the beginning of the story, even though its intended as a mystery. Even the subplot of Thulman looking for a specific person is dropped? Some of the choices also feel very deus ex machina. Its hard to tell that there are any consequences when nothing is defined very well.
There are interesting descriptions in this book, but they are incredibly sparse and always leave you wishing you knew more (not in a good way).
May 5, 2022
One of the better Warhammer books I've read. Has Sherlock Holmes vibes. Mathias is a morally grey character who seems blinded by his desire to purify the land of evil no matter who he has to torture along the way to do so. His internal dialogue is interesting as you see his struggles with understanding the world and people's actions and it doesn't always line up with his stringent witch hunter purge the herteics world views. I am interested to see if this goes anywhere in future installments.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 20, 2025
A truly grounded and all too human tale, leaves me amazed still about the skill that Werner imployed when he wrote this thrilling collection. Not only from the point of the characters but the world as well. One of the few novels where you don't feel the characters are overpowered, making you root for them even harder.
June 30, 2019
My first Warhammer novel, and a really Good one at that! I got into Warhammer fantasy through the total war games and I dont regret one bit buying this book.
Sometimes makes you think what's good or what's evil, or what is evil for good.
Sometimes makes you think what's good or what's evil, or what is evil for good.
October 18, 2019
The pacing was generally quick and the stories varied and interesting, it can just be a slog to get through an omnibus this long.
November 18, 2021
Witch Hunter
Didn’t think I would like a war hammer book focused on just one character. Again, this book didn’t disappoint. Amazing read and very thrilling throughout.
Didn’t think I would like a war hammer book focused on just one character. Again, this book didn’t disappoint. Amazing read and very thrilling throughout.
December 4, 2024
Witch Hunter: 5 Stars
Witch Finder: 4.5 Stars
Witch Killer: 4 Stars
Witch Finder: 4.5 Stars
Witch Killer: 4 Stars
March 4, 2025
Good , action pack and hinting to a future book !?!
January 11, 2020
Caution here may be spoilers...
Witch Finder
Forget of all I liked how it starts right after the events of the first, and keeps the characters we met in the first. This was good follow up and in my opinion this is the best of the trilogy.
The Good Stuff - first of all Streng is the unsung MVP of this story a d probably the entire series, if he isnt chasing women or crawling into a bottle he's probably killing someone or saying something sarcastic or both. This character is great because he's the total opposite of Thulman. Where Thulman is harsh and strict in his lifestyle and businesses dealings Streng could gove two f*ucks one way or the other.
Thay damned Necromancer, enough said.
It was nice to have some point of view from the Plague Doctor himself, during the first book he was introduced as the bogey man who comes in the night to corrupt your kids with warpstone and other atrocities and hes back to his old tricks in the city of Wurtbad.
Also I loved what happend to the Baron. That son of a b*tch got what he deserved, just goes to show that in the world of Warhammer sometimes the real villains arent the monsters in the night but the very people charged with protecting the people from the monsters of Old Night.
Also when Streng killed the bastard Witch Hunter at the end by shooting was just a perfect end.
Witch Killer
The final book in the Mathias Thulman trilogy and I got to say it was the weakest. That being said even a 'weak' book by C.L.Wener is better than most good books by other writers.
The Good Stuff - first of all it ties up almost all of the loose end brought forth from the previous two novels. I like how we see and end that horrid Doctor once and for all.
The town that worships the Horned Rat was a good twist, I love reading about the Skaven and to find that a while town filled with mutation is worshiping them was just a real twist for me.
I liked how we got to see how other Witch Hunters work, I mean it's one thing to read the people fear then for one reason or another but it another to actually read them about to burn a little girl alive, that was a bit of an eye opener.
We got to see what one of the Skaven Plague Lords is like, this is the first Warhammer book I've come across where they actually appear and just wow. Makes me really anticipate reading The Rise Of The Horned Rat now.
The Bad Stuff - this is the only book out of the three that I would say drags a little, just a little but there just didn't seem to be much going on in the middle, it was definitely gearing up for something but it just took a little time. But still a great book nonetheless.
We didn't get to finish the story line for that damned Necromancer and the Vampire, seeing as how this is the end of the trilogy it seems likely that their story will either end in a novella or short Ebook type story and I HATE when they do that! Dont end the series while loose ends like that! It's not the end I'd their are still things that need to end!
Still, a good book either way.
Witch Finder
Forget of all I liked how it starts right after the events of the first, and keeps the characters we met in the first. This was good follow up and in my opinion this is the best of the trilogy.
The Good Stuff - first of all Streng is the unsung MVP of this story a d probably the entire series, if he isnt chasing women or crawling into a bottle he's probably killing someone or saying something sarcastic or both. This character is great because he's the total opposite of Thulman. Where Thulman is harsh and strict in his lifestyle and businesses dealings Streng could gove two f*ucks one way or the other.
Thay damned Necromancer, enough said.
It was nice to have some point of view from the Plague Doctor himself, during the first book he was introduced as the bogey man who comes in the night to corrupt your kids with warpstone and other atrocities and hes back to his old tricks in the city of Wurtbad.
Also I loved what happend to the Baron. That son of a b*tch got what he deserved, just goes to show that in the world of Warhammer sometimes the real villains arent the monsters in the night but the very people charged with protecting the people from the monsters of Old Night.
Also when Streng killed the bastard Witch Hunter at the end by shooting was just a perfect end.
Witch Killer
The final book in the Mathias Thulman trilogy and I got to say it was the weakest. That being said even a 'weak' book by C.L.Wener is better than most good books by other writers.
The Good Stuff - first of all it ties up almost all of the loose end brought forth from the previous two novels. I like how we see and end that horrid Doctor once and for all.
The town that worships the Horned Rat was a good twist, I love reading about the Skaven and to find that a while town filled with mutation is worshiping them was just a real twist for me.
I liked how we got to see how other Witch Hunters work, I mean it's one thing to read the people fear then for one reason or another but it another to actually read them about to burn a little girl alive, that was a bit of an eye opener.
We got to see what one of the Skaven Plague Lords is like, this is the first Warhammer book I've come across where they actually appear and just wow. Makes me really anticipate reading The Rise Of The Horned Rat now.
The Bad Stuff - this is the only book out of the three that I would say drags a little, just a little but there just didn't seem to be much going on in the middle, it was definitely gearing up for something but it just took a little time. But still a great book nonetheless.
We didn't get to finish the story line for that damned Necromancer and the Vampire, seeing as how this is the end of the trilogy it seems likely that their story will either end in a novella or short Ebook type story and I HATE when they do that! Dont end the series while loose ends like that! It's not the end I'd their are still things that need to end!
Still, a good book either way.
November 25, 2012
Ok, premièrement je dois admettre un point. J'ai été infidèle avec la série dresden, j'ai commencer ce livre pendant le mois d'août avec idée de me changer les idées et surtout changer le mal de place. J'ai cru qu'une histoire de witch-hunter m'aiderais à avoir un peu de changement et je me suis dit, qu'un omnibus de witch-hunter sa s'échoue pas.
J'avais presque raison. Matthias Thulmann est un personnage que j'avais déjà côtoyé par le passer dans des mini-histoires de warhammer. Je n'avais pas détester la petite histoire que j'avais lu à l'origine mais j'avais pas mouiller mon pantalon non plus.
J'ai été fort déçu de me rendre compte que l'histoire, l'intrigue et la qualité de cet omnibus était très loins de mes attentes et aussi très difficile de s'y accrocher.
Les personnages sont intéressant mais que très peu approfondi, on apprend que très peu sur eux et on en vient à avoir l'impression de lire des histoire sur un étranger même après les petites histoires et les trois romans.
Sans oublier qu'à la fin c'est clair qu'il devrait y avoir une suite, mais que jamais on la verra si on se fit au calendrier d'écriture de l'auteur.
Donc une lecture correcte pour les gros fan de warhammer.
J'avais presque raison. Matthias Thulmann est un personnage que j'avais déjà côtoyé par le passer dans des mini-histoires de warhammer. Je n'avais pas détester la petite histoire que j'avais lu à l'origine mais j'avais pas mouiller mon pantalon non plus.
J'ai été fort déçu de me rendre compte que l'histoire, l'intrigue et la qualité de cet omnibus était très loins de mes attentes et aussi très difficile de s'y accrocher.
Les personnages sont intéressant mais que très peu approfondi, on apprend que très peu sur eux et on en vient à avoir l'impression de lire des histoire sur un étranger même après les petites histoires et les trois romans.
Sans oublier qu'à la fin c'est clair qu'il devrait y avoir une suite, mais que jamais on la verra si on se fit au calendrier d'écriture de l'auteur.
Donc une lecture correcte pour les gros fan de warhammer.
December 5, 2015
I really enjoyed reading this book from start to finish. It starts with a couple of short stories to introduce you to the characters. Then there are three big stories that are all connected with each other, where the great characters of Thulmann and his sidekick Streng fight their way through Vampires, Nurgle demons, Skaven and other horrible fellows.
I could have done without the multiple recurrence of some characters through the novels and I would have personally preferred the three books to be seperate stories rather than one large one, but I very much enjoyed reading them all and would recommend it to anyone who likes this genre.
I could have done without the multiple recurrence of some characters through the novels and I would have personally preferred the three books to be seperate stories rather than one large one, but I very much enjoyed reading them all and would recommend it to anyone who likes this genre.
December 10, 2018
Really enjoyed these novels! You never know what you're going to get when you pick up a new Warhammer book, but I found these books to be well written. The author, C. L. Werner, balances description and plot very well. The stories move at a good pace, never seeming to get lost or bogged down. The characters are strong, never lapsing into cliche, and one gets a good sense of the Warhammer world. I am already looking forward to reading more Warhammer and Warhammer 40K books by this author!
December 23, 2008
Pretty good book from the world of warhammer. Gruesome and brutal. This book lacked some of the plot twists and suprises that I really like in a book. After reading Gotrek and Felix, this book didn't really stand out as great warhammer fiction.
August 11, 2013
I really enjoyed this series. It's a little corny at times but good fun to read. It helps if the reader is familiar with the Warhammer world.
Very over the top, high fantasy with Vampires, Skaven (rat people) Zombies, Mutants, Orcs and a host of other strange creatures.
Very over the top, high fantasy with Vampires, Skaven (rat people) Zombies, Mutants, Orcs and a host of other strange creatures.
August 29, 2011
It was ok; a bit like he took the Brunner character and split him into two (Thulann and his henchman Steng). Before I even read this though, I had an idea for a Witch Hunter short story involving a knight of Morr and a lot of it was here! Bummer...
February 24, 2015
This release contains 3 books:
Witch Hunter (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...)
Witch Finder (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...)
Witch Killer (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7...)
Witch Hunter (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...)
Witch Finder (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...)
Witch Killer (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7...)
January 8, 2020
Although it starts with an intentional reference to The Witchfinder General, bringing back the two iconic characters, it quickly escalades into an epic action-adventure with no clear-cut good guys. To me, this will always be one of the top 5 best warhammer novels.
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