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Warhammer Fantasy
The Doom of Dragonback
With the War of Vengeance over, the dwarfs of the Old World have begun to rebuild their empire. But they have been drastically weakened by their conflict with the elves, and as great earthquakes tear the mountains asunder, enemies old and new descend upon the dwarf holds. To the west, in the Dragonback Mountains, the dwarfs of Ekrund think themselves safe from the threats faced by their eastern cousins. They are wrong. As greenskins march into their realm in terrifying numbers and war beckons, the Angbok clan and their fellows must fight to save everything they hold dear.
416 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 19, 2014
12 people are currently reading
185 people want to read
About the author
Gav Thorpe
377 books576 followersGav spent 14 years as a developer for Games Workshop, and started writing novels and short stories in the worlds of Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000 when the Black Library imprint was launched in 1997.
He continues to write for Black Library, and his first 'homegrown' novel series The Crown of the Blood has been released via Angry Robot.
Currently living in Nottingham, Gav shares his home with his loving and very understanding partner - Kez, and their beautiful little boy - Sammy.
He continues to write for Black Library, and his first 'homegrown' novel series The Crown of the Blood has been released via Angry Robot.
Currently living in Nottingham, Gav shares his home with his loving and very understanding partner - Kez, and their beautiful little boy - Sammy.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
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June 9, 2018Lost my way with this one. I'll try it again later.
November 24, 2014
You can read the full review over at my blog:
http://sonsofcorax.wordpress.com/2014...
Dwarfs and Gav Thorpe have a long relationship since some of the earliest days of Black Library’s Warhammer Fantasy fiction, much as is the case with him and the Dark Angels in Warhammer 40,000. I’ve read some of his Warhammer work to date, though not all, and his Time of Legends: The Sundering series stands as some of the best books I’ve read from him to date, though they don’t quite hold the same fascination for me as does his Warhammer 40,000 or Horus Heresy works. Still, whenever Gav writes something in WHF, I do sit up and take notice since he happens to be one of my favourite writers.
And his latest is The Doom of Dragonback, a novel set in a post-War of Vengeance Old World where the dwarfs are still recovering from their decades long war with the elves, who have themselves withdrawn from much of the land and are nursing their own wounds in their homeland, Ulthuan. Following the adventures of various dwarfs of Ekrund, The Doom of Dragonback is the story of how a mighty dwarf hold can fall to orcs and goblins, and how tenuous and fleeting life can be in such an environment. As has been the case of late for me with Gav’s work, the novel is among the best of his works, for he does lots of things here that are different from the norm.
It is no secret that the War of Vengeance series for Time of Legends was originally concepted to be a double trilogy, with each trilogy following the dwarf and elf perspectives. But that was all cut down to just two books apiece. And then just a book apiece, with The Doom of Dragonback kind of rounding out the whole era of dwarfish might. It is very disappointing to see this happen, and I suppose it does make sense in the context that Games Workshop has initiated the End Times era on Warhammer Fantasy, an event that is shaking things left and right, bringing out heroes new and old, villains new and old in every faction. The original concepts of War of Vengeance were excellent, and it is a shame that we will not be able to see more.
All the same, The Doom of Dragonback still tells a grand story that focuses on the dwarfish hold of Ekrund, a hold that has yet to be granted the status of a proper karak like the other mighty holds that dot the Old World. Gav keeps the focus tight, presenting as heroes various dwarfs of the Angbok Clan who are among the most prominent of all the clans that call Ekrund home, and that is what truly works to his advantage here. The fall of Ekrund starts as most such stories do, with the dwarfs initially discounting reports of massive orcish armies moving through the Dragonback mountains and not doing much to combat them. This highlights how the dwarfs have changed in the years since the disastrous war with the elves, for before such a thought would have been alien to them, and rangers would have been sent throughout the land to find evidence of such invasions.
The most striking thing about the novel is how Tolkienesque it is, not in the sense of the grand adventure and great doom for the heroes, but the more domestic side rather, in the way that the daily life of the Ekrundfolk is displayed for the reader. The Doom of Dragonback is a novel that is incredibly rich in the heritage of the dwarfs and the details are varied and incredible really. And one of our protagonists is the last scion of the Angbok Clan, Haldora. Yep, that’s right, a female dwarf is one of the center attractions of the novel, and that alone is a reason to read it as far as I’m concerned because, to the best of my knowledge, we haven’t had a female dwarf as a driving element of a narrative to date in Warhammer fiction. There’ve been a few isolated characters, in novels from Nick Kyme and Josh Reynolds, but a bona fide protagonist has been entirely absent. Until now. And Haldora is just the kind of protagonist that I remember reading about in Tolkien’s varied works, especially in those published after his death by his son Christopher Tolkien in The Silmarillion and The Unfinished Tales.
http://sonsofcorax.wordpress.com/2014...
Dwarfs and Gav Thorpe have a long relationship since some of the earliest days of Black Library’s Warhammer Fantasy fiction, much as is the case with him and the Dark Angels in Warhammer 40,000. I’ve read some of his Warhammer work to date, though not all, and his Time of Legends: The Sundering series stands as some of the best books I’ve read from him to date, though they don’t quite hold the same fascination for me as does his Warhammer 40,000 or Horus Heresy works. Still, whenever Gav writes something in WHF, I do sit up and take notice since he happens to be one of my favourite writers.
And his latest is The Doom of Dragonback, a novel set in a post-War of Vengeance Old World where the dwarfs are still recovering from their decades long war with the elves, who have themselves withdrawn from much of the land and are nursing their own wounds in their homeland, Ulthuan. Following the adventures of various dwarfs of Ekrund, The Doom of Dragonback is the story of how a mighty dwarf hold can fall to orcs and goblins, and how tenuous and fleeting life can be in such an environment. As has been the case of late for me with Gav’s work, the novel is among the best of his works, for he does lots of things here that are different from the norm.
It is no secret that the War of Vengeance series for Time of Legends was originally concepted to be a double trilogy, with each trilogy following the dwarf and elf perspectives. But that was all cut down to just two books apiece. And then just a book apiece, with The Doom of Dragonback kind of rounding out the whole era of dwarfish might. It is very disappointing to see this happen, and I suppose it does make sense in the context that Games Workshop has initiated the End Times era on Warhammer Fantasy, an event that is shaking things left and right, bringing out heroes new and old, villains new and old in every faction. The original concepts of War of Vengeance were excellent, and it is a shame that we will not be able to see more.
All the same, The Doom of Dragonback still tells a grand story that focuses on the dwarfish hold of Ekrund, a hold that has yet to be granted the status of a proper karak like the other mighty holds that dot the Old World. Gav keeps the focus tight, presenting as heroes various dwarfs of the Angbok Clan who are among the most prominent of all the clans that call Ekrund home, and that is what truly works to his advantage here. The fall of Ekrund starts as most such stories do, with the dwarfs initially discounting reports of massive orcish armies moving through the Dragonback mountains and not doing much to combat them. This highlights how the dwarfs have changed in the years since the disastrous war with the elves, for before such a thought would have been alien to them, and rangers would have been sent throughout the land to find evidence of such invasions.
The most striking thing about the novel is how Tolkienesque it is, not in the sense of the grand adventure and great doom for the heroes, but the more domestic side rather, in the way that the daily life of the Ekrundfolk is displayed for the reader. The Doom of Dragonback is a novel that is incredibly rich in the heritage of the dwarfs and the details are varied and incredible really. And one of our protagonists is the last scion of the Angbok Clan, Haldora. Yep, that’s right, a female dwarf is one of the center attractions of the novel, and that alone is a reason to read it as far as I’m concerned because, to the best of my knowledge, we haven’t had a female dwarf as a driving element of a narrative to date in Warhammer fiction. There’ve been a few isolated characters, in novels from Nick Kyme and Josh Reynolds, but a bona fide protagonist has been entirely absent. Until now. And Haldora is just the kind of protagonist that I remember reading about in Tolkien’s varied works, especially in those published after his death by his son Christopher Tolkien in The Silmarillion and The Unfinished Tales.
August 22, 2025
To be honest at first I was not interested in this book. I figuered I would prefer to read the conclusion of the war of vengance before reading a book concerning events decades after the conclusion of that war. Thankfully I reconsidered and picked up a copy.
The setting is as said a ( for a dwarf timetable) short period after the war between elves and dwarfs in a remote dwarf city Ekrund in the dragonback mountains, that comes under siege by an army of greenskins. What makes this book so good is it is written to show the final moments of dwarf optimism. The anciant holds are falling and greenskins, skaven, ogres and beastmen are reclaiming the lands.Troughout the story the dwarfs face the horrifying reality that the golden age before the wars with the elves have come to an end. The book zooms in on the Angbok clan and three generations: the longbeard respected but also misunderstood for his outdated mentality, the son trying to be a model dwarf and only concerned with tradtion and wealth to better the reputation of his clan and his daughter who is torn apart between tradition, reputation, her own stubbornness and wisdom of bygone ages.
What makes this book so good is that it gives a well worked out description of the life and worldview of the common dwarf in the warhammer world unlike the kings, slayers, rangers and roaming tradesmen/merchants. The story sheds some much needed light on the period between the war of vengance and the rise of Sigmar and to show how the dwarfs as a civilization became a gloomy and grim society obsessed with the memories of their deeds. The style and outline are quite classic with exception of the short pieces of dwarf history told before the actual chapter but these add in the mood of the book and often subtly hint at the events about to happen in the chapter they are introducing.
One of the best in the black library no faults no criticism.
7 years later I can't countersay my earlier younger version's opinion it truly is one of the best in the black library catalogue. What I do want to add is how familiar the dwarfs are in the first half, meaning sheltered bourgeoisie middle class people who take the security and safety they have for granted. Lets hope like the dwarfs of Ekrund, that is not an illusion on the verge of being shattered.
The setting is as said a ( for a dwarf timetable) short period after the war between elves and dwarfs in a remote dwarf city Ekrund in the dragonback mountains, that comes under siege by an army of greenskins. What makes this book so good is it is written to show the final moments of dwarf optimism. The anciant holds are falling and greenskins, skaven, ogres and beastmen are reclaiming the lands.Troughout the story the dwarfs face the horrifying reality that the golden age before the wars with the elves have come to an end. The book zooms in on the Angbok clan and three generations: the longbeard respected but also misunderstood for his outdated mentality, the son trying to be a model dwarf and only concerned with tradtion and wealth to better the reputation of his clan and his daughter who is torn apart between tradition, reputation, her own stubbornness and wisdom of bygone ages.
What makes this book so good is that it gives a well worked out description of the life and worldview of the common dwarf in the warhammer world unlike the kings, slayers, rangers and roaming tradesmen/merchants. The story sheds some much needed light on the period between the war of vengance and the rise of Sigmar and to show how the dwarfs as a civilization became a gloomy and grim society obsessed with the memories of their deeds. The style and outline are quite classic with exception of the short pieces of dwarf history told before the actual chapter but these add in the mood of the book and often subtly hint at the events about to happen in the chapter they are introducing.
One of the best in the black library no faults no criticism.
7 years later I can't countersay my earlier younger version's opinion it truly is one of the best in the black library catalogue. What I do want to add is how familiar the dwarfs are in the first half, meaning sheltered bourgeoisie middle class people who take the security and safety they have for granted. Lets hope like the dwarfs of Ekrund, that is not an illusion on the verge of being shattered.
June 11, 2019
I do not have nearly as much of a background with Warhammer fantasy as I do with the 40K lore. So while the "Time of Legends" series covers many of the famous characters, I am not familiar with that many of them. No matter, with time and reading I intend to be as well versed in the fantasy lore as I am in the 40K lore.
"The Doom of Dragonback" is a dark tale (this is Warhammer after all) about the fall of the Dwarven Kingdom of Ekrund. The Dwarven nations were strong and powerful. Well connected through a series of great roads, the Dwarf Kings were strong, wealthy and secure. Then the Dwarves and the Elves decided to fight a genocidal war for 5 centuries. In the aftermath, the Elves withdrew to their island fastness and the dwarven nations a shadow of their former selves. Still, the war between Dwarves and Elves has been over for six decades. Peace is the norm at Erkund.
Seen through the eyes of the Angbok clan- Haldora, the head strong daughter; Gabbik, the father who is more business oriented; Friedra, the mother; and Skraffi, the old warrior grandfather. While the dwarves sit in Erkund, it seems the greenskins are on the march. Orcs, hobgoblins, trolls, giants, etc are all on the move. Dwarven kingdoms are falling, but the information is sparse and the dwarves of Erekund doubt that a large force of orcs are around.
Starting with this concept, there is a slow motion train wreck as the Erkundians try to make sense of what is going on out there. The second half of the book is based around the battle for Erkund. It is violent and exciting, but there is a sense of doom that is all pervading. A fascinating story and a great look at the dwarves of Erkund. I felt that the fate of Gabbik to be quite interesting, but I shall not spoil it.
Of course any Warhammer fan will enjoy this story, but so should anyone who likes dark fantasy.
"The Doom of Dragonback" is a dark tale (this is Warhammer after all) about the fall of the Dwarven Kingdom of Ekrund. The Dwarven nations were strong and powerful. Well connected through a series of great roads, the Dwarf Kings were strong, wealthy and secure. Then the Dwarves and the Elves decided to fight a genocidal war for 5 centuries. In the aftermath, the Elves withdrew to their island fastness and the dwarven nations a shadow of their former selves. Still, the war between Dwarves and Elves has been over for six decades. Peace is the norm at Erkund.
Seen through the eyes of the Angbok clan- Haldora, the head strong daughter; Gabbik, the father who is more business oriented; Friedra, the mother; and Skraffi, the old warrior grandfather. While the dwarves sit in Erkund, it seems the greenskins are on the march. Orcs, hobgoblins, trolls, giants, etc are all on the move. Dwarven kingdoms are falling, but the information is sparse and the dwarves of Erekund doubt that a large force of orcs are around.
Starting with this concept, there is a slow motion train wreck as the Erkundians try to make sense of what is going on out there. The second half of the book is based around the battle for Erkund. It is violent and exciting, but there is a sense of doom that is all pervading. A fascinating story and a great look at the dwarves of Erkund. I felt that the fate of Gabbik to be quite interesting, but I shall not spoil it.
Of course any Warhammer fan will enjoy this story, but so should anyone who likes dark fantasy.
March 25, 2016
A story of the Dwarfs that follows on from The War of Vengeance, and I think the story suffers a little for it. The Doom of Dragonback started off slow and of a relatively small scale, compared to the War of Vengeance series. While not a bad thing, per se, it did however make the story a little slow to get into. The story of the Angboks did grow on me greatly, and by the end of it, they were a phenomenal family to follow on this story.
Outside of the slow start, the novel was wonderful. Dwarfs have really grown on me since the War of Vengeance, and seeing them on the back foot of a siege was awesome. I really wish we got to see more of Haldi after the Doom.
Either way, give the novel a chance, and you won't be disappointed!
Outside of the slow start, the novel was wonderful. Dwarfs have really grown on me since the War of Vengeance, and seeing them on the back foot of a siege was awesome. I really wish we got to see more of Haldi after the Doom.
Either way, give the novel a chance, and you won't be disappointed!
February 20, 2015
I have not read any Dwarf fiction from the Black Library, not even the Gotrek and Felix novels, but despite this I can tell that this novel is outstanding in representing Dwarf culture. And not just that, early Dwarf culture. No cannons, handguns or indeed any gunpowder other than some blasting charges. Just good honest iron and steel. Set in a relatively early period of Dwarf history, we follow the adventures of Clan Angbok, working their mines and running their meadery in the run up to a greenskin invasion.
The best thing about this book is that it gives voice to a relatively unknown and looked over aspect of Dwarf history, one of the lesser holds of Ekrund is given a great focus as the story unfurls. Thorpe has also given us a running history of the hold as it progressed from early settlement to established mine to thriving Dwarf hold. Distanced from the World Edge Mountains, Ekrund and its inhabitants are fairly independent from the rest of their race, yet are as true to their kind as any Dwarf. This is represented in the characters, representing 3 generations of the Angboks, the past, present and future alike. Thorpe made a brave choice in having a teenage (by Dwarf standards) girl as the main character, however Haldora is a fiery, independent and stubborn young maiden and it is impossible not to like her. The same can be said for the other principal characters. Also worth mentioning is the real sense of tragedy Thorpe provides during the greenskin conquest as the hold falls (Oh come on this isn't a spoiler, the clue is in the name chaps).
Overall a wonderful book and well worth reading again and again.
The best thing about this book is that it gives voice to a relatively unknown and looked over aspect of Dwarf history, one of the lesser holds of Ekrund is given a great focus as the story unfurls. Thorpe has also given us a running history of the hold as it progressed from early settlement to established mine to thriving Dwarf hold. Distanced from the World Edge Mountains, Ekrund and its inhabitants are fairly independent from the rest of their race, yet are as true to their kind as any Dwarf. This is represented in the characters, representing 3 generations of the Angboks, the past, present and future alike. Thorpe made a brave choice in having a teenage (by Dwarf standards) girl as the main character, however Haldora is a fiery, independent and stubborn young maiden and it is impossible not to like her. The same can be said for the other principal characters. Also worth mentioning is the real sense of tragedy Thorpe provides during the greenskin conquest as the hold falls (Oh come on this isn't a spoiler, the clue is in the name chaps).
Overall a wonderful book and well worth reading again and again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 11, 2018
Thorpe did a gread job at depicting one of my favorite races, Dwafs, this book was sad and heavy reading, but there was always a joke or jibe about beer and beards to keep me entertained.
March 3, 2024
Throughly enjoyed! Haven’t read a Warhammer book in a while but this one really satisfied my craving for the Old World
September 14, 2019
So forget that this is a Warhammer Fantasy book, this book was just purely an amazing fantasy book about dwarves. Everything about it was perfect, the setting was exactly what you would expect for dwarves, which means tunnel, hoardes, elaborate metal work and BEER. Then the characters were also all unique and completely lovable, I can't even think coherent thoughts about how amazing each and every character was. They all lended to the storyline and evolved throughout. The plot was paced perfectly, not too much action-which Warhammer books tend to struggle with. The prologue had me squealing and just gave me that "heart happy feeling" so of course I would highly reccommend this to fantasy lovers, especially if you love MiddleEarth/LOTR dwarves!
August 15, 2020
Dark, grim and depressing but with moments of joy and happiness, what more can you ask from fantasy?
This book is a must read for any fan of Dwarves, not even Warhammer Fantasy. It does a great job of intruding you to the world the story is set in and perfectly shows the way the Dwarves of this setting live.
The constant feeling of dread and sorrow that is there for the entire story from about halfway onwards made me love it. Maybe I'm strange but whenever I am reading a story about people under siege, losing everything they know and questioning their place in society I want to feel as miserable as the characters.
Surprisingly little action which was a nice change. The book had a pretty good, if rather sudden, ending.
I'd say give it a go if you're a Dwarf fan.
This book is a must read for any fan of Dwarves, not even Warhammer Fantasy. It does a great job of intruding you to the world the story is set in and perfectly shows the way the Dwarves of this setting live.
The constant feeling of dread and sorrow that is there for the entire story from about halfway onwards made me love it. Maybe I'm strange but whenever I am reading a story about people under siege, losing everything they know and questioning their place in society I want to feel as miserable as the characters.
Surprisingly little action which was a nice change. The book had a pretty good, if rather sudden, ending.
I'd say give it a go if you're a Dwarf fan.
October 29, 2018
****1/2: I’d count this as not just the best Black Library novel I’ve read but one of the best fantasy novels I’ve ever read, period. A moving familial saga unspooling beneath the tale of the fall of Ekrund. I can’t think of another fantasy novel that focuses on female dwarfs as the spine of the story and gives them agency and character. I was enthralled.
August 16, 2023
Amazing story, great character development, awesome lore. This book left me stunned and upset, in a good way. I was so invested in the story I felt like the characters felt at the end. A great read that really shows the darkness of the Warhammer universe and well as the politics of the dwarven race.
May 9, 2024
Much better than I expected! It starts quite slow and the characters are a bit whiny in the beginning, but things really hit their stride halfway through and all of the main characters have great arcs that end satisfyingly. Also some good lore that has been represented in the total war games!
January 22, 2020
Awesome book
May 26, 2022
It's surprising how thoughtful and philosophical a book about dwarves and orcs fighting can be.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews