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Warhammer Age of Sigmar
Scourge of Fate
A Warhammer Age of Sigmar novel
The Varanguard are the elite warriors of the Everchosen, those worthy of fighting by Archaon's side. When treachery strikes, Vanik, one such warrior, will stop at nothing to bring Archaon's vengeance to his foes.
READ IT BECAUSE
It's a look inside the inner circle of Archaon Everchosen and his forces – a fascinating glimpse at the greatest heroes of Chaos in the Mortal Realms.
THE STORY
Archaon, the Everchosen, is the most powerful and feared of all the great Champions of the Dark Gods. Warlords of immense cruelty, who have waged innumerable campaigns of suffering and slaughter, thirst to fight by his side. Such Knights of Ruin are known as the Varanguard.
Though Vanik the Black Pilgrim’s blade drips with the blood of conquered empires, he is yet to prove himself worthy of ascension into the Fifth Circle of the Varanguard. At last, he faces his final, nocuous quest: to hunt down and slay a legendary hero of Order that prophecies foretell will liberate the Mortal Realms from the stranglehold of Chaos. Yet when a betrayal strikes the very heart of the Varanspire, the great fortress of the Everchosen himself, it soon becomes clear to Vanik that Sigmar’s Chosen is not the only threat to Archaon’s reign that he must defeat. For Vanik, there will be only victory or oblivion. For he is a Varanguard, and no enemy of the Three Eyed King will escape his blade, lest the Varanspire fall.
The Varanguard are the elite warriors of the Everchosen, those worthy of fighting by Archaon's side. When treachery strikes, Vanik, one such warrior, will stop at nothing to bring Archaon's vengeance to his foes.
READ IT BECAUSE
It's a look inside the inner circle of Archaon Everchosen and his forces – a fascinating glimpse at the greatest heroes of Chaos in the Mortal Realms.
THE STORY
Archaon, the Everchosen, is the most powerful and feared of all the great Champions of the Dark Gods. Warlords of immense cruelty, who have waged innumerable campaigns of suffering and slaughter, thirst to fight by his side. Such Knights of Ruin are known as the Varanguard.
Though Vanik the Black Pilgrim’s blade drips with the blood of conquered empires, he is yet to prove himself worthy of ascension into the Fifth Circle of the Varanguard. At last, he faces his final, nocuous quest: to hunt down and slay a legendary hero of Order that prophecies foretell will liberate the Mortal Realms from the stranglehold of Chaos. Yet when a betrayal strikes the very heart of the Varanspire, the great fortress of the Everchosen himself, it soon becomes clear to Vanik that Sigmar’s Chosen is not the only threat to Archaon’s reign that he must defeat. For Vanik, there will be only victory or oblivion. For he is a Varanguard, and no enemy of the Three Eyed King will escape his blade, lest the Varanspire fall.
- GenresFantasy
236 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 25, 2018
About the author
Robbie MacNiven
133 books130 followersRobbie MacNiven is a Scottish author and historian. His published fiction includes over twenty novels in genres ranging from sci-fi and fantasy to historical fiction, written for publishers such as Black Library, Titan, Rebellion and Aconyte Books. He has also written novellas, short stories, audio dramas, comic scripts and graphic novels, has worked on narrative and character dialogue for multiple digital games (SMITE: Blitz, Age of Sigmar: Storm Ground, Raid: Shadow Legends), and has written colour text and branching narratives for multiple RPG and game rulebooks, including the award-winning Undaunted series by Osprey Games. In 2022 his X-Men novel "First Team" won a Scribe Award for tie-in fiction.
On the non-fiction front, Robbie specialises in Early Modern military history, particularly focusing on the 18th century. He has a PhD in American Revolutionary War massacres from the University of Edinburgh - where he won the Compton Prize for American History - and an MLitt in War Studies from the University of Glasgow. Along with numerous articles for military history magazines, he has written eight books on 18th century conflicts including the American Revolution and the Seven Years War, seven for Osprey Publishing and one for Helion Books. He has also written the scripts for over a dozen episodes of the hit YouTube educational channel Extra History.
Outside of work and writing, his passions include historical re-enacting, gaming, and football.
On the non-fiction front, Robbie specialises in Early Modern military history, particularly focusing on the 18th century. He has a PhD in American Revolutionary War massacres from the University of Edinburgh - where he won the Compton Prize for American History - and an MLitt in War Studies from the University of Glasgow. Along with numerous articles for military history magazines, he has written eight books on 18th century conflicts including the American Revolution and the Seven Years War, seven for Osprey Publishing and one for Helion Books. He has also written the scripts for over a dozen episodes of the hit YouTube educational channel Extra History.
Outside of work and writing, his passions include historical re-enacting, gaming, and football.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
April 22, 2019
I feel that I have to explain my 3 star rating; when I gave it, it was the single lowest rating of this book. (I will keep this spoiler free.)
I started reading this book because I'm interested in Chaos lore, especially daemons. Some of the plot takes place in Chaos dominated areas, and there are certainly desciptions of the diverse nature of the forces of Chaos; these parts very quite interesting, but I expected something more complex, and more descriptive. (I believe this is a subject that could be really expanded.) For example the companions (members of the warband) of the protagonist could have been better described; by that I mean their cultural origins, and visual appeareance (I think this is very important in any kind of Warhammer book.), not that I missed the character traits of some minor henchman. More details would have given a more colorful picture.
But this book is not so much a background-fluff-appendix; It's pretty much about the protagonist. (I probably could have expected that.) I personally didn't like Vanik much, he was very hard to relate to. Some parts of the book mention that as a champion of Chaos he's kind of different from regular mortals, but I wish this point had been stressed more. Loss of humanity would have made a great story element in my opinion. (I might not be fair with this point; when I read about space marines, I have no problem with them being distant, inhuman, and hard to relate; still, astartes turn superhuman during a relatively short and well described process, while as far as I understand, Vanik's case is different.) The visual appearance of the protagonist felt quite generic too. I personally would have enjoyed if some of Vanik's "religious" views were discussed. (This might sound weird, but religion seem to be a big thing in the Mortal Realms [and even so beyond]. The basic "teaching" of the Everchosen is discussed, which is great, and we can assume that Vanik accepts this, but this is kind of a very simple and extreme answer to the uncountable and colorful options of worship/belief that Chaos offers.) I liked though that the protagonist is far from invincible.
The climax of the story was strong in my opinion, the description of different regiments and their tactical actions really had a Warhammer feel to it. It would have been even stronger with more relatable (minor) characters. The final twist felt right too, although it's further significance could have been subject to more speculation, which would have resulted in more complexity.
I thought about giving it a 4 star (especially while I was reading the final confrontation), but in the end I compred this book to novels like Game of Throne, The Name of the Wind, and Lies of Locke Lamora, and even if I love the fluff of Warhammer AOS, I have to admit, that Scourge of Fate is somewhat lacking compared to these.
However I do recommend the book to fans of AOS, especially Chaos.
I started reading this book because I'm interested in Chaos lore, especially daemons. Some of the plot takes place in Chaos dominated areas, and there are certainly desciptions of the diverse nature of the forces of Chaos; these parts very quite interesting, but I expected something more complex, and more descriptive. (I believe this is a subject that could be really expanded.) For example the companions (members of the warband) of the protagonist could have been better described; by that I mean their cultural origins, and visual appeareance (I think this is very important in any kind of Warhammer book.), not that I missed the character traits of some minor henchman. More details would have given a more colorful picture.
But this book is not so much a background-fluff-appendix; It's pretty much about the protagonist. (I probably could have expected that.) I personally didn't like Vanik much, he was very hard to relate to. Some parts of the book mention that as a champion of Chaos he's kind of different from regular mortals, but I wish this point had been stressed more. Loss of humanity would have made a great story element in my opinion. (I might not be fair with this point; when I read about space marines, I have no problem with them being distant, inhuman, and hard to relate; still, astartes turn superhuman during a relatively short and well described process, while as far as I understand, Vanik's case is different.) The visual appearance of the protagonist felt quite generic too. I personally would have enjoyed if some of Vanik's "religious" views were discussed. (This might sound weird, but religion seem to be a big thing in the Mortal Realms [and even so beyond]. The basic "teaching" of the Everchosen is discussed, which is great, and we can assume that Vanik accepts this, but this is kind of a very simple and extreme answer to the uncountable and colorful options of worship/belief that Chaos offers.) I liked though that the protagonist is far from invincible.
The climax of the story was strong in my opinion, the description of different regiments and their tactical actions really had a Warhammer feel to it. It would have been even stronger with more relatable (minor) characters. The final twist felt right too, although it's further significance could have been subject to more speculation, which would have resulted in more complexity.
I thought about giving it a 4 star (especially while I was reading the final confrontation), but in the end I compred this book to novels like Game of Throne, The Name of the Wind, and Lies of Locke Lamora, and even if I love the fluff of Warhammer AOS, I have to admit, that Scourge of Fate is somewhat lacking compared to these.
However I do recommend the book to fans of AOS, especially Chaos.
April 24, 2019
I liked a lot because give us as readers the full contexts of the organization and the life on the Eight points and the Varanspire and all the supplicants and stuff, a lot of context on mortals of chaos but the end was for me a little bit quick and obvious, but anyway I enjoyed a lot the combats and the narrative and the characters and Tzatzo! And now I'm very intrigued about Warcry...
May 20, 2019
This was a very, very good story about how Vanik, a Chaos chief, is trying to become a Varanguard, one of the Chosen of Chaos. There is some politicking and great characterizations among Chaos and Sigmar related characters. The plot is straightforward and fast paced and the action is absolutely top notch. That’s why I read these books. This was very satisfying and I eagerly look forward to more of Vanik’s adventures.
April 9, 2019
Loved it. It's great to sometimes root for the villain.
May 21, 2019
3.5 stars
Robbie MacNiven’s first full Age of Sigmar novel, this is a Chaos-focused tale of the lengths one man is prepared to go to in order to join the ranks of Archaon’s Knights of Ruin – the Varanguard. The Black Pilgrim Vanik, a powerful warlord in his own right, is one of two aspirants competing against each other to claim a single place among the Fifth Circle of the Varanguard. Tasked with killing a great hero of Order, to stop a prophecy and prevent a threat to the Varanspire itself, Vanik raises a great host of warriors and marches on Helmgard in the Realm of Chamon.
There’s quite an old-school Warhammer vibe to a lot of the book, with Vanik and his chosen warriors really channelling the gritty nature of classic Chaos. That extends to parts of the narrative itself, not least a thoroughly enjoyable, epic battle scene which somehow takes up almost a third of the book without overstaying its welcome. It’s going to appeal most to those looking for a bit of a retro vibe and the cynical satisfaction of watching a straight-up villain in his quest for dark glory, and while a longer page count might have allowed it to really dig into its themes there’s still plenty here to enjoy in terms of both brutal action and Chaos-inflected world building.
Read the full review at https://www.trackofwords.com/2019/05/...
Robbie MacNiven’s first full Age of Sigmar novel, this is a Chaos-focused tale of the lengths one man is prepared to go to in order to join the ranks of Archaon’s Knights of Ruin – the Varanguard. The Black Pilgrim Vanik, a powerful warlord in his own right, is one of two aspirants competing against each other to claim a single place among the Fifth Circle of the Varanguard. Tasked with killing a great hero of Order, to stop a prophecy and prevent a threat to the Varanspire itself, Vanik raises a great host of warriors and marches on Helmgard in the Realm of Chamon.
There’s quite an old-school Warhammer vibe to a lot of the book, with Vanik and his chosen warriors really channelling the gritty nature of classic Chaos. That extends to parts of the narrative itself, not least a thoroughly enjoyable, epic battle scene which somehow takes up almost a third of the book without overstaying its welcome. It’s going to appeal most to those looking for a bit of a retro vibe and the cynical satisfaction of watching a straight-up villain in his quest for dark glory, and while a longer page count might have allowed it to really dig into its themes there’s still plenty here to enjoy in terms of both brutal action and Chaos-inflected world building.
Read the full review at https://www.trackofwords.com/2019/05/...
March 18, 2024
What I really enjoyed about this book is the focus on a character from the Slaves to Darkness faction.
It provides a unique perspective, delving into the inner workings of the faction and exploring the dynamics between different clans within it.
This added depth to the narrative and enhanced my understanding of the Slaves to Darkness as a whole.
Overall, it was a captivating read that offered intriguing insights into this faction's world.
It provides a unique perspective, delving into the inner workings of the faction and exploring the dynamics between different clans within it.
This added depth to the narrative and enhanced my understanding of the Slaves to Darkness as a whole.
Overall, it was a captivating read that offered intriguing insights into this faction's world.
January 7, 2025
This journey felt like 600 pages, I am a beginner in lore but have been building and painting models for a year. The novel is definitely not well paced though ACT 2 and the final chapters of ACT 3 help it's rating tremendously. I would like to say this is not super beginner friendly but still interesting. The perspective of Order felt unnecessary and I would like to have followed just Vanik, Karex and the Eightguard. More internal workings of the Varanspire was something I hope for.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 4, 2023
A really good book; comparisons are inevitable with the later Godeater’s Son, but this feels like it was written with a different objective- fleshing out an existing set of models in the AoS range, rather than being an in-depth exploration of the very nature of the setting.
The story progresses through a series of ever-bigger battles, and it’s in the last of these that MacNiven and his historical chops really shine- it’s one of the best-realised and most compelling pitched battles I’ve read in BL fiction, and more realistic and plausible as any fight involving daemonic horses has any right to be.
The story progresses through a series of ever-bigger battles, and it’s in the last of these that MacNiven and his historical chops really shine- it’s one of the best-realised and most compelling pitched battles I’ve read in BL fiction, and more realistic and plausible as any fight involving daemonic horses has any right to be.
April 25, 2019
This is a pretty good read. One of the first views into the world of the Varanguard, the novel does a fair bit to paint a picture of what life is like in the Allpoints - and makes it all the more interesting. I'm not the biggest Chaos fan out there, but if you are, I recommend picking this one up.
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February 20, 2020Proofread
November 11, 2025
My favorite AoS related book and has remained so for almost half a decade now
December 6, 2025
Very good book that displays path of glory and shows average life of chaos warrior from AOS perspective.
October 9, 2026
Now we’re talking. Awesome world building, an interesting character, and a cool as fuck story to tie it all in. Ding ding ding 🛎️
Now I’m an expert on the slaves to darkness, ask me anything
Now I’m an expert on the slaves to darkness, ask me anything
July 1, 2024
One of the best Warhammer books I have read. This is the first Warhammer book I have read that takes place in the Age of Sigmar setting. This is a great book to introduce some of the different factions in this world. Also a must read for anyone who is a fan of the Slaves to Darkness faction.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews