What do you think?
Rate this book
Eight Lamentations #1
Копье Теней
В начале был огонь. Из огня появились восемь оружий чудовищной силы, заточенные до убийственной остроты избранными кузнецами-оружейниками Кхорна. И сейчас, когда эхо грома войны сотрясает Владения Смертных, великие силы охотятся за этой восьмеркой, разыскивая оружия всюду, где только можно, и любой ценой. В городе пророчеств и секретов Грунгни, бог-кузнец дуардинов, собирает группу смертных бойцов из всех Владений, чтобы найти первое оружие из восьми. Но в поиске они не одиноки; посланцы Губительных Сил тоже хотят заполучить это оружие — для себя. И вот гонка начинается; человек, дуардин и демон стремятся завладеть Копьем Теней… Первая книга трилогии «Восемь Плачей».
432 pages, Hardcover
First published September 2, 2017
33 people are currently reading
231 people want to read
About the author
Joshua Reynolds
313 books339 followersJosh Reynolds’ work has previously appeared in such anthologies as Historical Lovecraft from Innsmouth Free Press and Horror for the Holidays from Miskatonic River Press, and his novel, Knight of the Blazing Sun, is currently available from Black Library. He can be found at: http://joshuamreynolds.wordpress.com
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
October 19, 2017
The Age of Sigmar novel you've been waiting for
Read
February 2, 2018I read this as part of an internet book-club. Below was what I wrote in the thread where we reviewed the book:
LIKES
There is some excellent fantasy imagery. The worm-city was awesome.
Grungni was a very fun character. I enjoyed him whenever he was present in a scene. He was a believable character. Along these lines, discussion/banter about the gods, and about what happened between Grungni and Sigmar, was very enjoyable.
The set-up drew me in. The beginning all the way through team-forming was well done and well-paced.
The ending has some great set-ups for future stories. I loved that we end with the Spear of Shadows hunting Volker. A great twist.
Action scenes are fairly well-done.
DISLIKES
The main characters never rise above the cliches they start as. They’re not even really archetypes. They are not well-rounded; I don’t really care if I am spending time with them or not. I know the point of the story was to get a band of adventurers together, but if we never really learn much about them (I’m looking at you Zana, Nyoka, and especially you, Roggen), then how am I supposed to care about them? Lugash was probably the most three-dimensional of the main characters. Quell the skaven seer was at least an interesting character; I liked whenever we focused on him. He was smart and sneaky and trying to sneak so as not to appear too smart-arrogant. Even the meth-warpstone addiction, while slightly eyeroll-inducing, was believable and had some charm to it. I loved his janky ejector seat at the end.
Too long. Did this need to be a novel, or could it have been a novella? It gets bogged down in lots of description of fights that don't matter to the overall story.
The pacing was just...off. It felt weird that they get to the worm city only to leave almost immediately, going back with the Kharadron, and then it felt like they were in Gorch forever.
The author doesn’t ground us well in the action or the physicality of place. I often had difficulty picturing where we were in any given scene, especially during fights, as physical placement is so important during a fight. I don't know how else to say it other than that we are not grounded well in scenes. The forest of Gorch was especially confusing in this regard. I still don't even know if they were walking on branches, or if the enormous branches had been carved out by the Fyreslayer lodge, or...?
Why exactly doesn’t Gung get Volker in the penultimate chapter? It’s not described well AT ALL for such an important moment. It’s going for him, and somehow he avoids it and it goes into the orrery which is...a portal to other Realms...I guess? This isn’t explained well either. There’s a lot of important stuff that just feels handwaved by lazy writing.
Look, I know this is pulp game-fiction. But it really was a slog. I needed to care more about the characters and what they wanted, and for that, I needed to know them more. There are too many characters in this book, both hero and villain.
LIKES
There is some excellent fantasy imagery. The worm-city was awesome.
Grungni was a very fun character. I enjoyed him whenever he was present in a scene. He was a believable character. Along these lines, discussion/banter about the gods, and about what happened between Grungni and Sigmar, was very enjoyable.
The set-up drew me in. The beginning all the way through team-forming was well done and well-paced.
The ending has some great set-ups for future stories. I loved that we end with the Spear of Shadows hunting Volker. A great twist.
Action scenes are fairly well-done.
DISLIKES
The main characters never rise above the cliches they start as. They’re not even really archetypes. They are not well-rounded; I don’t really care if I am spending time with them or not. I know the point of the story was to get a band of adventurers together, but if we never really learn much about them (I’m looking at you Zana, Nyoka, and especially you, Roggen), then how am I supposed to care about them? Lugash was probably the most three-dimensional of the main characters. Quell the skaven seer was at least an interesting character; I liked whenever we focused on him. He was smart and sneaky and trying to sneak so as not to appear too smart-arrogant. Even the meth-warpstone addiction, while slightly eyeroll-inducing, was believable and had some charm to it. I loved his janky ejector seat at the end.
Too long. Did this need to be a novel, or could it have been a novella? It gets bogged down in lots of description of fights that don't matter to the overall story.
The pacing was just...off. It felt weird that they get to the worm city only to leave almost immediately, going back with the Kharadron, and then it felt like they were in Gorch forever.
The author doesn’t ground us well in the action or the physicality of place. I often had difficulty picturing where we were in any given scene, especially during fights, as physical placement is so important during a fight. I don't know how else to say it other than that we are not grounded well in scenes. The forest of Gorch was especially confusing in this regard. I still don't even know if they were walking on branches, or if the enormous branches had been carved out by the Fyreslayer lodge, or...?
Why exactly doesn’t Gung get Volker in the penultimate chapter? It’s not described well AT ALL for such an important moment. It’s going for him, and somehow he avoids it and it goes into the orrery which is...a portal to other Realms...I guess? This isn’t explained well either. There’s a lot of important stuff that just feels handwaved by lazy writing.
Look, I know this is pulp game-fiction. But it really was a slog. I needed to care more about the characters and what they wanted, and for that, I needed to know them more. There are too many characters in this book, both hero and villain.
March 19, 2023
This is an interesting Age of Sigmar novel about a group of adventurers who are on a quest to find an ancient Chaos weapon. They are brought together by Grungni the Maker, the Duardin God of the Forge. It showcases the Age of Sigmar setting (or settings--jumping between different realms/planes is part of the fun of this IP). There are some cool villains: a blood-crazed warrior of Khorne, a sorcerer of Tzeentch, a scheming Skaven warlock engineer. The protagonists span different Age of Sigmar factions as well. There is an Azyrite, a Fyreslayer, a vampire, and a knight from Ghyran, and more. The writing style is modern and exciting, lots of action and dialog. In essence: this seems like a good fiction primer for the Age of Sigmar, but it was only my second novel in the series.
October 2, 2017
There are many differences between Warhammer Fantasy and Age of Sigmar no matter how you look at them. One was grimy apocalyptic Renaissance fantasy warfare while the other is high fantasy crusades among the stars. It's a Dungeons and Dragons vs Spelljammer situation at its core. This has led many people to argue one way or another in terms of their overall strengths, but one area Fantasy has always won out in was in its stories.
While Age of Sigmar has featured ongoing series and dramatic tales, there was no Gotrek and Felix to them, no Chronicles of Malus Darkblade or Vampire Geneviève to give it real distinction. The novels and short stories we had sometimes featured good tales, but they often required either prior engagement in the setting or lacked the diverse characters needed to give a saga a real meaning. Eight Lamentations seems set to fix that, as it serves as both a solid jumping on point for many older fans still unfamiliar with the older lore while also broadening the setting to offer a truly distinct and unique saga among the tales.
The Synopsis
Like many elements of the existing tales, the story here links closely to ideas and relics from past ages. In this case it focuses upon a dark power forgotten by many until now. Weapons forged in the name of an ancient war have emerged once more, each worth more to a king than an entire legion of immortal warriors. While thought lost for ages, they have unexpectedly returned, and with them possible damnation for all involved in the ongoing war. Should the Ruinous Powers claim the first of these weapons for themselves, the Spear of Shadows, the lands would flow with an unending tide of blood. To halt this catastrophe, a band of mortal heroes have been assembled to recover the weapon and return it to its true owner: The smith-god Grungni.
The Good
Compared to many other works within this setting, it honestly seems as if this is a concerted effort by Age of Sigmar to step back and establish more ground for writers to work on. That is meant in the most literal of senses as, rather than demi-gods, ancient warriors or stormborn crusaders, the heroes we follow are very much mortal. They retain more than a few links back to the Old World in more ways than one, and with such a diverse cast of humans, dwarves duardin, skaven and even the odd vampire, the book is able to explore a multitude of aspects at once. We see more of how certain cultures have survived and adapted to their new home, how some races have even thrived in this hellish realm while others cling to the tatters of their old lives. It's certainly an interesting choice, as it helps to give more context to the figures on every side without making the book feel overburdened or reliant upon nostalgia for the forgotten world.
Another factor which definitely works in this book's favour is how it manages to still give many characters a unique face despite being used as a representation of their culture. More than a few times on this site reviews have been forced to point out how characters lean more towards being certain archetypes or examples of their faction than individuals. While this is partially true in one or two cases, you never lose sight of how they remain strong individuals. Volker, for example, does fit a few of the more commonly human traits of asking audience questions or serving as the outsider. At the same time, the story does push to set up a few details thanks to his role as a survivor, and his history with a few of the other races. Just because he needs to act as the audience surrogate doesn't stop him from being a solid primary character after all, and the likes of Roggen work well against them due to their contrasting natures. Much of that is down to their origins (one a knight, the other a gunsmith born in Sigmar's realm) but the book utilises them well.
The fact the heroes are mortal also helps significantly in terms of the book's tone. There's a very Conan-esque feel to the events thanks to the individuals, scope and figures involved. Not so much the cheesy if fun Schwarzenegger film but more the original novels, where you had heroes wandering through the towers or sorcerers or stumbling upon eldritch horrors. A place where much of the world was still uncharted, still wild and untamed, but built-up enough to feature a few hubs of civilisation, where people have adapted as best they can to life there. This is established early on with Grungni, standing over a forge made from the hissing molten form of a daemon and using its power to craft new weapons and each others his trade. It's the sort of thing Fantasy could rarely get away with, but the shift in setting and the ability to more actively depict such figures works in its favour when given to the right writer.
The actual world building on display is fantastic here, with some incredibly creative, surreal and generally fantastical details which truly hooks you in very early on. While previous works seemed set to largely leave the Mortal Realms as a craggy corrupted wasteland ruled by Chaos, Reynolds seemed to ask "How has life there changed?" As a result of this, the reader is granted environments such as a forest of spiders which makes Mirkwood seem tame, a duardin city in the sky, a city built upon a leviathan worm and a real population to work with. Scavenging demigryph riders, airship riding prospectors and the evolution of the Slayer cult (sort of) all show up here, and this is the real strength of the work. You're given a real sense of the scale of the conflict. Rather than being just a waste being fought over, the location has settings, people, histories and details to really work with. We know about the factions now, but this book gives us a real look into the actual battlefield itself.
If you don't quite understand how important this is, consider the following: When anyone brings up the Old World, you immediately have several key images come to mind. Cities, cultures, people and even historical events. The Mortal Realms have lacked that, and in trying to flesh out the factions and their homes, it seems that this was often overlooked. As was how it might have adapted over time. After all, the Fallout games were all set in lethal wastelands, but that didn't stop some people recovering and starting to rebuild in some places.
While this could have easily devolved into a sight seeing tour, many of the key events are thankfully mostly handled without it losing sight of the narrative. There's always a clear race against time involved, and even when it takes a moment to shift gears to move onto an Overseer city, it's always towards a clear end goal. It's in much the same way that - to bring up Middle-Earth again - the Fellowship of the Ring might have stopped at Rivendell and Edoras, but it was always to serve a purpose and an important goal. The scenes of the world offered thanks to it were always in service to that greater saga, with the villains never falling out of focus.
This being said, there are definitely a few problems despite these positives.
The Bad
Perhaps the most surprising aspect of this book is how mixed the fight scenes really are. For someone as talented and well versed in Warhammer as Josh Reynolds, a few fights distinctly lacked the sort of punch and detail which truly benefits the brutal nature of melee battles. There are some truly great ones to be sure, but more often than not those emerged towards the end of the first act onward and often benefited more from the unique settings. A conflict against sky-sharks or the brawl against the skaven in a forgotten place stand out thanks to use of the setting or their sheer scale. These broader descriptions or more poetic elements tend to work in Reynolds' favour, and it's what helps him to truly give the setting such a distinct feel of uniqueness. Without them however, some conflicts lack the sort of grounding and impact that they truly need. Were this taking place quite late on it would be one thing, but because one such event emerges within the early chapters, it makes it difficult to initially get into.
The introduction to the story also lacks some of the establishment and slower pace which benefited works such as his Fabius Bile novel. While the opening chapter focusing upon Grungni is a fantastic start, the introduction of the villains seems disconnected. It doesn't stick with one place for long enough to truly allow you to get to grips with some of the scenes and elements, and the fact that we jump right from the "big good" of the book standing over a forge to the evildoer doing the same seems oddly repetitive. It could have been used to easily flow from one scene to the next or even to strike up beneficial contrasts, but the presentation and set-up lacks more than a few of the elements which would have helped in this regard. Instead it makes it seem as if the novel is jumping around from one scene to the next at a rapid pace without fully establishing a primary character to follow, and can throw you through a loop to start with.
Another issue which does crop up is how the novel only offers a few key moments for certain characters. Bits to truly slow down and let them shine, or even conversations to better reflect upon their world views. This does benefit the novel's brisk pacing, and what we get is still great, but in regards to some more recent works it's hard not to say that there should have been more. While it might be unfair to directly compare this with the Black Legion, a few slower paced moments or longer conversations to give them a bit more life. The fact that Grungni is granted the most such moments is what helps him to stand out above all others (and yes, this is a rare moment where meeting a god and showing him physically truly worked out for the best) but it can leave you just wishing to see more of him over the others present.
Perhaps the final point above all else is how this book feels a lot like the start of a greater story, rather than an individual chapter of a bigger work. It is very effective in laying down the ground work for future tales and serving as an introduction to a larger event, but it rarely seems to be its own story. While it certainly has a self-contained tale and three distinct acts, a great deal is left to carry over to future works or be ironed out later on. As such, it can leave you feeling as if there should have been more at the end. Even without just cutting the end or closing on blatant sequel bait to lead directly into the next story a-la Lords of Mars, it lacks the sort of pause for closure which can make a read satisfying.
The Verdict:
Honestly, most of the problems found here are more general flaws than definite scars that stick out in the narrative. Were it not for the fact that Spear of Shadows front loads several ones at once into its opening chapters, they would largely be unworthy of mentioning. Unfortunately, because it does, it can make the book difficult to really get into, and it can be problematic to absorb so much scattered information and details before it finds its footing. Despite that however, this is a definite success, and it is one of the strongest stories to come out of the Age of Sigmar line to date.
This is the sort of book I would hand to any fan - old or new - to make them want to get involved in the game and learn more about the world. It gives so many wonderful details and new ideas that it's hard to give any solid reason not to recommend unless you are adamantly disinterested in the whole franchise. Seeing how the world has changed, what some people have been forced to do in order to survive, and offering shout outs to Fantasy without remaining completely beholden to the Old World makes this truly entertaining. Top this off with one of the most surprising (and hilarious) mentions of what appears to be Malaki Makaisson's creations, and it's difficult not to enjoy once it gets going. Mark this one down as a worthy purchase, and keep an eye out for future Eight Lamentations works in the months to come.
While Age of Sigmar has featured ongoing series and dramatic tales, there was no Gotrek and Felix to them, no Chronicles of Malus Darkblade or Vampire Geneviève to give it real distinction. The novels and short stories we had sometimes featured good tales, but they often required either prior engagement in the setting or lacked the diverse characters needed to give a saga a real meaning. Eight Lamentations seems set to fix that, as it serves as both a solid jumping on point for many older fans still unfamiliar with the older lore while also broadening the setting to offer a truly distinct and unique saga among the tales.
The Synopsis
Like many elements of the existing tales, the story here links closely to ideas and relics from past ages. In this case it focuses upon a dark power forgotten by many until now. Weapons forged in the name of an ancient war have emerged once more, each worth more to a king than an entire legion of immortal warriors. While thought lost for ages, they have unexpectedly returned, and with them possible damnation for all involved in the ongoing war. Should the Ruinous Powers claim the first of these weapons for themselves, the Spear of Shadows, the lands would flow with an unending tide of blood. To halt this catastrophe, a band of mortal heroes have been assembled to recover the weapon and return it to its true owner: The smith-god Grungni.
The Good
Compared to many other works within this setting, it honestly seems as if this is a concerted effort by Age of Sigmar to step back and establish more ground for writers to work on. That is meant in the most literal of senses as, rather than demi-gods, ancient warriors or stormborn crusaders, the heroes we follow are very much mortal. They retain more than a few links back to the Old World in more ways than one, and with such a diverse cast of humans, dwarves duardin, skaven and even the odd vampire, the book is able to explore a multitude of aspects at once. We see more of how certain cultures have survived and adapted to their new home, how some races have even thrived in this hellish realm while others cling to the tatters of their old lives. It's certainly an interesting choice, as it helps to give more context to the figures on every side without making the book feel overburdened or reliant upon nostalgia for the forgotten world.
Another factor which definitely works in this book's favour is how it manages to still give many characters a unique face despite being used as a representation of their culture. More than a few times on this site reviews have been forced to point out how characters lean more towards being certain archetypes or examples of their faction than individuals. While this is partially true in one or two cases, you never lose sight of how they remain strong individuals. Volker, for example, does fit a few of the more commonly human traits of asking audience questions or serving as the outsider. At the same time, the story does push to set up a few details thanks to his role as a survivor, and his history with a few of the other races. Just because he needs to act as the audience surrogate doesn't stop him from being a solid primary character after all, and the likes of Roggen work well against them due to their contrasting natures. Much of that is down to their origins (one a knight, the other a gunsmith born in Sigmar's realm) but the book utilises them well.
The fact the heroes are mortal also helps significantly in terms of the book's tone. There's a very Conan-esque feel to the events thanks to the individuals, scope and figures involved. Not so much the cheesy if fun Schwarzenegger film but more the original novels, where you had heroes wandering through the towers or sorcerers or stumbling upon eldritch horrors. A place where much of the world was still uncharted, still wild and untamed, but built-up enough to feature a few hubs of civilisation, where people have adapted as best they can to life there. This is established early on with Grungni, standing over a forge made from the hissing molten form of a daemon and using its power to craft new weapons and each others his trade. It's the sort of thing Fantasy could rarely get away with, but the shift in setting and the ability to more actively depict such figures works in its favour when given to the right writer.
The actual world building on display is fantastic here, with some incredibly creative, surreal and generally fantastical details which truly hooks you in very early on. While previous works seemed set to largely leave the Mortal Realms as a craggy corrupted wasteland ruled by Chaos, Reynolds seemed to ask "How has life there changed?" As a result of this, the reader is granted environments such as a forest of spiders which makes Mirkwood seem tame, a duardin city in the sky, a city built upon a leviathan worm and a real population to work with. Scavenging demigryph riders, airship riding prospectors and the evolution of the Slayer cult (sort of) all show up here, and this is the real strength of the work. You're given a real sense of the scale of the conflict. Rather than being just a waste being fought over, the location has settings, people, histories and details to really work with. We know about the factions now, but this book gives us a real look into the actual battlefield itself.
If you don't quite understand how important this is, consider the following: When anyone brings up the Old World, you immediately have several key images come to mind. Cities, cultures, people and even historical events. The Mortal Realms have lacked that, and in trying to flesh out the factions and their homes, it seems that this was often overlooked. As was how it might have adapted over time. After all, the Fallout games were all set in lethal wastelands, but that didn't stop some people recovering and starting to rebuild in some places.
While this could have easily devolved into a sight seeing tour, many of the key events are thankfully mostly handled without it losing sight of the narrative. There's always a clear race against time involved, and even when it takes a moment to shift gears to move onto an Overseer city, it's always towards a clear end goal. It's in much the same way that - to bring up Middle-Earth again - the Fellowship of the Ring might have stopped at Rivendell and Edoras, but it was always to serve a purpose and an important goal. The scenes of the world offered thanks to it were always in service to that greater saga, with the villains never falling out of focus.
This being said, there are definitely a few problems despite these positives.
The Bad
Perhaps the most surprising aspect of this book is how mixed the fight scenes really are. For someone as talented and well versed in Warhammer as Josh Reynolds, a few fights distinctly lacked the sort of punch and detail which truly benefits the brutal nature of melee battles. There are some truly great ones to be sure, but more often than not those emerged towards the end of the first act onward and often benefited more from the unique settings. A conflict against sky-sharks or the brawl against the skaven in a forgotten place stand out thanks to use of the setting or their sheer scale. These broader descriptions or more poetic elements tend to work in Reynolds' favour, and it's what helps him to truly give the setting such a distinct feel of uniqueness. Without them however, some conflicts lack the sort of grounding and impact that they truly need. Were this taking place quite late on it would be one thing, but because one such event emerges within the early chapters, it makes it difficult to initially get into.
The introduction to the story also lacks some of the establishment and slower pace which benefited works such as his Fabius Bile novel. While the opening chapter focusing upon Grungni is a fantastic start, the introduction of the villains seems disconnected. It doesn't stick with one place for long enough to truly allow you to get to grips with some of the scenes and elements, and the fact that we jump right from the "big good" of the book standing over a forge to the evildoer doing the same seems oddly repetitive. It could have been used to easily flow from one scene to the next or even to strike up beneficial contrasts, but the presentation and set-up lacks more than a few of the elements which would have helped in this regard. Instead it makes it seem as if the novel is jumping around from one scene to the next at a rapid pace without fully establishing a primary character to follow, and can throw you through a loop to start with.
Another issue which does crop up is how the novel only offers a few key moments for certain characters. Bits to truly slow down and let them shine, or even conversations to better reflect upon their world views. This does benefit the novel's brisk pacing, and what we get is still great, but in regards to some more recent works it's hard not to say that there should have been more. While it might be unfair to directly compare this with the Black Legion, a few slower paced moments or longer conversations to give them a bit more life. The fact that Grungni is granted the most such moments is what helps him to stand out above all others (and yes, this is a rare moment where meeting a god and showing him physically truly worked out for the best) but it can leave you just wishing to see more of him over the others present.
Perhaps the final point above all else is how this book feels a lot like the start of a greater story, rather than an individual chapter of a bigger work. It is very effective in laying down the ground work for future tales and serving as an introduction to a larger event, but it rarely seems to be its own story. While it certainly has a self-contained tale and three distinct acts, a great deal is left to carry over to future works or be ironed out later on. As such, it can leave you feeling as if there should have been more at the end. Even without just cutting the end or closing on blatant sequel bait to lead directly into the next story a-la Lords of Mars, it lacks the sort of pause for closure which can make a read satisfying.
The Verdict:
Honestly, most of the problems found here are more general flaws than definite scars that stick out in the narrative. Were it not for the fact that Spear of Shadows front loads several ones at once into its opening chapters, they would largely be unworthy of mentioning. Unfortunately, because it does, it can make the book difficult to really get into, and it can be problematic to absorb so much scattered information and details before it finds its footing. Despite that however, this is a definite success, and it is one of the strongest stories to come out of the Age of Sigmar line to date.
This is the sort of book I would hand to any fan - old or new - to make them want to get involved in the game and learn more about the world. It gives so many wonderful details and new ideas that it's hard to give any solid reason not to recommend unless you are adamantly disinterested in the whole franchise. Seeing how the world has changed, what some people have been forced to do in order to survive, and offering shout outs to Fantasy without remaining completely beholden to the Old World makes this truly entertaining. Top this off with one of the most surprising (and hilarious) mentions of what appears to be Malaki Makaisson's creations, and it's difficult not to enjoy once it gets going. Mark this one down as a worthy purchase, and keep an eye out for future Eight Lamentations works in the months to come.
January 2, 2024
I was told early on that this was an abandoned series which put a bit of a downer on the read (I have it in the “Warriors of the Freeguild” cities of Sigmar omnibus).
A rather long tale but worth it I thought. Really good taster of almost if not all the cultures of the Mortal Realms, an avengers style banding together of characters from different walks of life, basically all 4 of the grand alliances after the same thing- and scrapping for it along the way.
A rather long tale but worth it I thought. Really good taster of almost if not all the cultures of the Mortal Realms, an avengers style banding together of characters from different walks of life, basically all 4 of the grand alliances after the same thing- and scrapping for it along the way.
June 30, 2019
Great book, can't wait for the next one.
One of the best sigmar books I have read.
One of the best sigmar books I have read.
February 28, 2019
With Spear of Shadows, Josh Reynolds has crafted the perfect introductory novel to the Age of Sigmar setting. With characters drawn from all over the Realms, representing: Dwarves (Brondt: Kharadron, Lugash: Fyreslayer, Grungni: Dwarven god), humans (Volker: Ironweld Gunmaster, Zana: sellsword and sassy black girl extraordinaire, Roggen: Knight in service to Alarielle the Everqueen, Nyoka: Warrior Priestess of Sigmar), and vampires (Adhema: Noble Lady and sworn servant of Neferata) as well as Chaos (Khorne Bloodbound and Tzeentch Arcanites are represented as well as the ever entertaining Skaven).
There are even non character appearances from grots (goblins) and Orruks (orcs), meaning about all who did not make an appearance are the various elven factions, the Darkoath (basically the Norscans, Kurgan, etc…) and Chaos Warriors, and the tree people of the Sylvaneth. Even the Stormcast Eternals make a very brief appearance.
And while the main plot, the search for demonic weaponry that are so powerful they could be a near doomsday level force multiplier for any faction that has them, is a fun quest romp, and the character interactions are often fun (I laughed more than a couple times), the real joy of this novel is the amazing world building.
The lack of world building, the absence of a sense of place, a defined set of factions with unique and interesting attitudes, heritage, culture, history and traditions, and boundaries made the prior AoS novels a bit meaningless. There was no sense of this is home, therefore we will risk all to save it. Even if that means death. There was no sense of history, of past greatness or failures (lore) that conditioned the behaviors of the faction in the present and formulated their strategic dictates.
It seemed that all there was, was a never ending tide of FOR SIGMAR!, BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD!, and farting sounds from Nurgle. Granted, the Stormcast were reconquering the realms from Chaos, and paving the way for the rebirth of civilization, but nonetheless, it was a tad groundless and definitely monotonous.
Josh Reynolds has definitely made giant strides towards changing that.
That all said, this was not without some flaws. One character in particular, Roggen, just seemed a bit superfluous and didn't really add much to the story besides comic relief and a nifty hypagryph (sp?). This was largely because Josh was juggling a tremendous amount of named characters and still had to do all that he did, and meet a word count firewall. So it is understandable.
One flaw, however, really nags at me and it is something that got started a few years back and really takes away some of the aura of Black Library novels.
Making gods/Primarchs main characters.
There was a fourth wall, of sorts, between the reader and the various fantasy gods and goddesses, and the Primarchs of the Horus Heresy and the Emperor. You could glimpse them, but you could never truly see what they saw, or know their thoughts. After all, that's a freaking god you dummy!
That wall was cracked with the Time of Legends series when we got into the heads, as it were, of Sigmar, Nagash, and Malekith. But that was forgivable as they were origins stories, before they had rose to the heights of apotheosis. Then we got Vulkan Lives…
The most relatable of all the Primarchs, the most humane, kind and gentle (after a fashion, he is still a veritable god of war) was a first person narrator. It honestly hurt the story, and ruined the majesty, and aura of what he was.
Grungni, the reason I mention all of that, is the god of the Dispossessed (one of the Dwarven factions) and is a main character. Sigh…
It isn't that Josh didn't get his power or his majesty as a god correct, or that his scenes were boring. It was that seeing him that up close took away the majesty of his godhood and made him, well, lesser than what he really is.
Age of Sigmar wrecked that wall a while back with a short story between Sigmar and Alarielle, so I get it. I am crying over not just spilt milk but dry, and crusty milk that is greenish now on the floor.
Still, cry I did.
Despite that, this really is a good read. It was a blast, a lot of fun, and I love the process of world building that Josh has embarked upon, and can't wait to see how he is allowed to expand the Realms yet further.
And I would recommend this one as the intro to your Age of Sigmar journey.
There are even non character appearances from grots (goblins) and Orruks (orcs), meaning about all who did not make an appearance are the various elven factions, the Darkoath (basically the Norscans, Kurgan, etc…) and Chaos Warriors, and the tree people of the Sylvaneth. Even the Stormcast Eternals make a very brief appearance.
And while the main plot, the search for demonic weaponry that are so powerful they could be a near doomsday level force multiplier for any faction that has them, is a fun quest romp, and the character interactions are often fun (I laughed more than a couple times), the real joy of this novel is the amazing world building.
The lack of world building, the absence of a sense of place, a defined set of factions with unique and interesting attitudes, heritage, culture, history and traditions, and boundaries made the prior AoS novels a bit meaningless. There was no sense of this is home, therefore we will risk all to save it. Even if that means death. There was no sense of history, of past greatness or failures (lore) that conditioned the behaviors of the faction in the present and formulated their strategic dictates.
It seemed that all there was, was a never ending tide of FOR SIGMAR!, BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD!, and farting sounds from Nurgle. Granted, the Stormcast were reconquering the realms from Chaos, and paving the way for the rebirth of civilization, but nonetheless, it was a tad groundless and definitely monotonous.
Josh Reynolds has definitely made giant strides towards changing that.
That all said, this was not without some flaws. One character in particular, Roggen, just seemed a bit superfluous and didn't really add much to the story besides comic relief and a nifty hypagryph (sp?). This was largely because Josh was juggling a tremendous amount of named characters and still had to do all that he did, and meet a word count firewall. So it is understandable.
One flaw, however, really nags at me and it is something that got started a few years back and really takes away some of the aura of Black Library novels.
Making gods/Primarchs main characters.
There was a fourth wall, of sorts, between the reader and the various fantasy gods and goddesses, and the Primarchs of the Horus Heresy and the Emperor. You could glimpse them, but you could never truly see what they saw, or know their thoughts. After all, that's a freaking god you dummy!
That wall was cracked with the Time of Legends series when we got into the heads, as it were, of Sigmar, Nagash, and Malekith. But that was forgivable as they were origins stories, before they had rose to the heights of apotheosis. Then we got Vulkan Lives…
The most relatable of all the Primarchs, the most humane, kind and gentle (after a fashion, he is still a veritable god of war) was a first person narrator. It honestly hurt the story, and ruined the majesty, and aura of what he was.
Grungni, the reason I mention all of that, is the god of the Dispossessed (one of the Dwarven factions) and is a main character. Sigh…
It isn't that Josh didn't get his power or his majesty as a god correct, or that his scenes were boring. It was that seeing him that up close took away the majesty of his godhood and made him, well, lesser than what he really is.
Age of Sigmar wrecked that wall a while back with a short story between Sigmar and Alarielle, so I get it. I am crying over not just spilt milk but dry, and crusty milk that is greenish now on the floor.
Still, cry I did.
Despite that, this really is a good read. It was a blast, a lot of fun, and I love the process of world building that Josh has embarked upon, and can't wait to see how he is allowed to expand the Realms yet further.
And I would recommend this one as the intro to your Age of Sigmar journey.
January 6, 2019
The first full length Age of Sigmar novel I have read. My feelings are...mixed
Here's why... !!(warning spoilers alert)!!
First, I want to state that I like Reynolds as an author. I'd even go as far to say that he is among my favorites. His short stories are all well penned and crammed with mouth-watering fantasy settings. 'Tainted Axe' and 'Auction of Blood' (both sequels to 'Spear of Shadows' curiously...) along with Ghosts of Demesnus are engrossing. His audio drama series on the Hallowed Knights are also great
'Spear of Shadows' however felt...contrived?
The main issue I had was the characters. For Reynolds to have engaged me with Gardus in 'Ghosts' and his portrayal of Mannfred Von Carstein in Sands of Blood, those I followed in 'Spear' didn't grip me to the same degree.
Volker is just...unimpressive. He's a human engineer, a mortal, yet in each battle scene he is able to survive ordeals that should end him, while other more capable mortal warriors (Roggen, Nyoka) are left mutilated or near death. He seems to have been elevated to the same level as a Stormcast veteran, or aelf champion, even dare I say a Chaos lord (for those unfamiliar with AoS lore, these are powerful beings). Never once did I feel he was in peril. For me, when you're a mortal living in realms infested with wizards, flying sharks, giant arachnids and other blood-thirsty beings the "will I live or be eaten/die/enslaved?" should always be present in some shape or form.
As an aside, a thing that really irked me was that no matter how many tunnels he fell through, or how many gigantic flying sharks blew him out of the air, Volker ALWAYS had his LONG RIFLE on him. Would it not have fallen from him, or at least have run out of black-powder at some stage? I get it's fantasy but there should be some form of logic/sense after all.
Zana felt pointless. Her relationship with the Kharadron could have been instilled in any of the other characters. In fact, I felt Volker should have had a shady relationship with the Kharadron, or anyone really. It would have added to his character and done away with Zana's endless whining.
Roggen and Nyoka were characters I wanted to learn more about, but unfortuntely were side-stepped. I understand the constraints of page limits and editing, but Roggen disappears at one point to fight off a horde of enemies ON HIS OWN. That would have been a page turning section, I have no doubt. Instead, he is left to the side.
Lugash and Adhema were the most interesting characters, but again, I believe they were robbed of their time in the spotlight. Possibly more should have been made of Adhema's telepathic relationship with Neferata, which was one of the quirkiest traits in the novel. Lugash was the stereotypical doom-seeking hero, who while tough was prone to moments of tenderness that hinted at a broken soul.
The plot was slow in parts and unconvincing in others. However, Reynolds comes into his own with the locations he presents. The city built on the back of a giant worm was excellent. As was Gorch, the mega-forest over-run by spiders. Even the megalofin scene set in the clouds above Ghur was well written and really enabled the reader to envisage the action.
To end this review - I get it. 'Spear of Shadows' is written for a specific audience; war-gamers. Many things can be forgiven because of that. And as far as saga spanning beginnings go, it's not gods-awful. However, when you know Reynolds of capable of spinning an enthralling tale filled with vivid heroes and devious villains, one feels robbed thumbing laboriously through the pages of 'Spear'.
Here's why... !!(warning spoilers alert)!!
First, I want to state that I like Reynolds as an author. I'd even go as far to say that he is among my favorites. His short stories are all well penned and crammed with mouth-watering fantasy settings. 'Tainted Axe' and 'Auction of Blood' (both sequels to 'Spear of Shadows' curiously...) along with Ghosts of Demesnus are engrossing. His audio drama series on the Hallowed Knights are also great
'Spear of Shadows' however felt...contrived?
The main issue I had was the characters. For Reynolds to have engaged me with Gardus in 'Ghosts' and his portrayal of Mannfred Von Carstein in Sands of Blood, those I followed in 'Spear' didn't grip me to the same degree.
Volker is just...unimpressive. He's a human engineer, a mortal, yet in each battle scene he is able to survive ordeals that should end him, while other more capable mortal warriors (Roggen, Nyoka) are left mutilated or near death. He seems to have been elevated to the same level as a Stormcast veteran, or aelf champion, even dare I say a Chaos lord (for those unfamiliar with AoS lore, these are powerful beings). Never once did I feel he was in peril. For me, when you're a mortal living in realms infested with wizards, flying sharks, giant arachnids and other blood-thirsty beings the "will I live or be eaten/die/enslaved?" should always be present in some shape or form.
As an aside, a thing that really irked me was that no matter how many tunnels he fell through, or how many gigantic flying sharks blew him out of the air, Volker ALWAYS had his LONG RIFLE on him. Would it not have fallen from him, or at least have run out of black-powder at some stage? I get it's fantasy but there should be some form of logic/sense after all.
Zana felt pointless. Her relationship with the Kharadron could have been instilled in any of the other characters. In fact, I felt Volker should have had a shady relationship with the Kharadron, or anyone really. It would have added to his character and done away with Zana's endless whining.
Roggen and Nyoka were characters I wanted to learn more about, but unfortuntely were side-stepped. I understand the constraints of page limits and editing, but Roggen disappears at one point to fight off a horde of enemies ON HIS OWN. That would have been a page turning section, I have no doubt. Instead, he is left to the side.
Lugash and Adhema were the most interesting characters, but again, I believe they were robbed of their time in the spotlight. Possibly more should have been made of Adhema's telepathic relationship with Neferata, which was one of the quirkiest traits in the novel. Lugash was the stereotypical doom-seeking hero, who while tough was prone to moments of tenderness that hinted at a broken soul.
The plot was slow in parts and unconvincing in others. However, Reynolds comes into his own with the locations he presents. The city built on the back of a giant worm was excellent. As was Gorch, the mega-forest over-run by spiders. Even the megalofin scene set in the clouds above Ghur was well written and really enabled the reader to envisage the action.
To end this review - I get it. 'Spear of Shadows' is written for a specific audience; war-gamers. Many things can be forgiven because of that. And as far as saga spanning beginnings go, it's not gods-awful. However, when you know Reynolds of capable of spinning an enthralling tale filled with vivid heroes and devious villains, one feels robbed thumbing laboriously through the pages of 'Spear'.
November 27, 2022
Another Josh Reynolds book, another investigation of faith in a reality in which the gods are both real and flawed;
THE WILL OF THE GODS
Volker was silent. In truth, he'd wondered that himself. Why had Grungi sent them, rather than hunting for the weapons himself? What could they do that a god could not? But as he wondered, the answer came to him. 'Actions and reaction.'
Adhema frowned. 'What?'
'An action causes a reaction, yes? He gestured. 'A blade enters flesh, a man dies. A loud noise starts an avalance. Actions and reactions. if a god acts, other gods react. if Grungi seeks the weapons openly, so too will others. And the weight of their tread, the fury of their war, would crack the realms.'
'As if it has not already,' Adhema said.
Volker shrugged. 'True. Perhaps I'm wrong. But I suspect I'm not.'
'And so you do his bidding.'
'It needs to be done.'
'How do you know he hasn't put the thought there, like a smith hammering a nail?' Adhema tapped her head. 'The gods speak, and mortals obey. You cannot help it. It is like a great wave bearing down on you, and all you can do is run ahead of it. Run where they want you to.'
'And is Nagash any different?'
'Nagash is... all,' Adhema said, finally. 'He contains multitudes. Even as Sigmar does. The gods are not me, and do not exist as men, confined to one life. I have seen Nagash unbound - a titan of death, striding across a field of corpses. Wherever his shadow fell, the dead rose and walked, hungry for the flesh of the living. And I have seen Nagash-Mor, calm and silent, weighing the hearts of dead souls against a feather. And there are other aspects, I'm told. The Forlorn Child, who leads those who die before their allotted time to gentle slumber, and the Black Priest, who gives succour to those whose deaths are too painful to be borne. All are one in Nagash and Nagash is all.'
'And which Nagash do you serve?' Volker asked.
'The one who can win the war for Shyish.' Adhema's fingers drummed against the pommel of her sword. 'The one who draws up the bodies of the enemy and hurls them back at their allies. The one who will not rest until the realm of death is scoured clean of false life. The Undying King, who leads the nine hundred and ninety-nine legions to war'. She grinned. 'He who walks in every mans shadow and wades in every mans blood.'
Volker felt a chill at her words. Nagash's name was a curse among the armies of Azyr. Death itself was, if not a friend, then a familiar acquaintance. But the Master of Death was a terror beyond conception. A hungry shadow on a cave wall, stretching black fingers ever closer to those who huddled by the fire. Even the Ruinous Powers, horrifying as they were, were not so terrible as the entity known on the Amber Steppes as the patient Hunter. And yet, what better ally against the nightmare forces that waited beyond the fire's light? Match terror against terror, and see which proved the stronger.
Volker acknowledged the pragmatism of the thing, even as his soul shrank from it. It was akin to loosing a volley into a melee - the risk to your own men was weighed against potential harm to the enemy. That risk was often the thin line between victory and defeat.
Adhema smiled. 'You understand,' It was not a question.
Volker nodded. 'Somewhat.' He paused. Then, 'Why did you help me?'
'Perhaps it pleased me to do so,' Adhema said. She leaned back against the rail. 'Perhaps I simply seized the moment for what it was - an opportunity.'
TO BE A MONSTER
Suddenly Volker was aware of her proximity. She smelled of something sickly-sweet, and this close, he could see the faint black veins running beneath her pale flesh. he was reminded that she was not human, and had not been so for many years, by her own admission. He took a slow breath, forcing himself to remain calm. 'Don't, then. I'd prefer my blood to stay where it is, frankly.'
'It's hard through. If i lose control, I feed the beast within. Some days, I want nothing more than to shed my skin and the last memory of what I was.' Her smile was ghastly. ' It would be easier that way. To be a beast, only concerned about the next meal. But I did not become what I am to forget. Nor to forgive.' She traced her fingers through the wispy trails of aether-gold that swirled just past the rail. 'Does that make me a monster?'
'Yes,' Volker said. 'But what sort of monster you are is up to you.' He lifted his rifle and braced the stock against his hip. 'With this rifle, I have taken more lives than I can count. Enemy lives, mostly. I reaped them, one at a time. I watched them first though. Knew them, if only briefly. And then killed them.' He smiled, sadly. On bad nights, he saw some of their faces in his dreams - the freeguilder, caught by bloodreavers, begging for a merciful death before the savages began their feast; the old war-chief, leading his folk into a desperate charge against the metal monsters of the Ironweld, his only crime a refusal to bow to the highborn of Azyr; the proud queen, high on her palanquin, refusing to submit before the will of Sigmar's choses, when they came demanding she cast down her people's idols.
He saw their faces, and screamed inside himself, until his mind shook itself calm. Or worse, he stayed awake, and wondered about the necessity of it all, and whether justice was a hard truth... or simply a fiction, invented by the gods to explain their whims. He looked at her. 'Is it better or worse to kill a doe who doesn't see it coming? A barbarian chieftain, carousing with his kin. A beastman, lapping at a pool. An orruk, dancing to the beat of tribal drums. They never heard the shot that killed them. They never saw the destruction that came after.'
'Where I come from, that'd be considered a mercy. My queen - and the one she serves - prefers it when the enemy fully understands the folly of their resistance. Death cannot be defeated, only postponed.' Adhema brushed a lock of hair out of her face. 'Even your thunder-god knows that.'
THE WILL OF THE GODS
Volker was silent. In truth, he'd wondered that himself. Why had Grungi sent them, rather than hunting for the weapons himself? What could they do that a god could not? But as he wondered, the answer came to him. 'Actions and reaction.'
Adhema frowned. 'What?'
'An action causes a reaction, yes? He gestured. 'A blade enters flesh, a man dies. A loud noise starts an avalance. Actions and reactions. if a god acts, other gods react. if Grungi seeks the weapons openly, so too will others. And the weight of their tread, the fury of their war, would crack the realms.'
'As if it has not already,' Adhema said.
Volker shrugged. 'True. Perhaps I'm wrong. But I suspect I'm not.'
'And so you do his bidding.'
'It needs to be done.'
'How do you know he hasn't put the thought there, like a smith hammering a nail?' Adhema tapped her head. 'The gods speak, and mortals obey. You cannot help it. It is like a great wave bearing down on you, and all you can do is run ahead of it. Run where they want you to.'
'And is Nagash any different?'
'Nagash is... all,' Adhema said, finally. 'He contains multitudes. Even as Sigmar does. The gods are not me, and do not exist as men, confined to one life. I have seen Nagash unbound - a titan of death, striding across a field of corpses. Wherever his shadow fell, the dead rose and walked, hungry for the flesh of the living. And I have seen Nagash-Mor, calm and silent, weighing the hearts of dead souls against a feather. And there are other aspects, I'm told. The Forlorn Child, who leads those who die before their allotted time to gentle slumber, and the Black Priest, who gives succour to those whose deaths are too painful to be borne. All are one in Nagash and Nagash is all.'
'And which Nagash do you serve?' Volker asked.
'The one who can win the war for Shyish.' Adhema's fingers drummed against the pommel of her sword. 'The one who draws up the bodies of the enemy and hurls them back at their allies. The one who will not rest until the realm of death is scoured clean of false life. The Undying King, who leads the nine hundred and ninety-nine legions to war'. She grinned. 'He who walks in every mans shadow and wades in every mans blood.'
Volker felt a chill at her words. Nagash's name was a curse among the armies of Azyr. Death itself was, if not a friend, then a familiar acquaintance. But the Master of Death was a terror beyond conception. A hungry shadow on a cave wall, stretching black fingers ever closer to those who huddled by the fire. Even the Ruinous Powers, horrifying as they were, were not so terrible as the entity known on the Amber Steppes as the patient Hunter. And yet, what better ally against the nightmare forces that waited beyond the fire's light? Match terror against terror, and see which proved the stronger.
Volker acknowledged the pragmatism of the thing, even as his soul shrank from it. It was akin to loosing a volley into a melee - the risk to your own men was weighed against potential harm to the enemy. That risk was often the thin line between victory and defeat.
Adhema smiled. 'You understand,' It was not a question.
Volker nodded. 'Somewhat.' He paused. Then, 'Why did you help me?'
'Perhaps it pleased me to do so,' Adhema said. She leaned back against the rail. 'Perhaps I simply seized the moment for what it was - an opportunity.'
TO BE A MONSTER
Suddenly Volker was aware of her proximity. She smelled of something sickly-sweet, and this close, he could see the faint black veins running beneath her pale flesh. he was reminded that she was not human, and had not been so for many years, by her own admission. He took a slow breath, forcing himself to remain calm. 'Don't, then. I'd prefer my blood to stay where it is, frankly.'
'It's hard through. If i lose control, I feed the beast within. Some days, I want nothing more than to shed my skin and the last memory of what I was.' Her smile was ghastly. ' It would be easier that way. To be a beast, only concerned about the next meal. But I did not become what I am to forget. Nor to forgive.' She traced her fingers through the wispy trails of aether-gold that swirled just past the rail. 'Does that make me a monster?'
'Yes,' Volker said. 'But what sort of monster you are is up to you.' He lifted his rifle and braced the stock against his hip. 'With this rifle, I have taken more lives than I can count. Enemy lives, mostly. I reaped them, one at a time. I watched them first though. Knew them, if only briefly. And then killed them.' He smiled, sadly. On bad nights, he saw some of their faces in his dreams - the freeguilder, caught by bloodreavers, begging for a merciful death before the savages began their feast; the old war-chief, leading his folk into a desperate charge against the metal monsters of the Ironweld, his only crime a refusal to bow to the highborn of Azyr; the proud queen, high on her palanquin, refusing to submit before the will of Sigmar's choses, when they came demanding she cast down her people's idols.
He saw their faces, and screamed inside himself, until his mind shook itself calm. Or worse, he stayed awake, and wondered about the necessity of it all, and whether justice was a hard truth... or simply a fiction, invented by the gods to explain their whims. He looked at her. 'Is it better or worse to kill a doe who doesn't see it coming? A barbarian chieftain, carousing with his kin. A beastman, lapping at a pool. An orruk, dancing to the beat of tribal drums. They never heard the shot that killed them. They never saw the destruction that came after.'
'Where I come from, that'd be considered a mercy. My queen - and the one she serves - prefers it when the enemy fully understands the folly of their resistance. Death cannot be defeated, only postponed.' Adhema brushed a lock of hair out of her face. 'Even your thunder-god knows that.'
September 6, 2017
An amazing adventure story, focusing in the more mundane side of the setting, with the protagonists being mortals instead of the demi-godly Stormcast Eternals, and also exploring the fantastical possibilities of the world, including giant-worm cities, dwarven citadels made of trees, the insides of skaven machinery of destruction, sky-shark hunting and much more. Joshua does a great job of filling the story with interesting characters and bits, and then playing then off each other.
September 24, 2018
I definitely want to know what is about to happen in the next books, I think all the different stories of the characters and the different motivations of each of them is one of the most enjoyable parts of the book, but personally, I loved Ahazian Kel..... I will not say anything else, I don't want a say any spoiler, I enjoyed a lot about this book!
October 2, 2017
There are many differences between Warhammer Fantasy and Age of Sigmar no matter how you look at them. One was grimy apocalyptic Renaissance fantasy warfare while the other is high fantasy crusades among the stars. It's a Dungeons and Dragons vs Spelljammer situation at its core. This has led many people to argue one way or another in terms of their overall strengths, but one area Fantasy has always won out in was in its stories.
While Age of Sigmar has featured ongoing series and dramatic tales, there was no Gotrek and Felix to them, no Chronicles of Malus Darkblade or Vampire Geneviève to give it real distinction. The novels and short stories we had sometimes featured good tales, but they often required either prior engagement in the setting or lacked the diverse characters needed to give a saga a real meaning. Eight Lamentations seems set to fix that, as it serves as both a solid jumping on point for many older fans still unfamiliar with the older lore while also broadening the setting to offer a truly distinct and unique saga among the tales.
The Synopsis
Like many elements of the existing tales, the story here links closely to ideas and relics from past ages. In this case it focuses upon a dark power forgotten by many until now. Weapons forged in the name of an ancient war have emerged once more, each worth more to a king than an entire legion of immortal warriors. While thought lost for ages, they have unexpectedly returned, and with them possible damnation for all involved in the ongoing war. Should the Ruinous Powers claim the first of these weapons for themselves, the Spear of Shadows, the lands would flow with an unending tide of blood. To halt this catastrophe, a band of mortal heroes have been assembled to recover the weapon and return it to its true owner: The smith-god Grungni.
The Good
Compared to many other works within this setting, it honestly seems as if this is a concerted effort by Age of Sigmar to step back and establish more ground for writers to work on. That is meant in the most literal of senses as, rather than demi-gods, ancient warriors or stormborn crusaders, the heroes we follow are very much mortal. They retain more than a few links back to the Old World in more ways than one, and with such a diverse cast of humans, dwarves duardin, skaven and even the odd vampire, the book is able to explore a multitude of aspects at once. We see more of how certain cultures have survived and adapted to their new home, how some races have even thrived in this hellish realm while others cling to the tatters of their old lives. It's certainly an interesting choice, as it helps to give more context to the figures on every side without making the book feel overburdened or reliant upon nostalgia for the forgotten world.
Another factor which definitely works in this book's favour is how it manages to still give many characters a unique face despite being used as a representation of their culture. More than a few times on this site reviews have been forced to point out how characters lean more towards being certain archetypes or examples of their faction than individuals. While this is partially true in one or two cases, you never lose sight of how they remain strong individuals. Volker, for example, does fit a few of the more commonly human traits of asking audience questions or serving as the outsider. At the same time, the story does push to set up a few details thanks to his role as a survivor, and his history with a few of the other races. Just because he needs to act as the audience surrogate doesn't stop him from being a solid primary character after all, and the likes of Roggen work well against them due to their contrasting natures. Much of that is down to their origins (one a knight, the other a gunsmith born in Sigmar's realm) but the book utilises them well.
The fact the heroes are mortal also helps significantly in terms of the book's tone. There's a very Conan-esque feel to the events thanks to the individuals, scope and figures involved. Not so much the cheesy if fun Schwarzenegger film but more the original novels, where you had heroes wandering through the towers or sorcerers or stumbling upon eldritch horrors. A place where much of the world was still uncharted, still wild and untamed, but built-up enough to feature a few hubs of civilisation, where people have adapted as best they can to life there. This is established early on with Grungni, standing over a forge made from the hissing molten form of a daemon and using its power to craft new weapons and each others his trade. It's the sort of thing Fantasy could rarely get away with, but the shift in setting and the ability to more actively depict such figures works in its favour when given to the right writer.
The actual world building on display is fantastic here, with some incredibly creative, surreal and generally fantastical details which truly hooks you in very early on. While previous works seemed set to largely leave the Mortal Realms as a craggy corrupted wasteland ruled by Chaos, Reynolds seemed to ask "How has life there changed?" As a result of this, the reader is granted environments such as a forest of spiders which makes Mirkwood seem tame, a duardin city in the sky, a city built upon a leviathan worm and a real population to work with. Scavenging demigryph riders, airship riding prospectors and the evolution of the Slayer cult (sort of) all show up here, and this is the real strength of the work. You're given a real sense of the scale of the conflict. Rather than being just a waste being fought over, the location has settings, people, histories and details to really work with. We know about the factions now, but this book gives us a real look into the actual battlefield itself.
If you don't quite understand how important this is, consider the following: When anyone brings up the Old World, you immediately have several key images come to mind. Cities, cultures, people and even historical events. The Mortal Realms have lacked that, and in trying to flesh out the factions and their homes, it seems that this was often overlooked. As was how it might have adapted over time. After all, the Fallout games were all set in lethal wastelands, but that didn't stop some people recovering and starting to rebuild in some places.
While this could have easily devolved into a sight seeing tour, many of the key events are thankfully mostly handled without it losing sight of the narrative. There's always a clear race against time involved, and even when it takes a moment to shift gears to move onto an Overseer city, it's always towards a clear end goal. It's in much the same way that - to bring up Middle-Earth again - the Fellowship of the Ring might have stopped at Rivendell and Edoras, but it was always to serve a purpose and an important goal. The scenes of the world offered thanks to it were always in service to that greater saga, with the villains never falling out of focus.
This being said, there are definitely a few problems despite these positives.
The Bad
Perhaps the most surprising aspect of this book is how mixed the fight scenes really are. For someone as talented and well versed in Warhammer as Josh Reynolds, a few fights distinctly lacked the sort of punch and detail which truly benefits the brutal nature of melee battles. There are some truly great ones to be sure, but more often than not those emerged towards the end of the first act onward and often benefited more from the unique settings. A conflict against sky-sharks or the brawl against the skaven in a forgotten place stand out thanks to use of the setting or their sheer scale. These broader descriptions or more poetic elements tend to work in Reynolds' favour, and it's what helps him to truly give the setting such a distinct feel of uniqueness. Without them however, some conflicts lack the sort of grounding and impact that they truly need. Were this taking place quite late on it would be one thing, but because one such event emerges within the early chapters, it makes it difficult to initially get into.
The introduction to the story also lacks some of the establishment and slower pace which benefited works such as his Fabius Bile novel. While the opening chapter focusing upon Grungni is a fantastic start, the introduction of the villains seems disconnected. It doesn't stick with one place for long enough to truly allow you to get to grips with some of the scenes and elements, and the fact that we jump right from the "big good" of the book standing over a forge to the evildoer doing the same seems oddly repetitive. It could have been used to easily flow from one scene to the next or even to strike up beneficial contrasts, but the presentation and set-up lacks more than a few of the elements which would have helped in this regard. Instead it makes it seem as if the novel is jumping around from one scene to the next at a rapid pace without fully establishing a primary character to follow, and can throw you through a loop to start with.
Another issue which does crop up is how the novel only offers a few key moments for certain characters. Bits to truly slow down and let them shine, or even conversations to better reflect upon their world views. This does benefit the novel's brisk pacing, and what we get is still great, but in regards to some more recent works it's hard not to say that there should have been more. While it might be unfair to directly compare this with the Black Legion, a few slower paced moments or longer conversations to give them a bit more life. The fact that Grungni is granted the most such moments is what helps him to stand out above all others (and yes, this is a rare moment where meeting a god and showing him physically truly worked out for the best) but it can leave you just wishing to see more of him over the others present.
Perhaps the final point above all else is how this book feels a lot like the start of a greater story, rather than an individual chapter of a bigger work. It is very effective in laying down the ground work for future tales and serving as an introduction to a larger event, but it rarely seems to be its own story. While it certainly has a self-contained tale and three distinct acts, a great deal is left to carry over to future works or be ironed out later on. As such, it can leave you feeling as if there should have been more at the end. Even without just cutting the end or closing on blatant sequel bait to lead directly into the next story a-la Lords of Mars, it lacks the sort of pause for closure which can make a read satisfying.
The Verdict:
Honestly, most of the problems found here are more general flaws than definite scars that stick out in the narrative. Were it not for the fact that Spear of Shadows front loads several ones at once into its opening chapters, they would largely be unworthy of mentioning. Unfortunately, because it does, it can make the book difficult to really get into, and it can be problematic to absorb so much scattered information and details before it finds its footing. Despite that however, this is a definite success, and it is one of the strongest stories to come out of the Age of Sigmar line to date.
This is the sort of book I would hand to any fan - old or new - to make them want to get involved in the game and learn more about the world. It gives so many wonderful details and new ideas that it's hard to give any solid reason not to recommend unless you are adamantly disinterested in the whole franchise. Seeing how the world has changed, what some people have been forced to do in order to survive, and offering shout outs to Fantasy without remaining completely beholden to the Old World makes this truly entertaining. Top this off with one of the most surprising (and hilarious) mentions of what appears to be Malaki Makaisson's creations, and it's difficult not to enjoy once it gets going. Mark this one down as a worthy purchase, and keep an eye out for future Eight Lamentations works in the months to come.
While Age of Sigmar has featured ongoing series and dramatic tales, there was no Gotrek and Felix to them, no Chronicles of Malus Darkblade or Vampire Geneviève to give it real distinction. The novels and short stories we had sometimes featured good tales, but they often required either prior engagement in the setting or lacked the diverse characters needed to give a saga a real meaning. Eight Lamentations seems set to fix that, as it serves as both a solid jumping on point for many older fans still unfamiliar with the older lore while also broadening the setting to offer a truly distinct and unique saga among the tales.
The Synopsis
Like many elements of the existing tales, the story here links closely to ideas and relics from past ages. In this case it focuses upon a dark power forgotten by many until now. Weapons forged in the name of an ancient war have emerged once more, each worth more to a king than an entire legion of immortal warriors. While thought lost for ages, they have unexpectedly returned, and with them possible damnation for all involved in the ongoing war. Should the Ruinous Powers claim the first of these weapons for themselves, the Spear of Shadows, the lands would flow with an unending tide of blood. To halt this catastrophe, a band of mortal heroes have been assembled to recover the weapon and return it to its true owner: The smith-god Grungni.
The Good
Compared to many other works within this setting, it honestly seems as if this is a concerted effort by Age of Sigmar to step back and establish more ground for writers to work on. That is meant in the most literal of senses as, rather than demi-gods, ancient warriors or stormborn crusaders, the heroes we follow are very much mortal. They retain more than a few links back to the Old World in more ways than one, and with such a diverse cast of humans, dwarves duardin, skaven and even the odd vampire, the book is able to explore a multitude of aspects at once. We see more of how certain cultures have survived and adapted to their new home, how some races have even thrived in this hellish realm while others cling to the tatters of their old lives. It's certainly an interesting choice, as it helps to give more context to the figures on every side without making the book feel overburdened or reliant upon nostalgia for the forgotten world.
Another factor which definitely works in this book's favour is how it manages to still give many characters a unique face despite being used as a representation of their culture. More than a few times on this site reviews have been forced to point out how characters lean more towards being certain archetypes or examples of their faction than individuals. While this is partially true in one or two cases, you never lose sight of how they remain strong individuals. Volker, for example, does fit a few of the more commonly human traits of asking audience questions or serving as the outsider. At the same time, the story does push to set up a few details thanks to his role as a survivor, and his history with a few of the other races. Just because he needs to act as the audience surrogate doesn't stop him from being a solid primary character after all, and the likes of Roggen work well against them due to their contrasting natures. Much of that is down to their origins (one a knight, the other a gunsmith born in Sigmar's realm) but the book utilises them well.
The fact the heroes are mortal also helps significantly in terms of the book's tone. There's a very Conan-esque feel to the events thanks to the individuals, scope and figures involved. Not so much the cheesy if fun Schwarzenegger film but more the original novels, where you had heroes wandering through the towers or sorcerers or stumbling upon eldritch horrors. A place where much of the world was still uncharted, still wild and untamed, but built-up enough to feature a few hubs of civilisation, where people have adapted as best they can to life there. This is established early on with Grungni, standing over a forge made from the hissing molten form of a daemon and using its power to craft new weapons and each others his trade. It's the sort of thing Fantasy could rarely get away with, but the shift in setting and the ability to more actively depict such figures works in its favour when given to the right writer.
The actual world building on display is fantastic here, with some incredibly creative, surreal and generally fantastical details which truly hooks you in very early on. While previous works seemed set to largely leave the Mortal Realms as a craggy corrupted wasteland ruled by Chaos, Reynolds seemed to ask "How has life there changed?" As a result of this, the reader is granted environments such as a forest of spiders which makes Mirkwood seem tame, a duardin city in the sky, a city built upon a leviathan worm and a real population to work with. Scavenging demigryph riders, airship riding prospectors and the evolution of the Slayer cult (sort of) all show up here, and this is the real strength of the work. You're given a real sense of the scale of the conflict. Rather than being just a waste being fought over, the location has settings, people, histories and details to really work with. We know about the factions now, but this book gives us a real look into the actual battlefield itself.
If you don't quite understand how important this is, consider the following: When anyone brings up the Old World, you immediately have several key images come to mind. Cities, cultures, people and even historical events. The Mortal Realms have lacked that, and in trying to flesh out the factions and their homes, it seems that this was often overlooked. As was how it might have adapted over time. After all, the Fallout games were all set in lethal wastelands, but that didn't stop some people recovering and starting to rebuild in some places.
While this could have easily devolved into a sight seeing tour, many of the key events are thankfully mostly handled without it losing sight of the narrative. There's always a clear race against time involved, and even when it takes a moment to shift gears to move onto an Overseer city, it's always towards a clear end goal. It's in much the same way that - to bring up Middle-Earth again - the Fellowship of the Ring might have stopped at Rivendell and Edoras, but it was always to serve a purpose and an important goal. The scenes of the world offered thanks to it were always in service to that greater saga, with the villains never falling out of focus.
This being said, there are definitely a few problems despite these positives.
The Bad
Perhaps the most surprising aspect of this book is how mixed the fight scenes really are. For someone as talented and well versed in Warhammer as Josh Reynolds, a few fights distinctly lacked the sort of punch and detail which truly benefits the brutal nature of melee battles. There are some truly great ones to be sure, but more often than not those emerged towards the end of the first act onward and often benefited more from the unique settings. A conflict against sky-sharks or the brawl against the skaven in a forgotten place stand out thanks to use of the setting or their sheer scale. These broader descriptions or more poetic elements tend to work in Reynolds' favour, and it's what helps him to truly give the setting such a distinct feel of uniqueness. Without them however, some conflicts lack the sort of grounding and impact that they truly need. Were this taking place quite late on it would be one thing, but because one such event emerges within the early chapters, it makes it difficult to initially get into.
The introduction to the story also lacks some of the establishment and slower pace which benefited works such as his Fabius Bile novel. While the opening chapter focusing upon Grungni is a fantastic start, the introduction of the villains seems disconnected. It doesn't stick with one place for long enough to truly allow you to get to grips with some of the scenes and elements, and the fact that we jump right from the "big good" of the book standing over a forge to the evildoer doing the same seems oddly repetitive. It could have been used to easily flow from one scene to the next or even to strike up beneficial contrasts, but the presentation and set-up lacks more than a few of the elements which would have helped in this regard. Instead it makes it seem as if the novel is jumping around from one scene to the next at a rapid pace without fully establishing a primary character to follow, and can throw you through a loop to start with.
Another issue which does crop up is how the novel only offers a few key moments for certain characters. Bits to truly slow down and let them shine, or even conversations to better reflect upon their world views. This does benefit the novel's brisk pacing, and what we get is still great, but in regards to some more recent works it's hard not to say that there should have been more. While it might be unfair to directly compare this with the Black Legion, a few slower paced moments or longer conversations to give them a bit more life. The fact that Grungni is granted the most such moments is what helps him to stand out above all others (and yes, this is a rare moment where meeting a god and showing him physically truly worked out for the best) but it can leave you just wishing to see more of him over the others present.
Perhaps the final point above all else is how this book feels a lot like the start of a greater story, rather than an individual chapter of a bigger work. It is very effective in laying down the ground work for future tales and serving as an introduction to a larger event, but it rarely seems to be its own story. While it certainly has a self-contained tale and three distinct acts, a great deal is left to carry over to future works or be ironed out later on. As such, it can leave you feeling as if there should have been more at the end. Even without just cutting the end or closing on blatant sequel bait to lead directly into the next story a-la Lords of Mars, it lacks the sort of pause for closure which can make a read satisfying.
The Verdict:
Honestly, most of the problems found here are more general flaws than definite scars that stick out in the narrative. Were it not for the fact that Spear of Shadows front loads several ones at once into its opening chapters, they would largely be unworthy of mentioning. Unfortunately, because it does, it can make the book difficult to really get into, and it can be problematic to absorb so much scattered information and details before it finds its footing. Despite that however, this is a definite success, and it is one of the strongest stories to come out of the Age of Sigmar line to date.
This is the sort of book I would hand to any fan - old or new - to make them want to get involved in the game and learn more about the world. It gives so many wonderful details and new ideas that it's hard to give any solid reason not to recommend unless you are adamantly disinterested in the whole franchise. Seeing how the world has changed, what some people have been forced to do in order to survive, and offering shout outs to Fantasy without remaining completely beholden to the Old World makes this truly entertaining. Top this off with one of the most surprising (and hilarious) mentions of what appears to be Malaki Makaisson's creations, and it's difficult not to enjoy once it gets going. Mark this one down as a worthy purchase, and keep an eye out for future Eight Lamentations works in the months to come.
November 26, 2019
Eight Lamentations: The Spear of Shadows is definitely a novel that Warhammer fans will find to their liking, this book sparks an unfeigned interest and will ultimately make the reader ask himself, 'What will happen next?'. However, in my opinion, the novel does possess certain flaws, although these are somewhat hard to describe properly.
To start off, I (like many other people familiar with the Warhammer Fantasy setting chiefly through video games) did not have much knowledge about the "Age of Sigmar" prior to reading this novel. Being unaware that AoS is no longer set in a dark medieval world, but rather in a surrealistic one called "Mortal Realms", I grabbed the novel from a local Indigo store and began reading it, slowly trying to immerse my rather dim imagination into a not so (as it turned out to be) acquainted atmosphere. I gotta admit, the cover art caught my eye, depicting a warlike dwarf, the main protagonist and an aggressive looking vampire that looks like my ex girlfriend.
What the Author accomplished really well in this novel (again, purely in my opinion) is the overall description of the numerous characters that are present throughout the plot, depiction of various battles and combat throughout the book, and the style that it's generally written in. Every chapter is divided into very different parts of the overall plot, with personal character subplots often intertwining during a single chapter.
The novel is full of uncommon, literary words, which can be perceived as both a good and not so good thing, depending on how one looks at it (I learned approximately 200 new words by reading TSoS, although I doubt that I will memorize them all, and I certainly had too look a lot at the dictionary in my phone whilst reading, which kind of interrupted my immersion into this book a little too often). English isn't my native language though, so I can't really claim this as criticism, more of a heads up to people that might be looking at this review and are considering whether they should start reading the novel or not. It's written intricately well, just make sure to re-read some sentences from time to time, or else you might not picture what's happening in your mind.
PROS:
- Plotline, overall setting and the description
of "The Mortal Realms". I really enjoyed reading about the Stormcast Eternals. Never thought Sigmar would have his own army of Fantasy Space Marines. As soon as they are mentioned during the defence of Excelsis, I couldn't can't help but compare them to the Adeptus Astartes from WH40K.
- Characters in TSoS are relatively well developed. Dialogues are usually short and aren't really original, but all in all, the main protagonist and his party start growing on you a little bit. Hard to say anything else without spoilers, so I won't.
- The structure and the overall writing style, as mentioned, is delivered complexly. The author is definetely talented and possesses his own unique style of getting his thoughts across to the reader.
CONS
A few reviews actually mentioned this earlier, but certain important points in the novel are written so complicatedly, it becomes really challenging to understand and envision the events that are being described. Namely, the description of the Crawling City and its layout is hard to envisage, especially the shifting walls and the overall depiction of the city in general. The actual concept itself is very original though and fits into the surrealistic atmosphere quite well. The whole trek through the Forest of Gorch was really hard to read and, again, picture in the imagination. Just like with the Worm City, the concept of forest dwarves is original, but the chapters related to the forest of Gorch are hard to read through.
The last fight against Ahazian Kel wielding the Spear of Shadows and how the protagonist survives its intent to kill him deserved a much more explanatory description, again, perhaps written in a more simple fashion. The whole idea itself was difficult to describe so I can't blame the author. The idea was to describe something impossible in terms of physics (I think).
In a nutshell, TSoS is decent novel which is definetely worth of being read. If it's sequels are out, I'm going to try and bestir myself to read them, while clutching on to the dictionary.
To start off, I (like many other people familiar with the Warhammer Fantasy setting chiefly through video games) did not have much knowledge about the "Age of Sigmar" prior to reading this novel. Being unaware that AoS is no longer set in a dark medieval world, but rather in a surrealistic one called "Mortal Realms", I grabbed the novel from a local Indigo store and began reading it, slowly trying to immerse my rather dim imagination into a not so (as it turned out to be) acquainted atmosphere. I gotta admit, the cover art caught my eye, depicting a warlike dwarf, the main protagonist and an aggressive looking vampire that looks like my ex girlfriend.
What the Author accomplished really well in this novel (again, purely in my opinion) is the overall description of the numerous characters that are present throughout the plot, depiction of various battles and combat throughout the book, and the style that it's generally written in. Every chapter is divided into very different parts of the overall plot, with personal character subplots often intertwining during a single chapter.
The novel is full of uncommon, literary words, which can be perceived as both a good and not so good thing, depending on how one looks at it (I learned approximately 200 new words by reading TSoS, although I doubt that I will memorize them all, and I certainly had too look a lot at the dictionary in my phone whilst reading, which kind of interrupted my immersion into this book a little too often). English isn't my native language though, so I can't really claim this as criticism, more of a heads up to people that might be looking at this review and are considering whether they should start reading the novel or not. It's written intricately well, just make sure to re-read some sentences from time to time, or else you might not picture what's happening in your mind.
PROS:
- Plotline, overall setting and the description
of "The Mortal Realms". I really enjoyed reading about the Stormcast Eternals. Never thought Sigmar would have his own army of Fantasy Space Marines. As soon as they are mentioned during the defence of Excelsis, I couldn't can't help but compare them to the Adeptus Astartes from WH40K.
- Characters in TSoS are relatively well developed. Dialogues are usually short and aren't really original, but all in all, the main protagonist and his party start growing on you a little bit. Hard to say anything else without spoilers, so I won't.
- The structure and the overall writing style, as mentioned, is delivered complexly. The author is definetely talented and possesses his own unique style of getting his thoughts across to the reader.
CONS
A few reviews actually mentioned this earlier, but certain important points in the novel are written so complicatedly, it becomes really challenging to understand and envision the events that are being described. Namely, the description of the Crawling City and its layout is hard to envisage, especially the shifting walls and the overall depiction of the city in general. The actual concept itself is very original though and fits into the surrealistic atmosphere quite well. The whole trek through the Forest of Gorch was really hard to read and, again, picture in the imagination. Just like with the Worm City, the concept of forest dwarves is original, but the chapters related to the forest of Gorch are hard to read through.
The last fight against Ahazian Kel wielding the Spear of Shadows and how the protagonist survives its intent to kill him deserved a much more explanatory description, again, perhaps written in a more simple fashion. The whole idea itself was difficult to describe so I can't blame the author. The idea was to describe something impossible in terms of physics (I think).
In a nutshell, TSoS is decent novel which is definetely worth of being read. If it's sequels are out, I'm going to try and bestir myself to read them, while clutching on to the dictionary.
February 12, 2020
WARNING HERE MAY BE SPOILERS
One of if the best Warhammer novel I have ever read, and I've read over half of the Old Wolrd Warhammer.
So I brought this book kind of by accident. For Christmas '19 my dad gave me a gift card for Waterstones to buy some books and one of the books I brought was this one. Then I realised it was a Age Of Sigmar novel and I groaned.
The first AoS book i read was the first Realmgate Wars omnibus and i just couldn't get into it, i didn't really know what was going what these "Realmgates" are or who these guys in the armour are, to be honest I thought AoS was a quick spin of work.
Seriously I thought it was a series they were just doing I had no idea they finished the Warhammer series I grew up reading and that this was the new series.
By a stroke of luck I found myself on a website explaining what AoS is about and the basics and they had a short list of books that where a good jumping of point into the series and this one is on the list, I agree and here's why.
Well I decided to read this book just to see if I could get into AoS and if I enjoyed th book I'd dive in and read the rest.
And I am so glad I brought this one and read it. Its fantastic! I enjoyed everything about this book! Some part had me scratching my head wondering what's going on, other had laughing out load while other had me all but frothing at the mouth excited.
The Good Stuff
- For a Start I was a little confused as to some of the characters race, for example we have a Fyreslayers instead of Slayers, we have the Blight instead of Skavenblight and so on, it's old wolrd Warhammer but with a new AoS twist that just works.
- Characters just name drop big names from old world Warhammer, like The Three Eyes King (Archaon), Nefferatta, Sigmar, Nagash ect. Talking about them as if they not only exist but as if having them living beside us is just a part of normal day to day life. This isn't old world Warhammer where the Gods are out there somewhere maybe they exist or who cares, no no, they exist alright and it's not unsurprising to meet them or talk with them if your lucky (or unlucky)
- So Nagash is spoken of, in fact he seems less like the evil bogeyman that killed almost half the know world and raised them from the dead and now seems to be the leader of a some death religion where people actually approach you and praise how great he is 😂 this book is just full of surprises to remind you that your not in Kansas anymore (or Nuln or Altdorf or Kislev for that matter).
- Grugni is the God who sets things in motion for this book and the theological debates he seems to have not only explain why the gods act as they do in the Warhammer world but they work through people rather than just wage open war against each other. Something everyone who ever read a Warhammer novel has probably asked themselves.
- The dialogue between characters is spot on. First of all we book works bunch of different people and races all cobbled together for a god quest, we have a Fyreslayer, a human Gunsmith, a human plant like hybrid with his bird panther like pet. And that's the good guys, there's also a demon, a vampire and evil gods and is it even a warhammer book without the Skaven poking their snout in? But the dialogue between them just had me cracking up in places, the sarcasm, the light humour the insults just made for a fantastic read and something I've very rarely come across in old world Warhammer.
The Bad Stuff
- this book was too dam short, I could of easily read a 500 page story and lived every moment of it, not a criticism just a longing for more!
If your reading this and wondering is this a good AoS book? Should I read it? I say hell yea! In fact I've actually re ordered the Realmgate Wars omnibus because i need the backstory to these works. I can't wait to see where the AoS series goes from here but I'm sold.
Hook
Line
And sinker 🙌🏻🙏🏻
One of if the best Warhammer novel I have ever read, and I've read over half of the Old Wolrd Warhammer.
So I brought this book kind of by accident. For Christmas '19 my dad gave me a gift card for Waterstones to buy some books and one of the books I brought was this one. Then I realised it was a Age Of Sigmar novel and I groaned.
The first AoS book i read was the first Realmgate Wars omnibus and i just couldn't get into it, i didn't really know what was going what these "Realmgates" are or who these guys in the armour are, to be honest I thought AoS was a quick spin of work.
Seriously I thought it was a series they were just doing I had no idea they finished the Warhammer series I grew up reading and that this was the new series.
By a stroke of luck I found myself on a website explaining what AoS is about and the basics and they had a short list of books that where a good jumping of point into the series and this one is on the list, I agree and here's why.
Well I decided to read this book just to see if I could get into AoS and if I enjoyed th book I'd dive in and read the rest.
And I am so glad I brought this one and read it. Its fantastic! I enjoyed everything about this book! Some part had me scratching my head wondering what's going on, other had laughing out load while other had me all but frothing at the mouth excited.
The Good Stuff
- For a Start I was a little confused as to some of the characters race, for example we have a Fyreslayers instead of Slayers, we have the Blight instead of Skavenblight and so on, it's old wolrd Warhammer but with a new AoS twist that just works.
- Characters just name drop big names from old world Warhammer, like The Three Eyes King (Archaon), Nefferatta, Sigmar, Nagash ect. Talking about them as if they not only exist but as if having them living beside us is just a part of normal day to day life. This isn't old world Warhammer where the Gods are out there somewhere maybe they exist or who cares, no no, they exist alright and it's not unsurprising to meet them or talk with them if your lucky (or unlucky)
- So Nagash is spoken of, in fact he seems less like the evil bogeyman that killed almost half the know world and raised them from the dead and now seems to be the leader of a some death religion where people actually approach you and praise how great he is 😂 this book is just full of surprises to remind you that your not in Kansas anymore (or Nuln or Altdorf or Kislev for that matter).
- Grugni is the God who sets things in motion for this book and the theological debates he seems to have not only explain why the gods act as they do in the Warhammer world but they work through people rather than just wage open war against each other. Something everyone who ever read a Warhammer novel has probably asked themselves.
- The dialogue between characters is spot on. First of all we book works bunch of different people and races all cobbled together for a god quest, we have a Fyreslayer, a human Gunsmith, a human plant like hybrid with his bird panther like pet. And that's the good guys, there's also a demon, a vampire and evil gods and is it even a warhammer book without the Skaven poking their snout in? But the dialogue between them just had me cracking up in places, the sarcasm, the light humour the insults just made for a fantastic read and something I've very rarely come across in old world Warhammer.
The Bad Stuff
- this book was too dam short, I could of easily read a 500 page story and lived every moment of it, not a criticism just a longing for more!
If your reading this and wondering is this a good AoS book? Should I read it? I say hell yea! In fact I've actually re ordered the Realmgate Wars omnibus because i need the backstory to these works. I can't wait to see where the AoS series goes from here but I'm sold.
Hook
Line
And sinker 🙌🏻🙏🏻
September 21, 2020
I'm finding this book a bit hard to review because I know I'm not really the target audience. I know nothing about warhammer at all. But a book is a book, so I will review it as such.
Firstly, the descriptions were very good, very vivid and creative.
But something feels very off about the pacing. Maybe it's because overall I don't think I enjoyed the story, but the pace feels like it's all over the place. I would read on one part of a chapter with certain characters and then be somewhere completely different with other characters later on in the chapter.
The storyline didn't grab my interest at all. I'm a devourer of books and normally how long they take me to read is a clear indicator for me when reviewing. This book took me 2 months when realistically it should have taken me no longer than two weeks max. I pretty much have no idea what happened if I'm being honest. It feels like this book could have been shorter and still got the story across.
This almost feels like it was setting up for the further books in the trilogy, rather than a book that could stand on its own. Which I understand with it being the first in a trilogy.
Another thing, the characters for me fell a bit flat. I honestly didn't care for any of them, at all. Which may have been my problem, I need to at least enjoy the characters to be able to enjoy the story. If the characters don't grab me, then I'm dragging myself through the story.
I've seen many positive reviews and people who loved the story, so I'm putting it down to the fact I'm not the target audience at all.
My rating doesn't really match my review, but I don't think this is a two star book. The choice of words and descriptions is what brings the rating up for me. It probably sits at more the 2.5* mark.
Firstly, the descriptions were very good, very vivid and creative.
But something feels very off about the pacing. Maybe it's because overall I don't think I enjoyed the story, but the pace feels like it's all over the place. I would read on one part of a chapter with certain characters and then be somewhere completely different with other characters later on in the chapter.
The storyline didn't grab my interest at all. I'm a devourer of books and normally how long they take me to read is a clear indicator for me when reviewing. This book took me 2 months when realistically it should have taken me no longer than two weeks max. I pretty much have no idea what happened if I'm being honest. It feels like this book could have been shorter and still got the story across.
This almost feels like it was setting up for the further books in the trilogy, rather than a book that could stand on its own. Which I understand with it being the first in a trilogy.
Another thing, the characters for me fell a bit flat. I honestly didn't care for any of them, at all. Which may have been my problem, I need to at least enjoy the characters to be able to enjoy the story. If the characters don't grab me, then I'm dragging myself through the story.
I've seen many positive reviews and people who loved the story, so I'm putting it down to the fact I'm not the target audience at all.
My rating doesn't really match my review, but I don't think this is a two star book. The choice of words and descriptions is what brings the rating up for me. It probably sits at more the 2.5* mark.
September 9, 2024
The prose itself is workable... the story just, has absolutely nothing to say and goes absolutely nowhere. No character develops in the slightest amount between page 1 and whatever the last page of the book is.
Purely 2dimensional static badly fleshed out characters can work - if the plot itself has something interesting to say - such as a different novel where society is collapsing due to some disease or zombies or alien invasion and suddenly the structure of society is the thing that is moving - offset against the static characters to highlight the changing society and how unchanging people die off in it. This is not that. The setting is just the generic Age of Sigmar setting and they do a small bit of some world-building, but no significant events are happening with the setting or external forces outside the bland 2d characters, so it's not an actual counterbalancing force.
It's a bland, boring, zero-strakes action non-thriller hack-n-slash where no characters ever get defeated. No heroes die or even really struggle in any significant ways at any time ever. They don't even have any difficulties with interpersonal relationships... there's some snarky "banter" between different people on the team and between the "heroes" and "villains" (I use the words loosely, as the heroes never really help anyone that we see and the villains largely don't harm a single person we know or care about. Smashing a random skeleton with your hammer does not make you a compelling "evil villain" as readers simply don't care - it was a meaningless skeleton Mr.Baddy smashed and it died in one second, utterly insignificant.)
Will not be continuing Joshua Reynolds series based on the quality of book one.
Purely 2dimensional static badly fleshed out characters can work - if the plot itself has something interesting to say - such as a different novel where society is collapsing due to some disease or zombies or alien invasion and suddenly the structure of society is the thing that is moving - offset against the static characters to highlight the changing society and how unchanging people die off in it. This is not that. The setting is just the generic Age of Sigmar setting and they do a small bit of some world-building, but no significant events are happening with the setting or external forces outside the bland 2d characters, so it's not an actual counterbalancing force.
It's a bland, boring, zero-strakes action non-thriller hack-n-slash where no characters ever get defeated. No heroes die or even really struggle in any significant ways at any time ever. They don't even have any difficulties with interpersonal relationships... there's some snarky "banter" between different people on the team and between the "heroes" and "villains" (I use the words loosely, as the heroes never really help anyone that we see and the villains largely don't harm a single person we know or care about. Smashing a random skeleton with your hammer does not make you a compelling "evil villain" as readers simply don't care - it was a meaningless skeleton Mr.Baddy smashed and it died in one second, utterly insignificant.)
Will not be continuing Joshua Reynolds series based on the quality of book one.
July 7, 2018
In the city of Excelsis, the crippled god Grungni gathers together adventurers from different Realms to seek out the Spear of Shadows, before it falls into the wrong hands. Grungni isn’t the only power seeking the spear, however – Khornate forgemasters compete against each other, while both Archaon and Neferata send their own champions even as the skaven of Clan Rictus join the hunt for it.
This offers the simple pleasure of an action-packed adventure story pitting relatable human (ok, mortal) characters against powerful enemies on a god-given mission with far-reaching consequences. The Mortal Realms feel fresh and full of potential, while the narrative style – swapping grand battles for smaller scale events without sacrificing the stakes – makes for a nice change from the more military-heavy style of some other stories. Ultimately it’s just great fun, with loads to enjoy, and demonstrates once again that Age of Sigmar offers massive scope for stories every bit as memorable as the Old World.
Read the full review at https://www.trackofwords.com/2018/06/...
This offers the simple pleasure of an action-packed adventure story pitting relatable human (ok, mortal) characters against powerful enemies on a god-given mission with far-reaching consequences. The Mortal Realms feel fresh and full of potential, while the narrative style – swapping grand battles for smaller scale events without sacrificing the stakes – makes for a nice change from the more military-heavy style of some other stories. Ultimately it’s just great fun, with loads to enjoy, and demonstrates once again that Age of Sigmar offers massive scope for stories every bit as memorable as the Old World.
Read the full review at https://www.trackofwords.com/2018/06/...
January 13, 2021
Disappointed
They should make it immediately clear this is an AoS book and not The Old World. These authors aren't that great but what typically sustains the GW books isn't the quality of the writing but the depth and energy in the lore and the wider world building behind it, which in the case of 40k and the old school Fantasy Battle, has accruing an incredible critical mass over decades. AoS is overly abstract and designed to sell models. It's not had time to develop any depth it hasn't stolen and clumsily transposed into the new format and the authors are a bit too average to carry it off without the weight of the broader lore behind them. It's just a bit difficult to read.
They should make it immediately clear this is an AoS book and not The Old World. These authors aren't that great but what typically sustains the GW books isn't the quality of the writing but the depth and energy in the lore and the wider world building behind it, which in the case of 40k and the old school Fantasy Battle, has accruing an incredible critical mass over decades. AoS is overly abstract and designed to sell models. It's not had time to develop any depth it hasn't stolen and clumsily transposed into the new format and the authors are a bit too average to carry it off without the weight of the broader lore behind them. It's just a bit difficult to read.
August 16, 2020
I’ve noticed the most enjoyable AoS novels little resemble the game they are meant to advertise. This is a classic quest tale, more Forgotten Realms than Mortal Realms, with a strong premise that’s decently written. Not all the characters are given a full measure and a few too many subplots muddle the works a bit— evidence of what’s meant to seed a series— but perhaps the most egregious issue is that the author tips his hand regarding the object of he quest, draining much tension away. I still enjoyed it, a lot actually and look fwd to reading the follow-ups.
September 1, 2021
Darn! What a good read!
In Spear of Shadows, an unlikely band of heroes (OK, well one is not really a hero) are called together by Grungni to search out one of eight dangerous (possibly sentient) weapons before they fall into worse hands. From fighting nasty Skaven to flying with the Kharadron Overlords, to fights in libraries, this book had me sucked in! Josh Reynolds did a fantastic job with this book. One of the best I've read from Age of Sigmar. Too bad we won't get to read the rest of the trilogy, as GW was unable to hold unto Josh.
In Spear of Shadows, an unlikely band of heroes (OK, well one is not really a hero) are called together by Grungni to search out one of eight dangerous (possibly sentient) weapons before they fall into worse hands. From fighting nasty Skaven to flying with the Kharadron Overlords, to fights in libraries, this book had me sucked in! Josh Reynolds did a fantastic job with this book. One of the best I've read from Age of Sigmar. Too bad we won't get to read the rest of the trilogy, as GW was unable to hold unto Josh.
January 7, 2021
A bit confusing. It starts like a toned down Terry Pratchett novel but gets more serious with sparsely used humorous parts later on. For me this improved towards the end with all its more traditional "violent fantasy". I understand it is part 1 in the Eight Lamentations series but the ending (or at least the end of this book) felt somehow very sudden. Maybe all (eight?) books read as one loooong novel.
September 21, 2021
A solid outing in the Mortal Realms. It feels much more like a real place to live, and this one has gods, daemons, champions, vampires, skaven, Doomseekers, gunners, knights on demi-griffon-back, and all manner of stuff, including characters called back from Josh Reynolds' earlier stories. Worth it just to see what Grungni is really like.
Recommended for fans of AoS, and especially if you plan on running the Soulbound RPG.
Recommended for fans of AoS, and especially if you plan on running the Soulbound RPG.
October 15, 2017
I just finished this novel and its 1 of the best Age of Sigmar novels so far. The mixture of characters is great. All from the different races in Age of sigmar. The action and story are great!. This book is one of the first Age of sigmar novels that takes what made Warhammer fantasy great and adding all the great stuff of age of sigmar.
November 1, 2018
Enjoyable story that doesn't focus on huge battlefields. Its more "Down to earth" and it does wonders to paint what these worlds and cultures look like. Also would suggest a great starting point for Age of Sigmar.
April 20, 2025
This book is genuinely wonderful, and I enjoyed it very, very much. It involved so many things that I absolutely adored, and the main character was actually exceptionally nice for a Warhammer character.
Also; Joshua Reynolds sure does love the descriptor 'stumped', huh
Also; Joshua Reynolds sure does love the descriptor 'stumped', huh
September 24, 2025
Josh Reynolds was the absolute best author Black Library has ever had for Age of Sigmar books. A real shame he doesn't write for GW anymore, and therefore did not get to finish this series.
A great introduction to the world of Age of Sigmar!
A great introduction to the world of Age of Sigmar!
January 27, 2018
Does a nice job showing a grassroots view of the Age of Sigmar setting.
March 11, 2019
No esta mal, la historia sin mas pero los personajes si me han gustado bastante.
June 29, 2022
Incredible story. I liked the characters and look forward to the sequel.
January 8, 2023
Where's the next part of the story though? You can't just leave me hanging like this.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews