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Warhammer Age of Sigmar
The Court of the Blind King
Idoneth Deepkins vs Chaos - let battle commence.
Deep beneath the oceans of Ghyran, in kingdoms forgotten by gods and time and overlooked by the ravages of Chaos, the Idoneth Deepkin endure in bitter solitude. However, the Jade Throne of Briomdar sits empty, its long isolation threatened as never before in its history. The Everqueen’s warsong awakens the forests of both land and sea and everywhere the diseased knights of Nurgle fight to the last foetid breath for the verdant Realm they claim as theirs. But, for Prince Lurien this time of peril is one ripe with opportunity. It will take every drop of wit, guile, and treachery the prince has to overcome not only the myriad foes of the Idoneth, but his fellow Deepkin as well.
Deep beneath the oceans of Ghyran, in kingdoms forgotten by gods and time and overlooked by the ravages of Chaos, the Idoneth Deepkin endure in bitter solitude. However, the Jade Throne of Briomdar sits empty, its long isolation threatened as never before in its history. The Everqueen’s warsong awakens the forests of both land and sea and everywhere the diseased knights of Nurgle fight to the last foetid breath for the verdant Realm they claim as theirs. But, for Prince Lurien this time of peril is one ripe with opportunity. It will take every drop of wit, guile, and treachery the prince has to overcome not only the myriad foes of the Idoneth, but his fellow Deepkin as well.
384 pages, Paperback
First published December 14, 2019
21 people are currently reading
211 people want to read
About the author
David Guymer
173 books175 followersDavid Guymer is a freelance author, PhD in molecular microbiology (which still comes in more handy than you might think), and tabletop warlord based in the Yorkshire East Riding. He has written for Black Library, Marvel, Aconyte Books, Asmodee, Mantic Games, Cubicle 7, Creative Assembly, and Mongoose Publishing.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
April 1, 2023
Quite good.
I don’t think I have read a fantasy adventure story in a long long time.
I think what kept it interesting was the objective selfishness of the main characters. Very eager to backstab and betray in order to further the adventure.
I explained the plot to a friend and realised I sounded like a crazy person, but as you read the book it doesnt seem the least bit insane.
1. Your general performs a coup the day of your mum's funeral.
2. You get freed by a slave and forced into a magic marriage because she wants to be queen.
3. You escape to your auntie's kingdom, where you go raid a plague kingdom and your cousin dies.
4. You then go and try to gain favour with a mad king, who sends you to the forest kingdom of tree people to get his magic spear back. You succeed and cure him of his madness.
5. Then you get out of your magic marriage in order to marry the princess of a warrior kingdom.
6. Your mad auntie blames you for the death of your cousin and tries to kill you the night of your wedding.
7. Your auntie fails and joins up with the general who performed the coup against you, and comes to attack and kill you.
8. You seek the help of another queen, who wants something in return for her help.
9. You capture a giant magic shark for the queen's help.
10. You auntie summons the spirit of your dead mum as a hate monster to kill you.
11. You blame the slave who freed you. (It was her fault)
12. She kills the slave and you part ways as the king of your kingdom.
Also you are an underwater elf.
Somehow this is not as insane as it sounds when you read it!
I don’t think I have read a fantasy adventure story in a long long time.
I think what kept it interesting was the objective selfishness of the main characters. Very eager to backstab and betray in order to further the adventure.
I explained the plot to a friend and realised I sounded like a crazy person, but as you read the book it doesnt seem the least bit insane.
1. Your general performs a coup the day of your mum's funeral.
2. You get freed by a slave and forced into a magic marriage because she wants to be queen.
3. You escape to your auntie's kingdom, where you go raid a plague kingdom and your cousin dies.
4. You then go and try to gain favour with a mad king, who sends you to the forest kingdom of tree people to get his magic spear back. You succeed and cure him of his madness.
5. Then you get out of your magic marriage in order to marry the princess of a warrior kingdom.
6. Your mad auntie blames you for the death of your cousin and tries to kill you the night of your wedding.
7. Your auntie fails and joins up with the general who performed the coup against you, and comes to attack and kill you.
8. You seek the help of another queen, who wants something in return for her help.
9. You capture a giant magic shark for the queen's help.
10. You auntie summons the spirit of your dead mum as a hate monster to kill you.
11. You blame the slave who freed you. (It was her fault)
12. She kills the slave and you part ways as the king of your kingdom.
Also you are an underwater elf.
Somehow this is not as insane as it sounds when you read it!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 21, 2024
Hace unos días, hablando sobre Bonereapers (otra obra de David Guymer, como esta, y que también he reviewado en Goodreads) el autor me encontró y me dio RT. No fui capaz de decirle nada más porque estaba ahogándome en vergüenza, pero si; por lo que sea, Guymer encuentra esto quiero decirle:
THIS BOOK IS AMAZING! KEEP UP WITH THE GOOD WORK!!
Porque esta obra es otro trabajo bien hecho de este autor, y eso es lo que os voy a contar en esta review.
Por supuesto, habrá spoilers, así que ya sabéis que os puedo joder mucho la obra si lo leéis, así que quedáis avisados. Vamos allá.
Mi llegada a esta novela es como la de muchos otros que también se hayan interesado en ella: y es que el principal punto fuerte de esta obra es que es una novela de elfos (o aelfos, en este caso) PERO bajo el agua. Y la verdad es que cumple con esas expectativas enormemente: La Corte del Rey Ciego es todo un drama shakespeariano PERO bajo el agua. Una novela caballeresca de esas que tanto que le gustaban al Quijote PERO bajo el agua. Una historia de traiciones entre los descendientes de los Asur y los Druchii PERO bajo el agua. Un fanfic enemies-to-lovers bad-ending de los elfos de Tolkien PERO bajo el agua. Os aseguro que si lo que es buscáis es cualquiera de esas cosas, os la ofrece y hasta mucho más que eso.
Y es que si lo que vas buscando es que te sorprendan con todo lo que no sabias sobre el "lore" de la Edad de Sigmar, creéme: lo hará. El mundo submarino de la ya-no-tan-nueva IP de Games Workshop es tan fascinante, o más, que el mundo de la superficie. Guymer se ha esforzado en hacer que cada una de las Cortes del "Green Gulch" (la región submarina que habita el Enclave de Bríomdar) luzca distinta, con una carisma que hace que casi se merezcan su propio libro de lore para ellas solas: Bríomdar con sus torres en forma de mandala, Túrach con sus batallones de Namarti (elfos con almas hechas de remiendos de otras criaturas) y su rey lector, Dwy-Hor con sus elfos bailarines de los antiguos Elfos Silvanos pero subacuáticos... ¡Y mucho más! Porque también visitan algunas regiones de la superficie.
Así pues, la estrella de worldbuilding se la lleva pero, ¿y el resto? Bueno, llegué a esta novela con altas expectativas en cuanto a personajes, pues Guymer me había sorprendido muy gratamente en Bonereapers: por una vez, no sentí que estuviera leyendo una novela sobre muñecos, sino que leía a personas reales. Y, en este aspecto, Guymer ha vuelto a cumplir: los personajes de la Corte del Rey Ciego están vivos y tienen sustancia, aunque tal vez sufran del hecho de que la sociedad Idoneth (los elfos submarinos) sea tan alienígena que casi queda poco espacio de maniobrabilidad para los personajes.
Lurien, el prota (un aelfo destronado por ser un petimetre sin habilidades para el gobierno ni la batalla y más preocupado por emborracharse y jugar a ser diva), empieza como un pijo insufrible y avanza y avanza hasta convertirse en... un antihéroe insufrible. Oh, ¿creías que iba a haber una redención? ¿Que Lurien comprendería el poder de la amistad y entonces se convertiría en un regente justo, tras recuperar su trono? Oh, no, querido. Esta novela empieza como si fuera un Emperador y Sus Locuras, sólo que sin llama, y acaba si al final del Emperador y sus Locuras Cuzco hubiera decidido que le salía más a cuenta unirse a Yzma y luego echarla por un precipicio cuando tuviera la oportunidad para no compartir el trono. Por cada veinte pasos que avanza Lurien hacia ser mejor persona, cada vez que crees que va a dar el salto a buena persona, da el giro hacia ser malvado. Ya no malvado por idiota, sino malvado con alevosía y planificación. Los Idoneth no son elfos luminosos, todo lo contrario: son elfos oscuros de las profundidades. Y Guymer se ha asegurado de que su protagonista lo sea.
Entended que este tipo de personajes no son precisamente mi tacita de té (razón por la que duré TAN poco en Juego de Tronos), pero Guymer ha sabido hacerme el viaje atractivo y agradable, y he aguantado hasta el final intentando ver una redención que nunca llega. Un poco como cuando te tiras todo Juego de Tronos esperando que Jaime Lannister aprenda de sus errores y lo mal que lo está pasando pero NOOOO, AQUÍ HEMOS VENIDO A JUGAR.
Ejem. Me centro, que ya Juego de Tronos ni siquiera existe.
A lo que voy es que Lurien consigue transmitir esa sensación de antihéroe/villano protagonista shakespeariano sin escrúpulos, a lo Ricardo III o Macbeth, y que le acompañes en su espiral. Y eso, si esa es tu cosa, te va a gustar y, si no, pues también porque Guymer sabe conducirle. A él. El resto de la historia son otro tema.
Entededme: no quiero decir que el resto de la historia sea malo, simplemente que está hecho de "otra pasta". Lurien es un personaje con muchas capas, y todos los secundarios lo son (los tres Namarti que le acompañan, su amigo el pijo del que ya no me acuerdo el nombre, el Isharann grogui, la realeza de todos los Enclaves de Bríomdar...), pero de estos no tenemos la oportunidad (casi) de mirar en el interior de sus mentes tanto como lo hacemos con Lurien. Una pena, aunque también reconozco que si hubiera sido así tal vez esto sería mucho más denso. Tipo Dune. Y oh, no queréis Dune. O yo al menos no quiero Dune PERO bajo el agua. Bastante tuve con *un* Dune.
Con respecto a la historia y la narrativa, ahí es tal vez dónde sí tengo más problemas. Y se puede dividir en tres puntos:
a) los que son culpa mía. Hay un enorme vocabulario de cosas de la realeza y de vestimentas de nobleza que no conocía y eso hace muy lenta la lectura, ya que las descripciones pueden convertirse en un auténtico examen de vocabulario raro.
b) los que podría haber solucionado la editorial. Hay un enorme vocabulario de términos aélficos en la novela, y se usan sin ninguna clase de pudor. Y hay algunos conocidos si has leído el battletome Idoneth Deepkin, como Namarti, lanmari, Morsarr... pero hay otros de libros de tiempos del Viejo Mundo (como eltharri o druhirri) y otros que he visto por primera vez aquí, como azydrazor, de'comhrac... Por desgracia, y a diferencia de otras novelas de fantasía, GW no ha proveído un vocabulario al final del libro, así que eso hace todavía más difícil la lectura.
c) los que son más causa del estilo. El autor ha querido dar a los Idoneth el aspecto de una sociedad feudal caballeresca, así que Lurien va de corte en corte de Bríomdar, recibiendo gestas para cumplir y cumpliendo cada una de ellas lo mejor que puede. Si has leído relatos aventurescos antiguos tal vez reconozcas la fórmula, y te haga gracia, pero aún con esas no se quita ese regusto a "oh, una nueva ciudad, ah, mira, aquí está la nueva quest" de personaje de videojuego, que hace muy repetitiva y pesada la lectura a veces. A veces. Porque algunas gestas son dignas de lectura, pese a todo.
Pero, como digo, pese a todos esos fallitos (y realmente tan sólo el tercero se le puede achacar al autor), la lectura se hace bastante agradable, y el derrame de lore en cada nueva ciudad-punto de quest hace que merezca la pena.
Este es, posiblemente, mi libro favorito de Warhammer hasta la fecha, y va a costar mucho que alguien lo quite de su posición. La mezcla de personajes entre malvados y simplemente maliciosos, el delicioso worldbuilding (¡¡os recuerdo que es todo lo que he dicho arriba, PERO bajo del agua, con anguilas en vez de caballos!!) y el hecho de que se pueden sacar hasta enseñanzas de la lectura (sobre lo maquiavélico de la naturaleza del poder o la dificultad que tenemos para aprender de nuestros errores), hace que se convierta fácilmente en uno de mis favoritos. A fin de cuentas, ¿si me gustó la Gracia de los Reyes *cómo* no me iba a gustar la Corte del Rey Ciego?
De nuevo, Guymer ha sabido cumplir mis expectativas, y he quedado realmente prendado de su estilo y su forma de narrar personajes de dentro hacia afuera. Le quitaría la estrella de narrativa, pero maldita sea: ha cumplido. Se lleva las cinco. Y sobre todo porque me quedo intrigado por saber qué habrá oculto en otras obras suyas, como esas sobre Hamílcar de los Caballeros Astrales, o sus novelas sobre Ferrus Manus y los Manos de Hierro. ¡Y encima tiene más relatos de Idoneth! Seguramente volveré a leer algo suyo en breve, aunque antes tengo que cambiar de tercio, que necesito dejar de lado un poco a los elfos merluza y meterme de lleno en otra facción. ¿Tal vez los elfos geranio? Me gustó mucho como describió Guymer a los Sylvaneth...
Nos vemos y recordad: las enseñanzas más evidentes son a veces las más duras de aprender. O eso decía Teclis, al parecer.
THIS BOOK IS AMAZING! KEEP UP WITH THE GOOD WORK!!
Porque esta obra es otro trabajo bien hecho de este autor, y eso es lo que os voy a contar en esta review.
Por supuesto, habrá spoilers, así que ya sabéis que os puedo joder mucho la obra si lo leéis, así que quedáis avisados. Vamos allá.
Mi llegada a esta novela es como la de muchos otros que también se hayan interesado en ella: y es que el principal punto fuerte de esta obra es que es una novela de elfos (o aelfos, en este caso) PERO bajo el agua. Y la verdad es que cumple con esas expectativas enormemente: La Corte del Rey Ciego es todo un drama shakespeariano PERO bajo el agua. Una novela caballeresca de esas que tanto que le gustaban al Quijote PERO bajo el agua. Una historia de traiciones entre los descendientes de los Asur y los Druchii PERO bajo el agua. Un fanfic enemies-to-lovers bad-ending de los elfos de Tolkien PERO bajo el agua. Os aseguro que si lo que es buscáis es cualquiera de esas cosas, os la ofrece y hasta mucho más que eso.
Y es que si lo que vas buscando es que te sorprendan con todo lo que no sabias sobre el "lore" de la Edad de Sigmar, creéme: lo hará. El mundo submarino de la ya-no-tan-nueva IP de Games Workshop es tan fascinante, o más, que el mundo de la superficie. Guymer se ha esforzado en hacer que cada una de las Cortes del "Green Gulch" (la región submarina que habita el Enclave de Bríomdar) luzca distinta, con una carisma que hace que casi se merezcan su propio libro de lore para ellas solas: Bríomdar con sus torres en forma de mandala, Túrach con sus batallones de Namarti (elfos con almas hechas de remiendos de otras criaturas) y su rey lector, Dwy-Hor con sus elfos bailarines de los antiguos Elfos Silvanos pero subacuáticos... ¡Y mucho más! Porque también visitan algunas regiones de la superficie.
Así pues, la estrella de worldbuilding se la lleva pero, ¿y el resto? Bueno, llegué a esta novela con altas expectativas en cuanto a personajes, pues Guymer me había sorprendido muy gratamente en Bonereapers: por una vez, no sentí que estuviera leyendo una novela sobre muñecos, sino que leía a personas reales. Y, en este aspecto, Guymer ha vuelto a cumplir: los personajes de la Corte del Rey Ciego están vivos y tienen sustancia, aunque tal vez sufran del hecho de que la sociedad Idoneth (los elfos submarinos) sea tan alienígena que casi queda poco espacio de maniobrabilidad para los personajes.
Lurien, el prota (un aelfo destronado por ser un petimetre sin habilidades para el gobierno ni la batalla y más preocupado por emborracharse y jugar a ser diva), empieza como un pijo insufrible y avanza y avanza hasta convertirse en... un antihéroe insufrible. Oh, ¿creías que iba a haber una redención? ¿Que Lurien comprendería el poder de la amistad y entonces se convertiría en un regente justo, tras recuperar su trono? Oh, no, querido. Esta novela empieza como si fuera un Emperador y Sus Locuras, sólo que sin llama, y acaba si al final del Emperador y sus Locuras Cuzco hubiera decidido que le salía más a cuenta unirse a Yzma y luego echarla por un precipicio cuando tuviera la oportunidad para no compartir el trono. Por cada veinte pasos que avanza Lurien hacia ser mejor persona, cada vez que crees que va a dar el salto a buena persona, da el giro hacia ser malvado. Ya no malvado por idiota, sino malvado con alevosía y planificación. Los Idoneth no son elfos luminosos, todo lo contrario: son elfos oscuros de las profundidades. Y Guymer se ha asegurado de que su protagonista lo sea.
Entended que este tipo de personajes no son precisamente mi tacita de té (razón por la que duré TAN poco en Juego de Tronos), pero Guymer ha sabido hacerme el viaje atractivo y agradable, y he aguantado hasta el final intentando ver una redención que nunca llega. Un poco como cuando te tiras todo Juego de Tronos esperando que Jaime Lannister aprenda de sus errores y lo mal que lo está pasando pero NOOOO, AQUÍ HEMOS VENIDO A JUGAR.
Ejem. Me centro, que ya Juego de Tronos ni siquiera existe.
A lo que voy es que Lurien consigue transmitir esa sensación de antihéroe/villano protagonista shakespeariano sin escrúpulos, a lo Ricardo III o Macbeth, y que le acompañes en su espiral. Y eso, si esa es tu cosa, te va a gustar y, si no, pues también porque Guymer sabe conducirle. A él. El resto de la historia son otro tema.
Entededme: no quiero decir que el resto de la historia sea malo, simplemente que está hecho de "otra pasta". Lurien es un personaje con muchas capas, y todos los secundarios lo son (los tres Namarti que le acompañan, su amigo el pijo del que ya no me acuerdo el nombre, el Isharann grogui, la realeza de todos los Enclaves de Bríomdar...), pero de estos no tenemos la oportunidad (casi) de mirar en el interior de sus mentes tanto como lo hacemos con Lurien. Una pena, aunque también reconozco que si hubiera sido así tal vez esto sería mucho más denso. Tipo Dune. Y oh, no queréis Dune. O yo al menos no quiero Dune PERO bajo el agua. Bastante tuve con *un* Dune.
Con respecto a la historia y la narrativa, ahí es tal vez dónde sí tengo más problemas. Y se puede dividir en tres puntos:
a) los que son culpa mía. Hay un enorme vocabulario de cosas de la realeza y de vestimentas de nobleza que no conocía y eso hace muy lenta la lectura, ya que las descripciones pueden convertirse en un auténtico examen de vocabulario raro.
b) los que podría haber solucionado la editorial. Hay un enorme vocabulario de términos aélficos en la novela, y se usan sin ninguna clase de pudor. Y hay algunos conocidos si has leído el battletome Idoneth Deepkin, como Namarti, lanmari, Morsarr... pero hay otros de libros de tiempos del Viejo Mundo (como eltharri o druhirri) y otros que he visto por primera vez aquí, como azydrazor, de'comhrac... Por desgracia, y a diferencia de otras novelas de fantasía, GW no ha proveído un vocabulario al final del libro, así que eso hace todavía más difícil la lectura.
c) los que son más causa del estilo. El autor ha querido dar a los Idoneth el aspecto de una sociedad feudal caballeresca, así que Lurien va de corte en corte de Bríomdar, recibiendo gestas para cumplir y cumpliendo cada una de ellas lo mejor que puede. Si has leído relatos aventurescos antiguos tal vez reconozcas la fórmula, y te haga gracia, pero aún con esas no se quita ese regusto a "oh, una nueva ciudad, ah, mira, aquí está la nueva quest" de personaje de videojuego, que hace muy repetitiva y pesada la lectura a veces. A veces. Porque algunas gestas son dignas de lectura, pese a todo.
Pero, como digo, pese a todos esos fallitos (y realmente tan sólo el tercero se le puede achacar al autor), la lectura se hace bastante agradable, y el derrame de lore en cada nueva ciudad-punto de quest hace que merezca la pena.
Este es, posiblemente, mi libro favorito de Warhammer hasta la fecha, y va a costar mucho que alguien lo quite de su posición. La mezcla de personajes entre malvados y simplemente maliciosos, el delicioso worldbuilding (¡¡os recuerdo que es todo lo que he dicho arriba, PERO bajo del agua, con anguilas en vez de caballos!!) y el hecho de que se pueden sacar hasta enseñanzas de la lectura (sobre lo maquiavélico de la naturaleza del poder o la dificultad que tenemos para aprender de nuestros errores), hace que se convierta fácilmente en uno de mis favoritos. A fin de cuentas, ¿si me gustó la Gracia de los Reyes *cómo* no me iba a gustar la Corte del Rey Ciego?
De nuevo, Guymer ha sabido cumplir mis expectativas, y he quedado realmente prendado de su estilo y su forma de narrar personajes de dentro hacia afuera. Le quitaría la estrella de narrativa, pero maldita sea: ha cumplido. Se lleva las cinco. Y sobre todo porque me quedo intrigado por saber qué habrá oculto en otras obras suyas, como esas sobre Hamílcar de los Caballeros Astrales, o sus novelas sobre Ferrus Manus y los Manos de Hierro. ¡Y encima tiene más relatos de Idoneth! Seguramente volveré a leer algo suyo en breve, aunque antes tengo que cambiar de tercio, que necesito dejar de lado un poco a los elfos merluza y meterme de lleno en otra facción. ¿Tal vez los elfos geranio? Me gustó mucho como describió Guymer a los Sylvaneth...
Nos vemos y recordad: las enseñanzas más evidentes son a veces las más duras de aprender. O eso decía Teclis, al parecer.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 2, 2021
The idoneth deepkin were among the first of the new age of sigmar races revealed to the public. The first elves (yeah I know aelves but come'on) that had undergone changes, some radical changes. In the world of warhammer the sea god mathlann and his elven worshippers had always been somewhat of a vague thing, prominent (with the might of the elves both dark and high navies) yet net never developed. The idoneth deepkin are an answer to that, a failed first attempt of Teclis to resurrect the elves in the age of sigmar, but tainted by the nature of their oceanic souls they disgusted him. Primarily because, unlike other elves, they are not immortal or perfect. They require stolen souls to keep existing, forcing them to raid for souls. This is something similar to the drukhari of warhammer 40K but less clive barkers hell raiser demons (otherwise you would not ever put them in the order side).
I like the lore, I like the idea of sea elves with all kinds of nautical sea monsters and underwater palaces. Their ambivalent morality and like sharks their ambivalence towards one another. Their style of combat though.... I really have to swallow hard the concept of tide magic making the air above ground turn into magical sea so they can keep swimming and riding their sea creatures above land. But ok sure if you can accept chaos demons why not magical sea elves on land right? But..... the later part of the book shows us a battle between the deepkin and their the book lost me. Sides? lines? Further back? waves? The book makes the same mistake as almost all sci fi battles make, treating the combat as if it was a navel battle, meaning ships on equal horizontal lines. That does not make sense at all. A battle between species that can breathe and fight underwater would and should be an organic affair, with no limitations on verticality except the ocean flour and surface but here we in essence get a boring classic battle. At one point it describes the infantry bracing with pikes to receive a charge of the mounted elves, like what? Why would the mounted not just swim over the pikes? how can you brace for impact if your swimming? This really ruined the mood at the last hurdle for me.
Story wise, it was a bit much. Too many characters, too many settings, too many goals and side stops. The deposed prince enters an unfavorable deal to regain his throne. Simple enough and classic folk tale where witches and devils or like in this story low born sorceress makes a deal with the charming prince for their own benefit. Prince Lurien is not a really sympathetic character but I did not dislike him either, he is flawed but fine. His companions, the aforementioned sorceress, a silent killer, a former slave butcher and Lurien Dandy noble friend are all pleasant enough to read about. The problem is, we meet so many new characters along the way and every 50 pages or so a new kingdom or setting with new challenges and new plot twists, none of which are resolved in a satisfying way.
I would have preferred a story with less "hey look at this and ooh now we are here isn't it exiting?" and more condensed story and less (sub)plots but plots that are resolved meaningfully. Because of the way to quick and frantic pace between subplots and settings, motivations of characters are really shallow. The last twist at the end with the ghost of his mother was messy and falls flat tension wise. Only thing I could think was, "gosh why was nobody reining david Guymer in? Keep it simple dude!" Maybe it was meant to be a longer story, with a sequel? That might explain why so much is mushed into this one book. Because at the end of the story, I did not feel any closure, more like ok fine it is over. Which is a shame because I genuinely liked parts of the book. The first segment is more then fine and some ideas like the taming of the creature of the deep is fun, but does not get nearly enough weight plotwise for me as a reader to care. I know it will succeed, so where is the tension?
I can't really recommend it, it had potential but trips over its own feet trying to impress a reader with way to many subplots and fantastical locales while not giving them the weight story wise that we are told they have.
I like the lore, I like the idea of sea elves with all kinds of nautical sea monsters and underwater palaces. Their ambivalent morality and like sharks their ambivalence towards one another. Their style of combat though.... I really have to swallow hard the concept of tide magic making the air above ground turn into magical sea so they can keep swimming and riding their sea creatures above land. But ok sure if you can accept chaos demons why not magical sea elves on land right? But..... the later part of the book shows us a battle between the deepkin and their the book lost me. Sides? lines? Further back? waves? The book makes the same mistake as almost all sci fi battles make, treating the combat as if it was a navel battle, meaning ships on equal horizontal lines. That does not make sense at all. A battle between species that can breathe and fight underwater would and should be an organic affair, with no limitations on verticality except the ocean flour and surface but here we in essence get a boring classic battle. At one point it describes the infantry bracing with pikes to receive a charge of the mounted elves, like what? Why would the mounted not just swim over the pikes? how can you brace for impact if your swimming? This really ruined the mood at the last hurdle for me.
Story wise, it was a bit much. Too many characters, too many settings, too many goals and side stops. The deposed prince enters an unfavorable deal to regain his throne. Simple enough and classic folk tale where witches and devils or like in this story low born sorceress makes a deal with the charming prince for their own benefit. Prince Lurien is not a really sympathetic character but I did not dislike him either, he is flawed but fine. His companions, the aforementioned sorceress, a silent killer, a former slave butcher and Lurien Dandy noble friend are all pleasant enough to read about. The problem is, we meet so many new characters along the way and every 50 pages or so a new kingdom or setting with new challenges and new plot twists, none of which are resolved in a satisfying way.
I would have preferred a story with less "hey look at this and ooh now we are here isn't it exiting?" and more condensed story and less (sub)plots but plots that are resolved meaningfully. Because of the way to quick and frantic pace between subplots and settings, motivations of characters are really shallow. The last twist at the end with the ghost of his mother was messy and falls flat tension wise. Only thing I could think was, "gosh why was nobody reining david Guymer in? Keep it simple dude!" Maybe it was meant to be a longer story, with a sequel? That might explain why so much is mushed into this one book. Because at the end of the story, I did not feel any closure, more like ok fine it is over. Which is a shame because I genuinely liked parts of the book. The first segment is more then fine and some ideas like the taming of the creature of the deep is fun, but does not get nearly enough weight plotwise for me as a reader to care. I know it will succeed, so where is the tension?
I can't really recommend it, it had potential but trips over its own feet trying to impress a reader with way to many subplots and fantastical locales while not giving them the weight story wise that we are told they have.
July 6, 2020
I received a copy of The Court of the Blind King in exchange for a fair and honest review.
The Court of the Blind King kicks off a new adventure in the Age of Sigmar from Warhammer. Written by David Guymer, this novel takes a deep dive (pun intended) into the lives and battles of the Deepkin.
In a tale that is full of politics and battles, one can find Prince Lurien. He's willing to fight the world – Nurgle included – in order to gain what he considers his rightful inheritance. His right to rule, as it were.
The Deepkin and the knights of Nurgle are about to collide as the Everqueen's Warsong has woken them all. The two cannot exist side by side, so instead a war is about to break out on this land (and water).
“Strange things happened to the water the deeper one went in the Green Gulch.”
The Court of the Blind King portrays the depth that can be found within the Age of Sigmar. It's thrilling and dangerous, full of politics, alliances, and battles. It is everything that fans could have hoped for, with a few surprises along the way.
The Idoneth Deepkin are relatively new to the world of Warhammer and Age of Sigmar, so it's been fascinating to get a chance to see more of how they work. This is the insight that fans will surely appreciate.
That being said, the worldbuilding is strong enough that even new readers could dive into this book and have a solid understanding of what is going on. Yes, they'll miss out on some of the larger bits of context involving the greater universe, but that also isn't really a requirement for this read. It's fully contained, and that is actually quite brilliant.
What I really loved about this novel is how we were really able to explore the lore of the world. It was complex, divisive, and strange. In short, it was actually perfect in terms of fitting into the world of Warhammer, and I adore that.
The leading character, Lurien, is one of those characters that one simply loves to hate. There's no mistaking him for a good person, yet it is still fascinating to read about his plans and exploits. More than that, it was interesting to see how he would plan his way around scenarios – and how his actions would come back to him (or not) in the end.
The inclusion of Chaos (Nurgle) was a solid choice as well. Though obviously it resulted in a ton of carnage of bloodshed. But once again, that sort of fit with the theme of the day, so it worked really well.
The Court of the Blind King was an all-around interesting read, one that is going to stick with me for some time. It made for a great first introduction to the Deepkin for me, and I hope it isn't the last novel we'll see about them.
Check out more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
The Court of the Blind King kicks off a new adventure in the Age of Sigmar from Warhammer. Written by David Guymer, this novel takes a deep dive (pun intended) into the lives and battles of the Deepkin.
In a tale that is full of politics and battles, one can find Prince Lurien. He's willing to fight the world – Nurgle included – in order to gain what he considers his rightful inheritance. His right to rule, as it were.
The Deepkin and the knights of Nurgle are about to collide as the Everqueen's Warsong has woken them all. The two cannot exist side by side, so instead a war is about to break out on this land (and water).
“Strange things happened to the water the deeper one went in the Green Gulch.”
The Court of the Blind King portrays the depth that can be found within the Age of Sigmar. It's thrilling and dangerous, full of politics, alliances, and battles. It is everything that fans could have hoped for, with a few surprises along the way.
The Idoneth Deepkin are relatively new to the world of Warhammer and Age of Sigmar, so it's been fascinating to get a chance to see more of how they work. This is the insight that fans will surely appreciate.
That being said, the worldbuilding is strong enough that even new readers could dive into this book and have a solid understanding of what is going on. Yes, they'll miss out on some of the larger bits of context involving the greater universe, but that also isn't really a requirement for this read. It's fully contained, and that is actually quite brilliant.
What I really loved about this novel is how we were really able to explore the lore of the world. It was complex, divisive, and strange. In short, it was actually perfect in terms of fitting into the world of Warhammer, and I adore that.
The leading character, Lurien, is one of those characters that one simply loves to hate. There's no mistaking him for a good person, yet it is still fascinating to read about his plans and exploits. More than that, it was interesting to see how he would plan his way around scenarios – and how his actions would come back to him (or not) in the end.
The inclusion of Chaos (Nurgle) was a solid choice as well. Though obviously it resulted in a ton of carnage of bloodshed. But once again, that sort of fit with the theme of the day, so it worked really well.
The Court of the Blind King was an all-around interesting read, one that is going to stick with me for some time. It made for a great first introduction to the Deepkin for me, and I hope it isn't the last novel we'll see about them.
Check out more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
December 23, 2019
After the seed sowed by models and battletome, here comes the flower and fruit of what Idoneth truly is.
As a completely new conception for the AOS, so many gaps have been left in the Idoneth Deepkin, aka the sinister sea elves soul raiders. The basic setting has provided how these strange elves look like and in a grand view how they and their societies are created. But we never detailedly know how daily life in the deep sea should be like and how the internal societal relationship between their different castes is composed.
Now here is The Court of the Blind King
This book is a treasure-house of Idoneth lore, not only filled with everything you want to know about this new specie of elf but also written with David’s symbolic vivid tone and a bit black humors. It would be a perfect supplement of the battletome for any Idoneth lore lover, and, if you are WHFB Elf lover there are also tons of nods towards Idoneth’s noble/grim ancestors, the beloved Asur and Druchi.
The protagonist is also a very intriguing character, especially distinct from those AOS normal “justice” heroes or “bad” villains. Although there are still elements of magic and other high fantasy stuff, the story gives me a feeling of “down-to-ground”, which is not very often throughout AOS novels. I do have a feeling certain parts of the story and some characters can be more perfected and refined, but overall it’s a good read. I opened it with a hunger of curiosity and finished with a satisfying stuffed belly of lore. What a joyful time.
As a completely new conception for the AOS, so many gaps have been left in the Idoneth Deepkin, aka the sinister sea elves soul raiders. The basic setting has provided how these strange elves look like and in a grand view how they and their societies are created. But we never detailedly know how daily life in the deep sea should be like and how the internal societal relationship between their different castes is composed.
Now here is The Court of the Blind King
This book is a treasure-house of Idoneth lore, not only filled with everything you want to know about this new specie of elf but also written with David’s symbolic vivid tone and a bit black humors. It would be a perfect supplement of the battletome for any Idoneth lore lover, and, if you are WHFB Elf lover there are also tons of nods towards Idoneth’s noble/grim ancestors, the beloved Asur and Druchi.
The protagonist is also a very intriguing character, especially distinct from those AOS normal “justice” heroes or “bad” villains. Although there are still elements of magic and other high fantasy stuff, the story gives me a feeling of “down-to-ground”, which is not very often throughout AOS novels. I do have a feeling certain parts of the story and some characters can be more perfected and refined, but overall it’s a good read. I opened it with a hunger of curiosity and finished with a satisfying stuffed belly of lore. What a joyful time.
June 26, 2020
Warhammer!
I'd never read a Warhammer novel so I was keen to see what all the fuss was about. I've also never played the game itself or any of the tabletop variety for that matter. I wouldn't say that this book was inaccessible but it was so filled with lore that I kept feeling that this wasn't written for me. And it wasn't.
If you took the story and separated it from Warhammer, this would very well be a four-star book. I don't read Magic the Gathering novels or Forgotten Realms books for the same reason. I can only read about Oggs Hammer or Ingrim's Staff or the Amethyst of Amorath for so long before I decide that it's all pointless and I don't care what anything is called or who owned it.
Lore isn't a bad thing. It's the reason people read books like this. As an outsider, I saw it as stereotypical similar to how we imagine "nerds" playing Dungeons and Dragons in their basement would sound like.
Three stars to this as a whole product. Four stars based on story and merit alone if this was a standalone unrelated to Warhammer.
I'd never read a Warhammer novel so I was keen to see what all the fuss was about. I've also never played the game itself or any of the tabletop variety for that matter. I wouldn't say that this book was inaccessible but it was so filled with lore that I kept feeling that this wasn't written for me. And it wasn't.
If you took the story and separated it from Warhammer, this would very well be a four-star book. I don't read Magic the Gathering novels or Forgotten Realms books for the same reason. I can only read about Oggs Hammer or Ingrim's Staff or the Amethyst of Amorath for so long before I decide that it's all pointless and I don't care what anything is called or who owned it.
Lore isn't a bad thing. It's the reason people read books like this. As an outsider, I saw it as stereotypical similar to how we imagine "nerds" playing Dungeons and Dragons in their basement would sound like.
Three stars to this as a whole product. Four stars based on story and merit alone if this was a standalone unrelated to Warhammer.
June 20, 2020
I am not a huge fan of AOS books but the one or two I have read have been like a drug fuelled psychotic break from reality filled with violence and religious fervour, this book follows well in that mode and I can say honestly it made for interesting reading 😳
May 15, 2024
It was interesting to read about the culture of the Idoneth Deepkin, as everything under water is so different from the other people in the Mortal Realms. The main character, prince Lurien, is really unlikeable and spoiled and honestly I didn't really care if things would go his way or not. I think I rather hoped he would fail on his quest to
November 4, 2025
Good story that provides background on the politics of the Idoneth Deepkin. The names were difficult to keep straight at times, but it was an enjoyable read.
November 23, 2025
I confess, when this book came out, I was rather ambivalent, but given recent events have piqued my curiosity about the Idoneth Deepkin, I decided to pick this up and give it a go...The end result of giving David Guymer the opportunity to write the first novel exploring the Idoneth's culture is a fascinating read that combines the deep-sea horror of H.P. Lovecraft's Shadow over Innsmouth with the political intrigues of A Song of Ice and Fire...
The story follows Prince Lurien of Briomdar, one of the underwater cities that the Idoneth call home. Assuming the throne will automatically pass to him following his mother's death, the indolent, dilettante prince is caught completely off guard when a rival overthrows him and usurps Briomdar's throne. Forced onto the run with only a handful of conniving allies, Lurien must prove to the nobility of the surrounding Idoneth cities that he has the skill and cunning to be worthy of their support to claim his due...
Like everything in the Age of Sigmar setting, the Idoneth are aelves (elves) like you've never encountered before. Living beneath the ocean, commanding and riding ferocious sea beasts like fangmora (gigantic electric eels), allopex (colossal sharks) and leviadon (sea turtles big as dragons) to fight for them, rising to the surface periodically to raid for souls to extend their lives and empower their magic, it can be a bit hard to grasp the complexities of their culture for readers who don't have familiarity with the setting (such as the akhelian warrior caste, the priestly/mage Ishrann and the lower class Namarti -one of my biggest surprises was learning Namarti can talk; I always assumed they were mute or communicated by clicking and whistling like dolphins)...That said, the battle sequences are extremely impressive and the supporting characters like Eodrain, Namariel, Urael, Nael and more beside are extremely compelling, and Lurien such a ruthlessly determined protagonist you can't help but want to see him victorious...
A cracking little read that's left me hankering to start a Deepkin army of my own for Warhammer Age of Sigmar...
The story follows Prince Lurien of Briomdar, one of the underwater cities that the Idoneth call home. Assuming the throne will automatically pass to him following his mother's death, the indolent, dilettante prince is caught completely off guard when a rival overthrows him and usurps Briomdar's throne. Forced onto the run with only a handful of conniving allies, Lurien must prove to the nobility of the surrounding Idoneth cities that he has the skill and cunning to be worthy of their support to claim his due...
Like everything in the Age of Sigmar setting, the Idoneth are aelves (elves) like you've never encountered before. Living beneath the ocean, commanding and riding ferocious sea beasts like fangmora (gigantic electric eels), allopex (colossal sharks) and leviadon (sea turtles big as dragons) to fight for them, rising to the surface periodically to raid for souls to extend their lives and empower their magic, it can be a bit hard to grasp the complexities of their culture for readers who don't have familiarity with the setting (such as the akhelian warrior caste, the priestly/mage Ishrann and the lower class Namarti -one of my biggest surprises was learning Namarti can talk; I always assumed they were mute or communicated by clicking and whistling like dolphins)...That said, the battle sequences are extremely impressive and the supporting characters like Eodrain, Namariel, Urael, Nael and more beside are extremely compelling, and Lurien such a ruthlessly determined protagonist you can't help but want to see him victorious...
A cracking little read that's left me hankering to start a Deepkin army of my own for Warhammer Age of Sigmar...
Want to read
July 5, 2020This was great. A real adventure. I have to admit all the names had me a bit tongue-tied but I muddled through whether I needed a little experience in Warhammer I don't know but for fantasy the book cover and all 5 stars. Thank you David Guymer and thank you Netgalley for allowing me to review it.
October 25, 2021
I highly enjoyed this book, from premise to pacing to execution, but given its complex presentation of its setting, I'd only call it suitable for fans who love the Deepkin aesthetic and pored over the lore sections of its battletome. The story is reasonably easy to follow—arrogant prince loses his throne and goes on a book-wide quest to get it back—so while there are hints of various Idoneth subfactions vying for power (author David Guymer likened his book to Game of Thrones - https://www.trackofwords.com/2019/12/... - but I thought the story was less complex than that), most of Prince Lurien's quest feels linear, with a straightforward story structure: visit new area (complete with the book being divided into sections named for them), receive mission in exchange for help, have a big fight scene, repeat. I wouldn't have minded if the book had had a glossary at the beginning or the end, since if you're not well familiar with the azydrazor, the isharann, and so on, the book rarely stops to give explanations.
I found Prince Lurien an interesting protagonist: he's clearly a product of his elitist and privileged upbringing, complete with the presence of a slave class (the namarti, some of whom are children), and while his opinions of the namarti are less overtly offensive than some of his contemporaries', he also doesn't magically shed or instantly overcome those views right out of the gate in order to be palatable to a modern audience. He's probably one of the few fictional characters I've seen whose story bothers to walk a very thin line between making him earn his likability and also not making him a jerk outright.
Possible sexual-violence spoiler? Early on, , and while this section was horrifying to read, I felt like the book did a good job of not sugarcoating the horrifying implications of this (they weren't dwelled upon but also weren't glossed over or given convenient excuses) and not letting this go without severe accountability.
The characters are widely likable or at least charismatic, though enough of them treat Lurien skeptically or cynically that they can sometimes be difficult to tell apart. Some of them feel a bit simple—"the big lunkhead," "the love interest" (who was a fine-enough character but could really have used more development )—but no one, including the numerous villains and antagonists (some of whom are genuinely pitiable because of moral ambiguity and the protagonists' severe flaws), felt out of place.
The battle scenes were excellently rendered, often going on for several pages, and were given plenty of build-up as well as explanation of their consequences. Do note that the Warhammer brand's signature intense violence isn't in any way reduced just because most of this story takes place in the ocean. Magical underwater cyclones tear through bodies and send limbs flying. (The author is fond of reminding the reader that the ocean's intense pressure prevents several wounds from resulting in bleeding, which of course does no good when bodies explode outright.) One villain gets an especially gory end. My only major complaint about these scenes is that one of the subplots was left unresolved in favor of a sequel hook—it would have made for a compelling fight, but on its own I don't think it's enough to sustain a second book, which I would nonetheless be interested in reading. Massive spoiler about the final fight: .
On the gentler side of details, I really loved the elaborate presentation of the underwater settings. Many are lovely, including one enclave that may be likened to a citywide work of art with a bustling economy. You could easily envision living here, and if not for the "we need to act now" nature of the story, I wouldn't have minded additional subplots showcasing and critiquing the unique characteristics of the various enclaves. I welcomed the author's understanding of the source material but grew a bit tired of being continually reminded that namarti don't have eyes. The book seems to go slightly too far out of its way to avoid easy comparisons to real-life animals: Fangmora are never referred to as eels, leviadons are rarely if ever referred to as turtles, allopexes aren't commonly referred to as sharks. This would speed up comprehension for people unfamiliar with the source material without significantly slowing down the story, and yet some animals are described as being "elephantine," whom I doubt the deepkin have seen very many of, or at least very frequently.
I think very highly of this book overall: Its audience will be inherently limited, but it knows that audience and caters to it at every turn. It needs some editing, and the omission of one subplot's resolution feels like more of a conspicuous absence than I think the reader was expected to notice, but otherwise, this was an excellent showcase for one of my favorite factions, who I hope continue to feature as heroes in future novels to come.
I found Prince Lurien an interesting protagonist: he's clearly a product of his elitist and privileged upbringing, complete with the presence of a slave class (the namarti, some of whom are children), and while his opinions of the namarti are less overtly offensive than some of his contemporaries', he also doesn't magically shed or instantly overcome those views right out of the gate in order to be palatable to a modern audience. He's probably one of the few fictional characters I've seen whose story bothers to walk a very thin line between making him earn his likability and also not making him a jerk outright.
Possible sexual-violence spoiler? Early on, , and while this section was horrifying to read, I felt like the book did a good job of not sugarcoating the horrifying implications of this (they weren't dwelled upon but also weren't glossed over or given convenient excuses) and not letting this go without severe accountability.
The characters are widely likable or at least charismatic, though enough of them treat Lurien skeptically or cynically that they can sometimes be difficult to tell apart. Some of them feel a bit simple—"the big lunkhead," "the love interest" (who was a fine-enough character but could really have used more development )—but no one, including the numerous villains and antagonists (some of whom are genuinely pitiable because of moral ambiguity and the protagonists' severe flaws), felt out of place.
The battle scenes were excellently rendered, often going on for several pages, and were given plenty of build-up as well as explanation of their consequences. Do note that the Warhammer brand's signature intense violence isn't in any way reduced just because most of this story takes place in the ocean. Magical underwater cyclones tear through bodies and send limbs flying. (The author is fond of reminding the reader that the ocean's intense pressure prevents several wounds from resulting in bleeding, which of course does no good when bodies explode outright.) One villain gets an especially gory end. My only major complaint about these scenes is that one of the subplots was left unresolved in favor of a sequel hook—it would have made for a compelling fight, but on its own I don't think it's enough to sustain a second book, which I would nonetheless be interested in reading. Massive spoiler about the final fight: .
On the gentler side of details, I really loved the elaborate presentation of the underwater settings. Many are lovely, including one enclave that may be likened to a citywide work of art with a bustling economy. You could easily envision living here, and if not for the "we need to act now" nature of the story, I wouldn't have minded additional subplots showcasing and critiquing the unique characteristics of the various enclaves. I welcomed the author's understanding of the source material but grew a bit tired of being continually reminded that namarti don't have eyes. The book seems to go slightly too far out of its way to avoid easy comparisons to real-life animals: Fangmora are never referred to as eels, leviadons are rarely if ever referred to as turtles, allopexes aren't commonly referred to as sharks. This would speed up comprehension for people unfamiliar with the source material without significantly slowing down the story, and yet some animals are described as being "elephantine," whom I doubt the deepkin have seen very many of, or at least very frequently.
I think very highly of this book overall: Its audience will be inherently limited, but it knows that audience and caters to it at every turn. It needs some editing, and the omission of one subplot's resolution feels like more of a conspicuous absence than I think the reader was expected to notice, but otherwise, this was an excellent showcase for one of my favorite factions, who I hope continue to feature as heroes in future novels to come.
July 13, 2020
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The Age of Sigmar has been very hit and miss for me. The stories being told are usually very good, but they almost always assume the reader has an in-depth knowledge of this strange, utterly confusing fantasy world.
With the Court of the Blind King I was expecting to be all at sea as far as understanding things went. That fear nearly kept me from reading it. The thing that swayed me was a mixture of really liking the concept of sea elves and loving Guymer's work.
I can honestly say that, not only is this book a hit, but you can go into it with little knowledge of the world and not feel totally lost.
As I said, it's a complete hit. It's probably better than I thought it was as I gave it 5 out of 5 at a time where I'm experiencing a fantasy reading slump. My enthusiasm for fantasy has never been lower and yet I really enjoyed this.
You do get the occasional oddity where the author will say 'he grasped his when what he could have said was 'spear', but other than such instances it's pretty easy and enjoyable to follow along.
The main character, the on the run, fallen prince Lurien, is somewhat of a grey area. For those of you who play D&D, he's very 'Chaotic Neutral'. For those of you who don't play D&D he won't so much do anything overly bad, unless said bad thing benefits him in some way. He'll happily feel remorse for people dying yet, at the same time, cheerfully push someone to their death if they happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Lurien is very good at getting you to pull for him, only to have you sit there wondering just why you want him to succeed a couple of chapters later. The absolute epitomy of 'Devil may care attitude'. Bravo, David Guymer. You have written a character that is somewhat of a frustrating masterpiece.
The blurb is somewhat misleading when it claims it's a battle of the Deepkin vs Chaos. Chaos do feature, and Guymer writes them so well that I only wish they were in it more. In actual fact it feels more like 'Deepkin vs everybody who happens to be in stabbing range'. That may sound a bit meh, but it works wonderfully for anyone new to the setting of Age of Sigmar as you get introduced to a variety of factions whilst furthering the tale of Lurien and his plight.
I would recommend this for anyone interested in trying the Age of Sigmar setting and certainly to anyone that already enjoys this bizarre realm gate madness that they traded my beloved Old World for (shakes fist angrily at Black Library HQ).
The Age of Sigmar has been very hit and miss for me. The stories being told are usually very good, but they almost always assume the reader has an in-depth knowledge of this strange, utterly confusing fantasy world.
With the Court of the Blind King I was expecting to be all at sea as far as understanding things went. That fear nearly kept me from reading it. The thing that swayed me was a mixture of really liking the concept of sea elves and loving Guymer's work.
I can honestly say that, not only is this book a hit, but you can go into it with little knowledge of the world and not feel totally lost.
As I said, it's a complete hit. It's probably better than I thought it was as I gave it 5 out of 5 at a time where I'm experiencing a fantasy reading slump. My enthusiasm for fantasy has never been lower and yet I really enjoyed this.
You do get the occasional oddity where the author will say 'he grasped his when what he could have said was 'spear', but other than such instances it's pretty easy and enjoyable to follow along.
The main character, the on the run, fallen prince Lurien, is somewhat of a grey area. For those of you who play D&D, he's very 'Chaotic Neutral'. For those of you who don't play D&D he won't so much do anything overly bad, unless said bad thing benefits him in some way. He'll happily feel remorse for people dying yet, at the same time, cheerfully push someone to their death if they happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Lurien is very good at getting you to pull for him, only to have you sit there wondering just why you want him to succeed a couple of chapters later. The absolute epitomy of 'Devil may care attitude'. Bravo, David Guymer. You have written a character that is somewhat of a frustrating masterpiece.
The blurb is somewhat misleading when it claims it's a battle of the Deepkin vs Chaos. Chaos do feature, and Guymer writes them so well that I only wish they were in it more. In actual fact it feels more like 'Deepkin vs everybody who happens to be in stabbing range'. That may sound a bit meh, but it works wonderfully for anyone new to the setting of Age of Sigmar as you get introduced to a variety of factions whilst furthering the tale of Lurien and his plight.
I would recommend this for anyone interested in trying the Age of Sigmar setting and certainly to anyone that already enjoys this bizarre realm gate madness that they traded my beloved Old World for (shakes fist angrily at Black Library HQ).
July 19, 2020
Pros:
-one of the better AoS novels
-great world building
-inclusion of other factions
-amazing glimpse at Deepkin
Cons:
-took time to understand all the abilities of the Deepkin (and a little research)
-some names were a little too similar in spelling, which got a little confusing
-felt as though the main characters growth was contradictory to claims otherwise
-one of the better AoS novels
-great world building
-inclusion of other factions
-amazing glimpse at Deepkin
Cons:
-took time to understand all the abilities of the Deepkin (and a little research)
-some names were a little too similar in spelling, which got a little confusing
-felt as though the main characters growth was contradictory to claims otherwise
August 17, 2020
My favourite black library story so far, and I'm not even a deepkin player! Full of political machination and character growth, without the main character becoming anything close to truly good by the end. Every character and plot beat had a satisfying conclusion, and every choice sent ripples (pun intended) through the rest of the plot. Highly recommended!
April 28, 2020
A very straightforward and fast paced read of a young prince experiencing many trials to secure his throne. The characters are really antiheroes that are incredibly devious. The battles are cool! I hope we read about more of these characters in the future.
May 24, 2022
Неплохой инсайт в сообщество идонетов и подводный мир Гирана в целом. Пока читал было стойкое ощущение, что книга на самом деле выжимка из какого-нибудь большого омнибуса "Луриен, The Долбопринц". Мне кажется историю могли бы развернуть и побольше.
February 27, 2025
3.5 ⭐️
Look, it's a book where I can listen and Soyjack point whenever a unit i own is mentioned. Still, despite the lore inconsistencies with what it became, it's a fun read. I'd never recommend it to someone outside of a fellow Deepkin player, but for what it is, I enjoyed it.
Look, it's a book where I can listen and Soyjack point whenever a unit i own is mentioned. Still, despite the lore inconsistencies with what it became, it's a fun read. I'd never recommend it to someone outside of a fellow Deepkin player, but for what it is, I enjoyed it.
April 14, 2020
The Game of Thrones/Aquaman mashup I didn't know I needed. My favourite character died horribly but I pretty much expect that from Warhammer and Game of Thrones at this point.
April 30, 2021
Watch my spoiler-free review here: https://youtu.be/WegixzgnS-4
June 29, 2021
It was ok, a big dragged at times but still manageble. The author took some big liberties with Idoneth's lore, so take that as you will. Very unsatisying ending.
April 27, 2023
Read it if you love the faction on tabletop or lore but that’s really it
April 1, 2025
Aside from lore contradictions between Guymer's writing for the Idoneth and that of the Codexes, the protagonist Lurien is utterly irredeemable. You might be into that. If so, enjoy what I could not.
March 7, 2020
HBO, please make a series.
This was one of the best books I have ever read to come out of the Black Library. It was a mixture between Game of Thrones, Aquaman, and the Odysessy in all the best characterists I could describe. David Guymer has completely sold me on the Idoneth, and I honestly think they are one of the coolest, and most unique idea in all of Warhammer.
Lurien's journey to become a king was so rewarding, and satisfying that I simply could not put this book down.
This was one of the best books I have ever read to come out of the Black Library. It was a mixture between Game of Thrones, Aquaman, and the Odysessy in all the best characterists I could describe. David Guymer has completely sold me on the Idoneth, and I honestly think they are one of the coolest, and most unique idea in all of Warhammer.
Lurien's journey to become a king was so rewarding, and satisfying that I simply could not put this book down.
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July 26, 2020Court of the blind King is an Warhammer age of Sigamr book written by David Guymer. This is a very fast paced read of a young Prince and this throne. This seems like a very unquie story in the Warhammer world. Luriens jounery to become a king was very rewarding and satisfying. The water gave it an altlantis sort of feel. I really enjoyed this book. Thanks to Black Library and NetGalley for my ARC
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February 20, 2020Proofread
December 19, 2019
After the death of his mother, the spoiled and sheltered Prince Lurien naturally assumes that the throne of Briomdar will be his…right up until it’s taken from him. Escaping Briomdar with the unlikely assistance of a manipulative, ambitious namarti named Namaríel, he sets out in search of allies from distant enclaves, determined to take back what was his by right. To the isolated, suspicious Idoneth, however, Lurien is young and untested, and any offers of alliance come with steep prices.
A tale of power, privilege and intrigue amongst the dysfunctional aelven families of the Deepkin, it’s a smart vehicle for Guymer to examine the aquatic realms of the Idoneth, the murky waters of their twisted political alliances, and the sinister realities of life for these sensation-starved aelves. There’s a lot of unfamiliar terminology in use, which rewards at least a loose awareness of the complex Idoneth backstory and culture, but it’s consistently enjoyable to explore the wild variety of this fascinating race and its underwater environs. As a standalone exploration of the Idoneth way of life and how their history and environment has fundamentally shaped their character, this novel is genuinely excellent – just don’t necessarily expect to come away actually liking many of them.
Read the full review at https://www.trackofwords.com/2019/12/...
A tale of power, privilege and intrigue amongst the dysfunctional aelven families of the Deepkin, it’s a smart vehicle for Guymer to examine the aquatic realms of the Idoneth, the murky waters of their twisted political alliances, and the sinister realities of life for these sensation-starved aelves. There’s a lot of unfamiliar terminology in use, which rewards at least a loose awareness of the complex Idoneth backstory and culture, but it’s consistently enjoyable to explore the wild variety of this fascinating race and its underwater environs. As a standalone exploration of the Idoneth way of life and how their history and environment has fundamentally shaped their character, this novel is genuinely excellent – just don’t necessarily expect to come away actually liking many of them.
Read the full review at https://www.trackofwords.com/2019/12/...
January 19, 2026
Maybe closer to a 3.75 review. The writing was phenomenal for a story taking place at the bottom of the ocean. David Guymer is exceptional at describing complicated smells and chemical concoctions. My biggest issue was that the main characters party felt very forced. Some of it for plot reasons that I won't spoil so those were understandable but I others weren't necessary. Friend turned enemy to friend again with little attempt at making it make sense. The Final fight was awesome and the metaphors used throughout the story were excellent.
February 15, 2020
Without spoilers this book is an excellent character study, mood piece and world building exercise all in one go. The story did suffer a little bit from seemingly aimlessness but it was more than made up for by the other features listed. Yet what I loved about it all was the commitment to the theme of the Idoneth where everyone is a shit and keeps true to themselves as such.
May 19, 2024
There were too many strange names, which I couldn't connect to anything, that made me space out parts of the plot.
I also kept forgetting they're underwater due to elves having no physical characteristics to back that up. No gills, no fins, no finger webbing. Some of them are blind, but that's unrelated to water and doesn't seem to be an impairment.
So for a big portion of the book, whenever someone "moved forward" I'd imagine them walking instead of swimming. I think the language should've been adjusted to showcase their submersion a bit more obviously. Same goes for words like "forest". I forgot to visualize it as kelp.
Another reviewer said they had issues with physics and logistics of this sea world and yeah I can see that too. A lot of it seems to work *purely based on magic* and I didn't really expect so much pure high fantasy in a 40k universe. My bad, I guess?
The audiobook narrator was excellent. And I found the idea of Sea Elves and their underwater society pretty cool. Story was a bit basic on paper, but writing was definitely professional.
Overall, for a big-game-franchise type of book, it was pretty good. I'd read more.
I also kept forgetting they're underwater due to elves having no physical characteristics to back that up. No gills, no fins, no finger webbing. Some of them are blind, but that's unrelated to water and doesn't seem to be an impairment.
So for a big portion of the book, whenever someone "moved forward" I'd imagine them walking instead of swimming. I think the language should've been adjusted to showcase their submersion a bit more obviously. Same goes for words like "forest". I forgot to visualize it as kelp.
Another reviewer said they had issues with physics and logistics of this sea world and yeah I can see that too. A lot of it seems to work *purely based on magic* and I didn't really expect so much pure high fantasy in a 40k universe. My bad, I guess?
The audiobook narrator was excellent. And I found the idea of Sea Elves and their underwater society pretty cool. Story was a bit basic on paper, but writing was definitely professional.
Overall, for a big-game-franchise type of book, it was pretty good. I'd read more.
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