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Time of Legends is Black Library's premiere fantasy series, which brings the history and legends of the Warhammer world alive. Empire follows up Heldenhammer, by Graham McNeill, with the story of the creation of the Empire in the Old World.
416 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published August 25, 2009
21 people are currently reading
378 people want to read
About the author
Graham McNeill
339 books907 followersHailing from Scotland, Graham McNeill narrowly escaped a career in surveying to work for Games Workshop as a games designer. He has a strong following with his novels Nightbringer, Warriors of Ultramar, Dead Sky, Black Sun and Storm of Iron.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
November 27, 2023
This was great, though not as good as the first novel, *Heldenhammer.* Its episodic nature might have suited a series of interconnected short stories better, but the writing remains excellent. The book features several interesting characters, though some lack vividness. It’s rich in Warhammer lore, with lots of allusions. For instance, seeing the first Runefang sword presented to Sigmar is a highlight for fans of Empire lore. However, I feel somewhat indifferent about the novel due to its repetitive aspects. It mainly consists of three large battles: quelling a recalcitrant tribe (eventually they become Marienburg), defeating a necromancer, and repelling an army of Norsii (Chaos warriors). Unlike in *Heldenhammer,* Sigmar doesn’t undergo significant character development. This novel feels more like an intermission, showcasing the best hits of the character rather than evolving him.
May 10, 2025
Not as good as the first one but still strong. Rather than a full coherent story, this one feels more like snippets or important moments throughout Sigmar’s reign of emperor.
Still good and has the same strengths as the first one.
Still good and has the same strengths as the first one.
May 11, 2018
A good middle book in the trilogy that seemed to start out a bit weak but picked up as it went on leading to a fantastic battle climax. Not that a book ending in a massive battle is unusual for Warhammer. It's kinda its whole thing after all. I liked the continuing development of Sigmar and I enjoy that he isn't some lily white paladin paragon of virtue and perfection. He makes mistakes, a lot of them really, but he never gives up or stops trying or loses faith in his people.
I see the path we are on with this story now thanks to that massive plot arrow pointing towards the future in the middle of this book and I am looking forward to seeing where this goes.
While I am currently also listening to Mechanicum also by Graham McNeill and not being the most enraptured by it, his voice and tone seem much more natural and flowing in this book. I am not entirely sure why that is but I have enjoyed his writing and have enjoyed this one and can only hope the other book will get better. At any rate I am anxious to see what the final book brings and then to move on to another part of the Old World.
I see the path we are on with this story now thanks to that massive plot arrow pointing towards the future in the middle of this book and I am looking forward to seeing where this goes.
While I am currently also listening to Mechanicum also by Graham McNeill and not being the most enraptured by it, his voice and tone seem much more natural and flowing in this book. I am not entirely sure why that is but I have enjoyed his writing and have enjoyed this one and can only hope the other book will get better. At any rate I am anxious to see what the final book brings and then to move on to another part of the Old World.
May 9, 2020
Empire is the sequel to the saga of Sigmar, and this novel won the David Gemmell award. I think the award is well deserved. Where the previous book (Heldenhammer) Sigmar was a young warrior with a heart full battle lust, in Empire we see a more mature Sigmar who tries to fill the role of the emperor. He made mistakes along the way and he paid for it. Sigmar's flaws made him feel more realistic than an archetypal hero. Aside from Sigmar, this book also features a cast of excellent supporting characters and I cared for them. I really liked the Berserker King, Myrsa, Wolfgart, Pendrak, and Redwane. The battle scenes are epic and vividly portrayed and while book's start was slow but the pace quickened rapidly and I found the book hard to put down. In comparison to Heldenhammer Empire has more stories and the characters have more depths. This is a fun read and I look forward to reading the concluding volume of the trilogy.
March 4, 2018
This one is tricky. Has some great parts, but overall feeling isn't that great. Even had some brakes in reading before finishing it. The main downgrade for me was word order in some sentences, sometimes it was hardly understandable. It felt like author was trying to use high vocab and word order where there could be used something simpler. It's full of epic battles and epic descriptions, and i missed more fast dialogues.
August 29, 2021
Dobrá kniha jako prostřední díl trilogie.
První díl této série jsem četl už před dávnou dobou, ale i tak jsem se byl schopen relativně rychle zorientovat v příběhu o Sigmarovi. Kniha mě bavila a její hrdinové si mě zcela získali, nicméně v ní byly určité pasáže, které mi moc neutíkali a měl jsem velkou touhu skákat v knize dál. Závěr knihy ovšem děj vygradoval a já se do něj naprosto a zcela ponořil.
7,5/10
První díl této série jsem četl už před dávnou dobou, ale i tak jsem se byl schopen relativně rychle zorientovat v příběhu o Sigmarovi. Kniha mě bavila a její hrdinové si mě zcela získali, nicméně v ní byly určité pasáže, které mi moc neutíkali a měl jsem velkou touhu skákat v knize dál. Závěr knihy ovšem děj vygradoval a já se do něj naprosto a zcela ponořil.
7,5/10
March 14, 2022
I liked this one, though I don’t think that I liked it quite as much as Heldenhammer. The different narratives don’t flow into each other too well, and some of them feel very abrupt and brief. Still though, I enjoyed this a lot overall, it’s nice to see the legendary character of Sigmar made so human and expanded on so well, and early days of the Empire is a very interesting setting and feels very different to the other Warhammer settings.
August 20, 2022
3.5
This one kept the tone and mixof pulp, grimdark, and heroic fantasy I'm here for, but it suffered a little in pacing and focus. The first book had a very clear plot from start to finish, this one seemed to spend the first half bouncing around a bit, more concerned with telling different events than welding them together effectively, making it a bit slower to get through. The final act was delightful however and was a great read.
This one kept the tone and mixof pulp, grimdark, and heroic fantasy I'm here for, but it suffered a little in pacing and focus. The first book had a very clear plot from start to finish, this one seemed to spend the first half bouncing around a bit, more concerned with telling different events than welding them together effectively, making it a bit slower to get through. The final act was delightful however and was a great read.
February 21, 2018
Good IInd book of this Sigmar Trilogy.
In this one we see Sigmar that must defeats his inner deamons and overcame the darkness of his soul.
Probably too many battles inside the book, each one is represented in a good way but there almost no interruption between one battle and the following ones.
In this one we see Sigmar that must defeats his inner deamons and overcame the darkness of his soul.
Probably too many battles inside the book, each one is represented in a good way but there almost no interruption between one battle and the following ones.
November 7, 2024
This book had some interesting pacing. It delivered a ton of action but not too much story and plot progression. I am fully aware that Warhammer is known for its action but it was not quite as tight as the first book. It does set up the thrid book nicely and it has potential to be an epic conclusion.
August 14, 2019
Meh, more of a two and a half. The exciting bits are exciting and the boring bits are boring. About 2/3 of the way through I almost stopped, until something interesting happened regarding a necromancer. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series because that introduces Nagash.
May 28, 2023
Such an exciting epic tale. Perfect Warhammer fantasy. I have always wanted to know what was behind the stories of Sigmar. This explains his epic fights and wars. When all things are lost being able to stand and fight. Great stuff.
July 6, 2019
BY SIGMAR, I JUDGE YOU ALL
November 30, 2020
Die Sage um Sigmar und das Imperium geht weiter und wird hier hervorragend beschrieben.
Dieses Buch ist auch wieder genial geschrieben.
Dieses Buch ist auch wieder genial geschrieben.
October 30, 2021
Sigmar is crowned Emperor.
June 1, 2023
Otra gran novela de la saga de Sigmar
July 8, 2025
Great story and great background to a mainstay character in the old world
December 1, 2012
Empire the Legend of Sigmar is the heroic sequel to the best selling book The Legend of Sigmar. The book continues the quest of sigmar to unite man in a world full of death, beasts, and mythical creatures. The genre of the book is conceriderd to be Fantasy. The author of the book Graham McNeill published by the black library does a great job portraying the heroes feelings and actions. Graham McNeill has been an author for the black library for many years now and has been a very popular and successful one. McNeill has written many books that all have to do with Warhammer. Warhammer is a fantasy board game in witch heroes are selected as pieces on a board. Sigmar is one of these heroes and this book is part of Sigmar's legacy. The Sigmar series has been one of his most widely read books written by McNeill. The book starts off with a war against another kind. Emperor Sigmar captures this kingdom and expands his empire. As the book goes on Sigmar faces many different evils. With temptation and overcoming of evil he gets his empire ready for the battle of his time. The Nosic are raiders from the north and plan to destroy the newly founded empire. With courage and hope Sigmar and his men stand firm and withhold the destruction. Throughout the book it gave me mixed feelings. As always McNeill does a fantastic job portraying the heroes as gods among their people. The characters are always well liked by the reader. The book is set in a higher level of understanding but is written in a way that it is easy to understand every detail and paints the perfect picture that the reader in looking for. The book was a very interesting story. I enjoyed reading it very much. Their wasn’t one part of the book where I was bored. I would give the book 10 out of 10. By far the best book I have read. I would only suggest this book to readers who enjoy bloody battles and heroic tales.
July 29, 2014
Lesser follow up to Heldenhammer
In the aftermath of Black Fire Pass Sigmar forges the Empire but all is not well. The Beastmen of the Forests and the agents of Chaos still plague the land. Ancient Evil with the power over death is waking and in the lands of the North the Norsca, seething with vengeance, have united under Cormac Bloodaxe and Azazel drawing the forces of Chaos to them, preparing to invade the fledgling Empire. When they strike the fate of Sigmars empire will be decided beneath the walls of Middenheim...
Less focused than Heldenhammer as it has to set up both the immediate invasion of Chaos and the forthcoming war with Nagash, it failed to strike the same cord as it predecessor. We get to see part of the darker side of Sigmar, which is nice, but the story seemingly bogs down with the need to throw in a battle every 50 pages or so. As a result the Siege of Middenheim is given short shift and comes across as underwhelming. Worse in my opinion, is that towards the end, in order to raise the stakes are heroes are assaulted with that old Fantasy crutch I like to call "Bullshit Magic". Not as egregious as in The Rise of Nagash Trilogy but still enough to jerk me out of the novel (the bit where, somehow, some of the Udose warriors defending Middenheim are transformed into monsters was particularly jarring). Maybe its buried somewhere in the lore of the tabletop game, unplayed by me, but this series needs to lay out the ground rules when it comes to magic.
In the aftermath of Black Fire Pass Sigmar forges the Empire but all is not well. The Beastmen of the Forests and the agents of Chaos still plague the land. Ancient Evil with the power over death is waking and in the lands of the North the Norsca, seething with vengeance, have united under Cormac Bloodaxe and Azazel drawing the forces of Chaos to them, preparing to invade the fledgling Empire. When they strike the fate of Sigmars empire will be decided beneath the walls of Middenheim...
Less focused than Heldenhammer as it has to set up both the immediate invasion of Chaos and the forthcoming war with Nagash, it failed to strike the same cord as it predecessor. We get to see part of the darker side of Sigmar, which is nice, but the story seemingly bogs down with the need to throw in a battle every 50 pages or so. As a result the Siege of Middenheim is given short shift and comes across as underwhelming. Worse in my opinion, is that towards the end, in order to raise the stakes are heroes are assaulted with that old Fantasy crutch I like to call "Bullshit Magic". Not as egregious as in The Rise of Nagash Trilogy but still enough to jerk me out of the novel (the bit where, somehow, some of the Udose warriors defending Middenheim are transformed into monsters was particularly jarring). Maybe its buried somewhere in the lore of the tabletop game, unplayed by me, but this series needs to lay out the ground rules when it comes to magic.
July 6, 2010
This is the second book about Sigmar Heldenhammer. In the first book, Sigmar unites all of the tribes of humans under one banner, in this book he is crowned Emperor and must keep his fledgling empire from splitting apart.
I gotta say, the beginning of this book was a bit, "oh no! theres something terrible happening!" So Sigmar rides in with his trusty sword-brethren and after a terrific fight, comes out victorious! This happens 2-3 times before the story changes, and thats when the book becomes interesting.
Sigmar is tempted by the gods of Chaos and almost succumbs to their temptations, but it isn't until the last battle where the book really shines. This battle is written very well. It is visceral, and I could totally envision what was happening in my head as if I were watching a movie of what Mr. McNiell had written.
I been kinda down on some of McNiell's other books. They were, in my opinion, over complicated for what is essentially pulp fiction, but this one is different. There were two many plots, and they were written tight enough so that I didn't have to use a pen and paper to keep track of where each of the characters were.
Even though it was kinda repetitive in the beginning, I still give this book four skulls split by Ghal-Maraz out of five.
I gotta say, the beginning of this book was a bit, "oh no! theres something terrible happening!" So Sigmar rides in with his trusty sword-brethren and after a terrific fight, comes out victorious! This happens 2-3 times before the story changes, and thats when the book becomes interesting.
Sigmar is tempted by the gods of Chaos and almost succumbs to their temptations, but it isn't until the last battle where the book really shines. This battle is written very well. It is visceral, and I could totally envision what was happening in my head as if I were watching a movie of what Mr. McNiell had written.
I been kinda down on some of McNiell's other books. They were, in my opinion, over complicated for what is essentially pulp fiction, but this one is different. There were two many plots, and they were written tight enough so that I didn't have to use a pen and paper to keep track of where each of the characters were.
Even though it was kinda repetitive in the beginning, I still give this book four skulls split by Ghal-Maraz out of five.
February 10, 2013
The first book of the Sigmar Trilogy chronicled the founding of the empire. This second book deals with something even more challenging, managing and defending that empire.
Sigmar has realized his dream, he has forged an Empire of Man, brought together all the disparate tribes under his rule. Not everyone is happy about this however, most notably the Norsii. The Norsii are savage barbarians that Sigmar drove from his lands, and they want vengeance.
There are quite a few story threads going on in this book, which keeps the pace moving at a brisk clip. Sigmar has to deal a foul plague that has fallen on the Endals, he has to bring the Jutones, the last holdouts, into his tribe. After that Sigmar has to face off against a necromancer that has been bringing back the dead, Counts that are at each other's throats, and finally the Norsii invasion of his Empire.
Plenty of action, great characters. Looking forward to the finale.
Sigmar has realized his dream, he has forged an Empire of Man, brought together all the disparate tribes under his rule. Not everyone is happy about this however, most notably the Norsii. The Norsii are savage barbarians that Sigmar drove from his lands, and they want vengeance.
There are quite a few story threads going on in this book, which keeps the pace moving at a brisk clip. Sigmar has to deal a foul plague that has fallen on the Endals, he has to bring the Jutones, the last holdouts, into his tribe. After that Sigmar has to face off against a necromancer that has been bringing back the dead, Counts that are at each other's throats, and finally the Norsii invasion of his Empire.
Plenty of action, great characters. Looking forward to the finale.
March 28, 2013
This continues the story of Sigmar and the building of the human empire. The time period the book covers is consumed with war. Sigmar must face large armies of orcs, beastmen, Norsii, demons, skaven, and a necromancer, not to mention the struggles that threaten the empire from the inside. Sigmar has darker moments in this book. The descriptions of the battles are perfect; there is detail to the point that you can see what McNeill is describing, but it is not overdone. Definitely an exciting and bloody book! It is like reading about the old European tribes fighting for control, with a some bloody gods, magic, a dwarves added in. I'm itching to start the final book in the trilogy!
May 9, 2012
Opening With Sigmar being crowned emperor after the battle of Black Fire Pass. Sigmar then leads his army north to persuade King Marius of the Jutones to join the empire. Sigmar's inner darkness is seen when he almost allows the Jutones destruction.
Meanwhile Norsii raiders have come to the lands of the empire, and they are killing and burning everything in their path. Events lead to the raiders laying siege to the city of Middenheim where Sigmar and his human army with the aid of a Dwarven host defend Middenheim from destruction.
Meanwhile Norsii raiders have come to the lands of the empire, and they are killing and burning everything in their path. Events lead to the raiders laying siege to the city of Middenheim where Sigmar and his human army with the aid of a Dwarven host defend Middenheim from destruction.
September 11, 2014
The second instalment in the Sigmar Trilogy is nearly cover to cover full of epic battles. The story picks up after Sigmar establishes his Empire. The newly forged Empire must now endure attacks from within and, most notably, without in the form of a Chaos invasion of unprecedented size. New characters are introduced and old favourites fall heroically. One thing the reader will realize, though, is that nothing bad can happen to Sigmar who seems to be this strange blend of Captain America and Jesus Christ.
February 7, 2012
Graham McNeill has truly captured the raw essence of Sigmar in this the second novel of the series. Empire takes us through a darker chapter of Sigmar's life, forcing him to face his rage and passion for conquest in a harsher light. McNeill unleashes his talent into this scene masterfully further proving Black Library's teams's right to belong beside the great science fiction fantasy writers of today.
December 6, 2012
I could repeat my review from the previous book - Heldenhammer. I would recommend this to anyone who likes the fantasy fiction genre. There is certainly plenty to enjoy with the book with the only downside being the predictability of the story and a feeling of deja vu whenever a battle or confrontation occurs.
Good book and I enjoyed reading it.
Good book and I enjoyed reading it.
March 24, 2016
Although I found it better than the previous book in the series, it’s still a tedious read. The book felt boring with repetitive battle every few pages. The only part I did enjoy was the dark side of Sigmar. At this point I am ready to drop the series as it’s not providing anything in terms of plotting or intrigue. Don' expect much from the author at this point.
October 19, 2009
This is my favorite Warhammer book filled with love and betraly. And Deamons and who doesn't like deamons
December 30, 2011
Entertaining if a bit uneven and predictable.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews