In the world of Warhammer, no race is as cruel and treacherous as the dark elves, and no member of this race is more infamous than Malus Darkblade. His soul taken forfeit by a daemon, Darkblade must now seek the legendary Warpsword of Khaine or be forever damned.
Mike Lee is an author, scriptwriter and game designer whose most recent credits include Fallen Angels, the latest installment in Black Library Publishing’s best-selling Horus Heresy series, and the dark fantasy epic Nagash the Sorcerer. Along with UK author Dan Abnett, Mike also wrote the five-volume Chronicles of Malus Darkblade, whose signature character has become a cult favorite among fans of Black Library’s Warhammer Fantasy fiction.
In addition to his novels, Mike’s scriptwriting credits include Tom Clancy’s HAWX, a game of near-future jet combat, and Splinter Cell: Conviction, the hit sequel to the popular Splinter Cell franchise published by Ubisoft Entertainment. He has also contributed to more than two dozen pen-and-paper role-playing games and supplements, including the award-winning Vampire: The Masquerade, Adventure!, Vampire: Dark Ages and Hunter: The Reckoning, published by White Wolf Games Studio.
An avid wargamer, history buff and devoted fan of two-fisted pulp adventure, Mike lives with his wife, artist JK Lee, and their family in the United States.
After fleeing his homeland, Malus Darkblade, the evil dark elf, reaches Har Ganeth, the City of Executioners, where a religious civil war has erupted drenching the streets with corpses and blood. No one is safe. And while fanatical wars and murder frenzy spreads across all the city, Malus tries to find a way to infiltrate the Vermilion Gate and recover the fourth relic necessary to reclaim his soul; the Warpsword of Khaine, a legendary sword said to consume the blood of its victims.
This was a highly entertaining and action packed sequel, although hardly the best of the series. The war between the Temple Loyalists and the Heretical Zealots provided ample room for a lot of evil scheming, treachery and endless blood splatter. The highlights of this installment being the battle in the Chaos Wastes , and the confrontation against the Chosen of Khaine Also really enjoyed the “friendship” between Malus and Hauclir . Their forced friendship and shared complicity was always highly enjoyable to watch, their partnership was just awesome, for two backstabbing pricks. In a way, it felt a lot like Tyrion & Bronn from GOT.
----------------------------------------------- PERSONAL NOTE: [2007] [407p] [Fantasy] [3.5] [Recommendable] -----------------------------------------------
Después de huir de su tierra natal, Malus Darkblade, el malvado elfo oscuro, llega a Har Ganeth, la Ciudad de los Verdugos, donde una guerra civil religiosa ha explotado empapando las calles de cadáveres y sangre. Nadie está a salvo. Y mientras la guerra fanática y el frenesí de muertes se esparce por toda la ciudad, Malus trata de hallar una forma de infiltrar la Puerta Bermellón y recuperar la cuarta reliquia necesaria para reclamar su alma; la Espada de Deformidad de Khaine, una legendaria espada que se dice consume la sangre de sus víctimas.
Esta fue una secuela altamente entretenida y cargada de acción, aunque difícilmente la mejor de la saga. La guerra entre los Leales del Tempo y los Fanáticos Heréticos proveyó de amplio lugar para mucha malvada maquinación, traición y derramamiento de sangre sin fin. Lo más destacable de esta entrega fueron la batalla en las Tierras del Caos , y la confrontación final contra los Elegidos de Khaine También disfruté mucho la “amistad” entre Malus y Hauclir; . Su forzada amistad y compartida complicidad fue siempre muy disfrutable de ver, y su alianza excelente, para ser dos malditos traicioneros. En cierta forma, se sintió mucho como Tyrion y Bronn de GOT.
----------------------------------------------- NOTA PERSONAL: [2007] [407p] [Fantasía] [3.5] [Recomendable] -----------------------------------------------
This is the 4th of 5 novels in the Malus Darkblade series. Unlike the previous novels, this one is mostly localized to one zone, the Khaine Temple City of Karond Kar. The main action focuses on the fighting between two factions, the Temple Loyalists and the Temple Zealots. Because of the narrow, claustrophobic setting and the faction infighting plot, this recalls Robert E. Howard's "Red Nails," a classic sword and sorcery story about internecine struggle in a giant temple city network. (I wouldn't be surprised if this was an homage to that). The other novels involved more quest wandering through Naggaroth (the dark elves horrible homeland), so this was surprising in structure. Malus' character is predictable and somewhat simplistic in personality: he's angry, he hates everyone, and he is driven ny selfish revenge. After four novels, there has been little change to the character. Maybe he gets more angry and bloodthirsty. Still, he continues to be fun as an evil protagonist in an evil world, but his static nature sometimes leaves the reader wanting something more.
Malus Darkblade is a Druchii(Dark Elf) warrior, even among the vile Druchii, Malus stands out among them in ruthlessness. Malus steals a map and learns of a secret hidden power ripe for the taking. Malevolent and ambitious Malus and his band of cut-throat warriors set off into the madness and horror of the chaos wastes. There Malus find the power only too late to realize the power is truly a curse. Possessed by a demon known as Tz'arkan, Malus is given a year to find five artifacts of great power or his soul will be forfeit.
Dan Abnett and Mike Lee are great authors on their own but together they have spun a tale filled with; madness, betrayal, darkness, violence, hopelessness, evil, patricide, horror, fratricide, slaughter, war, and prophecy. This is a great read filled with unbelievably powerful imagery, the stuff great nightmares are made of.
Cuarta entrega de cinco de la saga de Malus Darkblade. En esta, Malus se ve enredado en una lucha religiosa entre el Templo del Dios de los Asesinos, Khaine, y un grupúsculo cismático encabezado por su hermano Urial, con el fin de hacerse con la Espada de la Disformidad, una reliquia vinculada a una antigua profecía y el cuarto artefacto de los cinco que tiene que encontrar Malus para recuperar su alma de las garras del demonio Tzarkan.
En esta entrega la saga pierde fuelle, los autores se recrean demasiado en la sangre y la violencia, dejando de lado la trama: uno llega a aburrirse de tanta decapitación, tanto desmembramiento y tanta degollina a lo largo de más de trescientas páginas donde no sucede demasiado. Quiero saber como acaba la historia, pero creo que voy a descansar un poco antes de encarar el quinto (y final) volumen.
Currently rereading some of my old favourites as I await the resurrection of the Warhammer Fantasy universe via Warhammer The Old World... The Malus Darkblade novels were some of my earliest introductions to dark fantasy, and its twisted, malevolently compelling antihero is still one of my favourite characters in fiction...
"Even amongst the malevolent druchii (Dark Elves), Malus Darkblade's name lives in infamy for treachery and nefarious ambition. The fourth book in the series finds Malus a wanted outlaw with a price on his head, but at least in possession of three of the five artefacts needed to free the daemon T'zarkan, who holds Malus's soul in its grasp under threat of eternal damnation if he doesn't recover them all within a year. Now, he must find a way to claim the fourth, the Warpsword of Khaine, a weapon of unimaginable power supposedly hidden in the city of Har Ganeth, the druchii's holiest city, centre of worship to Khaine, the Bloody Handed God (the druchii god of war). But, as ever on Malus's quest, nothing is ever straightforward. Har Ganeth teeters on the verge of a holy war between two diametrically opposing sects of Khainites, forcing Malus to negotiate a labyrinth of church politics and religious fanaticism while T'zarkan's grip on him grows ever tighter..."
Like the previous books in the series, Warpsword fascinatingly delves into the backstory and lore of dark elf culture, in this case their religious practices (I always liked the question it poses, as to why would you build a temple and a holy city to commemorate a god whose truest place of worship is the battlefield?). The action sequences are some of my favourites (they were a big inspiration for writing certain chapters in my own novel From The Ashes), and as always, it's a pleasure when you get to the adaptations of the original graphic novel within the text. The Malus Darkblade series is among my favourite fantasy novels, but Warpsword and its sequel, Lord of Ruin, are the best IMO...
Definitely the weakest entry in the series thus far. The Malus Darkblade series has always had an intriguing plot, interesting characters, tons of twists of fate and surprising moments; this one mostly just has tons of blood and gore.
Despite being one of the longest novels in the series, Warpsword has probably the thinnest plot, since most of the novel consists of just fighting and slaughtering. Malus's kill count was already high but by the end of this it's off the charts. People are getting killed left and right in the book. So many people get killed it actually becomes bland. People are killed off casually without any drama, leaving the reader feeling completely disinterested.
None of the side characters that weren't already established in the series are very interesting either.
There is one thing I did like about this book however, and that is Malus's character development. In this novel you see him become more corrupted, twisted and transformed by the demon's touch. You see Malus become more deranged and desperate as his time runs short and he's haunted by fears of succumbing to the demon. He's trapped trying to balance his hunger for power and his fear of losing control, and it's this internal struggle that makes him a compelling character. That part of the book is good. I only wish there was more of that.
Continúan las aventuras en este cuarto tomo de la saga de Malus Dakblade pero desgraciadamente baja la calidad debido sobretodo a la falta de ritmo que tiene este libro. El autor se enrolla demasiado en luchas que parecen calcos una de las otras y emplea muchas páginas en ellas dejando de lado la mágnifica ambientación y personajes de la saga. Malus se encunetra ahora en una ciudad sitiada por fánaticos que siguen a su hermano Urial como si fuera un nuevo elegido. Lo mejor del libro es el asesino Arleth Vann, que vuelve al lado de Malus cuando este más lo necesita. A ver si la cosa remonta en el tomo final de la saga.
In Warpsword, Malus Darkblade murders and schemes his way to possessing a legendary sword which is prophesied to usher in an age of blood and ruin. Unlike the previous installments where the events took place in different locations, Warpsword mostly took place in one city. The story unfolds at a frantic pace and what ensued was mayhem and treacheries galore. Warpsword is full of twists and turns and the last 30 pages was especially satisfying and gave me a total shock. I give this book 4.5 out of 5 stars and it is the finest installment in the savage tale of Malus Darkblade yet.
Just as I expected, a great continuation of Malus' adventures. The sotry already suggested that he would be facing Urial, and dang, it was glorious and Malus had to find and fight his way out again. Also the mystery around the warpsword was pretty interesting too. Oh, and no spoilers, but Spite, Malus' only friends is still by his side which is so nice to see. Will continue with this series tomorrow I guess? Also Malus is bae, I love him.
I'm probably putting more thought into it than this deserves, but betrayal, murder and piles of skulls everywhere doesn't seem like an effective organizing principle for a society. It begs the question why one of the other factions in the Old World doesn't sweep in while the druchii are busy killing each other.
Amazingly different book to the previous ones. Begins twisting the narrative into a more interesting one, one which forces you to look back at the first books and realise that things have happened for a reason.
Malus sa tento raz zapletie do občianskej vojny, naháňa si bráchu a meč chaosu má nadosah. A ja som sa zase raz náramne bavil. I keď už cítim istú vyčerpanosť.
In all honesty I find the harrowing situations of Warhammer Protagonists to be rather over the top. No one has to go through as much pain as the focal points of these books.
My least favorite of the series, basically "Malus does political intrigue". The momentum of the series as a whole nearly grinds to a stop, which is disappointing especially after the buildup of events in the prior book.
It provides a lot of series lore and answers some questions brought up in previous books and there's plenty of action, but the "political intrigue" doesn't amount to much. In fact, it's pretty much entirely thrown out the last 50 pages - which is coincidentally the best part of the book.
But the worst offense is again caused from the 400 page quota. There's about 100-150 pages worth of material, tops, that matters to the overall series. You could probably skip this book entirely, honestly. It answers what happens to one of Malus's siblings, doesn't answer at all what happens to the other (and they're not even mentioned in the next book), and he gets the Warpsword (which of course he does). The rest is just meandering and repetitive.
This is the 4th book in the series, and in this book we see a little more of the frustration that plagues the main character, Malus Darkblade, as he continues to be manipulated by the demon that possesses him and his family. Even when he attempts to do things in a somewhat peaceful (for him) manner, he finds himself in situations where no choice is good and eventually everything leads to blood and destruction. This is a bloody, gory, and twisted tale of the "cruel warrior" who has no choice but to continue on his quest for the objects of power. There are several twists in this tale, particularly around the sword itself, and I think that some readers may miss the subtle way Dan Abnett weaves in the constant attempts by Malus to be a little less cruel and a little less full on evil. Malus is actually pitiable at times as his choices are constantly forced on him, his cruelty is rarely intentional, and though he is unapologetic about his role in his world, his evil ways are not always within his control.
This series is not for everyone, the blood, gore, evil, and even suggested incest (much more elaborated on in other books) are clear and evident from the very first pages. But if you are deep in the Warhammer universe, are a fan of the dark elves, or like me appreciate Dan Abnett's tight writing style, this may be the series for you. This book can be read alone, but it is better read in the series.
Tanto si habéis leído las reseñas de la saga como algún libro de la misma, a éstas alturas ya sabéis qué vais a encontraros: literatura sencilla con un protagonista bastante cabroncete ambientada en un mundo que giras una esquina y te atacan.
Porque en ésta novela he vuelta a notar los errores que me tiraron para atrás en el primer libro de la saga (igual no tan bestias, pero ahí están) y que no son otros que centrarse demasiado en las escenas de acción, y lo peor es que hay varias de ellas que sobran.
Pero bueno, con Malus es lo que hay, si se encuentra con unos niños fijo que son asesinos en serie que quieren su sangre al paso que va.
Dejando eso de lado, la trama no es tan chula como la del libro anterior, y eso que todo el trasfondo de la ciudad y del templo de Khaine está muy bien hecho, y le da el fondo que le faltaba a la saga.
Acción, mala leche, ambientación en una ciudad en guerra y las comidas de olla habituales del protagonista, eso es lo que hay aquí. Que está bien para pasar un rato? Sí, pero sólo lo recomendaría a los fans del mundo, o a los que disfruten con novelas que no tienen mucho donde rascar, de esas sencillas y directas.
Este es el cuarto libro de la saga de Malus y se puede notar una clara diferencia con respecto a los demás. El personaje en sí ha crecido, cosa buena en la historia, ya no se lanza cómo un loco contra el mundo, sino que piensa las cosas más que antes. Pero, a pesar de ello, la trama no es tan buena como los libros anteriores. Tenemos una idea clara de cómo funciona no sólo la ciudad donde se desarrolla la historia, sino también el templo de Khaine y la religión que domina a los druchii, pero hay puntos en los que se centra demasiado en el combate y deja cosas interesantes en el tintero.
Viendo así cómo va la historia, a un lo apetece disfrutar más con la relación entre Malus y el demonio, pero esta relación ha quedado relegada a un segundo plano, dejando solo un par de diálogos interesantes. Tz'arkan es un personaje con carácter y personalidad al que se le podría sacar mucho más, y no solo aparecer en los momentos más difíciles de la vida de Malus. Aún así, el libro te atrapa y te hace seguir leyendo, queriendo saber qué pasará y cómo terminará la historia del Azote.
Malus returns in the forth installment of his tale. This time he's looking for the Warpsword of Khaine but his half-brother Urial is already searching for it in Har Ganaeth, the City of Executioners. The city is full of fanatics who worship Khaine and are in a holy war against another group of worshipers. They are fighting over which way of worshipping Khaine and that Urial or Malekith is the Scourge who will take the Warpsword and begin an age of blood and death.
Great, awesome book! Not only it was a perfect tale of swords & sorcery, with non-stop violent action, bloody battles and demonic magic, but it also managed to offer some great thoughts about religion and how it dominates a society. It was also great to see how our Malus grows from a nasty little villain to a true dread lord... or should I say, Scourge! If you love dark elves and fantasy, you need to read this series!
I'm not much of a fantasy or WH guy, preferring SciFi and 40K, but I loved this book. Something about the near-comical dark tone common to the WH universe came out incredibly well. Maybe that's what I applaud most, making an inheritly evil, sadistic, murdering character likable enough to keep me fixed. Overall, an excellent and fun story.