Witch Killer

Matthias Thulmann: Witch Hunter #3

by C.L. Werner

In the third novel of the series, witch hunter Mathias Thulmann continues his search for the forbidden tome Das Buch die Unholden. Trailing the thieves into the wildest reaches of the Empire, Thulmann and his murderous assistant Streng end up in a mysterious, isolated town. Can they find the book and escape before their souls are trapped for ever in this web of evil?

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Novels

256 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published December 26, 2006

Reviews

[Jason Ray Carney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great novel. So sad to finish this. I wish there were more Mathias Thulmann novels. This combines creepy "Old World" atmosphere with perfect pacing and enthralling action. The parts where the characters are investigating the conspiracy in town and tavern are just as intriguing as when the crisis comes to a head and bloody battle ensues. Compared to ths first two Thulmann novels, this one was my favorite. Thulmann is a Witch Hunter, the Warhammer Fantasy version of "Van Helsing" or Robert E. Howard's Puritanical zealot, "Solomon Kane." Thulmann is much more morally mutable and adaptable in this novel. In previous novels, he hews to his trope and is defined by his rigidity and single-mindedness. In this one, Thulmann's been humanized and is actually contrasted against insane uncompromising fanatics (on the one side) and unbelieving hypocrites (on the the other). Thulmann faces off against Skaven in this one. Werner has written a lot of Skaven fiction for the Black Library. He renders them perfectly here .

[Derek · Rating 3 out of 5]

The reader is left hanging: the B story of the vampire and necromancer look like they want to hook into a nonexistent fourth novel.

Thulmann leans hard on Solomon Kane for concept: a dour, Puritanical warrior in service to an uncompromising god (who at times feels like it wants to be a monotheistic God but isn't) in a world of corruption and evil. And boy, does the Warhammer universe have corruption and evil.

The advantage here is that Thulmann sticks to an urban or urban-outskirt setting, which hammers home (see what I did there?) the notions that the Chaos rot can be anywhere, that the menace is from all sources, and, frequently, that the forces of Law can be just as destructive to the ordinary schlemiel accidentally exposed to warpstone (or not) and caught in the middle. That Chaos may be a refuge to said schlemiel as the burn-it-out forces of Law come calling, or when some random armies crisscross the landscape, explains some of its appeal. To a schlemiel.

The story touches on this idea at the moment of Big Reveal, but that moment comes so late that the theme could not marinate and turn into yet another layer of horror in this grim, uncompromising world.

[NekroRider · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another 4.5/5 I think. There were a few chapters in the beginning that had me a bit worried the book would focus too much on characters I didn't much care about. But that changed, thankfully. Overall, I really enjoyed this series a lot, in particular for the setting, the mysterious occult atmosphere, and the main protagonists Mathias, Erhardt, and Streng. My onlyt criticism of the series overall is that I really didn't care about the Carandini/Gregor plotline past book 1. The Sebbuchai/Carandini plot was good for book 1, but it should have just ended there imo. I was a lot more interested in the plague doktor/Weichs plot line in book 2 and wish it would have just stayed focused on that. . I saw some reviews claiming that the end of this one didn't resolve anything. I don't really agree since it seemed to resolve the Buch die Unholden plot line at least potentially, as well as the Weichs and skaven plots. The only ones that weren't solved were Carandini/Gregor who I personally didn't care much about. That said, I think the endings of both book 2 and 3 were a bit disappointing just because I think they could have been less rushed and provided more of a feeling of closure. Plus I can't help feel the Weichs plot could have been so much bigger and more interesting than it ended up.

Anyways, I generally loved this series and wish there were more Mathias Thulmann books that developed things a bit more.

[Phillip Krzeminski · Rating 2 out of 5]

This last entry into the series is a bit of a mixed bag. It brings a lot of new elements into the overall story but is too ambitious for its page count…and as a result a lot of the carefully crafted groundwork of the first half are hastily discarded in an attempt to wrap up the story. Not sure if he was given a length requirement by the publisher, but both sequel books are much shorter than the first (359 vs ~200 pages) and it definitely shows here. The second book told a tighter and more contained story, so it worked, but this one attempts to set up a mystery and introduce new witch hunters and their retinues, setting up a powder keg tension/intrigue between all parties…that just fizzles out and is ignored for the second half in favor of a pretty lackluster battle and cliche resolution to the Weichs sub plot.

[Matthew Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyable dark fantasy. This is the third and last of CL Werner's Mathias Thulmann series, "Witch Killer" (following on from Witch Hunter & Witch Finder).

I've got to say, as a trilogy, this was a very evocative and at times chilling example of Warhammer Dark Fantasy at its best, particularly with a brave willingness to allow multiple foul plots and deeds to advance together, with often unexpected clashes, rather than simply have a good team vs a bad team.

Out of it all though, I was most impressed and intrigued by the Black Guardsmen of Morr, a Knightly Order dedicated to that Death-God, and protecting the sanctity of death - a wonderfully grabbing idea of how humans might respond in a world where it is relatively common knowledge that death often isn't the end.

[Peter Rybarczyk · Rating 3 out of 5]

Last book of Mathias Thulmann series. I love the open ending of this book but unfortunately, most of the plot in this book is worts than in the second one. It's less complicated, flatter. A big plus is a new, emotional background of the main character (it's flat, easy romanced flavored one but still it is, we can see that he can be hurt)
Well, in summary, if you read I & II part, read this one also. I no, don't bother with it.

[Daniel Stylianou · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s a good book but it doesn’t get five stars for the same reasons others give. It feels rushed at the end and it ends on a cliffhanger that looks never to be resolved.

Did Streng make it back to Mathias?
What happens with Das Buch Die Unholden?
What happens with Carandini and Gregor Klausner?

I know it’s highly unlikely CLW will go back to this series given that portions of it have been retconned by the retcon of Storm of Chaos but still! It feels very unsatisfactory to end the way it did.

[NerdyReader · Rating 3 out of 5]

The weakest in the trilogy...and it doesnt tie up loose ends. Felt very rushed towards the end.

[Berylek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Megaaaa
Tylko szkoda, że Werner zakończył to w ten sposób ;-;

[Sean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not bad final book in the series, still leaves a few unanswered questions at the end

[Maetco · Rating 4 out of 5]

The series takes a step back in its way of telling the story and the focus of the storytelling. Witch Hunter was a murder myster, a thriller, where the reader was trying to solve the "case" just as much as the protagonist. The second was far more action oriented and the reader more like an all-seeing observers. The third book has much action but its scale is smaller and style less like a Hollywood production. The reader in many ways knows more than the protagonist but still lacks the complete view. I liked the book. It has a fairly good story to tell and it tells it well and there are some really good plot twists. I have one big complain though. The ending clearly assumes that there will be a fourth book except we know there isn't and most like never will be since the first three were written one book per year and it has now been almost 9 years.

[Matt Kruse · Rating 3 out of 5]

While not as over the top as the second book in the series (Witch Finder), it just didn't quite click, though it was still a fun read. I think Werner still wanted to fit too many story lines together, meaning that parts of the book felt forced in order to remind the reader of activity taking place outside of the main arc.

[Biscuitz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and the others in the series, its fun, action packed, darkly humorous and overall a good read.