God King

Time of Legends: The Legend of Sigmar #3

by Graham McNeill

God-King concludes the story of Sigmar's development from clan leader to God-King - this time fighting an undead army that threatens the fragile unity of his Empire

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Novels, Sword and Sorcery, Epic Fantasy

416 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published December 28, 2010

About the author

Hailing 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.

Reviews

[Conan The Librarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Épico final de esta excelente historia.

[Eric Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

A well written conclusion to the saga of the rise of Sigmar in the Old World. I think the title is a bit misleading but the fight between the forces of the empire and the undead legions of Nagash is handled pretty well in my opinion. Humans at this point in Warhammer history were just not prepared to deal with armies of the dead on the scale that Nagash can bring forth. They were barely able to deal with the armies of the vampire lords a thousand years later so its no surprise that Nagash just runs roughshod over everyone until reaching the heart of the Empire.
My only complaint is i would think Nagash is a bit smarter than this but he was never really a general and has had the last millennia or so to become even more arrogant than he was before. Knowing Nagash that's a pretty epic level of arrogance.
Anyhow I enjoyed it just fine and its a good conclusion to the trilogy.

[Jason Ray Carney · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was quite entertaining--an epic tale of an Empire of Life locked in struggle with an Army of Death. It expands the Warhammer Fantasy ("Old World") lore, particularly the character arc of Sigmar, the first Emperor; in this way, its appeal depends largely on prior familiarity. If you know who Sigmar is, what he accomplished, and how this saga concludes (with Nagash’s defeat), you will likely enjoy it. If you aren’t invested in Warhammer lore just yet, you might prefer something less reliant on mythological backstory.

To some extent, the characters feel flat. This is because the novel is, at heart, the dramatization of a myth. Despite attempts to render Sigmar as a dynamic figure, he remains less a man than a symbol--static, monumental, made of marble. He has moments of psychological interest, but for the most part he embodies consistency rather than contradiction. In Freudian terms, he is libido channeled toward construction and preservation, while Nagash embodies the death drive, Thanatos, the impulse toward dissolution and return to nothingness. Their final philosophical exchange, staged against the clash of the living and the undead, dramatizes this confrontation between the instinct for life and the compulsion toward death. Honestly, that moment alone was worth the price of entry.

I especially enjoyed the early vampires. Khalid al-Muntasir, in particular, proved to be surprisingly compelling. The depictions of Nagash were properly sublime, conveying both dread and grandeur. Among the vast cast, Alaric the Mad and the two smiths (father and son), intent on reverse-engineering dwarfish engineering, stood out. Others, however, felt underdeveloped: Alfgeir, Sigmar’s close friend and chosen of Ulric, was enjoyable but ultimately little more than the archetype of the angry Germanic warrior.

That said, I’m glad I read this. At times, I did find myself yawning; before the climactic battle I was metaphorically checking my watch, but I definitely sat forward for the last sixty pages of so. Perhaps this was inevitable: if you know Warhammer lore, you know from the outset who must triumph. Still--For Sigmar!

Note: this is the third in a trilogy, with the first two being Heldenhammer followed by Empire, both by Graham McNeil.

[Pinecone · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first Warhammer book and most likely not the last, Graham McNeill makes a fantasy seem more human and organic and brings the stories to their best lights. Highly recommended as a standalone book even!

(Spoilers) I'm very pleased with the way it turned out. The battles are very visual and despite Sigmar being almost unbeatable the author gives a great view of his humility and his earthly feelings reminding us that he is a mortal soul. Sigmar honouring the dead on the hill of warriors a day before the battle of River Reik put in a lot of emotion to the story and a likeness for the people he fought alongside like Alric the dwarf who lost an arm to an undead champion. The feeling that Sigmar brings to the unity of the clans and even the atmosphere and weathering as the battle goes on gives of the determination and grit each warrior grimaced through.

[Martin Zoul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Třetí díl série se nese ve znamení prvních dvou, opět se objeví velký nepřítel, kterého je potřeba skolit v grandiózní bitvě, aby říše byla v bezpečí.

Nicméně tato kniha má pár věcí, co první dva díly neměli. Jednou z těch věcí je samotné rozložení děje, autor dobře střídá příběhové linky různých postav tak, že vám Sigmar nepřijde jako hlavní postava, ale spíše jako někdo, kdo se kolem děje občas mihne a to podle mě umocnilo čtivost knihy. Dále bylo pár překvapivých(pro mě) zvratů, viz děti.

Trochu mě mrzí, že jedno svinstvo z tohoto dílu zůstalo nepotrestáno( hrabě x hrabě x sestra) a také, že jsem nedostal odpověď na otázku, kterou čekám již od prvního dílu a to odpověď na problém s Gerreonem.

Hodnotím toto skvělé zakončení série 9,5/10.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

God King wraps up the trilogy of emperor Sigmar. This book is very battle focused, especially in the second half. The story has multiple POV characters and I wished the character developments were meatier. I do think the battle scenes in this book got a little in the way of storytelling and characterization, but the book was still a lot of fun to read. In my opinion the book left one too many loose ending to be a satisfactory conclusion but the final confrontation between Sigmar and Nagash was epic and memorable. All in all God King is a good book and I think the trilogy as a whole is an excellent entry point to the grim and dark world of Warhammer fantasy.

[Artem Z · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was good but the lack of a final confrontation between Sigmar and Gerreon/Azazel was disapointing . The latter was a major villain in the first 2 books and he and Sigmar wanted to kill each other yet they never even meet in battle. Another disapointment was the fact that this series does not include Sigmar's battle with the Everchosen of chaos, something i really wanted to see. The Everchosen is even introduced as a boy, yet there is no fourth book where his invasion happens(which presumably happened when Sigmar was an old man)

[Erik · Rating 3 out of 5]

Surprisingly, this was my least favorite in this trilogy. By no means bad, but it just didn't feel like the writing punched in the same way as the first 2. The big battle at the end just didn't read too exciting to me and I wanted more emotion out of the epilogue. Did love the biblical inspiration of Nagash tempting Sigmar much like the devil doing to Jesus up on the mountain though. Mixed bag, but as a whole I had a lot of fun with this series and it was good to finish it after 16 years or whatever

[Craig Schorling · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book wastes no time getting to it. All the characters that we have spent time with in the previous books are here and get moments to take center stage. Sigmar is actually kept on the sidelines for a good amount of this book. The action is non stop and engaging throughout. I wish some story threads had been fleshed out and wrapped up better like Marika and Marius and Al Muntasir but this was a good conclusion to a dark fantasy trilogy that I quite enjoyed.

[Jordan Reed · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have finished it!! It was a fun romp following the events that started the empire. Of course I enjoyed the humans fighting against Nagash and the undead as a whole. I know this is a trilogy but the beginning setup I felt was setting up for a fourth book. The threads from the opening never go anywhere, though of course I am familiar with the lore to know what they were refereeing too. In all honesty I think my favorite was the first of the books.

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was a good tie up of the trilogy while leaving future alleys that the author could take us if he were to finish. Fun but overall it was a bit monotonous in how McNeill sets up the scene just for Sigmar to win but just barely. I didnt find myself strongly feeling one way or another about the hero's success by the end. The side characters were more entertaining.

[Tony · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great last book in a series. It is exciting and intriguing, right from the beginning. The enemies/baddies just seem invincible and all powerful. You just despair for all hope for the goodies.
Then the story slowly unfolds and you enjoy the heroics and '7th Cavalry' moments.
Great characters and descriptions of the different nations, cities and lands.

[Niccolò Ceresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

The worst of the trilogy.

it is still a useful book, providing good informations about a lot of important future facts but all the several subplots are messy and badly connected, also sometimes are even interrupted abruptly.

[Thom · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this one. I feel like the move away from Sigmar as a main character sort of works as he grows to god-like status, and the use of Nagash and the undead is excellent. While I think some characters from earlier deserved a slightly more detailed conclusion, it was good overall.

[Emre Gülen · Rating 4 out of 5]

FOR SIGMAR AND THE EMPIRE.

[Kenneth · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Empire faces the undead from all sides.

[Dan Marriott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rally, people of the Empire! Rally to me and fight!

[Matthew Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very fun finish to an enjoyable trilogy.

[Stefan Koepeknie · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the great Old School Warhammers.

[Sean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice end to the trilogy

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

After chasing the Norsi back to their Northern homeland Sigmar returns to Reikdorf in time to face a new threat, the return of Nagash who has used his dark magic to raise armies of the dead across the Empire in a war that will lead to the climatic Battle of the River Reik where the fate of the world will be decided.

Decent if straight forward fantasy here. Some decent battle scenes and a mostly satisfying conclusion to the trilogy. However the book contains more than its share of filler (the opening battle in Norsca and Azazels escape, along with the entire Jutonsryk/Marberg plotline that begins only tangentially connected to the story and is abruptly dropped in the third act). It also irked me that, well we're on the subject of Jutonsryk, that that entire bit hangs on a character dismissing what should be for this world perfectly valid information (meaning an Armada of the Undead).

Despite its flaws it is enjoyable and Sigmar remains a much more engaging protagonist in this trilogy than Nagash ever was in his. Fantasy and Warhammer fans should be happy with it.

[Luke Nyland · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, but I'll agree with some of the other reviewers that it took a bit more of an effort to read than the previous two. Others have put this down to the switching of POVs, but I didn't mind that too much. I think the thing that weighed me down was the similarity of the obstacles throughout the book. In the previous ones, there were different kinds of opponents for Sigmar to face, as well as a number of social/political problems to deal with. In this book, there's a common enemy throughout the land, with (comparatively) little room for anything more than fighting for survival.

Like the other books in the series, God King was excellently written, and I think Graham McNeill has done an amazing job of bringing the character of Sigmar to life. The founding of the Empire is a particular interest of mine, and as far as I'm concerned the Sigmar trilogy has more than met any expectation I had.

[Traci Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok, I struggled through this book more than the previous 2. I couldn't figure out why it wasn't holding my interest as much, then it dawned on me. McNeill jumps around between several POV, and it just made things confusing. The chapter would end and I would be SO EXCITED about what was going to happen, then some other story arc starts. After awhile, I just didn't care what was happening to ANYONE anymore. Also, I would have liked a bit more of an ending. The ENTIRE book, humans are one step away from being wiped from this planet, and the book ends with a quick tie-up of loose ends. I am reading the omnibus, so I still have a quick short story to read. But that doesn't help those who read the standalone book.

For the record, I did still enjoy this book, just not as much as the previous 2. There are epic battles, and the Empire Sigmar built is really tested. I was just a bit let down by the end after hundreds of pages of constant build-up.

[Marc · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent read, though it didn't really wrap anything up considering it was the last book of a trilogy. At times the writing was cliche and predictable ("he fought like a hero of old") and there were too many near-brushes with death that some of the characters had which dulled the drama that these secondary characters might actually not make it. (We obviously know Sigmar will live, but his supporting cast should be a bit more human).

Also, Graham then attributes some supernatural powers to Sigmar, some of which the protagonist is unaware of himself. The climatic battle with Nagash is also a bit rote, as he's felled by one last strike before he himself was almost struck down. And again, like many recent BL works, the title is a bit of a misnomer except for the very latter part of the book (with little buildup to that point).

[Matthew Dame-Brusie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Graham Mcneill has come a long way as an author, and this is damn good evidence of it. to be hionest there are times when I find myself cmparing him to Dan Abnett( whom I consider the best in this field), and not all that unfavorably. In general I like when authors use game material as a starting point but not as the only way things are. And Mcneill has gotten better about not just putting his latest game into a book, but there still were a few times when I want his imagination to run wild and come at me with things I am not expecting or with new monsters or bizarrre creations or what have you!I really enjoyed this book, but I do kind of feel like it should have been expanded and cut into two parts.
still great ending to the trilogy.
I amn curious as to what he will right next

[Michael Alexander · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since founding his Empire, Sigmar has faced pretty much non-stop challenges. None of them compare to what he has to face in the final book of the trilogy. Nagash, necromancer and lord of the undead has returned and he's determined to lay waste to Sigmar's Empire. Just like the other 2 books, this one is filled with action and battles. The undead are rising all over the empire, and nowhere is safe. Every corner of the Empire, from Jutonsryk to Middenheim is under siege and the fighting is intense.
While the book wraps up the trilogy rather nicely, it also leaves quite a few number of plot threads open. What happened with Azazel, or Alfgeir for that matter? Hopefully we'll see more stories in the future.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I understand the frustration that some other reviewers have expressed over the lack of closure regarding the ongoing conflict between Sigmar and Gerreon/Azazel, as that had been the ongoing focus of the first two books in the trilogy. However, even with a plot that seemed to be mostly unrelated to what I was expecting after reading the first two books, and even the first chapter of God King, this book did manage to keep my interest, and if you are a fan of Graham McNeill's work or fantasy novels in general, than this book will make for a good read.

[Adrian Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this finale better than the first two books. Looking at the defence of the Empire through more eyes than just Sigmar's gave the book a greater depth and feeling of epic scale. In the last book, with Nagash's Crown all but destroying Sigmar, I'd kind of had enough of him, to be honest. The different perspectives, therefore, breathed new life into the story. Well worth finishing this trilogy if you're still in on it after the second book.

[Dean Christie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading thus book it was an really easy read for me but the only down side to it was the way that Graham moved from one plot and character to the next. all granted that the story was great the fights were epic but it kept flip flopping from one story to the next and it left a few of the plot lines unfinished.
but I still enjoyed it immensely.

[A.J Ito · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is the better possible ending for this trilogy, an epic final battle, not for the freedom or victory, but for the right of living. I liked a lot the story and im quite impressed about the way that the author doesn't make a book FULL of battle and blood and suffer, boring, i mean, litteraly three quarters of the story are battle, it's just awsome.