Track of Words

QUICK REVIEW : With Ice and Sword – Graham McNeill

While it’s perhaps surprising that the short story With Ice and Sword is Graham McNeill’s only contribution to the End Times series, it’s no surprise to see him involved in some way. Here he draws upon characters from his Ambassador Chronicles novels as he tells a tale of Kislev’s final days, as a ragged band of survivors reach the shelter provided by the Ice Queen and her remaining forces. Vast numbers of beastmen are drawing close even as the Kislevites reach the ruins of Erengrad and a potential lifeline.

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QUICK REVIEW : The Siege of Naggarond – SP Cawkwell

In typical Black Library fashion, the End Times series of novels now gets a range of supplementary short stories, filling in some of the gaps left by the books. Set immediately prior to the events of The Curse of Khaine, SP Cawkwell’s short story The Siege of Naggarond details the Chaos assault on the druchii city, led by Valkia the Bloody. After the destruction of one of the northern watchtowers, a single elf survives to carry a warning back to Naggarond, where Kouran Darkhand waits to lead the defence of the city in Malekith’s absence. Keep reading…

The Lord of the End Times – Josh Reynolds

The fifth Black Library novel to accompany the Warhammer End Times background books, Josh Reynolds’ The Lord of the End Times finishes the series off on a high note, as the events of the End Times reach their inevitable conclusion. It follows the few remaining mortal heroes as they battle to survive against the endless hordes of Archaon, harnessing their powers and attempting to work together despite age-old grievances. From the streets of Middenheim to the glades of Athel Loren and back again, the Incarnates and their allies fight not just for their own survival, but for that of the world itself. As this is the End Times, things look bleak. Keep reading…

Warhammer : The End Times – Archaon

Five books in, and the End Times are well and truly here for the Warhammer world. The latest in the series of background books, Archaon sees the forces of Chaos poised to finally triumph over all else. Nations and races are crushed and scattered, with only a handful of heroes remaining to stand against Archaon and his armies – Karl Franz has rallied what remains of the Empire at Averheim, supported by a handful of remaining Bretonnians and dwarfs, while the elves battle to keep Athel Loren free of taint from within and without. Even Nagash is assailed on multiple fronts. Things look bleak for the world.

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Gotrek & Felix: Kinslayer – David Guymer

The longest-running series of Warhammer novels by far, the Gotrek and Felix series reaches novel number sixteen with David Guymer’s Kinslayer, book one of The Doom of Gotrek Gurnisson. Returning to the ‘nounslayer’ style books and set a year after Nathan Long’s Zombieslayer, we see Felix dragged from a quiet life in Altdorf by the appearance of the vampire Ulrika to help rescue the wizard Max Schreiber, who has been kidnapped by the Troll King and imprisoned in the enemy-held city of Praag. With his loyalties torn between helping Max and being with his frail wife Kat, and still struggling to deal with his feelings for Ulrika, Felix finds himself back in his old life of adventuring once again, and soon reunites with more familiar faces than just Ulrika.

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The Rise of the Horned Rat – Guy Haley

The Warhammer End Times series of novels gets its 4th instalment with Guy Haley’s The Rise of the Horned Rat, accompanying the Thanquol background book and exploring the skaven’s involvement in the series. In a similar way to The Fall of Altdorf this avoids trying to cover everything that happens in the background book, instead focusing on the ratmen’s all-out assault on the dwarfs. Queek Headtaker returns to the war-torn Karak Eight Peaks to finally cast out his great rivals, Skarsnik and King Belegar, while the all across their realm the dwarfs see only darkness and death. In the shadows, pulling strings, lurk the daemonic Verminlords.

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Thank you Terry Pratchett

For as long as I can remember having a favourite author, it’s been Terry Pratchett; even if everything else changes, that one thing is going to remain the same. Some of the first books I can remember reading were the Bromeliad Trilogy – Truckers, Diggers, and Wings – and then as soon as I read The Colour of Magic, it was turtles all the way for me. Ever since Jingo in 1997 (when I was 14) I’ve bought each new Discworld book in hardback as soon as it’s been released, and I’ve devoured everything he has written the minute I’ve got my hands on it.

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Warhammer : The End Times – Thanquol

For the fourth Warhammer End Times background book, the focus is on the skaven as they attempt to put aside their traditional backstabbing and double-dealing, and work together for once. Emerging from their tunnels all across the world, they lay siege to the lizardmen cities of Lustria, the remaining cities of the Empire and the scattered dwarf holds in the mountains. In typical skaven fashion however, things don’t turn out to be so simple; the grey seers are in disgrace, Verminlords are getting personally involved in the various plots and plans, and both the dwarfs and lizardmen are determined to make the skaven pay for every victory.

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QUICK REVIEW – Tallarn : Witness – John French

Beginning with the first novella Tallarn : Executioner, the story of the Battle of Tallarn has developed into a mini-series of its own within the Horus Heresy, with John French’s micro-short Tallarn : Witness capping everything off. Set in the aftermath of the battle’s conclusion, it sees the new governor of Tallarn surveying the desolate surface of his world from the bridge of a Titan, and considering the cost that the victors have paid for their success.

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Warhammer : The End Times – Khaine

Following the template laid down in the the Nagash and Glottkin books, the third in the series of Warhammer End Times background books is Khaine, which unsurprisingly focuses on the fate of the elves during the End Times. A new chapter in a story thousands of years in the making, it sees the three elven races drawn back together in a battle for the soul of their combined race. The elven gods play out their own battle through mortal avatars as Malekith risks everything in an all-out assault on Ulthuan while the high elves reel from the latest daemonic assault and the wood elves reluctantly venture forth from Athel Loren to join the fray.

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