Black Library book review (Warhammer Fantasy)

Hey guys.

Just a quick shout to say that after speaking with Styrofoamking I've gone and written a review of recommendations based on my favourite Warhammer novels released by Black Library.

It's up on our campaign blog now. Check it out if you're interested!

http://libermalefic.blogspot.com/2011/01/forbidden-texts.html

Regards,

Werekin.

Thanks for the Review! Of all the books you mention, the only one I read was Zavant (all together I have read maybe 12 WHFB-and 40k-Novels). It is an okay-ish book IMO. It is certainly not boring, I did enjoy myself. Unfortunately, the book I had just read before Zavant was The Name Of The Rose by Umberto Eco. It basically has the same plot as the the fourth case (detective and sidekick investigate some mysterious deaths in a monastery) and the quality-gap was just...gapping. If you are specifically into WHFB-Fluff, Zavant is okay, but otherwise, there is just sooo much better stuff out there.

Debate time? I put Eco's novel down. Rarely have I had the misfortune to encounter such uninspiring dross. Hopefully I didn't find the tale so flat purely due to the absence of Beastmen and Nurglings! My dear old mom reads better quality historical fluff than this over-rated yarn, I am fortunate to reveal that I get the pick of the crop from her recommendations.

Your quality gap comment is utter garbage sir. I didn't place Konniger's adventures in my top six idly. Warhammer fiction when it is well told is easily on a par with an non tie-in fiction. Anyone who thinks otherwise is f**king deluding themselves.

Also worth noting is that Connery & Slater couldn't breathe any life into the silver-screen adaption of Name of the Rose. Check both their CV's and you'll be hard pushed to find a more yawnworthy outing. No, I am resigned to believe that the hardly ground-breaking notion of private sleuths romping around a imaginary cloister is subject material best tackled in a short story. Could just be horses for courses but it ain't what I call entertainment.

Regards,

Stuart.

I wouldn't call it a depate since, in the end, it is a matter of taste which is something noone can be CONVINCED of. But since you seem to believe others to be interested in your personel taste, I thought you might yourself be interested in other people's. That's why I took the liberty to reply. If I'd read one of the other books and liked them just as much as you did, I'd stated that also. But I didn't read the others.
You're right in that Warhammer fiction could easily be on par with other fiction - historic, fantastic or what not. It's not that it HAS to be a bad read per definitionem. But as you said, it also has to be told well. And the telling bit has, IMO, not been done as well by any Warhammer-Novellist as, say, Pratchett, Rothfuss, Martin... or even Eco. BTW I didn't call The Name Of The Rose a GREAT book. I myself scipped a couple of pages where he just happened to describe some door. But all together he does still happen to have more skill than Rennie... in my opinion, that is. May that be garbage or not.

Me neither. I was just being dramatic for the thrill of it.

Rotten luck that the only adventure I bigged up which you've encountered was something you saw fit to make a degrading comment about.

You can't beat a bit of Discworld slapstick. There's leagues more depth in any number of Old World sagas. Different settings, different skills required to illuminate the reader.

I haven't read any Rothfuss. What do you suggest?

Still plenty of Warhammer fiction I haven't touched upon yet. Will be interesting to see how Malus fares alongside Drizzt. Time of Legends didn't seem worth tackling until I could get the trilogies in hand. Wasn't bothered about the Sigmar series, until being wowed by another McNeill novel and noting he scooped a big award in the fantasy fiction fraternity for God King.

Regards,

Werekin.

Quote :

I haven't read any Rothfuss. What do you suggest?

The Name of the Wind. I heartily recommend it, for it is awesomeness. An intricately and elegantly woven story.

Also, many thanks for the reviews.

Thanks for the reviews. I have also only read one out of your 5, Gilead's Blood, but I remember it as fairly good as well.

I recommend Fell Cargo to the nautical crowd. Not great but lots of naval action.

The Name of the Wind is Rothfuss Newcomer-Work I believe. I am waiting patiantly for the next in this series.

You might be waiting some time! Judging by this chaps biography he is a true dilettante. Rothfuss is wearing a Joss Whedon shirt in his wiki profile pic, that looks classy! I shall make plans to open his first novel when book three sees release.

Just realised that Gilead's Blood and Riders of the Dead were recently united in a Dan Abnett collective omnibus, a reissue also featuring Hammers of Ulric. Happy days!