Relocating

Hey all. I have good news, and I have bad news.

The Bad news is that I will be no longer updating Of Books and Wargames 3 with reviews, I'm afraid.

However, the good news is, that I'm relocating websites to this blog, which i'll admit, is a lot better than my own. http://www.thefoundingfields.com/, is where I'll be posting all my reviews in the future.

So yeah, this should be the last ever post on this Blog by me. On another, more happier note -  Merry Christmas.

Bane of Kings Out.

Helion Rain: George Mann - Read by Toby Longworth - Advanced Review

Helion Rain: George Mann

Read by Toby Longworth

The world of Idos is on the verge of destruction, wracked by catastrophic storms and plagued by ravening tyranids. Into this maelstrom come the Raven Guard 4th Company, the warzone perfectly suited to their lightning-strike methods of combat. Led by Veteran Sergeant Grayvus, their mission is simple – to rescue the planet’s last survivors. But in the midst of this nightmare, they receive new orders to locate and destroy a power station. The station is built upon a fault line, and the resulting quake would swallow thousands of tyranids and turn the war in the Imperium's favour. Grayvus and his company must fight their way through genestealers, acid spore mines and a deadly biomorph if they are to succeed and reclaim Idos for the Imperium.

~http://www.blacklibrary.com/all-products/coming-soon/Helion-Rain.html

Note: This is an advanced review for Black Library and this novel is not available for purchase until February 2011. 

Now then, this is my third audiobook, and it’s also the first outside of the Horus Heresy Series (See Raven’s Flight) to give the sons of Corax a starring role. This is also written by George Mann, who as far as I’m aware, has not written any other Black Library novels or audio books for that matter, to date. However, the reader, Toby Longworth, has been the voice actor for several Black Library audiobooks, including Garro: Oath of Moment, and Heart of Rage.

Now, because it’s an Audiobook, I’m going to start with the voice acting, which in my opinion is not very good at all. Sure, there are few characters in this audiobook, but shouldn’t they each have different voices? Even if they are astartes?

Each character’s voices, and no I am not counting the vox-casting, which at some points I couldn’t even understand what the characters were saying when they were speaking through the vox, which caused me to lose track of the conversation.

Moving onto the next part of the review, Helion Rain, you will find, has a very predictable storyline. It basically sums up the plot in the blurb above, so yeah- and you will know the ending before you get to the final chapter.

Now, this was the first audiobook that I’ve listened to in which the sound effects also helped to get in the way of the voices. The background fighting scenes were loud and disruptive, which didn’t help.

However, if there’s one thing that does salvage Helion Rain is description, which gives detail about the setting, the people and the monsters in M41. However, just because one thing is good doesn’t make the whole thing worth getting.

Moving on once more, I’m going to talk about character development. As one might have expected by the short length of the audiobook, there is not much time to give a chance to develop the character’s personality when the focus is more on the setting and the mission, and of course – the enemy.

Now, the Tyranids are possibly one of my most favourite ‘bad guys’ in 40k and it’s because of their awesome portrayal in the fluff. They don’t conquer worlds, they eat them. They have no understanding of mercy, honour or surrender, and will not stop until the galaxy is completely devoid of life.

But on the other hand, opposing them, are also one of my favourite astartes chapters, the XIX Legion themselves, the Raven Guard; experts at stalking in shadows, waiting for the right moment to strike, and when they do – they strike quickly, leaving no enemy of the Imperium alive.

And that is what they are doing in this audiobook.

Now, there are two more things I would like to touch on before I conclude my review of Helion Rain. The first is the fighting – it’s great to listen to, and suits the style of the Raven Guard, and is well described.

The second, and the last, is the artwork on the cover of the audiobook. It’s just awesome.

And, on that bombshell, I will leave you with this:

Rating: 7/10

Should you buy this audiobook? If you are a Raven Guard fan, or a Tyranid one, then the answer is yes. However, if you aren’t, then you can give this book a miss.

Sword of Vengeance - Chris Wraight - Advanced Review

Sword of Vengeance: Chris Wraight

A Warhammer Heroes Novel

Averland is aflame. An army of cultists rises in the corrupted city of Averheim. The Theogonist Volkmar marches towards the city in a race to snuff out the rebellion before it grows too widespread to defeat. Schwarzhelm races to return to the site of his recent battles, as does the spy Pieter Verstohlen, evading assassins while trying to discover the truth of the conspiracy that drew him away. But none of these holds the key. Out in the wilderness is Kurt Helborg, Grand Marshal of the Reiksguard. Only he has the indomitable strength of will to hold together the province in its hour of need. Only he can rally the terrified citizens of Averland to resist the infernal powers that beset them.

~http://www.blacklibrary.com/all-products/coming-soon/Sword-of-Vengeance.html

Note: This is an advanced review for Black Library and this novel is not available for purchase until February 2011. 

Now then, let’s begin. This is the third instalment in the popular Warhammer Heroes series, and the second Warhammer book that I’ve read, the first, being Wulfrik, also a Warhammer Heroes Novel.

And as it turned out, Sword of Vengeance is a great book, and Chris Wraight is an excellent author. Despite the fact that this novel is a sequel to Sword of Justice, there is a short synopsis of the events in the previous book that brought me up to date on what happened last time around.

I probably should have picked up Sword of Justice, but as I was behind in my review on God King, I decided to plough on regardless, and I’m glad I did, as this novel is a page-turning, well written, plot-twisting book that is easily my new favourite Warhammer Novel.

There’s character development, but mainly in the ‘bad guys’, however I won’t spoil things for you. As well has having character development, Sword of Vengeance is well paced out, drawing the reader in and then going out with one last hurrah in the final battle, that will tie up all loose ends.

And of course, there’s plenty of action. You get to see Daemons fight men; men fight Daemons and so forth.  The description is fantastic as well; you really get a feel of the surroundings and the events happening, even though they are in a completely different world.

Now, I’d like to discuss the predictability. Sure, you know what the overall outcome is going to be, but you won’t be able to guess what happens to the secondary characters that are Helborg’s allies.

Now, overall, The Sword of Vengeance is a fantastic read, and I am eagerly awaiting Chris Wraight’s next novel. I apologize for the short length of the review, but I hope you enjoyed it regardless.

And, on that bombshell, it’s time for what I usually finish with:

Rating: 9/10 – a fantastic read, but not a perfect book.

Should you buy this book? Yes, especially if you are a fan of Empire,  Sword of Justice, Warhammer Heroes, or Chris Wraight,

The Purging of Kadillus - Gav Thorpe - Advanced Review

The Purging of Kadillus: Gav Thorpe

 A Space Marine Battles Novel

“Indeed it is Brothers. Today it is truly victory or Death.”

Faced with an ork invasion of Piscina IV, the 3rd Company of the Dark Angels believes the threat to be minimal. As enemy numbers continue to increase, their commander, Captain Belial, insists that his Company are strong enough to resist. But Scout-Sergeant Naaman knows just how dangerous this foe can be, and when a renewed greenskin offensive takes the Dark Angels by surprise, the orks swarm towards Kadillus Harbour. Little do the Dark Angels know of the technological power available to the xenos, and the true scale of the threat they face. Belial, Naaman and their fellow Astartes fight a desperate siege at Kadillus, knowing that they must hold out until Imperial reinforcements arrive or the planet will be lost.

~http://www.blacklibrary.com/all-products/coming-soon/The-Purging-of-Kadillus.html

Now then, it’s time for me to tell you what I thought of The Purging of Kadillus, the latest instalment in the Space Marine Battles series, written by Gav Thorpe, who also brought us novels like Path of the Warrior and Malekith. Now, before I read this book, out of the Space Marine Battles novels, I’ve only read Rynn’s World and Helsreach.

Because one book was excellent (Helsreach), and the other not so excellent (Rynn’s World), I was wondering whether the Dark Angels book would actually be any good, after eagerly waiting for it.

And was I entertained? Well, in a manner of speaking, yes. I was given a bolter-porn packed book that had some enjoyable fighting scenes, but apart from that, this book was defiantly no Helsreach.

The Purging of Kadillus didn’t really come of as a good book for me, as it lacked numerous things which make a book good, first of all – it lacked character development, and as mentioned earlier, was mainly bolter-porn, fast paced action that didn’t really put it above all others.

Now, the description in this novel was relatively okay, however Mr. Thorpe doesn’t really go into detail that much.

Back to the character development. Although, does people going from rivalries to respected companions throughout the whole novel count as character development? Because this does happen in the book, between Scout-Sergeant Naaman, as mentioned in the blurb, and Ravenwing-Sergeant Aquila.

Ah, now, Sergeant Aquila. This brings me onto the subject of names, and let’s just say, Gav Thorpe doesn’t keep them all original. Take the name of the Master Chaplain, for example. And, guess what he’s called: Uriel. Last time I checked, a Space Marine named Uriel Ventris just happened to be the main character of the Ultramarines series, written by popular author Graham McNeill.  

But wait, there’s more. Another Chaplain, an Interrogator this time, oh just so happens to bear the name of a Soul Drinkers character Sarpedon.

Now, moving on from the character names, I’m going to talk about the Orks. It’s our third Space Marine Battles novel out of four which features them as the opposition, and at long last, we finally get a bit from their point of view, in the prologue, and the epilogue. And it’s not just any Ork who we get a point of view from, oh no – it’s the almighty Hand of Gork and Mork himself, the Beast of Armageddon, Ghazghkull Thraka, and it’s pretty awesome, let me tell you this. From my point of view, it was one of the highlights of the book.

And on that bombshell, I leave you with this:

Rating: 6/10, an action packed book leaving little room for character development.

Should you buy this book? Unless you are a Space Marine Battles, Dark Angels or Gav Thorpe fan then you can probably give this book a miss.

Prospero Burns - Dan Abnett - Advanced Review

Prospero Burns: Dan Abnett

A Horus Heresy Novel

"There are no Wolves on Fenris."

The Emperor is enraged. Primarch Magnus the Red of the Thousand Sons Legion has made a terrible mistake that endangers the very safety of Terra. With no other choice, the Emperor charges Leman Russ, Primarch of the Space Wolves, with the apprehension of his brother from the Thousand Sons home world of Prospero. This planet of sorcerers will not be easy to overcome, but Russ and his Space Wolves are not easily deterred. With wrath in his heart, Russ is determined to bring Magnus to justice and bring about the fall of Prospero.

~http://www.blacklibrary.com/Horus-Heresy/Prospero-Burns.html

Before we start, I’d just like to point out this is an advanced review of Prospero Burns, don’t expect the copy to be out until Late December, or early January.

Now then, onto the actual Review, and I must say that Dan Abnett’s done fantastically well, delivering loads of background to the characters, fleshing them out and making them well likeable. My favourite character in Prospero Burns is actually Bear, a Space Wolf.

Surprisingly, Prospero Burns focuses more on the human companions than the Space Wolves, who prefer to be called the Vlka Fenrya, which is such a more badass name than the Space Wolves. Like previous Abnett Horus Heresy novels, he doesn’t just make these characters cardboard cut-outs though – remember he was responsible for Karkasy, Soneka and others, including the ‘Saint’, Keeler.

All though these are long gone, Abnett gives us a whole host of new characters to add to an exciting new story that gives a load of information about the Space Wolves, and brings me back to the awesome Vlka Fenrya.

Now, as this book is a tie-in to A Thousand Sons, I should probably give you lot my judgment on which is better. Well, let me tell you this, for all of you who thought Graham McNeill couldn’t be beaten, then you’re wrong. Dead wrong. Prospero Burns gets the top mark from me because, of a few reasons – 1 – I prefer Space Wolves to A Thousand Sons, - 2 – Dan Abnett is better than McNeill, - 3 -, Prospero Burns is a page-turning, plot twisting, epic book of awesomeness and I can give no higher praise to Abnett’s latest road down the Horus Heresy.

The characterization of the Space Wolves is superb, and Abnett really understands what they are and what they do best.

If I have one criticism, it is that Abnett doesn’t focus too much on the Battle of Prospero itself, leaving only a few pages, but I suppose that McNeill already delved into that part heavily.

Also, there are a few parts in this book that you won’t see coming. Sure, the twists are mainly at the end, but Prospero Burns was the first Black Library book in a long time that I’ve read to actually make me put the book down and take a few minutes to realise what had just happened.

You’ll know what it is when you get there, trust me.

Also, the description in this novel is awesome, much better than some BL books that I’ve read. Abnett describes not just the people, but the places. The pacing was fantastic as well, and it all lead up to a big climatic finish. You guessed it, The Space Wolves view of the infamous Battle for Prospero.

 And, on that bombshell, I’m going to have to leave you there. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed the review, and trust me on this, the book will be amazing.

Rating: 10/10 – If I could take back the 10/10s for The First Heretic and A Thousand Sons, then I would, as this book is above and beyond both of them, sorry McNeill and A-D-B.

Should you buy this book? Well, isn’t it obvious?

Wulfrik: CL Werner

Wulfrik: CL Werner

A Warhammer Heroes Novel

Emerging from the mists, Wulfrik the Wanderer brings destruction and death everywhere he treads. Cursed by the Ruinous Powers, the champion must travel across the Old World and seek prizes to appease the forces of Chaos. But now dark forces plot against Wulfrik, and he must discover the enemy within or else his soul will be lost to the Dark Gods forever.

~http://www.blacklibrary.com/Warhammer/Warhammer-heroes/Wulfrik.html

Now, as this was my first adventure into the realms of the Warhammer World, I was a bit confused at the start, like I was when I read my first 40k Novel, which was in fact Emperor’s Mercy by Henry Zou. However, I quickly got used to it and quickly enjoyed it, which was defiantly a promising start.

Now, In case you’re wondering, Warhammer Heroes is kind of similar to the Space Marine Battle Series for 40k, however it focuses upon Heroes (and anti-heroes, in Wulfrik’s case), instead of the adeptus astartes. This means that you don’t have to pick up its predecessor, Sword of Justice by Chris Wraight to understand what’s going on here – however, I might pick it up anyway, judging by this book.

Anyway, onto the actual review. The characters, especially the Wanderer himself, are really flushed out and well developed, and, not everyone is your typical Chaos Marauder, either, as Wulfrik is fighting for something that not many fight for (Or at least I think, because I’m not an expert on Chaos Marauders, or Warhammer in its whole), although they are portrayed as a sort of Viking-type people. I don’t really know if that’s common or not.

There’s also great description of both the characters and the settings, as well as the backstories, and CL Werner does this without spoiling the pace of the novel for us. Also, the action is fantastic, as the author splits it up well and delivers loads of twists and turns to keep us hooked.

The Pacing of Wulfrik is great, and an enjoyable read overall. I’m looking forward to reading more works from CL Werner, who is the author of the Thanquol & Boneripper series, by the way.

Maybe I would have enjoyed Wulfrik even more if I was a Warhammer Fantasy veteran, but I must say its tempted me to buy more Fantasy books nonetheless.

Rating: 8/10 – Great Read, a bit confusing for new fantasy readers (like me), but I’m sure a seasoned fantasy reader will love it.

Should you buy this book? Yes.

The Emperor's Finest: Sandy Mitchel

The Emperor’s Finest: Sandy Mitchell

A Ciaphas Cain Novel

Commissar Cain is called to duty once more, saving a governor’s daughter from a planet over-run by rebels. The uprising hides something far more sinister however – Genestealer hybrids! The search for the source of the alien threat leads Cain to a drifting space hulk – a far safer place than beside the obsessed governor’s daughter. But when the Reclaimer Space Marines suffer devastating losses at the hands of the Great Devourer, Cain and his trusty aide Jurgen must go it alone. With the tyranids waking and a group of stow away orks on the loose, there are no safe places to run or hide, and Cain must use all his ingenuity and cunning to escape the space hulk alive.

~http://www.blacklibrary.com/Warhammer-40000/Ciaphas-Cain/Emperors-Finest-The.html

Now then, Having not read the two Omnibuses that come before The Emperor’s Finest, I expected to not understand what was going on much, after all, this is the seventh book in the series, however, this was not the case. Sandy Mitchell, using the notes at the bottom of the page explains any previous encounters that Cain brings up that a new reader would miss, allowing me to keep moving along quickly.

However, one thing that did hold me back was that every time I found a note on something, I was drawn to the bottom of the page and distracted from my course of reading. And this happened on a lot of the pages.

Anyway, moving on, despite this, I enjoyed The Emperor’s Finest. It was a funny, entertaining read that proved not all Commissars are as ruthless as they look. And, It also gave an insight into one of the lesser known Space Marine chapters, the Reclaimers, however it didn’t give that much of a depth into the Chapter, unfortunately – it was more focused on Cain getting in and out of trouble.

Which he does, a lot. A good side of this book was that it was funny, and more light hearted than the rest of the 40k novels, which was a welcome break from the grim-dark Dead Men Walking Death Korps of Krieg novel which I enjoyed.

The Emperor’s Finest was also my second glance into a first person Black-Library written book, the first being Xenos, the first instalment in the Eisenhorn trilogy. I read it about a month ago and never got around to reading the other two parts in the omnibus, (sigh), and I found that I personally thought that Xenos was a better read.

In future, I will probably have to pick up the previous two omnibus for the Ciaphas Cain series, as I enjoyed this book overall, despite all its flaws.

Rating out of 10: 7/10 – Not the best book out there, but not the worst. Somewhere in the middle.