“Bloodsworn” by Nathan Long (Black Library)

The final novel in the Ulrika the Vampire trilogy

Returning to Nuln after her adventures in Praag, Ulrika finds the Lahmian vampires preparing for war. Across the Old World, their rivals, the sinister von Carsteins, attack their strongholds and lead the witch hunters to their hidden lairs. Spurned by her sisters, Ulrika forms an uneasy alliance with the von Carsteins in a plot to destabilise the Empire by striking at its very heart – they plan nothing less than the assassination of Emperor Karl Franz. With enemies on all sides and the Empire in flames, Ulrika must decide whether her future will see her living among the humans, or as their enemy.

This is the final installment in Nathan Long’s Ulrika series, and it goes out with one hell of a bang. It runs the gamut of the fantasy genre – moving from urban-based mystery to epic battles and exaggerated magical conflict. It’s tightly plotted, populated by engaging and interesting characters, and is a great end to the series. Long is still one of my favourite fantasy authors, and I am a little sad to be saying goodbye to Ulrika.

Upcoming: “Jane Carver: Swords of Waar” by Nathan Long (Night Shade)

On Wednesday, Nathan Long revealed the artwork for his second Jane Carver novel, over on his website. I shall shamelessly re-post it here, for you enjoyment:

I’m being terribly slow about reading the first novel in the series, Jane Carver of Waar, but I have bought it for my Kindle, so it will be read! In other Nathan Long-related news, I’ll also be reading the final novel in his Ulrika the Vampire series for Black Library – a spin-off from one of my favourite fantasy series, Gotrek & Felix, I’m sure it’ll be a great finish to the story.

“Gotrek & Felix Anthology” & Others (Black Library)

A bumper crop of Gotrek & Felix short stories

In many ways, my interest in fantasy began with Gotrek and Felix – the short snippets you used to find in the Warhammer Armies books and White Dwarf magazine were great fun. Then I discovered the oft-mentioned-on-this-blog early Warhammer anthologies: Ignorant Armies (1989), Wolf Riders (1989) and Red Thirst (1990). Ever since then, I have tried to read everything Gotrek & Felix related. I’ve not done badly, reading all of the main series’ novels, but with the release of the Gotrek & Felix Anthology, I realised that there were actually quite a few other short stories I’d missed – I haven’t really been keeping up-to-date with the Warhammer anthologies. Thanks to Black Library’s extremely-well-managed move into eBooks, I was able to read them all, and bring you this bumper-review. While it did end up feeling just a tad overwhelming to get through all fifteen of these short stories in basically one go, it was nevertheless great fun to spend more time with these characters.

If you’re not familiar with Gotrek & Felix, or Warhammer in general, then this is a series you must read. It’s a great introduction to the setting, and is written with style and humour, and not a little bit of carnage.

Reviewed Herein: Gotrek & Felix Anthology (Various), Red Snow (Nathan Long), Charnel Congress (Josh Reynolds), The Oberwald Ripper (Laurie Goulding), Slayer of the Storm God (Nathan Long)

Artwork: “BLOODSWORN” (Black Library)

Think this is a great piece, by Winona Nelson, for the third book in Nathan Long’s Ulrika the Vampire series (a spin-off from the awesome Gotrek & Felix series):

A particularly aggressive pose for Ulrika, I really like this cover. I really enjoyed the first two novels in the series – Bloodborn and Bloodforged – so I can’t wait to get my hands on this novel! Here’s the synopsis:

Returning to Nuln after her adventures in Praag, Ulrika finds the Lahmian vampires preparing for war. Across the Old World, their rivals, the sinister von Carsteins, attack their strongholds and lead the witch hunters to their hidden lairs. Spurned by her sisters, Ulrika forms an uneasy alliance with the von Carsteins in a plot to destabilise the Empire by striking at its very heart – they plan nothing less than the assassination of Emperor Karl Franz. With enemies on all sides and the Empire in flames, Ulrika must decide whether her future will see her living among the humans, or as their enemy.

Bloodsworn is published in June 2012, a particularly excellent and exciting month for Black Library books, with the release of two other most-anticipated novels of the year (indicated by *):

The Emperor’s Gift* and Butcher’s Nails (Horus Heresy audiobook) by Aaron Dembski-Bowden, The Primarchs* edited by Christian Dunn (Horus Heresy anthology), and the second Ultramarines Omnibus by Graham McNeill.

Top Picks for March 2012

I’m a little late posting this, but I thought I’d still share a few thoughts on some of my most anticipated books coming out in March 2012. As usual, there are more new books coming out than I would be able to read, so I like to give them at least a hat-tip in these posts.

Upcoming: “Jane Carver of Waar” by Nathan Long (Night Shade)

Just a quick artwork post. This time, I want to cast the spotlight on Nathan Long’s next novel, Jane Carver of Waar (one of my 2012 Most Anticipated). Here’s the finished cover:

Congratulations, Nathan Long!

Just a quick post to congratulate Nathan Long for selling two novels to Night Shade Books! Mr Long, who has written some excellent tie-in novels, had this to say about the deal:

My manuscript, JANE CARVER OF WAAR, has been sold to Night Shade Books – plus a sequel! Yup, a two book deal, with Jane to be published in March of next year, and the sequel soon after. Woo-Hoo!

…

I can’t tell you how exciting this is. As much as I love writing the Warhammer novels, selling an original novel is a threshold I have been waiting to cross all my life.

It feels glorious.

[Read the full announcement]

Speaking of his Warhammer novels: Nathan took over writing the Gotrek & Felix series from William King, as well as expanding it with a spin-off series focusing on Ulrika the Vampire: Orcslayer, Manslayer, Elfslayer, Shamanslayer, Zombieslayer, Bloodborn and Bloodforged.

Nathan was also kind enough to do an interview for the site.

I’m looking forward to giving his original work a read. If you’ve not read any of Long’s work yet, I’d highly recommend it: great characterisation, plotting, and humour. Not only that, each novel has just got better and better.

“Bloodforged” by Nathan Long (Black Library)

The Continuing, Adventurous Unlife of Ulrika the Vampire

Unable to adapt to Lahmian society, Ulrika seeks her own way, striking out to the Chaos-besieged city of Praag to seek old friends and glory in battle. On her arrival, she finds a devastated but defiant people and the invaders repelled. But the Ruinous Powers can take many forms, and now a more insidious threat is rising from within – a Slaaneshi cult that seeks to claim dominion in Praag.

Shunned by her Lahmian sisters, decried by the humans she seeks to protect, Ulrika treads a lonely path as she tries to find the root of this destructive plot. Caught between the will of the vampires and the insane designs of Chaos sorcerers and cultists, Ulrika must call upon all of her cunning and savagery if she is to triumph...

Ulrika is one of Black Library’s strongest long-running fictional characters, and in Bloodforged Nathan Long has not only upped the stakes, but also improved on the already-great Bloodborn on almost every level. I blitzed through this, and had a great time with it.

An Interview with Nathan Long

The Gotrek & Felix series has long been one of Black Library’s most popular (indeed, it’s the longest running), and is certainly one of my favourite fantasy series, having read it since the short stories appeared in the early Warhammer anthologies – Wolf Riders (1989), Ignorant Armies (1989), and Red Thirst (1990). Created by William King, the characters were taken over (and expanded) by Nathan Long, who has now written five increasingly-strong additions to the series. With his next novel, Bloodforged being published in June, featuring Ulrika the vampire (one-time flame of Felix), Nathan was kind enough to answer a few questions about the series, writing, and working in the Warhammer shared universe.

“Zombieslayer”, by Nathan Long (Black Library)

The dead rise, Gotrek & Felix put them back down

Pursued by the dark forces of Necromancer Heinrich Kemmler, Gotrek and Felix arrive at Castle Reikgard, where they must hold out against the zombie hordes.

The brutality of the siege is unremitting as wave after wave of horrific creatures, led by the undead champion Krell, attempt to take the walls. With supplies running low and morale sinking, the defenders begin to hear terrible whispers and endure awful nightmares. Suspicion and paranoia run rampant within the castle walls, and the defence seems impossible.

Somehow Gotrek and Felix must unite the forces of the Empire against Kemmler’s ever-growing legion until help arrives, or will the Slayer find his doom amidst the unrelenting undead…?

Picking up immediately after the events of Shamanslayer, this novel drops the reader right into the thick of it. The battle against the marauding beastman horde is over, but now the dead are starting to rise, and our already-weary heroes must fight once more. ‘Hans the Hermit’ from Shamanslayer is not at all who he seemed – instead of a vagrant old tramp, he is actually Heinrich Kemmler, one of the most powerful and feared necromancers in the world.

Felix, Gotrek and their companions are caught up in the retreat from the battlefield – after mistakenly being accused of killing a nobleman’s son (actually already dead and resurrected as a zombie) – and are then dragooned into helping with the re-fortification of Castle Reikgard as it comes under siege by a ten-thousand-strong army of the undead. While sabotage hurts the garrison’s ability to defend and turn back the tide of undead, the dwarfs set to work rebuilding the walls and other features, Felix twists himself in knots trying to figure out who Kemmler’s mole is inside the castle at the same time as navigating the internal politics and rivalries of the human armies.

Nathan Long has done an admirable job of conveying the tense atmosphere inside the castle; the proud but scared defenders beset by an implacable, relentless enemy, succumbing to paranoia and starvation as their situation worsens and their enemy matches them move for move. As the saboteur does more damage, suspicions spread throughout the human ranks, threatening to tear the garrison apart in a fit of paranoid irrationality. Felix and Kat find themselves disgusted and frustrated with their fellow men, but eager to help diffuse any situation that could lead to worse conditions within the castle walls.

With each novel, the author improves and appears more comfortable with his characters. With great writing, the series continues to entertain, and Zombieslayer – like Shamanslayer before – has the same adventurous feel of Will King’s first handful of Gotrek & Felix novels. Not only that, the novels are longer, which means there’s more fun and action. The series is an excellent example of adventure-filled, character-driven fantasy.

I’m never sure to what extent my familiarity with the characters and setting make this a better and quicker read. While it’s obvious that familiarity with the setting will ease understanding and acceptance of the premise, it still shouldn’t prevent me from making a decent judgement on the novel. After all, not all of the Gotrek & Felix novels have been brilliant, and a couple have been quite slow and disappointing. I wouldn’t suggest diving into the series at this point, because I think a new reader might feel somewhat adrift – particularly regarding the subplot involving Snorri Nosebiter’s memory loss and what this means for Felix’s oath to Gotrek (which forms the foundation of the whole series). Considering the superb price of the omnibus editions, however, for only a couple more pounds a new reader can get their hands on the first three novels, so it’s not as if catching up is an insurmountable goal.

Zombieslayer is an entertaining novel. The gentle humour is not quite as prominent as in previous volumes (certainly not as frequent as King’s original novels), but the atmospheric setting is well-crafted and -conveyed, and the characters well-rounded and realistically rendered. The siege is never boring, and Long manages to keep events interesting and fresh throughout. If you’re a fan of the series, then I highly recommend you keep reading the adventures of Gotrek & Felix, and if you’re a newcomer, then you should really go out and buy the first omnibus.

I’m incredibly fond of the Gotrek & Felix novels and its off-shoots, as I’m sure is plain from this and previous reviews on the site. It has everything one could ask from both a Black Library/Warhammer novel, and also from the fantasy genre as a whole. It benefits from a long-established setting, and anyone familiar with it should sink straight into the novel.

A pleasure to read, from an ever-improving author, Zombieslayer is a worthy addition to one of Black Library’s flagship Warhammer series.

“Bloodborn”, by Nathan Long (Black Library)

The First Ulrika the Vampire Adventure

Ulrika, recently turned as a vampire, attempts to adjust to her new way of life.

But when a fellow vampire is killed in Nuln, Ulrika and her mentor, Gabriella, are sent to investigate. Soon they find themselves facing danger from all sides as they attempt to solve a mystery that threatens the very existence of the Lahmian bloodline.

How can they hope to destroy something with the power to kill a vampire?

The first in another Gotrek & Felix spin-off series (the other being Thanquol & Boneripper), Bloodborn had a lot riding on it. Thankfully, it fails to disappoint.

The novel has the feel of some of the first Warhammer novels published; specifically, the Genevieve the Vampire series by Jack Yeovil. It leans a little more towards horror than fantasy, and has a darker, bloodier feel to it.

I’m not sure if I’m reading too much into the story, but Ulrika and her mistress, Gabriella have a relationship not unlike that between Louis and Lestat, in Anne Rice's classic Vampire Chronicles. Indeed, there appears to be some well-done homage to them in the Vampire lore here, as well as the Lahmians’ general strategy reminiscent of White Wolf’s Vampire the Masquerade. Hoffman and Ulrika enjoy something of a doomed Romeo & Juliet acquaintance, which leads to a touching and somewhat tragic ending.

The Lahmian vampires (predominantly women, who favour subtlety and guile to conquest and brutality) are clearly all so wrapped up in their own schemes that they see treachery and plotting behind every action. For Ulrika, it is a sharp and difficult education, so used to the blunt northern ways of her fellow Kislevites: Navigating the shifting loyalties and allegiances of her new vampire sorority can be treacherous and confusing, and forms a considerable amount of Bloodborn. Lady Hermione, for example, is utterly crazy, frequently acting like a spoiled child having a tantrum (for the most part, this was a good way of exhibiting the paranoid nature of the Lahmians, but at times it just comes across as childish, and Hermione was the only weak point in an otherwise excellent novel). I managed to figure out what was going on pretty quickly, but it didn’t ruin the story at all, and I enjoyed it right up until the last page.

As with Shamanslayer, Nathan Long has raised his game: his writing is much better and more assured, and the plot is more a thriller/mystery than an out-and-out adventure. Not only that, the author has managed to write something that has an original voice, distinct from the series that gave us Ulrika in the first place, while at the same time retaining the feel and atmosphere of the Warhammer world and other novels set in it.

The novel’s pace isn’t always as fast as one might hope, but when you get sucked into the story, you’ll fly through the novel. The ending was surprising, but also satisfying as Long avoided cliché, which would just have diminished the very nature and credibility of his characters. With vampire novels like this available, it is beyond me why people might read Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight series… [More on this in a future article]

A very satisfying read, Bloodborn is well worth seeking out.

Also try: Jack Yeovil, The Vampire Genevieve; Steven Saville, The Vampire Wars; Anne Rice, The Vampire Chronicles; Nathan Long, Gotrek & Felix; Mike Lee, Nagash the Sorcerer & Nagash the Unbroken; Robert Earl, Ancient Blood

Nathan Long’s next novel for Black Library is the 12th Gotrek and Felix novel, Zombieslayer (November 2010), followed by the second Ulrika novel, Bloodforged (release date TBC – the artwork, printed on the inside cover of Bloodborn, is great!)

“Shamanslayer”, by Nathan Long (Black Library)

The ever-entertaining adventures of Gotrek and Felix continue into the 11th novel!

When Gotrek and Felix travel north to seek the remaining members of the Order of the Fiery Heart, they find themselves with new companions and allegiances.

Of course they have heard the rumours of beastmen lurking in the Drakwald, but there is far more to the story than they could have imagined.

The malignant forces of Chaos are at work, and Gotrek and Felix find themselves battling not only for their honour, but for the very future of the Empire itself.

Picking up almost immediately after the end of Elfslayer, we find Felix at the doors of his father’s home in Altdorf, seeking closure and answers to what he discovered in his previous adventure. Events, as always, have a tendency to get in the way of the best-laid plans, and he is confronted by a Knight of the Order of the Fiery Heart, who lays claim to the sword he has carried since the earliest short-stories to feature our indomitable heroes. Thanks to the intervention of an enthusiastic squire, however, Felix is granted custody of the sword in return for helping Teobalt, the last remaining, elderly knight of the Order. The other members of his Order rode north to battle the invading forces of Chaos, but no word has been heard of or from them for some time, so Teobalt is insistent that Felix and Gotrek must retrieve the Order’s sacred relics. After a brief, violent stay in a northern town under the thumb of a corrupt former soldier, our heroes head off in pursuit of the band of beastman the Order supposedly was hunting before they disappeared.

Some of the new characters we’re introduced to are welcome additions to the series. Specifically, knightly novitiate Ortwin’s admiration of Felix and Gotrek, based on his reading of My Travels With Gotrek (the great work Felix is turning Gotrek’s tale into), makes Felix uncomfortable, and unable to dissuade Ortwin of the folly of thinking adventuring to be grand and romantic; Felix takes on a sense of responsibility for the squire, which offers up some amusing moments as our heroes’ world-weary cynicism comes face-to-face with Ortwin’s youthful enthusiasms and worldly innocence.

A couple of previously-featured characters return, too. Snorri Nosebiter, the fiercely-loyal yet slightly simple and addled slayer who has accompanied Gotrek and Felix in many past adventures – now suffering the ravages of age on a mind and body that has been put through some of the most brutal punishment imaginable. Snorri’s predicament occupies Gotrek’s mind a fair bit, as he sees his friend struggle and silently suffer; it’s a touching aspect added to Gotrek’s usually stony character. Kat – last seen as a 7 year old orphan in Trollslayer – has grown up to be an adventurer and smiter of Chaos beasts herself, and is another youth in awe of Felix and Gotrek’s achievements. In Shamanslayer, she also plays the role of love-interest, which makes Felix somewhat conflicted; and, as often is the case, saves Felix’s life a couple times.

One thing that is almost immediately apparent with this eleventh novel in the series, is that Nathan Long seems to have located the classic fun and feel that characterised earlier volumes. Shamanslayer was, for me, more reminiscent of William King’s first handful of novels (particularly Trollslayer, Skavenslayer, Daemonslayer and Dragonslayer) than some of the other recent novels: the mixture of swashbuckling-yet-realistic adventure, a good sense of humour, and a well-paced plot all mesh perfectly to create an exciting, engaging and enjoyable read.

Another considerable improvement is the author’s description of the atmosphere and environments experienced on the quest – they are far more evocative than in Elfslayer (a good, if slightly uneven instalment of the series), and I found it easy to imagine almost every scene in great detail. The close, dark menace of the beast-populated Drakwald Forest is brought brilliantly to life on the page, and it’s easy to appreciate the disorienting nature of it as Felix and friends at times run blindly through it at night, pursued by enemies.

The action scenes are well-written and fast-paced, therefore not ruining the quick pace of the plot (it’s a frequent problem when they are over-written); the antagonists (be they human or beast) are satisfyingly portrayed, just evil or bad enough to make us dislike them while avoiding cartoon-like villainy; and our heroes remain grounded and realistic. The particularly ‘special’ aspect of the beastman herd in the novel is a pretty horrific ability (not to mention an inventive one), and one that would truly have dire consequences for the Empire if allowed to travel further into its territory.

Overall, then, this is exemplary and gripping fantasy writing. Irrespective of whether or not you are a fan of the world, or familiar with the setting, Shamanslayer is a great fantasy adventure.

Entertaining, yet also detailed and thoughtful, this is a very highly recommended novel and an excellent addition to the series.

Series Chronology: Trollslayer, Skavenslayer, Daemonslayer, Dragonslayer, Beastslayer, Vampireslayer, Giantslayer, Orcslayer, Manslayer, Elfslayer, Shamanslayer, Zombieslayer (released)

[If you would like to purchase any books in the Gotrek & Felix series, or the new spin-off series featuring some favourite characters, visit Black Library’s web-store, here.]

“Elfslayer”, by Nathan Long (Black Library)

The latest adventure from the Black Library’s oldest duo

Trollslayer Gotrek Gurnisson and his human companion Felix Jaegar reluctantly travel to the port city of Marienburg to fulfil a last request from Felix's dying father, hoping to save the reputation of the Jaegar family name. However, a chance meeting with their old acquaintance Max Schreiber (who was a recurring character earlier in the series, and a rival for another recurring character, Ulrika’s attentions) knocks them well off course, after an initial, disastrous attempt to fulfil their supposedly simple task.

Max, the Imperial wizard has been sent by his college to investigate some disturbing magical phenomena off the northern coast of the Empire. Bringing along with him an impressionable seeress, who immediately becomes infatuated with Felix (who doesn’t want her attentions, and keeps finding himself in situations resulting in a reprimand from Max).

Pretty soon, the heroic duo and their companions find themselves caught up in a deadly situation, with seemingly no escape. As enemies old and new keep cropping up, Felix and Gotrek face their latest, perhaps greatest adventure.

When the novel opens, Gotrek has descended further into an alcoholic slump, and Felix is spinning his heels, waiting for something to happen. It’s amazing how quickly one gets back into the swing of the series, familiarising ourselves again with the characters almost instantly. It’s a bit of a slow start, and it takes a long while for the elves to actually show up, but the novel takes some interesting twists and turns, and Nathan Long’s writing is solid throughout. There’s a little more delving into Gotrek and Felix themselves and how they’ve managed to survive so long, with barely any evidence of time affecting them. The jokes and quips are still amusing, adding a lightness to the novel that makes it all the more enjoyable.

It took me a long time to work my way through the novel, because of a number of unavoidable distractions, so it’s possible that I could have enjoyed it a great deal more had I had the freedom to just sit down and read it.

If you are a fan of the series, or Warhammer as a whole, then you should certainly enjoy this novel. The next in the series, Shamanslayer is already out, too, so you won’t need to wait at all for your next fix.

A solid addition to the series.