Xathrodox86 reviews: “Sword of Vengeance” by Chris Wraight

Time for another Warhammer Fantasy novel review. Today I am finishing the Schwarzhelm/Helborg duology written by one of my favorite Black Library writers.

Chris Wraight gets Warhammer. He can really bring both Fantasy and 40K to life, and his books are some of the best fiction I ever read. From the “Wrath of Iron” to “Warhawk”, all of his works tend to stay with me for a long time. Back in 2019 I reviewed “Sword of Justice”, a book about the grim and resolute Emperor’s Champion – Ludwig Schwarzhelm. Now, almost 5 years later, I am sharing my opinions on “Sword of Justice”, the second book in this duology which mainly focuses on Kurt Helborg, the Reiksmarshal of the Empire.

Ladies and gentlemen, may I present you… the best moustache in the whole Empire of Man!

SPOILERS AHEAD. As if it wasn’t obvious enough. Oh and before diving into this tome, you should REALLY read the previous book. Otherwise you’ll certainly feel lost, going through “Sword of Vengeance”.

Released as part of the “Warhammer Heroes” series, this book takes place directly after the finale of “Sword of Justice”. Schwarzhelm dealt a grevious wound to Helborg, the province of Averland has a new Elector Count, and the sinister cult leader is still plotting her nefarious plans. The Emperor doesn’t suspect that the newly appointed leader of one of his richest provinces could be up to no good, and soon it’s going to cost him… a lot!

Meanwhile Schwarzhelm discovered that he got duped. His old mentor was in league with the forces of Chaos, forces that, even now, threaten the entirety of southern Empire. He decided to act agains the orders given to him by Karl Franz himself, and seek out justice on his own terms. Meanwhile the few remaining Reiksguard Knights try to take their master to safety, while being constantly hounded by the search parties of the new Elector of Averland. The time is running out and if the two greatest heroes of the Empire won’t join forces soon, Chaos will triumph and all will be lost.

This book is a decent finale to the short series about Kurt and Ludwig. That said it’s not without its flaws. That said let me start with the good stuff. “Sword of Vengeance” has some great descriptions of how truly horrifying Chaos can be. It’s no exaggeration if I say that this book gave me a creeps more than once, when describing the various, disgusting (yet alluring!) practices of Slaaneshi cultists. This isn’t the first time that Wright wrote this particular Chaos God just perfectly. In the “Wrath of Iron” novel for Warhammer 40,000, he describes the true horror of the Lord of Excess in a fascinating, disturbing way. Here he tops even that book. The rituals, the mindest of a soon-to-be Daemon Prince of Slaanesh (as well as its transformation), the sheer depravity and madness – all of this and more made truly appreciate the autocratic and gloomy reality of the Empire. As bad as it is, the alternative is much, much worse.

The various battle scenes are also described really well. Chris Wraight knows his stuff when it comes to military matters, and the many clashes presented in “Sword of Vengeance” are detailed, visceral and evocative. They showcase the merciless nature of the Warhammer Fantasy universe, where heroes mostly end up dead, and there is no glory to be found on the field of battle. Hectic, chaotic and excellently paced – Chris Wraight knows how to write his combat engagements.

Many characters make a comeback from the “Sword of Justice”, including Schwarzhelm, Pieter Verstohlen (Ludwig’s master spy), Bloch (a noble halberdeir captain), Heinz-Mark Grosslich (the corrupted Elector Count of Averland), Rufus Leitdorf (son of the late Marius Leitdorf) and his corrupted wife Natassja (the big bad of the whole duology). One of the new, big names to hit the pages of the second book is none other than Volkmar the Grim, Grand Theogonist of Sigmar himself! Freshly returned from the war in the North (and his miraculous ressurection), he is a man teetering on the edge of sanity and reason. Volkmar, to put it franky, is extremely pissed off throughout the entire story. His experiences with Be’lakor left him a broken, angry man, not thinking clearly and rushing towards every problem and encounter, without any hesitation. I liked his story arc a lot. Here was a deeply flawed, broken man, who was still willing to do whatever it takes, in order to secure victory for Sigmar and the Empire.

All right, we covered the good stuff. Now it’s time for some criticism.

The time skipping in this book is all over the place. Wraight clearly intends for the story to be told over the course of couple of months, but he never exactly gives us precise dates, time skips etc. A good example is when the corrupted Count of Averland recruits some Tileans for his growing cultist army. The book treats it almost like those boys were in the nearest village, just chilling. In reality a trip from Tilea to the southern parts of the Empire would take a very long time. I have to admit, it kinda was jarring at times, seeing how fast people were covering vast distances between cities or even provinces. If I’d had to mention my main complaint about “Sword of Vengeance”, it would definitely be the one I just described.

Other than that there are a few minor nitpicks, like the Knights Panther suddendly worshipping Myrmidia (they are a secular order) or Schwarzhelm, an oaf of a man, apparently being so stealthy that he can infiltrate the Imperial Palace all by himself. Oh and apparently it is possible to corrupt an actual Runefang, one of the most powerful artifacts in the entire world, only for it to return to normal once its vile master kicks the bucket. Those swords were forged by Alaric the Mad, the greatest dwarven Runesmith of all time, and they almost had a sentience of their own. They could greatly amplify the skill and power of their wielders, and are considered the absolute pinnacle of dwarven runesmithing. The fact that some washed up, chaosified Elector Count could corrupt one of those blades is just… wrong.

Oh and I need to mention one more thing – the character of Kurt Helborg. I had a feeling that through most of this tome, his very own book, he was kinda siedlined. “Sword of Vengeance”, at times, felt more like a Ludwig Schwarzhelm story, which was kinda strange. Now I like Ludwig, I really do, but I was hoping for a much better description of the Reiksmarshal, who is not only marginalised, but also feels less like a main character. Schwarzhelm does some very impressive stuff in the second part of their shared story, while Kurt mostly lays in bed, then gets his ass kicked by a glorified mutant, only to regain his mojo at the very end of the book. Sure the last few chapters brought back the old Reiksmarshal that we know and love, but I felt it was kinda strange for the author to practically make him a side character in his own story.

However those are all small nitpicks, not really having any major impact on the main story… and the main story is good. It’s actually really friggin’ cool, engaging to the very end, interesting and perfectly showcasing the dangers and lethality of the Warhammer world. Make no mistake, this is no light-hearted pulpy novel, like the “Blackhearts” trilogy. It’s not Gotrek & Felix where you knew exactly that the duo will triumph in the end, and that everything will be fine. “Sword of Vengeance” almost reads like a horror story at times, and its ending is, well, extremely grim and downright depressing. It is also very fitting and does what many people often wished from both Warhammer universes – it advances the timeline, in a way. There are repercusions to the Empire at the finale of this duology. Nothing will ever be the same, especially for Averlanders and their rich province. Chaos always leaves a mark on the world, once mortals accepted it into their hearts and souls. There is no escaping its malefic influence. As the narrator from the excellent “Mark of Chaos” trailer said: “There is no escape from Chaos… it marks us all.”.

This game was waaaay ahead of its time…

I can safely recommend “Sword of Vengeance” to anyone who loves the deep, rich and dark world of Warhammer Fantasy. It is a satisfying conclusion to the Schwarzhelm/Helborg duology, a masterclass in showcasing the horrors of the Four, and a damn good fantasy book. I finished it practically in a single sitting and it made me reach for more Warhammer Fantasy novels. Currently going through the first Thanquol book and I’m absolutely loving it. Hmmm, maybe I should write a praise-review for it? Yes-yes, a very good-splendid idea!

Do yourselves a favor and check out both books. “Swords of the Emperor” (as the duology is officialy known) is a great read. Fun and engaging to the very end. Truly worth a read and a clear proof that Chris Wraight is one of Black Library’s best authors. His blog is worth checking out. You’ll find it here.

I also dedicate this post to Viluir who left a very nice comment under my “Sword of Justice” review, all the way back in June of 2019. Damn, I was still a Blogger man back then. How time flies… Anyway you can find her blog here.

Until nex time!

Xathrodox86

P.S. To those who read “Sword of Vengeance”: did you managed to decipher Chris’s message at the end of the book? I was too dumb to do that. Then again I am notoriously bad at riddles, cyphers and code breaking. I know that the author left a guide on how to do that. It can be found here.

Xathrodox86 reviews: "Sword of Justice" by Chris Wraight

Chris Wraight is one of my all-time favorite Black Library writers. I’ve enjoyed all of his books so far, and I consider his “Swords of the Emperor” duology to be one of the best stories, set in the grim world of Warhammer Fantasy.

Of these, the “Sword of Justice” is the first part. Being a part of the “Warhammer Heroes” line, and centering around the dour and uncompromising Ludwig Schwarzhelm, the Emperor’s Champion, it presents a tale of corruption, ambition and misguided pride – all of which can lead to the downfall of even the mightiest of heroes.

Even Ludwig Schwarzhelm…

Of all Karl Franz’s servants, none is more staunchly loyal and steadfast in his duty as Ludwig Schwarzhelm. Born a common man, through the might of his arm, and the strength of his will he became one of the most powerful people in Sigmar’s Holy Empire. Supposedly never having smiled once in his life, Schwarzhelm is a perfect representation of the Emperor’s will – his Sword of Justice. Of course I must mention his eternal rivalry with Kurt Helborg, Reiksmarshal of the Empire and wielder of the Solland Runefang, also known as the Sword of Vengeance. Together they are the Swords of the Emperor, defenders of the Empire and warriors supreme.

The book starts with a battle sequence, something that Wright is very good at writing (and trust me, this title is chock-full of them). A garrison of Empire soldiers is being attacked by a huge force of beastmen, and things look really grim for the humans. Fortunately reinforcements arrive, led by none other than Ludwig Schwarzhelm himself. I don’t like to spoil anything to my readers, but I gotta say one thing – the fight between the Emperor’s Champion and a Doombull is fucking amazing. The sheer force of will and skill of arms versus the primal strength and fury. For this fight alone the “Sword of Justice” is worth picking up.

Anyway, after saving the hapless soldiers, Schwarzhelm returns to Altdorf to speak with the Emperor and his old rival, Kurt Helborg, who’s also unimaginably smug. Like seriously, this guy’s a jerk, but one that you can’t help but admire a lot. There are clear differences between the two heroes, and while they’re pleasant and cordial enough to each other, it’s clear that their rivalry is strong, and will probably lead to eventual confrontation in the future. Schwarzhelm is sent by Karl Franz to Averland, to oversee the election of new count, after Marius Leitdorf was killed by the orcs. There are also reports of greenskins amassing to the east, and while Ludwig would much more prefer to join the fight against the monsters, his duty is clear – he must travel to Averheim and dive deep into Imperial politics.

Recruiting Bloch, a veteran captain from the previous battle with beastmen, and seeking advice from his mentor, Heinrich Lassus, Schwarzhelm travels to Averland. All is not as it seems, though, as the streets are full of violence. The two pretenders to the throne are hiring thugs who make a horrible mess of the province’s capital, while a huge drug epidemic is plunging Averheim into chaos. Schwarzhelm himself is having trouble sleeping, and his mood, and patience, begin to deteriorate. Shadow players with dark agendas work their corruption in subtle ways, and soon the entire province’s fate hangs in the balance…

Chris Wraight writes strong, well developed characters in his books, and “Sword of Justice” is no exception. His portrayal of Schwarzhelm is excellent, a feat in itself, given that the Emperor’s Champion can be, at a first glance, a very one dimensional hero. Nothing is further from the truth, however, and Ludwig is written as a very likeable, and troubled character. He has a lot on his shoulders, and the threat of failure weighs heavily on him. The support cast is excellent as well. Bloch is your typical gruff soldier archetype. He gets stuff done, and he’s not afraid to get dirty. Verstohlen, Schwarzhelm’s “Spymaster” is probably the second most interesting character in the entire book. He’s brains to Bloch’s brawn, and I love the fact that he’s not afraid to use some very questionable methods to achieve his goals. The man’s passion for his duty, and his hatred for the otherworldly corruption that is Chaos are without limit, and truly define him. I must say that I’ve enjoyed reading about him most of all, and would like to see this unsung hero get some stories of his own. I know that it probably won’t happen, but a man can dream.

Finally there are all the other characters, like two pretenders to the provincial throne. They are both weak, scheming men, who would stop at nothing to see their ambitions realized. The big bad of the book is both sinister and composed, presenting a very realistic threat to Averland, and the Empire as a whole. Wraight has a penchant for writing Chaos in a way that is truly horrifying, especially when it comes to the youngest and most depraved of its powers. “Sword of Justice” is no exception. Schwarzhelm’s main rival, Kurt “Magnificent Moustache” Helborg has very little “screen time”, except a large fight, later in the book. Makes sense, since the second book, “Sword of Vengeance”, is all about the Reiksmarshal and his own struggle to free Averland from the yoke of corruption. All in all, the characters in “Sword of Justice” are all excellently written. Thank you Mr. Wraight.

This book is a perfect example of how a tie-in media can be done right. It’s thrilling, fascinating to read, and an utter joy to experience. It has a right blend of action and suspense, and more than a few twists along the way. Chris Wraight is one of the best that the Black Library has to offer, and this book is a great example of why it is so, at least for me. I can’t wait to read “Sword of Vengeance” and share with you my opinions on the second part of this grim and fascinating tale. Hopefully it’ll be sooner than later.

This cover oozes manliness and awesome

Until next time!

Xathrodox86

Xathrodox86 reviews: "Reiksguard" by Richard Williams

Happy new year! Let’s kick off 2019 with a brand, new review of “Reiksguard”, a novel about, well… Reiksugard!

First things first however. Strike to Stun will soon be out of action which is a damn shame. That said, there’s still hope. Not only does the fantastic Rat Catcher’s Guild Discord server still going strong, but now we also have a brand new community in the form of Winds of Chaos forums. Hopefully it will gather folks from StS and continue that venerable’s site legacy. Sigmar be praised.

Now to the review itself. I’ve finished “Reiksguard” last year and was really impressed with that book. This was my first time with Richard Williams’ work and, well, he nailed it. “Reiksguard” is a very, very good book which shines a lot of light at one of the Empire’s most interesting knightly orders.

This is seriously one of the coolest Warhammer covers ever made (and I know that I’m writing this statement almost every time, when I review a book)

The main protagonist of this book is Delmar Von Reinhardt, a son of a prominent Reiksguard knight, who sold his life in the service to the Emperor many years before Delmar’s own induction into the venerable order. The young knight quickly makes some friends, as well as enemies, among other inductees, as he trains to be the very best of the Reiksguard Knights. Along the way he also discovers that the Emperor’s own bodyguard hide more than a couple of secrets, some of which concern his dead father…

The books action takes place directly after the Storm of Chaos, although the author does not use that name in his work. It was possibly due to Games Workshop’s retcon of this event, or maybe Mr. Williams’ own decision. The first part takes place mainly in Altdorf and shows the gruelling and ardous training process which turns an ordinary young, noble man into a skilled and honorable warrior of the Reiksguard. For me this was the most interesting part of the book, a sort of “behind the scenes” look into the workings of a Empire knightly order. It also focuses on each aspiring knight’s individual ambitions and rivalries as well as reasons for them to join the Reiksguard in the first place. It’s great stuff. Of course there are a couple of cameos. Karl Franz, the big honcho himself, makes a short appearance, while Kurt Helborg, the gloriously moustached leader of the Grand Order of the Reiksguard Knights, takes a much more prominent role in the story. Fortunately the author makes sure to not overshadow the main heroes of his book with such an august and legendary character, which is a really, really good thing.

The second part of the book takes place during an engagement against the greenskins. Reiksmarshal Helborg leads his knights into the inhospitable mountains to face the threat of orcs and goblins. Along the way the new recruits will have to contend with bad weather, inhospitable terrain, mutual animosity and the lethality of the greenskin menace. This is a strict by-the-book military story, and Williams has written it expertly and with flair. Some of the most despicable heroes redeem themselves, friendships are forged on the field of battle and the loss of some of the characters really hits the readers in a hard way. There’s a small sequence of men and dwarfs fighting side by side, which is always welcome in my book. The main bad guy is also rather interesting. I don’t want to spoil anything, but he’s not your typical grobi bastard. More often than not the greenskins are portrayed as pushovers or comic relief-like opponents. In “Reiksguard” they are a truly genuine and scary threat.

All in all I’ve greatly enjoyed “Reiksguard”. It portrayed the most famous knightly order in a fascinating and a in-depth kind of way. I was invested in the story from the beginning to the last page, and the characters were relatable and unique in their motivations and feelings. I did liked the first part a lot more than the second, but that does not mean that the latter section of the novel was bad. It’s just my inner fluff monkey taking control, as usual. Anyway – go and read “Reiksguard”. It will be worth your time and your money.

You honored that banner with your work, Mr. Williams!

Until next time!

Xathrodox86