Read this novel just this afternoon. I’ve been very much looking forward to it since it was announced and I downloaded the e-book the second it was available.
Here’s the premise from
GWs website:
A Warhammer Age of Sigmar novel
The Bad Moon looms over the city of Draconium, and Watch Captain Helena Morthan knows it bodes ill for the town. Can she and grieving warrior Hendrick Saul defeat the plans of the Gloomspite Loonking and save their people?
READ IT BECAUSE
Andy Clark tells a twisted and disturbing tale of the grots of the Mortal Realms, delving into darkness in more ways than one. Strap in – this is going to be a wild ride…
THE STORY
In the dark corners of the Mortal Realms, the mysterious Gloomspite Gitz go to war, following the trail of their abominable deity. Nowhere is beyond the sight of the Bad Moon, not even those places under Sigmar’s protection, like the city of Draconium, sweltering beneath the scalding rain of Aqshy. In this boiling pot of tension, the regent prays to Sigmar for guidance while Captain Helena Morthan puts out fires: blades drawn in the streets, heretical doomsayers preaching the end of days, and insects eating watchmen alive.
When the grieving warrior Hendrick and his warband arrive at the gates with a prophetic warning, Captain Morthan sees a way to save her people. But with Skragrott the Loonking plotting underneath Draconium, and the Bad Moon looming in the sky above, will there be a city left to save?
Written by Andy Clark
It very much delivered what it advertised. The characters were well written, with the mercenary warband that the novel revolves around being an eclectic mix. The two humans mentioned in the premise are teamed up with an Aelf Wanderer, a Warrior Priest, an Ironweld Engineer, a human barbarian with dubious faith preferences, a death wizard and a Kharadron. I was afraid of bloat with such a diverse cast, but Andy Clark did a great job in giving the reader just enough tidbits of each character to flesh them out as people that you want to root for. He actually made me want more of them, or even prequels about their journeys up to the events that start off this novel. Even some of the minor characters(mostly city guards/militia) who appear towards the end of the novel seem like well thought out and realized characters, rather than just “redshirts” put on the page to be meatshields for the protagonist(s).
The leadup to the full attack by the Moonclan was well done and full of tension. There is a creeping dread throughout the city as strange things are afoot. It was a slow burn of madness, mysterious attacks, strange omens and seemingly random thefts and vandalism. Once all the pieces were in place and the Bad Moon arrives, things get very
crazy, very quickly. As I was reading things play out, I came to the conclusion that a Gloomspite Gitz invasion is probably one of the worst ways to meet your end in the Mortal Realms.
My one complaint is that there weren’t enough Gloomspite Gitz in the novel. Sure, their presence is there from the start, and once the Loonking appears on the page he dominates his brief exchanges, but I would’ve liked to have seen more of that. Even delve into their perspective and how they think about those who will be their prey once the Bad Moon arrives. Build up abit of their culture and give us a bit more insight into the Gloomspite Gitz characters who are otherwise just nameless.
Other than that minor complaint, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. The characters were great, the action was fun yet tense(the body count amongst the protagonists was very high) and the story had some disgusting and disturbing parts and even unexpected twists that caught me off guard as well. I wouldn’t mind seeing these characters return in other novels or short stories, but I got the feeling this was a one-off.
I give it two thumbs up.
