Daemonifuge: Heretic Saint (Warhammer 40,000 Novels) [Paperback]

Various (Author)

Book Description

Series: Warhammer 40,000 Novels | Publication Date: September 27, 2005

Ephrael Stern - Sister of Battle - Daemonifuge!Tainted soul or living weapon against the dark forces of Chaos?Under investigation by the Inquisition, Ephrael Stern and Inquisitor, Silas Hand must place their trust in each other as they embark on a dangerous quest to discover the origins of her power!This graphic novel collects together the complete story of Ephrael Stern and her battle against the power that would destroy her. Featuring work from comic industry stars such as Kev Walker, Jim Campbell, Gordon Rennie, Karl Richardson and Chris Quilliams.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Set in the Warhammer/Black Library universe, this title has been republished in an American edition as an oversized hardcover. And being a Warhammer book, set in a vicious interstellar war between humanity and Chaos, there's much more darkness than light. But the oversize pages are good for displaying huge warships cruising through space, the landscape of a desolate planet or the dreadful artifact of the book's subtitle. A millennia ago men were prohibited from being warriors. The Adepta Sororitas were organized to replace them. As the story begins, an amnesiac young woman is babbling in a cell, waiting for an Inquisitor to arrive to determine whether her ravings mark her as a blasphemer or a traumatized innocent. But she's not just a passive victim. When a Chaos-corrupted Adepta guard tries to kill the babbling woman before the Inquisitor arrives, the woman springs forward and rips the demon-beast out of the guard's body with her bare hands. She is, it turns out, Ephrael Stern, one of the Adepta Sororitas, whose battered condition indicates she's suffered through a crisis herself. Now, accompanied by the fanatical Inquisitor Hand, Ephrael retraces her steps to the planet Parnis to discover what Chaos is building there. In this volume, some questions are answered, while more remain open. But the book is uncommonly interesting and the illustrations are great. Walker's grayscale, b&w CGI artwork is extremely effective in the oversized format, and Walker's people look more human than most Warhammer characters.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

'Simply breathtaking' Borderline; 'An explosive and hugely entertaining mixture of dark fantasy, intrigue and gory action.' - SFX

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Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Games Workshop (September 27, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1844162516
• ISBN-13: 978-1844162512
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,064,902 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Go for the hardcover edition, its worth it!, January 26, 2007

By 

C. T. Hunter "chips_books" (Gainesville, FL United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Daemonifuge (Warhammer 40,000) (Hardcover)

This review refers to the hardcover table top edition of this book.

If your bookshelf can hold it, go for this book in the hardcover format. Large glossy pages enhance the story by bringing all of the art into clearer focus simply making everything easier to see. The manga style graphic novels from Warhammer are cramped and printed on cheap paper bound too tightly. The hardcover version is really nice and brings the story to life.

Daemonifuge tells the story of Ephrael Stern, a member of the Adeptus Soroitas who has forgotten her past and must seek out the answers to powerful and dangerous questions. As she and Inquisitor Hand seek to solve the mysteries of Stern's existence and powers, chaotic forces hound them and unknown mystical powers protect them. The story is dark and fast-paced (as are most Warhammer tales), and reads almost like a mystery.

The art work is amazing in this graphic novel, better than any I've found in the other Warhammer books. Detailed gore and beauty combine to make an exciting read that you'll be tempted to finish in a single setting.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding!, May 11, 2007

By 

Detra Fitch (USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Daemonifuge: Heretic Saint (Warhammer 40,000 Novels) (Paperback)

Heretic.Witch. Daemon-wench. Child of Chaos.
Ephrael Stern of the Adepta Sororitas. She is a Battle Sister. She is a Daughter of the Emperor. In fact, Ephrael was all these things even before she had been born human. She did her duty and she did it well...until she died. When she is resurrected, things change.

Renegade. Outcast. Thrice-Born.
While in a lost convent of the Adepta Sororitas on the edge of nowhere, Ephrael is chosen to be the "Keeper of Secrets" by the "Screaming Cage" on Parnis. Inquisitor Silas Hand gave everything, including his life, to keep Ephrael alive so she could do her duty by delivering the secrets to the Black Library.

Saint. Weapon of Light. Scourge of Chaos. Daemonifuge!
Ephrael is changing within. The knowledge within her is transforming her. She is slowly learning what she has become and what she can do. Until the transformation is completed, she must simply survive and wait for "The Pariah" to find her. The Pariah is to guide her through the secret paths between worlds. Surviving is not easy. She must live through captivity by aliens and their battle arenas, The Ordo Mallous (Daemon Hunters), an inquisitor out to slay Silas's killer (thinking it to be her), and the Dark Ones who make their lairs in the secret paths between worlds.

***** Excellent graphic novel set in the W40K universe! Be sure to have plenty of light as you read. When the text is in italics, it is very hard to make out some of the words due to the font chosen. This is another graphic novel that would make an outstanding full length novel series, such as the Malus Darkblade series has done (and is still doing). Dark Fantasy, battles aplenty, faith, betrayal, pain and blood...it's all in here. Out-freaking-standing! *****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

5.0 out of 5 stars A Tale of Epic Proportions, July 23, 2010

By 

BloodCri - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Daemonifuge (Warhammer 40,000) (Hardcover)

This graphic novel is not for the faint of heart. Its intense story requires some basic knowledge of warhammer to properly understand and its detailed art requires pause to fully comprehend what is going on. This may throw some readers off but it also adds to the charm and atmosphere when you get into the rhythem of reading it. This story left me delightfully satisfied with the story arc, but wanting more at the end. I want to know what happens next. I want to read about Stern's life. I want to know how she becomes the Daemonifuge.

**Spoilers (sort of)**

Unfortunately we don't get it. In "Daemonifuge: The Heretic Saint" (a compilation novel of "The Screaming Cage", "The Lord of Damnation", and "The Thrice Born" [unpublished]) it stops short before a fight because the story was cancelled, but this still stands strong as a stand alone story arc. It is a must read for anyone even mildly interested in either Sisters of Battle or Chaos.