Customer Reviews

Daemonslayer (Warhammer Gotrek & Felix)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This, unlike the previous two, is a full-out, complete novel. The simple brutality of the action and Gotrek's insane attitude and Felix's polar (worrisome) persona make quite a combo.

Felix grows up in this one even more and finally becomes less a sissy and more of the warrior he should be traveling with Gotrek. Gotrek becomes even more incensed, if that's possible, and the final battle with the Bloodthirster is awesome. Flat-out, one of the best scenes I've ever read.

King is probably the best action writer of all of today's Fantasy authors. Even Salvatore could take some hints. I never get tired of Gotrek decimating monster after monster. I can't wait for the next one.

Although this is the third installment in the series (after "Trollslayer" and "Skavenslayer"), this was my first introduction to the dynamic adventuring team of Felix and Gotrek. Felix is a human youth who has pledged himself to follow on and record the daring suicidal quest of his partner Gotrek, a dwarf who has done something so bad in his life that he has sworn himself to become a "slayer" and die in glorious battle against evil in redemption.

I bought this book in an airport bookshop because I was going to be taking a long and dull plane ride and wanted some light reading. I ended up enjoying this book so much that I could not put it down and found my flight was over in no time.

This book continues plot threads begun in previous installments such as the pesky Skaven who continue to dog their trail. But this one takes the wayward pair into the deepest, darkest perils of that grim and foreboding land stretching out endlessly to the north of the Warhammer world, the Chaos Wastes (I personally like to think of it as the southern edge of Mordor ;) )

This book is perfect for those like myself who could never get enough of Tolkien and longed to visit again that world populated by dwarves, elves and dark and evil creatures. If you're looking for "serious" fantasy with deep character development and profound messages you should probably look elsewhere, but if it's entertainment you want, this book delivers. (Don't want to spoil anything, so just let me say that this book had a great climax.)

I think that this work succeeds because King has no pretensions and does not try to make it anything more than what it is -- pure, enjoyable entertainment.

I'm happy to see that further adventures of this fun pair and their indispensible sidekick, fellow slayer dwarf Snorri Nosebiter (love that name!) are continuing to come out, and I look forward to reading them all.

Karag Dum was one of the greatest Dwarf cities, the mightiest in all the northern lands. It was lost over two centuries ago during the last great incursion of Chaos. There has been no word from Karag Dum, nor has any dwarf been able to reach the place, because the Chaos Wastes advanced and swallowed all the lands between Karag Dum and the Blackblood Pass. All who enter the Chaos Wastes either die or go mad. (Just as Gotrek; he was there once when he was young.) However, old Borek Forkbeard the Scholar has finally figured out a way to cross the Chaos Wastes and sends a messenger to Gotrek in Nuln.

Gotrek Gurnisson and Felix Jaeger leave Nuln (which is slowly being rebuilt after the troubles in the last book "Skavenslayer") and travel to the Lonely Tower. En route they meet others headed in the same direction. Slayer Snorri Nosebiter, Varek Varigsson, who is the nephew of old Borek, and Slayer (as well as one of the best dwarf engineers alive) Malakai Makaisson are just a few met by our famous duo. Turns out that Herr Makaisson has invented a new airship, made with the Chaos Wastes in mind. The skaven, including Grey Seer Thanquol, want the new airship as well. But Gotrek's mind is set on the two sacred objects within Karag Dum; the Hammer of Fate and the Runemaster's Axe. As for Felix, he is entrusted with lost secrets of an Elder Race. By the time this is over, Felix may well wish he were not so honored.

***** This is the third book in the adventures of Gotrek and Felix. It is also the best of the three. The time of several stories in one book has come to a close. From here on each book is one huge adventure. As the first of these, the author has done an outstanding job of making sure the book is overflowing in battles, strategies, and educating the readers in a few secrets of the Dwarfen race. The book starts out in battle and ends in battle, giving me, as the reader, little time to stop and catch my breath. (By the way, just in case someone out there is not aware of the fact, books one - three can be purchased together in THE FIRST OMNIBUS.) Readers will get more insight into the Elder Race and meet other characters which will be seen in future novels. Terrific! *****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

Gotrek and Felix join a dwarven expedition to the middle of the Chaos Wastes in the hopes of discovering the lost fortress of Karag Dum. They travel, along with some other interesting characters such as Snorri Nosebitter, in some kind of huge blimp. Somewhat unfortunately (in my opinion) Grey Seer Thanquol and his cowardly lackey Lurk Snitchtongue find their way back into the story.

Full of chaos warriors and beastmen, this book offers the usual dose of dangerous situations for our heroes. Felix has another tantalizing brush with love and Gotrek comes closer than ever to finally achieving his doom. While most of the story focuses in on Felix and his blossoming into a hardened hero himself, Gotrek plays an important role as the focus of ancient prophesies that he knows nothing about. The climax of this one is pretty intense, with some of the heaviest carnage to be found in the series. Interestingly, King doesn't really wrap up the story in this novel, but instead leaves it wide open, demanding a closely linked sequel.

Overall, this book is enjoyable and light. Much like the other slayer novels I've read.

First let me say, I love William King (well not that way). I've been a fan of his since the first Gotrek and Felix story came out in the late 80's. I had always wished King would right a novel about the duo, and now he has.

Some of you may be saying, "but this is his third novel." Not exactly true. True, there are two books in the series before this one, and they are both called "A Gotrek and Felix Novel". However, those books are really short story compilations. With Trollslayer, this is more than obvious. Skavenslayer is less so because all the stories are tied to one another so closely as to make one big story, but I still hesitate to call it a novel. Daemonslayer is one big story, and it's everything you'd expect in a Slayer novel.

Present are Kings excellent characterization and over-the-top fantasy full of carnage and mayhem. In this book, Gotrek battles his toughest adversary to date and probably out of all the books; a Bloodthirster of Khorne (Greater Daemon of immense power). This certainly adds to the excitement and heightens the climax, but your left feeling like, "ok, now what?" Gotrek is now established as pretty much invincible. In the next book he fights a dragon, but so what. That shouldn't be a problem for him right?

My point it, as fun as this book is, it kinda detracts from the series. How much more can Gotrek acheive? Having Gotrek go on to slay Godly foe after Godly foe is going to get tiring in the same way Star Wars novels do. How many times can Luke, Han, and Leia save the galaxy? Don't get me wrong, I still love these books, but how much more can these two do and remain interesting? The scope of Daemonslayer is so huge and epic as it could easily serve as the ending of the series. Thankfully it doesn't, but my point is that the perhaps the scope of this tale was told too soon. The best Slayer story is still Wolfriders (found in Trollslayer) where a band of goblins is made every bit as threatening as an uber-daemon. In fact, it's the only story where Gotrek suffers a permanent wound; the loss of an eye.

The other problem is the direction Felix is taking. Sure it might be natural for Felix to become a hardened warrior in his travels with Gotrek, indeed he'd have to in order to stay alive, but it seems a little soon for that as well. It's also less interesting. Felix becomes more and more like Gotrek, and as cool as the slayer is, it's the contrast between the two that makes it interesting.

Fans of Gotrek and Felix won't be disappointed in this book (new readers need to start with Trollslayer). It's everything a Slayer novel should be, and it's much better than Skavenslayer. Props to Mr. King for successfully adapting his amazing adventures to long form.

This the third book in the gortek felix series. It was a good book but i feel the author needs to take the skaven out of the story. And thanquol needs to die. The book is good aside from the fact almost all the book was based in the airship and not nearly enough fighting as in the first two. But whenever there was a battle scene it was really good. Espeacially the daemon. Anyways it was a good book and i cant wait for DRAGONSLAYER coming on November 15. Good book if you like the series.

This the third book in the gortek felix series. It was a good book but i feel the author needs to take the skaven out of the story. And thanquol needs to die. The book is good aside from the fact almost all the book was based in the airship and not nearly enough fighting as in the first two. But whenever there was a battle scene it was really good. Espeacially the daemon. Anyways it was a good book and i cant wait for DRAGONSLAYER coming on November 15. Good book if you like the series.

This the third book in the gortek felix series. It was a good book but i feel the author needs to take the skaven out of the story. And thanquol needs to die. The book is good aside from the fact almost all the book was based in the airship and not nearly enough fighting as in the first two. But whenever there was a battle scene it was really good. Espeacially the daemon. Anyways it was a good book and i cant wait for DRAGONSLAYER coming on November 15. Good book if you like the series.

throughly enjoyable reading... i love the way the heroes thrist for death yet never meet it...

Set in the Warhammer Universe, the series features Gotrek and Felix. Gotrek is a dwarf seeking a noble death as a slayer, the price paid by a dwarf who has done something terribly wrong. Felix, a journalist saved by Gotrek, follows the slayer, aiding him, chronicling his way to his noble doom. In this novel, they face a series of adventures full of blood and gore, full of battles and confrontations.