Customer Reviews

Death's City

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

 

 

Luther Gerhard, the witch hunter, is still after Rudi, Hanna, and Fritz. For a short while Gerhard captures them. During that time, Gerhard places a talisman on Hanna's forehead. This talisman bottles up her pyromancer powers. NOT a good thing! Any time Hanna tries to use her powers, or anyone tries to reach up and touch it, Hanna pays for it in pain. Unless the trio find a way to remove it, Hanna will die.

The three make their way to the city named Marienburg. Hanna enters a college of magic in hopes of obtaining a license and to see if anyone there can help remove Gerhard's talisman. Fritz becomes a bodyguard for a nobleman. As for Rudi, he joins the Black Caps (a.k.a. becomes part of the town's watch/patrol). Since Marienburg seceded from the Empire ages ago, no one from the Empire has jurisdiction. This includes Gerhard! However, that will not stop the witch hunter.

**** Almost as good as the first book, "Death's Messenger". I, as the reader, learned more about the characters, especially Rudi. I now understand Hanna's powers. Rudi's are still unclear to me, but it has the potential to be huge. Fritz is still a wild card in the story. Yet after reading two novels by this author now, I have no doubts that Fritz, and Gerhard, will find ways to surprise me in the next installment. ****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

Like the previous book in the series, this book gives a good description of the various careers in the Warhammer world as well as how a city based campaign can be played. I enjoyed this book as it provided a detailed insight into city life in Marienburg complete with it's shady dealmakings, street politics down to simple details like ethnic Cathayan food and reeking alleyways. Kinda brought me back to a city I once lived in. Looking forward to the next book in the series that'll take place in yet another city. This time back in the Empire.

Okay, so the main character is young and a little naive, but Rudi goes well beyond simple naivity, moving from complete cluelessness to total stupidity.
Rudi & Hanna manage to escape & make it to Marienburg - which due the legal relationship between the city & the empire - gives them a measure of safety. They even manage the beginnings of establishing themselves in the city.
Then they stupidly throw it all away. Hanna starts the process by breaking Marienburg law - in a way they were specifically warned about. Rudi stupidly/blindly in love decides to follow her off the cliff, thus ensuring he'll be wanted also.
In his encounters with Gerhard (the witch hunter), it is increasingly obvious Gerhard knows something important - and despite being a witch hunter is probably more trustworthy than the other groups manipulating him. Rudi is too stupid/blinded by emotion to manage to think any of this through.
First rule of Warhammer - you can't trust Chaos.
I'm with the other reviewer - I'm rooting for the Witch Hunter.

On the up side, the book has good descriptions of the City of Marienburg and some of the groups within it (what saved this book from 2 stars).

This book is the second in a series and starts where the previous book (Death's Messenger) left off. You really need to read Death's Messenger first to have an idea of what is going on.

This series (Death's Messenger, Death's City, Death's Legacy) is basically one novel chopped into three books. The various books do NOT stand alone. Treat this series as one novel & have all three on hand before you start.

In a mythical world that bears some resemblance to old medieval times, brews a battle of good versus evil. In this world exists the use of powers that go beyond human explanation, which can be used both for the benefit or the detriment of its inhabitants. Witch hunters pursue those who have been accused of consorting with the Chaos, a cult that has been corrupted by the foul powers of the Dark Gods. This is exactly the predicament that Rudi Walder and Hanna Reifenstal found themselves in at the end of Sandy Mitchell's Death's Messenger in this imaginary world. Accused of being heretics, Rudi and Hanna leave their home, Kohlstadt, to journey to the city of Marienburg. During their journey both Rudi and Hanna discover that they have been endowed with certain special powers. However, they find themselves, along with their traveling companion Fritz, captured by Luther Gerhard, the witch hunter.

In the sequel, DEATH'S CITY, the action picks up right where the first left off with Rudi, Hanna, and Fritz about to be executed by Gerhard. As luck would have it, the trio is able to escape, but not before Gerhard puts a talisman on Hanna that renders her powers useless and appears to be sapping the life from her body. Their only hope is to make it to Marienburg, a city where witch hunters have no control, to get help for Hanna and answers for Rudi.

Mitchell has written a novel filled with lots of spine-tingling action and exciting intrigue. The book flows very well and it keeps you interested enough to turn the pages. The author's use of imagery is excellent. He does a wonderful job of describing Marienburg and its inner workings. The characters are not one-dimensional, nor do they behave with penned predictability. I do, however, recommend that you start with book one first, as not to miss some of the foundational things for the series. This book is also apart of the Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay series. So, if you are into fantasy roleplay gaming, this series is designed to give an in depth look at how the game should be played.

Reviewed by Brenda M. Lisbon
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

This is far from the best of the Warhammer novels. The main character is mindless in his ability to overlook the (pretty obvious) role he's been set up to play and the corruption of other key characters. I found myself actively rooting for the witch hunter to catch them; that's probably not a good sign.