Empire in Chaos (Warhammer: Age of Reckoning) (Mass Market Paperback)

by Anthony Reynolds (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
In a land ravaged by plague and swarming with mutants, a young woman and her companions become swept up in an epic battle to save the Empire from its most ferocious foes - the forces of Chaos.

About the Author
Anthony Reynolds worked in Games Workshop's Design Studio in the UK for over five years. He is currently living in Australia, where he works as a freelance writer.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Games Workshop (August 26, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1844165272
• ISBN-13: 978-1844165278
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.2 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #324,308 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A very good book, October 28, 2008

By	SoldierMan (Custer, WI United States) - See all my reviews

If you are in pain, as I am after back surgery, grab this book and "have a ball." It is hard to put it down.
By the way, I have every Warhammer (or WH 41) book ever published in Great Britan and US.
So, it's not over the top nacho but solid and good reading.

3.0 out of 5 stars Warhammer Online Tie In, February 15, 2009

By	Richard Warren "Book Pusher" (Midwest, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

It was inevitable I would pick this book up since I've been playing alot of 'Warhammer Online. Anthony Reynolds has written a number of Warhammer novels. This one is neither very good or truly awful. It does not have alot of depth. What it does have is a reasonable exploration of a good chunk of Warhammer locations, and interplay between the various warhammer races. I'm not sure I can agree with his portrayal of the elves though. Another Warhammer Fantasy novel I read portrayed them differently than they're laid out here. Other reviewers have said this is not Anthony Reynolds strongest work. I will be pleased if that is the case, since I am trying to read ALL of the 'Warhammer Fantasy' novels. Really this would get 3.5 stars if I could do that. Not a bad place to start for a new reader.

3 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great book for those new to Warhammer, October 8, 2008

By	Butner Brimberry "-Butmac-" - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I'm more of a Warhammer 40K fan since Warhammer, though it came first, is essentially Warcraft. But after playing a little bit of Warhammer Online, I decided to give the book a try.

The book takes about 2 or 3 chapters to get into, but once you get into it you'll have a hard time putting it down. The book follows three characters initially, so it's hard to say who the main character is but if I had to choose one I would say it's the witch hunter Udo Grunwald. Since witch hunters are very interesting people, all the sections of the book that deal with him are never boring.

The fights and action parts of the story are described well and the use of detail when describing a wound can be pretty intense. However, this is also one of the problems with "Empire in Chaos." There are only so many ways you can describe how someone go shot in the head. After about the fifth time it was described as "chunks of skull and brain" being scattered, it started to feel monotonous.

The book is not without it's faults though. Reynolds quite often goes into unnecessary diatribes on the detail of a person, place, or object. It's too much detail. Also, as stated before, the action sequences feel a little stale since all the same words and actions are used to describe the fights. The ending also was pretty terrible. There is a set up for a sequel with the next villain being obvious - but that doesn't save this book's ending from being a total let down that climaxes to nothing really.

It's a good read if you want to read on more of the Warhammer Online world and get familiar with the different races and classes, but I can't see a hardcore reader of Warhammer titles finding anything too special about this one.