Customer Reviews

Gilead's Blood (Warhammer)

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

 

 

Well i have to agree with most of the other reviews on this book. The last adventure really was extremely unoriginal, and not really all that interesting a premise to begin with. However being someone who is very interested in the personality of elves and how they fit into the world, i found this a very good portrayal of them. Throughout the book abnett manages to create a race very obviously not human, and not motivated by human desires or emotions, but at the same time understandable to us, and diverse in personality. He also excellently portrays gilead's despair at the fall of his house, and of the elves in general. And his bitterness at this new world inhabited by an inferior species, humans. I found the theme of his desperate searchfor some sign of the elven past intriguing, and his fate tragic. Overall i thought it was a much darker and interesting story than the Gotrek and Felix series, despite not having all the interesting plot twists that the other has. Although i tend to be more intruigued by the ideas behind stories than the stories themselves, I would reccomend buying it.

I have to agree with the previous review for the most part. The last story is a blatant rip-off of the film the Seven Samurai. (or the western Magnificent seven). The characters were fairly two-dimensional. There was potential there but it was wasted. If you want an excellent warhammer fantasy book series, read the "Slayer" series by William King, starting with TROLLSLAYER.

This was a great book though many would consider it a rip off of the Gortek and Felix series. Quite the contrary as a matter of fact. Though I enjoyed reading this book ,as I seem to with all Warhammer Books, this book seemed a little to rushed in some spots and in others way to slow. The end ,to me, made the whole book worth while. Though it is somewhat not believable that a small group takes on hundreds of one of the most feared bands of mercenaries in the whole warhammer world. This book explores more of the life of Elves, finally they write a novel about elves, and their dying race in the warhammer world. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a fairly entertaining novel.

I think that this is an attempt to reproduce the successful schema of Gotrek and Felix. The invincible trollslayer and his trusty cynic sidekick. Dan Abnett although a gifted writer, does here a poor job. I found all the stories except the last one, just plain boring. The main story of the book, the last one and the longest of them whole was a plain artistic steal. A bunch of good hearted mercenaries/Samurai defending helpless villagers from a bunch of robbers/ villains/bad mercenaries. I believe I've seen the movie twice before. As a whole, I recommend seeing Akira Kurosawa's seven Samurai instead of wasting your time with this book.

Gilead's blood was the first black library book I read and I absolutely loved it. The emotion and character relation between the characters is outstanding. If there was anything I didn't like about the book it was the dreaded short-story format black library is famous for writing.

Genre:Science Fiction
Three sentence summary: Well its about a high elf named Gilead and his loyalist friend fithvael, whose kingdom has fallen. With no where else to go they begin questing for an adventure and meet up with some old friends. Together they go and defend a town from and army of bandits.
What I liked most about the book: I like how the most unlikely team has joined together to fight a small war which is not their own.
What i didn't like and why: I didn't like how Gilead meet no real chalanges and blew though all his opponits with ease.
My favorite character and why: Madoc, an old wolf templar who fights with a hammer and after taking a killing blow still contiued to fight.
The scene, line, or passage that meant something to me and why (page#): "Never give up!" page,252 Shows corage and braveness which I think relates pretty good cause I never give up.
What I would say about this book to someone else: That this is a really awesome book that your can't borrow cause its so good.
One question I have after reading this book: What will the band of people do next or will they stay together after all.
My strongest reason for recommending this book: That it shows plenty fo violence and teamwork and dosn't have much romance.

An awful, amateurish, poorly-written book (and a shameless rip-off of Michael Moorcock's far-superior "Corum" books to boot). It's things like this that give books based on game systems a bad name!

Gilead's Blood it's a combine of several stories. VI to be precise. The main character in our story it's Gilead te tuin Lothain, ut Tor Anrok... Well let us call it only Gilead. Gilead has a Twin that is dead while saving Gilead from some robers. From then on it's how Gilead face the rest of his life alone.
Well not alone in the term, cause he has his faithful retainer Fithvael, but alone in soul 'cause ever since his brother died he lost some part of his soul.
Here you don't see an elf from Lord of The Rings nor Forgotten Realms.. You see an elf with existencial problems.
He is a Shadow of a being. I don't think he has ever smile in this book. He is a sad elf looking desperly find another high elf.

As anyone who follow Warhammer world, the elves are gone from the Old World. The high elves to be precisely. (only a handful of them remain) Only the wood elves remain in a forest near Bretonnia.


The first book we see someone telling a tale of Gilead. We see how Gilead come to be what he is. It's a good beggining.
The second book it's about him after completing his vengeange and his retainer trying to make him understand that he cannot just lay down and die. He must do something. Here in this story it's my favourite phrase of all times

(Well except the phrase where Raistlin says "Hope is the denial of reality")

Page 40
Gilead thought fast. He faced certain death unless he tried to evade, but death... death was what he wanted! At that moment he could do anything. Even if he failed, he would still be rewarded with the thing he most craved. Calm swept through him.

This summarize everything that this book represents... I've read it a long time ago and I never forgot this sentece.

There are three more stories before the last. One about a dream. A dream he wanted so badly to believe. Other about a rescue of a girl and another about respect.

My favourite story it's the last one (The biggest one). It has everything you will find in every warhammer books. You've got norse, elves, knights, common humans, kieves.. etc. The story begins with an half-elf recruiting adventures to defend a village. Along with Gilead and the retainer are 10 or so.
It has carnage and blood. It has honor in death and brave acts.

The resume : it's the first book I would recommend to someone who wants to enter not only warhammer world but fantasy.

I wish Dan Abnett and Nik Vicent would write more books about this character.
I WISH.. I WISH.. I WISH...

(Sorry for mistakes, I am a portuguese speaker.