Customer Reviews

Manslayer (Warhammer)

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

 

 

This book was better than the incredibly dry Orcslayer, but still left much to be desired.

Gotrek and Felix were in better form, but still seemed way off from the heights they achieved in Daemonslayer and Giantslayer. Some problems I had with this installment was Felix's emotional roller coaster. At this point in time, I would think he would have put the whole Ulrika romance behind him as even he admitted it was played out as far back as dragonslayer, and then take into account the 20 years that passed, so why still carry a flame for a vampiress that seemed ready to turn on him at any moment? What, Felix hasn't been with any other lasses over the past twenty years?

Maybe that accounts for his jumpiness. But c'mon, the guy has faced down Daemons and Dragons(with gotrek leading point, of course) so maybe he shouldn't be so jumpy at some vampires.

Which begs the question, why was Felix willing to allow a vampiric conspiracy to continue in the first place? He and Gotrek should slayered every bloodsucker in their path

The fact that they had to turn tail and run from three of them shows Long's poor grasph on the dynamic strength to these characters. Maybe Long needs to read the closing chapters of daemonslayer and see why Gotrek shouldn't run from 3 female vampires.

And why wasn't his axe blazing bright in the presence of dark magic? Like it has in all the other books written by King?

Just one of my many questions and disappointment in Long's books. Elfslayer better be a better showing by Gotrek AND Felix.

Regardless of why Bill King is no longer writing the adventures of Gotrek & Felix, I am now completely convinced that the characters are in good hands. In `Manslayer', the duo return to the lands of the Empire after their 20 year sojourn, and are immediately plunged into another dark conspiracy in the city of Nuln. The story is slower to get started than their previous outing, but once it gets going it keeps up a breakneck pace that only increases as the story nears its climax.

I enjoyed seeing the duo interacting with human beings again, since it has been two books and several years since they spent any time among Felix's people. There's a running joke involving Felix's appearance that I think hints at an important revelation to come, and we get to see several familiar faces (some friendly, some not). We also get some information regarding the fates of two former companions, Max Schreiber and Snorri Nosebiter (which I was very grateful for). There is action, intrigue, horror, heartbreak, suspense, a tragic loss, and an epilogue that had me grinning from ear to ear in anticipation of the next book.

There were only a couple of things about the book I didn't enjoy: the first is a speculative oversight on Felix's part near the end regarding the identity of a still-unknown threat that had me shaking my head at his cluelessness (you'd think he'd know better by now). The second is the nearly sadistic level of punishment inflicted on the two heroes. I felt bad for both of them by the end of the story. They take a worse pounding in `Manslayer' than anything previously written, almost to the point of absurdity.

To sum up, I highly recommend `Manslayer' for fans of the series. Nathan Long does not disappoint in his second outing, and I eagerly look forward to the next.

Dwarf Trollslayer Gotrek Gurnisson and his human companion Felix Jaeger are en route to Middenheim, hopefully in time for the siege. They stop off in the Imperial city of Nuln where they run into Gotrek's old friend the Slayer Malakai Makaisson. Malakai is with the College of Engineering and helping the Imperial war effort by transporting cannons to Middenheim in his airship the Spirit of Grungni. Our heroic duo would reach Middenheim a couple of weeks faster if they travel via the airship and even have a couple of extra nights for drinking before lift off.

Unfortunately the Ruinous Powers have plans of their own. Cultists calling themselves the Brothers of the Cleansing Flame steal the black powder meant for the new cannons. Gotrek and Felix must help locate the thieves if they are to have any hope of reaching Middenheim in time.

**** Readers get to meet up with Ulrika and see how she has been doing since her undead status began. Otto, Felix's brother, unknowingly and unwillingly shares a bit of the adventure too. I am sure we will hear more of Otto's family in the future.

Author Nathan Long has done a terrific job keeping our heroes true to William King's vision; however, Felix is a bit too nice. From beginning to the end, this story is one long string of battles, guaranteed to please! ****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

I really enjoyed Manslayer. In fact, it has renewed my interest in a series which I thought I was about through with.
The thing I like about Nathan Long, and which separates him from King, is the clear thought and planning that goes into constructing his stories.
Gotrek and Felix novels have often struck me as very linear "start at point A, go to point B, kill monster".
Long is able to weave a plot with more depth. It's also great to get more insight into the characters, their thoughts, and their relationship. Something we didn't get a lot of in King's books. The writing is fun and colorful.

This novel is just as good as the very first one I picked up. Moving to another author bothered me at first. I was worried that I would not have the same Gotrek that King wrote. That worry was put aside after the first couple of chapters when I realized I was not just reading the first page to see if I'd like it. I was already caught up in the story and had read twenty pages without realizing it. If your a fan of Gotrek and Felix you will love these novels. They are written in a professional manner that gives you what you are looking for. I will be looking for the next in the series.

I find the entrance of Ulrika always refreshing.It is a pity that there is no way that Felix and she can ever be together.This in itself is heart wrenching. The introduction into the story of the various vampire cults and Ulrika's refusal to destroy Felix hopefully make another book.

This one is the best yet ! I liked Orcslayer ...but this one is a better story .....I hope the new guy keeps writing this series.

...but a good book. I had all but given up on reading this series after the horrible Giantslayer, but the two new novels by Long have breathed new life into it. I especially liked how in this one he brought back some characters from the previous titles with hints of more to come.

I was really worried when I heard that William King was no longer continuing the Gotrek and Felix novels, as this is far and away my favorite duo of heroes in the Warhammer Fantasy universe.

I read Orcslayer and just didn't feel that the magic was there.

Then I got Manslayer on the off chance that Orcslayer was just a rough start for Nathan. And man was I glad I bought it. The book is fantastic, it has vivid and descriptive writing, epic battles, some hilarious bits of dialogue/insight into Felix's mind, and the return of Ulrika, one of my favorite characters.

A review below me listed some negatives, and I read the comments before I got the book, but after reading it I have to say I disagree with his/her opinion on the author's credibility. I thought Felix's feelings were quite logical and realistic for a man who's been in and out of horrific amounts of fighting for the past 20 years. Sure, he might have picked up some "lasses" here and there in whichever dirthole town they stopped off in, but that doesn't mean he ever stayed long enough to form attachments.

But anyway, the book is great. I enjoyed it so thoroughly that by the end I couldn't even remember what King's writing was like anymore. All I knew is Long had me hooked. Again, it's the hilarity of the characters/dialogue/situations, combined with the strong and believable characterization that really made this book work for me. There was some very strong writing as well, some metaphors used in the book still stick in my head weeks later. Great read!

Unlike some products from the Black Library, this novel seems to have been written by someone who believes the actions his characters take. Congratulations. That makes my suspension of disbelief that much easier and the reading experiece that much more enjoyable. If you're a fan of the series and were worried about the change of authors, don't be, Gotrek and Felix are in capable hands.