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odurant8's review against another edition
3.0
Horror is definitely not for me, though the narrators were excellent.
mwplante's review against another edition
4.0
The frame story left something to be desired but each individual tale was gripping in its own way. The first tale is a fascinating character study of its protagonist. The second is stronger still with some massive Poe vibes. I'd say the third tale is equally as enjoyable as the second with the "monster on an isolated space station" route it takes, which is one of my favorite mini-genres. I really wish there was a less tenuous frame for what is ultimately a really enjoyable anthology.
I can think of three ways to rank these stories and they come out wildly different:
As a Warhammer story:
1.) The Beast in the Trenches
2.) Woman in the Walls
3.) The Faith and the Flesh
As a horror story:
1.) The Faith and the Flesh
2.) The Beast in the Trenches
3.) The Woman in the Walls
As a story:
1.) The Woman in the Walls
2.) The Faith and the Flesh
3.) The Beast in the Trenches
I think it's a really good sign for an anthology or a portmanteau novel when all the individually strong entries work in such differing ways.
I can think of three ways to rank these stories and they come out wildly different:
As a Warhammer story:
1.) The Beast in the Trenches
2.) Woman in the Walls
3.) The Faith and the Flesh
As a horror story:
1.) The Faith and the Flesh
2.) The Beast in the Trenches
3.) The Woman in the Walls
As a story:
1.) The Woman in the Walls
2.) The Faith and the Flesh
3.) The Beast in the Trenches
I think it's a really good sign for an anthology or a portmanteau novel when all the individually strong entries work in such differing ways.
jmh123's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
spaceman5000's review against another edition
2.0
Not a terrible book. The stories are interesting and curious, but I felt little connection to the characters which is important in a horror story.
In general, there's something about the style of writing in the Warhamner novels that make it difficult for me to get into. The authors try to write in an epic, grandiose style that feels thick and dense but isn't pleasurable to read. As neat as the stories are and how rich and deep the lore of the Warhammer world is, they end up feeling like a slog.....
In general, there's something about the style of writing in the Warhamner novels that make it difficult for me to get into. The authors try to write in an epic, grandiose style that feels thick and dense but isn't pleasurable to read. As neat as the stories are and how rich and deep the lore of the Warhammer world is, they end up feeling like a slog.....
yeehawmcgee's review
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Set in a grimdark galaxy of endless war, this book is a great introduction to the world of Warhammer and it's many horrors. I was pleasantly surprised not only at the quality of the horror, but also the variety of types of horror, aswell as the undxpected gothic influence. Here there are terrors beyond imagination as well as unspeakable evils carried inside the human soul.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Gore, and Body horror
Moderate: Drug use
Minor: Xenophobia and War
itcamefromthepage's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Listened to the audio for this and I absolutely LOVED IT.
This is framed like an old Hammer horror film with a group of people meeting in a creepy place and then telling the stories of how they got there.
The first story is a masterpiece that worked even better because it was narrated by Doug Bradley. The other two are a ton of fun and would be totally appropriate for a classic horror anthology.
Great fun, Warhammer Horror continues to surprise.
This is framed like an old Hammer horror film with a group of people meeting in a creepy place and then telling the stories of how they got there.
The first story is a masterpiece that worked even better because it was narrated by Doug Bradley. The other two are a ton of fun and would be totally appropriate for a classic horror anthology.
Great fun, Warhammer Horror continues to surprise.
trowellingbadger's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
nightshade_novels's review against another edition
4.0
The Beast in the Trenches - Once again Reynolds does a brilliant job at world-building. He builds up a really good atmosphere without relying on lengthy descriptions. I did struggle with the start of this story as it follows Commissar Valemar, who is very strict in his role, and I just kept comparing him unfavourably to Commissar Cain. But soon enough the intrigue builds and you want to find out what is actually going on. This story shows how the mind can twist any action into the right one when it is done as part of your duty.
The Woman in the Walls - Despite initially finding the main character, Vendersen, unlikable, I was soon routing for her to survive, despite being certain she wouldn't. I enjoyed this story, it is a spooky, tense mystery, but with a fair few gruesome descriptions.
The Faith and the Flesh - I found this story genuinely creepy, I loved it! There's something about being trapped on a spacecraft with no escape, and no real hope of rescue, that gets to me. Marrikus makes some divisive decisions, but as he keeps pointing out, would anyone actually chose differently or any better in his position?
Silence - All three of the characters come together on Silence and recount their stories to try and work out why they have been sent to this death planet.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and it has made me want to read even more Warhammer horror in the future. The only reason it looses a star is the slow start with Valemar's story, which I struggled to get into. The rest of the book was a five star read.
The Woman in the Walls - Despite initially finding the main character, Vendersen, unlikable, I was soon routing for her to survive, despite being certain she wouldn't. I enjoyed this story, it is a spooky, tense mystery, but with a fair few gruesome descriptions.
The Faith and the Flesh - I found this story genuinely creepy, I loved it! There's something about being trapped on a spacecraft with no escape, and no real hope of rescue, that gets to me. Marrikus makes some divisive decisions, but as he keeps pointing out, would anyone actually chose differently or any better in his position?
Silence - All three of the characters come together on Silence and recount their stories to try and work out why they have been sent to this death planet.
Spoiler
As soon as it was mentioned that the three of them were stood next to some bodies under sheets, I guessed that those were their bodies and that maybe they hadn't survived their experiences after all. Despite knowing this I was still routing for Vendersen and Marrikus through their stories. It was interesting to figure out at which point in their stories each of them had actually died.Overall, I really enjoyed this book and it has made me want to read even more Warhammer horror in the future. The only reason it looses a star is the slow start with Valemar's story, which I struggled to get into. The rest of the book was a five star read.
scout_kmh's review against another edition
This isn't a bad book. By any means. But somehow I managed to buy it without realising it was a Warhammer book. I know absolutely nothing about Warhammer, so I spent most of my time with this book feeling confused, and more than a bit lost.
I didn't initially want to DNF, even once I realised I wasn't going to have a clue what was going on. I'm normally a big sci-fi/fantasy reader, so I figured I'd at least be able to get something out of it. And I guess I did.
In terms of the actual writing, I definitely enjoyed it. I managed to make it over halfways through before the lore stuff just got way too much for me to take in anymore. Each of the short stories were engaging, particularly with their horror aspects, but this book definitely isn't super outsider-friendly. And there's nothing wrong with that. For people who know Warhammer, this is probably a great read. I just managed to miss all the signs until I actually sat down to read the thing.
I might well come back to this at a later date, possibly after some research on Warhammer. I'm definitely interested in how the final short story pans out. I did, however, skim read the connecting sections to see how the overall plot resolved and, if I'm honest, I don't really think it was resolved. If the book actually gave any answers as to why the characters were all on this cemetary planet, then I didn't notice it. Maybe it's in the final short story. Maybe I just missed it. Who knows? But if I find myself really wanting more, I might come back for a second go.
I didn't initially want to DNF, even once I realised I wasn't going to have a clue what was going on. I'm normally a big sci-fi/fantasy reader, so I figured I'd at least be able to get something out of it. And I guess I did.
In terms of the actual writing, I definitely enjoyed it. I managed to make it over halfways through before the lore stuff just got way too much for me to take in anymore. Each of the short stories were engaging, particularly with their horror aspects, but this book definitely isn't super outsider-friendly. And there's nothing wrong with that. For people who know Warhammer, this is probably a great read. I just managed to miss all the signs until I actually sat down to read the thing.
I might well come back to this at a later date, possibly after some research on Warhammer. I'm definitely interested in how the final short story pans out. I did, however, skim read the connecting sections to see how the overall plot resolved and, if I'm honest, I don't really think it was resolved. If the book actually gave any answers as to why the characters were all on this cemetary planet, then I didn't notice it. Maybe it's in the final short story. Maybe I just missed it. Who knows? But if I find myself really wanting more, I might come back for a second go.