Gamertell

Title: Empire in Chaos
Author: Anthony Reynolds
Publisher: The Black Library
Release Date: Sept. 2008
Price: $7.99
Rating: Two thumbs sideways, 74/100, C, ** out of five.
Pros: Quick pace, strong character development.
Cons: The book is occasionally lacking in development of settings and events. Progression of events are brutally predictable and occasionally ends up more tiresome to read in its rough spots.
Overall: If you’re going to buy the book wait a while for it to come to a used book store.

Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000 usually have these incredible story lines that have very few flaws in the way they are delivered. The book Empire in Chaos, based on the MMO Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning, is not one of the higher notes of Warhammer lore.

The book follows the storyline of the Warhammer Fantasy universe. It also follows the general tenants of nearly every fantasy novel released after Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit and The Silmarillion. War causes a group of refugees and warriors to band together. The enemies are Orks and other various forces of darkness. The difference is that this book throws in the aspect of the Forgotten Realms races. This is because on the side of the alliance of destruction are dark elves. The alliance of order is composed of the humans, dwarves and high elves. It just comes across as a shorter, more brutal version of the LotR storyline with evil elves.

The writing is painfully average and leaves a lot to be desired in terms of worldly development. You get the motivations of the major characters and they are beautifully built up. One of the good things about the mediocrity of the story development is that it is very familiar. It will have a very homely feel for the fantasy genre advocates. However, familiarity breeds contempt. So it’s cookie-cutter storyline and writing archetype is also the drawback.

The essence of any story is drama and the essence of drama is conflict. Yes, there are many different kinds of conflict that can make this book interesting. Then again, it would at least be interesting if all the conflicts that are brought up in the book are the standard stereotypes. The storyline comes across like a mixture of R.A. Salvatore’s Cleric Quintet and Tolkien’s LotR. Without much in the way of at least new attempts to present old ideas in new ways, it eventually becomes a tiresome burden to get through reading without thinking, “I’ve been here before.“

It’s derivative in its nature. It’s bland even with the pacing that it has. Don’t get me wrong, even with the flaws there are some enjoyable parts to the book. However, if you’re going to buy it and aren’t a die hard fan of Warhammer fiction, at least wait for it to come to a used book store.

Site [Empire in Chaos] Read [Gaming Today] Also Read [The Book of Grudges]

Keep up with the latest Gaming news! - Subscribe to our feed →