Drachenfels

Warhammer Horror

By: Kim Newman

Narrated by: Antonia Beamish

A Warhammer Horror novel.

Many years ago, the Great Enchanter Drachenfels was defeated by brave adventurers. Now, playwright Detlef Sierck plans a production showing these events - at the site of the necromancer's death. But the dead do not rest easy.

It's the original Warhammer Horror novel. Hailing from the late 1980s, it depicts an early version of the Warhammer world and is packed with spine-chilling moments and memorable characters - there's a reason it's still a dearly loved title 30 years after its original release!

Detlef Sierck, the self-proclaimed greatest playwright in the world, has declared that his next production will be a re-creation of the end of the Great Enchanter Drachenfels - to be staged at the very site of his death, the Fortress of Drachenfels itself. But the castle's dark walls still hide a terrible secret which may make the opening night an evening to remember!

A classic Warhammer novel - 30 years old this year - returns in a brand-new edition under the Warhammer Horror imprint.

It includes a new introduction by the author, the horror legend Kim Newman, whose real name is appearing on the cover for the very first time. Written by Kim Newman, writing as Jack Yeovil.

Narrated by Antonia Beamish.

©2019 Games Workshop Limited (P)2019 Games Workshop Limited

Great fun

Thoroughly enjoyed it, if your a warhammer fantasy fan and want something a bit different give this a go

Don't miss this if you like ttrpgs.

Fantastic fiction, and ideal for inspiring anyone who wants to be a dungeon or game master. The characters are all extremely well written and the plot will doubtless feature as an influence in a dungeons and dragons adventure I put on someday.

Very good

Great story, but I was disappointed with the ending, it all ended so suddenly after such a slow burn buildup. Performance was great.

Rough beginnings, rough endings.

One of the best executed Warhammer novels overall, Drachenfels manages to have compelling moments of actual horror, and a broad cast of entertaining characters. It gives a vision of the Warhammer world that is more dynamic, more alive than the often frozen-in-time appeal of the tabletop, featuring interactions between individuals and "factions" that would be phased out in later editions of the setting, showing the evolution of human pop culture over the Imperial centuries, and overall giving the world a more fluid, natural feel than the rigid strictures of the wargame itself.

That said, this is far from a perfect pulp novel. Most notable, the beginning and ending are rough, downright trainwreck-like in some aspects. The opening goes fast, introducing characters and stakes with little room to breathe, and the ending likewise wraps up at breakneck speeds, making one wonder if they missed something. While not a bad performance, the narration also leaves something to be desired, becoming a bit monotonous at times, and with some underwhelming choices in character voices.

Overall, if you're a Warhammer fan, I'd view this as required reading next to books like Gotrek & Felix, but in the grand scheme of pulp literature it has some unignorable shortcomings.

Holy crap. Plot twist.

I loved this story. There were times I was almost late to work because I didn't want to leave my car so that I could listen.