Yndrasta: The Celestial Spear

Warhammer Age of Sigmar Characters

By: Noah Van Nguyen

Narrated by: Emma Gregory

Length: 9 hrs and 46 mins

Publisher's summary

An Age of Sigmar Audiobook

Only the kill soothes the storm in my soul. Only the kill proves I am the daughter Sigmar made me to be.

LISTEN TO IT BECAUSE

Follow Sigmar’s Prime Huntress, Yndrasta, as she stalks her prey through the treacherous Realm of Ghur. Can she find and slay this creature, or will she discover a more dangerous monster in her own reflection?

THE STORY

The nomadic sled-city of Riika-Min glides endlessly along the icy tundra of Ghur, its denizens’ existence entwined with the rhythm of the realm. But something is disrupting the balance of the Realm of Beasts, and when a kraken suddenly attacks, Sigmar sends his master tracker, Yndrasta, the Celestial Spear, to hunt it down.

In Riika-Min, Yndrasta meets Njda, trying to guide her people to safety. Njda is at once fearful and in awe of the golden-clad warrior from the sky, and soon learns how dangerous it can be to get between a hunter and her quarry – because for all her fearsome beauty, Yndrasta is just as deadly as the beast they seek.

As they close in on their target, Njda must teach Yndrasta the ways of the Realm of Beasts, and she soon finds herself wondering who the real monster is – the leviathan lurking in the deep, or the Celestial Spear sent down from the heavens?

©2023 Games Workshop Limited (P)2023 Games Workshop Limited

Most fun I've had from a Warhammer title this year

Age of Sigmar is one of my favorite fictional settings due to the sheer creativity on display in the Mortal Realms. Yndrasta does not disappoint.

There is so much interesting world-building on display in both the Yndrasta and Njda chapters. I came away absolutely loving the Devadatta and Suku, the peoples of the two protagonists respectively.

The novel also revisits characters and concepts from other entries into AoS's extensive library of novels, not always common in the series. This does a lot to help the setting feel more alive and interconnected. Whereas other novels can feel a bit isolated.

Absolutely stunning

Quick summary review first (and an in-depth summary afterwards if you want more details)

Overall a very cool book, I highly recommend this book if you like:

-the more wild and remote realms of AOS
-nomadic tribal/shaman themes/settings
-hunters/trackers/woodsmen characters
-Monster Hunter videogame vibes
-Ice/snow settings
-the undead
-Orruks

The performance is wonderful, Emma Gregory continues to prove she is the best at what she does. She displays a wide range of voice pitches, accents and even extending even to orruks!

In regards to the story, I’ll first address something I saw in a few other reviews. People complained about there not being enough Yndrasta, and that she’s not the -main- character. Id argue she is in the main cast and gets plenty of “screen time” but to expect an entire book of just Yndrasta is unrealistic and a bit silly. She’s a divine being, set apart on another level even from other stormcast. She is second only to Sigmar. You still get large chapters dedicated to her reflection and reactions to current events, but a good story needs relatable, mortal characters that readers can identify and sympathize with.

Which brings me to my next point. Noah brings a very cool take on a people who dwell in the frozen north. The main characters are unique and capable, but all with very different personalities and flaws. But importantly I never found myself frustrated or annoyed by willful ignorance and stupidity that plagues other fantasy IP books.

Character and voice acting.

Emma gregory is as always stellar. I loved hearing about the fun and unique parts of the realms and Yndrasta is almost like an elemental force that sweeps in. My only complaint is it jumps hard into action scenes

Yndrasta makes the Mortal Realms feel alive.

Noah is great at world building and does well in exploring different cultures and people in this fantasy setting. The titular character is made to seem all the more powerful by being viewed from a humble perspective. Definitely a must read if you're a fan of Age of Sigmar.

Yndrasta is amazing.... when she is the focus...

So I've been desperately waiting for this book since the release if the collector edition. Overall it's a good listen but be warned, Yndrasta is borderline a background character. The author kinda went the route of her being a force of nature so the book centers around some mortals in the realm of Ghur. It's worth it but temper your expectations.

Incomprehensible

For the life of me, I couldn't follow along with what was happening in the story. I read a lot of Age of Sigmar novels and I play the game, but the amount of stuff this author invents and doesn't explain leaves me in the dust. I ended up getting my Audible credit refunded after a couple chapters out of frustration. I wanted a fun book to listen to while working on other things but this isn't it.

A Disheartening Literary Misadventure

"Yndrasta: The Celestial Spear" emerges as another disappointment in the recent line of age of sigmar books I have listned to. There is no real protagonist to cheer for, rendering the plot disjointed and unanchored. The narrative wanders aimlessly and the characters, rather than being engaging, are incessantly whiny, complaint-ridden and soo utterly touchy-feely, making the journey through the pages more of a tedious slog than an enjoyable experience.