Release Date: 09/06/11
SYNOPSIS:
Unable to adapt to Lahmian society, Ulrika seeks her own way, striking out to the Chaos-besieged city of Praag to seek old friends and glory in battle. On her arrival, she finds a devastated but defiant people and the invaders repelled. But the Ruinous Powers can take many forms, and now a more insidious threat is rising from within - a Slaaneshi cult that seeks to claim dominion in Praag. Shunned by her Lahmian sisters, decried by the humans she seeks to protect, Ulrika treads a lonely path as she tries to find the root of this destructive plot. Caught between the will of the vampires and the insane designs of Chaos sorcerers and cultists, Ulrika must call upon all of her cunning and savagery if she is to triumph...
REVIEW:
The second title in the Ulrika the Vampire series and one that takes the reader back to more familiar territory when she runs away from political intrigue to deal with her life changes in the only way she knows how, headlong into battle. It is a tale that has everything, politics, double dealing, backstabbing and perhaps most notably a tale where her own nature can often seek to confound her every day survival as she seeks to find ways to deal with what she requires. It’s a tale of personal growth and takes Ulrika from the bit part character we met originally in the Felix and Gotrek titles to a more rounded outstanding principle player that Nathan knew was there all along. Back that up with the author’s usual skill at misdirection, some great sequences and of course bloody justice and it’s a title that fans will just devour.
BOOK BLURB:
Ulrika, recently turned as a vampire, attempts to adjust to her new way of life. But when a fellow vampire is killed in Nuln, Ulrika and her mentor, Gabriella, are sent to investigate. Soon they find themselves facing danger from all sides as they attempt to solve a mystery that threatens the very existence of the Lahmian bloodline. How can they hope to destroy something with the power to kill a vampire?
REVIEW:
One of the best things about the Warhammer universe is that there’s something for everyone within. If you want combat driven novels you’ve got them. You want historical fiction you can delve into the Time of Legends series. However one thing that’s a bit unusual within the fantasy genre is the mystery novel. Whilst a bit more common over more recent years within this offering by Nathan Long is a crime against the vampires that everyone second favourite vamp (the first being Genevive) Ulrika is brought into to solve. Who’s Ulrika? She’s the Boyar’s daughter from the Felix and Gotrek tales.
It is a cracking tale however to be honest I had a hard time getting into it from its initial opening. Partly this is due to my own personal feelings that the author didn’t have a good enough grip of her originally and partly because the connection between reader and character was also missing. Yet get past this and it really opens up. Other than this its interesting, the mystery is gripping and its not an obvious conclusion as you’d perhaps expect from a great many other offerings out there. A definite change of pace for Nathan and I hope he continues to build upon the opening here.
Release Date: 09/06/11
