Warrior Priest (Empire Army Series) Book

Full review can be read over at The Founding Fields:

Eroldren reviews Darius Hinks' debut novel that is part of the Empire Army series and Morningstar 2011 awarded (David Gemmell Legend Awards) Warrior Priest.

"Watch out, Darius Hinks' knack for writing danger can tear you straightaway into the ravaged Old World of Warhammer and keep you hooked to the very end." - The Founding Fields

A while back I picked up Warrior Priest on the basis of that Black Library reported Darius Hinks was given a certain award: the David Gemmell Morningstar Award for Best New Fantasy Author. I've never had gone out my way to get ahold a new book on the word it was just recently bestowed an award, however, both the cover and an enticing enough book blurb got the better of me and I decided to see what the author had to offer. By the end of the book that purchase was justified and it was worth it. Darius Hinks is indeed a name to watch out for among the wave of new talent joining Black Library and the literary world.

Since then he's been the author of a handful of titles, such of the likes of the Chaos-centric Warhammer Hero novel Sigvald; Sanctus for Architect of Fate, a Space Marine Battles novella anthology. And as well a Wood Elf trilogy that's in the works which opened with Orion: The Vault of Winter. After again rereading Warrior Priest, all the titles mentioned present themselves as interesting BL venues I've yet to pursue.

For the reader's notice, there are minor spoilers in this review but nothing of substantial material.

Before getting into the nitty gritty of Warrior Priest, Darius' debut novel designated as part of the Empire Army novels, a short series of five independent titles and authors that are meant to serve as a means of introducing oneself with elements of Mankind and the Warhammer world. So if you're a tad interested in reading Warhammer Fantasy fiction but don't have any clue where to start, any of these Empire Army novels are there out there to pick up and help familiarize yourself with the inner workings of the universe.

As for the book at hand… War consumes the Ostland province we're tossed into a village commotion: a witch burning. Told through the perspective of Anna, a priestess of Shallya and the misfortunately accused "witch" tied at the stake, unexpected circumstance lead to her freedom from her demises. Midst this distressing hour our central cast appears: Brother Jakob Wolff and Ratboy (Brother Wolff's acolyte) arrive to seize the long sought Otto Sürman, a cruel lay Witch Hunter who condemned Wolff's parents to death as cultists. Yet a disgraceful truth is finally realized by Jakob after paying decades in penance: the occult activities discovered long ago belonged to none other than his own brother, Fabian. With the shameful knowledge of his treacherous brother is no doubt in league with the Dark Powers and now seeks to undermine the army of General von Raukov that's assembling to confront the incoming Chaos horde, Jakob vows to bring down his righteous fury.

Throughout of the remaining story it's primarily set from Ratboy's eyes, rather than from the viewpoint of Brother Wolff who you would've been expecting initially based off the book's blurb, a fully ordained warrior priest of Sigmar instead that of the apprentice. However, it was of no matter for me for the majority of the book until I reached about two thirds way in.

In his search to determine the whereabouts of Fabian, it is Jakob's smoldering wrath that pushes the narrative forward that'll lead him towards his goal. Along the way characters are brought in to populate aspects of this broken world that join aside by our main trio, whether they are citizens barely clinging to faith or men seeking to aid the war effort, all of them brings you into a convincing dark atmosphere. The horrors of war are conveyed wonderfully as though Darius understands all spectrums of war and how to make use of them. There's something just simply fascinating about Darius Hinks' aptitude for writing this believable account and violence that just wraps me in complete immersion from start to finish.