AoSLore Book Club: Scourge of Fate

So I'll chime in and add a minor gripe I had with the book. It never feels like the narrative understands how Stormcast work, especially in regards to the general everybody thinks might ascend, when it comes to how or why they are chosen. .

The book dedicates an entire sub plot to it and it just sort of gets strangled as an attempt to make Vanik look cool and impressive for killing a guy who might have been on the path to becoming a Stormcast.

But... as a Stormcast fan I got to say, that makes no sense. Stormcast aren't really all that special and killing one when they were mortal is something nearly any Chaos Lord should have accomplished several times by this point in Vanik's career. This is a guy who should be able to take on several rank and file Stormcast and survive, so killing some guy that might be one isnt really that impressive. Fir Vanik, it should be Tuesday.

This book is very overrated in my opinion. The presentation of the main character goes back and forth from kind of a weak and pathetic newbie needing to be constantly saved to typical "badass" chaos character that feels forced by the end. Also I felt that the most intriguing part of an undivided/"black pilgrim" type of character wasn't pushed nearly enough, which is their unique view on worshipping all 4 gods together. We basically get a few lines about the main character "muttering a prayer to the gods", his contempt for the slaanesh and nurgle champions, and that's about it.

I feel a much better slaves to darkness/varanguard book that rarely gets mentioned is The Call of Archaon.

Honestly, it was good up until it got to killing Sigmarite villagers (around 3/4 of the way in?). I couldn’t enjoy it anymore after that and put it down.

In a black library book, I tend to enjoy moments instead of plots. It definitely happened here as well, I took the plot (and the way it was handled) as a secondary. I was also painting my Varanguard at the same time, that you can see in my profile, so I was totally in the mood. So coolest moments in the book which stayed with me even though it has been many months since I read the book (and these months are actually a blur, as a new dad of twins)

1. I loved the joust between nurgle and tzeentch. Absolutely amazing.

2. the slaanesh prince felt as slaanesh as it gets.

3)as a khorne player, the khorne charge and their "Blood for the Blood God!" cry made my hair stand.

4. the presence of the gaunt summoner was super creepy. Loved that.

All in all, I couldn't ask for better company while painting my slaves 2 darkness. Sure, the ending might be seen as a bit weak, but I enjoyed the journey wholeheartedly, in a way that the last couple of aos books I had read hadn't done it for me.

I was excited to read it, but I was overall a little disappointed given the positive things I'd heard about it.

It was a fun and easy read, the writing and pacing were effective, and I enjoyed the "window" into the Varanspire. I thought the battles were well done and gripping, to the point I couldn't put the book down at those junctures due to needing to know the outcome.

I didn't like the deus ex machina of the Varanguard riding to Vanik's rescue (not once, but twice!) when he was in a tight spot. IMO, it cheapened his character, and he already seemed pretty thin to me. I thought he was competently sketched, but I never got much of a sense of roundedness from his motivations. I know evil characters are probably difficult to write, but I felt more sympathy for the defenders of the Free City, and was honestly rooting for them after they appeared.

I'd definitely read a second Vanik novel, though!

I read this one awhile ago, so can’t conjure up my thoughts on it right off the top of the dome, but fortunately I recorded them!

https://www.themortalrealms.com/podcast/scourge-of-fate

All in all, I remember liking it though. The joust is what stuck with me the longest.