I often hear people say you need to already be invested in the lore to enjoy a Warhammer novel. Well… I can tell you, you don’t. To ignore this rich, deep, and fascinating world is a mistake. Dig into some of these expertly crafted stories and you’ll find fantasy reads worthy of any bookshelf.
Before I shed a little more light on three stories I think are a great starting point for anyone traversing the Warhammer universe for the first time, let me make one thing clear: I’m talking specifically about the Warhammer fantasy setting. Think swords, shields, and magic.
Not to be confused with the entirely different Warhammer 40K setting, where you’ve got seven-foot genetically engineered people wearing semi-intelligent armour punching fist-sized holes in a plethora of ugly alien creations in space.
With one series alone totalling more than fifty books, 40K is an entirely different beast. Not one to be toyed with unless you’re ready to lose yourself in the 41st millennium, where, in the grim darkness of the far future, there is only war.
The Books
So, what makes these three series worthy of recommendation for a Warhammer fledgling?
Like many great fantasy tales, memorable characters shine regardless of the setting and ultimately exposing their flaws draws us closer and holds us tight.
The Daemon’s Curse by Dan Abnett and Mike Lee
Ambitious dark elf warrior Malus Darkblade learns the location of a powerful relic and decides he wants it for himself.
Malus leads an expedition into the dangerous Chaos Wastes in search of it but finds far more than he had bargained for.
Possessed by a powerful daemon, he must undertake an epic quest to save his very soul.
My first recommendation features my favourite Warhammer fantasy character. Feared, hated, and revered, the enigmatic and ruthless Malus Darkblade. The original series comprises five books written by Dan Abnett and Mike Lee, following a cruel dark-elf anti-hero on his quest to collect five magical items after he gets possessed by an ancient daemon named Tz’arkan. The daemon gives him exactly one year to retrieve the artefacts or risk losing his soul forever.
We follow Malus as he battles monsters, rival factions, and even his own treacherous family. Abnett and Lee chart a consistent fiery pace with twists and turns that will leave you struggling to put these books down. Frequent and often frantic battle scenes are detailed, bloody, and leave you with a taste of how savage the warhammer universe really is.
But, perhaps the secret to why this series is so great is Malus himself. He’s cruel, ruthless, and deadly but with it his nobility brings a presence on the page. He burns bright with a charisma that will find you rooting for him page after page despite his often deplorable actions. His internal battle with the daemon is more than just the backbone of the story. It resonates with something more personal.
Every time Malus encounters considerable danger the daemon offers him his power to overcome it. But, the consequence of drinking from that power pushes Malus further away from his own humanity. As their unwanted marriage continues Malus must fight the urge to taste power and cling onto his true self. This dynamic is captivating and adds an extra dimension alongside the adventures, treachery, and gratuitous violence.
So, don’t hesitate to join Malus on his doomed treasure hunt through the Chaos Wastes, across treacherous seas, into the vicious politics of dark elf society, and against all manner of monsters. Along the way there are dragon ogres, the hunt for the Warpsword, and, eventually, a climactic confrontation with a vast Chaos invasion.
It really is a fantastic read, worthy of admiration in its own right, and one you can enjoy without the slightest interest in the Warhammer hobby.
Trollslayer by William King
After fleeing the authorities in the Imperial city of Altdorf, Felix Jaeger—student, poet, and minor political agitator—swears a drunken oath to dour dwarf Gotrek Gurnisson to record his death saga.
In the cold light of day, Felix’s worst fears are confirmed as he learns that Gotrek is a Trollslayer—a dwarf doomed to seek out a heroic death in battle to atone for an unknown personal disgrace. Their travels throw them into a string of extraordinary adventures as Felix tries to survive his companion’s destiny.
My next recommendation sits firmly in the upper echelons of Warhammer novels and features perhaps the greatest double act ever to quest across the Old World: Gotrek Gurnisson and Felix Jaeger. I’ve picked the first book, Trollslayer, written by William King, because this is where we’re first properly introduced to the unlikely pair. Trollslayer is technically an episodic novel, made up of a series of interconnected short stories following their increasingly dangerous adventures. That makes it incredibly easy to dip into, while still giving you a strong sense of the characters, their relationship, and the brutal, strange world they inhabit.
First published in 1999, it became the starting point for a huge collection of Gotrek and Felix adventures spanning numerous novels and authors. But that shouldn’t put off a newcomer. One of the great strengths of these books is many of the adventures work perfectly well in isolation. You can simply pick up Trollslayer, join Gotrek and Felix on the road, and see where it takes you.
What makes their pairing so enjoyable is the stark contrast in their personalities and motives. Gotrek is a ferocious dwarf Slayer searching for a glorious death to redeem himself for an unspeakable act he committed in his past. Felix, meanwhile, is the well-educated and often sensible poet who, after a drunken oath, finds himself sworn to follow Gotrek and record his epic demise. The partnership could hardly be more mismatched.
Throughout their adventures, Gotrek bounds willingly into the fray, dragging Felix hesitantly with him. Their companionship grows with every encounter, along with the memories, the scars, and the banter. King’s writing flows effortlessly and makes for an enjoyable and witty experience, with the occasional plunge into something darker and endlessly brutal. It will have you laughing one moment and wincing the next, before long becoming completely hooked on the epic quests of this unlikely duo.
My last recommendation is much newer, set in Warhammer’s current fantasy setting, Age of Sigmar. The story is split across two books, The Hollow King and The Dead Kingdom, both written by John French. Our protagonist is Cado Ezechiar, an ancient vampire cursed in the aftermath of the destruction of his family and kingdom by the forces of Chaos. He is another standout anti-hero whose complexities make for an interesting and fulfilling read as he navigates a tangled web of war and politics against the backdrop of his own personal tragedy and relentless search for revenge.
As with the other books, what makes this tale so captivating is Cado himself. Hellbent on vengeance and driven by his need for blood, he balances every action carefully on a knife’s edge, attempting to retain his noble honour and sense of morality while existing in a world filled with treachery and deceit.
The Hollow King by John French
Cado Ezechiar is a wanderer who has outlived the memory of the age that made him. A Soulblight vampire who accepted the curse as his people and kingdom fell to Chaos. He now roams the Realm of Death and beyond seeking retribution and salvation for the ones he failed.
Aided by the bound spirits of those he lost, Cado follows a path of revenge, hunting the servants of Chaos to slake his need for blood while seeking the Sorcerer of Change who destroyed his kingdom.
When his hunt leads him to the free city of Aventhis, Cado becomes caught up in the machinations of greater powers—beings who see the city and its people as dust in the eyes of ambitious gods. Torn between his code of honour and his desire for vengeance, Cado must navigate a web of war and deceit, or lose everything.
In the first book, we are introduced to Cado as he roams the Realm of Death, Shyish, hunting the servants of Chaos. His search for the Sorcerer of Change he believes responsible for his damnation leads him to the city of Aventhis. Here, he becomes embroiled in a much deeper question of honour and morality, where ordinary humans are treated as little more than disposable pieces in the games of far greater powers.
Following his family’s demise, the souls of those closest to Cado were trapped within magical rings that he carries with him. Frequently summoned throughout the story, their conversations with Cado are a skilful device for drawing out his inner dialogue and making his internal struggles feel far more personal and conversational.
Essentially, the first book does a great job of setting the stage and helping us understand Cado, his curse, and the code by which he tries to live.
The Dead Kingdom by John French
Cado Ezechiar, the Hollow King, once watched as his kingdom burned and his family were butchered. His endless hunt for the Chaos cult responsible—the mysterious Burning Hand—has led him all over Shyish, and now finally brings him to Lethis, capital city of the Realm of Death. But as he closes in on his quarry, and the shadowy metropolis that harbours them, old debts emerge from the gloom.
Pressed back into the service of Neferata, Cado is sent to the kingdom of Calyx, where the queen’s thralls are mired in conflict with Mannfred Von Carstein. There, he finds himself caught up in a war of deception, and soon faces a terrible choice: leave Calyx and its people to drown in the crimson tides of war, or defy the Queen of Blood.
The second book, The Dead Kingdom, pushes the story forward significantly.
Cado finds himself trapped between two of the most powerful and ancient vampire lords in the Mortal Realms, while maintaining his diligent and relentless search for those responsible for his downfall. It’s gripping, fast-paced, and politically rich. Cado’s contempt for his own kind shines through and lends a fragile hostility to almost every interaction. Alliances feel temporary, motives are rarely what they appear, and it makes for genuinely edge-of-the-seat reading.
The crescendo of the story confronts Cado with the ultimate choice: protect humanity from the drowning crimson tides of war, or defy the Queen of Blood and risk his own annihilation. It’s another expertly crafted fantasy adventure filled with complex characters, meaningful stakes and plenty of violence and gore.
Conclusion
Whether you’re looking for a vicious yet strangely likeable dark elf possessed by a powerful daemon—fighting to save his soul, a genuinely amusing duo hacking and slashing their way across the Old World, or a dark and brooding vampire seeking revenge while being tested by his own moral code, these books could be for you. All three of these excellent series demonstrate just how much the Warhammer universe has to offer beyond the tabletop. So, all I can really say is this: give them a try. You won’t be disappointed.
