Title - The Dead and The Damned
Author - Jonathan Green
Year - 2002
Stand Alone or Series - Anthology of interlinked stories
Pages - 280 (Masspaperback)
Reading Time - Sep 2010 through Dec 2010
Review and General Opinion
This was my fourth book by Jonathan Green. First was Crusade of Armageddon which I yet to review and the second was Necromancer; reviewed here and last but not least Magestorm here and I've already had read a story called The Plagued Pit (review here). This book is a collection of short stories and each story follows the next and so on. (Thus the Season before the name of the story). This is similar to Gilead's Blood and Trollslayer. Each book is a collection of short stories published elsewhere.
The band is led by Torben Badenov (the captain), Stanislav Hagar (a Kislevite), Oran Scarfen (a thief), Krakov (probably a vampire or dead now), Yuri Gorsk, Alexi of Nuln (now dead) and Pieter (Since Dark Heart story). Badenov’s Band is a group of mercenaries led by Torben Badenov. Together they undertake one task after another in hopes of wealth and fame. It is rarely results in either, and instad the group is repeatedly subjected into one horrible adventure after another
Winter - The Hounds of Winter The band fights an evil curse of an ancient battle that had be fought 300 years ago. Nice tale with an interesting old tale.
Spring - Green Tide Rising (Orcs) After a group of orcs butchered a bunch of priests they are paid to find a plundered relic. In the way the find a battlepriest looking for rendemption. The end boss was too easy. Holy Bones
Dark Heart (Vampires) - After saving a maiden that tells them about her village. They go investigate (with no promise of money) and they find more that they can chew. Very good story. An Unexpeting ending.
Summer - Harvest of Souls They arrive to a strange village. Everyone if perfectly fit but there are no children. There they are attack by black riders and the villagers ask for their help. The ending was kind of strange. Afterall they worship Slaanesh and the riders were Witch-Hunters. In this story we learn about Alexi.
Autumn - Plague Pit - Check Link
Autumn - A Murder of Crows & Winter - Sympathy of the Damned are connected. They help a lady and her entourage to escape a group of man and they arrive at a castle where the lady is marrying some noble. Then all chaos breaks loose. They are good stories.
Winter - The Dead of Winter
Ostermark. This tale is the only one that is set on a city. In this tale we learn more of Badenov band and mercenaries (and their motifs). This is the largest story and probably the better. After Dark Heart story Pieter joins the band and as each story goes he changes a bit. In this tale he flees the band after the final battle changed (that's what you deserve for fooling around with a necromantic/nurgle book in your hands thinking you can control it).
This ending leaves a door open to further tales but I think none was written aftewards. After two or three years Jonathan Green left the Warhammer World and went to Abaddon Books writing his Pax Britannia novels.
Conclusion
This book is one of the best book that give that gothic feeling of warhammer. It's faithful yet simple. The seasons help a lot as well. It reads as a campaign in Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay. But that doesn't diminsh the book. I think this book could inspire people to try new campaigns.
The writing itself is nothingspecial but he uses adjectives to describe the eerie world it belongs. The atmospheric scenary is the best part of the novel (it happened in necromancer as well). I think Jonathan Green really understands the Warhammer World and he is one of the old guys. Books noawadays are different in writing and in stories. In all flaws and good parts this book is a nice addition to the Warhammer World and a must have if you are into the Empire
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