Book Review: Chronicles of Hate Collected Edition of Book 1 & 2 by Adrian Smith

Chronicles of Hate Collected Edition of Book 1 & 2 by Adrian Smith

My rating: 8 of 10 ⭐

Pages : 240

Year : 2018

Genre : Grimdark

Series : Solo

If you have said that this was Adrian Smith depictions of the northern wastes in the warhammer world or somekind of daemon world I would have said - It is and it's very good.
But since I know this is a new world, that was turned into a boardgame (or the other way around) and not connected with 40K/Warhammer I would say, well slap me in a face and call me Susan.

Well, basically in this 200 plus pages we follow our mutant as he tries to help the Earth Mother (not mother earth) but he is being chase by a monster of a man (giant or whatever you wanna call it). The all story is just that, the journey and the last epic battle. There are very few bubbles with talk. The story is presented in art form mostly which was very unique. The art, oh my. Have you ever saw the art of Warhammer 40K and Warhammer? That's it but black and white for 200 pages, although I will add that at times it was a bit confusing because of several shades between white, black and grey. I've seen this in a computer screen but I will try to purchase it since I enjoy it. I believe this kind of stuff is better at second or third time.

If you enjoy Tomb Kings (only at the end) , Blood for the Blood God. Skulls for the Skull Throne stuff Beastman faction Or Wood Elves (in the end) you will enjoy this.

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Review: Grimm Fairy Tales Presents: Code Red Volume 1

Grimm Fairy Tales Presents: Code Red Volume 1 by Pat Shand
My rating: 8 of 10 stars

This was an interesting graphic novel. I don't read much of comic book but I really want to change that. There are several I have, that I will read in the next couple of months. It's hard giving a rating but overall I enjoy these tale. The mixing between fairy tales, history (Robin Hood) and a para-military organization. The battles between the hot she-wolf red hood are quite interesting. Being a newbie to this graphic novelization and having not read any Grimm Fairy Tales stories before I didn't felt disconnected or at lost.

I understand that the female gender reading this kind of tales can be a bit offended. These girls are hot with big boobs, cleavage that makes you smile and see if there is a nipple slip, a small frame and always beautiful. And for a time there are two!



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Review: Injustice: Gods Among Us - Year One

Injustice: Gods Among Us - Year One by Tom Taylor
My rating: 9 of 10 stars

This is one of the best graphic novels I have ever read. This is a question superman asks, not once or twice but a lot of times. What would he do if he wasn't so bound by his principles. He is the man of steel. He could rule the world and knowing he is a True Good how can that be wrong? This book just answers that.

This is alternate history of Superman and how life would be different if he could do anything to save the world. With the help of wonderwoman, flash and other justice league heroes he tries just that. Batman, Catwoman or Arrow are against him.

I think this were done in a way that none hero was invisioned differently from what DC do to them. I think superman is the key here. No doubt about it. And this begs a question. For the sake of peace would you sacrifice a bit of your freedom?

Advisable to anyone who enjoys the heroes I told before.
It's quite easy read with 36 volumes with 20/30 pages each.

Now the drawings... there are only one writer but several artists. Some were quite good. But others were quite weak in my opinion. Neil Googe is probably the weakest. Nevertheless I really think this is one of my favourite graphic novels. Let us see what the second year bring.

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Review: The Sandman: The Dream Hunter - Neil Gaiman

Title - The Sandman: The Dream Hunter

Author - Neil Gaiman

Year - 1999

Stand Alone or Series - Part of Series

Pages - 128

Reading Time - November 2011

Synopsis

A humble young monk and a magical, shape-changing fox find themselves romantically drawn together. As their love blooms, the fox learns of a devilish plot by a group of demons and a Japanese emperor to steal the monk's life. With the aid of Morpheus, the fox must use all of her cunning and creative thinking to foil this evil scheme and save the man that she loves.

Review

 This was a great novella to read. What a story and most important and beautiful... the drawings. Simply magnific. I really love them. Amano is one of my favourite artists, being a reader of Vampire Hunter D and having a couple of Art books by him. 

Everyone knows The Sandman right? So I am not going to dwell on that. This is a tale that could be a fable from the old ancient Japan. 

The King of All Night's Dreaming was my favourite character and it really made me dream. The story is quite beautiful and one that everyone should read about it. Love & Revenge. Bittersweetness is the keyword. 

It all begins with a wager between two animals. The winner would take a monk's temple. But the monk is not fooled and the fox become in love with him. Then the fox goes to great lenghts to protect the monk and vice versa; going even to Morpheu's dreamland. 

This is one of those tales that you could read it all in one sipping before going yourself to Morpheus's realm. The book is worth having just for the drawings. 9/10

Review: Flames of Damnation & Imperial Gothic (Graphic Novels)

These novels were printed long ago by Black Library as Warhammer Monthly. The first one Flames of Damnation is a compiliation of several stories made by dozen artists and writers. Some of them are quite good and we good feedback about what is Warhammer 40k. Some are depressing and tells us the tales of some fighting man. Others are in the point of view of other characters/races. Unfortunally not all the stories are that good and most important is the artist phase. Some stories loose their importance because of the artist designs; either because it's too confusing or the letters are in some spots that are incredibly hard to read unless I break the spine of the book. 7/10

The second graphic novel is named Imperial Gothic and both stories within were made by Dan Abnett. In my opinion one of the best stories if not the best is printed there. Lone Wolves it's is name. The story involves a squad of imperial guard troops as they try to survive the hostil cold temperatures of the planet, as being surrounded by tyranids and without mantiments. In their darkest moments the space wolves appear and save them. In this book we learn more of the space wolves as we would learn in a novel or fluff out there. I must say I was thrilled to read the story and I've read it several times. The other story inside is about an inquisitor apprenditce as he struggles between heretic and the imperium. His master is also his mentor and the choices he chooses also effects him. And as the end of the book says nobody is above the corruption of chaos. It can apply to the Warhammer 40k universe as it applies to own world. I will give 8.5/10 becaus of Lone Wolves that in my opinion deserves 10/10.

This two books follows the others I've read previously (with no connection whatsoever). First Bloodquest, then Daemonifuge - Heretic Saint and the fantasy counterpart Hellbrandt Grimm. In my opinion Bloodquest was probably the best book but the best story was undoubtly Lone Wolves. I think 50% of the rating is due to the graphic part and 50% is from the writing part. If a book is well designed but poor story no-one will be appeal by it. The same applies in writing part. I think The inquisitor story within Imperial Gothic is one exemple of this. It has good writing/story but the images were sometimes far off.

Review: Forge of War; Condemned by Fire & Crown of Destruction - Warhammer Graphic Novels

I am not that keen to graphic novels. I a word guy. But after reading some old graphic novels by Black Library, I still hated most graphic novels, but since is the universe I loved, I kind of enjoy it. Those Marvel or something like that never did work for me.They were printed by Boom! Studios by 2008/2009 and I bought the 8 books. Three from the Warhammer World, One from Blood Bowl and Five from Warhammer 40k.

Two of my favourites were the first two.

Forge of War and Condemned by Fire and Crown of Destruction.

The first two books were written by Dan Abnett and  Ian Edginton and illustrated mainly by Rahsan Ekedal. And my opinion they worked nicely. The last book was written by Kieron Gillen and illustrated by Dwayne Harris. I must say they weren't that good. Some of the chapters (each book is divided in five small chapters) were truly awful. The drawings and story didn't felt so warhammer. The main characters in the first two were Greatsword Vogel and the Dwarf Vargni. In the second book they join band with the witch hunter Maguns Gault.The third book the main character was Greatsword Frohlich (a minor character in the first book).

In the first book we join two sides battling against chaos. Dwarves and Humans from Averland province. In the midst in the battle something goes wrong and the humans flee. Ashamed and defeated they tried to regroup. The Dwarves seeing what's happening vow death to the humans. As they bundle together they are brought together to a temple that is a lair of some vicious Lamia Vampires. Meanwhile two dwarves battle for survival in some pit. One of them escapes and vow the death of humans. Humans and Dwarf meet again and after some bad start (second start for that matter) they join and with the help of a Celestial Mage ridding a Griffon they battle the Chaos invasion in a no-winning situation. They only want to find redemption. If you want to see some drawings click here . 9/10

The second book was called Condemend By Fire. In this book we join a witch hunter in a pursuit to find a Slasnesh worshiper that corrupted some sisters of a chapel. In the way he finds greater evil on course. First with a village full of plague zombies corrupted by a water current. As he follows the stream he discovers even danger foes. At the same point he finds the main characters from the first book that help him in a village. After they follow the tracks that lead them to the skaven that were the main architest of the pollution. Even if unaware. We also have some glimpses of what happened to our duo before joining the witch hunter. 9/10

The third book is called Crown of Destruction. This name comes from a world game that Games Workshop made a couple of years back. All factions join into a setting to retrieve the Crown. Each have their goals. Some are allies but eventually they all can battle against themselves. As I said this was the worst book. We join a minor character from the first book. Also a greatsword (in this book some paintings the great sword is more of a longsword). In this chaos we are join we Chaos adepts, Magicians, Skaven and Vampires and the Undead.. As I said the book is not that good. Read if you like warhammer. 4/10

Review: Daemonifuge (Graphic Novel) - Gordon Rennie

Title Daemonifuge - Heretic Saint
Author Gordon Rennie, Kev Walker and Others
Publisher Black Library
Year 2005
Stand Alone or series Stand Alone
Pages 256

Rating 8/10

SummaryEphrael Stern - Sister of Battle - Daemonifuge! Tainted soul or living weapon against the dark forces of Chaos? Under investigation by the Inquisition, Ephrael Stern and Inquisitor Silas Hand must place their trust in each other as they embark on a dangerous quest to discover the origins of her power!
Review
This was a very interesting read. A good graphic novel with an interesting story about a Battle Sister. In this book she gets all kind of trouble because of her past, powers. In fact, Ephrael was all these things even before she had been born human. She did her duty and she did it well...until she died. When she is resurrected, things change. Ephrael is chosen to be the "Keeper of Secrets" by the "Screaming Cage" on Parnis. Inquisitor Silas Hand gave everything, including his life, to keep Ephrael alive so she could do her duty by delivering the secrets to the Black Library. The knowledge within her is transforming her. She is slowly learning what she has become and what she can do. Until the transformation is completed, she must simply survive and wait for "The Pariah" to find her. The Pariah is to guide her through the secret paths between worlds. Surviving is not easy. Besides Ordo Malleus and the Grey Knights, also the Dark Eldar, Thousand Sons and others will battle her...
Notable Quotes/ Parts

* Prayer May Cleanse the Soul. But Pain Cleanses the Body. Both are necessary for the survival of humanity.

* ... all is chaos andd unreason ... the absence of faith... the absence of faith is the mark of damnation.

* Chaos is devious, subtle... the way of shadows.

* A single man with faith can triumph over a legion of the faithless. Untold billions of the faithful can never be opposed.

*The righteous shall Fear no Evil, for we act in the divine light of the Emperor. May our deeds be noble in his sight and pleasing to his heart. We pray that in pleasing him, his divine will brings us courage in life and honour in death. All hail the Emperor.

* I'll not suffer a witch to live!!

* Blessed are they that reap the sinners from the sight of the emperor...

* The daemon has many forms. You must know them all. You must tell the daemon from his disguise and roothim out from the hidden places. Trust no-one. Trust not even yourself. It is better to die vain that to live in abomination. The zealous martyr is praised for his valour. The craven and the unready are justly abhorred.

* There is no place for the weak-willed or hesitant. Only by firm action and resolute faith will mankind survive. No sacrifice is too great. No tragedy too small.

Verdict
I really enjoy this graphic novel. It made me want read the Einshorn & Ravenor or the Inquisitor Trilogy or Grey Knights Trilogy or even Faith and Fire. Maybe it will be the October Reading Fest (I just invented it...) My only complain is that it felt uncompleted and some ballons with the letters were not that well printed. Mainly the Italic ones.