What do you think?
High Elf Novels #1
Les Défenseurs d'Ulthuan
La terre des Hauts Elfes prise dans une lutte épique. Les hauts elfes sont depuis longtemps les protecteurs du monde de Warhammer et leur patrie d'Ulthuan est célèbre pour la puissante magie qui la ceint. En son coeur est sis un vortex magique, dont les créateurs sont piégés au beau milieu d'un espace intemporel, oeuvrant sans relâche sur le sortilège qui empêche le monde de devenir un Royaume du Chaos bouillonnant. Alors qu'Ulthuan est assaillie par les forces conjointes du Chaos et des elfes noirs du Roi Sorcier et de Morathi, la Matriarche Suprême, les hauts elfes n'ont plus d'autre choix que de remporter la lutte sous peine de courir au désastre. Les Défenseurs d'Ulthuan est le premier volume d'un récit épique relatant la lutte entre le bien et le mal.
349 pages, Paperback
First published December 26, 2007
About the author
Graham McNeill
326 books968 followersHailing from Scotland, Graham McNeill narrowly escaped a career in surveying to work for Games Workshop as a games designer. He has a strong following with his novels Nightbringer, Warriors of Ultramar, Dead Sky, Black Sun and Storm of Iron.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
July 5, 2014
Elves! Elves with swords. Elves with bows. Elves with magic. Elves! It's like an all-you-can-elf-buffet. Personally I hate elves, but readable fantasy books are few and far between, so I grabbed this one and gave it a shot. Elves! Set in the World of Warhammer (which is pretty much just like it sounds), this book--featuring elves!--is about an invasion of Dark Elves who are dedicated to the destruction of the not-Dark elves' homeland, Ulthuan. Elf on elf violence; such a tragedy.
I didn't care about any of the characters, and kept hoping that some dwarves or orcs would show up to kill some elves. I never liked elves; even Tolkien's elves are tedious windbags (elves and fairies…there is a reason you never see them in the same room at the same time. Think about it). With that said, the Warhammer elves are a little less metrosexual than normal. There might be a sequel to this book. I won't read it. Elves are boring. Maybe, maybe, Wood Elves are okay. Otherwise? High Elves, Gray Elves, this tribe or that tribe of elves…snore. Qualanesti, Silvanesty, Sylvan Elves…die soon, please, and make more room for dwarves. Even the word, elf. Look at it. Are you thinking about Santa's little helpers? Me, too. And don't say "Elfs" because that's just bullshit. It's "elves." Do you say "halfs"? "Sheefs"? "Knifes"? "Griefs"? Of course not. Bad enough that there are elves who drink wine (ewww), write poems about trees and blather on about how long they've been alive. Vampires live a long time and have the good sense to shut the fuck up sometimes. Learn from them, please. And the names! Dear God. Darthoridan, Eyrynnhv, Maeraddyth. You can't even pronounce this crap.
Dark Elves are cool.
All elf-hatin' aside, the author writes well. The World of Warhammer is a very fun place.I miss Gotrek and Felix.
I didn't care about any of the characters, and kept hoping that some dwarves or orcs would show up to kill some elves. I never liked elves; even Tolkien's elves are tedious windbags (elves and fairies…there is a reason you never see them in the same room at the same time. Think about it). With that said, the Warhammer elves are a little less metrosexual than normal. There might be a sequel to this book. I won't read it. Elves are boring. Maybe, maybe, Wood Elves are okay. Otherwise? High Elves, Gray Elves, this tribe or that tribe of elves…snore. Qualanesti, Silvanesty, Sylvan Elves…die soon, please, and make more room for dwarves. Even the word, elf. Look at it. Are you thinking about Santa's little helpers? Me, too. And don't say "Elfs" because that's just bullshit. It's "elves." Do you say "halfs"? "Sheefs"? "Knifes"? "Griefs"? Of course not. Bad enough that there are elves who drink wine (ewww), write poems about trees and blather on about how long they've been alive. Vampires live a long time and have the good sense to shut the fuck up sometimes. Learn from them, please. And the names! Dear God. Darthoridan, Eyrynnhv, Maeraddyth. You can't even pronounce this crap.
Dark Elves are cool.
All elf-hatin' aside, the author writes well. The World of Warhammer is a very fun place.I miss Gotrek and Felix.
April 28, 2021
I was painting some Warhammer High Elf miniatures and remembered that I had this book, unread, on my shelf. Even better, I had enjoyed other Graham McNeill novels from the *Horus Heresy*: *False Gods,* *Fulgrim,* and *Mechanicum.* So, this is was my fourth McNeill novel, and my first of his in the Warhammer Fantasy setting. I think I can reasonably generalize about his work. McNeill is a skilled writer and brings a seriousness and sincerity to his novels, and lovingly (and often meticulously) deploys the lore of the gameworlds he is exploring, a bonus for a person into the lore. I have read a lot of game tie-in fiction; a lot of it (to really generalize) reads as half-committed or amateur. I never got that sense with McNeill's work, and emphatically so with his *Horus Heresy* novels. I do get the impression he is more committed/enthusiastic to/about Warhammer 40k than Warhammer Fantasy. This novel was fun but it was starkly different in tone and atmosphere to previous McNeill work. This was a wonder-filled, quasi-pastiche of Tolkien-esque fantasy whereas his *Horus Heresy* books--with the exception of *Fulgrim*--were hyper macho, dark, and visceral (and awesome). I already love Warhammer Fantasy so the familiar setting set me up to enjoy this. Yes, there were some minor irksome elements. For example, one of the main characters, Caelir, has amnesia. I have little patience for this overused convention but it worked o.k. here. Additionally, the villains, the dark elf "Druchii," were so depraved and evil that they became almost uninteresting, but this irredeemable evil seems to be part of high fantasy. Anyway, there is significantly more good than bad here. Fans of Warhammer Fantasy should appreciate McNeill's efforts. Also, there are cameos of great Warhammer High Elf heroes: Teclis, Tyrion, and more. Summary: if you like Warhammer Fantasy, you'll like this. McNeill clearly takes his writing seriously and it shows. It really inspired me in-between painting sessions of some high elf miniatures.
April 5, 2014
These are not Tolkien's elves. They are distant cousins or possibly even close siblings in some cases. If Tolkien didn't write "Lord of the Rings", then this novel wouldn't exist. But that can be said for almost the entire fantasy genre. The Warhammer elves have one distinct advantage over the elves of Middle-Earth; they are not bound to a single author in a single set of novels. The backstory for the High Elves of Warhammer is vast. The tabletop game helps spur on the need for more depth, more understandings of customs and culture. "Defenders of Ulthuan" provides enough insight into the lives of the High Elves without getting bogged down on specifics. The plot runs smoothly, building pace and by the end real excitement is felt as the danger escalates to the level expected of an epic story.
Graham McNiell offers us a taste of almost all the vastly different locations on the island of Ulthuan. He provides point of view characters that allow us to feel the moment without overdoing it. He even allows us inside the enemy warcamps to build the foreboding of the evil Dark Elves and their corrupt human Chaos allies.
My initial observation (as this is the first time I've read any of McNiell's work) was a fascination with how the author spends paragraph after paragraph describing the landscape in detail and then would use little more than a sentence to describe a key character. I forgave this as the story progressed, initially because his descriptions of locations were written with a creative flair, but eventually because I was so caught up in the plot.
The characters are real, though the lack of a single protagonist does distance the reader a little. It's hard to pick who to sympathise with the most. There are two obvious elves that vie for the position of lead; one a melancholy former warrior who starts the novel moping about his manor, the other an amnesia-suffering elf who is washed upon a beach of Ulthuan devoid of the simplest of memories, such as his own name. Both are explored adequately through the course of the novel. We are exposed to their thoughts, and we see their reasoning for their actions, not all of which are noble or honourable.
The supporting cast is well rounded. I like to meet the bad guys and we do, though not too much time is spent behind enemy lines; the villains are built up just enough to make them a formidable threat. It is well established in the background information provided for the tabletop game that Teclis is the greatest mage in the Warhammer world. Yet when we meet him in this story I didn't feel quite enough awe. Teclis' brother, Prince Tyrion, however did appear to fulfill the awesome status of master warrior ascribed to him in the game.
There is intrigue aplenty. Although some plot twist were obvious, others were unexpected. It's hard to praise the highlights of the novel without giving away the shocking revelations. Needless to say, there are a few twist that I thought were genuinely masterful.
This is a Warhmamer novel and, as such, it does not disappoint, providing plenty of graphic action. The battles are interesting, each one unique as different tactics are explored by both sides. The threat feels real. Characters are in danger and tides turn when least expected. And it's on a massive scale. It feels like it should: a real invasion. And the detail leaves none of the gory violence to your imagination.
The novel ends with a cliffhanger. That was expected. It makes you buy the sequel. Not that I needed a push in that direction.
This is the best Warhammer novel I've read. I didn't feel bored or uninterested at any moment. The suspense is played out well and it is a story on an epic scale. I highly recommend it.
Graham McNiell offers us a taste of almost all the vastly different locations on the island of Ulthuan. He provides point of view characters that allow us to feel the moment without overdoing it. He even allows us inside the enemy warcamps to build the foreboding of the evil Dark Elves and their corrupt human Chaos allies.
My initial observation (as this is the first time I've read any of McNiell's work) was a fascination with how the author spends paragraph after paragraph describing the landscape in detail and then would use little more than a sentence to describe a key character. I forgave this as the story progressed, initially because his descriptions of locations were written with a creative flair, but eventually because I was so caught up in the plot.
The characters are real, though the lack of a single protagonist does distance the reader a little. It's hard to pick who to sympathise with the most. There are two obvious elves that vie for the position of lead; one a melancholy former warrior who starts the novel moping about his manor, the other an amnesia-suffering elf who is washed upon a beach of Ulthuan devoid of the simplest of memories, such as his own name. Both are explored adequately through the course of the novel. We are exposed to their thoughts, and we see their reasoning for their actions, not all of which are noble or honourable.
The supporting cast is well rounded. I like to meet the bad guys and we do, though not too much time is spent behind enemy lines; the villains are built up just enough to make them a formidable threat. It is well established in the background information provided for the tabletop game that Teclis is the greatest mage in the Warhammer world. Yet when we meet him in this story I didn't feel quite enough awe. Teclis' brother, Prince Tyrion, however did appear to fulfill the awesome status of master warrior ascribed to him in the game.
There is intrigue aplenty. Although some plot twist were obvious, others were unexpected. It's hard to praise the highlights of the novel without giving away the shocking revelations. Needless to say, there are a few twist that I thought were genuinely masterful.
This is a Warhmamer novel and, as such, it does not disappoint, providing plenty of graphic action. The battles are interesting, each one unique as different tactics are explored by both sides. The threat feels real. Characters are in danger and tides turn when least expected. And it's on a massive scale. It feels like it should: a real invasion. And the detail leaves none of the gory violence to your imagination.
The novel ends with a cliffhanger. That was expected. It makes you buy the sequel. Not that I needed a push in that direction.
This is the best Warhammer novel I've read. I didn't feel bored or uninterested at any moment. The suspense is played out well and it is a story on an epic scale. I highly recommend it.
September 29, 2019
Ce livre est vraiment mauvais. Je n'ai pas réussi à passer les trois quarts. Les héros sont insipides, les dialogues creux au possible, l'histoire est décousue. Les méchants crient et secouent leurs épées dans le vide comme des idiots, les gentils ont tous des pressentiments. Beuuuurk. Franchement en dessous de lancedragon qui est deja une saga passable (mais bien plus travaillée).
J'essaye encore un autre livre de l'écurie warhammer mais si c'est pareil que ça ce sera sans moi. La fantasy merite mieux et les lecteurs aussi.
J'essaye encore un autre livre de l'écurie warhammer mais si c'est pareil que ça ce sera sans moi. La fantasy merite mieux et les lecteurs aussi.
September 23, 2024
Underrated. Joyful read. Fuck you, Eldain, fr.
January 1, 2023
This book was my final read of 2022 and Graham McNeill completely immersed me in the realm of the Asur with his vivid descriptions of the various regions of Ulthuan. I think he is my favorite author of Warhammer fantasy novels, namely of those concerning the elves. I don’t think he missed a thing! He mentioned the infamous twins Tyrion and Teclis, the Everqueen, Morathi and the Witch King, the eagles and the dragons, the horses of Ellyrian, the Black Arks, and the White Tower of Hoeth, and so much more. I greatly enjoyed this book and will be reading the second of the series next, having ended on a cliffhanger.
October 28, 2016
It has been a few years since I read this one, and the second book, Sons of Ellyrion; I just have to leave a review for this because this author is slick. Somehow, every sentence of this is poetry, not just in the way he crafted the words but in the details and descriptions and how the story plays out. I used to read it to my kids at night, skipping over the bloody parts; it's so easy to read it with feeling. It's a riveting story and fantastic characters as well. It's all good.
March 15, 2019
Defensores de Ulthuan no es una mala historia, algo irregular en ocasiones porque presenta partes muy bien escritas, con otras más lentas y aburridas que solo ralentizan la trama. La alargan demasiado. Aún así es un más que correcto libro de fantasía dentro del mundo de Warhammeer. Los incondicionales seguramente no se sentirán defraudados.
Opinión completa
Opinión completa
April 30, 2010
As advertised, its full of swords and sorcery. The first in a series. If I don't find the next book I doubt I'll miss it.
September 15, 2012
Excellent and captiving story. Great fantasy at its best! =)
May 19, 2026
English below, this time I am putting Czech first :-)
Ohledně téhle knihy mám velmi rozporné pocity.
Příběh samotný je tak na 3-4 *, většinou snadno předvídatelný, ale dobře postavený, i když rozjezd knihy trvá celou polovinu knihy (což jde prominout kvůli tomu, že tvoří uzavřený celek s druhým dílem). Co mi na příběhu vadilo, bylo naprosté ignorování plynutí času, kdy autor, aby překvapil, nechá mezi dvěma odstavci uplynout několik dní až týdnů.
Pokud knížku vezmu jako nahlédnutí do světa Warhammer Fantasy, dal bych 4*. Vypráví o velkém množství historických událostí a provází místy, které jsou v ostatních knihách málokdy zmíněny. Bohužel je cítit, že se autor snažil napěchovat co nejvíce "zajímavých" věcí do omezeného textu. Některými místy postavy procházejí, jen aby je bylo možné odškrtnout; a místy přely popisy skoro do seznamu.
Za kvalitu textu musím dát ale jen 2*. Nevím, jestli to je překladem nebo původním záměrem autora. Nejspíš obojí. Každé elfí místo je nádherné, vše, co se týká druchii zkažené, a aby si toho čtenář všiml, musí se to opakovat. Postavy přijdou na smutné místo? Následuje pět odstavců, které pětkrát jinak popíšou. Nádherné místo? Jedna stránka popisů, co je v něm nádherné. A aby se to nepletlo, stále stejnými slovy. Zmínil jsem už, že každá elfí země je nádherná? I v poslední kapitole je třeba tomu věnovat několik stran, protože v téhle zemi jsme ještě nebyli.
Celkově dávám 3*, i když jsem uvažoval o dvou. Po 30 stranách a po 70 jsem přemýšlel, že kvůli stylu knihu odložím, ale nakonec jsem rád, že jsem to neudělal - už se těším, až zjistím, jak začíná druhý díl.
English:
I have very mixed feelings about this book.
The story itself is about 3-4 *; mostly easily predictable but well-constructed, even though the story setup takes up half of the book (which can be forgiven because the second part is a direct continuation of the story). What I did not like about the story was the complete disregard for the passage of time. The author, in order to surprise, lets several days or weeks pass between two paragraphs.
If I take the book as a window into the world of Warhammer Fantasy, I would give it 4 *. It recounts numerous historical events and takes you to places rarely mentioned in other books. Unfortunately, it feels like the author tried to cram as many "interesting" things as possible into a limited number of pages. The characters pass by some places just so they can be crossed off, and several times, the descriptions almost turn into a list.
However, I have to give it only 2 * for the quality of the text. I don't know if it was due to the translation or the author's original intention. Probably both. Every elven place is beautiful; everything about the druchii is rotten to the core. And for the reader to notice, it has to be repeated over and over. The characters end up in a sad place? Five paragraphs follow, each describing it again and again. A beautiful place? One page of descriptions of what is beautiful about it. And to avoid confusion, always using the same words. Did I mention that every elven land is beautiful? Even in the last chapter, several pages had to be devoted to this, because we have not been to this kingdom yet.
Overall, I give it 3*, although I was considering two. After 30 pages and after 70, I thought about putting the book down because of the style, but in the end, I am glad I did not - I can't wait to find out how the second book begins.
Ohledně téhle knihy mám velmi rozporné pocity.
Příběh samotný je tak na 3-4 *, většinou snadno předvídatelný, ale dobře postavený, i když rozjezd knihy trvá celou polovinu knihy (což jde prominout kvůli tomu, že tvoří uzavřený celek s druhým dílem). Co mi na příběhu vadilo, bylo naprosté ignorování plynutí času, kdy autor, aby překvapil, nechá mezi dvěma odstavci uplynout několik dní až týdnů.
Pokud knížku vezmu jako nahlédnutí do světa Warhammer Fantasy, dal bych 4*. Vypráví o velkém množství historických událostí a provází místy, které jsou v ostatních knihách málokdy zmíněny. Bohužel je cítit, že se autor snažil napěchovat co nejvíce "zajímavých" věcí do omezeného textu. Některými místy postavy procházejí, jen aby je bylo možné odškrtnout; a místy přely popisy skoro do seznamu.
Za kvalitu textu musím dát ale jen 2*. Nevím, jestli to je překladem nebo původním záměrem autora. Nejspíš obojí. Každé elfí místo je nádherné, vše, co se týká druchii zkažené, a aby si toho čtenář všiml, musí se to opakovat. Postavy přijdou na smutné místo? Následuje pět odstavců, které pětkrát jinak popíšou. Nádherné místo? Jedna stránka popisů, co je v něm nádherné. A aby se to nepletlo, stále stejnými slovy. Zmínil jsem už, že každá elfí země je nádherná? I v poslední kapitole je třeba tomu věnovat několik stran, protože v téhle zemi jsme ještě nebyli.
Celkově dávám 3*, i když jsem uvažoval o dvou. Po 30 stranách a po 70 jsem přemýšlel, že kvůli stylu knihu odložím, ale nakonec jsem rád, že jsem to neudělal - už se těším, až zjistím, jak začíná druhý díl.
English:
I have very mixed feelings about this book.
The story itself is about 3-4 *; mostly easily predictable but well-constructed, even though the story setup takes up half of the book (which can be forgiven because the second part is a direct continuation of the story). What I did not like about the story was the complete disregard for the passage of time. The author, in order to surprise, lets several days or weeks pass between two paragraphs.
If I take the book as a window into the world of Warhammer Fantasy, I would give it 4 *. It recounts numerous historical events and takes you to places rarely mentioned in other books. Unfortunately, it feels like the author tried to cram as many "interesting" things as possible into a limited number of pages. The characters pass by some places just so they can be crossed off, and several times, the descriptions almost turn into a list.
However, I have to give it only 2 * for the quality of the text. I don't know if it was due to the translation or the author's original intention. Probably both. Every elven place is beautiful; everything about the druchii is rotten to the core. And for the reader to notice, it has to be repeated over and over. The characters end up in a sad place? Five paragraphs follow, each describing it again and again. A beautiful place? One page of descriptions of what is beautiful about it. And to avoid confusion, always using the same words. Did I mention that every elven land is beautiful? Even in the last chapter, several pages had to be devoted to this, because we have not been to this kingdom yet.
Overall, I give it 3*, although I was considering two. After 30 pages and after 70, I thought about putting the book down because of the style, but in the end, I am glad I did not - I can't wait to find out how the second book begins.
February 23, 2020
I fell these novels best capture spirit of the Warhammer and High Elves from the available series. It treats many important lore characters respectfully giving them each spotlight and achievements and add variety of new characters that guide the narrative, make reader care about their uncertain fate, it expands lore but also being fateful to it and adds amazing descriptions of lands and battles. As I am fan of Tolkien and Asoiaf series it reminds me of it positively. Definitely worth reading.
April 22, 2021
For whatever reason, I could not get into this book until about 200 pages in. I didnt really have that "I can't put it down" feeling. It was a struggle to complete the entire book and I honestly thought about giving up on it. The last 150 pages are so were much better but I think the fact that it took so long to get into, left a bitter taste. I've enjoyed the other Warhammer books I've read (only about 5) but this one was a disappointment in comparison.
August 10, 2023
This book made me sad. Sad for the glory of the elves lost to time. Sad for the embittered and jaded turn of a people who rebelled in beauty. Sad for the perversions visited upon them by the depraved druchii and their ilk. And, last but not least, sad it ended where it did rather than giving me more!
August 20, 2026
Can’t believe I’d let this book sit on my shelf for a decade or more without reading it. Bad Warhammer books sometimes feel like someone copying and pasting army book entries into prose. This one still imparts that information, giving each troop type its moment in the sun in an almost gleeful fashion.
August 13, 2017
Check out my review: http://www.rbellis.net/review-defende...
Stick with it. Early, I wasn't so sure, but after 100 pages it took off. Kudos, Mr. McNeill.
Stick with it. Early, I wasn't so sure, but after 100 pages it took off. Kudos, Mr. McNeill.
April 3, 2026
3.5/5
cool.
cool.
October 30, 2021
Overall a mediocre fantasy book. I disliked all the exposition. It felt like the author would ramble on and on when introduced a new setting - which was frequent. I wasn't super invested in any of the characters. I liked the setting of Ulthuan a lot.
September 15, 2014
Full Christian Review Here: http://www.geeksundergrace.com/books/...
This is a good book that I wish I could give a higher score to. I love high elves and beautiful scenery in my fiction. This book does an excellent job of marrying these two. I feel like I wouldn't have enjoyed this book, though, if I didn't have a predisposition to those exact elements. The beautiful scenery is described with a lot of detail, sometimes almost too much so. The story is great, but the characters didn't develop much. The constant switching between storylines though got a little old. I found myself wanting to skip sections to get back to the storylines I was interested in. They wind together very well though to tell a great overlying story.
There were very dark elements, but they were mainly in the enemy and played a very minor role in the book. The dark parts were very dark though. The main character does join a band of vagabonds that behave very perversely too.
Please don't let me talk you out of this book though, it was a great read. The poor elements definitely don't outweigh the awesome magical land and exciting battles.
This is a good book that I wish I could give a higher score to. I love high elves and beautiful scenery in my fiction. This book does an excellent job of marrying these two. I feel like I wouldn't have enjoyed this book, though, if I didn't have a predisposition to those exact elements. The beautiful scenery is described with a lot of detail, sometimes almost too much so. The story is great, but the characters didn't develop much. The constant switching between storylines though got a little old. I found myself wanting to skip sections to get back to the storylines I was interested in. They wind together very well though to tell a great overlying story.
There were very dark elements, but they were mainly in the enemy and played a very minor role in the book. The dark parts were very dark though. The main character does join a band of vagabonds that behave very perversely too.
Please don't let me talk you out of this book though, it was a great read. The poor elements definitely don't outweigh the awesome magical land and exciting battles.
January 15, 2014
A strong entry in the Warhammer universe. It lacked the finesse of the Sundering trilogy but Gav Thorpe and I was a little bit disappointed to see the regal Morathi of old turned into an insane vulgar figure, but I guess that's what happens after several thousand years of depravity. The storyline however was well made and while the plot advanced slowly it was rewarding, especially in the end.
May 23, 2013
Very predictable plot. The main characters really lack depth, and almost all the rest of the characters are an exercise in name dropping from the High Elf background fluff. I intend to read the sequel, but I'm pretty sure I know the end already...
April 30, 2017
Was a good book if you want to explore the land of the elves and its people ulthuan has always been a place I would dream to visit.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews