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Warhammer Fantasy
Knights Of Bretonnia: The Omnibus
A Warhammer Chronicles OmnibusBretonnia is a land shrouded in myth and magic, under siege from the strange creatures of its shadowy forest and those fallen to the lure of the Dark Gods. Against these fearsome foes stand the Knights of Bretonnia, calling upon their faith in the Lady and their guile with the sword to repel their legions of enemies.READ IT BECAUSEThis collection chronicles the journey of Calard as he attempts to rise through the ranks of the Knights of Bretonnia, from the rank of lowly Knight Errant to the hallowed station of Grail Knight.THE STORYWhen young noble Calard starts upon the path to knighthood, he soon discovers the darkness hidden within his homeland and the price that must be paid by those seeking to holiest of honours – the title of Grail Knight. Accompanied by his faithful manservant Chlod, he must face vampires, wyverns, Chaos warriors, and goblins, but each battle brings him one step closer to the legendary status he seeks.ContentsKnight ErrantKnight of the RealmRest EternalQuesting KnightGrail KnightWritten by Anthony Reynolds
999 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 22, 2011
59 people are currently reading
347 people want to read
About the author
Anthony Reynolds
92 books169 followersAnthony Reynolds was a Games Developer and manager at Games Workshop in the UK. Since then he's written freelance for a number of companies, including Black Library Publishing, Mantic Games, THQ, Bandai-Namco, Behaviour Interactive, and River Horse Games. He currently lives in California.
Librarian note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Anthony^Reynolds
Librarian note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Anthony^Reynolds
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
June 26, 2022
Knight Errant - 02.06.22 (4/5 Stars)
I really enjoyed this Warhammer tale. I loved the main character Calard and am keen to see how his character develops now that his love has betrayed him, his father is dead and it seems there is now a plot to remove him. I wasn't as keen on his brother, however they did have a nice relationship and I'm wondering if this will change now that there is an active plot to remove Calard and have Bertelis in his place.
Knight of the Realm 11.06.22 (4/5 stars)
I liked this one just as much as the first story in the book. I was initially disappointed on how Calard was acting at the start of the book, not taking his duties seriously, getting drunk all the time but he soon reverted back to being the Calard we all know and love once the battle started.
It was nice to see the brothers still getting on throughout most of the book. However considering the tragic ending, I do not think that will be the case for the next one.
The enemy they faced was pretty impressive, called the Norscan and clearly based on Vikings, they were a frightening bunch, still not sure they were entirely human. They caused havoc.
I am excited to see how Calard and Bertelis get on in the next tale. They have now gone down separate paths and I wonder when they will meet again.
26.06.22 - Right I have now finished this monster of a book and overall I'd say it was pretty enjoyable, full of knights, fights & quests for the Grail. I liked Calard throughout but I was really disappointed about what happened to Bertelis. The ending is left on a cliff hanger which suggest there are more in the series.
I'm not a fan of the Warhammer universe, I don't play the games, I've read a few of the books but I still ended up really liking this so don't let that put you off.
I really enjoyed this Warhammer tale. I loved the main character Calard and am keen to see how his character develops now that his love has betrayed him, his father is dead and it seems there is now a plot to remove him. I wasn't as keen on his brother, however they did have a nice relationship and I'm wondering if this will change now that there is an active plot to remove Calard and have Bertelis in his place.
Knight of the Realm 11.06.22 (4/5 stars)
I liked this one just as much as the first story in the book. I was initially disappointed on how Calard was acting at the start of the book, not taking his duties seriously, getting drunk all the time but he soon reverted back to being the Calard we all know and love once the battle started.
It was nice to see the brothers still getting on throughout most of the book. However considering the tragic ending, I do not think that will be the case for the next one.
The enemy they faced was pretty impressive, called the Norscan and clearly based on Vikings, they were a frightening bunch, still not sure they were entirely human. They caused havoc.
I am excited to see how Calard and Bertelis get on in the next tale. They have now gone down separate paths and I wonder when they will meet again.
26.06.22 - Right I have now finished this monster of a book and overall I'd say it was pretty enjoyable, full of knights, fights & quests for the Grail. I liked Calard throughout but I was really disappointed about what happened to Bertelis. The ending is left on a cliff hanger which suggest there are more in the series.
I'm not a fan of the Warhammer universe, I don't play the games, I've read a few of the books but I still ended up really liking this so don't let that put you off.
May 10, 2019
Big Warhammer fan here and a collector of the Bretonnian Army,
But that alone won't make me bias with this collection of books.
This omnibus is focused around 1 particular Knight and his journey through as an Errant knight to becoming a Questing Knight doing the Lady's bidding in Hope of sipping from the Holy Grail.
It's a really well balanced book with all sorts of of Characters from the talented brother, old skillful teacher, Evil step Mother, arrogant rival and even a Hero.
The build up of each character is more or less on point without dragging on pointless past stories or irrelevant description. With each page contributing to the progress of the Story.
Everything is within scale of reality, nothing is ridiculous and or unbelievable. But the book makes you pray for hope in time of darkness.
I'm just sad that's the tales do not continue after the 5th book, I am wanting for more.
But that alone won't make me bias with this collection of books.
This omnibus is focused around 1 particular Knight and his journey through as an Errant knight to becoming a Questing Knight doing the Lady's bidding in Hope of sipping from the Holy Grail.
It's a really well balanced book with all sorts of of Characters from the talented brother, old skillful teacher, Evil step Mother, arrogant rival and even a Hero.
The build up of each character is more or less on point without dragging on pointless past stories or irrelevant description. With each page contributing to the progress of the Story.
Everything is within scale of reality, nothing is ridiculous and or unbelievable. But the book makes you pray for hope in time of darkness.
I'm just sad that's the tales do not continue after the 5th book, I am wanting for more.
March 6, 2025
Really enjoyed the premise and the first two books especially. The final book did perhaps feel rushed. A lot of story happened 'off screen' and it just seemed to 'end' . I felt it lacked the payoff that I was expecting after nearly 900 pages.
December 5, 2014
Who is this book for? That's the primary question. If you are a fan of Dickens, Salinger, or Card, this book might not be what you have in mind. This book is no stroke of literary genius, it's merely a romp in the world of Bretonnia in the warhammer universe.
The one thing I want to mention is Beastmen. Beastmen get very little love in the warhammer fluff, but this book is an exception. Plenty of bad ass beasts doing their dirty deeds.
Arrogant Knights battle vicious creatures. That's what this book is. No character development, no life changing plot. If you understand that, it's a good book!
The one thing I want to mention is Beastmen. Beastmen get very little love in the warhammer fluff, but this book is an exception. Plenty of bad ass beasts doing their dirty deeds.
Arrogant Knights battle vicious creatures. That's what this book is. No character development, no life changing plot. If you understand that, it's a good book!
August 4, 2022
This is the first Warhammer trilogy I read and I'm thankful for starting here. Bretonnia has never been my favorite faction but it doesn't need to be to enjoy this series. The part that makes this shine (No spoilers) is how many factions it covers and how well it does this. There are so many factions that get described in such great detail that anyone new to the series would be doing themselves a favor in starting here.
December 8, 2023
Quite a large tome of a book, consisting of 2 novels and two novellas, chronicling the story of Calard Bastonne, a young Bretonnia noble, who over the course of the novels rises from a young Knight-Errant to eventually becoming a living legend himself. Pulpy, and ripe with action, its a fun read with enough twists and turns to keep you interested in whats happening though in the middle portions of the novels (the novellas actually avoid this issue mostly) pacing can slow down to a crawl where it feels like very little is happening besides mostly pointless fighting. The fight scenes are still well-written and do a good job of capturing the grand, grimdark scale of Warhammer fantasy which helps mitigate this thankfully. Overall, Knights of Bretonnia is a fairly solid read which, while a bit dense with references and terminology exclusive to the warhammer world and occasionally bogged down with LOTS of fighting and such, is still worth checking out, especially to enjoyers of sword-and-sorcery and action heavy fantasy enjoyers alike. If you like that, or Warhammer fantasy, especially Bretonnia, you could do worse.
July 25, 2018
if you like warhammer fantasy setting and knights then this book is for you. it has in detail how a young knight of bretonia rises in the noble hierarchy until with luck courage determination and many personal sacrifices rises as a blessed hero! the beginning of the story has too many cliches about bad nobles and poor peasants and the stories are hack and slash at a great scale but as the story progress then the real bretonia shines. a place both bright and dark where evil lurks and fay powers are uncertain who they serve. the book contains four stories and we watch the noble Calard and his perilous adventures. as a side story, we see a lowly scum of a peasant as he tries to survive in a land where only nobles have rights and destiny a bit dull and tiring but adds a certain flavor. the omnibus ends with a hope for more adventures to come leaving many ties undecided but i don't believe we might see anything more...
December 13, 2020
I really enjoyed the stories in this compilation. The Games Workshop world has been refined over the last 30+ years I believe and it is so well portrayed within the pages. The battles are well written and the author keeps the characters true to how you feel the game portrays those types of characters. If you want to get lost for some time in a solid fantasy world with a connection to real life gaming this is definitely a must read.
March 28, 2023
Be aware gentle reader, that warhammer novels tend to be dark, and not "oh no, that character died" dark, its the kind of dark where a character is repeatedly abused over and over in a hopeless situation with no reprieve nor redemption. This brings us to Knights of Bretonnia.
This review will be as spoiler free as I can manage, but in order to properly review it's worst offense I must reveal a persistent character flaw. So be warned.
Calard, the trilogy's main protagonist is dull. That's an incredibly bad start to a novel, but it is true. Mr. Reynolds went perhaps a bit too far in trying to portay a typical knight, as even the personality is typical. He lacks any interesting insight, and often stumbles into situations that could have been avoided through a moment of rational thought. This leads to his second flaw; Calard's character arc is basically non-existent. Throughout all three novels in this omnibus he remains the same hot-headed, borderline cruel, and frankly uninteresting individual. Reynolds may have been trying to imitate the Stoic Geralt from the Witcher series of books, but Calard lacks any of Geralt's wit or philosophical views that make him such a great character. This is so painful because there are many other characters that Mr Reynolds did very well such as Calard's persistent rival, or Dieter or Reolus, etc. These other characters are more fleshed out than Calard, smarter, more interesting and more engaging. This is why I removed two stars. The main character can't have such a crucial element be blundered.
On to the good stuff. Mr. Reynold's view of the warhammer fantasy world is magnificent. He clearly enjoys the idea of Bretonnia and frequently goes into detail about distant lands or places we won't hear about again, just to flesh out the world or mention a small detail that fans will love. Many of his characters are likeable and will leave the reader looking forward to their next appearance (Dieter was quite a fun character), there are characters with more depth than Calard and deeper Arcs. The adversaries in all three books are well written with clear and often morally grey goals. Some of the antagonists while definitely vile, leave the reader empathetic with their plight. The famous "grimdark' elements of the warhammer setting are here in full force with multiple instances of gruesome scenes and acts that I still sometimes think about (and enjoy, because that's why we all read warhammer, it doesn't pull it's punches).
The world feels alive with colorful characters, dark and disturbing scenes and characters, and is solidly set in the warhammer fantasy world. Calard is the only real blunder to speak of, which unfortunately is quite a big one. Overall I'd say you could pass this novel if you're not a fan of Bretonnia. But if you do decide to read it, you'll find yourself enjoying a decent novel.
This review will be as spoiler free as I can manage, but in order to properly review it's worst offense I must reveal a persistent character flaw. So be warned.
Calard, the trilogy's main protagonist is dull. That's an incredibly bad start to a novel, but it is true. Mr. Reynolds went perhaps a bit too far in trying to portay a typical knight, as even the personality is typical. He lacks any interesting insight, and often stumbles into situations that could have been avoided through a moment of rational thought. This leads to his second flaw; Calard's character arc is basically non-existent. Throughout all three novels in this omnibus he remains the same hot-headed, borderline cruel, and frankly uninteresting individual. Reynolds may have been trying to imitate the Stoic Geralt from the Witcher series of books, but Calard lacks any of Geralt's wit or philosophical views that make him such a great character. This is so painful because there are many other characters that Mr Reynolds did very well such as Calard's persistent rival, or Dieter or Reolus, etc. These other characters are more fleshed out than Calard, smarter, more interesting and more engaging. This is why I removed two stars. The main character can't have such a crucial element be blundered.
On to the good stuff. Mr. Reynold's view of the warhammer fantasy world is magnificent. He clearly enjoys the idea of Bretonnia and frequently goes into detail about distant lands or places we won't hear about again, just to flesh out the world or mention a small detail that fans will love. Many of his characters are likeable and will leave the reader looking forward to their next appearance (Dieter was quite a fun character), there are characters with more depth than Calard and deeper Arcs. The adversaries in all three books are well written with clear and often morally grey goals. Some of the antagonists while definitely vile, leave the reader empathetic with their plight. The famous "grimdark' elements of the warhammer setting are here in full force with multiple instances of gruesome scenes and acts that I still sometimes think about (and enjoy, because that's why we all read warhammer, it doesn't pull it's punches).
The world feels alive with colorful characters, dark and disturbing scenes and characters, and is solidly set in the warhammer fantasy world. Calard is the only real blunder to speak of, which unfortunately is quite a big one. Overall I'd say you could pass this novel if you're not a fan of Bretonnia. But if you do decide to read it, you'll find yourself enjoying a decent novel.
May 11, 2023
My first Warhammer fantasy entry, of course a bias as it’s my favourite faction but the collection was a great way to enter the setting.
The pompous and arrogant honour lead knights of bretonnia are completely ironic with their morals and it’s just a delight to learn about the system they live in.
Each of the books lead so well into each other and the use of characters worked amazingly well,
The protagonist Calard is essentially on a quest to become something more than himself, but along the way is caught up in political schemes, assassinations, battles and self doubt.
The writing for the battles is the highlight and I could so vividly picture these spectacular scenes. Particularly against norsca.
My personal favourite characters include gunther a veteran mentor, bertelis the cocky brother, baron montcadas, Raben aswell as the grail knight reolus who absolutely clutched half the book. Dieter Welsch was a fun empire envoy and worked as a great device to show some differences of the nations whilst being a badass.
I would have loved to see a bit more Chlod however as he is marketed as the sidekick but dosnt really get fully involved untill the final stories.
I will remember this collection for a long time to come as my fantasy gateway, and for someone with no knowledge of war hammer it can be read standalone as I did. There will absolutely be elements for you and as the pacing is generally fast the Plotlines feel rewarding to power through.
10/10 I love this book
The pompous and arrogant honour lead knights of bretonnia are completely ironic with their morals and it’s just a delight to learn about the system they live in.
Each of the books lead so well into each other and the use of characters worked amazingly well,
The protagonist Calard is essentially on a quest to become something more than himself, but along the way is caught up in political schemes, assassinations, battles and self doubt.
The writing for the battles is the highlight and I could so vividly picture these spectacular scenes. Particularly against norsca.
My personal favourite characters include gunther a veteran mentor, bertelis the cocky brother, baron montcadas, Raben aswell as the grail knight reolus who absolutely clutched half the book. Dieter Welsch was a fun empire envoy and worked as a great device to show some differences of the nations whilst being a badass.
I would have loved to see a bit more Chlod however as he is marketed as the sidekick but dosnt really get fully involved untill the final stories.
I will remember this collection for a long time to come as my fantasy gateway, and for someone with no knowledge of war hammer it can be read standalone as I did. There will absolutely be elements for you and as the pacing is generally fast the Plotlines feel rewarding to power through.
10/10 I love this book
August 19, 2023
A very interesting and intriguing collection of stories where you follow the young bretonnian knight Calard and his journey from knighthood to questing knight. The book provides rich descriptions of bretonnian warfare, the enemies of Bretonnia and the culture/feuds that exist between the families.
I personally liked the novel and short stories quite a bit. The conflicts and plot are very well written and tell a very interesting story but I felt that the characters were a bit lacking and the third/final stories were a bit short. I still consider it a very enjoyable reading experience for fans of the Warhammer Fantasy setting.
I personally liked the novel and short stories quite a bit. The conflicts and plot are very well written and tell a very interesting story but I felt that the characters were a bit lacking and the third/final stories were a bit short. I still consider it a very enjoyable reading experience for fans of the Warhammer Fantasy setting.
November 19, 2012
The book did seem a little slow to start, but for the reader who is interested in Bretonnia and it's Knights, this is a great resource and welcome escape. There are a few gripes I have but that is more with the 2 short stories at the end. They do tie it all together, but there is missed opportunity to have extended this series even further while Calard is on the Quest. It did seem a little slow to start off, and I found myself bored with the peasant Chlod at times. But stick with it and you will be left wanting more in the end.
December 13, 2011
I can't quite give this 1 star. It wasn't *that* bad. But it wasn't good either. One of the weaker entries into the Warhammer universe. I was hoping that the main characters would become more likable through time, but they never did. Everyone just seemed one two dimensional at best (and in most cases one). You can find better Warhammer books elsewhere.
July 19, 2013
I didn't like it. Suffice it to say I'm done with shared world fiction. This sounded good on the back but what I was treated to on the inside was not the mismatched duo story the back of the book promised. Thats about the long and the short of it.
July 18, 2011
The only words are;
FUCK.
YES.
FUCK.
YES.
January 23, 2016
What can I say, I've loved the Bretonnians for a long time. Even Knights in shining armour can be some very disgusting and cruel people. But a great read. highly recommended.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews