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Empire Army #1
Reiksguard
The Old World is a dangerous land of untamed forests and mountains, where all manner of monsters and wild beasts lurk. Even with its armies, the human Empire fights a constant struggle to protect its people from extinction. When a massive orc invasion threatens Reikland, the Empire's armies are mobilised.
410 pages, Paperback
First published May 26, 2009
11 people are currently reading
286 people want to read
About the author
Richard Williams
36 books5 followersRichard Williams has written fiction for a range of publications on such diverse topics as gang initiation, medieval highwaymen, and arcane religions. In his spare time he is a theatre director and actor.
Librarian note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Richard^^Williams
Librarian note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Richard^^Williams
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
April 19, 2012
From stumbling, bickering novices to elite warriors of the Empire fuelled by the righteous might of Sigmar; this book follows the lives of a handful of soldiers as they become honourable Reiksguard knights, personal guard of the Emperor. Not to mention some mayhap, intrigue and bloodshed!
From start to finish, this book had me enthralled. Having met the author (who's a really nice bloke, by the way), I had a feeling that I was going to enjoy the story, and I was delighted to find out that my feeling was well-founded.
Williams writes in a style that is brilliantly accessible, and not in the least bit overcomplicated. I wouldn't go as far as to call the writing simplistic, because it's clearly not, but whether you're a veteran Black Library and Warhammer fan, or just feel like reading a fantasy novel for the hell of it; you'll find this book incredibly absorbing and easy-to-read.
I shall happily continue to read the Empire Army series and hope for similar. Here's hoping that Richard Williams will write a sequel to Reiksguard, as he clearly has a brilliant talent for tapping into the psyche of the Imperial soldiery!
100% recommended.
From start to finish, this book had me enthralled. Having met the author (who's a really nice bloke, by the way), I had a feeling that I was going to enjoy the story, and I was delighted to find out that my feeling was well-founded.
Williams writes in a style that is brilliantly accessible, and not in the least bit overcomplicated. I wouldn't go as far as to call the writing simplistic, because it's clearly not, but whether you're a veteran Black Library and Warhammer fan, or just feel like reading a fantasy novel for the hell of it; you'll find this book incredibly absorbing and easy-to-read.
I shall happily continue to read the Empire Army series and hope for similar. Here's hoping that Richard Williams will write a sequel to Reiksguard, as he clearly has a brilliant talent for tapping into the psyche of the Imperial soldiery!
100% recommended.
November 4, 2023
Really enjoyed the book. My first read of the old world and I wasn’t disappointed. Loved the arc of the knights through training to battle and the developing relationships.
February 25, 2024
Novelón espectacular
May 20, 2022
This book reminds me how good Warhammer fiction can be with the right author.
Warhammer is at its best, not with campy, melodramatic action sequences featuring epic heroes, but with quieter, introspective stories following characters of lesser import. Stories that aim to probe deep themes instead of boring you with popcorn entertainment. Reiksguard was a novel I was expecting to be a run-of-the-mill epic fantasy story about good guys fighting bad guys on a big battlefield, yada, yada, yada. Instead, it ended up being a story full of heart, about a group of characters coming into their own, finding their purpose and discovering the meaning of brotherhood.
Very little of it involves actual fighting. Only in the beginning and later half do we see the Reiksguard in action. Most of the novel takes place at the Reiksguard Chapter Houses, where the main characters, fledgling knights, are trained. The characters are where this novel shines, for, though Williams could definitely have written them to be cheesy, one-dimensional hero archetypes, he chose to give them depth and personality, making each memorable in their own right. The heroes, Delmar, Siebrecht, Krieglitz, Gausser, etc., are complex and have their own world views and internal struggles. Some scenes between them are so heartfelt I almost cried (almost), and that's something that RARELY happens to me with Warhammer fiction.
I could go on all day about how great this book is, but suffice it to say I think it's worth a read.
Warhammer is at its best, not with campy, melodramatic action sequences featuring epic heroes, but with quieter, introspective stories following characters of lesser import. Stories that aim to probe deep themes instead of boring you with popcorn entertainment. Reiksguard was a novel I was expecting to be a run-of-the-mill epic fantasy story about good guys fighting bad guys on a big battlefield, yada, yada, yada. Instead, it ended up being a story full of heart, about a group of characters coming into their own, finding their purpose and discovering the meaning of brotherhood.
Very little of it involves actual fighting. Only in the beginning and later half do we see the Reiksguard in action. Most of the novel takes place at the Reiksguard Chapter Houses, where the main characters, fledgling knights, are trained. The characters are where this novel shines, for, though Williams could definitely have written them to be cheesy, one-dimensional hero archetypes, he chose to give them depth and personality, making each memorable in their own right. The heroes, Delmar, Siebrecht, Krieglitz, Gausser, etc., are complex and have their own world views and internal struggles. Some scenes between them are so heartfelt I almost cried (almost), and that's something that RARELY happens to me with Warhammer fiction.
I could go on all day about how great this book is, but suffice it to say I think it's worth a read.
June 15, 2018
Siempre he sido fanático de los caballeros, sobre todo, los del universo de Warhammer, ver de cerca la organización de Knights imperiales más famosa del lore, desde adentro, ha sido una experiencia muy enriquecedora, sobre todo, porque no teníamos una idea clara de cómo era la vida de los caballeros lejos de la batalla. Anteriormente, solo veíamos a los grandes héroes luchar, tipos como Karl Franz o Kurt, personajes queridos por el fandom, pero el joven Delmar y sus amigos, son algo nuevo, cuyas vidas no conocemos y por ende, podemos empatizar con ellos cuando pasan la primera parte del entrenamiento en los barracones imperiales.
Las escenas de lucha estuvieron geniales, igual que las descripciones del armamento y el combate, no obstante, el único punto flojo de la novela es que su inicio puede resultar algo lento, sobre todo, si ya se tiene conocimiento del lore.
Muy buena novela para todos los que gustan de una historia llena de magia, caballeros y escenas badass.
Las escenas de lucha estuvieron geniales, igual que las descripciones del armamento y el combate, no obstante, el único punto flojo de la novela es que su inicio puede resultar algo lento, sobre todo, si ya se tiene conocimiento del lore.
Muy buena novela para todos los que gustan de una historia llena de magia, caballeros y escenas badass.
July 20, 2023
Me ha gustado mucho a pesar de que es Warhammer Fantasy y no me gusta nada de nada. Me gusta como están narradas las batallas, sobre todo desde el punto de vista de los caballeros porque las cargas de caballería de la edad media me gustan mucho. La hermandad forjada en los campamentos de Reiksguard, que empieza la enemistad y rivalidad entre los provincianos y los noblesnacidos. Esta bastante bien escrito, es entretenido y si tuviera la segunda parte lo leería sin duda.
October 12, 2019
The second book in an omnibus. I liked it; I enjoyed the character arcs as much as the action.
I didn't understand a few events at the end, though. Probably clearer to long time fans, and I'm brand new.
One more novel in the omnibus. So far, I'm pleased with the series.
I didn't understand a few events at the end, though. Probably clearer to long time fans, and I'm brand new.
One more novel in the omnibus. So far, I'm pleased with the series.
July 12, 2020
Très bonne intrigue
August 27, 2024
Very good and fast to read!
November 4, 2016
Overall I dug this book. Essentially it's a tale of a group of new recruits who are training to be in the Reiksguard. It's kind of a ... '80s sex romp sports comedy except without the sex or sports. But it still mostly hits all the same beats. Like many Warhammer Fantasy books, it suffers from a shoved-in battle that takes up the second half of the book. Like, I get that it has to have a battle, and I'm fine with that (I've read dozens of these so far ...), but there's a difference between having emotional buildup toward a grand finale (Gotrek & Felix are usually pretty good at this) and just suddenly having a fight that seems insignificant introduce dozens of characters and take up over a hundred pages.
There are a lot of characters in here, and Williams does a decent job of making them all stand apart, at least enough so that I was rarely confused about who he was talking about. No mean feat in a story with as many "main" characters as this. I sort of wished we'd gotten more background on the "professors" in this tale, not just the students - and there IS a little backstory given to them, just not as much as I'd hoped for - but obviously that wasn't the focus of this tale. I found them fascinating, though, since they seemed to illustrate that all the squabbling amongst the new recruits is not a new or unique thing.
There are a couple of "twists" that were decently executed. One of them I REALLY assumed was going a different way (the mystery of Delmar's father), but even though I preferred my answer, the way it went was logical and surprised me.
There are a lot of characters in here, and Williams does a decent job of making them all stand apart, at least enough so that I was rarely confused about who he was talking about. No mean feat in a story with as many "main" characters as this. I sort of wished we'd gotten more background on the "professors" in this tale, not just the students - and there IS a little backstory given to them, just not as much as I'd hoped for - but obviously that wasn't the focus of this tale. I found them fascinating, though, since they seemed to illustrate that all the squabbling amongst the new recruits is not a new or unique thing.
There are a couple of "twists" that were decently executed. One of them I REALLY assumed was going a different way (the mystery of Delmar's father), but even though I preferred my answer, the way it went was logical and surprised me.
July 23, 2020
Reiksguard is the first book in the Empire Army series of Warhammer Fantasy (They can be read in any order though).
This novel was pretty fun, not too amazing or too offensive. It follows a group of young Empire men as they train to become elite Reiksguard knights, loyal to the Emperor. The first part of the book deals with the training necessary to become such an elite warrior, and it's here that the Reiksguard initiates butt heads with each other and form their friendships. An interesting aspect is that the men from the heartland of the Empire see themselves apart from the 'backwater' provincials, and it is an underlying current throughout the novel.
The second half is the battle part, culminating in a pitched battle between Empire forces and Orcs led by an Ogre. The battle was decently written, and the Greenskin leaders were good characters and lent an interesting slant to the often faceless horde of bad guys. Oh, also Karl Franz shows up on Deathclaw at some point and that's fucking awesome.
This novel was pretty fun, not too amazing or too offensive. It follows a group of young Empire men as they train to become elite Reiksguard knights, loyal to the Emperor. The first part of the book deals with the training necessary to become such an elite warrior, and it's here that the Reiksguard initiates butt heads with each other and form their friendships. An interesting aspect is that the men from the heartland of the Empire see themselves apart from the 'backwater' provincials, and it is an underlying current throughout the novel.
The second half is the battle part, culminating in a pitched battle between Empire forces and Orcs led by an Ogre. The battle was decently written, and the Greenskin leaders were good characters and lent an interesting slant to the often faceless horde of bad guys. Oh, also Karl Franz shows up on Deathclaw at some point and that's fucking awesome.
February 5, 2010
Good insite to the Empire in the Warhammer world. It was ok.
Want to read
January 22, 2014False
April 16, 2023
A really good book, was even better then when I read it first time round, would defiantly recommend it, best in the empire series
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews