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Warhammer
Das Gelächter Dunkler Götter
Experience the grim tales of bloody sword and darkest sorcery in a land of deadly adventure, from some of the most talented British fantasy/horror authors, including William King, Brian Craig, and many others.
318 pages, Perfect Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
February 3, 2010
I picked up this book looking for some fantasy action and what I found were a number of stories set in the Warhammer gaming universe. However the background is extremely generic so these sit alone as straightforward reads. I was a bit disappointed with the quality of the stories; there’s nothing that really shines here. At the end of the book I felt that this was a cash-in on the Warhammer brand rather than a book strong enough to stand apart from it.
The titular story, by William King, is an almost plotless affair consisting of page after page of gore-drenched combat. It’s gruelling and horrific, and King includes a novel touch involving his central characters that I liked. A pretty accurate depiction of a literal descent into hell.
THE REAVERS AND THE DEAD, by Charles Davidson, is once again straightforward, a story of zombies and pirates and mucho bloodshed. Once again, the gore is to the fore and as an exercise in torn body parts this is serviceable enough. Brian Craig’s THE PHANTOM OF YREMY is something different, about a mysterious thief who steals from the rich. This one’s better written and has greater depth than the two preceding it, but it hinges on a remarkably obvious hidden identity and loses points for that.
THE OTHER by Nicola Griffiths is an uninteresting and derivative love story. THE SONG by Steve Baxter has a Halfling as lead character and is fairly entertaining on a superficial level.
Things pick up for the next trio of stories which are the best in the anthology. Sean Flynn’s APPRENTICE LUCK in which an ancient grimoire leads to adventure beneath the streets of a city is a fine old fashioned adventure full of wizards and goblins. Brian Craig pops up again with THE LIGHT OF TRANSFIGURATION and it’s a story of religious hysteria set within a nunnery built upon the ruins of a black magician’s castle. Plenty of imagination and a fine sense of foreboding keep this one alive. Neil Jones’s THE SPELLS BELOW is a tale of wizardry and bloodshed that I found pretty exciting.
CRY OF THE BEAST by Ralph Castle is a werewolf-type effort about hermits troubled by a sinister Chaos beast. Some okay atmosphere, despite a familiar plot. Brian Craig’s A GARDENER IN PARRAVON is third time unlucky, an unsuccessful outing concerning evil plants and surreal mock-sexual antics. Finally, THE TILEAN RAT by Sandy Mitchell is an odd combination of Victorian-era detective story and dark fantasy. There’s nothing to remember it by, but the intrigue remains throughout.
The titular story, by William King, is an almost plotless affair consisting of page after page of gore-drenched combat. It’s gruelling and horrific, and King includes a novel touch involving his central characters that I liked. A pretty accurate depiction of a literal descent into hell.
THE REAVERS AND THE DEAD, by Charles Davidson, is once again straightforward, a story of zombies and pirates and mucho bloodshed. Once again, the gore is to the fore and as an exercise in torn body parts this is serviceable enough. Brian Craig’s THE PHANTOM OF YREMY is something different, about a mysterious thief who steals from the rich. This one’s better written and has greater depth than the two preceding it, but it hinges on a remarkably obvious hidden identity and loses points for that.
THE OTHER by Nicola Griffiths is an uninteresting and derivative love story. THE SONG by Steve Baxter has a Halfling as lead character and is fairly entertaining on a superficial level.
Things pick up for the next trio of stories which are the best in the anthology. Sean Flynn’s APPRENTICE LUCK in which an ancient grimoire leads to adventure beneath the streets of a city is a fine old fashioned adventure full of wizards and goblins. Brian Craig pops up again with THE LIGHT OF TRANSFIGURATION and it’s a story of religious hysteria set within a nunnery built upon the ruins of a black magician’s castle. Plenty of imagination and a fine sense of foreboding keep this one alive. Neil Jones’s THE SPELLS BELOW is a tale of wizardry and bloodshed that I found pretty exciting.
CRY OF THE BEAST by Ralph Castle is a werewolf-type effort about hermits troubled by a sinister Chaos beast. Some okay atmosphere, despite a familiar plot. Brian Craig’s A GARDENER IN PARRAVON is third time unlucky, an unsuccessful outing concerning evil plants and surreal mock-sexual antics. Finally, THE TILEAN RAT by Sandy Mitchell is an odd combination of Victorian-era detective story and dark fantasy. There’s nothing to remember it by, but the intrigue remains throughout.
August 24, 2018
Most of the stories are of average quality, or slightly above average (although I don't agree with other reviewers about the generic nature of them). Among them, though, there is a gem of the fantasy genre, a short story that alone is worth the whole book: the eponymous LAUGHTER OF DARK GODS. Heavily influenced by Moorcockian themes, we follow the life of who choose (but was it really a choice?) to follow the Ruinous Powers, violent, bickering, idiotic gods whose aim is to destroy the world as we know it as well as to destroy each other using mortal pawns. The main hero, Kurt Von Diehl, battle after battle, mile after mile, descends into a hell of untold violence and blodshed, following his God's vague promise of power.
Want to Read
May 12, 2020What I can say, not a bad book but for sure not a good book.
June 19, 2025
większość opowiadań już wcześniej czytałem w innych antologiach, nowe fajne było o niziołki detektywie i. poszukiwaniu figurki szczura w Marienburgu
June 9, 2012
This book was the compilation of three anthologies. Ignorant Armies, Wolf riders and Red Thirst.
The Laughter of the Dark Gods - William King
The Reavers of the Dead (Charles Davidson)
The Phantom of Yremy (Brian Craig)
The Other (Nicola Griffiths)
The Song (Steve Baxter)
Apprentice Luck (Sean Flynn)
The Light of Transfiguration (Brian Craig)
The Spells Below (Neil Jones)
Cry of the Beast (Ralph Castle)
A Gardener of Parravon (Brian Craig)
The Tilean Rat (Sandy Mitchell)
There are some differences from the older books from Baxtree and Black Library. First was a Timeline with some important characters on this book and events. Then there were plates and drawings from great artists like Adrian Smith, Martin McKenna, Bob Naismith, Dave Gallagher (some of them made similar drawings to the Fighting Fantasy. As you can see from the myriad number of authors on this anthology we have here some important writers like William King, Jack Yeovil (Kim Newman famous from books like Anno Dracula series or Back in USSA), the prolific Brian Craig (Brian Stableford author of Hooded Swan aka Grainger, Daedalus Mission, David Lydyard (Werewolves) or Emortality and other dozen books and hundreds short stories), Charles Davidson (Charles Stross author of Accelarando and Glasshouse), Sean Flynn (Paul McAuley, author of Four Hundred Bilion Stars), Nicola Griffith (a female writer and one of the few who ever wrote for BL) and the most famous Steve Baxter (Stephen Baxter author of Time Ships, Xelee Sequence, Nasa trilogy Destiny's Children, Flood and Ark or Anti-Ice)
Short Stories
Geheimnisnacht - William King (Trollslayer) (Review here rather weak review) The first tale of the icon of Warhammer Fantasy Gotrek and Felix. Excelent! 9.5/10
The Reaver and the Dead - Charles Davidson In these tale we learn about how woman are seen in warhammer world. It's strange tale about two healers but nothing spectacular. Easily forgettable. 6/10
The Other - Nicola Griffiths This tale follows two characters, apprentice healers, and it's a tale that gives some importance to women in the warhammer world. Not the usually tale because in the medieval time women didn't had much power but yet it was a nice tale. Nothing exceptional. Noawadays another tale that wouldn't go far. 6/10
Apprentice Luck - Sean Flynn In these tale it remind me of old Wizards of the Coast short stories campaign. A bored teenager stumbles on the reoad to become a mage. Magic Spells, Wizards, Dungeons and a treasure quest. A good tale 6.5/10
A Gardener in Parravon - Brian Craig was one of the most interesting tales on these three books. A bizarre garden, strange dreams of flying cratures, mystery and a strange boy who loves the garden. Quite nice tale. A typical Brian Craig short story. These tale is on Bretonia so it must be good. 7/10
The Star Boat - Steve Baxter we follow Erik, the Were as he travels north with a Slann to find a boat. We learn about the Slann and where they came from. Tottally against the canon noawadays. Erik was nicely done but nothing spectacular. Nevertheless a nice story. 7/10
The Ignorant Armies - Jack Yeovil (Silver Nails) (Yet to read)
The Laughter of the Dark Gods - William King it's the title for the compiliation of three anthologies so you know it must be good. And it is. William King is the... well... King (sorry the pun). Excelent story about a man's descent into the dark life of a chaos warrior. As he battle onwards towards the Gates on the Chaos Wastes he finds adverseries and friends and most important his changes. Nice story and to my humble opinion it should had more 250 pages. A full lenght novel would be great. I wonder if those C L Werner novels about the Chaos Gods are somewhat related to this one (in stytle). Excelent story. The best on this anthology and in my opinion the best from all the first three anthologies. 10/10
Conclusion
For the price of a used copy of this three anthologies unless you are a die hard fun like myslef you better stick yourself with The Laughter of the Dark Gods.
The Laughter of the Dark Gods - William King
The Reavers of the Dead (Charles Davidson)
The Phantom of Yremy (Brian Craig)
The Other (Nicola Griffiths)
The Song (Steve Baxter)
Apprentice Luck (Sean Flynn)
The Light of Transfiguration (Brian Craig)
The Spells Below (Neil Jones)
Cry of the Beast (Ralph Castle)
A Gardener of Parravon (Brian Craig)
The Tilean Rat (Sandy Mitchell)
There are some differences from the older books from Baxtree and Black Library. First was a Timeline with some important characters on this book and events. Then there were plates and drawings from great artists like Adrian Smith, Martin McKenna, Bob Naismith, Dave Gallagher (some of them made similar drawings to the Fighting Fantasy. As you can see from the myriad number of authors on this anthology we have here some important writers like William King, Jack Yeovil (Kim Newman famous from books like Anno Dracula series or Back in USSA), the prolific Brian Craig (Brian Stableford author of Hooded Swan aka Grainger, Daedalus Mission, David Lydyard (Werewolves) or Emortality and other dozen books and hundreds short stories), Charles Davidson (Charles Stross author of Accelarando and Glasshouse), Sean Flynn (Paul McAuley, author of Four Hundred Bilion Stars), Nicola Griffith (a female writer and one of the few who ever wrote for BL) and the most famous Steve Baxter (Stephen Baxter author of Time Ships, Xelee Sequence, Nasa trilogy Destiny's Children, Flood and Ark or Anti-Ice)
Short Stories
Geheimnisnacht - William King (Trollslayer) (Review here rather weak review) The first tale of the icon of Warhammer Fantasy Gotrek and Felix. Excelent! 9.5/10
The Reaver and the Dead - Charles Davidson In these tale we learn about how woman are seen in warhammer world. It's strange tale about two healers but nothing spectacular. Easily forgettable. 6/10
The Other - Nicola Griffiths This tale follows two characters, apprentice healers, and it's a tale that gives some importance to women in the warhammer world. Not the usually tale because in the medieval time women didn't had much power but yet it was a nice tale. Nothing exceptional. Noawadays another tale that wouldn't go far. 6/10
Apprentice Luck - Sean Flynn In these tale it remind me of old Wizards of the Coast short stories campaign. A bored teenager stumbles on the reoad to become a mage. Magic Spells, Wizards, Dungeons and a treasure quest. A good tale 6.5/10
A Gardener in Parravon - Brian Craig was one of the most interesting tales on these three books. A bizarre garden, strange dreams of flying cratures, mystery and a strange boy who loves the garden. Quite nice tale. A typical Brian Craig short story. These tale is on Bretonia so it must be good. 7/10
The Star Boat - Steve Baxter we follow Erik, the Were as he travels north with a Slann to find a boat. We learn about the Slann and where they came from. Tottally against the canon noawadays. Erik was nicely done but nothing spectacular. Nevertheless a nice story. 7/10
The Ignorant Armies - Jack Yeovil (Silver Nails) (Yet to read)
The Laughter of the Dark Gods - William King it's the title for the compiliation of three anthologies so you know it must be good. And it is. William King is the... well... King (sorry the pun). Excelent story about a man's descent into the dark life of a chaos warrior. As he battle onwards towards the Gates on the Chaos Wastes he finds adverseries and friends and most important his changes. Nice story and to my humble opinion it should had more 250 pages. A full lenght novel would be great. I wonder if those C L Werner novels about the Chaos Gods are somewhat related to this one (in stytle). Excelent story. The best on this anthology and in my opinion the best from all the first three anthologies. 10/10
Conclusion
For the price of a used copy of this three anthologies unless you are a die hard fun like myslef you better stick yourself with The Laughter of the Dark Gods.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 8, 2012
not a bad book, by warhammer standards, not great. the idea of the halfling investigator was pretty cool, though a little too ripped from the maltese falcon.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews