Bloody Books Review: THE RED HOURS – EVAN DICKEN

Evan Dicken's Chamon-set novel is a bleak experience,  one that wants to look at the history and fringes of most mortal of  the Mortal Realms.  We are introduced to Bryun Hess, a disgraced Captain sent to the Grave of Heroes. The Grave is a place to send those the powers that be wish to forget, to live out their commissions away from the "good and orderly"    

However, a brutal shardstorm breaks, forcing the characters into hiding from the elements as a darker storm begins to swell. 

On of my favourite parts of Age of Sigmar is seeing the ground level, looking up at the Stormcast in a mix of fear and awe.  Characters who exist in the moment to try and survive whatever metaphysical horrors the Mortal Realms throw their way.  This is a cast of mortals, very capable ones but mortals nonetheless. Having this ground level approach helps keep the Mortal Realms have a sense of scale that can often fall aside when dealing in the god's eye approach that Age of Sigmar began with.  

The Red Hours is a balancing act of a tale, pride and fear, trust and manipulation. Once the opening chapters set the scene, everything begins to escalate into tense conflict as a single act of brutality sets all at each others throats. From there we tread something of a well-worn path when it comes to Warhammer fiction, and in fact feels like something that came from a Boxtree Books era tale. Yet, despite the familiarity on show,  it both knows enough about Age of Sigmar's metaphysics and history to execute  something that does have a fresh feel, a vivid take that deserves further exploration in both character and location. It's a well constructed ride that ends in a darkly satisfying note

Well worth taking the time to read.