Bloody Books Review: Dynasty Of Monsters
The fantasy side of Warhammer has a long and varied history of brutal, mud soaked horror built deep into it’s genes. As Age of Sigmar’s novels continue to build upon the still-quite-new Mortal Realms, we find that the writers are reaching back to earlier eras of Warhammer and updating those grim and dirty feelings for a modern audience. A Dynasty Of Monsters continues this trend by recreating Beauty in the Beast by way of Poe for AoS in the most Warhammer way possible*.
And it is fantastic.
The Soulblight Gravelords are given their first novel by long time Black Library author David Annandale, who decides the very best way to explore the Vampires of the Mortal Realms is to dig deep into the most monstrous strain of their kind, that of the Avengorii , creating a true fear and horror of these centaur-bat-vampires that connects to the most primal part of the human brain, releasing a unsettling sensation that never truly goes away, even as the Avengorii become more centred on the stage of the story and we come to understand a lot of the philosophy and drives of the Dynasty. Luka Vai moves in and out of the tale, leading her children into a political agreement with the humans of The Colonnade, a multi-level city that brings half remembered memories of Battle Angel Alita. Vai herself is a dark figure that represents the absolute antithesis of the order of Sigmar’s Cities, reflecting the illusion of civilization and society, bringing out the monstrous in the Free Peoples. This may be the best work that Annadale has produced, from a collection of well-above average tales, being something of a perfect subject matter that truly suits his horror tendencies.
Luka Vai is not the main character throughout the tale however, as we are introduced to a cast of high-born political leaders and low-cast revolutionaries, some of the best observed characters held in a Warhammer book, ones who may be human, but hold more monstrosity in their souls than the four-legged** winged monsters they despise. This is a fast, compelling experience
We are treated to an exploration of class, of how easily fascist behaviour can take root, how opportunistic nationalism steals away hope and replaces it with something darker, finding a target for the working class to convey their woes against which the true oppression is left to fester, as human and vampire begin to discuss means to form an alliance to push back the gigantic Beastherd that threatens to overwhelm The Colonnade*** and the Vampiric Territory.
Our main protagonists are the Vampire Lord Kavak, once of the Colonnade who made his own life a sacrifice in order to save his once beloved city. Kavak is our eyes into the world of the bestial vampire, opening up the darkest elements of life in Ghur to the human politician Atella. Atella begins with a fascination into the monsterous, and while it’s readily apparent how this fascination will turn out, watching the journey as she truly understands, and then despises what the Colonnade represents. We are also introduced to Jaras, Kavak’s brother from his days as a warm-blooded citizen of The Colonnade, bearing witness to the grief as Kavak realises he cannot reconnect with his brother, and as each make decisions that widen the chasm between them. Jaras’s journey is both tragic and hateful, both understandable and incomprehensible in turns as he attempts to claw some form of audience for his words. The Colonnade itself is both a wonderful setting and an effective metaphor, another part of this well-built machine that truly goes above what a tie-in novel to a tabletop game should be able to do, and do so very well.
As a look both into a newer faction, and a laser focused gaze into a sub-faction of that larger race, Dynasty succeeds on all levels. Whilst it’s easy to mention the lack of focus on other parts of the Soulbound****, what we get is a enough to gain a great understanding of who and what the Avengorii are without reverting to any “tell, don't show” moments. I came away with not only a love, but a fierce need to possibly start a Bloodbeastpire force.
This one one goes on the Must Read pile
* Don’t make me mention Dark Harvest again. I’ll do it. I swear!
**Kragnos but small and batlike. I did find the designation of “reptilian legs” to be somewhat strange.
***Currently marked on the map as “knackered”
*****Ghouls and Zombie Dragons and Skeletons and Zombies and Heinrich Kemmler