The Mark of Damnation

Outstanding is really the best word to describe this novel. James Wallis, for those that don't know him, ran the games design company 'Hogshead Publishing' who for many years looked after the 'Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay' franchise, so he has a deep familiarity and background writing in the world. It Shows. There is a depth to both the story and character that makes you want to keep reading. A good exploration of the effect of chaos upon a man without the heavy handedness seen in some of the other novels. Fortunately for us, there is a follow up novel called 'Mark of Heresy' which I am going to pick up at once. After reading many 'Warhammer Fantasy' novels, I can safely say this one resides in the top 5. The writing is exceptional, don't hesitate to pick it up.

This novel is grim, even for Warhammer fiction. The main character, Karl Roche, is an officer in the Imperial Army who is swept up in a chaos conspiracy. He is told "You are already dead." early on, words which resonate throughout the book. Betrayed at every turn, Karl's worldviews are twisted and even shattered, but he finds the strength to continue the fight. Karl is a likeable, well-developed tragic character. He is doomed, both he and the reader know it. There is no salvation at the end, merely the hope of victory. The novel is told entirely from the point of view of the main character. The action is dark and realistic. Karl, while skilled, is no legendary warrior who can take on all opposition. He must use tactics, determination and guile to overcome his opponents. Highly recommend to any Warhammer fan.

In this episode of Warhammer, we find ourselves following the promising army officer Karl Hoche on the downward spiral of destruction. After discovering corruption within the ranks of the trusted Knights Panther Karl is sent to bring word to the proper authorities. If you learn nothing else from me, know this...NEVER trust anyone! Chaos is insidious and you never know where its tendrils may take root. Karl narrowly escapes death at the hands of the Knights Panther and is enlisted by the secret order of the Untersuchung. After completing the rigorous training he is sent to find the location of a missing agent. Along the way he is betrayed at every turn ( `cause he didn't listen to me) and finds himself becoming that which he seeks to destroy. Infected by chaos Karl must find the source of the evil and destroy it before it subjugates him completely, before it takes over his entire world.

I never heard of James Wallis before I picked this book. I chose it because I am a Warhammer fan. It was refreshing and new compared to other Warhammer novels in the way that it managed to portray a rather realistic story in the Imagined world of Warhammer.Plot & Storytelling: The story is of a young army officer, 'Karl Hoche', in the service of the emperor who stumbles upon the work of chaos cultists within the army. This unlucky encounter forces him to join a secret service of the empire for rooting out dangerous conspirators. He becomes sort of a secret agent (not of a Ian Fleming's James bond style but more of a field agent in one of Tom Clancy's novels ). The story has many surprising twists (I won't say too much as I do not wish to spoil the fun) and is hard to put down. There are some gruesome events of violence in this book (torture), but Wallis doesn't feel he needs to delve into the gory details in order to give his readers a good experience (unlike popular writers such as Terry Goodkind ). He does a good job in enticing the readers curiosity and imagination. Action: Warhammer books always contain a lot of action (after all this is what this game is all about). 'Mark of Damnation' doesn't fall short in this category though it is more of the realistic kind. Our hero when faced with three opponents would choose to flee. This is definitely not another William King's slayer book for that matter. Characters: The main character 'Karl Hoche' is developed quite nicely. As he confronts the many situations in the story his entire world view is twisted and shutters. He begins as a simple soldier (son of a priest to the god Sigmar) whom sees the world in the shades of black and white. Along the way everything he knows to be right is tested, even his faith in the gods. James Wallis tackles this with style and grace as to not make it too tedious. The other characters are mostly one dimensional, though Wallis creates a charming and intriguing bunch of them come to life. A rather gay undercover agent, a cynical and depressed spymaster to serve as Hoche's tutor just to name few. To sum it up, I think this is a five story book. And it made me look forward to delving into other works by James Wallis.