Drachenfels (Warhammer)

by Jack Yeovil

Book Overview

High medieval gothic horror, featuring vampire Genevieve, from an undisputed master of macabre fiction. Detlef Sierck, the self-proclaimed greatest playwright in the world, has declared that his next... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1855150018
• ISBN13: 9781855150010
• Release Date: January 1989
• Publisher: Gw Books
• Length: 247 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Fantastic! The first of The Vampire Genevieve chronicles.

Being accustomed to the Dan Abnett, Gaunt's Ghosts style of Warhammer fiction, I wasn't sure what to expect from a Warhammer novel starring a vampire. I was VERY pleasantly surprised to find myself totally taken in by this book and finishing it in less than 24 hours. The characters and Yeovil's excellent writing style make this one of the most enjoyable and memorable books I've read in a while. The book takes the form of a dark and gritty mystery (without the reader being sure of what the mystery to be solved really is) with classic elements of fantasy and spoof comedy. Its really hard for me to do this book justice because I'm not quite sure exactly why it was as gripping as it was.. The characters are rich and believable (for a fantasy) while the storyline progresses smoothly without slowing down from the beginning to the dramatic conclusion (which has a totally unexpected and thrilling twist). The story is told from multiple characters' perspectives, giving the reader a good feel of what is going on from multiple angles. The basic premise consists of a prince of the realm sponsoring a theatre production telling of his famous defeat of the dark and evil Constant Drachenfels. Genevieve played a role in the original feat and is invited back to participate in the play version. Twists and turns and mysterious happenings plague the production as hilarious characters scheme and plot for their own agendas. It may not sound like much, and it is unique in the Warhammer world, but Jack Veovil does an outstanding job in creating a marvelously fun read that will keep you thinking and interested the whole time. Highly recommended for readers of all ages. Interest in the Warhammer world is not relevant in the least.

Truly Original

This novel transcends its genre (fantasy) and its sub category (novel based on a role-playing game). Yeovil (Kim Newman ingeniously turns fantasy cliches on their head. To wit: 1. Whereas your typical fantasy quest novel (or trilogy) ends with the heroes slaying an evil wizard, Drachenfels BEGINS with the heroes defeating said wizard (Drahcenfels). Fast-forward 20 years: the main character is a playwrite (a hilarious blend of Shakespeare and Orson Wells) who is writing a play about how the heroes killed the wizard. 2. The "heroes" have aged into alcoholics and burnouts. And the truth is they weren't all that heroic to begin with. 3. There's a dwarf who is actually a real, human dwarf, in a world which has fantasy dwarfs. (When have you seen THAT in a fantasy book?) 4. The story is not a quest but a murder-mystery thriller set in a theater. Kim Newman loves to throw in pop-culture references and there are plenty to be found here. There is a Clint Eastwood-type character and Drachenfels is "Dracula" with wizard powers (Newman even takes dialogue directly from "Dracula".) If you find the above ideas amusing, you will love this book. It's the best "Warhammer" book and IMHO it's the best "role-playing game tie in book" ever, although you need to know nothing about the world of Warhammer to enjoy the book. Warning: tear out the "teaser page" just inside the cover. Strangely, it reveals who the killer is, potentially spoiling the mystery.

One of the best Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay novels

These books were all but unavailable in the US for a very long time, and I'm gratified to see them coming out again. Kim Newman, writing as Jack Yeovil for reasons that escape me, is a talented writer with an interesting and original take on the Warhammer universe and on vampirism. His version doesn't quite jibe with the game's rules, but that makes it more interesting. One of the real stars of this book, though, is the villain...a monster that makes Voldemort (in the Harry Potter universe) or Darth Vader look like a couple of little old ladies. His idea of a funny practical joke to play is itself worth the price of the book. Although this isn't a great classic of fantasy literature, it's far and away above the normal run of game-related books.

A Great Work

The Black library collection is not where most people would ever think they'd be finding one of the best books they'll ever read. To all of those lured into the book Drachenfels by Jack Yeovil aka Kym Newman be glad you were.Jack Yeovil proves himself not just a skilled writer, but a man capable of seducing you into loving his work.Drachenfels is a great fantasy novel...horror novel...suspense novel. His characters are complelling ,and his gift of vivid vision of the Warhammer World just puts the icing on the cake for the fans of the Warhammer stories & Games.It's no surprise that shortly after this Novel was published Jack Yeovil fell out of the modest budget range of the Black library.This book has earned it's permanent place in my library for years to come, and I would recommend it highly to anyone who just loves a "Great Story". You'll be powerless to put it down, and the page turning will be as effortless as a blink of the eye.Yeovil paces it like a Master Craftsman, keeps you thinking up to the end, scripts it so smooth you'd think your mother was reading you a bedtime story, and ends it with an incredible climax.It doesn't get any better.

If only I could rate Drachenfels higher

No review can truly due this book justice. Drachenfels is without a doubt the best Black Library novel available, and is one of the best books I have ever read. Unlike other Warhammer novels Drachenfels is brimming with humour and satire. I was delighted to find myself laughing aloud to a Black Library release (which are normally filled with graphic violence). The characters are nothing short of incredible and are unbelievably realistic. Jack Yeovil (Kim Newman) does an excellent job of fleshing out the warhammer universe, and you'll be suprised by the number of famous warhammer names within this novel. Black Library has done a great job of reprinting this marvelous book. I am fortunate enough to own one of the original Genevieve short stories, and without this reprint I might never have been able to find this fantastic book. BUY THIS BOOK- You will not regret it.