This is a fun Age of Sigmar novel that is a little thin in parts of the story. It focuses on the city of Glymmsforge in the realm of Shyish and concerns the efforts of the Stormcast Eternals to defend the city from Nagash, who desires the network of tombs beneath the city, known as the Ten Thousand Tombs. It also focuses on Phraus Thaum, a Lord-Castellant, and his demise after the Necroquake (a storm of death summoned by Nagash) and how he is transformed into a Knight of Shrouds to lead an army of the dead against the city he once protected.
The story isn't anything new. The trope of the paladin becoming a reverse paladin is familiar to fans of fantasy literature and fantasy gaming (e.g., Arthas Menethil and the Lich King in Warcraft). The strength of the novel is probably in its dialogue. The characters are somewhat two-dimensional, but they speak in a vibrant, stylized way that is very appropriate to the setting. The writing style is polished, but there are so many pages of battle that these scenes all start to blur together, and the stakes are lost. For example, I read about Stormcast Eternals smashing Chainrasps and Gravewalkers more than enough by the middle of the novel, but there was way more to come.
There was one scene with a Celestor-Prime, Helios, who faces down Pharus Thaum, and Helios is very arrogant and somewhat mischievous. I don't want to spoil this scene, but it will stick with me. I also really enjoyed being able to see the Anvil of Apotheosis in the Sigmarabulum. As far as I can recall, this was the first novel to include a scene in that hallowed location.
The Lord Arcanum, Balthus Arum, was a cool character, but he was so motivated and focused on the task at hand that it was hard to relate to him. He was basically a steamroller of indignation. Elya, the orphan child, was a great addition to the cast of characters, as she provided a bit of change from the predominantly good and evil characters. However, she was used more as a MacGuffin for the good guys to protect than anything else.
I enjoy Josh Reynolds' Age of Sigmar novels and will read more, but this one felt like thin gruel for much of its 400 pages. Like a lot of Black Library novels, it was sufficiently entertaining and a lot of fun to read for relaxation and distraction, but it occasionally tested my patience. I found myself ready for the book to end with about 50 pages remaining, but the final pages pulled me back in and enthralled me with the intriguing conclusion.
