Review of Hammer of Daemons GK Novel

[Walter Payton]

Review of Hammer of Daemons

 

If there is one thing that has become dependable about Ben Counter, it is his mediocrity. The current perception is that every book he writes, from

Star Wars Episode IV

, Battle for the Abyss to Dark Adeptus will be dependably, stupendously average, if not worse. From Soul Drinker to Grey Knights, Ben’s path of turgid prose has wound its way from the dusty halls of Titan, past STC walkers, along the corridors of Space Hulks and through the void of Ultramar. No institution, however august and ancient, can escape his…grey touch. Hammer of Daemons is perhaps the first steps on the way to a brighter future, which I hope he hurries up with before he starts taking an interest in Iron Warriors (*glances from side to side and hisses ‘preciousss…)

 

His latest offering, Hammer of Daemons, is a tale clearly inspired by a late-night viewing of Glaiator. Alaric, our wise-crackin’ daemon-bashin’ Justicar, is defeated in singlecombat by the insidious Duke Venalitor, and taken to the daemon world of Drakaasi, a world that seems to revolve around endless gladiatorial combat, and the occasional civil war. No two daemon worlds, by their very nature, are alike, which, in this instance, has provided Counter with a golden opportunity to get through a book without giving us any glaring fluff-abominations. The daemon-world is his oyster, as it were.

 

And what a pearl he makes of it. The descriptions are surprisingly engrossing, the imagination behind them also on par. Indeed, the short descriptions of each city, from the “city-monster that is Karnikhal,’ to the ‘eternal battlefield of Gorgath’, all told through an in-universe text are some of the real treats in the novel. The Lords of Drakaasi are also quite interesting, with the ebony drake, Lord Ebondrake, who rules the planet, to the excitable and seemingly paraplegic uber-toad, Arguthrax, who has flunkies to pull him around in a cauldron of blood (as you do), and the favour of Khorne. The often intriguing, sometimes comedic interactions between the creatures of the world are one of the few pieces of Counter-writing that has really gripped me recently.

 

Alaric is a character who has never gripped me, especially with his irritating wisecracks. Few incorruptible, dour and mighty Grey Knights would go ‘none taken’ to a contemptuous Eldar, nor would they casually needle a daemon of Tzeentch or a Champion of Khorne. Alaric seems, especially when he has to discuss anything with any foes, a bit like the smart-alec kids in school, who wind up the teacher, arrogantly unaware that they are heading for detention. Alaric, unfortunately, is confined to this book, and free from such troubling events. The :D .

 

A Grey Knight is an incorruptible champion of mankind, the blood of the Emperor himself runs through his veins, and a gothic fusion of faith and the pinnacle of technological advancement shields him in battle.

 

Han Solo is a waistcoated man, armed with a laspistol and accompanied by a walking carpet, a bleeping toaster on wheels, a gilded Steven Hawking and a pouting princess. He is not armed with a gothic fusion of faith and the pinnacle of technological advancement, neither does the blood of the Emperor flow in his veins, nor is he an incorruptible champion of mankind.

 

One finds it difficult, therefore, to see how Ben Counter managed to confuse the two.

 

His outlook on life is also somewhat contradictory. Although Counter goes to great lengths to describe his thought processes, and does a passable job of it, he seems to view the humans he is escaping alongside as mere tools, and disposes of them at the end of the novel.

 

Initially, and much to my pleasant surprise, Counter explores the relationships between Astartes and men, with Alaric showing humanity and also aloofness to the men. It is sensed that the Grey Knight has a real affection for those around him. It is interesting to see how these champions of Light think and I thoroughly enjoyed this insight into an Astartes mind .

 

Unfortunately, he just betrays them at the end of the novel, and they are eaten by Tzeentch, and his Baldrick-like henchmen, Raezazel the

Moronic

Cunning . Hmm. He then just forgets about it and goes to sleep. Thanks, guys, and see you in hell.

 

Ben Counter is a man plagued by a fertile imagination, but not the writing skills and subtleties to back it up. Sometimes glimmers of hope are visible, and even obviously so, but, it shall be a long road for Mr Counter before he becomes a truly decent author, and I, for one, welcome the day he realises his potential. For now, however, we must content ourselves with this. 5/10

[Captain Juan Juarez]

This seems less a book review and more a mocking of Counter, not that I'm against such a premise.

[Brother_Kaelgrim]

One thing that I've always walked away from a Ben Counter book with is the feeling of Grand Ideas/Failed Delivery.

 

For example, if I had been at the meeting where Counter pitched the idea for Hammer of Daemons (A grey knight surviving on a daemon world revolving around gladiatorial combat) I would have gone HELL YA! and got him to writing it.

 

Reading the actual implementation of that idea in book form? Not as impressed. Which is why I sincerely hope ADB writes GKs soon, as I loved Soul Hunter sooooo much. (And I'm not even a Night Lords fan!)

 

Honestly I would like to see Ben Counter get a job as more of the idea man, he comes up with cool idea then hands it to awesome author who can do it. Or something.

[templargdt]

I didn't like "Hammer of Demons" very much either. The ending was an especially huge turnoff. "Grey Knights" was much better, I actually enjoyed that one and have re-read it a few times.