Reviewed by MixnMash
This is one of few GW novels that I would actually recommend.
It comprises two short stories, a medium length 80-pager and one longer 140 page effort.
Rennie has unashamedly based this character on Sherlock Holmes. Zavant is the ‘great sage-detective of Altdorf’, a pleasing enigma who strikes quite a contrast to the heroes of other books. He’s an intellectual with a misty background who delves into the arcane and has complex ties to various people and institutions.
The short stories are fairly predictable but make for an excellent introduction to the main characters and certainly spark interest with their subject matter. The star of this book for me was the third tale ‘The Politics of Shadow’. This has a fantastic opening sequence and boasts plenty of city-based intrigue; I won’t ruin it for anyone. The final story again has some great graphic moments but lacks the momentum of the others and might have benefited from some trimming or a richer setting. It starts well and finishes with a flourish but it’s slow in the middle.
The writing in this book is of a far higher standard than that usually seen in Black library novels. You do not tend to feel patronised.
In conclusion this book has some excellent yarns and has enriched the background of the Empire for me, particularly with regard to Sigmar’s church. Give it a go.