Blood on the Reik: A Journey Through the Old World [Paperback]

Dark, mature, gritty, desperate, sinister, Machiavellian, detailed. All of these words do not describe Blood on the Reik. They do however apply to the world that we were told Blood on the Reik would reveal to us: the world of Warhammer Fantasy. Many of us who are aware of this setting with its rabid fans spread throughout Europe, its dozens of well written novels, its own miniature based fantastically popular war game, and its unique but recognizable world have long searched for a way to introduce our friends to the setting. We have searched for a way to grant them, with but a glance, the same fascination that we have.

Blood on the Reik promised to give us this. It is surely cleverly conceived. It was pitched as a work that will give us the sweeping visuals that have so inspired fans of the Warhammer world, focused on the largest nation of humanity, the glorious Empire. Blood on the Reik is presented not as a work of fiction but as work that might be found within the world of Warhammer. Reik's exterior appears as if it was a folio produced in the halls of Altdorf, capital city of the Empire. Every facet of its exterior oozes the setting. From the exterior inscriptions, comments from the "author" and its claim of having "12 Color Plates and 260 Representations this work is, one the surface, an immersive experience.

Presented as a work by Altdorf resident Tobias Helmgart, an author and traveler who compiled this book during his crossings and experiences throughout the Old World, Blood on the Reik fails to live up to its exterior. This is principally due to the artwork of John Blanche. The aforementioned color "plates" (an anachronistic term for full-color photo) are all his work and are truly vile to behold. The sketches are done, alternatively, by Blanche and long-time Games-Workshop artist David Gallagher. Where we have Gallagher (who to be fair comprises most of them) we have success, where we find Blanche's drawings we find little more than the etchings you might expect on a cave man's wall.

The text, what little there is does pass muster and should be applauded save for the fact that there isn't enough of it.

It's a shame that for many months this was the sole art-book for the Warhammer Fantasy world. Thankfully the recently released Darkness Rising: A Complete History of the Storm of Chaos learned from the mistakes of Blood on the Reik. It has the flavor, the immersive setting, detail, and beautiful artwork. Unless you are a true collector buy it and not this.,

I'm not sure about the quality of the art book, but the online game was cancelled. The link provided above goes to a page providing that information. The art book, then, is an interesting curio, an "almost was" snapshot of a game killed due to publisher disinterest.

› Go to Amazon.com to see both reviews  2.5 out of 5 stars