"All things wicked start from innocence." Ernest Hemingway

You might wonder what Hemingway has to do with Warhammer, let along Brian Craig's Storm Warriors. Once you read the book you will soon learn why the quote is appropriate. Storm Warriors is the third and final tale of the Orfeo Trilogy, and like the previous two books, the action takes place in a different part of the Warhmmer world.

Set in Albion, Storm Warriors start out innocent enough when a ship of elves wash ashore on the island of Morien. Sent by King Herta, the bard Trystan, travels to the site to learn what the elves want. The elves, want nothing more to live alone and build a house to reside in while they repair their ship so they can return to their home. The elves give assurances of nothing but good intentions and nothing but a deep interest to cooperate with the humans. Eventually Trystan learns that the elves are not what they seem and they reveal their true nature as dark elves dedicated to Slaanesh.

Storm Warriors is a depressing book, and that is not due to its take on Warhammer. The book is a tragedy, and unlike the current crop of Warhammer novels, Craig does a very good job capturing the feel of a dark world without hope. Though the elves true nature is exposed, and they are defeated, none of the characters remain unchanged. Craig gives the impression that Morien will be forever changed by the events.

Craig's Albion is different in feel from the rest of the Warhammer world, and is heavily influenced by Celtic sources. It does not fit with the typical view of Warhammer, and this version of Albion conflicts with the current GW take on the land. Druids are powerful protectors who strive to protect the world from evil. Bards travel Albion keeping ancient traditions alive and serve as advisors to kings. The nobility is bounded by a code of chivalry that traces its origins back to time when the islands were united under the rule of Agam Rand. Though I do not like this Albion it is far better than what GW has recently unveiled to the world.

There is much in Storm Warriors to like and dislike. As already mentioned I did not care for how Albion is portrayed here. I did not like how the elves were handled and the methodic pace Craig took in portraying their true nature. I did enjoy the tragic tone of this book, but at times it was too heavy handed. My main problem was the sudden switch from low magic to high magic fantasy. In the beginning Craig did a good job of making magic and the like rare in the book. Though omens and visions are dealt with, magic is a rare commodity that is mistrusted by the residents of Morien. In the end, Storm Warriors turns into a typical hack fest with spells flying left and right. This destroys what was turning out to be a very good tragic novel.

Storm Warriors is a good book that is well worth a read. The book is filled with many useful bits for a game master wanting to use this version of Albion. Though the island of Morien is described through out there are mentions to the other islands. With a little work this can be further fleshed out. The premise of the elves is another good plot device that a game master could recycle and use in their own games. Elves, let alone dark elves, are a rare sight in Warhammer and Craig does a very good job of using them. Storm Warriors is not that bad of a book and compared to the recent offerings from the Black Library, is well worth the effort to track down. (ri)