Bane of Malekith HC (Tyrion & Teclis) (2024)

Originally reviewed at Bookwraiths.

Gritty, bloody, exciting, and insightful, Bane of Malekith wraps up the ongoing saga of Tyrion and Teclis, bringing not only our heroes personal struggles to a conclusion but also the raging war between the High Elves and the Druuchi. William King ending the trilogy on a high note of sword and sorcery adventure at its best.

War rages across the continent of Ulthuan. High Elves and Druchii locked in a struggle to the death. Tyrion finds himself fleeing blindly through the wilderness of Avelorn at the side of the young, inexperienced Everqueen, while enemy forces close in around them. Meanwhile, within the magical halls of the Tower of Hoeth, Teclis discovers an unexpected ally, as well as uncovering unlooked for powers, as he sets out to rescue his twin, no matter the cost. Each of these scions of Aenarion playing an unknowing role in a grand game of strategy between a god and the undying spirit of a legendary High Elf.

Continuing with the now familiar pattern of its predecessors, Bane is driven forward at dizzying speeds by its frantic action and selective introspection of the point-of-view characters. What sets it apart from most action adventure tales, however, is the latter element. Whether it is Tyrion discovering what matters most to him, Teclis recognizing and acknowledging the darkness within, or Malekith balancing both madness and long lost nobility, everyone in this tale deals with issues of personal consequences. These episodes of deep contemplation actually mattering to who and what these legendary people are and will be going forward. And this deft writing by William King truly transforms Bane from merely an exciting Warhammer story into something much more meaningful.

But nothing is perfect, and Bane of Malekith has its problems. The most significant of which is a seemingly endless pursuit of Tyrion and the Everqueen through the woods of Avelorn, where the struggles of these two quickly turns from gripping to fairly repetitive. This plot line just too long. Much of it able to be jettisoned without the absence harming the overall plot in any way.

The other issue for me was the lackluster battle at the end. This climactic clash between our title characters and their legendary kin Malekith, the immortal Witch King of Naggaroth, did not getting the attention it deserved in my humble opinion. Certainly, there was a battle and some dramatic scenes, yet it did not live up to what I was expecting.

Having gone into my read of the Tyrion & Teclis trilogy with little Warhammer knowledge (except for Time of Legends: The Sundering), this was my introduction to the legendary twins of Ulthuan, and I finished the trilogy with a craving for more. William King having succeeded in fanning the flames of my Warhammer fandom to greater heights, as well as turning me into an admirer of his writing. Looks like a rousing success any way you look at it.

I enjoyed this story. My knowledge of the Elves is only decent, but I was able to recognize the key players.

Malekith, The With King, has invaded the homeland of the High Elves and is hunting the Everqueen. She is defended by Tyrion, a great Elven Warrior and his brother Teclis, a powerful mage. A very exciting story with the Druchii fighting the High Elves.

Not only did it have some great fights, but it also has a great deal of magic. some interesting background on the Lore of Tyrion and Teclis. I also thought the part of the story, that happens outside the main plot, with Death playing chess with Claedor using Druchii and High Elves as pieces was excellent.

Great story.

A satisfying conclusion to this series, if nothing spectacular: The hunt through Avelorn as Tyrion protects the Everqueen from Malekith's assassins was engaging (though I felt description emphasising his wounds having a more debilitating effect would have given more urgency to those scenes) as was the lead up to the Battle of Finuval Plain, though I felt the ending was rushed... Not bad, but not great either...

I'll be posting a full review in the (hopefully near xD) future discussing my usual points regarding feminism and other themes, but one thing I can already say about this last book of the Tyrion&Teclis High Elf trilogy (which I enjoyed rather more than the second part regarding pace, plot and character development) is that it has such an abrupt ending, for some reason. I already knew what happens after that abrupt ending in the story of Tyrion, Teclis and the Everqueen Alarielle (the book ends just after the Battle of the Finuval plain is won) because of the High Elf rule book and its retelling of this story but...this book really does need an epilogue with some of that info ( Something along the lines of going forward in time to the point when the invading Dark Elves are steadily being sent back to Naggaroth by High Elven armies led by Tyrion, Tyrion already established as Alarielle's champion in Avelorn, Alarielle honing her Everqueen magic, and Teclis going to the Empire to help humans and start the magic academies there. A final scene of Tyrion and Teclis just as Teclis is about to leave for the Empire would have been a good closure of the trilogy, I think ). The ending was just so sudden it's a bit weird and it doesn't quite work :S. I still enjoyed the plot and pace of the rest of the book, though.

A mostly action-driven narrative centered around a character that's invincible. Where's the fun is that?

Bane of Malekith lacks the depth and introspection that the previous two books had, offering instead a basic cat-and-mouse type of story that has little to do with logic and more to do with the author's whim, especially since the hero is protected by a magic spirit that can do whatever the author needs it to. You know the outcome of every battle ahead of time since the hero can't die so why even bother?

The book keeps introducing fearsome new foes for the hero, Tyrion, only to have them get killed the instant they cross paths with him. Tyrion is such a giga-chad he can best any foe one-handed, blindfolded, balancing a stack of plates on his head. Reading about him fight is like reading about someone spreading butter on toast or cutting a piece of paper with a pair of scissors. Teclis, the underdog of the series and the undeniably more interesting of the duo, is absent for most of the book. Malekith, a potentially complex and multi-layered character, is reduced to being a generic villain whose plans are always foiled in the end. And don't even get me started on what they did to N'kari!

It progressed much better than the second book. There were so much action, magic and gore happening throughout the book. Much in my favour of excitement on every page turns.

All I have awaited was the final battle between the descendants of Aenarion. I waited for the moment Tyrion and Teclis confronting Malekith in battle. Yet, battle was overly abrupt. The ending was perhaps the biggest disappointment of this whole book. I gave so much hope and credit to the final part of trilogy only to be disappointed by the abrupt battle. The battle ended in within 1 page of narration. If it were real action scene, it probably take 5 minutes to watch the final battle took place.

I gave credit to how the story progressed towards Teclis. As he unleashed magical strength from within, he fought his own battle within his soul. I loved the fact that he had to question his conscience, fearing he may turn to the dark side. I loved the chemistry between Arialle and Tyrion, although it was short-lived, as more focused were put on final battle that ended in split second.

Overall, I would still give a mediocre rating, all was the result of lackluster ending that provided more questions than answer.

Book 1 could be a stand alone.

Book 2 and 3 are basically just one continuous story.

I liked it, its an easy read and the story is paced quite well. Time does get a bit odd to figure out at times (first it seems like hours pass by then BAM MONTHS?)

A good amount of detail is given to small things and helps build the world. (little background history between factions, basic concepts of magic, armor, etc...)

However you got to keep in mind, I just finished a Total Warhammer campaign and I had a Warhammer Fantasy 101 course basically. However keeping that in mind, the jargon and geography being tossed around in these novels is not daunting which could be a high light for someone just starting to read into the Warhammer setting.

I just hate how our main characters Tyrion and Teclis are basically the best at what they do (they do have some conflict and losses) but I read through this trilogy in under a week .... so it kept me compelled one way or another.

You can read the full review over at my blog:

https://shadowhawksshade.wordpress.co...

When William King returned to the Black Library some years ago after taking a long break writing various Warhammer fiction, his first trilogy for the fantasy arm was the Tyrion & Teclis trilogy that told the origin story and the adventures of two of the most famous High Elves of the Old World, the twins Tyrion and Teclis, one a warrior and the other a mage. In the High Elven lore, they are both great champions and much has been written of them, but this was the first time we got up close and personal. And it proved to be a decent enough experience as a reader, although there were definitely moments where I felt that the story and characters missed their mark.

The story starts off as we go back in time to the earliest days of Elven history, when Aenarion, the ill-fated first Phoenix-King, fought to save the Elven people from the armies of Chaos that ran rampant throughout their island kingdom. It was a time of great myths and great deeds and great heroes and great villains, a truly formative time for the Elves that would reverberate down the ages thousands of years later. The key part here was that we saw Aenarion vanquish the Slaanesh Greater Daemon N'kari, whom he'd already killed before when he discovered that the infernal daemon had murdered his family. That is the central story of these novels: N'kari's vengeance against all those who are descended from the line of Aenarion. And slowly, this turns into a story about how Aenarion's son by the sorceress Morathi, the Witch-King Malekith, plans to return to Ulthuan and reclaim the throne that was denied to him ages ago.

It is a long story told in three parts, but no less enjoyable for that. As purely a story about some of the most defining characters and events in High Elven lore, Tyrion & Teclis is a great read. We learn so much about the twins and their various enemies, and King certainly has a good grasp on the politics and culture of Ulthuan and Naggaroth alike. If for nothing else but this, the series deserves a read. If you like straightforward action fantasy with a dose of sword-and-sorcery, then these novels are for you.

Bill King finishes up the story of Tyrion and Teclis, getting them where they need to be to become their classic table-top selves. As usual, he never just mindlessly bashes his way through things, and we continue to get to see plenty of other legendary figures from the Elvish side of the Old World take the stage. Caledor's role in things in particular was interesting. Nice to see Teclis fully realized, and to see Tyrion as less of a nigh-Boring Invincible Hero.

Fun for fans of the classic Warhammer Fantasy setting in particular.

I love this so much, there was so much action that I could enjoy. I can' t believe, that this book isn't known much more.

My first book of this genre so I don't feel like the most sophisticated critic ever. Anyway, for me it turned out to be just a right mix of everything that makes a great entertaining book - not too less, not too much in every aspect. It's not often that I prefer reading to any other delight, but with this book it was the case.

Dernier tome de la trilogie des romans de Tyrion et Téclis, Le fléau de Malékith m'a agréablement surprise, et sur bien des points. Mais revenons à l'histoire...

-Attention, risque de spoil-

Nous avions lâché à la fin du deuxième tome (quel cliffangher... Et puis je me suis souvenue de mon codex Haut-Elfe, et donc de la fin, ahah) Tyrion et la Reine éternelle, Alarielle, seuls, entourés d'une armée de druchii qui avaient pour mission de capturer Alarielle pour la remettre à Malékith... Tyrion arrivera-t-il a sauvé la Reine, et par la même occasion tout Ulthuan qui est en guerre?

Dans ce dernier tome, j'ai l'impression que William King s'est essayé à un nouveau style, jouant plus avec le cynisme et le sarcasme que les ambiances sombres qu'il aurait pu développer ici, avec la menace qui plane sur Tyrion et Alarielle. Et puis bon, ayant déjà lu et relu mon codex Haut-Elfe, je me doutais déjà de la fin (ce qui me fait penser que je n'ai toujours pas peint ma Reine éternelle /BAF/).
-Et comment nous avez-vous trouvés?" intervient Alarielle.
-Ca n'a rien eu de facile," lui répondit Teclis.
-Ne lui posez pas cette question," lui dit Tyrion. "C'est un sorcier. Il va juste prendre un air mystérieux et vous parlera de divination et des vents de magie.
-Non, j'ai juste suivi la piste des différents massacres que tu as semés à travers tout Avelorn, si tu veux savoir," rétorqua Teclis.

Quelle joie de voir que Teclis était bien plus mis en avant dans ce tome-ci, chose que je déplorais dans le tome précédant! Les conditions dans lesquels il reçoit le Bâton Lune de Lileath m'intriguait beaucoup, et j'avais hâte d'arriver à cette scène où Alarielle, Arathion et les cavaliers d'Ellyrion donnent leurs présents aux jumeaux.

Seconde joie du moment, j'ai adoré les retrouvailles avec mon démon préféré, N'Kari! J'étais déçue également de son manque de "présence" dans le tome précédant, là encore une fois, j'ai été ravie! Retrouver N'Kari au (presque) top de sa forme avec l'envie d'en découdre enfin avec tous les descendants d'Aenarion... Quel bonheur!

On en apprend plus également sur Malékith, l'elfe noir sous l'armure magique qui le protège des flammes d'Asuryan, celui qui veut être craint par tout son peuple, mais qui est un elfe plein de doutes, et terriblement seul. Je suis par contre déçue de Morathi, je m'attendais à bien plus de cette sorcière quasi-immortelle qui aurait sans doute fait des ravages...
-Crois moi, mon frère, c'est justifié. Ton talent, c'est la magie, le mien a toujours été les armes. Et Urian serait capable de me battre quelle que soit l'arme que je choisirais.
-Alors, ne le combat pas avec des armes.
-Et avec quoi, alors? Mon peigne à cheveux?
-Tu as un cerveau, même si tu choisis généralement de ne pas t'en servir. Les batailles se livrent tout autant avec l'esprit que les armes.

En bref, cette saga vaut la peine d'être lue, qu'on ai avalé son codex Haut-Elfe ou pas. Découvrir le passé de Tyrion et Téclis est un pur régal, comme celui de découvrir N'Kari dans toute sa splendeur. L'objet-livre est tout simplement magnifique, les couvertures ne sont qu'en faite que des jaquettes, en dessous on y découvre des couvertures rigides vertes (tome 01), bleues (tome 02) et noires (tome 03). J'hésite vraiment entre garder les jaquettes ou pas, les deux étant totalement magnifiques! Une saga coup de cœur que je ne regrette pas d'avoir lu ♥

Light but fun read.

I was wobbling back and forth between rating this book 3 and 4, due to the rushed nature of the end, i ended up considering it more like a 2 or 3 book, but language dragged it up to a 3, barely.

Why so harsh? The ending is rushed, very much so. It deserves a bit more than that, even if just 10 more pages more, it would have been golden, for it felt as if the book ended on a cliffhanger, and who ends a trilogy on a cliffhanger?

The skulking about in the woods, was interest, but if it came to all of that and a better ending? Id focus more on the ending than the skulking. Hell, this series should have been more than just a trilogy even, simply because to much is crammed into just 3 book. Even...if the third book felt rather dragged out...because the skulking in the woods could have been substantially shorter.

But if your curious about Tyrion & Teclis or just Warhammer Fantasy? Its defiantly a series worth reading. And King is great at painting a grim picture with a fairly easy language, which makes it all feel all the more natural to the setting.

Solid four starts. William King has written a very good fantasy novel with fascinating characters ahd sharp, extremely witty dialogue. It was a bit formulaic, though and to be honest, I was a little bit disappointed that it was not as gory and violent like the Defenders of Ulthuan duology by Graham McNeil, so I dock one star from the final rating. However precilesy because of the lack of ultra violence, I think that this trilogy is the perfect place for a newbie to start in the world of Warhammer Fantasy.

(No spoilers) I was well on track for giving this book a 4-star rating as I was enjoying it a lot, right up until the ending.

The pace and quality of writing was similar to the first two books, but towards the end felt a bit rushed.

Still a very good book and ties up the story nicely. I'm a continuing fan of William King.

I thought this book was the best of the three, with the principle characters developing nicely. I guess that the author intended to write more books, judging by the unfinished feel to the ending. I need to reread Gotrex and Felix- Giant slayer to see how this continues, though I am sure it is only about Teclis...

Even if this was a stand alone book and not the last of three books it would be short about 10 pages, to wrap up the story nicely.
Nonetheless I gave it 4 stars, for its captivating characters and great storytelling (right up till the end)!

Bill King is the best Warhammer writer period. Reading his work is like drinking water! I love it!

It's nicely written and a reasonable end to the trilogy. Perhaps I would have enjoyed it more if I'd read the previous books more recently but still a decent book.

Review to come...

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I loved how it opened with a scene of Death and Caledor overlooking a game and how they manipulated the players of this game throughout the book: The players being Tyrion, Teclis, Malekith, and the Everqueen, among others. The ending referred back to this game and I appreciated the ambiguous final statements from Death and Caledor and how it gave me pause from an otherwise very exciting read. The only parts that seemed too quickly resolved were the appearances and the eventual deaths of the five assassins, and of course, the final battle. I think I wanted there to be more to it, but there was no shortage of adventure leading up to that end. This book was probably my favorite read of the three in this series.