Billed as a Warhammer Chronicles story, Josh Reynolds’ Waking the Dragon is a previously unreleased tale of the World-That-Was, and which was originally written as part of the End Times series. The once-powerful Heinrich Kemmler, otherwise known as the Lichemaster, is in dire need of allies. Harried at every turn by the tenacious Duke Tancred, and accompanied only by the ancient wight Krell, Kemmler turns in desperation to the cursed Blood Keep where he hopes to raise an army and gather his strength. The ancient fortress is no longer abandoned, however, and Kemmler’s destiny might not be what he expected.
The old Warhammer undead were tailor-made for Reynolds’ writing style, and it’s clear how much fun he’s having showing the cantankerous, arrogant Kemmler butting up against Krell’s resistance to his control and generally railing at what fate has led him to. This is a dark, pulpy and entertaining story, packed full of blood and dark magic with just enough snarky dialogue to balance things out, and it’s clear that it was intended as much more than a one-off short story. It’s such a shame that Reynolds didn’t have the chance to see this through to its obvious extension, as that would have been glorious fun, but at least we can catch a glimpse of what might have been.
