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Riders of the Dead is the Dan Abnett standalone Warhammer Fantasy novel about Kislev, the setting's fantasy-Russia northern kingdom, and the relationship between an Empire-army soldier named Karl and a Kislevite lancer named Vassily as they get caught up in a Chaos incursion that turns out to involve risen dead.
The Kislev material is the pleasure. Abnett does the early-modern Russia analog with the kind of care that the form does not require. The friendship across cultures gives the book its emotional spine. The undead-cavalry action sequences are well-staged.
Three stars. A pleasant Warhammer Fantasy standalone. Best for fans of the setting.
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