Everchosen

by Rob Sanders
Everchosen cover
Good Books rating 3.5
Technical
  • ID: 2996
  • Added: 2025-10-16
  • Updated: 2025-10-16
  • Reviews: 3
Reviews
goodreads.com · Unknown · 2025-10-19
mixed 2.50

The book provides a detailed account of Archaon's transformation from a humble beginning to a dark path, driven by sinister forces. However, some readers found the narrative uncompelling and the book overly long.

Rob Sanders' 'Archaon: Everchosen' delves into the story of Archaon, the Everchosen of Chaos, chronicling his journey from a grim past to becoming a pivotal figure in Warhammer's history. The book offers a comprehensive look at the events leading to his dark transformation, providing insight into the forces that manipulate his fate. While some readers appreciate the depth and detail, others find the narrative unengaging and the book excessively lengthy. The character's motivation, driven by fate rather than personal depth, leaves some readers unsatisfied, making the story less compelling despite its significance in the Warhammer lore.

Quick quotes

    This was a lot longer than it needed to be, and I just found myself getting bored and not reaching for it.

    Published in early 2014 before anyone had even an inkling of just how much Warhammer was about to change with the world-shattering End Times arc, Rob Sanders’ book Archaon: Everchosen sets out to tell the full story of the Everchosen of Chaos, the driving force behind the single biggest change in Warhammer’s 30+ years.

    The trick dembski-bowden manages to pull off in his 40k chaos novels is in letting you understand how they see the world, giving you a glimpse into their mind. Sanders isn't able to give us anything like that; the central character wants to destroy the world because he's fated to, which isn't exactly compelling.

belloflostsouls.net · Unknown · 2015-08-23
fantastic 5.00

Archaon: Everchosen by Rob Sanders is a dark and tragic origin story of the Warhammer character Archaon, exploring his transformation from a devout Sigmarite to the Everchosen of Chaos. The novel is praised for its unique narrative structure, compelling characters, and epic action, making it a fantastic read for fans of the series.

Archaon: Everchosen by Rob Sanders offers an unparalleled look into the life of Archaon, the architect of the End Times in the Warhammer universe. The story begins with the dark and tragic conception of Archaon and follows his journey from a devout Sigmarite to the Everchosen of Chaos. The novel employs a unique narrative structure with repeating chapters that explore different outcomes of key events, adding depth and intrigue to the story. The relationships between Archaon and his companions, such as Dagobert and Gisselle, are particularly compelling and add emotional depth to the narrative. The latter part of the book ramps up the action with epic battles and explorations of previously unexplored lands, making it a gripping and exciting read. Sanders' writing successfully balances Archaon's human traits with his epic and dreadful persona, making him a relatable yet formidable character. The novel is highly recommended for its dark, tragic, and exciting portrayal of one of Warhammer's most iconic characters.

Quick quotes

    Rob Sanders gives us an unparalleled look at what made a man once known as Diederick Kastner become the Everchosen of the Dark Gods, and it’s really, really good!

    It’s a testament to the strength of Rob Sanders’ writing that he managed to make Archaon such a tragic and extremely human character while still maintaining the aura of power, dread, and epic-ness that we know and love from his in game character.

    Archaon: Everchosen was a fantastic read, equally dark, tragic, exciting, and gripping.

trackofwords.com · Unknown · 2015-01-26
mixed 3.00

Archaon: Everchosen is a bleak but well-told tale of Archaon's fall from grace, filled with heroism and sacrifice. However, the second half feels rushed and loses focus, trying to cram too much into one book.

Archaon: Everchosen by Rob Sanders is a gripping and bleak narrative that delves into the transformation of Archaon from a noble templar to the Everchosen of Chaos. The first half of the book is particularly strong, showcasing the manipulation and corruption of a good man through a series of grim and disturbing events. It's a tale rich with heroism, sacrifice, and the harsh realities of life in the shadow of Chaos, all delivered with excellent pacing and strong character development. Unfortunately, the second half of the book falters. The rapid change in Archaon's personality and the attempt to cover a vast period of time in a single novel lead to a loss of focus. The narrative becomes rushed and imbalanced, turning what could have been a more nuanced character-driven story into a somewhat generic Chaos tale. Some action scenes are enjoyable, but overall, the second half feels disjointed and hurried, as if the author had to condense what was originally planned as a series into one book.

Quick quotes

    The first half especially paints a truly grim picture as events are carefully shaped and guided in order to further the plans of Archaon’s hidden daemonic benefactor.

    Despite the bleakness, it’s a fantastically-told tale full of everything that makes Warhammer great — heroism, sacrifice, the harsh reality of lives lived in the shadow of Chaos, and of course a healthy dose of bone-splintering violence.

    It’s such a shame given that the first half is such a good read, but much of the second half is paced strangely, glossing over events that deserved more focus and dwelling far too long on Archaon railing against the manipulation of the Chaos gods.

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