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So on an impulse I decided to buy the Shrike novel to give me something to read for a few days. I've read all the Gav Thorpe stuff from the Horus Heresy so I was prepared for a main character that had some odd moments (looking at you Corax), on the chance I had to endure that again. That being said, I know George Mann has written a lot of RG stuff in that past, and I even remember reading one story that had Orks and Eldar and a Captain out-stealthing the Eldar. Imagine my surprise when I finished the book wishing for Gav Thorpe's Corax, mental breakdowns and all from Weregeld. Where to start. I think the biggest thing that broke my immersion was also one of the first; the description and references of Kiavahr and then later on Deliverance. Forests. Forests everywhere! Where did all this come from? "Great landmasses, near subsumed with the ever-living forest"; I though Kiavahr was a pseudo-Forgeworld, with tech-guilds and giant amounts of factories and irradiated wastelands from where Corax dropped nukes during his uprising. This is how advancements like reflex shield technology comes from, as well as explanations for the vast amounts of materiel produced during the Heresy for the XIXth. The Tanith-esque description made me feel like it was a vehicle for the bird hunting. This goes double for Deliverance; it's supposed to be a literal rock with force domes, why is there descriptions of clouds and atmosphere? The bird hunting. Of course the Raven Guard are going to have actual ravens and their skulls, they have an animal in their name. It's so contrived, and a ton of emphasis is put on retrieving the bird skulls of dead marines. This was a bit easier to swallow than the surprise makeover of the planet and moon, since 40k is highly ritualized compared to the 30k era and I could see a lot of emphasis being put on tradition over time, compared to the planet being completely different with no explanation. The literal inclusion of 7th edition Detachments and Formations. It felt so unnatural to hear, especially since their function was never expanded upon; they just mention them in passing instead of having a point in the story. The references to Astra Militarum, Militarum Tempestus and Tempestor Prime were fine, because when the general referred to them as "the Guard" and "storm troopers" it kind of showed the difference between Shrike and normal humans. Formations just seemed like forced product placement, which was especially bad when the author referred to both an Imperial Knight and Storm Talons guns as auto cannons. The relentless mention of the Raven's Talons wasn't pleasant either, mix it up and just say "his claws", "lightning claws", etc... and only use their name for important moments. The bolter porn. The entire book is almost all action, and the fighting scenes are imo over described and last way too long. The only respite was the flashbacks, of which I was bombarded by tales of the vast forests again. Shrike. He kind of sucks as a character. He's angry at Orks for the entire story and wants to kill that warboss in particular because his friend died. He doesn't display any real change in character from being a Veteran to Chapter Master; no displays of strategic or tactical planning, or any of his famed guerrilla warfare. He just beelines for the warboss at every opportunity. If his arc was supposed to be "destroys tremor cannon"-"evacuates some humans and material"-"doesn't rush in alone" then its rather poorly done and non-impactful. It's also very odd that the focus is on his vengeance against a random Ork Warboss. It's not Skullkrak, whom he's been warring with since 4th ed; it's not Shadowsun who killed the Chapter Master and a significant part of the Chapter, it's an Ork who got one of his friends killed and then got away. Doubly odd that they put vengeance above rescuing citizens and overwhelmed worlds, since that has a huge part of the character in the past. Anyone else have issues with the book, or am I missing some key parts?

This really grinds my gears, so I'm having a vent! Am I the only one at least a little annoyed by the way that essentially every 40k BL Shadow Captain is a direct clone of Shrike! Same equipment, same tactics, they're all just identical cyphers... Shrike - jump pack, lightning claws, sneaky. Aethon Shaan - jump pack, lightning claws, sneaky. Aremis Koryn - jump pack, lightning claws, sneaky. (are you seeing a pattern yet?) Reszasz Krevaan - jump pack, lightning claws, sneaky. EDIT - oooh, oooh I forgot the Captain from Cadian Blood - you know, the sneaky one with lightning claws! Please tell me that Corvin Severax isn't also identically armed... Just by default that makes my favourite captain Korvydae! I know that lightning claws are RG signature weapons, but enough already! /RANT.