Search the Community

As I slowly move through my enormous back-log of 40k books, more and more do I come across a work that I wish to share my thoughts on, but is old enough that a discussion thread either no longer exists, never did exist, or is a bloated corpse that I have no desire to resurrect. So, in this act of blatant plagiarism from other forums, have this thread that we may share our thoughts on older books, be they first-time read-throughs or re-reads. Please give the title of your book, and a paragraph explaining your feelings, if you have the time. Now, I'm as much a fan of arbitrary numerical ratings as the next guy, and you are certainly free to use those as well. But for the purposes of fellow forumites, please assign the book in question one of these 4 scores: Must-Buy - should speak for itself To taste - a book worthy of purchase, but it may be contentious or a little "out there" for some Diehards only - You think fans of the faction or author might like this Unreadable - should speak for itself Without further adieu, I'll start things off: Calgar's Siege by Paul Kearney Well, this was surprising. Normally books like this, which is to say, those without an especially interesting premise, are the sort I drop part-way through the first half. This though, despite in theory being your run of the mill marines v orks tail, kept me invested the entire way through. Kearney strikes a nice balance between reasonable characters and the genre-blindness that allows them to function in the horror that is 40k. The orks are suitably barbaric without losing their cunning brutality, the humies have realistic personalities, and the Ultras are pleasant enough for marines while still carrying that borderline contempt for common humanity. A very fair look at all the factions involved, and prosaically, a joy to read. All that said, the subject matter is nothing new, and fans looking for something with a "point" may be turned off. Arbitrary numerical rating: 7/10, To Taste