Rate what you Read, or the fight against Necromancy

[The Scorpion]

4 hours ago, Fedor said:

Honoured was indeed entirely phoned-in by comparison, but the sgt. character with the indestructible terminator armour was hilarious. Not the vibe that Sanders was probably going for, but still.

The Honoured ends by name-dropping Pelion the Lesser, the protagonist of The Deeper Darkness; the author's short story for Mark of Calth, which is much better in my opinion. Strange that two novels set in the same Calth setting are of such different quality.

[The Scorpion]

On 4/7/2024 at 6:44 AM, Firedrake Cordova said:

 

 

Whilst it falls within the "horror" line, it reads more like a particularly dark entry in the "crime" series than a true horror novel

This is what I feel about The Oubliette by J C Stearns

This is a story of crime and punishment, of Faustian bargains, of fear, but not quite of horror. There is an unsettling ambience of to the themes of corruption, or the consequences of failure, to the transformation that the main character undergoes, but at no point this became truly scary.
It is however, a great story with a quasi-Victorian theme, set in a distant green and rainy land with deep overtones of an arrogant civilization standing in the forgotten ruins of one that is older, richer, darker, and more mythical. 
The narration managed to keep me interested all the way trough, switching between a variety of topics ranging from noble politics to the motivations of the characters and lore nuggets on one of the more enigmatic 40k factions.
I'd think of this as a good Crime Novella that follows the POV of the perpetrator, rather than a Horror novel, but it is absolutely worth the read.

Is it a Must Read though? That I wouldn't be sure. If what you like is action then no, this is small scale, distant. The setting is a world of green continents, of vineyards and rolling oceans, largely untouched by the wars of the galaxy. Of course, this is a galaxy of horrors, and even this distant world has horrors of its own.

It'd say it is To Taste, but I would recommend it to Crime fans who feel like changing the atmosphere away from the gritty hives of places such as Varaguanta.

Edited April 11 by The Scorpion

[Torbenos]

 

Bloodlines by Chris Wraight 

 

Bloodlines served as our introduction to the Warhammer Crime when it first launched, and it was the first novel I read in that collection. It also numbers as one of the few Black Library novels which I have re-read, which likely tells you that my impression is a positive one. I have long been a fan of "domestic 40K" as coined by Dan Abnett, where the dark vastness of the Warhammer 40.000 world functions as a setting for smaller stories.

 

The story of Bloodlines is contained, the stakes are small compared to the fate of worlds and the Imperium. But instead the stakes and the motivations are real. I find the streets of Varaguanta more compelling than most battlefields, and the characters in them strike me as more real. 

 

The story follow Probator Agusto Zidarov, a hard-boiled detective who's gotten older, out-of-shape, disillusioned with well, the world but still maintains some desire to do the right thing. At least when he can. It's the story of a "middle-class" imperial citizens, something not too often seen. Agusto is put on a missing person's case that turns out more difficult than he'd have anticipated while also dealing with a strained family life.

 

This is a story where people who have been off-world are compared to near-xenos, where genestealers are conspiracy theories and people are just trying to make it through the day. There isn't even a war going on, not here, not now. 

 

It's in my top five of Black Library reads. If you like "domestic 40K" you ought to read it.

[aa.logan]

Da Gobbo Rides Again.

 

Who says BL can’t do multi-authour series well? This and the preceding two novellas are evidence that it’s possible. 
 

Recommended heartily and unreservedly.  As dark as anything else in 40k but also the most Optimistic thing they’ve published.

 

10/10.

Edited April 26 by aa.logan
Too much transformers: autocorrect changed optimistic to Optimus

[Jareddm]

Rhuairidh is a secret GW treasure and is going to knock people's socks off when he gets a higher profile novel some day.

[Noserenda]

7 minutes ago, Jareddm said:

Rhuairidh is a secret GW treasure and is going to knock people's socks off when he gets a higher profile novel some day.

Hes always been a treasure on WHTV and White Dwarf so far :D His Tale of 4 gamers efforts especially should go down in legend lol

[darkhorse0607]

Dunno how many people have seen this but there's a YouTube channel called Mira Manga, she does a BL book club with Arbitor Ian who does lore video. As part of this she does author interviews and her most recent one (upload date is a day ago) is with Chris Wraight discussing Valdor Birth of the Imperium

 

It doesn't have groundbreaking information but given that we have so little interaction with the authors, especially those like Wraight who aren't on social media anymore I figured I'd share it

 

 

[theSpirea]

Mira and Track of Words are blessing and GW should be sending them at least free ebooks of every release.

[Never_born]

25 minutes ago, theSpirea said:

Mira and Track of Words are blessing and GW should be sending them at least free ebooks of every release.

Never going to happen! Would be nice, though…

 

I need to check out these videos though, sounds like Mira is doing an amazing job! 

[aa.logan]

A long wait in A&E last week at least allowed me to tear through some shorter works.

 

The Long and Hungry Road.

 

I  an unrepentant Tchaikovsky fan, so I was obviously predisposed to like this. Its impact for me was a little diminished by my reading it straight after Deathworlder, but I think when read in isolation it would stand up really well. He’s just a great writer and I’m aching for more 40k from him. I think it is also the first appearance of the Rogal Dorn tank in fiction, so there’s that too.

 

Stealing Orpheon

 

I’m not quite sure what prompted me to buy this story, I think it’s been sat on my kobo for ages, but I’m very glad that I did.  A nice heist story that is hopefully the setup for a novel down the line.

 

Prisoners of Waaagh!

 

Justin Wooley wrote both orks and Guard very well in Catachan Devil, so it’s not really a surprise he does the same here. Blood Axes are the Klan in question, so I guess the ease of interaction between the two factions makes more sense, it underlines the similarities which makes their differences all the more stark. Nods to many real-life PoW stories, which may be too much of a real-world intrusion for some, but I think makes for a characterful novella. 

[The Praetorian of Inwit]

I ecently read Legion of the Damned by Rob Sanders

 

It was a very good read. I didn't feel it dragged and it was a look into one of the many unique world types of the Imperium. I found the Excoriators a very interesting take on Astartes with a very hard line stance on the Emperor Is Not A God stance. I would definitely recommend. 

 

Shroud of Night by Andy Clark

 

One of the best 40k novels I've read. The Alpha Legion were really well written and the setting (a Hive City/Oil Rig on an Ocean World) was awesome. It was a real page turner and has some great Astartes dialog. 

[The Scorpion]

20 hours ago, The Praetorian of Inwit said:

I ecently read Legion of the Damned by Rob Sanders

 

It was a very good read. I didn't feel it dragged and it was a look into one of the many unique world types of the Imperium. I found the Excoriators a very interesting take on Astartes with a very hard line stance on the Emperor Is Not A God stance. I would definitely recommend. 

 

Shroud of Night by Andy Clark

 

One of the best 40k novels I've read. The Alpha Legion were really well written and the setting (a Hive City/Oil Rig on an Ocean World) was awesome. It was a real page turner and has some great Astartes dialog. 

If you only had the time to read one, which of the two would you recommend?

[The Praetorian of Inwit]

@The Scorpion Shroud of Night. I thought it was a real cracker. 

[Krelious]

Recently read Fear to Tread which I have been waiting to acquire for a while due to a split opinion on reviews.  After completing the book I can say that I regret not picking it up sooner as with all of James Swallow's Horus Heresy novels I enjoyed this one as I rather like his style. One thing I never expected from this book and had hoped to see in the future is the Slaanesh was also interested in corrupting the Blood Angels which was never really focused on ever again along with a certain Apothecary character who also I dont think was ever mentioned again. 

One thing I rather like about the early novels is that there is a very lovecraftian and unknown aspect to Chaos that this book covers quite well as it has to be narratively portrayed in such a way that the protagonists have no idea what is going on and as such try to come up with logical explanations to what is happening and in that sense I think this book does an absolutely fantastic job of presenting a mystery as well as the horror of the Heresy that is slowly unfolding. 

 

If I had any criticism of this book is that well, its very long at over say 500 pages that I think are kind of unnecessary and there I think is where people overblow the issue is that I enjoyed reading this book and dont regret it but I easily could have cut out 100 pages and it would be the same book. A couple of the siege books I found completely unreadable due to being boring and just stopped, some of them I just completely regret reading entirely. This book does fit into that scenario.

 

I guess another critique is that this novel foreshadows a lot of the Horus-Sanguineous fight in the future and its a bit too hamfisted for my taste, also surprised me is there is a strong tying connection to the Jagatai Khan primarch novel which surprised me as its one of my favourites. 

 

Id say 8.2/10 enjoyable read but a little bit too long.  

 

 

[Noserenda]

Despite his other flaws, Swallow has always been really good at warp weirdness and daemon shenanigans, i still remember the initial approaches in the Signus system well :) 

[DarkChaplain]

I still think Fear to Tread had some of the worst depictions of daemons in the series. Those greater daemons were very poor

[byrd9999]

I find James Swallow's storytelling to be competent but dull. Things happen, but I'm never super engaged with it.

 

It's probably just down to my taste, but I've read a few of his books and they have more or less the same feeling.

 

It's been a while so I haven't got any specific examples, but I do remember disliking the bit in FtT where the planet rotates and it's a demon face.

[Roomsky]

The prologue on Signus and the stars going out as the Blood Angels are on the approach are both suitably chilling. All that built-up dread is squandered by an entire planet making an angry face at the fleet and spitting rocks at them, IMO. Great build-up for an absolutely cartoonish portrayal of Chaos.

Edited May 21 by Roomsky

[LemartestheLost]

Lazarus: Enmity's Edge by Gary Kloster

 

Have put off reviewing this as I've been slammed and/or reading other books, but here goes.

 

This one started out a little slow, but once the Dark Angels actually make it to Reis itself, it picks up nicely. As one or two other fraters have mentioned in various threads, Mr. Kloster does an excellent job of worldbuilding here. Little details like having fungus cultivation farms for the pall necessary to produce the Wyrbuk (not to mention the Wyrbuk themselves, what a neat concept!) make you feel invested in the planet's story, not just the Dark Angels'. It's also evident to me that the author was given a small amount of tying-in to do by BL, which he handled quite gracefully while still giving us something fresh and new. I'm a big continuity fan, and Kloster doesn't disappoint in this regard.

 

As for the Dark Angels themselves, they come across as skilled and competent throughout the novel, which makes it all the more entertaining to see them outwitted and confused time and again. I will say, Lazarus' PTSD/Survivor's guilt felt a little forced at moments, but it's always interesting to me when Chapter big wigs are forced to confide in/confront the Chaplaincy. Additionally, every member of the supporting DA cast felt necessary to the plot once they actually made it to the planet. The combat dragged on too much in some places, but I'd say it was average overall. The secret of the Fallen is crucial to the book, especially towards the end, but the Fallen never make an appearance. Thank goodness we received a novel where the stakes are high regarding the Fallen, but the Dark Angels leadership (at least the command structure on Reis) doesn't go off half-cocked like normal.

 

Perhaps this book's largest strength is its depiction of Chaos. While the author does mention tie-ins like Lieutenant Zachariah (first named DA Primaris marine character), it's the complete opposite for the antagonist. While it's hinted at and even assumed there is Chaos corruption on the planet, I was a good way through the book before I was 100% confident that was the real enemy. If you like Chaos as a subtle, insidious force, I'd suggest giving it a read. 

 

Themes are big in this one, and while I think that the survivor's guilt angle was a bit heavy-handed at times,

Spoiler

the theme of "little/meek people are sometimes the greatest heroes/make the biggest difference" really resonated with me. 

 

Also,

Spoiler

a Knight World without Knights? A fascinating concept that has never been explored before? Brownie points have been earned!

 

Overall, Mr. Kloster gave us a fun standalone novel that nicely fills in the Era Indomitus for the DA before the Lion's return. Someone on one of these topics commented that it read as a little bit more entry level literature for the setting and while I don't disagree, I think it's important to have the occasional "entry read". GW is a plastic toy company that is marketing to teenagers, after all. Either way, it didn't overly impact my enjoyment of the book!

 

Final Rating: 7.3/10 

A SHOULD READ for Dark Angels fans. It's better than War of Secrets by Phil Kelly and Son of the Forest by Brooks IMO. Excited to see what else Mr. Kloster cooks up for 40k in the future.

 

[Roomsky]

Catachan Devil - Justin Wooley (Audiobook)

 

No, I'm not calling them "Kata-Chans." I don't care what GW endorses for the pronunciation.

 

This was an interesting read after Deathworlder, and is a nice foil to that book. Both hit what I'd call the right notes over-all, but the tones are very different. While Deathworlder's truly apocalyptic setting and more reserved Catachan commander focussed heavily on external adversity, everyone in this books' biggest challenges come from their own ranks - one might argue that's the more "40k" approach. And I don't just mean the humies either, we get a sizeable ork POV here as well (if you don't like Brooks' writing, this has similarly fun ork bits to contrast the Imperial POVs - check it out!)

 

The first section of this book could be called "15 Hours 2," Wooley clearly has some reverence for that book and it shows throughout in the form of some fairly blunt parallels. He basically writes that book better but without the depressing ending when that section concludes (for Trooper Torvin, at least. The rest of his regiment not so much.) They even overuse an expression, I can't recall what it was but it seemed to be a local stand-in for EVERY cuss and it got silly fairly quickly. That's a small hiccup in a very well done intro, though. From there we dive into more original content, which I'd describe as well-paced but "solidly derivative." 

 

I ultimately enjoyed the book, but I have a few nits to pick which may take up a bulk of this review:

 

The Catachans arrive after the big orky disaster at the book's beginning, and like most Imperials in this novel range from cruel to dismissive of outsiders. Aldalon, our Catachan POV (and the fellow on the cover with the large fist) is compelling but unfortunately shallow compared to Deathworlder's Wulf Khan. He's constantly irate that the rest of the Guard isn't as good at fighting as Catachans are, and stewing over how brutal his superior warrior's upbringing was. While we learn he's dealing with some personal trauma throughout, it doesn't really gel with Torvin's interactions with him. Torvin slowly grows into a more capable fighter throughout and the book seemingly wants to present this as him softening Aldalon while being hardened by the Catachans. I find this doesn't work terribly well because Aldalon's constant irritation at the book's is because orks took someone important from him and he has to learn to stop that from clouding his judgment. Perhaps I tuned out of something important, but the book is structured as if Torvin Proving Himself = Aldalon becomes more amiable, and it falls flat because Aldalon was pissy for reasons unrelated to Torvin or softworlders. I guess it's because he was angry a softworlder was putting his surviving regiment at risk (including his own daughter), but he doesn't make that connection in his own head IIRC. The titular Catachan is unfortunately the book's weak link.

 

The Commissar character is portrayed as mildly sadistic and over-eagre to shoot her own troops at the books beginning (which I always like, btw), but is then shockingly reasonable and willing to bend the rules at the very end. Took me out of it, doesn't read like the same character. In fact, the whole final scene in the command centre comes across as too easy for the sake of a "hell yeah" moment - the book is otherwise pretty good at showing how the Imperium keeps sensible things from happening. In fact in fact, the whole ending is a might bit unsatisfying, being more content to rush into set-up for a sequel novel than actually creating a compelling finale. Both sides effectively just ragequit the battlefield at the climax.

 

The Ork stuff is great but (and this is a personal thing) the human POVs were acting a little too "in on the joke" for my tastes. Outside of Kommandos or overwhelming numbers, the Catachans basically viewed them as an easy kill. This particular invading force also seems to speak and write in Gothic, allowing the human POVs to admire some "Orkz da best" graffiti. Obviously, the galaxy is a big place full of variation, but both of those miss the dramatic irony that makes Orks so compelling for me. They should only ever be goofy to the reader, not to the Imperial Guard within the story.

 

Back to the good:

 

I like Torvin a lot and I think he's a good audience surrogate. The Militarum at large does very little of use to prepare him for war in the 41st millennium, and I always love The Imperial Infantryman's Uplifting Primer being used in-story. When he eventually does stop floundering quite so hard, it's clear he's still no Catachan, or even that competent a soldier, after just a few days of trial by fire. But he does gain resolve, picks up on things that never get clearly explained, and takes meaningful steps to becoming the cold-hearted warrior the Imperium wants him to be. It all feels very organic and satisfying without overcompensating, IMO.

 

Nogrok might be the book's true highlight. Yes, the smarter-than-average ork dealing with an army of complete morons is nothing new, but Wooley adds just enough extra grit to proceedings to keep it distinct from Brooks' more slapstick approach. He's a smart underdog, who doesn't love that? But he needs proper kunnin` to work his way up the ladder, rather than blind luck and goofy schemes. It's just very well done, if Wooley ever gets his sequel, the ork bits alone will be enough to sell me on a copy.

 

As with all these new Astra Militarum books there's less battle than I feared going in, and even if I think some of the book's more important elements and characters could have used another draft, I appreciate the effort to tell real stories.

 

To Taste, I'd say - I enjoyed it a lot despite my issues. Maybe a 6.5/10? A 7?

[byrd9999]

Soul Hunter, by Aaron Dembski Bowden

 

I started reading ADB's Night Lords trilogy years ago but got side tracked after the first novel, so I'm starting again.

 

Not much to say really, but it was fantastic. ADB has such a good grasp of the fundamentals of 40k, and he's great at building character.

 

It is interesting though to see the contempt some traitors have for Abaddon, this being written before the retcon that made Abaddon into a fully competent Big Bad.

 

It's a real shame ADB isn't publishing anything these days, he's missed.

 

As a refresher between the novels, I started Guy Haley's Curze Primarchs book... which is *not* as good...

[Roomsky]

44 minutes ago, byrd9999 said:

As a refresher between the novels, I started Guy Haley's Curze Primarchs book... which is *not* as good...

 

I read a great Curze Primarchs novel, it was called Prince of Crows. 

[wecanhaveallthree]

1 hour ago, Roomsky said:

 

I read a great Curze Primarchs novel, it was called Prince of Crows. 

 

In the same way The Serpent Beneath is Omegon's Primarch novel, or The Lightning Tower Dorn's! 

[Krelious]

On 5/20/2024 at 8:33 PM, Roomsky said:

The prologue on Signus and the stars going out as the Blood Angels are on the approach are both suitably chilling. All that built-up dread is squandered by an entire planet making an angry face at the fleet and spitting rocks at them, IMO. Great build-up for an absolutely cartoonish portrayal of Chaos.

Well that's just like, your opinion...man. 

On 5/22/2024 at 8:57 PM, wecanhaveallthree said:

 

In the same way The Serpent Beneath is Omegon's Primarch novel, or The Lightning Tower Dorn's! 

I thought it was swell that I got a collectors edition of Sangy's Primarch novel in the form of Echoes of Eternity and then I sold the other book because I didnt like it. 

[Rob P]

Drachenfels - yay - Feels like a novel that shaped the Warhammer Fantasy setting

 

Silent Hunters - it was ok - Antagonists more interesting than protagonists. Protagonists a bit soft for space sharks