Appreciation for the Abnett-verse - finding the links

[cheywood]

I've got no sound here at the moment, so what obvious hints are being dropped here?

It’s Interceptor City.

Edited February 20, 2021 by cheywood

[DukeLeto69]

Just watched the video and oh yes. Dan is clearly FINALLY writing THAT book!

[Urauloth]

Sure sounds that way! If nothing else, it seems like he's thinking about and/or doing research for it. I also want to see those models.

[malika666]

Found this Gaunt's Ghosts timeline, might be handy: http://wyrmlog.wyrmworld.com/2011/06/27/the-life-and-times-of-ibram-gaunt/

[cheywood]

Got my copy of The Vincula Insurgency earlier today. Not sure when exactly I’ll read it, but in the foreword Abnett confirms it’s the first in a series of Ghost Dossiers telling the ‘shadow history of the regiment’. He sounds quite excited about how it all connects together, but Abnett’s usually a good hype-man.

[GarvielEisenhorn]

Got my copy of The Vincula Insurgency earlier today. Not sure when exactly I’ll read it, but in the foreword Abnett confirms it’s the first in a series of Ghost Dossiers telling the ‘shadow history of the regiment’. He sounds quite excited about how it all connects together, but Abnett’s usually a good hype-man.

I got mine recently too and it's making me power through the book I'm currently reading because I really want to get to it. That hasn't happened for a while...

 

If Abnett's going to use this as a chance to fill in some gaps I'd like to see some more of Gereon or maybe something about Milo in his absence.

[Lord Marshal]

 

Got my copy of The Vincula Insurgency earlier today. Not sure when exactly I’ll read it, but in the foreword Abnett confirms it’s the first in a series of Ghost Dossiers telling the ‘shadow history of the regiment’. He sounds quite excited about how it all connects together, but Abnett’s usually a good hype-man.

I got mine recently too and it's making me power through the book I'm currently reading because I really want to get to it. That hasn't happened for a while...

 

If Abnett's going to use this as a chance to fill in some gaps I'd like to see some more of Gereon or maybe something about Milo in his absence.

 

 

One of my biggest gripes with the Ghosts series is how major 'jaw drop' moments occur at the very end of books, but enough time has passed in-universe by the time we catch up with them that said moments are recent history and we never really get the proper reaction of the characters, both those closest and most relevant but also the greater cast. This probably has a lot to do with Abnett's chronic inability to write a decent ending that flares up more often than not, but if this 'series' is filling in the blanks I'd like to get more dirt on reactions surrounding:

 

• Corbec's death
• Sabbat appearing
• Soric's apprehension
• Caffran's death

  Edited June 26, 2021 by Lord Marshal

[DukeLeto69]

That “Abnett can’t write endings” is becoming something of an urban myth. He is definitely guilty of it for maybe a handful of books (Honour Guard, Titanicus and Unremembered Empire spring to mind) but in all other cases I think his novels have been splendid from start to (satisfying) finish.

[cheywood]

That “Abnett can’t write endings” is becoming something of an urban myth. He is definitely guilty of it for maybe a handful of books (Honour Guard, Titanicus and Unremembered Empire spring to mind) but in all other cases I think his novels have been splendid from start to (satisfying) finish.

I wouldn’t go so far as to say Abnett can’t write endings, but they’re frequently abrupt and arguably the weakest parts of his works.

[mc warhammer]

 

That “Abnett can’t write endings” is becoming something of an urban myth. He is definitely guilty of it for maybe a handful of books (Honour Guard, Titanicus and Unremembered Empire spring to mind) but in all other cases I think his novels have been splendid from start to (satisfying) finish.

I wouldn’t go so far as to say Abnett can’t write endings, but they’re frequently abrupt and arguably the weakest parts of his works.

 

the only one i don't recall liking is the finale of unremembered empire...and that's because i literally don't recall it. like, i have no idea how that book ended.

[cheywood]

 

 

 

That “Abnett can’t write endings” is becoming something of an urban myth. He is definitely guilty of it for maybe a handful of books (Honour Guard, Titanicus and Unremembered Empire spring to mind) but in all other cases I think his novels have been splendid from start to (satisfying) finish.

I wouldn’t go so far as to say Abnett can’t write endings, but they’re frequently abrupt and arguably the weakest parts of his works.

the only one i don't recall liking is the finale of unremembered empire...and that's because i literally don't recall it. like, i have no idea how that book ended.

I can’t say I dislike his endings, his prose is always superb after all, but I much prefer the journey with Abnett’s works. Some authors do their best work with finales. Guy Haley, for instance, often has really strong conclusions to works I’ve been up and down on overall. Edited June 26, 2021 by cheywood

[DarkChaplain]

Between The Unremembered Empire, The Magos, heck, even Hereticus, I honestly have read Abnett underwhelming with his endings, and rushing towards them after an extensive - great! - journey, more than I have read him stick the landing fully.

 

He often fast-tracks aspects to reach the end point after spending so much time on setting it up. Like, he's got A to C nailed, but then skips the D in a rush to end on E, and the moment he's dealt with E, he drops every remaining thead almost immediately, without tying them up somewhat.

 

....it doesn't really help when the supposed / marketed plot of the book is largely supposed to be C and E in the first place, A is him reinventing factions and lore, and B is his metaverse.

 

As much as I adore most of his journeys, the Inquisition books in particular, his works often need one more chapter to really put out the landing gear, and one to let the passengers disembark.

[aa.logan]

Just re-read Pariah and then Penitent. Really minor spoiler here but is the

corrupt vaguely Slaaneshii artist who uses a warp viewer

in Pariah an echo of what happens in the Eisenhorn or Ravenor triologies, or was it just familiar to me because I’d read it before?

[Sothalor]

I wouldn't say it's an explicit repeat of events, but I'd say there's a bit of a thematic repetition - namely of an Enchanted world (I use the term a la Charles Taylor and other philosophers/historians/medievalists) that pierces through via seemingly mundane items, objects, interactions, etc.

 

Think... the Necroteuch and the Malus Codicium - books that function as metaphorical gateways to forbidden domains of knowledge.

 

The Lith.

 

Barbarisater and its subtly supernatural penchant for saving Gregor in some way.

 

Flects (which are probably the most direct comparison to your example) - shards of glass that have such wondrous things to show the user.

 

The use of cogitators to parse Enuncia, resulting in words on a screen that literally sicken the reader.

 

The Divine Fratery and its ritual (magic) usage of mirrors and viewing glasses.

 

The Witch House and all its shenanigans with the Door and Keys.

[Lord Lorne Walkier]

 

 

The Divine Fratery and its ritual (magic) usage of mirrors and viewing glasses.

 

 

in Horus Rising, when Garviel joins the Mournival, they use the light of a reflected moon to ... power their ritual.

[Plasmablasts]

Just re-read Pariah and then Penitent. Really minor spoiler here but is the

corrupt vaguely Slaaneshii artist who uses a warp viewer

in Pariah an echo of what happens in the Eisenhorn or Ravenor triologies, or was it just familiar to me because I’d read it before?

It somewhat echoes the artist in “Backcloth for a Crown Additional”.

[Kelborn]

Recently started listening to Eisenhorn Xenos and I could slap myself for not starting it earlier. Magnificent one until now.

 

But, Bequin, the one from the third inquisitor trilogy, is the pleasure girl he picked up on Hubris?

Edited October 1, 2021 by Kelborn

[DukeLeto69]

Recently started listening to Eisenhorn Xenos and I could slap myself for not starting it earlier. Magnificent one until now.

 

But, Bequin, the one from the third inquisitor trilogy, is the pleasure girl he picked up on Hubris?

Impossible to answer that without spoilers. Have you read Pariah and Penitent yet? If not then don’t let anyone answer this question. All will be revealed!!!!!!

[Kelborn]

Ehm..okay xD

 

No, I haven't read those. I just started the Inquisitor novels. Always thought they wouldn't be my jam but oh boy was I wrong.

 

Listening in recommended order by Dan himself. :)

[malika666]

Start reading all of them, it will be such an awesome experience!

[DukeLeto69]

Ehm..okay xD

 

No, I haven't read those. I just started the Inquisitor novels. Always thought they wouldn't be my jam but oh boy was I wrong.

 

Listening in recommended order by Dan himself. :)

If you are currently on the Eisenhorn books then you are getting that first person narrative experience. That POV approach changes with Ravenor and then again with Bequin. Gonna be a great ride. If you can, do what I did and do the lot (short stories too as per reading order in The Magos omnibus) back-to-back.

[byrd9999]

 

Recently started listening to Eisenhorn Xenos and I could slap myself for not starting it earlier. Magnificent one until now.

 

But, Bequin, the one from the third inquisitor trilogy, is the pleasure girl he picked up on Hubris?

Impossible to answer that without spoilers. Have you read Pariah and Penitent yet? If not then don’t let anyone answer this question. All will be revealed!!!!!!

 

surely it's not a spoiler to say that Alizebeth Bequin is the pleasure girl he picked up on Hubris. She joins Eisenhorn's retinue early on. Am I missing something? I haven't read Pariah or Penitent, so maybe I am missing something...

[DukeLeto69]

 

 

 

Recently started listening to Eisenhorn Xenos and I could slap myself for not starting it earlier. Magnificent one until now.

 

But, Bequin, the one from the third inquisitor trilogy, is the pleasure girl he picked up on Hubris?

Impossible to answer that without spoilers. Have you read Pariah and Penitent yet? If not then don’t let anyone answer this question. All will be revealed!!!!!!

surely it's not a spoiler to say that Alizebeth Bequin is the pleasure girl he picked up on Hubris. She joins Eisenhorn's retinue early on. Am I missing something? I haven't read Pariah or Penitent, so maybe I am missing something...

If you haven’t read Pariah or Penitent then yes, you are missing something!

[byrd9999]

 

 

 

Recently started listening to Eisenhorn Xenos and I could slap myself for not starting it earlier. Magnificent one until now.

 

But, Bequin, the one from the third inquisitor trilogy, is the pleasure girl he picked up on Hubris?

Impossible to answer that without spoilers. Have you read Pariah and Penitent yet? If not then don’t let anyone answer this question. All will be revealed!!!!!!

surely it's not a spoiler to say that Alizebeth Bequin is the pleasure girl he picked up on Hubris. She joins Eisenhorn's retinue early on. Am I missing something? I haven't read Pariah or Penitent, so maybe I am missing something...

If you haven’t read Pariah or Penitent then yes, you are missing something!

 

 

Thanks for the heads-up! I thought I'd double-check. I'll be sure to keep away for the time being. I'm currently reading Ravenor Returned, so I'm getting there...

[Sothalor]

Ehm..okay xD

 

No, I haven't read those. I just started the Inquisitor novels. Always thought they wouldn't be my jam but oh boy was I wrong.

 

Listening in recommended order by Dan himself.

 

I would recommend one change to the reading order:

 

Experience Pariah first, then The Magos, and then continue with Penitent.

 

The reason for this is because Pariah is a masterclass in a first-person narrative playing with audience knowledge, character knowledge, and the overlaps and gaps in between. It's especially geared for an audience familiar with the broader characters and arcs in Abnett's Inquisition works.

 

I highly recommend experiencing Pariah blind, and experiencing all the moments of "Wait, what's going on?" alongside the titular character as well as the meta-textual elements of "Hey is that person actually so-and-so?" and "Oh, that's not a good name to hear" and "Did that just happen!?"

 

 

In contrast, The Magos is a prequel to the Bequin trilogy. It's about moving certain characters and pieces into position for Pariah, and it rather heavily spoils many, many of the mysteries of Pariah.

 

It's great for understanding the state and headspace of certain characters by the time of Pariah, but I don't think it should be read before. I've said it before; it's like experiencing the climactic moment of The Empire Strikes Back blind versus having seen the prequel trilogy beforehand. 

 

To reiterate, I highly recommend experiencing the mind trip of Pariah, then going back and having The Magos fill in some of the gaps and backstory from another perspective, and then continuing on with Penitent.