Volpone Glory: A Bluebloods Novel

[Petitioner's City]

Wanted to start this for anyone with the book already.

 

I've got to about a ninth of the way in, and yes, I'm loving this. It's very much scratching a Band of Brothers (or BSG) military itch, and it's lovely to learn about the Volpone not as antagonists but from the inside, with all the difficulties their highly stratified society engenders.

 

The other regiment featured are the Pardus (familiar from Honour Guard and Double Eagle).

 

For both regiments there aren't any crossover characters with the earlier books; the date makes sense for that - this is the 90s, after the timejump, so it may be figures like Gilbear or Leguin are long-dead or long-promoted. Equally, it allows Kyme free reign, and it's an engaging set of characters so far, including a Volpone menial, and charismatic leaders not tainted by the sins of past familiar faces.

 

It's also a big book, a quarter larger than Warmaster, although smaller than Anarch, but I might be guesstimating wrong there.

 

Overall, highly recommended so far - and I think this book surprisingly gives us the Ghosts-adjacent book of high quality we thought we were getting elsewhere.

Edited December 13, 2021 by Petitioner's City

[Pariah32]

I'm on the fence with this one, I shall wait for your final thoughts once you've finished it.

[Kelborn]

I was cautiously intrigued by it.

 

Like Pariah, I'll wait for more views on it.

 

But I'm optimistic reading thanks to your first impression! :)

Edited December 13, 2021 by Kelborn

[DukeLeto69]

Was going to wait for paoerback then read @Petitioner’s City review and thought “ah ok I will get the HB” and guess what...sold out! Nick Kyme is a bigger seller than I thought!

[Petitioner's City]

Was going to wait for paoerback then read @Petitioner’s City review and thought “ah ok I will get the HB” and guess what...sold out! Nick Kyme is a bigger seller than I thought!

 

Where are you based, DL? I see a few UK stores are  saying they are still carrying it - Kirkton Games, for example.

[DukeLeto69]

 

 

Was going to wait for paoerback then read @Petitioner’s City review and thought “ah ok I will get the HB” and guess what...sold out! Nick Kyme is a bigger seller than I thought!

Where are you based, DL? I see a few UK stores are saying they are still carrying it - Kirkton Games, for example.

The UK. Thanks I will check them out.

[malika666]

Im curious if there are any links to Abnett’s books besides the regiment being Volpone.

[Chaeron]

I’ve ordered and am excited to read: the Sabbat Worlds are one of my favourite sandboxes, so glad to hear the positive responses so far.

 

It’ll be interesting to see - with Urdesh too - if this becomes one of a multitude.

[sitnam]

As somebody who hasn't really gotten into Gaunts Ghost (I'm not into long series), how readable is this without having read the other Sabbat World's stuff? I know the gist behind GG, and have read a few short stories and such

 

I guess the same question applies to the Urdesh duology

Edited December 14, 2021 by sitnam

[Petitioner's City]

As somebody who hasn't really gotten into Gaunts Ghost (I'm not into long series), how readable is this without having read the other Sabbat World's stuff? I know the gist behind GG, and have read a few short stories and such

 

I guess the same question applies to the Urdesh duology

It will work in isolation, ok.

[Petitioner's City]

Im curious if there are any links to Abnett’s books besides the regiment being Volpone.

As mentioned above the Pardus are also protagonists. The enemy is the Pact, and it's the same pact we all know and love.

 

This is like an extended, very extended, version of one of the non-ghost shorts in the various anthologies. The ones which look at the crusade from a very different angle. It does it so well. But there isn't a mention of the ghosts at all.

 

The main regiment is the 50th; ie the regiment from Ghostmaker, not from Necropolis. It's something in the range of 20 years or more since then, too, and it's set at that point the ghosts are long vanished, presumed dead.

 

Really don't come into this expecting any reference; it's like you are used to the adventures of a british company in the Pacific, and suddenly you are reading about a combined Greek-French regiment in the middle east three years later. Very little crossover, except that maybe these units served together in world war one, and they are both fighting what feels like the same enemy.

[Sothalor]

Alright, my interest is piqued. Still been burned by Kyme, though.

 

Would you say this is more battle showcase, character study, adventure, or worldbuilding in its focus?

[Petitioner's City]

Bear in mind I'm not so far into it (now at chapter ten), but so far it's been very character heavy, with only one battle scene of any note so far. That first quarter of the novel really felt the Bastogne/Bulge episodes of Band of Brothers. There are a lot of moving pieces (just like BoB), and it captures the feel so well of the show. There are also what feel like touches of films like Cross of Iron or the like - I guess Kyme did a lot of military history research for the novel, or watched a lot of films!*

 

Maybe it won't hold the course, but the past nine chapters have been ace.

 

* Sadly it doesn't feel like a Thin Red Line or Warsong treatment 

[malika666]

 

Im curious if there are any links to Abnett’s books besides the regiment being Volpone.

As mentioned above the Pardus are also protagonists. The enemy is the Pact, and it's the same pact we all know and love.

 

This is like an extended, very extended, version of one of the non-ghost shorts in the various anthologies. The ones which look at the crusade from a very different angle. It does it so well. But there isn't a mention of the ghosts at all.

 

The main regiment is the 50th; ie the regiment from Ghostmaker, not from Necropolis. It's something in the range of 20 years or more since then, too, and it's set at that point the ghosts are long vanished, presumed dead.

 

Really don't come into this expecting any reference; it's like you are used to the adventures of a british company in the Pacific, and suddenly you are reading about a combined Greek-French regiment in the middle east three years later. Very little crossover, except that maybe these units served together in world war one, and they are both fighting what feels like the same enemy.

 

I was kinda curious to see tidbits connecting it to the 'greater' Abnett-verse, sort of like how Gaunt has read Ravenor's book. So I wasn't really expecting any big cameos, but just little tidbits connecting it to the Gaunt's Ghosts and Eisenhorn/Ravenor series.

[Preliminary Bombardment]

Looks like this will be available in Kindle in a few days. Think I'll pick it up the comments in here sound positive. Like reading about footsloggers with a 80%+ mortality rate

[Petitioner's City]

 

 

Im curious if there are any links to Abnett’s books besides the regiment being Volpone.

As mentioned above the Pardus are also protagonists. The enemy is the Pact, and it's the same pact we all know and love.

 

This is like an extended, very extended, version of one of the non-ghost shorts in the various anthologies. The ones which look at the crusade from a very different angle. It does it so well. But there isn't a mention of the ghosts at all.

 

The main regiment is the 50th; ie the regiment from Ghostmaker, not from Necropolis. It's something in the range of 20 years or more since then, too, and it's set at that point the ghosts are long vanished, presumed dead.

 

Really don't come into this expecting any reference; it's like you are used to the adventures of a british company in the Pacific, and suddenly you are reading about a combined Greek-French regiment in the middle east three years later. Very little crossover, except that maybe these units served together in world war one, and they are both fighting what feels like the same enemy.

I was kinda curious to see tidbits connecting it to the 'greater' Abnett-verse, sort of like how Gaunt has read Ravenor's book. So I wasn't really expecting any big cameos, but just little tidbits connecting it to the Gaunt's Ghosts and Eisenhorn/Ravenor series.

There's a nice mention of Monthax, which is presented as one of the 50th's earliest battles. The soldiers mentioning it are line soldiers, so completely unaware of the weirdness that went on.

[StrangerOrders]

Just finished this and need time to simmer before I post a proper review.

 

But this was good, very very good.

 

I am far from a fan of Kyme but this was a very enjoyable (if) lengthy work. The prose were only 'meh' but the concepts, cast and plot did a such an appealing job that even when tired I was so interested I kept going on.

 

Which is nutty given how much of a minor and self-contained campaign this book covers. You want to know what comes next and purely for its own sake, which is a rare and high praise in this setting.

 

Bravo Kyme, it's the first time I regret not ordering one of your limited editions.

[Petitioner's City]

Definitely agree StrangerOrders; I think it ties up too neatly, but it does so well at making a regiment feel alive, complex, flawed and virtuous all at the same time. Can't wait for more, hope it does sell enough to warrant that.

[DukeLeto69]

Excited for this. Thought I had missed out on the Hardback but the Duchess secured one as an xmas present (she’s a keeper).

[theSpirea]

I was expecting more people talking about the book. Being it a part of the popular GG series. I has only one rating on Goodreads, 2 on Amazon, and 7 on Audible.

[Plaguecaster]

I just got it yesterday and read it all during the night and have to say it was amazing. So happy GW are continuing the story of the Sabbat systems outside of the ghosts as I truly love the setting and getting a different perspective from the usual ghosts is interesting.

It actually made the Volpone interesting compared to being the bastards we know from the ghost series. Yes there is alot of bastards still but as well as interesting characters and even then the some of the bastards like fenk is one of those Characters you hate but can't admire especially with the action against the traitor marine were amazing

 

One thing that has me curious

This is the 50th volpone right? the same ones at Nacedon? Would that mean the character Armand Culcis is the same Culcis from the ghosts series who was saved by the ghosts actions on Nacedon and would later become a major? I thought it was much further in the future well beyond the ghosts but multiple characters make mention of serving in engagements like Nacedon and Monthax

[Knockagh]

Started this and while I’m only a few chapters in I have to say I'm really very pleased. I has almost no belief in the authors ability to pull this off and hadn’t bought it until reading the reviews on here. Very readable and some very enjoyable characters.

The Sabbat setting is growing nicely across the authors and on the back of this long may it continue

[Sothalor]

So this was surprisingly good - straightforwardly readable, a plot focused more on people and culture than battle scenes.

 

It's got the right emphasis on remaining its own cohesive story with just enough hints, cameos, and glimpses of the wider setting that is one of the unique benefits (and potential pitfalls) of writing in a shared universe. Volpone Glory charts that potentially tricky course quite well. It treats those broader setting things as spice and seasoning, rather than trying to make them a cornerstone crutch.

 

 

I'd say the highlight element Kyme does here is making each character a representative of some facet of Volpone culture, whilst treating them all like actual people. They are definitely influenced by their sociocultural environment, but you get an array of life experiences, viewpoints, opinions, beliefs, methods, boundaries, and such - like real life.

 

By avoiding the tired old "Oh they're aristocrats so they're all privileged hon hon hon morons" cliche, the story comes across as so much more real. 

[aa.logan]

Damn, this was really *really* good.

 

In the same way that recent Cadian novels feature the social of trauma of The Fall, this shows the Guard being emotionally broken by years of fighting on an individual and societal level. The Volpone serve as a pretty good allegory for the wider Imperium.

[Sothalor]

A further thought - this book benefits from and works remarkably well as a foil to Gaunt's Ghosts. 
 
There are the shared setting commonalities with elements like the Blood Pact and Wirewolves, but more specifically the Volpone here act as a sort of mirror to the Tanith, especially when you add in the role of their primary Commissar figures. They're both groups of soldiers with a certain cultural outlook from their backgrounds, inter- and intra-group tensions. They're worn down from the ongoing Sabbat Crusade, and that unending war has strongly shaped the individuals and their broader cultures.
 
There are some parallels between the protagonists in Volpone Glory and Gaunt's Ghosts: Regara echoes the down-to-earth, paternal leadership qualities of Colbec, Culcis the straight-laced earnestness of Caffran or Ban Daur, Fenk the sociopathic pragmatism of Rawne

or Cuu

, etc.

 

I don't know how much of it is intentional or perhaps just fortunate happenstance, but it works so well in part because those echoes prime a reader familiar with GG for certain archetypes - and wonderfully subverts them when it comes to

Darian and Rensaint

.

 

 

Volpone Glory also benefits from being a longer novel - there's enough space for things to breathe, to spend time with the soldiers behind the lines at camp. This in particular surprised me because I'd have said that of Nick Kyme's works, his shorter fiction has typically been stronger. 

Edited January 18, 2022 by A Melancholic Sanguinity