Originally published in the Canberra Weekly on 11 September 2025.
Warhammer 40,000: Chem Dog by Callum Davis
Publisher: Black Library (Audiobook – 27 March 2026)
Series: Warhammer 40,000
Length: 9 hours and 28 minutes
My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
The Warhammer 40,000 universe continues to grow with an outstanding debut novel from new author Callum Davis, Chem Dog, a cool and intense read with a great plot behind it.
Readers of this blog will know that I have so much love for the awesome Warhammer 40,000 franchise, which produces so many amazing and unique books each year. Part of the reason this works so well is that the Black Library makes use of an intriguing collection of new and established authors to tell tales of this complex and grim dark universe. This includes a range of first-time authors, many of whom have a compelling Warhammer 40,000 book as their debut novel. I have had a blast reading several of these debuts over the years, and the latest one I want to highlight is the impressive Chem Dog by Callum Davis. The very first full novel from Davis, Chem Dog is a follow up to his previous short story, Those Without Mercy, and tells a gripping story of war, mistrust and unlikely camaraderie amid a brutal campaign.
Upon the vital, war-torn planet of Kruxx, disaster has struck the Imperium of Man. Under attack by ruthless ork invaders, Kruxx’s most heavily defended fortress, the Bastion Ajaxus, has fallen. Overwhelmed by hordes of brutish aliens, the defenders have been brutally cut down, and the bastion reforged into a crude but deadly ork fort. To ensure victory on Kruxx, the remaining Imperial soldiers need to retake the bastion at any cost, but the fate of the war may lay in the hands of the most unlikely of soldiers, the Savlar Chem-Dogs.
The refuse of an infamous prison world, the Savlar Chem-Dogs are a notorious and unreliable penal legion. Killers and thieves given the chance to die on the field of battle, the Chem-Dogs are an unlikely group of defenders for humanity whose only incentive to stay in the fight is the promise of loot taken from the bodies of the fallen.
Few know how imperfect the Chem-Dogs are more than Commissar Bastun Hasp, a relentless rule follower, dedicated to lethally enforcing order with his bolt pistol. However, ordered to join the likely fatal assault on Bastion Ajaxus and recover vital intelligence from its occupied halls, Hasp begins to feel doubt for the first time in his career, especially as his only backup are a squad of Chem-Dogs he previously sentenced to death. Forced to cross over deadly enemy-infested territory and join a bloody siege, can Hasp keep the Chem-Dogs loyal long enough to complete his mission, or will a far more sinister threat claim all their lives?
Chem Dog was an awesome new Warhammer 40,000 entry that quickly grabs your attention and keeps you hooked with its compelling narrative, entertaining characters and great action sequences. A powerful and intense first full novel from new author Callum Davis, Chem Dog was an easy book to fall in love with and is a must read for all Warhammer fans.
Davis crafts together a very entertaining action and adventure narrative for Chem Dog that brings in some interesting character moments and overarching Warhammer intrigue to create a captivating and exciting read. Starting off with an intense extended battle sequence with some short-lived characters that shows the helpless and grimdark nature of the Warhammer 40,000 universe perfectly, the story soon switches to the main protagonist, Commissar Bastun Hasp, as he is given his mission to journey to a besieged former Imperial citadel. Chem Dog quickly expands on some story points introduced in the preceding short story Those Without Mercy, with several characters from this previous entry returning to accompany Hasp to the citadel.
Much of the resulting first half of Chem Dog is an exciting and brutal adventure arc, as Hasp and the Savlars travel across the hostile Kruxx terrain, fighting against deserters and rampaging ork bands. This does an excellent job of setting up the desperate nature of the plot, as well as showcasing the unstable main characters as they attempt to work together. After some great action set pieces and locations, several of which showcase just how expendable members of the main cast truly are, the book evolves into an intrigue-laden siege story, as the protagonists arrived at the Bastion Ajaxus and find themselves drawn into the big assault on the citadel, which quickly goes to hell in one particularly amazing extended sequence.
The second half of Chem Dog soon turns into one continuous and bloody affair, as the protagonists and some contentious allies are forced to fight throughout the enemy fortress in some unique ways. Davis loads in some excellent action scenes here, while overlaying a level of mystery and mistrust over proceedings, especially as nothing goes the way they expect. Things get progressively darker as the story continues, with the last major sequence seeing some very interesting antagonists, including a unique take on the threat of the orks. The big finale of the story is brutal and features some not unexpected betrayals and revelations, as well as some genuinely tragic loss. I rather enjoyed how the story came together, although I will admit I was a little disappointed by the somewhat abrupt ending to the book. I think that Davis could have expanded on a few points and allowed for a more satisfying conclusion, however, it does leave some elements open for a potential sequel, which I would be very interested in checking out.
I felt that Davis did an excellent job writing his first full-length Warhammer novel, structuring his story and telling it in an effective manner. While there were some issues with the ending, for the most part Chem Dog was a particularly powerful read that combined clever character work with some intriguing dives into the Warhammer 40,000 universe. Effectively told from several alternating perspectives, the structure draws the reader into the overarching quest as well as the unashamedly criminal protagonists. Taking some inspirations from The Dirty Dozen (although not as directly as Gav Thorpe’s Last Chancers series), this was a brutal read that covered compelling elements of trust, loyalty and intrigue, especially in the last half. I was quite impressed by how Davis was able to capture the gritty nature of the continuous conflict the protagonists found themselves in, with the exhaustion and anger of the characters on full display. The real highlight of the book has to be the various battle sequences that Davis loaded into the plot, with the protagonists caught up in a ton of intense and well-written action scenes. I had such an easy time envisioning the very realistic and intense fights that emerged, as this is clearly a part of the writing process that Davis really excels at.
Unsurprisingly, considering this is Davis’s first novel, Chem Dog works well as a standalone read, written in way that made it open to a wide range of readers. While elements of the author’s previous short story are referenced by the characters, it is done in a way that lets the reader know what previously happened, so you won’t be lost if you hadn’t read it first. Davis’s style also allows readers with less familiarity with the Warhammer 40,000 universe to come in and read Chem Dog, and it would serve as an interesting entry novel for potential fans, especially for those who enjoy criminal antics and grim, military aesthetics with their science fiction plots.
Chem Dog naturally will appeal more to established fans of the universe, especially those who want to see the notorious Savlar Chem Dogs in action. The author expertly captured the resourcefulness, resentment and looter mentality of these unlikely soldiers, and it was entertaining to see them in action, especially when compared to other traditional Imperial Guard regiments. This excellent portrayal of the Chem Dogs and other human troops, as well as the Commissars commanding them, was a great highlight of the plot, and it more than made up for some certain eccentric portrayals of the orks that Davis slipped in. As such, I felt that Chem Dog was a particularly awesome Warhammer 40,000 novel, which is guaranteed to grab the imagination or a huge range of readers.
On top of the excellent writing, I need to highlight the amazing characters. The most prominent of these is the relentless Commissar Bastun Hasp, who is reluctantly forced to lead these criminal soldiers into battle. Serving as the primary narrator and protagonist for the book, much of the book’s drama is based around Hasp’s inner conflict in leading the Savlars. Initially shown to be implacable in his disdain for Chem Dogs under his command, Hasp’s growing respect for them causes him some major issues, as his harsh commissar mentality and training requires him to see them as unredeemable. This inner conflict is perfectly enhanced by Hasp receiving comparable contempt from other officers and commissars for leading a group of criminals, as well as Hasp’s secret reliance on the battle chems that the Savlars are forced to breath. This great inner conflict results in some powerful moments for Hasp throughout the book, and he proved to be an excellent and compelling central character for the plot.
While Hasp serves as the main protagonist of the story, Davis does ensure that the various other members of the squad are shown in some detail. While a generally expendable group of characters, you do get quite invested in the group of criminal misfits that Hasp leads, and it was fun to see them influence and get influenced by their commissar throughout the course of the plot. While there are a bunch of fun Salvar members in Chem Dog, the main one you follow is the squad leader, Rastus, who serves as a great secondary protagonist and point-of-view character. Rastus’s more straightforward, if criminally minded, narrative worked well alongside Hasp’s conflict-laden thoughts, and it was entertaining to see Rastus act as a bridge between the Commissar and his opportunistic squad. Davis has fun with the rest of this group of killers, although my favourite had to be the extremely loyal ogryn (the universe’s equivalent of an ogre) Grukkur, who serves as a dim-witted enforcer for Hasp. Grukkur was a wonderfully over the top and simple figure, and I felt he rounded out the cast nicely, providing both comic value and insane moments in combat. Throw in some other human solider with uncertain motives and a particularly fanatical extra commissar, and Chem Dog is loaded with some amazing drama and character conflicts, that allows for quite an addictive read.
As is my habit with most Warhammer novels I check out, I ended up getting the audiobook version of Chem Dog, which is easily the best way to enjoy the elaborate and varied tales of the Warhammer 40,000 universe. Chem Dog was a particularly good audiobook, as it easily presented its intense action narrative and unique characters, and ensured that listeners could easily power through its nine-and-a-half-hour-long runtime. A big reason that Chem Dog was such an epic listen was thanks to the vocal talents of narrator Richard Reed. One of more versatile narrators who lends their voice to the Warhammer franchise, Reed has previously impressed me on several previous outstanding audiobooks, including The Infinite and the Divine by Robert Rath, Lords of Excess by Rich McCormick (another great debut), Grim Repast by Marc Collins, just to name a few. Reed does another outstanding job here in Chem Dog, with a range of awesome voices and a great overall tone that moves this slick action narrative along at a quick pace. I loved the various over-the-top, yet fitting, voices that Reed came up with for several of the characters, including the stringent commissars, the unruly criminal soldiers and even a booming ogryn voice, that was particularly fun. All this results in an exceptional listen, which allowed me to power through Chem Dog in no time at all, and I cannot recommend this format enough, especially with one of the best Warhammer narrators voicing it.
The future of Warhammer 40,000 fiction continues to look bright, as Callum Davis produced an outstanding read with his debut novel. An exciting and intense novel, loaded with action and compelling characters, Chem Dog was an amazing read that provides some fantastic look at a unique faction in the grim dark universe. A sharp, well-written novel that you can easily get addicted to, Chem Dog was a very impressive debut, and I hope to see more from Davis in the future, especially if he revisits the protagonists from this novel again.
WWW Wednesday – 13 May 2026
WWW Wednesday is a weekly post hosted by Taking on a World of Words, where bloggers share the books that they’ve recently finished, what they are currently reading and what books they are planning to read next. Essentially you have to answer three questions (the Three Ws):
What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?
So, let’s get to it.
What are you currently reading:
The Couples Retreat by Mercedes Mercier (Trade Paperback)
I’ve started reading the intriguing Australian crime fiction read, The Couples Retreat. A compelling novel set on Australia’s iconic Kangaroo Island, this is an interesting read with a compelling murder mystery at its heart. I haven’t made as much progress on The Couples Retreat as I would have liked in the last week, but I’m hoping to make some progress on it soon.
Warhammer 40,000: Da Freebooterz Code by Justin Woolley (Audiobook)
I just had to start listening to the awesome new Warhammer 40,000 novel, Da Freebooterz Code, by Justin Woolley, as soon as I got my hands on it. A fun and hilariously over-the-top novel that sees an ambitious ork pirate face off against a noble Rogue Trader, Da Freebooterz Code is such a great read, loaded with laughs and entertaining characters. I’m really enjoying the awesome audiobook version of Da Freebooterz Code, and I’m hoping to finish it off soon.
What did you recently finish reading?
Warhammer 40,000: Ghost Legion by Mike Brooks (Audiobook)
I recently finished off the cool new Warhammer 40,000 book from Mike Brooks, Ghost Legion. An excellent sequel to his previous novel, Harrowmaster, Ghost Legion was a worthy follow-up, loaded with intense action and a compelling story.
Guns of the Dawn by Adrian Tchaikovsky (Audiobook)
I also recently finished listening to the epic fantasy novel from Adrian Tchaikovksy, Guns of the Dawn. An excellent early novel from this outstanding author, Guns of the Dawn, was a very clever and powerful read that I couldn’t get enough of.
What do you think you’ll read next?
A Parade of Horribles by Matt Dinniman
The next book I’m hoping to dive into is the outstanding new Dungeon Crawler Carl novel from Matt Dinniman, A Parade of Horribles. Set to continue the crazy adventures in a planet spanning dungeon being televised to the universe, A Parade of Horribles has so much potential, especially after how crazy and intensely powerful the last books in the series have been. I have no doubt that A Parade of Horribles is going to be one of the very best books of 2026, and I cannot wait to see what happens to the series’ beloved characters next.
That’s it for this week; check back in next Wednesday to see what progress I’ve made on my reading and what books I’ll be looking at next.
King Sorrow by Joe Hill
Publisher: Headline (Trade Paperback – 21 October 2025)
Series: Standalone
Length: 881 pages
My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
One of the more unique and addictive novels I’ve had the great pleasure of reading in recent months has to be the exceptional horror read, King Sorrow, by the very impressive Joe Hill.
Joe Hill is an author who is well known for his creative and over-the-top narratives, especially with his very interesting contributions to the horror genre. The son of the legendary Stephen King, Hill has followed in the family footsteps with some amazing releases, including several standalone novels like Horns, Heart-Shaped Box and NOS4A2, a huge array of short stories (including The Black Phone), and even some comics (Locke & Key being the obvious candidate). Several of these publications have been turned into film and television adaptations over the years, and I have been keen to read something from Hill for a while. As such, when I saw the compelling narrative of Hill’s new book, the massive King Sorrow, I knew I had to check it out, and boy was I glad that I did.
Plot Synopsis:
Bookish dreamer Arthur Oakes is a student at Rackham College, Maine, renowned for its frosty winters and beautiful buildings.
But his idyll – and burgeoning romance with Gwen Underfoot – is shattered when local drug dealers force him into a terrible crime: stealing rare and valuable books from the exceptional college library.
Trapped and desperate, Arthur turns to his closest friends for help: the wealthy, irrepressible Colin Wren; brave, beautiful Allison Shiner; the battling twins Donna and Donovan McBride; and brainy, bold Gwen. Together they dream up an impossible, fantastical scheme that they scarcely imagine will work: to summon the fabled dragon King Sorrow to kill those tormenting Arthur.
But the six stumble backwards into a deadly bargain – they soon learn they must choose a new sacrifice for King Sorrow each year or one of them will become his next victim. Unleashing consequences they can neither predict nor control, this promise will, over the course of four decades, shape and endanger their lives in ways they could never expect.
King Sorrow was a truly outstanding read from Hill that had me hooked from the very beginning, all the way to its heartfelt and complex end. A wonderfully powerful read filled with great characters and dark moments, King Sorrow was an exceptional horror epic that proves near impossible to put down. King Sorrow was one of my favourite books of 2025, and I cannot recommend it enough.
I really loved the elaborate narrative of King Sorrow, which I can tell Hill put an awful lot of care and thought into. Told initially from the perspective of Arthur Oaks, a young scholar at Rackham College (in Maine, naturally) who is forced to steal rare books from the school’s library for local drug dealers with the ability to hurt his mother in prison. When his secret becomes known to his friends, an eclectic mixture of fellow students at the college, they agree to help him with his troubles. However, this help gets out of hand when, after a night of drinking, the group decides to use an infamous occult tome to summon a fabled dragon, King Sorrow, to kill those tormenting Arthur. But to the group’s horror, this is no one-time occurrence, as King Sorrow decrees that the bargain they struck entitles him to a new soul each year. This was a pretty awesome first part of King Sorrow, which, while long, was a very impactful introduction to the larger story and perfectly set up the chaotic events and dark bargains to come.
After this first part, King Sorrow’s story evolves into a more long-term storyline, skipping ahead years with each new part and focusing on the various main characters and how they are dealing with the Faustian bargain they have struck. After deciding to live with King Sorrow and his desires, the group have primarily decided to use the dragon to punish the worst of humanity around the world, by setting him on murderers and terrorists. However, thanks to the entertaining machinations of King Sorrow, many of these kills have unexpected consequences, forcing the protagonists to react in different ways, and bringing new characters into the group’s orbit. Highlights include a particularly intense extended sequences, where two members of the group try to save a passenger jet containing one of their intended targets, which King Sorrow wants to burn as collateral. Another harrowing part of the book sees twin protagonists Donna and Donovan McBride kidnapped and held hostage by a government organisation with knowledge of their actions, a course of action that goes well for nobody. At the same time, Hill throws in some fascinating interludes that provide greater depth for some of the book’s more interesting characters, while also providing glimpses at a long-term threat that is coming for the main cast.
The author effectively keeps up the drama much of King Sorrow’s plot, and you are constantly on the edge of your seat as you attempt to guess where the story will go next. However, even I was really thrown by the great antagonistic curveball that Hill threw in about three-quarters into King Sorrow, that really adds in some substantial drama and provides some fascinating revelations about previous adventures in the plot. With one of the protagonists brilliantly taking on a far more villainous role, the surviving characters are constantly thrown through a loop as they attempt to find a way to end their bargain. However, nothing goes the way anyone anticipates, with tragedy, more betrayals and dark moments consuming the entire cast. Everything leads up to an excellent full-circle confrontation with the beast that shaped all of them, with some heartwarming final encounters and resolutions to the plot. Hill wraps everything up perfectly, and you come away from King Sorrow extremely satisfied, especially after getting so wrapped up in the author’s elaborate, character-driven plot.
I must admit that before I read King Sorrow, I didn’t know quite what to expect from Joe Hill as a writer. However, his style really resonated with me, and I ended up being quite blown away with the elaborate nature of this book when I got the chance to read it. Set up as a complex character-focused book with a layered narrative, King Sorrow was a particularly powerful epic that covered decades of several brilliant characters. Featuring an exceptional use of multiple character perspectives and interludes, King Sorrow was a cleverly and intricately written story that examined so many points of human nature and compelling character development throughout its near 900-page run. Despite its length (it’s one of the longer physical books I’ve ever read), there was never a second that I was bored with King Sorrow, and I honestly powered through it in a relatively short amount of time.
Much of this addictive edge is because Hill effortlessly blended a great mixture of genres into this plot, with horror, fantasy and thriller elements all working well together. Setting a terrifying and vengeful dragon spirit against the worst of humanity makes for some interesting contrasts, and I rather enjoyed seeing how normal criminals and even intelligence organisations would react to a magical dragon occasionally terrifying the world. There are also some entertaining historical elements to King Sorrow, as the author cleverly ties the plot of this book into certain real-world events, with the actions of the protagonists often leading to some major tragedies. I really enjoyed the unique feel that this gave the book, especially when combined with the certain gothic edge of the more supernatural scenes, especially the multiple varied depictions of the crazy occult ceremony that first summoned King Sorrow. Hill maintains these elements for the entirety of the book, and I have a lot of appreciation, for the elaborate way he tied his cast together with tragedy and bad decision. The result was an incredibly well written novel from Hill, who emulated aspects of his father’s style while also providing his own distinctive feel.
Another outstanding highlight of King Sorrow that I must mention are the incredible and complex characters loaded into the plot. This includes its six main characters, whose inadvertent summoning of King Sorrow sets the dark events of the book in motion. While I don’t want to go into too much detail about these characters to avoid spoilers, I will say that Hill does an amazing job introducing and exploring their experiences throughout the course of the novel, and you really get caught up in their specific arcs as a result. Hill really dives into the dark choices surrounding their deadly bargain, and I found it fascinating to see how the impact of their decisions hit each of them differently, with each reacting in a fantastic manner. There is some real tragedy involved with these characters, and you really fall in love with most of them (with one or two exceptions), even if it hurts to do so.
The character I will go into a little more detail about is the titular dragon, King Sorrow. A malevolent, supernatural figure, King Sorrow is a haunting presence in the novel, stalking both the protagonists and their victims and revelling in their fear. Thanks to his vindictive and manipulative nature, King Sorrow proves to be one of the more entertaining figures in this novel, and I loved the multitude of ways he messed with the protagonists, especially when it forces them to make hard decisions. I really loved the various scenes King Sorrow was in, and he matched the main cast so perfectly, especially as he slowly brought out the worst in several of them. Throw in an array of intriguing side characters, including several criminals whose actions haunt the group for decades, and the cast of King Sorrow was something special, especially once you get drawn into this novel’s outstanding narrative.
With a truly remarkable story, some amazing characters, and a brilliant writing style that sets him apart from other authors, Joe Hill’s latest novel, King Sorrow, was truly impressive and an exceptional novel to check out. A sprawling epic with so many complex layers to it, King Sorrow was so damn addictive, and I still cannot believe how quickly I powered through it. A highly recommended read that lives up to all the hype surrounding it, King Sorrow was Joe Hill at his finest, and I cannot wait to see what he writes next.
Warhammer 40,000: Renegades: Harrowmaster by Mike Brooks
Publisher: Black Library (Audiobook – 29 October 2022)
Series: Warhammer 40,000: Renegades – Book 1
Length: 11 hours
My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
One of the leading authors of Warhammer 40,000 fiction, the highly entertaining Mike Brooks, dives into the minds of humanity’s most complex traitors with the outstanding and particularly gripping novel, Renegades: Harrowmaster.
Mike Brooks is an author who I have really grown to appreciate in recent years thanks to his ability to pull together complex and highly addictive Warhammer 40,000 narratives from across the expansive franchise. Brooks’s great contributions to Warhammer 40,000 fiction include some deep dives into several iconic characters, such as Huron Blackheart: Master of the Maelstrom, Lelith Hesperax: Queen of Knives and The Lion: Son of the Forest, as well as his absolutely hilarious ork focused novels with Warboss, Brutal Kunnin and Da Big Dakka, as well as his short story contributions to Da Red Gobbo Collection. All these amazing novels were quite exceptional reads, and it has really made me appreciate Brooks’s ability to dive into the entire Warhammer universe and bring its various characters and factions to life. As such, when in the mood for more Warhammer 40,000 fiction, it was a very easy choice to check out his 2023 release, Harrowmaster, which has been on my to-read list for a while. The first book in the Renegades sub-series that focuses on traitor Space Marines, Harrowmaster proved to be an epic and noteworthy first entry in this series, especially as Brooks choice to focus on the deeply intriguing Alpha Legion.
In the far future of the 41st millennium, there are many renegades and traitors assaulting the faltering Imperium of Man, but few are as dangerous or as insidious as the notorious traitor Space Marines of the Alpha Legion. Masters of deceit, espionage and achieving victory through alternate tactics, the Alpha Legion have long haunted humanity with their spies and schemes. But despite all their careful planning, even the Alpha Legion are unprepared when a new dangerous enemy is thrown against them.
Attempting to exploit the chaos caused by the opening of the Great Rift, the Alpha Legion warband known as The Serpent’s Teeth are the first of their legion to encounter Primaris Marines, a new breed of Space Marines that have been enhanced into something far more dangerous than anything the renegades have encountered before. Now forced to contend with even more deadly threats from the hated Imperium, the members of the Alpha Legion gather to decide whether to hide from this new enemy or adapt to face it.
Into this uncertainty enters Solomon Akurra, the new leader of the Serpent’s Teeth. Determined to lead a decisive war against the Imperium, Solomon claims the title of Harrowmaster and works to bind the various Alpha Legion bands to his cause. Through deceit, lies and superior tactics, Solomon soon leads his men to victory, but that is only the start of the war to come. With shadowy forces from the Imperium hunting him, and his own allies waiting to see if he fails, can Solomon survive all his enemies, as well as the hidden blades at his neck, to achieve his goal? Only the most adaptable can become Harrowmaster, and the galaxy is unprepared for the carnage to come.
Harrowmaster was an exceptional Warhammer 40,000 novel from Brooks, and it is one that I wish I had read a lot sooner. Perfectly blending action and intrigue with a fascinating dive into one of the franchise’s most notorious factions, Harrowmaster was a deeply impressive read that I couldn’t turn away from. A very easy five-star read, this is one of my new favourites from Brooks due to its complex story and great characters.
I loved the very fun and captivating narrative that Brooks came up with for Harrowmaster, especially as it featured a lot of awesome moving parts that really came together perfectly. Starting off with an excellent introduction that showcases the Alpha Legion’s tactics of manipulation, the villainous protagonists soon encounter a deadly new threat that forces them onto the backfoot. From there the story takes on a bit of a lore-heavy focus, with Solomon Akurra, gathering different Alpha Legion factions and manipulating them into a single host. This interesting focus on the Alpha Legion in this part of the book is well balanced by the appearance of a fun Inquisitor character, Kayzen Hart, who serves as an alternate protagonist for the plot, providing some excellent additional intrigue.
Following some great action sequences, the plot evolves into a complex game of cat and mouse, with the various characters trying gain advantage and achieve their varied goals. For Solomon Akurra, this involves moulding his forces together into an effective and cohesive force, while using his Legion’s talents for deception and infiltration to their advantage. At the same time, Inquisitor Hart finds himself not only trying to capture Solomon but also locked in a deadly battle of wits against a rival inquisitor. The central plotlines of Harrowmaster cleverly force these two characters into greater danger, with both Solomon and Hart losing everything and being forced into some truly desperate action to get what they want. This leads up to a great big confrontation sequence towards the end of the novel, which wraps up a lot of ongoing storylines. There are some great twists here, including one that was particularly clever, and it was so much fun seeing it unfold. Everything comes together very nicely, with some fitting final scenes that really highlight the underlying betrayals and battles of intrigue that categorised this novel. Brooks ended this novel on a fun note that hints of more chaotic adventures to come.
Harrowmaster proved to be another exceptional read from Brooks, who honestly has one of the most readable and entertaining writing styles of all the current Warhammer 40,000 writers. Presenting an intricate action narrative that expertly blends interesting character stories with some compelling dives into Warhammer lore, Harrowmaster will appeal to a wide range of readers. Brooks does an excellent job breaking the story down across several interesting characters, which allows the reader to see various parts of the overarching and multilayered narrative. I personally loved the combination of Alpha Legion action and deception that went alongside the inquisitor focussed shenanigans of Kayzen Hart’s storyline, and the high level on intrigue and alternating moves from the participants was a lot of fun. Throw in some over-the-top action sequences which have an excellent flow to them, and Harrowmaster had a lot to recommend it, especially as it was easy to get caught up in the story.
One of the things I liked most about Harrowmaster was the way in which Brooks ensured it was open to new readers unfamiliar with the franchise, while also providing interesting details for Warhammer 40,000 fans. The author ensures there is plenty of context and information for new readers to get involved in this universe, enough so that Harrowmaster would be a good introductory novel for new readers. At the same time, Brooks also features a nuanced and layered look at the always awesome Alpha Legion, which established Warhammer readers will appreciate. I personally enjoyed how cleverly Brooks dove into the disparate nature of the Alpha Legion, including their various philosophies and different way of interacting with the Imperium. The focus on how they fight war through infiltration, deceit and spies was particularly awesome, and it was fascinating to see how they adapt and react to new threats, such as encountering Primaris Space Marines for the first time. At the same time, Brooks also has fun showcasing other unique parts of the Warhammer universe here, such as the internally warring Inquisitors, who always make for entertaining narratives. As such, I would honestly recommend Harrowmaster to readers of various experiences with Warhammer fiction, with everyone guaranteed to have an amazing time with this clever read.
I must also take this time to highlight some of the excellent characters contained within Harrowmaster, with Brooks focusing his narrative on some interesting figures. This naturally includes the main character, Solomon Akurra, a veteran Alpha Legion member who seeks the title of Harrowmaster. A clever and ambitious figure, Solomon proves to be an entertaining character to follow, with his schemes and plans allowing for some excellent story moments. Despite being a member of an apparently villainous faction (very hard to judge with the Alpha Legion), Solomon proves to be an extremely likeable character, and you get really invested in seeing him succeed, even if his plans are quite destructive. I felt a lot of Solomon’s likeability came from the entertaining friendship he had with his human sorceress comrade Tulaava Dyne. A particularly sassy and dangerous figure in her own right, Tulaava served as a good foil to the more serious Solomon, and their partnership was a fantastic centre for Harrowmaster’s plot, especially when considering the unlikely loyalty that sprung up between them.
The other awesome main character for Harrowmaster was Inquisitor Kayzen Hart, whose obsession with hunting down the Alpha Legion, especially Solomon, resulted in some of the more compelling storylines of the entire book. A radical Inquisitor, Kayzen attempts to understand and use his own target’s methods against them more much of the book, which has mixed results as he engages in a system-wide battle of wits against Solomon. However, Kayzen’s methods put him at odds with his fellow Inquisitor Nessa Karnis, an old comrade who is just as obsessed with defeating the Alpha Legion. However, the conflict between Kayzen’s radical methods and Nessa’s puritanical philosophies sees them fighting each other, and I loved how their conflict matched the infighting amongst the Alpha Legion. Throw in a fantastic array of other over-the-top Alpha Legion members, each with different specialities and beliefs that Solomon is forced to manipulate, as well as the steadfast loyalist Space Marines of the Silver Templars, whose attempts to outthink the Alpha Legion lead to some of the book’s more exciting moments, and I have a lot of love for the characters in Harrowmaster, especially as Brooks weaves some intense and impressive storylines around them.
Unsurprisingly, I decided to check out Harrowmaster on audiobook, which is my go-to format for all things Warhammer due to how much more awesome the over-the-top stories become when read out loud. This was the case with Harrowmaster, as its elaborate narrative of intrigue and action really came to life when read out, allowing me to absolutely power through its 11-hour long runtime. A lot of this is due to the outstanding voice work of narrator Theo Solomon, whose work I preciously enjoyed in Leviathan by Darius Hinks. Solomon perfectly captured the various characters contained within Harrowmaster with his narration, especially the main character Solomon Akurra, with the fitting voice for this protagonist forming the basis for much of the audiobook. The rest of the cast was also voiced extremely well by Solomon, and I loved the fun array of voices that went to the complex and often outrageous cast, with some excellent choices for the crazed Chaos Space Marines, as well as the feuding inquisitors. I honestly had such a great time listening to the Harrowmaster audiobook, and it is easily the best way to enjoy this incredible read.
Mike Brooks continues to showcase why he is one of the best current authors of Warhammer 40,000 fiction with his fantastic Renegades novel, Harrowmaster. An exceptional read that perfectly showcases the iconic Alpha Legion, while also telling its own outrageous story of deceit, intrigue and chaotic action, Harrowmaster was so damn good, especially on audiobook. I honestly cannot recommend Harrowmaster enough, and I am actually reading the recently released sequel to it, Ghost Legion, at this very moment.
Quick Review – We Saw What You Started by Carla Salmon
Publisher: Pan Australia (Trade Paperback – 1 July 2025)
Series: Standalone
Length: 336 pages
My Rating: 4.25 out of 5 stars
Prepare for some troubled fun in the sun with the fantastic 2025 Australian young adult fiction debut, We Saw What You Started by new author Carla Salmon.
Plot Synopsis:
Three deadly fires. One suspect. A thriller of surf and sea.
Otto was a star surfer back in California, but now he just wants a fresh start. When fires break out in Red Sands, the locals are suspicious. It’s no coincidence that Otto’s at the scene every time. Is it?
Milly isn’t so sure. Small town talk isn’t always right – especially when it comes to her ‘perfect’ brother, who doesn’t deserve to become captain of the surf lifesaving club. What if the new boy is innocent?
Can Otto and Milly trust each other to find the truth behind the fires? And what happens when you do the wrong things for the right reasons?
We Saw What You Started was a compelling and exciting debut from Salmon, who provides a cool thriller narrative amongst youthful hijinks on a rural Australian coastline. Starting off with some immediate peril as the protagonist of the story, Otto, gets caught up in an apparently deliberate bushfire, you are quickly introduced to the small-town setting of Red Sands, as well as the dramas surrounding Otto and Milly.
Salmon effectively splits the narrative of We Saw What You Started between the perspectives of Otto and Milly, who grow close as the story progresses. However, with an important swimming and lifesaving contest on the horizon, things become complicated for both as a series of arsons take place around town, often when Otto is nearby. This naturally increases the drama of the plot, as Otto deals with suspicion from the Red Sands townsfolk, especially when his troubled past in America becomes known. At the same time, Milly, driven by her own desire for independence and respect from her father, becomes one of Otto’s only allies. The two start teaming up to investigate the arsons, resulting in some interesting moments of investigation, conflict and teenage rebellion, that play into the main plot extremely well.
The author does an exceptional job pulling together a great young adult crime fiction story in the second half of We Saw What You Started, loaded with high stakes and powerful dives into the protagonist’s traumatic past. The revelation of who is responsible for the arsons, and the big confrontation at the end, are nicely set up, and Salmon loaded up a ton of fun hints throughout the book that really pay off. Everything wraps up nicely, with the ongoing character struggles resolved and everyone getting their happy ending, allowing for a fantastic and heartfelt standalone read that did an excellent job of blending its crime fiction elements with the various personal problems of its intriguing young cast.
Overall, I felt that We Saw What You Started was an excellent debut novel that helped to showcase the Carla Salmon’s ability as a writer. Expertly combining an intriguing crime fiction narrative with some fantastic young characters and a striking Australian setting, We Saw What You Started that will appeal to a wide range of readers, especially it’s intended young adult audience, who can relate to Salmon’s protagonists and their struggles. This was a wonderful Australian novel and a great introduction to Carla Salmon, who looks set to continue her writing adventures in 2026.
Canberra Weekly Column – Mixed Genre – 4 December 2025
Originally published in the Canberra Weekly on 4 December 2025.
Make sure to check out my extended reviews of Kill Your Boss, The Strength of the Few and Tyrant of Rome.
Tyrant of Rome by Simon Scarrow
Publisher: Headline (Trade Paperback – 11 November 2025)
Series: Eagles of the Empire – Book 24
Length: 403 pages
My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Prepare for more Roman era carnage as the always impressive Simon Scarrow continues his long-running Eagles of the Empire series with the epic and intriguing novel, Tyrant of Rome.
Long-time readers of this blog will know that I am a major fan of the exceptional Simon Scarrow, who is one of the top current authors of historical fiction, having written an outstanding array of historical novels over the years. I have had a blast with many of Scarrow’s works, including his Berlin Wartime Thriller series (see my reviews for Blackout, Dead of Night and A Death in Berlin). However, his main body of work remains his Eagles of the Empire series. One of the premier Roman historical fiction series, Eagles of the Empire follows two elite Roman officers as they fight their way across multiple wars, provinces and battlefields. I have been a fan of this series from the beginning, and the books within it have been a key part of my yearly review schedule, including The Blood of Rome, Traitors of Rome, The Emperor’s Exile, The Honour of Rome, Death to the Emperor, Rebellion and Revenge of Rome. As such, the latest book in the series, Tyrant of Rome, has been a highly anticipated read for me, and I have been very keen to get my hands on it. The 24th novel in the series, Tyrant of Rome, sees the protagonists forced to face a far more dangerous force than the recent rebellion of Boudica, politics and the howling mob of Rome.
Plot Synopsis:
AD 63. Under the reckless and tumultuous leadership of Emperor Nero, Rome is descending into near-anarchy and conspiracy. The brutal execution of 400 slaves has led to rioting and discontent. Only the strongest soldier could maintain control. And so Nero turns to Prefect Cato to help save his reign from collapse.
Cato has been lying low after a heroic campaign to quash the Boudica uprising. Now he is called upon to serve again. As the new Prefect of the Urban Cohorts in Rome, Cato needs a loyal and proven officer by his side. Centurion Macro is willing to step up.
War and rebellion hold few fears for these seasoned veterans. But the politics and intrigue of Rome make every day as perilous as the battlefield. And the fate of both men, and of the empire, lie in the hands of the most volatile emperor of the age. Death awaits anyone who dares to defy Nero.
Cato and Macro will need to call on all their experience, native cunning and bottomless courage to survive in this epic new adventure of Roman military heroism.
Tyrant of Rome was another incredible read from Scarrow, who presents another fun and deeply exciting historical tale, this time loaded with intrigue, schemes and some fascinating insights into ancient Roman society. An outstanding continuation of one of my favourite series, I powered through Tyrant of Rome in no time at all, while also deeply appreciating its narrative differences from the typical Eagle of the Empire novel.
Scarrow provides a very interesting narrative that partially takes the reader away from the Roman battlefield fans of the series are familiar with. Once again following the duo of Cato and Macro, this novel sees them secretly returned to Rome after surviving Boudica’s rebellion, attempting to avoid the attention of Nero. However, when the emperor discovers that he is back, Cato is once again forced to report for duty to keep his secrets hidden. Unexpectedly assigned to lead Rome’s Urban Cohorts, Cato attempts to impose his military order onto the corrupt and lax soldiers of Rome’s primary defence and urban control regiment. However, Cato’s appointment couldn’t come at a worse time, as Rome is in uproar over Nero’s recent decision to execute hundreds of innocent slaves. At the same time, Cato finds himself trapped at the whims of an increasingly unstable Nero and the dangerous people attempting to control the emperor for their own gain. Desperate for help, Cato calls Macro out of retirement and sets him up as the Urban Cohort’s new drill sergeant and Cato’s backup against its corrupt officers.
Scarrow quickly sets much of the above scene early on in Tyrant of Rome, and the resulting mixture of the protagonist’s usual martial activity is nicely balanced by their personal concerns, and their immersion in the deteriorating politics of Rome. As the protagonists attempt to navigate the city through several deadly events, Cato also finds himself caught up in the middle of a dark conspiracy to unseat Nero. Caught between these conspirators and those manipulating Nero, Cato is forced to choose a side, especially when the city explodes into mob violence focused on the palace. This results in an intense and extended battle sequence leading up to the finale of Tyrant of Rome, as the protagonists attempt to survive against deadly odds. This awesome battle serves to bring together several of the ongoing storylines in Tyrant of Rome, with the big dark conspiracy of the novel resulting in additional carnage. This leads to an interesting, if not surprising, conclusion, as the protagonists get their typical rewards, and Scarrow sets the board for more adventures to come for this long-running duo.
I felt that this latest outing from Scarrow was a strong entry in the Eagles of the Empire series, which played up its focus on politics, intrigue and notable historical events. One of the few novels of this series set in Rome, Tyrant of Rome really dove into the chaotic reign of Nero, as well as some of the key figures behind the throne, and it was fascinating to see the soldier protagonists attempting to survive amid the resulting backstabbing and manipulations of an unstable emperor. This is one of the more historically rich novels in this series, and Scarrow throws in some intriguing depictions of significant moments of Roman history, such as the Great Fire of Rome, and I really enjoyed his take on these events, as well as how the protagonists were inserted into them. There were also some excellent depictions of a range of major historical figures, including Nero and other prominent Romans during this reign. Scarrow has a lot of fun portraying Nero’s rule, as well as the role that several of these other figures, such as his wife and the heads of the Praetorian Guard, had during this turbulent period. This focus on history helped to up the dramatic stakes of the plot, and it, alongside the well-written political intrigue and plotting, worked well with the more typical storyline of Cato and Macro whipping Roman soldiers into shape and leading them into battle.
While Tyrant of Rome is the 24th entry in a long-running series, Scarrow has long ensured that his Eagles of the Empire novels are mostly standalone in nature, with only a few requiring readers to check out earlier entries. Tyrant of Rome in particular works well as an independent read, as it comes just after Scarrow wrapped up a major multi-book arc, and starts setting the series in a new direction in the later years of Nero’s reign and the lead-up to the Year of the Four Emperors. As such, it’s easy to drop into the series here, especially as Scarrow provides excellent recaps of the protagonist’s relationships and past adventures. Thanks to the author’s open writing style, readers with varying knowledge of either history, or the events of the previous Eagles of the Empire books, can easily read and appreciate the cool adventures and intrigues of the characters, although established fans are naturally going to get the most out of seeing Cato and Macro in action again.
Scarrow makes sure to treat these ongoing readers with some interesting movement on the series’ overarching narrative, especially as it starts to establish the protagonists as players in the oncoming civil wars, and you also get to see how these characters continue to develop after all these years. The weariness around Cato and Macro after their multiple adventures, including their last harrowing stint in Britannia, is well showcased by Scarrow. I particularly enjoyed seeing a far more cynical Cato as he attempted to navigate the politics of Rome, and it certainly was a far cry from the more innocent figure we saw at the start of the series. I personally enjoyed seeing the return of a key figure from Cato and Macro’s past, the future emperor Vespasian, and the complex interactions he had with Cato, were very enlightening.
Simon Scarrow continues to showcase why he is one of the very best modern authors of Roman historical fiction with the latest Eagles of the Empire novel, Tyrant of Rome. Combining captivating historical political intrigue with Scarrow’s typically impressive depiction of the Roman military, Tyrant of Rome was a distinctive and powerful entry in this long-running series, that comes very highly recommended. An epic and action-packed read, I honestly couldn’t get enough of Tyrant of Rome, and I really cannot wait to see how Scarrow continues this series going forward, especially as we have a new entry, The Sword of Rome, set for release later this year.
WWW Wednesday – 8 April 2026
WWW Wednesday is a weekly post hosted by Taking on a World of Words, where bloggers share the books that they’ve recently finished, what they are currently reading and what books they are planning to read next. Essentially you have to answer three questions (the Three Ws):
What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?
So, let’s get to it.
What are you currently reading:
The Exes by Leodora Darlington (Trade Paperback)
I started to read the awesome and compelling debut novel, The Exes by Leodora Darlington, this week. Following a complex character who finds herself involved in a series of problematic relationships that all end tragically for her untrustworthy partners, The Exes is a deadly and entertaining psychological thriller with some fun twists to it. I’ve made a bit of progress with The Exes this week and I’m hoping to finish it off soon.
The Book of Fallen Leaves by A. S. Tamaki (Trade Paperback)
I also started the new fantasy novel, The Book of Fallen Leaves from author A. S. Tamaki this week. An interesting release, The Book of Fallen Leaves is a Japanese inspired fantasy epic that I think has a ton of potential. I’ve only made a little progress on this novel so far, but I’m hoping to get a good chunk of it finished in the next week, especially as it has a very compelling story behind it.
Warhammer 40,000: Chem Dog by Callum Davis (Audiobook)
I’m still in a major Warhammer 40,000 mood this week, so I decided to listen to one of the more intriguing recent releases from the franchise, Chem Dog. The debut novel of the talented Callum Davis, Chem Dog sees a dedicated commissar lead a group of soldiers from an infamously criminal regiment on a desperate suicide mission, where the greatest risk comes from the commissar’s own troops. I’ve already made a decent start on Chem Dog, and I’m already quite addicted to its excellent and outrageous story.
What did you recently finish reading?
Dark Desert Road by Tim Ayliffe (ebook)
I finished off the awesome Australian crime fiction novel, Dark Desert Road by Tim Ayliffe this week, which has been on my to-read list for a while. An intriguing read, Dark Desert Road follows a Sydney police officer who journeys into the countryside, looking for her long-lost sister who has gotten herself caught up with a group of domestic terrorists. A thrilling novel with some great contemporary focuses, this was an outstanding novel that comes highly recommended.
Warhammer 40,000: Ghazghkull Thraka: Warlord of Warlords by Denny Flowers (Audiobook)
I also finished off the highly entertaining Warhammer 40,000 novel, Ghazghkull Thraka: Warlord of Warlords by the always impressive Denny Flowers this week. Another book from Flowers that focus on the volatile and brutal ork faction, Warlord of Warlords sees betrayal, intrigue and the usual ork carnage engulf the court of the infamous, Ghazghkull Thraka. One of the more amusing and enjoyable Warhammer novels of 2026, Warlords of Warlords was an exceptional read I’m really glad I got the chance to listen to.
The Writers Retreat by Victoria Brownlee (ebook)
I had the time to check out the fun Australian novel, The Writers Retreat by Victoria Brownlee, which saw an aspiring author caught up in a dark conspiracy at a French writing retreat. A clever and cosy read that is worth checking out.
What do you think you’ll read next?
If I manage to get through the two books I’m currently reading in the next week, I’m hoping to dive into the new Australian murder mystery from S. R. White, Dead Fall Lake. Another curious and clever sounding release from one of Australia’s more distinctive, rising crime fiction authors, Dead Fall Lake has a ton of potential, and I cannot wait to check it out.
That’s it for this week; check back in next Wednesday to see what progress I’ve made on my reading and what books I’ll be looking at next.
