Category: Tie-in Novel

Waiting on Wednesday – Star Wars: Reign of the Empire: The Mask of Fear by Alexander Freed

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Extended Universe, Science Fiction, Star Wars, Tie-in Novel, Waiting on Wednesday5 Comments

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  In this latest Waiting on Wednesday, I check out one of the most promising upcoming Star Wars tie-in novels, with the first book in Alexander Freed’s Reign of the Empire trilogy, The Mask of Fear.

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I must admit that I have been a little lax recently in my reading of Star Wars fiction, especially as I have had some amazing experiences with the franchise over the years.  However, there is one upcoming Star Wars trilogy that I won’t be avoiding, and that is the intriguing and epic sounding Reign of the Empire trilogy by acclaimed author Alexander Freed.  Freed is an outstanding author who previously greatly impressed me with his incredible Alphabet Squadron trilogy of Star Wars novels.  Made up of the fantastic novels Alphabet Squadron, Shadow Fall and Victory’s Price, the Alphabet Squadron novels were a dark and gritty war series set in the aftermath of Return of the Jedi, which provided a dark follow-up to the classic film.  I became a big fan of Freed thanks to the Alphabet Squadron trilogy and I have been keen to see what he was going to write next in the Star Wars universe.

Well, it turns out that Freed’s next foray in Star Wars fiction is going to be another intriguing and awesome series with the Reign of the Empire books.  Set after the events of the prequel trilogy, the Reign of the Empire books will provide readers with a fresh take on how the Empire rose and maintained power and how the initial seeds of rebellion were born.  The first book in this series, The Mask of Fear, is currently set for release in February 2025, and it is one of my most anticipated books coming out in the first half of the new year thanks to its exceptional focus.

Plot Synopsis:

Before the Rebellion, the Empire reigns, in book one of a trilogy told through the eyes of Mon Mothma, Bail Organa, and Saw Gerrera.

“In order to ensure the security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire! For a safe and secure society!”

With one speech, and thunderous applause, Chancellor Palpatine brought the era of the Republic crashing down. In its place rose the Galactic Empire. Across the galaxy, people rejoiced and celebrated the end to war—and the promises of tomorrow. But that tomorrow was a lie. Instead the galaxy became twisted by the cruelty and fear of the Emperor’s rule.

During that terrifying first year of tyranny, Mon Mothma, Saw Gerrera, and Bail Organa face the encroaching darkness. One day, they will be three architects of the Rebel Alliance. But first, each must find purpose and direction in a changing galaxy, while harboring their own secrets, fears, and hopes for a future that may never come, unless they act.

I’m very excited for The Mask of Fear, particularly as Freed looks to expand on the events surrounding the early days of the Empire.  Some previous television shows, such as Andor and The Bad Batch, as well as the Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith comic series, have done an outstanding job of exploring this part of the Star Wars history, and it is frankly one of my favourite periods of the franchise.  I am really interested in seeing Freed’s take on it and based on the author’s previous powerful and intense depictions of the Star Wars universe, I am envisioning a dark and realistic take on the early days of power and the events that led the main characters into their rebellion.  I am especially keen to see how Mon Mothma, Saw Gerrera, and more, reach their state of rebellion in shows like Andor or Star Wars Rebels, and this should be an excellent, wide-reaching, character-driven Star Wars series.

Based on the author, the period of Star Wars history, and the excellent synopsis above, I am expecting a lot of great things from the Reign of the Empire trilogy.  Alexander Freed is such an impressive author, and he is going to weave some real magic be exploring this fantastic part of the franchise.  I have no doubt that The Mask of Fear is going to be a particularly strong introduction to this new trilogy, and this will probably be one of the top science fiction or tie-in novels I read in 2025.  I cannot wait to check it out and I know I will love every second I spend with it.

Warhammer 40,000: Oaths of Damnation by Robbie MacNiven

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Audiobook, Extended Universe, Science Fiction, Tie-in Novel, Warhammer3 Comments

Publisher: Black Library (Audiobook – 24 August 2024)

Series: Warhammer 40,000

Length: 10 hours and 57 minutes

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

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Prepare to follow the most damned heroes in the Warhammer 40,000 canon in the impressive and intense new novel from Robbie MacNiven, Oaths of Damnation.

Recurring readers of this blog will know that I am constantly in the mood for fun and exciting Warhammer 40,000 action, which is why I listened to the awesome new book, Oaths of Damnation, the moment I could.  Written by new-to-me veteran Warhammer author Robbie MacNiven, a man with a lot of experience writing about complex Space Marines, Oaths of Damnation was one of the more intriguing Warhammer 40,000 books of 2024, and I really loved the opportunity to check out the infamous Exorcists Space Marines Chapter.

In the far, war-torn future, the Imperium of Man is under constant attack from the forces of the Chaos gods and their deadly daemon servants.  Few within the Imperium, even amongst the legendary Space Marines of the Adeptus Astartes, can fight against the daemons of Chaos on an equal footing, but there is one Space Marines Chapter, the Exorcists, that takes the battle to them in the most unorthodox and heretical of ways.

The Exorcists are an elite and secretive Chapter of Space Marines who make the ultimate sacrifice to fight the forces of Chaos.  Willingly accepting daemonic possession as part of their initiation, prospective Exorcists need to banish the daemon within themselves to join the Chapter.  Those who succeed become fierce warriors who are now resistant to the corruption of Chaos at the cost of their own fractured souls.  However, those that fail suffer a fate worse than death as they become Broken Ones, living prisons for the daemons summoned and expelled by the rest of the Chapter.  Few in the Imperium know the sacrifices that this Chapter makes to fight the enemy; if it were to become common knowledge, all the Exorcists would be put to the flame as heretics.

As such, when a dark conspiracy sees a Broken One containing a powerful daemon, the Red Marshal, escape from the Exorcists custody, the Chapter sends a unit of its elite Hexbreakers to hunt it down before their secrets are exposed.  Led by the dogged Almoner-Lieutenant Daggan Zaidu and powerful psyker Codicier Torrin Vey, the Exorcists strike force journeys to Fidem IV, a planet littered with ancient battlefields, to hunt down the Broken One and destroy the daemons within.

But as the Exorcists battle across the planet looking for their prey, it soon becomes clear that members of the Word Bearers traitor Space Marines Legion are on Fidern IV, seeking the Broken One for their own sinister purposes.  Worse, a dangerous connection exists between Zaidu and the Red Marshal, one that could endanger the entire mission.  Can the Hexbreakers succeed and hunt down the Broken One before it is too late, or will their Chapter’s darkest secret be unleashed upon the entire Imperium in a wave of blood?

Oaths of Damnation was a particularly intriguing and intense Warhammer 40,000 novel that really showcased MacNiven’s skill as an author.  Featuring a detailed look at a particularly cool faction in the Warhammer 40,000 canon, Oaths of Damnation was an excellent and exciting read that constantly grabbed my attention and refused to let go.

I really enjoyed the fantastic narrative contained within Oaths of Damnation, especially as MacNiven was able to produce a book that allowed him to tell his own distinctive story while also expertly highlighting the Exorcists Chapter.  Oaths of Damnation’s story starts off strong, with a look at the Broken One’s bloody escape from the Exorcists’ custody, which effectively sets up the Red Marshal as a deadly antagonist.  The following story moves at a quick pace as. With only a minimal amount of exposition and introduction, the protagonists set forth to Fidern IV to find the escaped Broken One, only to encounter opposition from the desperate daemon and the Word Bearers.

What follows is a series of intense and well-written battle sequences as the Exorcists pursue their target across the planet and fight against the various forces of Chaos.  MacNiven ensures a compelling story structure, as the protagonists face determined opposition, brutal fights and unexpected setbacks on the way to victory.  The author also spends time diving into the psyche of several key characters, which adds some intriguing intensity of the plot, especially as many find themselves distracted or conflicted by the mission.  MacNiven anchors the end of story on two massive action set-pieces that push the Exorcists to the limit and force them to face their internal and external daemons.  I liked some of the fun, if not unexpected, twists that MacNiven threw in in the lead up to the final battle, and the constant prophetic hints about dark events to come really enhanced the intensity of the plot towards the end.  The final confrontation is particularly impactful and moving, especially as there are some major sacrifices being made and all manner of carnage to behold.  I really appreciated the dark ending that MacNiven left the story on, and no-one should come into Oaths of Damnation looking for a happy ending.

MacNiven did an outstanding job capturing the dark and grim nature of the Warhammer 40,000 universe with his writing, and I felt that this was an extremely strong read overall.  While there are some complex lore events contained within, for the most part Oaths of Damnations was an accessible novel, even for those readers unfamiliar with the canon (although some basic Warhammer 40,000 knowledge would be helpful).  The author does an excellent job exploring the plot through the perspective of multiple complex characters, which resulted in a very compelling read, as many of the protagonists are forced to continually overcome their literal inner daemons.  I felt that this focus on damaged characters, as well as the intriguing examination of some unique Warhammer lore, helped Oaths of Damnation escape the ‘bolter porn’ label that many Space Marine novels are painted with.  That being said, Oaths of Damnation does have some particularly striking action sequences that fans of Warhammer 40,000 battles will really enjoy.  MacNiven clearly has a gift for showcasing Space Marines in all their martial glory with his writing, and you really get a sense of their power, intensity, and sheer destructive capability.  I also deeply enjoyed how he richly depicted their fighting capability and style, and the way in which he detailed the impacts of the bolt shells, the durability of the power armour, and the strength of their attacks, was honestly some of the best representations of Space Marines in combat I have ever seen.  I really cannot emphasise how impactful MacNiven’s writing style was, and Oaths of Damnation is a great book for all Warhammer fans, especially those buzzing for some Adeptus Astartes action after playing Space Marine 2.

A major highlight of this book for Warhammer 40,000 fans is the inclusion of the very cool Space Marines Chapter, the Exorcists.  A band of secretive and hidden Space Marines who willingly allow themselves to be possessed so they can learn to fight daemons better is an awesome concept, and MacNiven did an outstanding job showcasing this to the readers of Oaths of Damnation.  With only minimal lore dumps at the start of the novel, MacNiven ensures that the reader gets a sufficient and intriguing idea of who the Exorcists are and how they become lethal daemon fighters, and it proves fascinating to dive deeper and deeper into their Chapter as the book continues.  Not only is there is a great focus on how and why they damn themselves, but I also really appreciated the comprehensive way in which MacNiven tried to explore the other side effects of becoming an Exorcists, as well as the unique culture that they share.  The concept of the lingering bond that each Exorcist holds with their Never-brother, the daemon that possessed them, so much so that they still hear fragments of their voices and gain personality traits or combat abilities reminiscent of their former possessor, was particularly cool, and the author does an excellent job of showcasing it.  MacNiven also expertly covers the concept of the Orison Cults, social and ceremonial cults of the Exorcists dedicated to specific rituals and combat styles, and which serve a vital part in the larger Exorcists culture.  It was fascinating to see the ways that the now practically soulless Exorcists try to retain their humanity throughout their day to day lives, and how they replace the holes in their being with ritual and false comradery.  This combination of Exorcists’ lore, and MacNiven’s compelling dive into the deeper motivations and minds of its members, made for outstanding reading and it fun to see this complex and damaged Chapter in action.

I also have a lot of love for the compelling main characters featured within Oaths of Damnation.  While Space Marine characters in Warhammer fiction can sometimes be a little dull, the main two protagonists of this book, Almoner-Lieutenant Daggan Zaidu and Codicier Torrin Vey, each has a complex background and connection to the target that ensures that the reader is drawn into their story.  Zaidu’s is particularly fun, as Zaidu feels substantial guilt and anger at the damage caused by the Red Marshal, as it was the daemon that formerly possessed him.  Determined to end the connection between them once and for all, Zaidu lets his recklessness control him in many parts of the book, and it was deeply compelling to see how obsessed he became.  Vey on the other hand is a veteran Space Marines librarian, who stands as the beacon of knowledge to the group.  The man responsible for Zaidu’s possession by the Red Marshal, Vey bears a lot of guilt within himself, and he works hard to keep Zaidu safe from his own anger, impatience and desperation to kill his Never-brother.  Vey and Zaidu play off each other perfectly throughout Oaths of Damnation with their troubled mentor/mentee relationship, and MacNiven makes sure to hit all the right emotional notes to get the reader involved in their tales of personal woe.

In addition to Zaidu and Vey, MacNiven provides some fantastic alternative perspectives from several other members of the Exorcists who journey to Fidem IV.  As with the main two characters, each of these Exorcists are deeply troubled and damaged because of their former daemonic possession, and each then battles with the side-effects of the process, as well as the lingering taint of their Never-brothers.  This ensures that Oaths of Damnation has a rather dour tone to it at times, but seeing these damaged, yet highly determined and loyal Space Marines in battle is powerful and really drags the reader in.  The Exorcist characters are well balanced by a raft of compelling and distinctive villains, including a darkly charismatic Dark Apostle with great ambitions and a weary veteran Word Bearer who has started to question his role in the universe.  However, the most important villain is the fallen daemon known as the Red Marshal, who hungers for freedom and a return to power.  You get several intriguing trips into the Red Marshal’s mind, and I enjoyed seeing his boiling rage and determination to regain his god’s dark favour.  These great characters really helped elevate Oaths of Damnation’s plot, and I enjoyed seeing all their respective narratives unfold.

As usual, I ended up grabbing this cool Warhammer 40,000 novel on audiobook, which is my preferred way to enjoy books from this franchise.  While all Warhammer audiobooks are great, I felt that Oaths of Damnation came across particularly well in this format, and you really got dragged into the action and excitement as it was read out to you.  I personally found myself absorbing the complex lore surrounding the Exorcists a little better while listening to it, which helped with the overall impact of the story.  Oaths of Damnation also strongly benefited from the excellent narration of Charles Armstrong.  Armstrong, who previously impressed me with his narration of the Warhammer Crime audiobook, Bloodlines by Chris Wraight, did another excellent job in Oaths of Damnation as he expertly showcased the elaborate story with his voice.  I particularly enjoyed his compelling take on the various characters featured within the novel, especially the main protagonists, and he really captured their dark inner feeling and dedication in multiple scenes.  This proved to be an epic audiobook, and, with a runtime of just under 11 hours, it is one that dedicated listeners can get through fairly quickly.  I personally would recommend this format as the best way to enjoy Oaths of Damnation, or indeed any Warhammer 40,000 novel.

Oaths of Damnation was a particularly strong and exciting piece of Warhammer 40,000 fiction that I had an incredible time getting through.  Robbie MacNiven has produced another gripping and intriguing read that cleverly dives into the complex lives of a unique Space Marines chapter, and I loved every second of it.  An intense, dark and action-packed read, Oaths of Damnation really expresses the grimdark nature of the Warhammer 40,000 universe and you’ll have a very hard time escaping once you get sucked in.

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Warhammer 40,000: Siege of Vraks by Steve Lyons

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Audiobook, Extended Universe, Science Fiction, Tie-in Novel, Warhammer5 Comments

Publisher: Black Library (Audiobook – 22 June 2024)

Series: Warhammer 40,000

Length: 9 hours and 48 minutes

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

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The always impressive Steve Lyons once again dives into the wars of the legendary Death Korps of Krieg with this epic new novel that shows just how massive a Warhammer 40,000 campaign can be with the ultra-exciting and intense Siege of Vraks.

I have been having a ton of fun with Warhammer 40,000 fiction this year, as complex books like Da Big Dakka by Mike Brooks, Deathworlder by Victoria Hayward and Lord of Excess by Rich McCormick have greatly impressed me.  However, few have had the scale or pure brutality of the amazing new release, Siege of Vraks by Steve Lyons.  The third standalone book by Lyons that focuses on the Death Korps of Krieg (see my reviews for Dead Men Walking and Krieg), Siege of Vraks brings to life a massive event from the Warhammer 40,000 canon (as featured in several game books), with the long-running siege of the planet of Vraks.

In the far future, humanity has been forced to fight on many brutal battlefields, but none are as infamous as the slaughter that occurred on the planet Vraks.  Once a vital armoury world used to supply regiments throughout the Imperium of Man, Vraks has become tainted by humanity’s greatest enemy.  Thanks to a corrupted cardinal, the entirety of Vraks’s population has fallen under the sway of the Chaos Gods and have risen in rebellion against the rest of the Imperium, believing themselves to be fighting in the god Emperor’s name.

Desperate to reclaim the vital world, the Imperium has no choice but to send in a massive besieging invasion force to purge the traitors.  Only a completely relentless force has a chance of success on the bloody fields of Vraks, and to that end the stoic soldiers of the Death Korps of Krieg have been chosen to lead the attack.  Experts at sieges, fanatically stubborn, and desperate to wipe away the stain of their planet’s historical betrayal, the soldiers of Krieg are prepared to destroy their enemy no matter the cost.

However, even with the implacable Krieg soldiers leading the assault, Vraks is no simple planet to conquer.  Its massive central fortress is impregnable, and the entire population of planet has been mobilised to fight against the Krieg, equipped with the massive arsenal of weapons previously held in Vraks’s armoury.  To defeat their enemy, the Krieg will need to spend years and millions of soldiers to slowly approach and wear down Vraks’s fortresses.  But with the constant battle drawing the attention of other malign Chaos forces to Vraks, can even the massed forces of the Krieg win this impossible siege, or will these fearless soldiers finally face an army even their devotion and dedication to duty is unable to overcome?

Siege of Vraks was another particularly strong Warhammer 40,000 novel from Lyons, who excels at diving into the grimdark core of Warhammer fiction.  Filled with an insane amount of action, Siege of Vraks proves to be an intense and addictive siege novel that cleverly explores a well-established lore event and presents it in an outstanding and moving way to the reader.

The story of Siege of Vraks is one of action, sacrifice and self-discovery, as it recounts the events of the titular siege in its own compelling way.  Starting off with a quick prelude that covers the events that led up to the conflict, the main story starts a few years into the war and then goes all the way to the very conclusion of the siege which occurs after years of brutal fighting.  Rather than having one concise narrative thread, Siege of Vraks is instead made up of a series of connected storylines set around key events of the war.  Each of the initial chapters features a new central character caught up in a different battle and scenario of the war, and often focuses on them fighting in dangerous or impossible situations.  While these initial chapters are often linked by the inclusion of recurring character Confessor Ignea Tenaxus or by showing different sides to the same battle, for the most part they are unconnected and some of their messages and themes remain self-contained within the chapter.  However, as the book continues, a few point-of-view characters return for another chapter, often years removed from their last appearance.  These characters, especially Colonel Tyborc, will then continue their storylines from the previous appearances, which often play into the larger events of the overall siege in some interesting ways.  While I imagine the slightly disjointed way that Lyons tried to capture the siege might not be for everyone, especially those who would prefer seeing every event from one character’s eyes, I thought that it was extremely clever and fit into the unique mindset of the Krieg regiment.

The rest of the book takes places over a series of years as Lyons attempts to capture the entire epic and lengthy sieges.  The author includes multiple time skips here to showcase the dragging length of the battle, often interspersed with useful context inclusions that provide an overview of the carnage.  These time skips move the story along at a sensible pace and the reader is never lost, especially when it comes to the key recurring characters. While Lyons is primarily showing the carnage of war from the perspective of the fighter on the ground, you get a good understanding of just how big the scope of the fighting is, and really get drawn into the over-the-top action.  The loosely connected character arcs continue in the second half of Siege of Vraks, and there are some complex stories being featured here.  I particularly enjoyed the fascinating standalone chapter that followed the interrogation of a local inhabitant of Vraks after he defected and pretended to be a member of a Krieg regiment.  While other chapters featuring recurring character Colonel Tyborc provides some unique insights into the mindset of a Krieg soldier and what being a hero means to them.  All these chapters are loaded with some intense action, intriguing discussions, or shocking occurrences, as the horrors of war, and even darker things, take their toll on the Krieg soldiers.  Everything leads up to the conclusion of the siege, with final battles, deadly confrontations, and despair in the aftermath, leaving plenty for the reader to get drawn into.  This ended up being a particularly epic narrative which I personally really enjoyed.

As I mentioned above, Lyons features a more fractured narrative structure in Siege of Vraks that shows detailed snapshots of key parts of the larger war and the lives of certain protagonists.  Considering that the overall siege lasts many, many years and features a lot of smaller, pointless battles, this is honestly the best way of doing it, and I think that Lyons’s choice provided the best view of this conflict, while also taking the time to explore multiple characters and storylines.  The resulting book has an interesting flow to it, as you are introduced to new dark scenarios and figures in peril, and forced to watch them participate in a pointless, unrelenting conflict.  While some may not connect with the way in which Lyons dived the book between characters and time periods, I really appreciated the way it was told, and other readers’ dislike will be well bridged by the book’s awesome action.  There are so many impressive battle sequences featured throughout Siege of Vraks, and you see the Krieg soldiers and their allies face off against all manner of opposing forces, from corrupted civilians to daemons and traitor Space Marines.  All these scenes are particularly epic, as Lyons succeeds in showcasing the elaborate big battles of the franchise, and you really get drawn into the resulting carnage.  There is a palpable desperation in many of these sequences, as the Krieg soldiers face off against terrible odds, and Lyons also adds in a bit of horror in places, as Warhammer 40,000 zombies, disgusting daemons, and even more terrors enter the fray.

Due to all this cool action, Siege of Vraks is a highly accessible read to those readers unfamiliar to Warhammer fiction, and any general fans of science fiction and military fiction can have fun with the over-the-top battles featured in the book.  Indeed, I personally felt that Siege of Vraks was one of the few of the franchise novels that really captured the epic scope of a Warhammer 40,000 war, as this book captures a literal world-spanning conflict with millions upon millions of casualties.  Lyons really takes the time to explore just how devastating a full-on war in the franchise can be, and I appreciated seeing the extent of this slaughter here, compared to other Warhammer books that focus primarily on one regiment or relatively small-scale conflicts.  As such, long-term Warhammer fans will also get a lot out of Siege of Vraks, especially as Lyons really does a good job of capturing this event, which has been discussed in some of the games books for ages and showing it to the reader from the soldier’s perspective.  However, the thing that will appeal most to established Warhammer 40,000 readers, is Lyons’ portrayal of the awesome Krieg soldiers.

Due to their dour background, German World War I aesthetic, and the utter devotion to death and duty, the Krieg are a particularly popular faction in the Warhammer 40,000 games and extended fiction, and Lyons is the undisputed author of them.  His previous books have all explored different aspects of the faction, with Krieg looking at their history and the events that made them, while Dead Men Walking showed them as near-soulless automaton, especially through the eyes of the desperate civilians they were there to save.  In Siege of Vraks, Lyons goes a slightly different way and presents a more nuanced and complex portrayal  that fans of his previous works will really appreciate.  For the first time, Lyons features several Krieg perspective characters, and you are given some intriguing insights into their mind, which proves to be highly fascinating.  While on the surface they are dedicated and fanatical fighters, you do see some threads of humanity in several of the characters, such as ambition, fear and uncertainty.  I liked how Lyon tries to humanise the Krieg soldiers in places, especially around main character Colonel Tyborc who struggles with the notion of being a hero when all he wants is to fight the war and redeem his planet.  Tyborc’s arc proves to be particularly compelling in places, especially as his experiences cause him to doubt the war they are fighting in, and lead to an infamous showing of fear.  Despite this attempt at showcasing humanity, Lyons is clear that the Krieg have their own unique drive and take on human nature, such as when one Krieg character sends his older Commissar on a suicide mission because he believes its more merciful than letting him retire.  As such, there are some complex depictions of the Krieg here in Siege of Vrak, which serve as an interesting comparison to some of the author’s previous novels, and I felt that Lyons’ dive between different Krieg characters produced a very complex read.

Unsurprisingly to anyone who has read one of my Warhammer 40,000 reviews, I chose to enjoy Siege of Vraks in its audiobook format.  I have waxed poetic many times about how awesome I find Warhammer audiobooks to be, and this proved to be the case again with Siege of Vraks.  The many intense and over-the-top battles really come across in an epic way when read to you, and I personally find that I can envision the action much more effectively this way.  I also find that the complex character interactions and personal developments that Lyons loads up into the story are expertly captured by this format, and I believe that I got a lot more out of the audiobook than reading a physical copy.  It helped that excellent narrator Timothy Watson returned for Siege of Vraks.  Watson has previously really impressed me with Lyons’ previous audiobooks, as well as in The Lion: Son of the Forest by Mike Brooks, and it was great to see him continue to add his own spin these Krieg-focused books.  Watson is very effective at conveying the excessive violence and intensity of the Warhammer universe with his narration, and you really get drawn into the action as a result.  I also really love the Germanic accents that Watson attributes to the various Krieg characters, especially as it fits into their faction aesthetic.  While the various Krieg characters all sound a little similar (which does fit into their potential clone background), the narrator does a good job differentiating between these characters, and you are never in doubt about who is talking.  This excellent narration really helped to drag me into the Siege of Vraks audiobook, and I honestly flew through its near 10 hour long run.  There is honestly no better way to enjoy Siege of Vraks then on audiobook, and you are going to have a great time doing so.

Overall, Steve Lyons’s Siege of Vraks was a particularly epic and intense piece of Warhammer 40,000 fiction, that is going to appeal to a lot of different readers.  Loaded with massive and over-the-top action sequences, Siege of Vraks had me hooked from the very beginning, especially as the author once again expertly showcases the iconic Death Korps of Krieg.  This was such a great read, and all fans of Warhammer fiction and excessively massive science fiction battles, are in for an amazing treat with Siege of Vraks.

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Waiting on Wednesday – 2024 Warhammer 40,000 Books

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Extended Universe, Science Fiction, Tie-in Novel, Waiting on Wednesday, Warhammer11 Comments

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  For this week’s Waiting on Wednesday, I am going to once again dive into my favourite franchise and highlight several Warhammer 40,000 novels still set for release in 2024.

This has been a pretty big year for the iconic Warhammer 40,000 franchise.  The media outside of the tabletop games has been on absolute fire, with massive video games, intense animation, and more, bringing more people into the fandom.  One part of the franchise that has been particularly impressive has been the various novels, short stories and audiobooks that have been released, expanding the lore of the games and other media.  Readers of this blog will know that I have been getting very deep into this extended Warhammer 40,000 fiction in recent years, and I have read so many different books in this fantastic, grim dark setting.

2024 in particular has been great for Warhammer 40,000 fiction, with some very intriguing and unique novels in the setting coming out.  Naturally, I have gone out of my way to check most of these out, with books like Da Big Dakka by Mike Brooks, Deathworlder by Victoria Hayward and Lord of Excess by Rich McCormick greatly impressing me.  However, the year is far from over, and there are many more Warhammer 40,000 books coming out in the next couple of months.

Due to how much I’ve been enjoying this franchise lately, I thought I would take the time to highlight some of the most intriguing Warhammer 40,000 novels coming out in the tail end of the year.  There are several particularly cool books on the horizon, and I am honestly planning to read every one of them the moment they come out.  I’ve got five upcoming books featured below, with most of the information on them coming from the Warhammer Community website.  I unfortunately don’t have actual release dates for a couple of these upcoming books, but they are all set to come out before the end of the year.

The first of these books I want to highlight is Dominion Genesis by Jonathan D. Beer.  Now, Dominion Genesis is actually out in the next couple of days, however, I figured it was still worth featuring here as it sounds pretty damn cool.

Plot Synopsis:

A Warhammer 40,000 Novel

Gryphonne IV is dead – one of the mightiest forge worlds in the arsenal of the Adeptus Mechanicus, succumbed to the relentless hunger of Hive Fleet Leviathan. Devoured. Lost.

The few magi that survive drift in idleness, robbed of purpose and direction. But there is one who rejects that fate.

READ IT BECAUSE

It’s the gripping tale of an Explorator desperately seeking ancient technologies from humanity’s past as she races against time to restore one of the mightiest forge worlds in the Imperium.

THE STORY

Explorator Talin Sherax seeks ancient and miraculous technologies from humanity’s distant past. When she learns of a fabled relic that could restore all that has been lost, Sherax embarks on a journey, the outcome of which could change everything. Nothing will stand in her way… even if the quest brings her to the brink of heresy.


Dominion Genesis sounds like a very epic novel, and I am looking forward to another intriguing look at the mysterious Adeptus Mechanicus from a new perspective.  Forcing the unique figure of an Explorator, a Adeptus Mechanicus Tech-Priest tasked with finding ancient technology, against the unstoppable force of a ravening Hive Fleet, has a lot of potential, and I am very curious to see how this story turns out.  This will be the second full Warhammer 40,000 novel that Beer has written, with his first book, The King of the Spoil, being one of my top debuts of 2023.  Based on how impressive Beer’s first book turned out, I am very excited for Dominion Genesis, and I have very high hopes for this fantastic novel.

The second upcoming Warhammer 40,000 novel I want to highlight here is the awesome sounding book, Above and Beyond by Denny Flowers.  The sequel to Flowers’ previous novel, Outgunned (one of the best Warhammer 40,000 novels I have read), Above and Beyond is probably the entry on this post that I think has the most potential, and I am very eager to see this series continue.

Plot synopsis:

 When the man responsible for Lucille von Shard’s fame – lowly propagandist Kile Simlex – receives a cryptic message, he is whisked away to join the crusade for which she has become the figurehead. What he finds, however, is not the fighter ace he once knew…

While the details are still a little sparse, I love the sound of Above and Beyond’s plot, primarily because it looks set to bring back the two protagonists from the first book.  The combination of the fearless and slightly suicidal fighter pilot and the inquisitive and thoughtful propaganda expert worked wonders in Outgunned, and I am curious to see how it continues here in the sequel, especially as it sounds like the formerly skilled Lucille von Shard, has lost some of her famed flying ability.  Flowers has shown himself to be a particularly skilled writer, and I am eager to see how Above and Beyond turns out, as frankly this might end up being the best Warhammer book of the year.

The next book that I want to highlight is the interesting and no-doubt lore heavy book, The High Kâhl’s Oath by Gav Thorpe.  The first Warhammer 40,000 novel to really focus on the Leagues of Votann faction (essentially space dwarves), The High Kâhl’s Oath should be a rather unique read for fans of the Black Library.  This foray into Leagues of Votann fiction will be helmed by veteran Warhammer author Gav Thorpe, who has a lot of experience diving into factions across the various Warhammer games.  I am a particular fan of his Last Chancers series (13th Legion and Kill Team), and I’m hoping for another dark and compelling read with The High Kâhl’s Oath.

Plot Synopsis:

Hernkyn Prospect leader Myrtun Dammergot is a member of the Kindred of the Eternal Starforge, and flourishing in this new age of conflict between the Kin and the Imperium, exploiting battles for great personal gain. When a messenger sent from her Kindred’s Hold Ship upends her freewheeling life, she and her companions are thrust into a dangerous venture with high stakes, but a magnificent prize if they succeed. 

I think that The High Kâhl’s Oath is going to be a fascinating and complex Warhammer 40,000 novel which I am quite excited for.  I’m not especially familiar with the Leagues of Votann faction, although they sound like a fun addition to the already crazy Warhammer 40,000 grimdark universe, and I am eager to learn more about them.  Due to this book likely to be quite lore heavy, I can potentially see The High Kâhl’s Oath not working for every reader, although Thorpe has got some substantial experience of highlighting specific factions while still producing great stories (see his dwarf focused Warhammer Fantasy novel, Grudge Bearer).  I am personally really looking forward to The High Kâhl’s Oath, and I cannot wait to see how Thorpe explores these high-tech space faring dwarves.

The fourth novel that I am focusing on here is the recently announced Broken Crusade by Steven B. Fischer.  The second novel from Fischer after their debut novel Witchbringer, Broken Crusade will see the author dive into one of the most iconic Space Marines Chapter, the highly fanatical and dedicated Black Templars.

Plot Synopsis:

On the fringes of the Cicatrix Maledictum, the Black Templars of the Second Dorean Crusade tear through the void to join the crusade fleet on the sands of Tempest – an ancient, storied shrine world. The planet has been assailed by the murderous warbands of the Blood God, and the Black Templars have come to burn it clean of the Ruinous Powers once and for all.

But when a violent warp storm scatters the fleet, the Dauntless Honour is left battered and alone in the void. Besieged by doubt, Castellan Emeric and his brothers must cling to their faith and carve a way to Tempest. For it is there that their battles will truly begin, and the cost of victory may be more than even they are prepared to pay…


Broken Crusade should be another pretty damn awesome Warhammer 40,000 book, and I like the intriguing and dark narrative that Fischer is setting up.  While the Black Templars are a little overused in Warhammer fiction, I think that Broken Crusade is going to show a bit of a different side to them.  The focus on their faith, their isolation, and their sacrifice as they attempt to make their way to the battle on Tempest all has an intriguing harrowing quality, which should make for quite a powerful read.  After how much Fischer impressed me with his complex debut, I am particularly excited for Broken Crusade, and I cannot wait to dive into the psyches of these zealous Space Marines.

The final book I want to highlight in this post was only just announced, but it could end up being one of the top books of 2024 with Leontus: Lord Solar by Rob Young.  Young is another relatively new Warhammer 40,000 author who impressed me last year with his debut novel Longshot.  His second book will provide an interesting look at a major character in the lore who has been gaining a lot of attention lately, Arcadian Leontus, Lord Commander of Segmentum Solar.

Plot Synopsis:

A saviour pod screams a flaming path through the skies of Fortuna Minor, almost lost amidst the debris that rains down over the arid plains below. The Imperial fleet in orbit is in full retreat, their deployment undone by orkish cunning.

Those lucky enough to make planetfall find the world a false sanctuary – one overrun by Speed Waaaghs!, its population enslaved to build weaponised effigies of the foul ork gods. For the Imperial forces, every hour will be a hopeless fight for survival.

But the man in the saviour pod is Arcadian Leontus – Lord Commander of the Segmentum Solar, peerless tactician and mastermind of countless victories. Even stripped of his armies and separated from his loyal steed Konstantin, Leontus has no intention to merely survive this war. He intends to win it.

Leontus: Lord Solar is the latest Black Library novel by Rob Young – a rip-roaring tale about one of the most powerful men in the Imperium fighting a desperate personal battle against endless tides of orks. Stranded on an occupied planet, he must rebuild an army to wrest it back.

This another fun and exciting upcoming Warhammer book that I am think I am going to have a very good time reading.  The plot of Leontus: Lord Solar reminds me a little of the Ciaphas Cain novel, Death or Glory, although I imagine that Young is going to play this book a little more serious and have Leontus engage in a series of strategic battles rather than trying to run away like a certain commissar.  It will be interesting to see how Young portrays Leontus, and I’m hoping that the author really captures the character’s tactical prowess and drive.  This should an action-packed Warhammer novel and I cannot wait to dive into it.

As you can see there are still a ton of really cool Warhammer 40,000 books coming out in final few months of 2024, and I haven’t even mentioned a couple of recent releases I’m still waiting to grab, or any other books that still haven’t been announced.  I think all the above are going to be really fun books to check out, and I love the variety of stories, factions and authors these five novels represent.  This has been such a great year for Warhammer fans, and if you don’t know about this franchise already, you are really missing out.

Warhammer 40,000: Renegades: Lord of Excess by Rich McCormick

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Audiobook, Extended Universe, Five-Star Books, Science Fiction, Tie-in Novel, Warhammer10 Comments

Publisher: Black Library (Audiobook – 6 April 2024)

Series: Warhammer 40,000: Renegades – Book Two

Length: 14 hours and 17 minutes

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

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Prepare to break the bounds of sensation, desire and treachery in the amazing Warhammer 40,000 novel, Lord of Excess by Rich McCormick, the second book in the fantastic Renegades series.

I have been having a great time with the huge variety of unique and elaborate Warhammer 40,000 books coming out in recent years, and it is always fun to see the impressive reads the franchise is producing.  One of the things I particularly enjoy about the Warhammer 40,000 fiction machine is the way in which it gives new authors the chance to shine, with several talented authors writing their very first book as part of the Warhammer canon.  I have already talked about one particularly good Warhammer 40,000 debut this year with Deathworlder by Victoria Hayward, but another incredible first novel I had the great pleasure of reading was Lord of Excess by new author Rich McCormick.

Lord of Excess was an exceptional book that was released as part of the loosely connected Renegades series that looks at a different band of traitor Space Marines as they make their dark way through the universe.  For example, the first Renegades book, Harrowmaster by Mike Brooks, looked at the nefarious Alpha Legion, and I am sure that future entries will dive into the other traitor legions with some fun stories.  Lord of Excess is the second Renegades book, and it provides the reader with an outstanding and unique story focussed on the ultimate beings of excess, the Emperor’s Children.

At the dawn of the Imperium, the Emperor’s Children were the master of mankind’s most loyal and revered Space Marine Legions, dedicated to the fight for humanity while seeking perfection in all things.  However, during the tumultuous events of the Horus Heresy, the Emperor’s Children followed their Primarch into treachery, and turned against their Emperor, falling into the service of the ruinous powers of Chaos.

Now, millennia later, the Emperor’s Children are a twisted remnant of their former glory.  Scattered into smaller warbands, the Emperor’s Children now only seek pleasure and sensation in hedonistic service to the Chaos God Slaanesh, the lord of obsession and excess.  One such band is the feared and infamous group known as the Adored.  Lead by the tainted Space Marine Xantine, the Adored has ravaged the galaxy for centuries, taking slaves and bringing untold torment, but Xantine has never found what he truly desires, until now.

Suddenly dropped out of the Warp, the Adored find themselves in orbit about the isolated planet of Serrine.  A wealthy and corrupt planet of the Imperium, Serrine has been long cut off from the rest of humanity due to corrupted currents of the Warp.  Sensing the opportunity to carve out a place for himself, Xantine decides to take control of Serrine, and turn it into the perfect society, dedicated to loving him.  However, making true perfection is an impossible task, and Xantine soon finds his rule challenged by both the population of Serrine and those closest to him.  Worse, there are darker forces at work within the bowels of Serrine, and soon the world will be engulfed in perfect destruction.

Lord of Excess was an exceptional and impressive Warhammer 40,000 novel that achieved so very much for the reader.  Featuring a complex and compelling tale of betrayal, deceit and corruption, loaded with fun characters and larger-than-life personalities, Lord of Excess was an entertaining and elaborate read from the very start, and I could not get enough of it.

I really loved the story contained with Lord of Excess, and I find it hard to believe that this was McCormick’s very first novel.  The plot of Lord of Excess is an elaborate and continuous tale of woe and failed ambition as it charts main character, Xantine of the Emperor’s Children, as he attempts to bring perfection to the world of Serrine.  Starting off by introducing Xantine and his renegade Space Marines, you are soon shown the world of Serrine, an isolated and mismanaged Hiveworld with plenty of its own problems, including an uprising from a genestealer cult.  Taking advantage of these chaotic events, an obsessive Xantine leads his mostly apathetic Emperor’s Children to the planet’s surface, telling the locals they are there to save them.  This proves to be an intriguing start, as the reader is shown a battle between two very different group of villains, which is essentially the equivalent of the cenobites from Hellraiser facing off against xenomorphs from Alien (with both sides using a lot of purple).  This fight against the genestealers is a fun first part of the book, and I honestly thought that McCormick was going to stretch that conflict out for the entirety of Lord of Excess.  However, the author instead chooses to cleverly end this conflict about a third of the way through the book, and the rest of the novel goes in some very interesting directions.

Following this introduction, Lord of Excess than goes through a series of time skips, as you follow the unlucky course of Serrine under the “benevolent” rule of the Emperor’s Children.  Each new version of Serrine you see is somehow worse the previous version, and it proves extremely entertaining to watch the inherent downsides of the protagonist’s twisted version of perfection.  The plot cleverly rotates between the machinations of Xantine and his Adored as they fight over the course of their warband, and several intriguing human inhabitants of Serrine, whose reaction to the fate of their planet varies across the emotional spectrum.  The plot goes in some very interesting and entertaining directions, as Xantine finds himself continuously beset by betrayal, mostly of his own making, while many others are driven to extreme lengths by Xantine’s actions, and other malign foes hiding beneath Serrine’s surface.  Things continuously get darker and darker as the plot continues, leading up to a brutal and amusing conclusion.  I loved the various elaborate twists and captivating revelations that McCormick cleverly worked into the plot, and his accompanying character work really helps to sell it.  The book ends on a fantastic note, with devilish and deserved endings for many members of the cast, and the ultimate fates of everyone really reminds you that Lord of Excess is a grimdark book focussing on deranged villains.

McCormick really showcased his effective and powerful writing style in Lord of Excess, and I loved the elaborate and multifaceted book that he ended up creating.  The fantastic story has so many deep elements to it, and it transcends the typical action-focused Warhammer fiction by providing nuanced portrayals of society, human nature, and the impossible search for perfection.  That’s not to say that there isn’t action in Lord of Excess, as McCormick loads the book with multiple over-the-top and entertaining fight sequences that prove hard not to love.  However, he also balances these battles with intriguing character work, long-running elaborate story elements, and complex depictions of intriguing Warhammer features.  The way in which the author cleverly shifts the narrative around several fantastic characters works to create a fun and layered story with many moving parts to it.  I also love how descriptive and visual McCormick got at times.  The author clearly had fun describing the many excesses and mutations of the Adored, and you really got a clear and vivid sense of the twisted nature of the beings involved.  This ended up being such an outstanding read, and McCormick did such a great job bringing his elaborate story to life in the absolute best way.

I felt that Lord of Excess was a pretty awesome Warhammer 40,000 novel, that will really appeal to a varied audience.  Established Warhammer fans will love the fantastic depictions of the Emperor’s Children featured within this book, and I love how well McCormick captured the complexities of these renegade Space Marines and the depths to which they have sunk.  While he doesn’t do a full deep dive into the history of the Emperor’s Children, McCormick provides some detailed flashbacks into their past, that Warhammer readers will appreciate, which also providing some good context for new readers.  While this book did spend a lot of time examining the Emperor’s Children, it also featured its own unique and clever narrative, which really utilised the grimdark nature of the wider Warhammer setting to its advantage.  Readers are gifted by a truly complex and intense read, and I felt that Lord of Excess is an amazing example of just how good a Warhammer 40,000 novel can be.  This would be a pretty good entry point for new readers keen to check out the elaborate Warhammer 40,000 fictional universe, especially as you can get an amazing sense of the overall cruel, deadly and often ironic nature of this fantastic overarching setting.

Easily the key strengths of Lord of Excess were the elaborate, distinctive and damaged characters that McCormick centred his story around.  There are some brilliant characters featured in this book, from ancient traitor Space Marines lost in their own obsessions, to the normal inhabitants of Serrine, whose lives are irrevocably turned upside down by the arrival of the Adored.  These elaborate character arcs are very intriguing, and McCormick expertly features them throughout his story, ensuring that the reader becomes intrigued by the fates of these various figures.  The most prominent character is the Adored leader, Xantine.  An ambitious and twisted being, Xantine finds himself drawn to the world of Serrine and sees it as an opportunity to create a perfect world, much like the previous planets the Emperor’s Children called home.  Xantine proves to be an intriguing central figure for the book, especially as you get drawn into his obsession and the disdain of his followers for his vision.  Thanks to the machinations of the daemon S’janth, who shares Xantine’s body, you get some fascinating insights into this character’s mind, and you soon appreciate the depths of his determination to be perfect, which stems from his daddy issues and dark personal history.  I loved seeing how the events of the book were driven with this figures love of perfection, and Xantine proved to be an excellent dark heart to this entire story.

In addition to Xantine, Lord of Excess features several other great characters, all of whom are damaged in fantastic and intriguing ways.  This includes the various members of the Adored, each of whom has their own unique obsessions and focuses.  McCormick really had fun when it came to these corrupted figures, and there are some delightfully over-the-top characters as a result.  These other members of the Adored often come into conflict with Xantine, primarily due to their incompatible obsessions, and I loved the barbed interactions that followed, especially as Xantine both loves and hates his fellow renegades.  While several of these characters stood out, the best one was probably Vavisk.  Vavisk, a Noise Marine, is obsessed with finding the perfect sound, and often finds himself lost in his horrifying music.  However, Vavisk is also Xantine’s closest friend, and the unique bond of brotherhood between these two figures, proves to be a key part of the book, especially as the potential for it to break is always there.

Other major characters include several inhabitants of Serrine who attempt to survive the actions of Xantine.  Due to a creation myth, many people on Serrine initially see Xantine as a destined saviour, and the eventual revelation of his true nature leads to much heartache for them.  These characters provide an outstanding alternative perspective to that of Xantine and the other Adored, and I loved seeing the various reactions to the evil that came to their planet.  Key figures include the young man Arqat, whose rage at the injustices performed against him drives him to some dark places.  The mysterious Cecily founds salvation and escape thanks to the patronage of Xantine, although her loyalty costs her deeply.  While the foppish noble Pierod, seeks to take advantage of the arrival of the Adored, which has blistering ups and downs for him.  I really enjoyed these three human characters, and their unique storylines, some of which were nearly as extensive as Xantine’s, helped to turn Lord of Excess into a particularly brilliant read as you get drawn into their various tales of woe and opportunity.  While Pierod’s story was probably the most entertaining, due to his naked ambition and greed, you honestly connect to all three of them, and it proves fascinating to see where their encounters with the Adored takes them.  McCormick writes some grim and fitting fates for all three of them, and the other humans of Serrine, and seeing the journey they take to get there, is so damn entertaining.

As with most Warhammer 40,000 novels I enjoy, I ended up grabbing Lord of Excess on audiobook, which is just the best way to appreciate a piece of Warhammer fiction.  Coming in with a runtime of over 14 hours, the Lord of Excess audiobook is a decent length, but one you can get through quickly once you become caught up in the outstanding plot.  I love how well this format highlighted the epic narrative featured with Lord of Excess, and you get a real sense of the plot’s chaotic delights, unnatural horrors, and devilish figures when they are read out to you.  It helped that the Lord of Excess audiobook was helmed by one of the very best Warhammer 40,000 narrators, Richard Reed.  Reed has been killing it in recent years with his work in Warhammer 40,000 fiction, including The Infinite and the Divine by Robert Rath, Ruin and Reign by Nate Crowley and Grim Repast by Marc Collins, all of which were greatly enhanced by his impressive voice work.  His work in Lord of Excess is particularly awesome, as he once again produces an impressive range of unique voices to fit the big personalities of the plot.  This includes multiple mutated and utterly corrupted Space Marines, and Reed provides very fitting voices for them, as well as the unlucky humans caught up in their machinations.  The over-the-top story comes out so much better because of Reed’s compelling narration, and I love how effectively he captured the various insane figures.  This amazing voice work turned the Lord of Excess audiobook into something very special, and I had an exceptional time getting through it.

Lord of Excess by Rich McCormick is an absolutely brilliant and amazing piece of Warhammer 40,000 fiction that I could not get enough of.  Expertly combining elaborate elements of the Warhammer 40,000 canon with a complex narrative and darkly damaged characters, Lord of Excess was so much fun to read, and it proves impossible not to get caught up in this epic debut.  This might be one of the smartest and most compelling pieces of Warhammer 40,000 fiction release so far in 2024.  A truly outstanding Warhammer 40,000 book from a particularly amazing new author, Lord of Excess comes very highly recommended, and Rich McCormick is an author with big things in his future.

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The Sandman – Act III (Audiobook), written by Neil Gaiman and performed by a full cast

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Audiobook, Comics/Manga, Extended Universe, Fantasy, Five-Star Books, Horror, Superhero, Tie-in Novel4 Comments

Publisher: Audible Original (Audiobook – 28 September 2022)

Series: The Sandman – Volume 3

Script: Neil Gaiman and Dirk Maggs (script adapter)

Director: Dirk Maggs

Length: 11 hours and 31 minutes

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Amazon

After falling in the love with the epic The Sandman comics thanks to their exceptional audiobook adaptations, I finally got to the third audiobook act in this exceptional series by Neil Gaiman, which was another amazing listen.

I have had an outstanding time listening to the first and second volumes of the audiobook adaptations of The Sandman comic.  Set partially in the DC universe, the original series, which started in 1989, is one of the most iconic comics of all time and features a unique adventure that only Neil Gaiman can come up with.  Following Dream, the anthropomorphic personification of dreams and human imagination, The Sandman is a truly amazing comic that blends horror, fantasy and superhero elements together.  Some people might be more familiar with the recent Netflix series that adapted the first couple of comics, and which has a second season on the way.

This series has proven to be extremely exceptional, with Act I perfectly introducing the characters and setting up the initial storyline, while Act II continues some of the key story points and places Dream against various foes, including Lucifer and other dangerous mythical figures.  Not only do these audiobooks feature an incredible story and powerful characters but they are brought to life by a truly awesome cast of celebrity actors and audiobook narrators who really lend their all to this performance.  As such, when going on a couple of fun road trips this year, Act III was a very easy choice to listen to, and I was extremely curious to see how this series would continue.

In a universe of strange and deadly creatures, many beings are considered immortal, but only seven siblings can truly claim to be endless.  The Endless, each a personification of a universal concept, are powerful and mesmerizing in their own way, but the most enchanting and mysterious is Dream.  Known by many names, including Morpheus, this being governs the Dreaming, a vast realm of creation’s collected dreams and stories, protecting the imagination that makes life worth living.  But circumstances outside of his control have set him on a dark path that not even he can escape from.

After being freed from captivity and deciding the future of Hell, Morpheus finds himself troubled by another failed romance, his own complex past, his previous monstrous decisions, and his often contentious relationship with his family.  Visited by his troubled youngest sibling Delirium, Dream embarks on an unusual quest alongside her to find their missing brother, the one member of the Endless to ever give up their role and responsibility, Destruction.  But their prodigal sibling does not wish to be found, and many obstacles lie between an Endless reunification.  To succeed in their quest, Morpheus will need to revisit the most painful chapter from his past.  However, no-one, not even a member of the Endless, comes away from a meeting with Destruction unscathed!

Unsurprisingly, Act III proved to be an exceptional listen, and I once again got wrapped up in the elaborate and compelling web of stories and characters that The Sandman is well known for.  Adapted once again by director Dirk Maggs and featuring all of Gaiman’s impressive storytelling and dark characterisations, The Sandman – Act III, was an outstanding listen, and one that I could not get away from.  Adapting the Brief Lives and Worlds’ End arcs of The Sandman comic, as well as several additional short stories, Act III was an exceptional addition to this series, especially with the truly exceptional voice cast.

Act III continues the same format and style of the previous The Sandman audiobook adaptations, with the comic broken into several distinctive parts to best tell the elaborate story from the comics.  The previously drawn adventures are brought to life here through a combination of excellent narration by Neil Gaiman, who covers many of the characters’ actions and movements, sound effects to represent other unseen elements, and the dialogue of the various characters, with their respective actors often describing the moments going on around them.  This results in an intriguing but complex listening experience, and with a runtime of 11 hours and 31 minutes, it is one that you can get through very quickly if you have the time.

This latest audiobook adaptation starts off in an interesting place with the short story The Song of Orpheus, which originally appeared in the Fables & Reflections collection of stories.  The Song of Orpheus is a fantastic retelling of the classic Greek myth of Orpheus, with the character reimagined as the son of Morphius and the muse Calliope, the latter of whom was featured in the story Calliope in the Dream Country collection (featured in the Act I adaptation).  Gaiman does an excellent job of bringing together the classic Greek mythology of the Orpheus legend with his own characters and the result is a seamless and complex tale.  Orpheus’ ill-fated marriage and journey to save his love is aided and hindered by the various members of the Endless, with Morpheus serving as a complex distant father figure.  The resulting story may seem familiar to those with knowledge of Greek mythology, but there are some added intriguing twists, and the inclusion of Gaiman’s characters ensure that there is even greater tragedy than the original Greek myth envisioned.

When I started this audiobook, I thought that The Song of Orpheus was interesting start to this act, and in hindsight it was quite a clever decision, as it sets up some of the other arcs extremely well.  The story ensures that listeners are well warned about the tragedy and elaborate storylines contained in Act III, while also drawing you in with its inventiveness and complexity.  It is also a brilliant production thanks to the combination of cast and background music effects.  Regé-Jean Page (of Bridgerton fame), proves to be an outstanding Orpheus, who stands as an interesting contrast to the other established voice actors of this story.  There are also some epic musical accompaniment and sound effects that prove vital in showcasing the full impact of this story, and which you honestly need when telling a story about the mythical musician Orpheus.  I felt that the musical elements of this chapter deeply helped to enhance the story, especially as there was some great sadness in the sound effects that mirrored the story.  This was honestly a very strong start to Act III, and I loved how well it led into the first main story, Brief Lives.

Brief Lives is a particularly epic main story arc for this audiobook which serves as both the plot and emotional heart of Act III.  Initially focusing on the incredibly fun character of Delirium, who we only briefly saw in Act II, Brief Lives sees Dream accompany his sister on a road trip to find their lost brother, Destruction.  This results in several intriguing mini story arcs as the mismatched and chaotic siblings travel through the mortal world, encountering their family, friends, and former associates of Destruction.  At the same time, sinister events begin to impact people associated with their search, and Dream must navigate the increased collateral damage his quest is incurring.

I really loved this arc, and I think that Brief Lives might be one of the stronger The Sandman storylines.  The road trip storyline with Dream and Delirium worked to tell this story in a fantastic manner, and I enjoyed how the author took the opportunity to quickly and effectively introduce new intriguing characters whose worlds become impacted by their interactions with the Endless.  The long-anticipated reveal about the missing Endless was great, and Gaiman loads in some intriguing examinations about family, destiny and duty.  Brief Lives is loaded with a great combination of dark mystery, the author’s gothic vibe, a fantastic layer of humour, and an intense amount of tragedy, all wrapped up with the most unique familial interactions you are likely to see in fiction.  The author takes the storylines in some interesting directions, and the resulting emotional richness proves very hard to ignore.  The ending of Brief Lives is particularly moving, with a resolution of family drama followed by additional tragedy millennia in the making.  This also proves to be quite a key story in the wider The Sandman story, with the consequences radiating out from the events of this road trip have chaotic impacts in the future.

I have to say that I was really impressed with how Brief Lives came together.  Not only does the elaborate story come across clearly and interestingly with the chapter split, but you really get drawn into every single supporting character that shows up.  I particularly enjoyed seeing Delirium getting a whole arc to shine in, and actress Kristen Schaal is perfect as the embodiment of personal chaos, bringing an immense childlike glee to the madcap antics of her character.  Schaal perfectly plays off the more serious characters in this story arc, and you can really feel the dancing chaos beneath the surface of her mind as well as how scattered and unconnected she is.  The reveal of Destruction as a character was also quite interesting, and I like the author’s take of him being a warm, thoughtful and entertaining destroyer, whose duty has deeply damaged him.  David Harewood brings some real compassion and charm to the role of Destruction, and I enjoyed how he played off the sarcastic talking dog Barnabas, voiced by veteran voice actor Harry Myers.  The portrayal of Brief Lives also makes excellent use of some musical accompaniment to enhance the emotional impact of the plot, including in some of the story’s heaviest scenes, and this ended up being the most compelling part of Act III to listen to.

The other major storyline in The Sandman – Act III, is the intriguing anthology storyline, Worlds’ End.  Like some of the previous arcs in The Sandman, Worlds’ End is more of an indirect addition to the plot, loaded with short stories that show snippets of Dream, the Endless, and other supporting characters, interacting with new and unique figures.  However, Worlds’ End is also quite distinctive, especially as Neil Gaiman surrenders his narrator duties in this arc, and instead features multiple guest narrators telling their own tales in a similar manner to The Canterbury Tales.  The plot of this arc starts with character Brant Tucker (voiced by Wil Wheaton) and his colleague crashing their car in a freak storm and then finding refuge in the mysterious Worlds’ End inn.  Within the inn, they discover multiple unusual travellers from across time and the realms, who have been scattered due to a reality storm and are seeking shelter.  To pass the time, the various guests tell stories based on their lives, which paint a complex tapestry of their experiences and the long-reaching influence of the Endless.

I have a lot of love for the various short stories that Gaiman fills The Sandman comics with, but I felt that the collection featured with Worlds’ End were some of his strongest.  There are five central stories featured within, and they each provide a complex and wildly different tale of life, loss and adventure, all set in the contexts of different worlds and experiences.  Gaiman manages to tell some complex tales in the short time he has with each entry, and the reader comes away with intriguing visions of these unique worlds and characters.  There are a few times where the narrative devolves into a story within a story, as narrators begin to recount tales that were told to them (and in a couple of cases you have a story within a story within another story).  However, even these prove to be very captivating, and it is a testament to how good a storytelling Gaiman is that readers can moved into multiple interlocking tales and still be intrigued by what is going on.  There is also a great mixture of tales here, from a Lovecraftian inspired dream tale, to a hilarious fantasy adventure told by a rambunctious Faerie, and even a classic nautical adventure tale of a handsome sailor boy, which features the return of fan favourite character Hob Gadling.  However, my favourite story was The Golden Boy, an intriguing retelling of the story of Prez Rickard, the teenage president protagonist of the classic, if short-lived, Prez comics, which proves to be quite entertaining and haunting, while also showing an idealised vision of America.

I felt that these five stories came across in a very organic way with the differing narrators, and it proved to be a lot of fun to experience the talents of several new or underutilised vocal talents in a strong way here.  Wil Wheaton was a great main narrator for the overarching story, and I felt he portrayed a good everyman character experiencing the unnatural for the first time.  Billy Boyd and Colin McFarlane both shine as narrators and central characters for their respective stories, and I quite enjoyed the performances of KJ Apa and Jon Culshaw in The Golden Boy, while Simon Jones was an impactful addition to the funeral-focused story Cerements.  These actors, and many others, helped to turn Worlds’ End into a compelling and distinctive arc, and I liked how effectively it contrasted with the other The Sandman arcs we have enjoyed.  This entire storyline ends on an ominous and prophetic note, as the listener is given a glimpse of major events to come, and Worlds’ End proved to be a great way to conclude Act III.

Overall, these main stories, as well as an additional couple of short stories, proved to be very impressive to read, and I love the complex plots and themes that the author tried to impart.  The continuation of a larger storyline, combined with multiple short stories that expands The Sandman universe, works to create an elaborate experience for the listener, and I deeply appreciate the immense imagination that Gaiman puts into his work.  The flow from larger, cohesive storylines to a series of shorter tales also works extremely well, and I love how the obvious palate cleaner short stories take on a compelling life of their own.  No matter how short, each of the stories in Act III were very well written, and the distinctive blend of dark storytelling, gothic imagination and complex characters makes for some addictive listening.  I especially love the recurring trend of normal humans, as well as other more supernatural beings, encountering the various Endless by chance, only to find their lives altered by the experience, often for the worst.  The often capricious nature of Dream, as well as some of his siblings, really comes through with Gaiman’s writing and the subsequent acting, and you cannot appreciate just how well-written these figures, and indeed the entire character cast of The Sandman, are, until you experience it for yourself.

Before we get to the end of this review, I must once again strongly compliment just how awesome these The Sandman audiobooks are.  Gaiman, Maggs and others do such an incredible job of converting the original comics into this new format, and all the original ideas, actions and compelling figures come across perfectly in the audiobook.  The combination of clever narration and on-point dialogue allows listeners to really appreciate the unfolding actions taking place, and effective sound effects add that extra layer of understanding.  Throw in some outstanding musical moments, which prove to be particularly impactful in Act III, and this entire audiobook hits the reader hard and ensures that are constantly caught up in the elaborate ideas of the original author.  All the storylines come across perfectly, with some slight alterations in the order they appear, and you really come away with an outstanding appreciation for The Sandman, even if you’ve never read the comics.

It goes without saying that Act III once again featured an incredible cast of actors and voice specialists, all of whom perfectly portray the characters they are assigned to.  I love how all the key stars from Act I and Act II, once again returned here, and their outstanding voices, combined with some awesome new figures, ensured that every word of this audiobook delighted its audience.  I have already mentioned a few key actors above, but I really want to once again highlight the outstanding recurring key cast, who do such a great job here.  Series lead James McAvoy is just perfect as Morpheus, and his resonate and powerful voice consistently captures the ethereal, arrogant, and thoughtful qualities of the titular protagonist every time.  It is such a pleasure to listen to McAvoy perform once again in Act III, and his excellent voice plays off every other actor in this audiobook so damn well.

Other key returning stars include Kat Dennings, who perfectly portrays Gaiman’s warmer, caring, female Death, who is frankly one of the best characters in the entire series.  Andy Serkis has a lot of fun as the raven Matthew, and his scenes with Dream and Delirium are hilarious.  Jeffrey Wright, Justin Vivian Bond and Miriam Margolyes each do an amazing job of bringing Destiny, Desire and Despair to life, and you can really feel their ancient power and alternating views of humanity.  Justin Vivian Bond’s portrayal of the feckless and fickle Desire is particularly noteworthy, and I love how well this unique character came across.  Multiple other actors and established audiobook narrators provide a range of compelling and memorable voices throughout Act III, including several of my favourite audiobook narrators like Ray Porter and Toby Longworth, and I loved every one of their voices.  Finally,  Neil Gaiman himself serves as an outstanding central narrator for much of the Act III.  Gaiman’s distinctive voice perfectly fits the gothic and mysterious vibe of The Sandman comics, and there is no-one else who could narrate these complex ideas and experiences, better than the author who originally came up with them.  You will frankly struggle to find a better cast of voice actors in any other audiobook out there, and this outstanding vocal team makes Act III, and indeed all The Sandman audiobooks, something extremely special to enjoy.

Act III of The Sandman audiobook was another exceptional listen and one that proves pretty impossible to stop listening to.  The combination of captivating storylines, outrageous characters, and a huge array of vocal and acting talents make this an easy five-star listen, and I can personally guarantee that The Sandman – Act III makes for an excellent accompaniment to a long road trip.  While I’m sure that recent controversies might impact this, I hope we get the fourth act in this epic series soon, and I cannot wait to see how Morpheus’s tragic and complex tale ends.

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Warhammer 40,000: Deathworlder by Victoria Hayward

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Audiobook, Extended Universe, Science Fiction, Tie-in Novel, Warhammer9 Comments

Warhammer 40,000 - Deathworlder Cover

Publisher: Black Library (Audiobook – 23 April 2024)

Series: Warhammer 40,000

Length: 11 hours and 1 minute

My Rating: 4.75 out of 5 stars

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Debuting author Victoria Hayward presents one of the year’s most compelling entries to the Warhammer 40,000 canon, with the outstanding and grim novel, Deathworlder.

I have made no bones about how much love I have for Warhammer 40,000 extended fiction, which honestly features some of the very best media tie-in novels currently being written.  One of the things I particularly love about Warhammer fiction is the sheer range of compelling and impressive authors that are adding to the lore and narrative of this universe.  While a good chunk of the novels come from grizzled veteran Warhammer authors, the Black Library has also been cleverly utilising a range of intriguing new writers to offer fresh stories to the franchise, and some of the best books in recent years have been an author’s very first novel.  In 2023 alone there were several outstanding Warhammer 40,000 novels from first time authors, including The King of the Spoil by Jonathan D. Beer, Creed: Ashes of Cadia by Jude Reid, and Longshot by Rob Young, all of which were among my favourite debuts of the year.

2024 also looks set to a be a good year for authors making their debut through Warhammer fiction, especially when it comes to Deathworlder, the very first novel by exciting new author Victoria Hayward.  Featuring a compelling and exciting plot, Deathworlder has been on my radar for a while, and I ended up grabbing Deathworlder on audiobook as soon as I could.

There are many dangerous foes and deadly enemies stalking the galaxy in the far future, but none are as insidious, destructive and terrifying as the alien menace, the tyranids.  Made up of innumerable biological lifeforms, the tyranids traverse the galaxy, devouring entire planets and adding it to their biomass.  Hundreds of former human planets have fallen to the hivefleets of the tyranids, and the next world to be consumed is the planet of Lazulai.

Once a magnificent planet of beauty and rich resources, Lazulai is currently on the brink of destruction.  The armies of humanity were unable to hold back the invading tyranid hordes, and now the planet has begun to change as it is devoured by the alien lifeforms covering its surface.  Only a few small pockets of resistance remain, including the 903rd Catachan Night Shrikes, who garrison one of the last fortresses still standing.  However, hope remains in the most unlikely of places.

Receiving intelligence about a mysterious piece of archeotech that may hold the key for saving the entire system, Major Wulf Khan is given one final mission to retrieve the technology.  Leading a small mixed squad, Major Khan must use all the innate Catachan skills of infiltration and survival in extreme environments to lead her soldiers through the alien jungles that have sprouted up in the wake of the tyranid advance.  However, while the Catachans might be the best jungle fighters humanity has to offer, they are facing off against an unstoppable foe, capable of adapting to the greatest of obstacles.  Can Khan and her Catachans prove they are the deadliest survivors in the galaxy or will the tyranid horde consume them alongside the last remnants of Lazulai?

Deathworlder was a particularly dark and intense Warhammer 40,000 novel that grabbed my attention from the very beginning.  Hayward came up with a wonderful story that expertly highlighted the opposing Warhammer factions while also making full use of some very strong character work to tell an emotionally charged narrative.

I really liked how Deathworlder’s story unfolded as it proved to be a gritty, character-driven tale of survival.  Starting off by expertly showing the end of the planet setting and the despair being felt by the various protagonists, the story quickly moves along into the main quest, with the Catachan protagonist, Major Wulf Khan, leading a small squad of troops out to recover valuable technology before the planet dies.  The story is primarily split between the perspectives of Khan and the Cadian Lieutenant Kaede Anditz, who joins the squad as a guide towards their final objective.  This leads to an intriguing first half of the book, as the eclectic squadron of protagonists begins their trek towards the objective.  There are some dark and grim moments here, especially as large chunks of the protagonist’s comrades get killed in the lead-up to their mission, and the reader is soon engulfed in the horrifying early stages of the destruction of the planet.

The second half of Deathworlder only gets darker, as the protagonists encounter more and more obstacles on their quest.  I really appreciated how Hayward focused on the alien and human monsters that the protagonists are forced to deal with, and the author ensures that emotions are constantly running hot as the characters encounter worse and worse things.  A particularly powerful moment splits the perspectives of the book even further, while also leading to some very dark experiences.  There are some excellent action set pieces, compelling character moments, and dark examinations of humanity on the edge, through this part of the book, and I honestly found it impossible to put Deathworlder down at times as a result.  Everything leads up to the final sequence as the protagonists encounter even darker surprises and revelations as they attempt to survive.  There are several exceedingly tense moments where you are constantly left wondering if any of the protagonists are going to make it, and I loved how desperate things got.  Hayward ends everything on an intriguing note, and readers will come away very moved by how this great narrative came together.

I felt that Hayward had a great dark tone for Deathworlder that really showcases just how deadly and hopeless parts of the Warhammer 40,000 universe can be.  The focus on characters who had already accepted that they were going to die, as well as the terrible changes that a loss in this universe can result in, gave a particularly intense edge to the book, which I felt made helped it really stand out.  Things get quite dark in Deathworlder, as Hayward really wanted to highlight the terrors of the tyranid, and I honestly got a major horror vibe at times, especially when it came to some particularly gruesome deaths (the field of stuck soldiers still makes me shudder).  While there is plenty of action, tragedy and lore dumps, I felt that the author’s decision to really focus on the book’s unique characters and camaraderie was very clever, and I became really invested due to the exceptional character work.  Deathworlder also proved to be a very strong addition to the Warhammer 40,000 franchise, and Hayward ensures that there is plenty of appeal for both established fans and new readers.  Indeed, I felt that Deathworlder would be a very good entry point into the larger fiction surrounding the Warhammer 40,000 franchise, especially as Hayward’s fresh writing shows just how complex a novel set in this grimdark universe can be.

While Deathworlder would be a good entry point for new readers, established Warhammer 40,000 fans will also get quite a lot out of this book, especially as Hayward expertly highlights two exceptional factions, the Catachans and the tyranids.

Essentially an army of Rambos, the Catachans have been a fan favourite regiment for ages and are always a great inclusion to any narrative.  I have read a few books around the Catachans, including Catachan Devil by Justin Woolley.  These novels, while fun, always tend to focus on the more stereotypical aspects of the Catachans: muscles, jungle craft and big knives.  However, Hayward takes a bit more of nuanced look at the Catachans in Deathworlder, showing them to be a complicated group of soldiers who fall back on the hard-talking jungle killer personas when the going gets tough.  While one very fun character does live up to the stereotype, primarily for comedic effect, for the most part the Catachans are shown as practical survivors, who in this book, are at the end of their tethers.  As such, you see a much more compelling side to the Catachans, and it was fascinating to see how complex the members of the regiment are, as well as how damaged they are by the constant fighting and slaughter.  The author’s use of alternative perspectives allows the readers to see the Catachans in various lights, both from within their own minds, and through the eyes of the Cadian Lieutenant Kaede Anditz, who grows to respect their culture and methods as the book continues.  I really appreciated this more realistic and grounded look at the Catachans in Deathworlder, and Hayward really showcased her ability to portray an iconic human regiment.

While the Catachans get a lot of the focus, you also really need to highlight the tyranids in Deathworlder, who serve as an outstanding antagonist.  While I have enjoyed a few great books where the tyranids were terrifying monsters, including Day of Ascension by Adrian Tchaikovsky, Leviathan by Darius Hinks and Duty Calls by Sandy Mitchell, Deathworlder might be one of the best portrayals of the tyranids that I have so far read.  That is primarily because Hayward’s story is set on a world already being devoured by the tyranids.  The resulting scenes of destruction, despair and digestion prove to be quite horrific, and few writers have really captured just how disturbing this scenario would be.  I felt the various scenes where the protagonists, who themselves are being slowly digested by falling spores, encounter the continuous horrors of the dying world, were so damn good.  The human experience with these horrors is a key part of Deathworlders appeal, and the despairing reactions from both the hardened soldier protagonists, as well as civilians they encounter along the way, really sells just how horrifying the situation truly is.  Even the more typical tyranid threat is well represented in Deathworlder.  The author really captures the fear associated with hordes of ravenous, chitinous aliens as they overrun simple soldiers.  While the tyranids are occasionally depowered by the protagonist’s plot armour, for the most part they are outstanding monsters, and the constant threat they could suddenly represent, proves to be a fantastic part of the novel.  As such, fans who love tyranids are in for a real treat with Deathworlder, and seldom are they a better monstrous villain than in this book.

I cannot write my review of Deathworlder without once again mentioning the impressive characters featured within this book.  Hayward excelled at introducing and exploring complex and damaged protagonists, and their very human, very determined actions, prove to be the true heart and soul of the narrative.  You go through a lot with these characters, and their overwhelming humanity in the face of continuous horrors and loss makes for a very powerful read.  There are some great characters here, including main protagonist Major Wulf Khan, a grizzled Catachan fighter who finds her desire to complete the mission constantly challenged by the losses of those around her.  Her trusted orderly, Sergeant Rutger Haruto, proves to be an excellent backup, especially as his constant curiosity and sensible nature helps to keep his commander in check.  Alternate point-of-view character Lieutenant Kaede Anditz is another excellent addition to the cast, and I think that his unique perspective of the Catachans he suddenly finds himself serving with ensured that their compelling portrayal in Deathworlder really came through.  Anditz is also going through a lot of trauma, especially after witnessing the slaughter of every Cadian soldier on Lazulai, and Hayward really ensures that his guilt and horror really shine through in his chapters.

While the characters above are great, my favourite was probably Trooper Falke Adair.  A muscled Catachan with a heavy flamer, Adair is essentially a walking Catachan stereotype, something she really acts up as the book continues.  Crass, disrespectful and always looking for a fight, Adair steals any scene she becomes a part of, and her over-the-top mannerisms and actions are very entertaining.  However, as the book continues, and characters, particularly Anditz, get closer to her, you see that much of her bravado is a front, and she proves to be one of the most complex figures in the entire novel.

I also must highlight the brilliant character of Lamya.  A Genestealer Cult propagandist, Lamya is captured at the start of the novel and dragged along by the squad for her knowledge.  An arrogant and slightly unhinged noble turned tyranid-worshipping stooge, Lamya plays off the other characters perfectly, and her distain for those around her is so much fun.  However, the more they traverse Lazulai, the more Lamya comes face to face with the horrors that her cult helped to bring to her planet.  Caught between her own beliefs and the horrors she witnesses, Lamya goes quite insane as the book continues, while also providing some of the most compelling perspective of events in the entire novel.  Throw in a scheming Tech Priest and a silent Catachan sniper, and this proves to be an outstanding cast of main characters that you really grow attached to as you watch their intense personal and physical journey.

Unsurprisingly, I chose to check out Deathworlder on audiobook, which is just the best way to enjoy a Warhammer novel.  This was very much the case with Deathworlder, and I loved how effectively and vividly the story came across as it was being read out to me.  The exciting action, captivating characters, and horrendous horrors of the narrative really came to life, especially when read out by talented narrator Gabrielle Nellis-Pain, whose work on The King of the Spoil audiobook last year was very fun.  Nellis-Pain did another outstanding job with Deathworlder, and I love how effectively she told Hayward’s elaborate story.  I particularly enjoyed the excellent voices she gifted to the various characters within Deathworlder, and she very effectively captured the cool protagonists in all their martial glory.  This was particularly true for the over-the-top Catachan protagonists, and you could really visualise the muscular characters as she narrated.  Nellis-Pain also ensured that appropriate alternate accents were given to characters from other human factions, such as the Cadians or the Adeptus Mechanicus, and I particularly enjoyed how well the narrator expressed the mechanical nature of the latter.  I honestly believe that this book wouldn’t have been as impactful if I had physically read it, and I strongly recommend the audiobook version as a result.  Coming in with a run time of 11 hours, Deathworlder was so much fun to listen to, and you can power through it in no time at all.

With her very first novel, Deathworlder, debuting author Victoria Hayward shows she is a writing force to be a reckoned with, especially when it comes to Warhammer fiction.  Deathworlder was an outstanding Warhammer 40,000 novel that features a truly dark and intense narrative, loaded with great characters and compelling depictions of Warhammer universe.  An exceptional read from start to finish, I cannot talk this novel up enough, and I am really intrigued to see how Hayward follows up her amazing debut.

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Star Trek: The Next Generation: Pliable Truths by Dayton Ward

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Audiobook, Extended Universe, Science Fiction, Star Trek, Tie-in Novel3 Comments

Star Trek - Pliable Truths Cover

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio (Audiobook – 21 May 2024)

Series: Star Trek: The Next Generation

Length: 11 hours

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

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Leading Star Trek author Dayton Ward presents a compelling new tie-in novel that bridges the gap between two of the franchise’s most iconic shows in the outstanding and impressive Pliable Truths.

I have mentioned a few times on this blog that Star Trek extended fiction is amongst some of the richest and most comprehensive of all the assembled tie-in fiction.  There are hundreds of intriguing novels that expand on the universe introduced in the television series and movies, all of which are highly fascinating, especially for fans of the various shows.  While I haven’t explored Star Trek extended fiction as much as some other franchises out there, I have had the pleasure of reading several outstanding books, with some of my favourites including The Captain’s Oath by Christopher L. Bennett, The Last Best Hope by Una McCormack and Die Standing by John Jackson Miller.  Due to my enjoyment of these previous books, I keep an eye out for new Star Trek releases, and I was very intrigued when I saw that Dayton Ward had released a new book, Pliable Truths.

Dayton Ward is well-known science fiction author who has made a name for himself creating tie-in fiction for several different franchises.  Ward’s most comprehensive work involves writing Star Trek novels, with the author writing an intriguing collection of different Star Trek books connected to different series.  I have read a couple of Ward’s books in recent years, including The Next Generation novel, Available Light, and the Original Series novel, Agents of Influence.  These previous books from Ward both proved to be very impressive, and I had a great time reading them.  As such, when I saw that Pliable Truths was written by Ward, I knew it was going to be another fantastic read, especially as the author has a lot of experience writing fiction for the various Star Trek series, periods and timelines.  This latest novel, Pliable Truths, while ostensibly tied-into The Next Generation series, also serves as a compelling bridging novel between the events of The Next Generation and its spin-off series, Deep Space Nine.

Following a tumultuous series of events, Starfleet has managed to thwart a planned invasion of a Federation system by the Cardassians.  Thrown into political disarray by their military defeat, the Cardassian civilian government has acceded to Starfleet demands and ordered the withdrawal from the occupied planet of Bajor.  Long enslaved by the Cardassians, the Bajorans are determined to once again rule themselves, but they first reluctantly require the assistance of the Federation.

To ensure a peaceful transition of power to the new Bajoran government, Starfleet orders Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the Enterprise to the Bajor to oversee negotiations between the Bajorans and the Cardassians.  Still recovering from his own recent trauma suffered at the hands of a Cardassians torturer, Picard is unsure if he is ready to fairly arbitrate the question of recompense and justice.  But with no other choice, Picard travels to the massive Cardassian space station orbiting Bajor, Terok Nor.

Attempting to stay neutral and calm, Picard soon finds his patience tested by the disruptive tactics of the Cardassians, as they seek to gain advantage from the chaos surrounding the withdraw.  The situation looks to become even more complicated when Ensign Ro Laren receives a message from a long-missing friend, exposing deadly secrets from inside Cardassian space.  Forced to balance the needs of the Bajorans with a desire to stop a new war erupting between the Federation and the Cardassians, Picard will need to utilise all his diplomatic skills to salvage the situation.  But can even Picard remain calm when he comes face to the face with the man responsible for his recent torture?

Dayton Ward continues to showcase why he is one of the top authors of Star Trek fiction with this compelling and intriguing read.  Serving as a brilliant bridge between two key shows, Pliable Truths has an outstanding story behind it that does an amazing job diving into the iconic lore and characters of the Star Trek universe.

Pliable Truths had a great narrative behind it that sought to simultaneously fill in certain gaps between The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine, while also producing a standalone narrative that proved quite intriguing to get into.  Set between the events of The Next Generation episode Chain of Command and the first episode of Deep Space Nine, Pliable Truth’s main story primarily follows The Next Generation cast, as well as several of the best characters from Deep Space Nine, as they attempt to help Bajor adapt to its independence.  At the same time, a separate storyline follows a group of Bajoran labours working at a Cardassian prison camp, whose freedom is threatened by the dark secrets surrounding the camp.  I very much enjoyed how both storylines unfolded, as the Cardassian labour camp part of the narrative is quite intense and focuses on a raft of intriguing new characters engaged in a game of cat and mouse, as the prisoners try to work out why they are still imprisoned and how they can save themselves.  At the same time, the storyline around the Enterprise crew and Bajor focuses on the attempts to rebuilt Bajor and the future Deep Space Nine space station, as well as the ongoing negotiations between the Cardassians and the Bajorans, moderated by Picard.

This main storyline with the established characters of the two series proves to be an entertaining and enjoyable experience, especially as Ward works in so many references and key characters.  The unique interactions between the characters from both shows, most of whom never shared screentime, is very fun, and Ward does a great job playing up both the emotional and entertainment value of these interactions.  However, the heart of this story revolves around Picard as he comes face to face with the Cardassians after the events of Chain of Command where he was tortured (“There are four lights!”).  This proves to be an emotionally charged part of the story, especially when Picard is required to deal with his former torturer Gul Madred.  As Picard is forced to deal with his trauma, his crew encounter a series of complications and sabotages they need to overcome to save the station and the planet.

Both storylines come together extremely well as Pliable Truths nears its end, and I liked how well Ward balanced these separate narrative threads.  The darker moments of the Cardassian prison planet serves as an interesting contrast to the fanservice taking place in the main storyline, and I think this combination of storylines made for quite a distinctive narrative that stood on its own.  Ward brings a certain amount of tragedy to the end of Pliable Truths, which helped to enhance some of the more positive moments of the story, including Picard regaining his confidence, and the potentially bright future for Bajor.  All the main story elements get wrapped up satisfactorily, and I liked some of the entertaining twists that Ward through in there.  An overall impressive story and one that will appeal to a lot of Star Trek fans, Pliable Truths was a great read that I couldn’t get enough of.

Now this proved to be a very interesting Star Trek novel which is primarily going to appeal to fans of the franchise.  Ward, who knows more than most about Star Trek, does a wonderful job turning Pliable Truths into a compelling bridging novel between the two key series.  Showcasing the events that lead to the Federation having a presence on Deep Space Nine and the Cardassian withdrawal from Bajor, Pliable Truth fills in a lot of the gaps between The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine.  There is a lot of detail covered here in Pliable Truths as result, and I really enjoyed Ward’s take on the story and how the intervening events likely unfolded.  As a fan of both shows, I found this to be very cool, especially as Ward layers in a ton of clever and intricate references that fans of both shows, especially Deep Space Nine, will really appreciate.  Things like Riker’s legendary win at Quarks, the early machinations of Garak, the reasons behind O’Brien’s decision to stay at the station, and more are all featured here, and Ward obviously had fun including them in his story.  Ward also takes the time to cover the various atrocities of the Cardassian occupation of Bajor, which is referenced a lot in the shows, and which becomes a key part of this plot.  Discussing the various horrors committed by the Cardassians adds a darker tinge to much of the plot, and the obviously parallels to real-life occupations, ensure the reader comes away very thoughtful.  As such, Pliable Truths really is geared towards existing Star Trek fans, although I’m sure casual readers can probably have fun with this book, especially if they have watched some of Deep Space Nine.

One of the best parts of Pliable Truths was the excellent way in which Ward presented several iconic Star Trek characters and utilised them in the plot.  All of the key characters from The Next Generation were very strongly featured in Pliable Truths to various degrees, and even a few minor recurring characters had major showings in this book.  Each of them is featured in a manner very similar to how they appeared in the show, which I deeply appreciated, and it is a testament to Ward’s abilities as an author that he made them feel very realistic here.  The most prominent of these is Captain Jean-Luc Picard, who has the most compelling storyline in the entire novel.  Picard, who in the story recently suffered from immense torture during the Chain of Command episodes, is shown to still be in mental recovery during this book, especially as his latest ordeal compounds various other traumatic experiences Picard has suffered over the years.  As such, much of this book is dedicated to Picard facing his Cardassian-related demons, which becomes the emotional heart of the story.  This becomes especially true when Picard’s former torturer appears, and their resulting scenes together are some of the strongest in the books.

Aside from The Next Generation cast, quite a lot of Pliable Truths is spent focusing on several intriguing figures who would go on to become main characters in the Deep Space Nine series.  Ward does a great job setting the scene for them to enter the plot of the new show, and I liked the way in which the author bridged the gaps between their first appearances on Deep Space Nine and their established backstories.  The includes focusing on Miles O’Brien and examining the reasons why he chose to leave the Enterprise and become an engineer on the station.  Quark and Odo get several fun sequences, Deep Space Nine antagonist Gul Dukat gets to menace around in all his arrogant glory, while Major Kira has an extended sequence with her badass abilities on full display.  However, my favourite character appearance was the always entertaining Elim Garak.  The “former” Cardassian spy turned “simple” tailor, Garak has some great moments in Pliable Truths as he starts to come to terms with his exile, as well as the growing fortunes of his former comrades/rivals.  Ward does an outstanding job capturing the hilarious nature of Garak and his cutting remarks, and he proved to be a fantastic figure in Pliable Truths, especially with his final hilarious, if sinister, scene.  I loved seeing earlier versions of several key Deep Space Nine characters in this story, especially as they also have unique interactions with their The Next Generation counterparts, and any fan of the show will have a wonderful time seeing them in action here.

As with most pieces of tie-in fiction I enjoy, I ended up listening to Pliable Truths on audiobook, which proved to be an excellent experience.  I personally find that the Star Trek books come across extremely well in this format, and at times it almost feels like you are watching one of the television shows.  A lot of this is due to the excellent narration of Robert Petkoff, who has lent his voice to many Star Trek audiobooks over the years.  One of my favourite audiobook narrators, Petkoff is well known for his ability to replicate the voices of many of the characters from the Star Trek franchise, especially the original series.  His work in Pliable Truths is pretty damn epic, especially as he brings so many classic characters to life with his great impersonations.  I felt that his versions of many of the Next Generation cast members, particularly Picard, Riker, Worf and Data, came across extremely well in Pliable Truths, and I also liked his take on the various Deep Space Nine characters that appeared, including Odo, Quark and Garak.  In addition to his great take on many of the characters from the show, Petkoff also supplies fitting voices to various new figures who only appear in this book.  In this case, Petkoff takes care to really highlight the species of the relevant character, utilising accents and tones associated with them from the show.   This excellent voice work really helped to drag me into the story, and I had a brilliant time listening to this wonderful audiobook.  Coming in with a run time of 11 hours, this is a very easy audiobook to get through quickly, and I would strongly recommend Pliable Truths in this format.

Pliable Truths was an incredible new Star Trek novel from Dayton Ward that provides fans of the franchise with some great callbacks to two classic television series.  Featuring a fantastic story and great interpretations of so many amazing characters, I had a wonderful time listening to Pliable Truths and it was one of the better audiobooks I have so far listened to in 2024.

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Warhammer 40,000: Cain’s Last Stand by Sandy Mitchell

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Audiobook, Extended Universe, Science Fiction, Throwback Thursday, Tie-in Novel, Warhammer4 Comments

Cain's Last Stand Cover

Publisher: Black Library (Audiobook – 1 January 2008)

Series: Ciaphas Cain – Book Six

Length: 10 hours and 30 minutes

My Rating: 4.75 out of 5 stars

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I’ve been on a real roll with the amazing Ciaphas Cain series by Sandy Mitchell (a pseudonym of Alex Stewart) lately, which is easily one of the funniest Warhammer 40,000 series out there.  Amazing books like For the Emperor, Caves of Ice, The Traitor’s Hand, Death or Glory and Duty Calls have all proved to be highly entertaining, and I like the author’s take on a less heroic figure in the martyr-filled grimdark Warhammer 40,000 universe.  As such, when in need of a particularly fun read, I made the very easy choice to power through another entry in this classic series last week with the sixth book, Cain’s Last Stand.  This was an unsurprisingly awesome book, and I loved the intriguing story that emerged.

Commissar Ciaphas Cain, legendary hero of the Imperium and self-professed fraudulent coward, has done the near impossible and survived decades of brutal service in the Imperial Guard.  Now effectively retired from active duty, Cain has returned to the planet of Perlia, which he helped save from an ork invasion early in his career, and now spends his time teaching Commissar cadets at the planet’s Schola Progenium.  However, the battle is never truly over for Cain, and soon dark forces begin to descend once again.

Half a galaxy away, Abaddon the Despoiler has launched his 13th Black Crusade, determined to invade the Imperium of Man.  While most of the fighting occurs around the fortress world of Cadia, a splinter fleet has broken off and is heading deep into the Imperium, defeating several forces sent to stop it.  When it becomes apparent that this fleet is heading directly for Perlia, Cain is once again forced into action, especially as he knows exactly what they are coming for.

An ancient alien device of devastating power lies hidden on Perlia, one capable of reshaping reality itself, and Cain is one of the few people who knows it’s there.  With no means of escape available and the fate of the galaxy in the balance, Cain is forced to lead the defence of Perlia against the oncoming Chaos tide.  With only a ramshackle army of local soldiers, militia and students from the Schola under his command, the defence of the planet looks grim, especially when faced with a charismatic Chaos lord and his fanatically loyal soldiers.  Worse, a far greater evil has its eyes on Perlia, one that Cain fears above all else.  Can the legendary hero of the Imperium pull out one last impossible victory before he rides off into the sunset, or has Cain finally met his match at the site of his greatest triumph?

Mitchell continues to bring joy to the dark Warhammer 40,000 universe with this epic sixth entry, which I had so much fun with.  Cain’s Last Stand was an excellent read, and I loved the cool and elaborate story that emerged.

I think Cain’s Last Stand might be one of my favourite stories that Mitchell has so far used for the Ciaphas Cain series, especially because it differs from the standard narrative patterns of the series, while also cleverly tying together some intriguing ongoing storylines.  Set further into the future than any of the previous books, you get to see a nearly retired Cain in action, as the series finally ties itself into the events of the 13th Black Crusade (the original version of it, not the darker recent retcon).  I liked how Mitchell takes the reader back to the setting of the fourth book, Death or Glory, and the initial scenes of Cain as a reluctant but capable teacher, were very fun.  The switch from Tyranids to Chaos as the main threat is handled extremely well, and I liked the continued niggle that even worse enemies are lurking around.  The subsequent reveal that the reason behind the invasion is due to the ancient artefact first hinted at in Death or Glory and then expanded on in Duty Calls was great, and Mitchell does an excellent job of tying the various ongoing storylines together.

The second half of Cain’s Last Stand proves to be a very fun planetary invasion arc, especially as Cain works to rally an unusual array of defenders, including untrained militia, under strength garrison forces, and his own students.  The forces of Chaos prove to be excellent foes for this story, and I liked the much more insidious nature of the threat that emerged, especially as there was a slow build to the reveal.  After plenty of action, clever ploys, some touching tragedy, and so much misdirection from the protagonist, the story eventually heads to the inevitable last stand, which cleverly mirrors a similar event from Death or Glory.  Mitchell does a great job of building up anticipation for this event, and it doesn’t disappoint as there are some excellent action sequences and fun revelations that occurred.  I particularly enjoyed the big bluff that leads to the death of a certain enemy, especially as it was a classic Cain antic.  The final reveal about the actual big bad of the story was well handled, and it leaves this storyline open for the future, which I am very excited for.  An overall excellent addition to the series that builds on the prior novels while offering existing fans something new to enjoy.

Mitchell continues to utilise the fantastic writing style that has made the other Ciaphas Cain books so much fun, and I love how it cleverly enhances the narrative of Cain’s Last Stand.  As always, the cool journal format, equipped with entertaining footnotes and in-universe texts from Inquisitor Amberley Vail, ensures that you get a frank and cynical look at events in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, and I love the inherent humour that results.  The various action scenes are exciting and fast-paced, and the constant commentary of complaints and annoyance that emerges from the protagonist are very entertaining.  This action and compelling humour are well offset by some of the darker elements of the plot, including some genuinely tragic moments, and you get thrown around the emotional ringer as a result.  This mixture of elements helped to create a much more impactful and complex read, and I appreciated some occasional seriousness to go with the impressive humour.

As with most books in the Ciaphas Cain series, Cain’s Last Stand can be read as a standalone read, especially as the author does a good job of rehashing relevant events from the prior novels.  However, for the full experience, especially when it comes to some fascinating storylines, reading the last two books would be good, and I really enjoyed how the author kept bringing the story back to these prior adventures.  While there was once again some repetition between books as Mitchell reutilises his favourite lines, I felt that the more original story and important connections to previous books ensured that Cain’s Last Stand stood out and got away from some of these minor issues.  An excellently written book that will appeal to both new readers and established fans of the series.

As always, I must give a callout to the outstanding characters featured in Cain’s Last Stand.  This of course includes Commissar Ciaphas Cain, the main protagonist and narrator, whose harrowing adventures we continue to follow.  I’ve talked a lot about the exciting dichotomy of Cain throughout my previous reviews, especially as he can be considered both a hero and a coward, and I loved seeing that occur again in Cain’s Last Stand.  Cain continues to be both a self-serving cad and a peerless commander, and it always fun to see himself plot to survive while discounting his own accomplishments.  His adventures in this book are particularly fun, and the inclusion of the protagonist as a teacher trying to get his methodology of command to Commissar cadets was a great choice from Mitchell and plays nicely on some of his offhand comments in previous books.  This, as well as the return to a planet important to his mythos, ensures that Cain has a lot to think about in Cain’s Last Stand, and I really enjoyed the way his past adventures keep coming back to haunt him.  This was a powerful adventure for Cain, and I always enjoy seeing the protagonist debate his own legacy whilst doing his trademark daring deeds.

The supporting cast for Cain’s Last Stand was also very good, and it provided an interesting mixed of established characters, returning figures, and raft of great new comrades.  This includes Inquisitor Amberley Vail, whose role as the overarching narrator of the book, as well as the person behind the footnotes, ensures that her fun influence is felt the entire way through.  Cain’s faithful bagman, Jurgen, was also a welcome inclusion, and his loyal service and fun interactions with Cain were as great as always.  Jurgen once again showed why he is the true MVP of the Ciaphas Cain series, and you have to love the entertaining contrast between his Baldrick-esque appearance and his impressive abilities.  Other great characters include a favourite character from Death or Glory, an interesting array of fellow teachers from Cain’s Schola Progenium, and other unique comrades for the protagonist.  I particularly enjoyed the class of Commissar cadets who are being instructed by Cain, and it was fun to see the range of different personalities they had.  Throw in a smarmy Chaos warlord whose charisma and influence outweighed his abilities and stature, and you had a great cast for Cain’s Last Stand, and I had a lot of fun seeing Cain interact with them.

I once again had an outstanding time with the audiobook format of this book, and frankly there is no better way to enjoy a Ciaphas Cain novel.  Thanks to the epic and well-cast multiple narrators, readers get an amazing experience when they listen to Cain’s Last Stand, especially as it helps to really capture the crazy nature of the plot.  The main narrators are Stephen Perring and Penelope Rawlins, who voice Cain’s perspective and Inquisitor Vail’s notes respectfully.  Perring once again does an incredible job voicing the main cast of the story, especially Cain and Jurgen, while Rawlins has a lot of fun including her character’s informative, if often sarcastic, comments throughout the plot.  These two main narrators complement each other extremely well, and I always have an awesome time listening to them.  The audiobook also features the talents of additional narrators Richard Reed, John Banks and Phillipe Bosher, each of whom voice fun in-universe texts and pieces of propaganda to liven up the main plot and provide some amusing context for the main story.  I have so much love for how these narrators bring the story together and this proved to be another impressive audiobook to listen to, especially as its great style really fit the fantastic story Mitchell came up with.  With a run time of 10 hours and 30 minutes, this is a very easy audiobook to get through quickly, and I managed to finish it off in no time at all.

Cain’s Last Stand was another amazing entry in the Ciaphas Cain series by Sandy Mitchell, and I have so much love for this entertaining and fun Warhammer 40,000 series.  This sixth book was a particularly impressive entry in the series, and I loved the complex story that emerged, especially as it brings together several previous adventures from Mitchell’s outstanding protagonist.  A clever, exciting and overall funny book that I could not get enough of, Cain’s Last Stand comes highly recommended and I look forward to continuing this series in the future.

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Warhammer 40,000: Duty Calls by Sandy Mitchell

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Audiobook, Extended Universe, Science Fiction, Throwback Thursday, Tie-in Novel, Warhammer6 Comments

Duty Calls Cover

Publisher: Black Library (Audiobook – 22 May 2007)

Series: Ciaphas Cain – Book Five

Length: 9 hours and 37 minutes

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

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One of the most entertaining authors of Warhammer fiction, Sandy Mitchell, continues to shine with the fifth book in his excellent Ciaphas Cain series, Duty Calls.

I doubt anyone is too surprised to hear that I broke a recent lull of reading by resuming the Ciaphas Cain series.  The Ciaphas Cain books, written by Sandy Mitchell (the alternate penname of author Alex Stewart), are an outstanding series that aims to bring a little humour to the crazy and dark battles of the gothic Warhammer 40,000 universe.  I have deeply enjoyed the first four books in this series, For the Emperor, Caves of Ice, The Traitor’s Hand and Death or Glory, and this honestly is one of the very best Warhammer 40,000 series out there.

Commissar Ciaphas Cain, hero of the Imperium and self-confessed self-serving coward, continues his exciting and deadly adventures when a new dark threat rises to destroy humanity.  After his last harrowing adventure with the Valhallan 597th, Cain is keen for a less deadly experience, and his new deployment to help crack down on civil unrest on the planet of Periremunda seems to be the ticket.  However, nothing is ever simple when Cain is involved.

Upon arriving on Periremunda, Cain quickly finds his life in danger as a series of assassination attempts are made against him.  Realising that his assailants are genestealers, the deadly scouts of the Tyranid swarm, Cain begins to understand the true danger Periremunda is in, as the genstealers herald the approach a Hive Fleet.  But unstoppable hordes of alien creatures are the least of Cain’s worries as he is reunited with his old flame, Inquisitor Amberley Vail.

Ostensibly on Periremunda to help the Imperial Guard stave off the Tyranid invasion, it soon becomes apparent that Vail is there for a darker reason.  Something incredibly important has been hidden on the planet that has the potential to change the entire Imperium.  Forced to assist Vail, Cain and his trusty aide, Jurgen, find themselves thrust into the deadly intricacies of a battle between hidden underground factions.  But with hungry Tyranids all around, deadly assassins gunning for Cain and a mysterious Chaos cult causing mischief, can Cain survive his deadliest encounter yet?

Duty Calls was an awesome addition to the Ciaphas Cain series that builds on several of the prior adventures, while also testing the protagonist in some fun new ways.  I loved the interesting story contained with Duty Calls, and this was one of Mitchell’s stronger additions to the series.

This fifth Ciaphas Cain novel had a great story behind it, although I am sure that prior readers will be familiar with the overall thrust of the narrative, with the seemingly cowardly Cain arriving on a new planet to face one threat, only to discover a much more dangerous enemy hiding beneath the surface that he is forced to reluctantly face and defeat, once again accidentally proving that he is a hero.  While Mitchell does try to break this story premise up throughout the series, this is a recurring story format, which can get a little too repetitive.  However, I think that Duty Calls stands on its own feet and Mitchell does a good job distinguishing it from the previous entries in the series.  The initial hidden threat of genestealers transforms into a massive Tyranid invasion, and it proved intriguing to see the protagonist face off against the ravening alien forces.  Tyranids are easily one of the best antagonists in the entire Warhammer 40,000 canon, and while they lose a little of their fighting ability in the face of Cain’s plot armour, they proved to be a great threat in Duty Calls.

While Mitchell could have probably left Duty Calls as simply a military novel, the inclusion of major recurring character Inquisitor Amberley Vail ensures that Cain is thrust into a much more subtle form of danger alongside the Tyranid invasion.  Caught between warring factions of the Inquisition and Adeptus Mechanicus, Cain is used as a pawn in the resulting shadow war, and there are some great scenes as Cain dodges assassination attempts, hidden Chaos cults, and other unseen dangers, all while trying to work out what the elaborate conspiracy is.  Novels that focus on the plots and conspiracies of Inquisitors are always very cool in the Warhammer 40,000 universe (see my reviews for Xenos, Malleus and Hereticus by Dan Abnett), and Mitchell fits Cain into this intrigue laden story arc extremely well.  It helped that there was some excellent set-up for this in the previous novel, and it was good to get a continuation here.  The resulting combination of storylines comes together really well, and Duty Calls has a really impressive and addictive narrative that will appeal to all fans of Warhammer 40,000 fiction.

As with the previous Ciaphas Cain novels, Mitchell does a great job of balancing the various elements of Duty Calls perfectly.  While primarily a military focused science fiction read, Duty Calls also has some great elements of intrigue and espionage, which ensures extra levels of excitement and danger.  However, I feel that the best part of Duty Calls is the inherent humour that Mitchell produces, which is a real rarity in Warhammer fiction.  Most of this is due to the hilarious and cynical narration of the main character, who pulls no punches when it comes to describing how ridiculous events are and the fact that he’s caught in the middle of them.  Extra humour is also built in due to the contained chronicle format that Mitchell has set the series out in, with the protagonist’s journal entries enhanced by extra documentation, descriptions, references and notes from Cain’s associate, Inquisitor Vail.  Vail’s sarcastic take on Cain’s description of events throughout these extra notes is a lot of fun, and the additional in-universe texts and broadcasts seek to showcase just how ridiculous humanity and the Imperium has gotten in the war-torn future, with over-the-top bits of propaganda and biased historical documents.  All this adds to quite a funny book, and this built-in comedy pairs remarkably well with the more serious parts of Duty Call’s narrative to create a truly addictive and fun read.

I felt that Duty Calls was a strong entry in the Ciaphas Cain series, especially as it builds nicely off the events of the preceding novel, Death or Glory.  Due to the series looking at different time periods of Cain’s career, Duty Calls is set between the second and third books, although it makes a lot of references to the first novel, and the events of Death or Glory, which took place many years before.  While the jumps around the timeline are a little confusing, Mitchell makes it work, and I liked seeing the return of several recurring characters, as well as a continuation of some mysterious storylines from the previous book.  Despite these connections, Duty Calls also works quite well as a standalone novel, and new readers can jump into the series here without too many issues.  Indeed, Duty Calls is a good introduction to both the Tyranids and the Warhammer 40,000 universe, and the Ciaphas Cain books are very much engineered for new Warhammer fans.  I will say that after reading several Ciaphas Cain books in a row, Mitchell’s proclivity for repeating elements from his other novels is a bit more obvious, and you do get a little weary of hearing the same phrases, descriptions and character depictions again and again.  Still, Mitchell ensures that Duty Calls is a particularly entertaining read, so its easy to really get stuck into it, and I deeply enjoyed seeing this unique series continue.

As always, I must mention the great characters featured within Duty Calls.  The most prominent of these is series protagonist Ciaphas Cain, who might be one of the more complex and debated figures in the Warhammer 40,000 canon.  Shown by his own admission to be a coward and a false hero, Cain spends most of the book trying to come up with ways to avoid combat and surviving the inevitable battles that his reputation and own bad luck force him to participate in.  His memoirs are filled with cynical allusions to the methods he utilises to survive, and you can see that Mitchell is trying to emulate classic characters like Flashman or Blackadder.  However, despite the character’s constant assurances that he is no hero, you see time and time again that there is far more to Cain, as he routinely defeats the enemy, often thanks to his own caution, survival instincts and ability to inspire his fellow troops.  I love how you are constantly rooting for Cain, despite his attempts to weasel out of trouble, and his self-deprecation about his actions really makes you feel for him, especially as its apparent that he is just one filled with self-doubt after not being an over-the-top martyr like the other heroes in the Warhammer 40,000 universe.  At the same time, Cain also provides a lot of the book’s humour, as you are bombarded with his fun comments and cynical attitude about everyone he encounters.  As such, I really appreciate Cain as a central character in this series, and it is always so much fun to follow him throughout his adventures.

Aside from Cain, there is an interesting array of characters featured in Duty Calls who I had a lot of fun with.  Many of them are recurring from the previous novels, and it was good to see various familiar faces again.  This includes Cain’s faithful aide, Jurgen, who Mitchell portrays in a manner like Baldrick from Blackadder, due to his apparent gormless attitude and poor personal hygiene.  However, in many ways Jurgen is just as much a hero as Cain, often being the one to save the day with his skills and big gun, and he forms a great team with Cain, especially as his Commissar is usually the one drawing the enemy’s attention from his aide’s attacks.  I also really enjoyed seeing the return of Inquisitor Amberley Vail, both as a character in Cain’s adventures and the person publishing his memoirs.  Vail proves to be the perfect foil to Cain for many reasons, and I like how she’s the only person who can effectively manipulate Cain and doesn’t fall for his lies and schemes.  Vail constantly calls out Cain, both in person and through the footnotes she amends to his chronicles, and I love how she has his number, while also clearly caring for Cain as a partner.  Duty Calls really shows just how dangerous Vail can be though, especially as she gets into the fight and makes some tough decisions.  Other interesting characters include several familiar soldiers from the Valhallan 597th, the outrageous members of Vail’s inquisitorial retinue, and a several intriguing antagonists who prove to be great and over-the-top opponents to the sensible Cain.  All these characters added a lot to the impact of the book, and I cannot wait to see how they fit into Cain’s adventures again in the future.

Readers who have seen my previous Ciaphas Cain reviews know that the only way I am going to enjoy this series is through its audiobook format.  All Warhammer novels make awesome audiobooks, but the Ciaphas Cain audiobooks are something particularly special thanks to the use of multiple narrators.  Duty Calls features six separate narrators who add a great deal to the production thanks to their fantastic voices and entertaining takes on the characters and universe.  Most of this narration is done by the superbly talented Stephen Perring, who lends his voice to all the chapters told from Cain’s perspective.  As such, he covers most of the first-person action and adventures of the main character, and his take on the complex Cain and his colleagues is exceptional.  The way he captures the various aspects of Cain’s character through his voice work is impressive, and you really get a sense of the multiple layers surrounding his motivations.  Perring also does a really good job of capturing the other intriguing characters Cain interacts with, including his aid Jurgen, and the eclectic members of the Inquisition that crosses his path.

After Perring, the most prominent narrator is Penelope Rawlins, who provides narrations for the various inclusions written by Inquisitor Vail.  As such, Rawlin’s voice is constantly interjected into the audiobook at various points as she reads out the footnotes, context pages, and personal remarks from Vail, as she attempts to make Cain’s story more readable.  Rawlins has really perfected her Vail voice over the course of the series, and it is always great to have the playful, informative, and often gently exasperated tones of a chronicling Inquisitor come through the plot.  There is also some good contrast between Perring and Rawlins, especially as both voice the character of Vail throughout Duty Calls, and they serve as a winning main team.

The other four narrators, Emma Gregory, Richard Reed, Tara Rawson and Andrew James Spooner are also very fun, even if they are used a little sparingly.  These four narrators’ voice extracts from various in-universe texts, chronicles and new casts that Inquisitor Vail has added to Cain’s manuscripts to give them more context.  These talented narrators go all out in voicing these intriguing and often over-the-top inclusions, and I love the humorous spin their excellent narration adds to them as a result.  Gregory is particularly noteworthy, especially as she once again voices the ridiculously patriotic memoirs of an officer fighting alongside Cain, but all these extra narrators do such a great job.  This excellent and entertaining combination of voice actors and audiobook narrators turns Duty Calls into a real treat to listen to, and I honestly cannot recommend this format enough to anyone interested in checking out the Ciaphas Cain series.

I continue to fall further in love with the Ciaphas Cain series as Sandy Mitchell produces another amazing and fun story in Duty Calls.  Loaded with action, humour, and a particularly complex protagonist, Duty Calls had everything I’ve come to expect from the Ciaphas Cain series, and I deeply enjoyed how Mitchell continues to showcase the Warhammer 40,000 universe in his own distinctive way.  I can think of no better way to highlight just how much of a great time I had with Duty Calls than to reveal that I automatically started listening to the sequel Cain’s Last Stand, the moment I finished it.  Highly recommended to all Warhammer fans and new readers wanting some fun science fiction adventures.

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