Tag: Catachan

Warhammer 40,000: Leontus: Lord Solar by Rob Young

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Audiobook, Extended Universe, Science Fiction, Tie-in Novel, Warhammer2 Comments

Publisher: Black Library (Audiobook – 25 January 2025)

Series: Warhammer 40,000

Length: 5 hours and 44 minutes

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

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Warhammer 40,000 fiction in 2025 starts off strong with the compelling, character-focused novel, Leontus: Lord Solar by Rob Young.

Back in 2023 I had the very great pleasure of reading my first book from Rob Young, Longshot.  A cool and intense character-driven Warhammer 40,000 novel that followed a sniper war on a T’au held world, Longshot was a fantastic first book from Young, and it ended up being one of my favourite debuts of 2023.  As such, I have been very intrigued to see how Young would continue his Warhammer fiction career, and his next novel, Leontus: Lord Solar, proved to be an excellent new entry to the Warhammer 40,000 canon.  Focused on a legendary human leader, Leontus: Lord Solar was an impactful read that I shot through very quickly.

On the world of Fortuna Minor, an Astra Militarum taskforce of soldiers from various Imperial Guard regiments encounters grave disaster.  Sent to eliminate an invading ork horde, the Astra Militarum soldiers find themselves overwhelmed on the landing fields of Fortuna Minor and are slaughtered, while their reinforcements are forced to retreat into space thanks to the orks’ fighters and spacecraft.  Surrounded, outnumbered and lacking resources, only a few humans manage to escape the massacre, including legendary hero of the Imperium of Man, Arcadian Leontus, Lord Commander of the Segmentum Solar.

One of humanity’s most dedicated defenders and a master tactician, Leontus has no intention of giving up in the face of the ork invasion, even with his armies lost and devastated.  Determined to not only survive but complete the objective of reclaiming Fortuna Minor, Leontus rallies a small group of survivors and prisoners liberated from the ork camps to his cause and begins a desperate campaign to fight ensure that the armies of the Imperium can triumph on this latest battlefield.

Effectively welding his scattered force of mismatched and poorly armed soldiers into a coherent army, Leontus soon finds success against the orks, bringing hope to his demoralised troops.  But in the face of overwhelming odds, a determined and dangerously intelligent opponent, and his own lack of resources, can even the brilliant Leontus succeed, especially when his own men begin to question his tactics and motivations?

Leontus: Lord Solar was an excellent and fun Warhammer 40,000 novel that allowed Young to bring an iconic figure from the game to life.  A compelling and exciting read, Leontus: Lord Solar was a real blast to check out, especially as Young presents an impressive and direct narrative that you quickly sink your teeth into.

This was a very fast-paced and exciting Warhammer 40,000 novel that quickly throws you into the fray and successfully keeps your attention the entire way through.  Starting off with fire and blood as the Imperial Guard regiments are devastated by orks as they land, the story sets itself around some of the main supporting characters, particularly Belgutei, an Attilan Rough Rider, and Keori Arnetz, a Catachan medic.  Fighting there way out of the killing fields, Belgutei and Arnetz, as well as a handful of other survivors, link up with the titular Leontus, who leads them to safety and initiates a desperate guerrilla campaign against the orks, bringing together scattered troops, rescuing prisoners and ambushing ork convoys.

The resulting narrative is highly compelling and action-packed, as the brilliant yet practical Leontus proves to be a skilled commander, inspiring his disparate and demoralised troops, while also engaging in some risky and intense actions.  Young does an excellent job balancing the narrative amongst the three main protagonists, as well as a couple of interesting supporting figures, and I liked how the author tended to focus more on Belgutei and Arnetz, which allowed for an intriguing outsider perspective of Leontus and his actions.  There are some powerful character interactions, especially between Leontus and Belgutei, as the two clash over strategy and the fate of the survivors, which adds some dramatic spice to the overall exciting dish.  The action scenes flow fast and heavy as the book nears its end, including some dark sacrifices, and everything leads up to a massive and intense final battle, where so many of your favourite characters are in peril.  The book ends on a complex note, as Leontus proves his status as a tactician and hero, although the reader is left to decide on his humanity.  An outstanding overall Warhammer 40,000 narrative that is guaranteed to quickly hook you and keep your attention to the end.

Young once again shows his impressive ability when it comes to writing Warhammer 40,000 fiction, and I loved the short, brutal and captivating way Leontus: Lord Solar was presented.  While I was initially worried that it would be too similar to the Ciaphas Cain book, Death or Glory, which also featured a human hero marooned on an ork-held world, Young ensured that Leontus: Lord Solar stood out on its own feet.  The quick-fire narrative, intense and tactical action sequences, and cool scenario ensured this was a distinctive read, and one guaranteed to keep your attention the entire way through.  Primarily a character-focused story around the iconic in-game figure of Arcadian Leontus, Lord Commander of the Segmentum Solar, Young does an excellent job of highlighting the protagonist and showcasing him in a compelling way.  The author chose to primarily show Leontus through the eyes of his supporting characters, which allowed for a more nuanced take on the titular protagonist, while the occasional scene shown from Leontus’ perspective hinted at plans the character is hiding from his soldiers.  Throw in some excellent supporting characters and a memorable, if somewhat underutilised antagonist (who was simultaneously awesome and freaky), and this proved to be an amazing novel with some excellent character-driven strife and complexity at its core.

As with Young’s previous book, Longshot, Leontus: Lord Solar is an outstanding piece of Warhammer 40,000 fiction, and one that would serve as a good introduction to the wider universe for new readers.  The quickfire storytelling, classic action between humans and orks, and lack of excessive lore makes Leontus: Lord Solar a very accessible read, especially as Young doesn’t excessively dive into the history of his main protagonist.  Established readers of Warhammer fiction will naturally get a little more out of this book, especially as it was very cool to see the titular character in action in all his tactical glory, and I felt that Young did an exceptional job capturing and presenting this figure.  In addition, the book also features some intriguing unit makeups as Leontus bands together an irregular force of surviving Cadians, Catachans, Kreig troopers and Attilan Rough Riders.  The interactions between the groups and Leontus was pretty fun, and I liked the mixtures of styles of battle strategies.  Of them, I felt that the Attilan Rough Riders were shown off the best, and their explosive cavalry charges were awesome to read and reminded me of Warhammer Fantasy fiction at times.  All of this and more ensured that Leontus: Lord Solar was a very cool Warhammer 40,000 novel, and it is one I would recommend to all fans of the franchise.

As I tend to with most Warhammer novels I enjoy, I decided to check out Leontus: Lord Solar on audiobook, which was another fantastic experience.  As I have stated innumerable times, Warhammer fiction really lends itself to the audiobook format, and having talented narrators read out the over-the-top stories allows for all the best bits of the universe and its grim dark themes to come to life.  This was particularly true for Leontus: Lord Solar, whose compelling character focused storylines and intense action sequences proved to be a lot of fun to listen to.  Coming in with a relatively short runtime under six hours long, dedicated listeners can really fly through Leontus: Lord Solar, and I enjoyed how quick the pace turned out to be.  I also really appreciated the choice in narrator as David Seddon is a skilled voice actor who really impressed me in previous Warhammer 40,000 audiobooks Dredge Runners and Kasrkin.  Seddon did an excellent job with Leontus: Lord Solar, as not only did he move the story along at a fantastic and enjoyable pace, but he also provided some excellent voices for the various characters.  His take on the titular Leontus was extremely good, and you get a real sense of the character’s nobility, as well as his determination to win, through the performance.  The rest of the human characters also came across extremely well, and Seddon expertly gifts them accents that cleverly corresponded to their regiment and their real-world military influence.  This great voice work really enhanced the already exciting narrative, and I found myself getting really engrossed in this audiobook version as a result.

With this fantastic second book, Leontus: Lord Solar, Rob Young has nicely set himself up as a rising author of Warhammer fiction, especially as he brings a compelling figure from the game to life.  Featuring some awesome action, compelling characters, and an entertaining narrative, Leontus: Lord Solar was an outstanding Warhammer 40,000 novel to start the year with, and I look forward to seeing what amazing adventures Young brings to the franchise in the future.

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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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Warhammer 40,000: Catachan Devil by Justin Woolley

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

Catachan Devil Cover

Publisher: Black Library (Audiobook – 29 March 2022)

Series: Warhammer 40,000/Astra Militarum – Book Two

Length: 9 hours and 14 minutes

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

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Another iconic regiment of the Astra Militarum is on full display in the new Warhammer 40,000 novel by talented author Justin Woolley, with the intense and action-packed read Catachan Devil.

2022 is shaping up to be a particularly epic year for Warhammer 40,000 fiction, with a ton of brilliant novels coming out that cover a range of factions and sides of the surprisingly massive and highly compelling extended universe surrounding the famous tabletop games.  Some of the best Warhammer books of the year include Ghazghkull Thraka: Prophet of the Waaagh! by Nate Crowley and Assassinorum: Kingmaker by Robert Rath, which both got five-star ratings from me.  However, I have also been really drawn to the impressive novels that examine the basic human troopers of the Imperium of Man.  These soldiers, members of the Astra Militarum, better known as the Imperial Guard, come from many different planets, and are forged into unique fighters by the harsh conditions of their worlds.  I have had a great time reading some of the recent books about them, such as Steel Tread, Krieg and The Vincula Insurgency, especially as the authors dive deep into the psyches of the regiments and their members to unearth their history, mentality, and their opinions of the deadly wars they are fighting.  As such, I was excited when I saw that there was a cool book coming out that followed the legendary Catachan Jungle Fighters, Catachan Devil by Justin Woolley.

Deep in the 41st century, where war and death surrounds the fragile Imperium of Man, many serve the Imperium as soldiers of the Astra Militarum.  However, not all Imperial Guard are created equal, as Trooper Torvin of the newly formed Skadi Second Infantry is about to find out.  Conscripted to fight in the Emperor’s wars, the poorly trained and terrified Torvin suddenly finds himself on the jungle world of Gondwa VI, expected to go up against the brutal and ever-growing greenskin threat.  However, fate is about to place him in the path of a far more dangerous group of fighters.

The lone survivor of his regiment after their vital outpost is overrun and captured by orks, Torvin is accused of cowardice and faces death by firing squad.  However, he is given a chance at redemption by joining up with the men chosen to retake his fallen outpost, the legendary and lethal men of the Catachan 57th Jungle Fighters.  Led by Colonel Haskell ‘Hell Fist’ Aldalon, the Catachans are masters of stealth and jungle fighting, and the 57th Jungle Fighters have a particular grudge to bear against the orks.

Accompanying a small detachment of Catachan Devils to the fallen fortress, Torvin is in awe of the Catachan’s skill and lethality, while they view him with nothing but disdain.  Forced into the fight, Torvin soon discovers that the Catachans are just as likely to turn on him for his incompetence as they are to kill the orks they are hunting.  If he wants to survive, Torvin will need to forget his standard training and fight his hardest to gain the respect of the Catachans.  However, not even the Catachans are fully prepared for the opponents waiting for them; these orks are aware of their strengths and have taken to emulating their tactics and style.  May the best commandos win!

Woolley’s first full Warhammer 40,000 novel was a real hit, and I loved how Catachan Devil provided the reader with a powerful and deeply exciting science fiction tale that also highlights one of the more distinctive factions from the tabletop game.  Catachan Devil has a brilliant and deeply compelling story to it that I found myself powering through in only a few days.  A standalone Warhammer 40,000 book, Catachan Devil takes the reader into heart of the action quickly by introducing two of the main protagonists in the early goings of the book and showing their arrival on Gondwa VI.  These initial chapters primarily focus on the character of Trooper Torvin and show his initial attempts at being an Imperial Guardsman and his unfortunate first encounter with the orks and their fun point-of-view character.  Following this, you are introduced to the Catachans and their leader, Colonel Aldalon, who are brought in to clean up the mess made by Torvin’s regiment.

While it was a tad surprising not to see any Catachan characters until a third of the way in, I think it worked, as all the previous events set up the main narrative extremely well, while also showcasing the dearth in skill of the human soldiers at that point.  The rest of the book follows at a brilliant pace, taking the various characters on an intense and ultra-exciting adventure.  The rest of the story has a great blend of combat, universe building and character development splattered throughout it, as the three central characters all evolve in different ways as they fight against their own issues and their various opponents.  Woolley takes Catachan Devil’s narrative in some interesting directions, and I enjoyed the examination of the Catachan mission and the work done to build up a worthy set of adversaries.  This all leads up to some brilliant and highly exciting final confrontations between the Catachans and their foes, and I loved the fantastic way that Woolley was able to wrap up the main narrative of this book, as well as the three central character storylines.  Everything comes together extremely well, and readers will come away very satisfied, although if they are anything like me, they will be wanting more, even if that is a tad unreasonable.  While Catachan Devil does work as a standalone narrative, Woolley does leave some options for a sequel open in the future, which I personally would be quite interested to see.  An awesome and highly addictive narrative that was really fun to get through.

I enjoyed the way that Catachan Devil was put together as Woolley wrote it in an enjoyable and captivating way.  While this book is primarily designed to highlight a specific regiment of Imperial Guard, something that Woolley does really well, it still contains a brilliant and extremely fun narrative that can be easily enjoyed by anyone familiar with Warhammer 40,000.  However, Catachan Devil would serve as a rather good introductory novel for new readers of the franchise.  Catachan Devil contains an excellent blend of damaged characters, impressive action sequences and entertaining humour that anyone can have an awesome time with this book, and I personally found myself laughing myself silly at times (there is a fun scene where some orks are trying to lure the Catachans out), while also getting drawn into some powerful character arcs.  The entire book is very well paced out, and I particularly enjoyed how Woolley perfectly utilised three central character perspectives to tell a layered and intriguing tale.  Seeing three very different perspectives of the events occurring in Catachan Devil adds to the humour and complexity of the tale, and the three unique main characters play off each other extremely well to create an outstanding book.  I had such a great time getting through Catachan Devil and it was an exceptional addition to the Warhammer 40,000 canon.

Without a doubt the highlight of this book is the focus on the iconic Imperial Guard regiment, the Catachan Jungle Fighters.  The Catachans are a fan-favourite regiment with a distinctive look strongly based on Green Berets in Vietnam (or more likely around Rambo).  Portrayed as tough, disrespectful, and extremely deadly warriors whose fighting ability is a result of their upbringing on a jungle Death World, the Catachans have long captured the imagination of the Warhammer fandom, and they have some of the coolest models in the game.  Due to their popularity, the Catachans have featured in multiple tie-in novels and comics before, but I felt that Woolley did a particularly good job of examining this iconic faction throughout this book.  Indeed, the author really goes out of his way to showcase just how cool and impressive the Catachans are, and the reader gets an intriguing deep dive into their history, mentality and deadly ability in combat.

I felt that the way Woolley set out Catachan Devils really helped to highlight just how skilled and different they are from typical Imperial Guards.  Woolley ensures that there is a very fun and compelling comparison between the Catachans and the other Imperial Guards by first showing a normal regiment of troopers getting slaughtered by the orks while relying on their standard training.  From there, the Catachans are shown from various perspectives: an insider one from their commander, and two outsider perspectives, including from a poorly trained guardsman, which really helps to highlight the differences between the typical soldiers and these badass Jungle Fighters.  Watching the Catachans’ various ambushes, sneak attacks and brutal close combat fights was pretty amazing, and I loved the way that Woolley worked to highlight the practical aspects of their skills and techniques.  You learn a lot about the Catachans throughout this book, as all the point-of-view characters learn or reminisce about the things that drive them and the full applications of their skills and training.  I definitely came away from Catachan Devil with a new appreciation for this faction, and I loved how well Woolley focused the book on them.

To tell Catachan Devil’s fantastic story, Woolley centred the narrative on three point-of-view characters who each have multiple chapters told from their perspective.  These three characters proved to be a winning narrative combination, and you get a powerful and intriguing story as a result.  While each of them has their own distinctive personal narrative, their stories come together throughout the book, and it proves very entertaining to see their different takes on the same events.  This use of three characters was very effective, especially as you get drawn into their personal stories in some powerful ways.

The first character is Trooper Torvin, a rookie Imperial Guard from the ill-fated and newly formed Skadi Second Infantry.  Torvin, who was drafted into the Imperial Guard against his will, is thrust into the deep end on this book and soon finds himself forced to work with the Catachans, even though his inexperience and lack of any jungle training make him a major liability.  Woolley makes good use of Torvin throughout Catachan Devil, and he is the primary example used to show the differences between the common solider and the Catachans.  There are a ton of great examples scattered throughout the book that showcases the difference between a draftee like Torvin and the Catachans, who are raised from babies to be tough soldiers, from the lack of training, the bad information about opponents, and the way he lugs around a ton of unnecessary gear.  I particularly enjoyed the way in which several exerts from The Imperial Infantryman’s Uplifting Primer, an in-universe propaganda document, are quoted throughout Torvin’s chapters, often with ridiculous and untrue information that leads the character astray.

While much of Torvin’s story arc is used to highlight the Catachans, Woolley also inserts a compelling and emotionally rich narrative around Torvin as you witness his experiences as a newly minted Imperial Guard.  I felt that Woolley did an amazing job capturing the fear and uncertainty that a draftee like Torvin would experience.  The hesitation and reluctance that Torvin goes through feels very realistic, and the subsequent reactions from his superiors, most of whom would kill him if they knew what he was feeling, really got me to care for Torvin early on, and it was a great portrayal of a common man in the insane Warhammer 40,000 universe.  Naturally, Torvin develops as the book continues, especially once he is with the Catachans, and there are several great scenes as he slowly works to emulate his new comrades and gain their respect.  While it is slow going, Torvin eventually finds his courage and comes to terms with the fact that he is going to be an Imperial Guardsman for the rest of his life, and he really develops in a realistic manner.  Woolley did some brilliant character work here in Torvin, and I really appreciated how his character arc turned out.

The second major character in Catachan Devil is Colonel Haskell Aldalon, the Catachan commander known as Hell Fist due to the Power Fist he wields.  Aldalon is a lifelong soldier who has spent his entire life surviving and fighting in jungle warfare.  Portrayed as a gruff and unforgiving figure who fits the mould of the tough, impossibly muscled Catachans extremely well, Aldalon is Torvin’s polar opposite and is an interesting character as a result.  While Aldalon doesn’t change much in the book, he is dealing with some deep emotional issues after a big loss in his unit’s last battle.  He spends most of Catachan Devil keeping his emotions in check, and he ends up making several mistakes and fighting in a very un-Catachan way, just so he can kill some orks.  Aldalon is the most damaged figure in the entire novel, and it proves to be quite moving to witness him come to terms with his grief and despair to regain his old mindset.  I really grew attached to this old soldier as the book progressed and his impressive viewpoint added a lot to the quality of the entire narrative.

It is a little ironic that in a book all about the Catachans, one of my favourite characters is an ork.  Readers will be blown away by the incredible figure of Nogrok Sneakyguts.  Nogrok serves as the book’s primary antagonist and third point of view character and is a rather interesting figure that offers a fantastic alternate perspective on events.  Rather than the ultra-violent orks you typically see in Warhammer fiction, Nogrok is something special as he is a Blood Axe Kommando, an ork who has grown enamoured with human ideas of tactics and battle strategy, and who attempts to emulate these ideas in battle.  In particular, Nogrok has spent time observing the Catachans in combat and starts to use their ideas of infiltration, camouflage and sneaky kills, rather than the standard ork strategy of running towards the enemy screaming “WAAAAAAGH!”  Unfortunately for Nogrok, he is currently under the control of a warboss from another clan who doesn’t believe in tactics and is constantly berating Nogrok for his human ideas and suggestions.  I loved how Nogrok spent the entire book idolising the Catachans, and it was impressive to see an antagonistic perspective on them, especially as Nogrok acted more like a demented fanboy than anything else.  The comparisons between Nogrok’s opinions about the Catachans and his fellow orks are very entertaining, and it was so much fun seeing the long-suffering character trying and failing to talk sense into his stronger boss.  Woolley writes some interesting character development into Nogrok throughout Catachan Devil, and he ends up serving as an outstanding foil to Aldalon, especially as there is some major history between them.  Between all of this, and all the hilarious scenes featuring ork society and the hilarious discussions he becomes involved with, Nogrok’s chapters quickly ended up being a favourite of mine, and I loved how Woolley was able to build up the Catachans from this enemy viewpoint in a very funny way.

Like I have with most of the Warhammer 40,000 novels, I listened to Catachan Devil on audiobook, and I felt that this was the superior format to experience it in.  Catachan Devil ended up being a pretty exciting and fun audiobook experience, and the format works really well to enhance the action sequences and ensure that listeners can quickly power through its enjoyable narrative.  With a run time of over nine hours, this is a relatively easy audiobook to get through, and I managed to polish it off in only a few days.  I was particularly impressed with the narration by Joe Shire, who did a remarkable job with Catachan Devil.  Not only does he bring all the action and excitement to life with his excellent tone, but he also provides some fantastic voices to the various characters featured within.  All the key characters are given distinctive and very fitting voices for their dialogue, and you can really feel the emotion, anguish and bloodlust that the various figures felt.  I especially loved the various ork voices that Shire came up with throughout the book, and he captured the hilarious and vicious nature of these extremely fun characters, ensuring that all their jokes are delivered to the listener perfectly.  I had so much fun listening to Catachan Devil on audiobook and this format comes highly recommended as the best way to enjoy this epic read.

Catachan Devil by Justin Woolley was an impressive and highly entertaining Warhammer 40,000 novel that I had an incredible time reading.  Featuring a fantastic central cast, some awesome humour, compelling action and three outstanding central characters, Catachan Devil really grabbed my attention, and I had a wonderful time getting through it.  A guaranteed fun read that will appeal to both established Warhammer fans and general science fiction readers alike.

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