Tag: Dan Abnett

Top Ten Tuesday – My Favourite Audiobooks from the First Half of 2023

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Audiobook, List20 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics.  Top Ten Tuesday participants get a freebie this week so I chose to have a look at my favourite audiobooks from the first half of 2023.  This is a continuation of my Top Ten list from a few weeks ago that featured my favourite overall novels from the first half of 2023.

I have a great deal of love for the audiobook format, and it is one of the main ways that I tend to check out books.  Each year I enjoy a great number of different audiobooks and use the format to check out recent releases and older novels.  I have been enjoying audiobooks for years, and it is amazing the various ways in which listening to a book can enhance your enjoyment.  A great narrator can really bring you into the story, and I find that listening to a book enhances the amount of detail that you can take in.  In addition, other features, such as captivating voices, music and sound effects can really make an audiobook something special, and there some great examples of that out there.  This year alone I have listened to several outstanding audiobooks, includes some of my favourite books from early 2023.  Because I love this format so much, I thought I would take this opportunity to highlight my favourite audiobooks from the first half of the year.

To pull this list off I had a look at all the 2023 releases that I listened to on audiobook to figure out my favourites.  It turns out that I have already gone through quite a few this year so there was a very large collection of potential additions to this list.  I was eventually able to whittle it down to the ten audiobooks I consider to be the best.  There is a bit of a crossover with my previous Favourite Books from the First Half of 2023 list, but I think there are enough new additions to make this list worthwhile.  I made sure to feature only the very best audiobooks on this list, and, in addition to the quality of the baseline novel, I also looked at audiobook production and narration.  In my experience an outstanding narration or use of music and sound effects can enhance the plot, and I think that all the audiobooks listed below were exceptional listens that are really worth checking out.

In addition, as I had also listened to a few pre-2023 audiobooks in the first half of the year, I decided to also included a few of the best in a honourable mentions section.  I had an epic time diving back into some classic reads, especially those of the Warhammer variety, and I really wanted to highlight which ones made for the best audiobooks.  With these honourable mentions, I am very happy with how the overall list turned out and I think that the below entries really highlight what my favourite audiobooks from the first half of the year are.

Honourable Mentions (Pre-2023 audiobooks):

Eisenhorn Trilogy, written by Dan Abnett and narrated by Toby Longworth

Warhammer 40,000 - Xenos Cover

Some of the very best Warhammer audiobooks I listened to this year are the epic Eisenhorn novels by Dan Abnett.  Thanks to Toby Longworth’s exceptional narration, all three Eisenhorn novels, Xenos, Malleus and Hereticus were a joy to listen to from start to finish.

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Dead Beat, Proven Guilty and White Night, written by Jim Butcher and narrated by James Marsters

White Night Cover

Few audiobooks are better than Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files novels narrated by actor James Marsters.  I’ve gotten through three of these audiobooks in 2023 with Dead Beat, Proven Guilty and White Night, and all of them were outstanding five-star reads that I had such a great time listening to.

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The Infinite and the Divine, written by Robert Rath and narrated by Richard Reed

The Infinite and the Divine Cover

A highly clever, utterly hilarious and very impressive Warhammer 40,000 audiobook that focused on two rival Necron lords, battling it out over the centuries in a petty feud.  I laughed myself silly with this audiobook and Richard Reed’s awesome narration made it even better.

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For the Emperor by Sandy Mitchell and narrated by Stephen Perring, Penelope Rawlins and Emma Gregory

Warhammer 40,000 - For the Emperor Cover

Another particularly funny Warhammer 40,000 audiobook I enjoyed this year is the first Ciaphas Cain novel by Sandy Mitchell, For the Emperor.  This entertaining audiobook about a cowardly war hero truly comes alive with the outstanding narration team of Stephen Perring, Penelope Rawlins and Emma Gregory, who compliment themselves marvellously throughout the entire production.

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Top Ten List:

Son of the Poison Rose, written by Jonathan Maberry and narrated by Ray Porter

Son of the Poison Rose Cover

I had to start this list off with the new Jonathan Maberry novel, Son of the Poison Rose.  The sequel to Kagen the Damned (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2022), Son of the Poison Rose was another epic and bloody novel that proves hard to put down.  The always exceptional narration of Ray Porter turns it into an utterly addictive and impossibly good listen, which I cannot recommend enough.

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Warhammer 40,000: Warboss, written by Mike Brooks and narrated by Harry Myers

Warhammer 40,000 - Warboss Cover

Rising Warhammer 40,000 author Mike Brooks is having a stellar 2023, and one of the first audiobooks of his I listened to was the very funny Warboss.  Focusing on feuding warband of Orks attempting to determine a new leader through conquest, Warboss was a riot the entire way through, especially with Harry Myer’s fantastic narration perfectly capturing the chaotic yet complex nature of the Ork characters.

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The Last Kingdom, written by Steve Berry and narrated by Scott Brick

The Last Kingdom (Steve Berry) Cover

History and conspiracy really come to life in the hands of Steve Berry, especially when narrated by Scott Brick.  This latest Cotton Malone audiobook, The Last Kingdom, was pretty damn good, and I have so much love for the amazing combination of a modern-day thriller and intriguing historical mysteries.

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The Lake House, written by Sarah Beth Durst and narrated by Karissa Vacker

The Lake House Cover Better

A fantastic and haunting young adult thriller that saw three teenagers thrust into a deadly situation on a remote summer camp.  Sarah Beth Durst produced a pretty amazing book here and Karissa Vacker does a great job of portraying the three teenage protagonists with her excellent narration.  I had an amazing time with The Lake House and I am hoping to get a review up for it soon.

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Warhammer 40,000: The Lion: Son of the Forest by Mike Brooks and narrated by Timothy Watson

The Lion - Son of the Forest Cover

The second Mike Brooks audiobook on this list is The Lion: Son of the Forest, which was probably one of the best Warhammer 40,000 novels of 2023 so far.  Following the return of a mythical hero, this fantastic book had a compelling and powerful plot that had me hooked very early.  Narrator Timothy Watson ensures that the audiobook version is particularly epic as he brings some outstanding gravitas to an already legendary main character.

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Burner, written by Mark Greaney, narrated by Jay Snyder

Burner Cover

Few thriller series impress me as much as the Gray Man books by Mark Greaney, and I have been having an amazing time listening to their audiobooks, especially with the very talented Jay Snyder narrating them.  The latest Gray Man audiobook, Burner, was particularly special, and I could barely stop listening to it as Greaney wove together a captivating and highly relevant spy story.  A must listen, especially with Snyder’s great take on the characters.

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The Will of the Many, written by James Islington and narrated by Euan Morton

The Will of the Many Cover

One of the audiobooks I am most glad I listened to in the first half of 2023 was the brilliant fantasy novel, The Will of the Many by James Islington.  A highly elaborate, entertaining and moving novel, The Will of the Many is one of the best fantasy books of the year so far and represents the start of an outstanding new series.  I particularly enjoyed the amazing audiobook version, which thanks to the narration of Euan Morton, really popped, and helped to cram every detail of Islington’s new world into my head.  Highly recommended!

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Warhammer 40,000: Shadowsun: The Patient Hunter, written by Phil Kelly and narrated by Helen McAlpine

Warhammer 40,000 - Shadowsun Cover

A slick, action-packed, and occasionally gruesome Warhammer 40,000 audiobook that I had a lot of fun with was Shadowsun: The Patient Hunter.  Combining Phil Kelly’s love of the T’au faction with Helen McAlpine’s great narration is a winning combination, and I powered through this cool audiobook in no time at all.

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City of Last Chances, written by Adrian Tchaikovsky and narrated by David Thorpe

City of Last Chances Cover

Another particularly impressive and captivating fantasy novel from the start of the year was City of Last Chances by the very talented Adrian Tchaikovsky.  Following multiple unique protagonists around a troubled fantasy city, City of Last Chances is a must read for all fantasy fans, and you will find your experience of it greatly improved with the outstanding audiobook version.  Narrator David Thorpe perfectly captures all of the many complex characters and ensures that Tchaikovsky’s brilliant story elaborate setting is expertly conveyed to the listener.  I cannot recommend this audiobook enough and I cannot wait to see how Tchaikovsky follows it up.

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Warhammer 40,000: Leviathan, written by Darius Hinks and narrated by Theo Solomon

Warhammer 40,000 - Leviathan Cover

The final audiobook on this list is the one I’m listening to now, Leviathan by Darius Hinks.  An intense and fast-paced book that follows a deadly alien invasion, this is a great Warhammer 40,000 read that really grew on me.  Leviathan has a very good audiobook format, thanks to the narration of Theo Solomon, and I am having an outstanding time seeing this dark tale of insanity, invasion and hope, come to fruition.  I should knock this off in the next day or so, and I will try to get a review up for it soon.

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Well, that’s the end of this latest list.  As you can see, there have been some very good audiobooks out in the first half of 2023, even my list is a little Warhammer 40,000 heavy.  It will be interesting to see which books make the cut later in the year, especially as I currently have several major 2023 audiobooks currently sitting on my phone, waiting to be listened to.  While I get to that, make sure to let me know what your favourite audiobooks of 2023 so far are in the comments below.

Throwback Thursday – Warhammer 40,000: The Guns of Tanith by Dan Abnett

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Audiobook, Extended Universe, Science Fiction, Throwback Thursday, Tie-in Novel, Warhammer14 Comments

The Guns of Tanith Cover

Publisher: Black Library (Audiobook – 25 April 2002)

Series: Gaunt’s Ghosts – Book Five

Length: 10 hours and 10 minutes

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

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Welcome back to my Throwback Thursday series, where I republish old reviews, review books I have read before or review older books I have only just had a chance to read.  After having such a great time reviewing the previous Gaunt’s Ghosts novel, Honour Guard, in my last Throwback Thursday, I immediately read the fifth fantastic entry in the series, The Guns of Tanith, which proved to be just as awesome and exciting.

As I mentioned last week, I have been really getting into the works of Dan Abnett over the last year, and I now consider several of his books to be amongst the best Warhammer 40,000 novels I have had the pleasure of reading.  Not only did I deeply enjoy his epic Eisenhorn trilogy (made up of Xenos, Malleus and Hereticus) but I have also been powering through his Gaunt’s Ghosts books.  The Gaunt’s Ghosts books are some of the more iconic novels in the Warhammer 40,000 franchise and are often considered essential reading by fans of the franchise due to the captivating way they capture the gruelling experiences of ordinary human soldiers in this grim, futuristic setting.  The first four novels in the series, First and Only, Ghostmaker, Necropolis and Honour Guard, as well as the prequel novel The Vincula Insurgency, are all excellent and exciting in their own way, and I have had a ton of fun seeing the impressive war narratives set around the men of the Tanith First-and-Only, informally known as Gaunt’s Ghosts.  As I was still in the mood for some awesome action at the end of last week, I just had to keep going with these books and I quickly picked up the fifth entry, The Guns of Tanith.

As the massive Sabbat Worlds Crusade continues to pit the forces of the Imperium of Man against the foul forces of Chaos, the battlelines extend across multiple planets and systems, drawing in millions of soldiers.  The latest phase of the crusade has severely stretched the supply lines of the Imperial assault and the Chaos foes are quick to take advantage, threatening to cut off and surround the main Imperial force.  To stave off disaster, Warmaster Macaroth, needs the Tanith First-and-Only to recapture the vital promethium producing planet of Phantine so the crusade can be resupplied and continue.

Led by the heroic Colonel-Commissar Ibram Gaunt, the Tanith First-and-Only engage in a deadly airborne assault on several of the planet’s domed cities.  Relying on their unique skills of navigation and infiltration, the Ghosts prove to be vital to the operation and soon take the key city of Cirenholm.  However, holding the city proves to be harder than expected.  While preparing for the next assault, the vile murder of a freed Cirenholm civilian places a Ghost on trial and opens up the festering cultural divides within the regiment.

As Gaunt attempts to get to the bottom of the crime and ensure that the innocent are left alive, the Ghosts are given a vital mission to undertake.  A dangerous Chaos warlord has taken command of the final occupied city, Ouranberg, and his lethal command threatens to devastate an attack by the Imperials.  To ensure a successful invasion of this Chaos stronghold, a specialised team of Ghosts is tasked with infiltrating the city and assassinating the enemy leader in advance of the main assault force.  Featuring some of the best the Ghosts have to offer, the assassination squad will be forced to walk through hell to achieve their objective and not everyone will be coming back.

In this fifth entry in this amazing series, Abnett continues to impress with another powerful and captivating character-driven read that takes the Ghosts through a gruelling round of battles, tragedy and growth that proves near impossible to put down.  The Guns of Tanith was a pretty strong entry in the series, expanding on some of the interesting storylines from the first novel while also introducing a new dark scenario for the characters to deal with.

The Guns of Tanith features a fantastic narrative from Abnett that contains his usual blend of high-intensity action, character growth, and intriguing examinations of the Warhammer 40,000 universe, that make all the Gaunt’s Ghosts novels such a treat to read.  Following on from the events of the previous books in the series The Guns of Tanith is told in Abnett’s typical style, with a ton of unique character perspectives, mostly those of the Ghosts, which presents the reader with a rich and vibrant view of the events, as well as the unique, character-driven storylines that emerge.  While this fifth Gaunt’s Ghosts novel can be read as a standalone book, The Guns of Tanith does see several ongoing, character focused storylines come to a head or get even more complicated. As such, readers should really consider checking out the previous novels first so they can get the full emotional weight of the revelations and twists that emerge.

The main narrative of The Guns of Tanith is bookended by major extended battle sequences that see the Ghosts and their allies engage in elaborate fights across two separate cities.  The first of these battles, in Cirenhom, sees all the Ghosts forced to engage in a particularly bloody battle with limited ammunition against a dangerous and determined foe that has set up some elaborate traps.  This extended sequence is both epic and useful as it provides the reader with a ton of intense action to draw them into the novel while Abnett introduces the characters and storylines that this latest novel is focused on.  You also get a good overview to the new setting of Phantine, a polluted planet with a toxic atmosphere that requires multiple forms of airship to traverse.  This unique location adds some great spice to the overall story, especially as it requires the characters to learn some unique aerial skills, while also allowing Abnett to have fun featuring several impressive dogfights.  There are some great moments during this first extended battle sequence, and it sets the rest of the book up nicely.

The middle of the book is where the reader gets into the real meat of the story, especially as it lowers the intensity levels down from the action-packed introduction and allows the reader to breathe and absorb all the intriguing story elements to come.  At first, I wasn’t too keen on a quieter middle section to this novel, especially as I thought it would make The Guns of Tanith more of a bridging novel in the series, rather than a book that could stand on its own.  However, Abnett soon proved me wrong as this intriguing central storyline contained a lot of major character moments and intriguing plot lines, while also expertly setting up the final third of the book.  The main storyline explored in the centre involves a murder investigation when one of the Ghosts is accused of killing an innocent civilian.  Abnett does a great job with this murder storyline, especially as it brings in compelling mystery and legal thriller elements to it, while also driving the characters in some excellent directions.  However, the real joy of this part of the book is the focus on the camaraderie and factions within the Ghosts, and the fracturing coherence in places leads to some memorable moments later on.

The final section of the book focuses on the assault of the Phantine city, Ouranberg, and the special Ghosts mission to assassinate the Chaos warlord.  Following several supporting members of the cast, this final third of The Guns of Tanith takes these characters on a particularly dark mission through a Chaos stronghold, and Abnett throttles up the tension and brutality to the maximum, ensuring that the readers are strongly hooked on everything unfolding.  Watching the separated teams attempt to navigate through enemy territory leads to some dark and bloody sequences, and everything comes together in a brutal confrontation where all the characters get a moment to shine.  The invasion in the aftermath of this assault brings the entirety of The Guns of Tanith together in an outstanding way, as several major storylines are expertly and impressively resolved, often in ways that leave the characters even more damaged than when they started.  This is also a particularly shocking death of a major character that is guaranteed to move long-term readers of the series.  Abnett does a masterful job of setting this death up, including by showcasing several misleading near-misses, so you really don’t know who is going to live or die right up to the end.  His eventual choice is one designed to wound his readers, and you will have to come back to see how it impacts the rest of this series.  Overall, this was an extremely solid and impressive Gaunt’s Ghosts narrative, and I deeply enjoyed how Abnett continued and finalised some of the great character storylines from the previous books, while also providing the reader with more action and intrigue than they can handle.

As with most of the Gaunt’s Ghosts books, The Guns of Tanith is an open read to all those unfamiliar with the wider Warhammer 40,000 canon.  Abnett goes out of his way to make his books accessible for new readers, and he always provides enough detail and background so that anyone can catch up and enjoy the subsequent story.  However, for those fans more familiar with the Warhammer universe, there are always a ton of great elements or unique world building details that they will find particularly fascinating.  The new locations in The Guns of Tanith are pretty damn spiffing, and I had a lot of fun with the polluted planet, especially as it requires multiple arial sequences.  This is turn leads to the introduction of the Phantine XX Fighter Corps, who Abnett will go on to feature in his spin-off novel, Double Eagle, and it was fun to see how they get their start here.  For me, though, the best part of the universe expansion was Abnett’s in-depth look at the day-to-day life of the common soldier in the Imperial Guard.  While Abnett has always done a masterful job of capturing the footslogger experience in his novels, I felt that The Guns of Tanith was one of his best attempts to dive into the core of his beloved regiment.  Not only is there are lot of story focus on the various members and factions of the regiment, but Abnett also spent some time trying to explore the downtime and personal lives of the characters, and it was pretty intriguing to see the accompanying civilian baggage train of the regiment, which includes their families and other vital services.  I also personally loved the scenes that examined the problems associated with the Imperial bureaucracy as the Ghosts come up against their greatest enemy: bad paperwork.  Certain mistakes ensure that the Ghosts are left with minimal ammunition as the Departmento Munitorum orders the wrong power packs for their lasguns.  The following extended sequence which saw the regiment unable to fight effectively because their ammunition couldn’t fit their guns was an impressive part of the book and it definitely raised the stakes during the book’s introduction.

As usual, one of the major highlights of The Guns of Tanith is the amazing characters that the story focuses on, as Abnett once again fits a huge number of character-driven storylines into the book.  At this point in the series, Abnett has introduced a pretty substantial cast of characters, many of whom have ongoing storylines, and it is intriguing to see them unfold even further in The Guns of Tanith, especially as Abnett does a great job featuring most of them equally and then combining them into the larger narrative.  Many of the more intriguing character arcs in this book carry over from the previous novels and there are some great conclusions and expansions to them here that helps to improve the already great narrative of The Guns of Tanith.  At the same time, several new characters are introduced here or finally given prominence, and it was interesting to see how they fit into the already established character dynamics that Abnett has been building up.  The cohesiveness of the Ghosts as a regiment ends up becoming a huge fixture of this book as the Tanith-Verghastite divide is explored in greater detail by many of the characters.  It was fascinating to see how Abnett handled these character storylines in The Guns of Tanith, and several of them ended up being some of the best parts of the book.

As with most of the novels in the series, quite a lot of character focus goes towards the main protagonist, Colonel-Commissar Ibram Gaunt, whose experiences as the commander of this unique regiment continue to trouble him in various ways.  In The Guns of Tanith, this takes the form of his apparent unconscious bias towards the Tanith elements of his regiment over the Verghastite recruits, which is showcased by his differing reactions during two court cases.  This results in several intense interactions between Gaunt and members of his team, which helped to showcase the protagonist’s idealism and a certain degree of naiveté when it comes to Imperial politics, both of which will cause him trouble in the future.  This is also an intriguing look at the issues caused by Gaunt holding the dual rank of Colonel and Commissar, which make him simultaneously a command officer and a political officer in charge of discipline.  This is the first time the duality of his roles has caused some major problems for him, and it was interesting to see several characters question him about it.  Watching Gaunt try to balance his various hats while also maintaining the respect of his men and his superiors makes this a rather compelling novel for Gaunt and I will be intrigued to see how this affects the character in the future.

While there is always a lot of focus on Gaunt, many of the other characters have big moments here, and it is always interesting to see which characters Abnett will focus on in each particular novel.  Firstly, this is one of the Gaunt’s Ghosts books where the major characters of Colm Corbec and Elim Rawne do not get a lot of focus, as Abnett sets them aside to make room for others.  Corbec is once again wounded early on in the plot to keeps him out of the action, while Rawne, after getting a good needling into Gaunt, is showcased as the senior commander, but that’s about it.  Instead, a lot of the focus goes towards some of the newer members of the cast, such as Gol Kolea, whose attempts to balance his complex family concerns leads only to tragedy and despair for him and the reader.  Cuu continues to be a menace, while surgeon Ana Curth acts as several character’s consciences throughout the book.  The previously overlooked but surprisingly lucky Bonin finally got some prominence in this novel, and I loved finding out how he survived Necropolis.  The newer characters of Commissar Hark and Captain Ban Daur also proved to be essential parts of the plot, and I am really glad that Abnett continued to utilise them, as they helped Gaunt see the errors of several decisions while simultaneously taking on some of Gaunt’s more unorthodox methods.  Members of the original Ghosts, such as Brin Milo, Larkin, Bragg and Mkoll all had good roles in The Guns of Tanith as well, and their balanced scenes showcased different triumphs and tragedies.  Finally, I was glad that Abnett decided to keep featuring the mysterious preacher, Ayatani Zweil, after his fun introduction in Honour Guard.  Zweil is an always entertaining yet serious figure, and it was great to see him knock some sense into several characters when they needed it.  I’m honestly only scratching the surface here, as a ton of other characters were well featured throughout The Guns of Tanith as Abnett continues to build and bring together his final cast of major characters.  Each of these amazing protagonists had some superb impacts on narrative of this novel, and I cannot wait to see how Abnett continues to develop them in the later books of the series.  I am assuming it is only a matter of time until more of the characters start to die, and I am sure that will break my heart just as much as the big death in The Guns of Tanith did.

Due to my love of the format, I of course listened to The Guns of Tanith on audiobook, which is easily the best way to enjoy any Warhammer book.  I have gone on a lot about the fantastic Gaunt’s Ghosts audiobooks in recent reviews, and The Guns of Tanith has all the same advantages, as one of my favourite audiobook narrators, Toby Longworth, brings the reader right into the heart of the action with his great voice work.  Every scene is masterfully showcased by his narration, and all the characters are brought to life thanks to the great voices he utilises for them.  Longworth really stretched himself when it came to accents in this latest novel, and he features a ton of great new voices, as well as the existing tones from the previous audiobooks, to bring this entire audiobook together.  With the standard runtime of just over 10 hours, The Guns of Tanith audiobook is a real snap to power through, and I honestly finished it off in only a few days.

Unsurprisingly, I absolutely loved the fifth entry in Dan Abnett’s exceptional Gaunt’s Ghosts books, The Guns of Tanith, which proved to be another powerful and enjoyable Warhammer 40,000 novel.  Filled with Abnett’s usual impressive battles, The Guns of Tanith also had a brilliant focus on characters-driven storylines that dominated most of the plot and kept the readers hooked the entire time.  An intense, addictive, and deeply personal Gaunt’s Ghosts books, The Guns of Tanith was pretty damn outstanding and I loved every second of it.

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WWW Wednesday – 26 April 2023

On By The Unseen LibraryIn WWW Wednesday1 Comment

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Taking on a World of Words, where bloggers share the books that they’ve recently finished, what they are currently reading and what books they are planning to read next. Essentially you have to answer three questions (the Three Ws):

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

So, let’s get to it.

What are you currently reading? 

Fire With Fire by Candice Fox (Trade Paperback)

Fire With Fire Cover

I just started reading the cool crime fiction novel, Fire With Fire, by Australian author Candice Fox today and it is off to a pretty good start.  Fox is a pretty impressive author and I have had a great time with some of her recent releases.  Her new book sees two desperate parents take over a police forensic lab and hold all the evidence within hostage to finally get information about their missing daughter.  While I haven’t made too much progress with this book yet, I am loving the cool scenario and I think that Fire With Fire has a lot of awesome potential.

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Warhammer 40,000: Warboss by Mike Brooks

Warhammer 40,000 - Warboss Cover

I am still in a mega Warhammer 40,000 mood so I thought I would try and get through some recent releases from the franchise, and the one that stood out to me the most was Warboss by Mike Brooks.  This fantastic novel follows several Ork characters as they duke it out to become Warboss of their massive warband after the unfortunate death of their previous leader. I have made a great deal of progress into Warboss so far and it is proving to be one of the funniest and more entertaining books I have enjoyed all year, especially on the audiobook format.  I will hopefully finish this off in the next couple of days, but I can already tell that Warboss is a particularly great addition to the amazing Warhammer canon.

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What did you recently finish reading?

The Tyrant Skies by David Annandale (eBook)The Tyrant Skies Cover

I managed to finish off the awesome tie-in book The Tyrant Skies by David Annandale which I received on Netgalley.  Featuring a cool story about Doctor Doom taking on the Red Skull, The Tyrant Skies was a ton of fun and I loved getting through it.

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Warhammer 40,000: Honour Guard by Dan Abnett (Audiobook)

Warhammer 40,000 - Honour Guard Cover

I managed to read more of Dan Abnett’s Gaunt’s Ghosts series this week, as I finished of the fourth book Honour Guard. This was an amazing addition to the series with a good focus on characters and I really powered through it.  Make sure to check out my review for it in last week’s Throwback Thursday.

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Warhammer 40,000: The Guns of Tanith by Dan Abnett (Audiobook)

The Guns of Tanith Cover

After having fun with Honour Guard I also quickly listened to the fifth Gaunt’s Ghosts book, The Guns of Tanith, which was just as awesome as the previous novels from Abnett.  Featuring an intense and captivating narrative that really dove into the heart of the regiment, The Guns of Tanith was a brilliant read and I am planning to get a review for it up tomorrow night.

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What do you think you’ll read next?

Star Wars: Battle Scars by Sam Maggs

Star Wars - Battle Scars Cover

I’ve had to delay reading Battle Scars a couple of times over this last few weeks, but I’m still hoping to read this cool Star Wars books soon, especially as we are so close to the new Star Wars Jedi game coming out. I am very curious to see how Sam Maggs captures the feel of both the game and the extended Star Wars universe and this sounds like it will be a fun and interesting read.

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Echo Lake by Joan Sauers

Echo Laker Cover

I am also planning to dive into the awesome Australian crime fiction novel, Echo Lake, in the next week or so.  Featuring an intriguing murder mystery in an iconic Australian setting, Echo Lake sounds pretty great and I always enjoy seeing crime fiction set close to where I live.

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The Book That Wouldn’t Burn by Mark Lawrence

The Book That Wouldn't Burn Cover

I am also very keen to start reading the upcoming Mark Lawrence novel, The Book That Wouldn’t Burn, in the immediate future.  An epic and impressive sounding fantasy novel, The Book That Wouldn’t Burn will probably be one of the top releases of 2023 and I am very excited to get to grips on a brand new Mark Lawrence series.

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That’s it for this week, check back in next Wednesday to see what progress I’ve made on my reading and what books I’ll be looking at next.

Throwback Thursday – Warhammer 40,000: Honour Guard by Dan Abnett

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Audiobook, Extended Universe, Science Fiction, Throwback Thursday, Tie-in Novel, Warhammer12 Comments

Warhammer 40,000 - Honour Guard Cover

Publisher: Black Library (Audiobook – July 2001)

Series: Gaunt’s Ghosts – Book Four

Length: 10 hours and 12 minutes

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

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Welcome back to my Throwback Thursday series, where I republish old reviews, review books I have read before or review older books I have only just had a chance to read.  For this week’s Throwback Thursday I’m still in a Warhammer 40,000 mood, so I decided to dive even further into Dan Abnett’s classic Gaunt’s Ghosts series with the fourth book, Honour Guard.

Readers of this blog will no doubt have noticed a fair increase in the number of Warhammer 40,000 novels I’ve highlighted this year, as this entire grim expanded universe has quite an addictive quality to it.  Foremost amongst these books have been the compelling works of veteran author Dan Abnett, who has written so many impressive and key parts of the Warhammer canon over the years.  I deeply enjoyed his Eisenhorn trilogy (Xenos, Malleus and Hereticus), all three of which were given pride of place in my recent post listing my favourite Warhammer 40,000 novels.  However, his best-known works are his Gaunt’s Ghosts series of books, which catalogue the adventures of the Tanith First and Only regiment of Imperial Guard, better known as Gaunt’s Ghosts.  I have had a wonderful time with the first three novels, First and Only, Ghostmaker and Necropolis, as well as the prequel novel The Vincula Insurgency, which showcased the bloody lives of the common soldier in this war-torn universe.  I have really gotten attached to this series and when I wanted a quick read, there was nothing I would rather turn to then the next Gaunt’s Ghosts book, Honour Guard.

Throughout the extended, system-spanning Sabbat World crusades, the men of the Tanith First and Only have fought against the dark forces of Chaos in every way imaginable.  Led by their heroic commander, Colonel-Commissar Ibram Gaunt, the Tanith soldiers, known colloquially as Gaunt’s Ghosts, have had many victories, but few failures.  So, when fighting on the holy Shrine World of Hagia, the Ghosts are devastated when they trigger a disastrous enemy trap that destroys a holy city and creates a psyker beacon that will draw a massive Chaos fleet down on their position.

Troubled by his failures to protect one of the most important planets in the Sabbat Worlds and made a scapegoat by his commander, Gaunt is left a broken man.  His one chance to save his career and his regiment is to lead the Tanith and an armoured company as an honour guard to a sacred shrine to recover the holy relics of Saint Sabbat.  If he can recover the relics and evacuate them from the planet before the Chaos fleet arrives, he may be able to keep the Ghosts under his command.

Beginning the arduous pilgrimage, Gaunt and his men soon discover that the road to the shrine isn’t as clear as their intelligence indicated.  A vast enemy army lies in wait for them, and the Ghosts will have to fight every step of the way to secure their objective and make their escape.  However, there are far more mysterious forces at work behind the scenes as Gaunt and some of his men soon find themselves being driven on by religious visions of Saint Sabbat herself.  Is the holy saint talking to them, or is something more sinister manipulating them?

Honour Guard was another epic science fiction military adventure that I powered through in no time at all.  Skilfully continuing the intriguing Gaunt’s Ghost story, Abnett has produced a thoughtful and intense read that throws the protagonists into a captivating action-packed scenario that really showcases the gritty nature of the Warhammer 40,000 universe.

Honour Guard has a somewhat typical Gaunt’s Ghosts story to it, and if you’ve read the series before then you know that means great characters, intense fights with big set-piece battles, and a compelling look at the common soldier in the Warhammer 40,000 universe.  This fourth book follows on from the events of Necropolis, and Abnett quickly and ably shows the changes to the regiment that the previous adventures have wrought, especially with all the new Verghastite recruits.  Abnett starts things off with an epic series of battles as the Ghosts attempt to take a Chaos controlled city.  This opening sprawl of fights is not only intense but it expertly introduces the new setting, sets up several key story points, and lets the reader know who the main characters of Honour Guard are going to be.  From there, the characters, especially the main protagonist, Gaunt, face a major setback as the city is destroyed, their allies are killed, and a massive Chaos fleet has been summoned to destroy the holy planet they are on.  There are some great moments in this early bit of the book, especially as Abnett really dives into the impacts of the failure on Gaunt.  It also sets up the intriguing story element that Gaunt is likely to lose his command and the Ghosts will be broken up as a result.

With that set up, Abnett then drives into the meat of the story, with Gaunt leading the Ghosts and an armoured regiment as an honour guard to retrieve the sacred relics of one of the Imperium’s most important saints before the enemy fleet arrives.  Framed as an easy mission to give Gaunt an honourable send off, the mission naturally goes to hell when the Ghosts discover a vast enemy army between them and their goal.  This results in several major battles on the road, and Abnett has a lot of fun combining infantry fighting with tank warfare to make the conflicts even more impressive.  Each battle is extremely fun in its own regard, and fans of action and military combat really won’t be disappointed by Honour Guard as a result.  At the same time, there is a real focus on the characters, as several of the protagonists are going through different personal struggles, especially Gaunt.  Abnett also introduces an intriguing and moving side storyline that sees several long-running Gaunt’s Ghosts characters, who were wounded and left behind, attempt to make their own way to the conflict, guided by religious visions.  Everything leads up to a final battle sequence at the objective as the honour guard are trapped with a massive enemy force coming towards them.  Abnett naturally spends pages detailing all the bloody fighting, which serves as a great backdrop to the main story elements.  While I did think that the big finale of the book was too sudden and coincidental, it did fit into the general theme of faith and miracles that were covered in a lot of the plot.  Overall, this was another great, action-heavy narrative that I was able to sit back and enjoy.

As with all Abnett’s work, Honour Guard is extremely well written, and readers who have enjoyed any of the author’s previous books will be aware of what they are in for with this fantastic novel.  The author features a great blend of action, universe building and character development throughout his novel, and readers are ensured of constant excitement or intense, character-driven moments.  The entire story is told from multiple character perspectives, as the entire cast is well represented.  Not only does this allow the reader to get interesting updates from all the intriguing characters, many of whom have been built up in previous books, but it also ensures that you get a wide view of events featured throughout the novel, including several different perspectives of each battle.  I do think that the book was lacking a good antagonist perspective (or honestly a real antagonist character), and if Abnett would have included that, the entire story would have felt a bit more complete.  Still, the sheer number of perspectives and supporting characters ensures that the reader sees every angle of the action.  That is really great, as the battle scenes are some of the best parts of the book.  Abnett never holds back when it comes to the carnage, and every massive fight, armoured vehicle engagement and or infantry push is covered in high detail.  The author really tries to highlight the brutality and trauma of war, as well as the hell each of the soldier characters goes through, and you ended up riveted to the plot as a result, especially as no side character is safe.  I am glad that Abnett keeps up his outstanding writing throughout the Gaunt’s Ghosts series and I ended up getting really caught up in Honour Guard as a result.

This proved to be another interesting addition to both the Gaunt’s Ghosts series and the wider Warhammer 40,000 universe, and fans of both are going to have a pretty great time with this new novel.  As with most of the books in the series, Honour Guard can be read as a standalone novel, although starting with the earlier books does give the reader more insight into the characters.  Abnett really tries to make each of his novels as accessible as possible, and readers new to the series or Warhammer fiction in general can easily dive in here and have a fun time with all the military action.  However, Abnett also has a lot of fun expanding out the canon in Honour Guard, especially as you get to see more regiments of the Imperial Guard in action against the forces of Chaos.  One of the most intriguing lore aspects of Honour Guard is the examination of key elements of the Sabbat Worlds, which have been the overarching focus of this series.  In particular, there is a focus on the legendary figure of Saint Sabbat, who is a personal hero of many of the characters.  This sends the story down an interesting spiral of faith and devotion in the Imperial Cult, as many have their religious beliefs tested due to the earlier events of the story.  As such, there are some great examinations of the Imperial religion, and it is fascinating to see the potential spiritual ramifications of several events throughout the novel.  I also quite enjoyed the main setting of the planet of Hagia, which is only really featured in this novel.  Abnett sets the entire world up very quickly and you soon find yourself caught up in the fight for this religious planet which is completely dedicated to worship of the Emperor and his saints.  Abnett works several religious elements of the planet into the story extremely well, and it proves to be quite fascinating backdrop for this awesome novel.

One of the best things about Abnett’s writing is his ability to construct multiple complex and intriguing characters who all go through some great development.  This is particularly true in the Gaunt’s Ghosts books, as he has constructed a pretty massive cast of characters throughout the first three books in the series who all come into play in Honour Guard.  I really enjoyed all the amazing characters in this fourth novel, especially as there is a very interesting change of dynamics due to the Verghastite recruits joining at the end of the previous novel, Necropolis.  Not only does that mean that some of the best new characters from the previous book are once again featured here, but it builds some fantastic rivalries between the soldiers as the new Ghosts attempt to gain acceptance from the men of Tanith.  Honour Guard ended up being a fantastic litmus test for Abnett’s expanded cast, especially as it introduces some compelling cultural and gender divides to the regiment, while also ensuring that all the fantastic characters the author utilised in Necropolis don’t go to waste.

Many of these great characters really stood out to me in Honour Guard, but of course most of the focus was once again on the central protagonist of Colonel-Commissar Ibram Gaunt.  This was a pretty significant novel for Gaunt, as readers get to see him at his very lowest point after he suffers a devastating defeat.  This pushes him into a depressive spiral, which is very surprising after how controlled and confident he has been in the previous novels.  Abnett really does a great job of showcasing Gaunt’s lost confidence and internal anger, and watching him overcome it becomes an intense part of the book.  The author really dives down deep into Gaunt’s motivations throughout Honour Guard, and you come away feeling a lot closer to the character as a result.  It isn’t always easy for an author to show their main protagonist dealing with defeat and loss, but Abnett did a wonderful job of it in Honour Guard, and I think it makes Gaunt a much stronger figure as a result.

Aside from Gaunt, a lot of the other characters are really well utilised throughout Honour Guard, with some great side storylines and adventures.  Colonel Corbec’s adventure with long-running Gaunt’s Ghosts characters Dorden, Brin Milo and Bragg, had some excellent moments to it, especially as many of them are still dealing with the loss of loved ones or their planet.  Abnett also makes great use of several notable characters introduced in Necropolis like Gol Kolea, Captain Ban Daur and Ana Curth in Honour Guard.  It was great to see the author spending time developing storylines around them which will continue to build throughout the series, and I enjoyed seeing them attempting to integrate into the Tanith regiment.  Even new characters like Viktor Hark, the regiments new Commissar, the slippery and entertaining killer Cuu, and troubled Trooper Vamberfeld, all added some awesome elements to the overall story.  I liked how Hark proved to be a compelling reflection of Gaunt, while Vamberfeld showcased the traumas war can have on a soldier’s mind, while also placing him right in the middle of key events.  However, some of the best character work in Honour Guard occurred around the always entertaining Major Rawne.  Rawne, who has sworn multiple times to kill Gaunt, bears witness to his commander’s fall from grace after his defeat.  However, rather than revelling in it, Rawne ends up having a big confrontation with Gaunt towards the end of the book to snap some sense in him.  Watching this cynical character be the voice of reason to Gaunt was just brilliant, and the resulting exchange added some fantastic layers to Rawne that I deeply enjoyed.  While I really would have loved some more named antagonists, the characters overall in Honour Guard were pretty exceptional, and I really loved how Abnett worked their unique personal narratives into the wider plot.

I doubt anyone is going to be too surprised that I checked out Honour Guard on audiobook, as that has been my preferred format for all Abnett’s books.  This is mainly because the action, characters, and grim setting are always translated across so effortlessly on the audiobook, and you can really appreciate all the cool detail that Abnett includes as a result.  Coming in a just over 10 hours, the Honour Guard audiobook has a pretty typical length for a Warhammer book, and I was able to quickly power through it.  As usual, I need to highlight the amazing narration of Toby Longworth, who has lent his voice to all of Abnett’s previous books.  Longworth has an outstanding voice that really captures the tone of the story and ensures that the reader can envision every single battle taking place.  His real talent is his ability to dive into every single character Abnett comes up with and give them a fitting voice that captures their personality and emotions.  There is some impressive continuation from the previous Gaunt’s Ghosts audiobooks as Longworth brings back all the voices he previously featured there, which I deeply appreciated.  He also employs an intriguing range of accents, which help to emphasise the different planets of origin for the various characters and regiments featured in the book.  This attention to detail and impressive voice work helps to make Honour Guard, and indeed all the Gaunt’s Ghosts audiobooks really stand out, and I had a wonderful time listening to the book in this format.  Easily the best way to enjoy this fantastic novel.

Honestly, there was no question about me enjoying Honour Guard, considering how much fun I have been having with the previous Gaunt’s Ghosts books.  This fourth entry has a great story and some brilliant writing by Abnett, and readers are in for an exceptional experience of bullets, blood and explosions in some the best military fiction in the Warhammer 40,000 universe.  This was an outstanding read, and I can give no higher compliment than to say that the moment I finished off Honour Guard, I started listening to the next novel in the series, The Guns of Tanith.  I honestly cannot get enough of this incredible Warhammer 40,000 series and it will be very interesting to see what unique storylines Abnett cooks up next.

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WWW Wednesday – 19 April 2023

On By The Unseen LibraryIn WWW WednesdayLeave a comment

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Taking on a World of Words, where bloggers share the books that they’ve recently finished, what they are currently reading and what books they are planning to read next. Essentially you have to answer three questions (the Three Ws):

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

So, let’s get to it.

What are you currently reading? 

The Tyrant Skies by David Annandale (eBook)The Tyrant Skies Cover

I have made a lot of progress on the awesome tie-in book The Tyrant Skies by David Annandale which I received on Netgalley.  Featuring a cool story about Doctor Doom taking on the Red Skull, The Tyrant Skies is a ton of fun and I am having an outstanding time getting through it. I am hoping to finish it off in the next day or so, and this is definitely a great book for all Marvel fans.

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Warhammer 40,000: Honour Guard by Dan Abnett (Audiobook)

Warhammer 40,000 - Honour Guard Cover

I was in the mood for something I knew I could quickly get through and have an epic time with, so I decided to listen to another of Dan Abnett’s Gaunt’s Ghosts books.  The last three Gaunt’s Ghosts books, First and Only, Ghostmaker and Necropolis, have all been outstanding military fiction novels set in the epic Warhammer 40,000 universe, and I am eager to see how the series continues.  This fourth book, Honour Guard, sees the Ghosts engage in a brutal campaign to save some threatened holy relics, while Imperial Guard politics seeks to destroy them from within.  This is an interesting addition to the series with a good focus on characters and I am really powering through it.  I should finish it off tomorrow at the latest and I might try to feature it in a Throwback Thursday post this week.

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What did you recently finish reading?

The Last Orphan by Gregg Hurwitz (Trade Paperback)

The Last Orphan Cover 2

I quickly got through the new Orphan X novel by Gregg Hurwitz, The Last Orphan, last week, and it ended up being an amazing read. Loaded with action and spy craft, this latest book saw Evan Smoak, the titular Orphan X, forced to choose between his freedom and his principles when the President captures him to undertake a controversial assassination mission. A great novel that is really easy to get through.

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City of Last Chances by Adrian Tchaikovsky (Audiobook)

City of Last Chances Cover

I managed to finish off the audiobook version of the epic fantasy novel, City of Last Chances by Adrian Tchaikovsky, on the weekend and boy did that turn out to be an exceptional novel. Set in an occupied city, City of Last Chances featured a huge cast of unique characters as they get into all manner of trouble in some weird and funny situations.  I had such a great time with this epic book as each new chapter presented the reader with a new, captivating, character-driven story that came together to form an elaborate overarching plot.  This was such an outstanding book that it got a very easy five-star rating from me and it is definitely one of my top books of 2023.  Make sure to check out my recently published review for City of Last Chances.

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What do you think you’ll read next?

Star Wars: Battle Scars by Sam Maggs

Star Wars - Battle Scars Cover

I’m still hoping to read this cool Star Wars books next, especially as we are so close to the new Star Wars Jedi game coming out. I am very curious to see how Sam Maggs captures the feel of both the game and the extended Star Wars universe and this sounds like it will be a fun and interesting read.

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That’s it for this week, check back in next Wednesday to see what progress I’ve made on my reading and what books I’ll be looking at next.

Throwback Thursday – Warhammer 40,000: Necropolis by Dan Abnett

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Audiobook, Extended Universe, Science Fiction, Throwback Thursday, Tie-in Novel, Warhammer17 Comments

Warhammer 40,000 - Necropolis Cover

Publisher: Black Library (Audiobook – January 2001)

Series; Gaunt’s Ghosts – Book Three

Length: 10 hours and 23 minutes

My Rating: 4.75 out of 5 stars

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Welcome back to my Throwback Thursday series, where I republish old reviews, review books I have read before or review older books I have only just had a chance to read.  For my latest Throwback Thursday, I continue to dive into the mud and blood of the 41st century with the awesome Warhammer 40,000 novel, Necropolis by Dan Abnett.

A few weeks ago I published a Top Ten Tuesday that listed my favourite Warhammer 40,000 novels, where I featured several great and impressive authors.  However, out all these authors, the one I seemed to mention the most was the extremely talented Dan Abnett.  Abnett, a veteran contributor to Warhammer lore, is one of the major pillars of the Warhammer 40,000 canon, having written several exceedingly iconic series or novels.  I have really enjoyed some of Abnett’s books including his legendary Eisenhorn trilogy (made up of Xenos, Malleus and Hereticus) which I eagerly absorbed earlier this year.

However, one of Abnett’s most compelling series is his long-running Gaunt’s Ghosts series of books.  This great series follows the tragic and deadly members of the Tanith First and Only, an Imperial Guard regiment let by legendary Colonel-Commissar Ibram Gaunt.  Known informally as Gaunt’s Ghosts, due to their position of the being the only survivors of the destroyed planet of Tanith, the Ghosts fight for vengeance and the hope of winning a new planet.  The Gaunt’s Ghost series follows their adventures during the Sabbat World Crusades, a series of deadly campaigns in a Chaos controlled sector.  I have deeply enjoyed this cool series, mainly because it shows a particularly accurate view of the life of the common soldier in the Warhammer 40,000 universe.  The first two books, First and Only and Ghostmaker, as well as the prequel novel, The Vincula Insurgency, have served as excellent introductions to the characters and their mission, and I have been keen to continue this series.  The third book in the series, Necropolis, features a brilliant new story that throws the Ghosts deep into the absolute hell of war.

On the planet of Verghast, deep in the Sabbat Worlds, the Hive City of Verunhive has long stood as a beacon of productivity and economic success, producing vast quantities of materials for the crusading Imperial armies.  Their dominion on Verghast seems absolute, until a shocking and deadly surprise attack from the neighbouring rival city of Ferrozoica, leaves everyone in shock.  Amassing an army of millions, Ferrozoica launches a continued and brutal attack on Verunhive and its holdings, determined to bring it to its knees, and not even the hastily assembled forces of Verunhive or the fortified walls of the hive seem capable of stopping them.

To maintain the manufacturing capabilities of Verunhive, Warmaster Macaroth dispatches several regiments of Imperial Guard to Verghast to unite the people of Verunhive and help put an end to the invasion Ferrozoica.  Amongst the Imperial reinforcements are the Tanith First and Only, better known as Gaunt’s Ghosts, who are now hardened veterans after years of fighting under Colonel-Commissar Gaunt.  Arriving in Verunhive, the Ghosts discover a desperate hive, fortified by inexperienced soldiers and untested leadership, who are ill-prepared for the horrors of war that are about to be unleashed upon them.

As the Ghosts and their new allies begin a desperate fight for survival, Gaunt soon discovers that the Hive is divided, with political intrigue, ambitious officers, and old rivals, all vying to control the war.  As this division hampers the war effort, an even more dangerous discovery is made: the forces of Ferrozoica aren’t just rebelling, they are under the fell control of Chaos.  Faced with a relentless horde of enemies that won’t stop their attack for anything, can the Tanith and the defenders of Verunhive rally to hold off the enemy are will the Ghosts finally meet their match in the ruins of the corrupt Hive City?

Abnett continues to show why he is one of the very best Warhammer 40,000 authors out there with this exceptional third entry in his Gaunt’s Ghosts series.  Necropolis is a brutal and intense read that features a brilliant group of characters caught up in a desperate and deadly siege.  Action-packed and exceedingly powerful, Necropolis was an incredible addition to the series that I powered through in no time at all.

Necropolis has an outstanding and exceptional story that places the Tanith regiment in the middle of a no-win scenario.  I had heard that Necropolis had one of the best stories out of all the Gaunt’s Ghosts books, and it lives up to all the hype.  One of the reasons for this is that, in contrast to the episodic nature of the first two books, Necropolis has one consistent and continuous story that is completely focused on the battle for Verunhive.  The other major reason for me is that this book is a siege novel, which is something I particularly enjoy, and the subsequent extended war to control Verunhive was pretty damn epic as a result.

The book starts without the Ghosts even present, and instead Abnett takes the time to completely explore the start of the siege, showcasing the setting and introducing many of the new supporting characters and their unique storylines.  This works to set the scene beautifully and you really go into the book fully understanding just how chaotic the ensuing war is going to be.  Gaunt and the Ghosts are introduced a few chapters into Necropolis, and they are swiftly and expertly inserted into the story.  Most of the returning characters are split up around the city and given their own distinctive storylines which often merge with those of the Verunhive citizens introduced in the opening scenes.  At the same time, Gaunt finds himself involved in the political intrigue that is dominating the commanders of the city, which forces him to work with and against rival commanders, commissars and politicians.

The story moves at a pretty swift pace, and soon the reader is gifted with a series of brutal and powerful battles that drag in every major character in the book.  All these battle scenes are pretty intense and deadly, with the protagonists significantly outnumbered by the forces of Chaos.  Abnett really communicates the resulting desperation and fear that many of the characters feel, especially as the enemy starts to make further progress and the losses mount.  These impressive war scenes mesh well with the instances of political intrigue and personal conflicts that several of the characters, particularly Gaunt, are experiencing during the war, and it becomes apparent that ambition, greed and corruption are going to cause just as many problems as the war outside.  I loved the brilliant combination of character driven storylines that emerged, and all of them come together to present a comprehensive and compelling picture of the wider siege before them.

Naturally, things start going to absolute hell in the lead-up to the final act, and Gaunt and his soldiers face a huge variety of threats from both inside and outside of Verunhive.  There are some great scenes of carnage, valour and bitter personal fights during this part of the book as each of the characters attempt to survive in their own way.  Abnett really doesn’t hold back when it comes to the brutal war and readers should really not get attached to any of the characters, as the death toll is pretty significant.  Everything leads up to a final, desperate battle, and I felt that the author handled it extremely well, pitting all the key characters into some outstanding fight sequences.  I did think that the conclusion of one major fight was slightly cliched (as well as significantly underpowering the strength of a bolt pistol), but it was an overall excellent way to end the book.  All the storylines that Abnett opens in Necropolis are closed in a satisfactory way, and many of the characters leave both hopeful and a little forlorn at what they have experienced.  Abnett also leaves behind some hints of future storylines, especially around the personal lives of the Ghosts, and it looks like there is going to be a lot of changes in the next novel of the series.

Featuring a massive multi-perspective cast, Abnett tells a complex and expansive siege narrative that is guaranteed to draw the reader.  As I mentioned before, I love a good siege book, and this probably one of the better ones that I have had the pleasure of reading (I will be adding it to the next version of my Top Ten Tuesday list on the subject).  Abnett really captures the intensity and complexity of the siege of this massive Hive City, and this shines through in every major battle scene he produces.  The reader is effortlessly drawn into every gritty and lethal fight that occurs, and I love how he shows all the perils associated with war, from morale, logistics and even the insanity of the Chaos invaders.  The grim scale of the war and the massive city this book is set in are on full display as well, and you must love seeing the mechanics behind attacking this city, as well as the inherent tragedy such an invasion is having on millions.  Accompanied by an amazing amount of complex, personal stories, and some outstanding, futuristic political intrigue, and you end up with a particularly gripping and well-written tale, and its one I could listen to again and again.

One of the things that I love about Abnett’s books is the way that he so easily and cleverly works the wider Warhammer 40,000 setting into his story.  He does such a good job of including and subtly explaining every bit of relevant lore, technology or faction throughout the book and in such a way that even readers unfamiliar with the franchise can dive in here with Necropolis without any major issues.  This accessibility to new readers is further helped by the way that most of the story focuses on the battles of the common Imperial soldier, and seeing their gritty perspectives and opinions of the book’s events really makes it easier to read.  Necropolis also serves as quite a key entry in the Gaunt’s Ghosts series, and fans who enjoyed the first two books will love to see the Ghosts return to another brutal war.  While Abnett does ensure that Necropolis is accessible to people unfamiliar with the series, readers are better served going back and reading First and Only and Ghostmaker first.  This is mainly because these two books were so heavily focused on character development and introductions, and seeing this characterisation continue in Necropolis makes for a more enjoyable experience.  However, readers can still jump into Necropolis without too many issues, and anyone is guaranteed an epic time if they do.

Abnett is always particularly skilled when it comes to characters, and Necropolis is no different as it features an amazing and large cast.  This not only includes the recurring characters from the previous Gaunt’s Ghosts books, but also a series of new characters originating in Verunhive.  Abnett does a wonderful job of introducing all these new characters while also simultaneously re-establishing all the previous protagonists and their particular character arcs.  The reader ends up following a huge range of character storylines in Necropolis as a result, and it was fascinating to see all the different protagonists, both Ghost and Verunhive local, and their experiences in the war.  However, I do think that Abnett might have gone a little overboard when it came to characters in Necropolis, as it became hard to follow so many distinctive personalities at times.  I also found that some of the best characters from the first two books, such as Colm Corbec and Major Rawne, were a bit underutilised as a result.  However, you still get a lot of Gaunt, and his excellent chapters perfectly capture the insanity behind the war as Abnett once again showcases him as the noble hero, although even he is not prepared for some of the complex figures waiting for him.  I loved the contrast between Gaunt and his rival, Commissar Kowle, who is a lot more self-serving, and it was great to see more hostile interactions between Gaunt and the Royal Volpone commander General Sturm.  This ended up being a great book for characters, and I look forward to seeing how some of the supporting cast introduced in Necropolis will go in future books, especially after so many join the Ghosts at the end of the book.

As with pretty much everything else from Abnett that I have enjoyed, I chose to grab Necropolis on audiobook, which was exceptional.  Generally, all the Warhammer 40,000 novels are pretty amazing in their own way, but I have had a great time with the ones written by Abnett.  I find the format fits his epic and powerful narratives extremely well, and the intense action, world building and characters, are all highlighted perfectly in the audiobooks.  One of the main reasons for this is due to the impressive work of narrator Toby Longworth, who lends his voice to all of Abnett’s main works.  Longworth is such a great narrator and I love how he brings the intense story to life, revelling in every action, shot and bit of carnage that Abnett imagines.  His main skill is his ability to come up with a huge range of fitting and memorable voices for every major cast member, and his take on each of Abnett’s characters is always spot on.  All the characters who appeared in the previous Gaunt’s Ghosts books return with the same voices that Longworth utilised then, and I loved both the consistency with the prior audiobooks and the unique way he gets into each of the recurring characters.  The accent that he gifts all the native members of the Tanith First and Only is amazing, and it is really cool how he uses it to acknowledge their rugged history.  Longworth’s talent for accents is pushed to the limit in Necropolis, as the plot features characters from several different planets.  However, he succeeds in giving unique accents for all the different off-worlders, which included a pretty accurate Australian-esque accent, which gets my approval.  This voice work, as well as the way the format generally enhances the cool story, ensures that the Necropolis audiobook is a fantastic way to enjoy this awesome book.  With a run time of just under 10 and a half hours, listeners can easily power through this book in a few days, especially once they get caught up in the addictive narrative.

My love of the classic Gaunt’s Ghosts series keeps getting stronger and stronger as the third book, Necropolis was a particularly epic Warhammer 40,000 read.  The legendary Dan Abnett provides readers with a powerful and captivating siege story that makes full use of its dark setting and comprehensive cast of characters.  An exceptional read from start to finish, Necropolis comes highly recommended, and I cannot wait to see what happens in the next Gaunt’s Ghosts book.

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WWW Wednesday – 5 April 2023

On By The Unseen LibraryIn WWW Wednesday1 Comment

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Taking on a World of Words, where bloggers share the books that they’ve recently finished, what they are currently reading and what books they are planning to read next. Essentially you have to answer three questions (the Three Ws):

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

So, let’s get to it.

What are you currently reading? 

Fatal Legacy by Lindsey Davis

Fatal Legacy Cover

I was in a historical fiction mood this week, so I started reading Fatal Legacy by Lindsey Davis.  The latest book in one of my favourite historical crime fiction series, Fatal Legacy sees determined investigator Flavia Albia attempt to resolve a tricky legal situation in ancient Rome.  I haven’t made too much progress with Fatal Legacy yet but so far I am enjoying Davis’ usual blend of humour, historical detail and crazy characters.

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City of Last Chances by Adrian Tchaikovsky

City of Last Chances Cover

After finishing Ogres this week, I decided to get another fix of acclaimed author Adrian Tchaikovsky when I started listening to the audiobook version of his latest novel, City of Last Chances. Set in an occupied city, City of Last Chances follows several unique characters as they get into all manner of trouble in some weird and funny stories.  I haven’t gotten too far into this audiobook yet, but I am rather enjoying the intriguing mixture of stories, all written in Tchaikovsky’s unique style.  I look forward to seeing where Tchaikovsky takes this awesome book and I have a feeling it is going to be one of the top books of 2023 for me.

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What did you recently finish reading?

Dead of Night by Simon Scarrow (Trade Paperback)

Dead of Night Cover

I managed to finish off the outstanding historical murder mystery Dead of Night by Simon Scarrow this week and it proved to be a fantastic and captivating read.  The sequel to Scarrow’s previous novel, Blackout, Dead of Night told a powerful story that combined a murder investigation with compelling and dark insights into the Nazi regime.  An amazing novel, I will hopefully get a review up for it soon.

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Ogres by Adrian Tchaikovsky (Audiobook)

Ogres Cover

A very entertaining and distinctive novella from a real talent.  Make sure to check out my recent review for Ogres.

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Warhammer 40,000: Necropolis by Dan Abnett

Warhammer 40,000 - Necropolis Cover

After having so much fun with the first two Gaunt’s Ghosts novels, First and Only and Ghostmaker, I just had to see what carnage occurred in the third entry, Necropolis.  This powerful and action-packed novel was quite the exceptional read and I had an epic time getting through it.  I’m actually putting up a Throwback Thursday post about it right after this, so make sure to check it out.

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The Investigators by Anthony Hill (Trade Paperback)

The Investigators Cover

A fascinating and highly detailed historical novel that follows an iconic voyage around Australia. 

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What do you think you’ll read next?

The Last Orphan by Gregg Hurwitz

The Last Orphan Cover 2

I am hoping to finally get around to reading the latest Orphan X novel by Gregg Hurwitz next, The Last Orphan.  I have deeply enjoyed this exceptional series over the last few years and I cannot wait to see what happens in this next, ominously named book.

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That’s it for this week, check back in next Wednesday to see what progress I’ve made on my reading and what books I’ll be looking at next.

Top Ten Tuesday – My Top Reads From 2023 Quarter One

On By The Unseen LibraryIn List4 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics.  The official topic for this week’s Top Ten Tuesday was around participant’s favourite indie/self-published books, which isn’t honestly something I can particularly contribute to.  So instead, as this is the first Tuesday of April, I thought I would take the time to look back at the first quarter of 2023 and highlight the best books I read during that period.  This is a rather new list type that I think I might employ a bit more in the future, and it will be very interesting to see what the best books of each quarter of the year are.

I’m keeping this list fairly open and pretty much allowing any novel or audiobook I recently read to be included here.  The only condition is that I had to have read it between 1 January 2023 and 31 March 2023, and I am also excluding a couple of books that I started reading in March but didn’t finish until April.  This still leaves me with a huge collection of recently read books to feature here, and I had to make some hard decisions.  However, I ended up coming up with an interesting list, and one that definitely shows off what sort of books I have been focusing on in the first quarter of the year.  So let us see what made the cut.

Honourable Mentions:

Grim Repast by Marc Collins

Warhammer 40,000 - Grim Repast Cover

A dark and captivating Warhammer Crime novel that showcases the very worst parts of the Warhammer 40,000 underworld.

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How to Kill a Client by Joanna Jenkins

How to Kill a Client Cover

An impressive and exciting Australian debut that casts an interesting light on Australia’s legal profession.

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13th Legion by Gav Thorpe

13th Legion Cover 2

I was very happy to start of the awesome Warhammer 40,000 Last Chancers series this year, and 13th Legion serves as a great introduction to the entire action-packed series.

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For the Emperor by Sandy Mitchell

Warhammer 40,000 - For the Emperor Cover

One of the funniest books I have read in 2023 so far, For the Emperor is a brilliant Warhammer 40,000 entry that sees a cowardly war hero attempt to save the day, and his own skin.

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Top Ten List:

Eisenhorn Trilogy by Dan Abnett

Warhammer 40,000 - Xenos Cover

One of the things that pulling this list together has really shown me is that I have been reading way too much Warhammer 40,000 fiction in the first quarter of this year (if that is possible).  I really have become a little obsessed with this awesome franchise, but to be fair, there are some particularly epic books featured within it.  My favourite of these so far will have to be the Eisenhorn trilogy by exceptional author Dan Abnett.  Following a noble Inquisitor as he faces the forces of Chaos, the Eisenhorn trilogy is made up of three excellent, five-star reads, including Xenos, Malleus and Hereticus, each of which I had a great time reading this year.  All three books have brilliant stories, and the overarching theme of the protagonist’s corruption as he tries to do the right thing, is pretty perfect.  One of the best Warhammer 40,000 series out there, highly recommended.

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Son of the Poison Rose by Jonathan Maberry

Son of the Poison Rose Cover

Probably the best 2023 release I have read so far this year is the exceptional dark fantasy epic, Son of the Poison Rose by Jonathan Maberry.  The sequel to the outstanding 2022 novel, Kagen the Damned (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2022), Son of the Poison Rose continues the twisted story introduced in the first novel.  Loaded with intense world building, dark magic, over-the-top scenes, and some of the best action you are ever likely to read, Son of the Poison Rose is a brilliant read, and I am hoping to get a proper review up for it soon.

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Red Dirt Road by S. R. White

Red Dirt Road Cover

Moving on to Australian fiction and we have the captivating Red Dirt Road by S. R. White.  Set in the middle of the Australian desert, Red Dirt Road follows an intrepid detective as she attempts to solve a sinister murder where every resident left in a near-abandoned town is a suspect.  Smart, character focused, and very intriguing, this was an amazing read and White is fast become one of my favourite Australian crime fiction authors.

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The Infinite and the Divine by Robert Rath

The Infinite and the Divine Cover

One of the most amusing novels I read in the first quarter of 2023 is the amazing Warhammer 40,000 book, The Infinite and the Divine.  Written by Robert Rath, who previously enthralled me with his 2022 release, Assassinorum: Kingmaker, The Infinite and the Divine is a brilliant read that sees two immortal Necron lords fight for control of a mysterious artifact.  Presenting the reader with an exceptional story, set around the pettiest of feuds, The Infinite and the Divine is highly amusing and deeply compelling, while also diving into the intriguing Necron faction.  An absolute joy to read from start to finish, this is a must read for all Warhammer 40,000 fans.

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Ogres by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Ogres Cover

I had to include one of the latest audiobooks I finished off on this list with the Adrian Tchaikovsky novella, Ogres.  Set in a world where humans are ruled over by technologically advanced Ogres, this clever read focuses on revolution, adventure and nature vs nurture.  This ended up being on the most complex and intriguing things I have read in 2023, and I really enjoy Tchaikovsky’s unique writing style.  I am actually listening to his latest novel, City of Last Chances as I put this review up, and it is also proving to be a fantastic read.

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Flesh and Steel by Guy Haley

Flesh and Steel Cover

I had an absolute blast with the Warhammer Crime novels in the first quarter of 2023 and one of the best is Flesh and Steel by Guy Hayley.  A compelling read that sees two unusual and highly damaged detectives team up to solve a unique, Warhammer 40,000 crime, Flesh and Steel was exceptionally entertaining and a highly recommended novel to anyone interested in a cool combination of a unique dystopian world a gripping mystery.

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Burner by Mark Greaney

Burner Cover

Mark Greaney continued his iconic Gray Man series in a big was this year with the latest entry Burner.  Setting his legendary protagonist, Court Gentry, the Gray Man, against both the CIA and the Russians while also focusing on major world events, Burner was a powerful and epic read that I cannot hype up enough.  This is easily going to top all my best of 2023 lists later this year, and it is a must read for all fans of this talented author.

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Bloodlines by Chris Wraight

Warhammer 40,000 - Bloodlines Cover

The final Warhammer 40,000 novel I need to feature on this list is the awesome Warhammer Crime entry, Bloodlines by Chris Wraight.  Featuring a particularly impressive crime fiction story, set around a veteran cop with many secrets, Bloodlines is a fantastic read that perfectly blended its crime fiction story with the Warhammer 40,000 setting.  I had such a great time with this book, and it is probably the Warhammer Crime novel I most want a sequel for.

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Unnatural History by Jonathan Kellerman

Unnatural History Cover 2

What’s the start of a year without a new Alex Delaware novel from iconic crime fiction author Jonathan Kellerman.  His latest entry, Unnatural History, presents the reader with another captivating mystery, this time centred around an intriguing victim with a complex past.  I had such a great time reading this slick and intense read, and I look forward to seeing what amazing stories Kellerman produces in the future.

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Downfall by Louise Carey

Downfall Cover

The final book on this list is Downfall by Louise Carey.  The exciting and thoughtful conclusion to Carey’s excellent Inscape trilogy (featuring Inscape and Outcast), Downfall is a captivating read, loaded with cyberpunk influences and an outstanding story.  Carey has really shown how talented she is as an author here and I cannot wait to see what she produces in the future.

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Well, that’s the end of this first quarter review.  As you can see, I have read an interesting collection of books in the first three months of 2023, and I am hoping to get through quite a few more before the end of the year.  2023 has definitely been the year of older books, especially older Warhammer novels, for me as have read so many (perhaps too many), exceptional Warhammer books published before 2023.  I am hoping to read more recent releases in the next quarter to compensate for this, and it will be very interesting to see what books I highlight in my next look-back list.

Top Ten Tuesday – My Favourite Warhammer 40,000 novels

On By The Unseen LibraryIn List, Warhammer27 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics.  For this week’s Top Ten Tuesday, participants are given a genre freebie, where they pick a genre and built a post/list around it.  While I had a few ideas for this list, I decided to put some of my recent obsessive reading to good use and take look at my absolute favourite Warhammer 40,000 tie-in novels.

For those unfamiliar with the franchise, Warhammer is a long-running extended universe that is based around a series of miniature table-top games.  Started by Games Workshop decades ago, Warhammer in its various forms has a large and dedicated following to it, and there are several existing or defunct games associated with the franchise, including Warhammer Fantasy, Age of Sigmar, Warhammer 30,000 – The Horus Heresy, Blood Bowl, Necromunda, and more.  The most iconic of these is probably the futuristic Warhammer 40,000 franchise which is set millennia in the future and details a grim-dark universe where multiple factions engage in massive wars and battles.  Many of the above games are set in and around the larger Warhammer 40,000 universe, and there have been various versions and editions to the rules throughout the decades.

Throughout its run, the various Warhammer games have produced a vast amount of lore to provide background information and intriguing extra details around the various armies and characters players could use.  As the years went on, this lore got more elaborate and it formed an intriguing universe around the games, which resulted in the creators creating a ton of extra content like novels, comics, animation, video games, and more.  All the Warhammer tabletop games have some form of extended lore around it, with the most impressive wrapping around the Warhammer 40,000 universe.  There is a ton of Warhammer 40,000 books and comics out there, with a massive team of great authors contributing more and more to it every year.  This franchise is only going to get bigger in the future, especially after the recent announcement that Amazon has bought the film and television rights to Warhammer 40,000.  A such, I have seen a ton of extra posts and questions online about Warhammer fiction in recent months and I thought this would be a good opportunity to publish a list about my favourite Warhammer 40,000 books to provide some ideas for new readers looking to explore this universe.

I personally have been a fan of the Warhammer franchise for years, ever since my parents got me into it as a child.  While I primarily played the now defunct Warhammer Fantasy game (Empire and Lizardmen for the win), I was always more into the background lore than the actual painting, and I had a lot of fun with that when I was younger.  I did take a bit of a break from the game and universe for a while, but in recent years I have come back to the franchise with a vengeance and started really diving into the associated books.  Be it nostalgia or an appreciation for the elaborate nature of this universe, but I have been loving all the cool books associated with the games, and I deeply appreciate the sheer range of intriguing and powerful stories that have been built around it, as well as the excellent collection of talented authors writing them.  I have also deeply enjoyed the intriguing sub-genres that have been fit into this wider universe, as, in addition to the more common military fiction, there are also clever thrillers, unique character studies, elaborate crime fiction books, and even some freaky horror reads.

While I have read several Warhammer Fantasy novels, my main fiction focus has been on the Warhammer 40,000 novels, as that is where the main bulk of the current books has been released (plus I’m not too interested in Age of Sigmar).  I have kind of gone a little overboard with Warhammer 40,000 fiction in the last year or so, and I ended up reading a huge amount of current and older books, including entries from some of the most iconic book series in Warhammer 40,000 fiction.  This has only increased in the last month or so when I first had the idea for this list, and I have read quite a few Warhammer books in the start of 2023.

As such, I had a lot of potential books to use for this list and this is where things admittedly got a little away from me as I had a hard time determining only 10 books for this list.  So, as I’m a bit of a softie and a huge Warhammer nerd, I decided to expand this out to a top 20 list instead, which gave me a lot more options to work with.  I also decided to compact several books from the same series (and written by the same author) into a single entry to increase variety, which I think worked out well.  I still had several hard decisions to make, and I ended up cutting several outstanding novels from this list.  Still, I’m pretty happy with how my Top 20 list turned out and there are so many exceptional and epic novels I would strongly recommend.  So let us find out what made the cut.

Top 20 List (no particular order):

Eisenhorn trilogy by Dan Abnett

Warhammer 40,000 - Xenos Cover

The first entry on this list is the iconic and epic Eisenhorn trilogy by legendary Warhammer author Dan Abnett.  Generally considered one of the most influential authors of Warhammer fiction, Abnett has written several key series and novels in this canon and the Eisenhorn books are some of his finest work.  Made up of Xenos, Malleus and Hereticus, this series follows the titular Inquisitor Eisenhorn who investigates several complex conspiracies while trying to keep the Imperium of Man safe.  However, along the way he starts making dark compromises and deals to fight the forces of Chaos, which slowly corrupts him.  Providing an outstanding mixture of elaborate stories, impressive characters and some epic moments, the Eisenhorn trilogy is damn near perfect and I have had a wonderful time getting through it.  Easily one of the best Warhammer series out there, the Eisenhorn novels are a must-read, and there is a reason why most fans recommend it as a brilliant starting Warhammer 40,000 fiction starting point.

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Deathwatch: Shadowbreaker by Steve Parker

Deathwatch Shadowbreaker Cover

Next, I want to highlight the book that pretty much started my current obsession with Warhammer fiction, Deathwatch: Shadowbreaker by Steve Parker.  An intriguing and action-packed novel that follows a small team of Deathwatch Space Marines as they infiltrate a Tau held planet and attempt to pull of an assassination.  Loaded with combat, intense personal moments, and a compelling look at both the Deathwatch and the Tau, Shadowbreaker is a great read that swiftly drew me in and had me hooked. 

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Ghazghkull Thraka: Prophet of the Waaagh! by Nate Crowley

Ghazghkull Thraka - Prophet of the Waaagh! Cover

For readers looking for something a little less human-focussed, Ghazghkull Thraka: Prophet of the Waaagh! is the perfect book.  A unique retelling of iconic ork character Ghazghkull Thraka’s origin story, this fantastic novel presents a powerful and instantly compelling story that shows a far deeper side to the ork boss and his followers.  Crowley expertly utilises a series of distinctive perspectives to tell a particularly striking story, and I loved the fun combination of serious elements and humorous undertones.  I had a brilliant time with this novel and it ended up being one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2022.  Highly recommended, especially on audiobook due to the amazing team of talented narrators the recruited to voice it.

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The Wraithbone Phoenix by Alec Worley

The Wraithbone Phoenix Cover

One of the things that I most love about Warhammer 40,000 fiction is the sheer range of different stories that can be featured in this universe.  Probably the best example of this is the Warhammer Crime subseries that set a series of powerful crime fiction novels in a futuristic and corrupt Warhammer 40,000 city.  The first one of these that I read was The Wraithbone Phoenix by Alec Worley, which features a fast-paced, crime thriller romp as several teams of over-the-top criminals fight to recover a mysterious McGuffin, the titular Wraithbone Phoenix.  The story primarily focuses on the hilarious team of thieving ratling (a futuristic halfling/hobbit) and an enlightened Ogryn (ogre), who find themselves caught in the middle of the heist and hunted by everyone.  Fun, intense and surprisingly moving, this was an amazing book, and readers should also check out Worley’s short audiobook, Dredge Runners, which serves as an exceptional prequel.

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Assassinorum: Kingmaker by Robert Rath

Assassinorum Kingmaker Cover

Another Warhammer 40,000 novel from last year that topped my best of lists was the insanely good Assassinorum: Kingmaker by talented author Robert Rath.  Following three ultra-elite assassins, Kingmaker showcases their mission to assassinate a king and bring a new era to a feudal Imperial Knight planet.  The only problem is that their target is permanently bonded to a giant mecha, and there are far darker secrets hidden on the planet than they realised.  This book was highly addictive from the very start and I cannot emphasise how impressively amazing the narrative was.  You really get attached to the major characters, and I loved all the epic mecha-on-mecha fights than ensued.  A top read from one of the franchises fastest rising stars.

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Storm of Iron by Graham McNeill

Storm of Iron Cover 2

From cool assassins to brutal sieges, my next entry is the awesome epic Storm of Iron by the legendary Graham McNeill.  Storm of Iron is a powerful and intense read that chronicles a deadly futuristic siege of a legendary citadel by the Iron Warriors Chaos Space Marines, the galaxy’s most accomplished siege experts.  What follows is a brutal and lengthy siege novel that sees both sides engage in a hellish campaign to try and survive.  Cleverly showcasing both sides and providing some great context to the antagonists, this is a particularly fun book that is easily one of the best siege novels I have ever read.

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Kal Jerico: Sinner’s Bounty by Josh Reynolds

Kal Jerico - Sinner's Bounty Cover

While Deathwatch: Shadowbreaker was the first new Warhammer 40,000 novel I read, Sinner’s Bounty was the book that sealed my fate and ensured I would get hooked on this franchise again.  Set in the Necromunda sub-series/game, Sinner’s Bounty presents a whole new adventure from one of the franchise’s best characters, bounty hunter Kal Jerico, as he follows a notorious criminal into the darkest parts of the massive Necromunda hive city.  A massively entertaining romp that features multiple teams of bounty hunters, an army of mutants, and all manner of monsters in the dark sewers of the city, Sinner’s Bounty is so much damn fun and I loved seeing my favourite character back in action.  I hope we get more Kal Jerico books in the future, but in the meantime Sinner’s Bounty an amazing read that perfectly showcases one of the franchises best settings and protagonists.

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Gaunt’s Ghosts series – Dan Abnett

First and Only Cover

There was no way I could exclude Dan Abnett’s other iconic series, the Gaunt’s Ghosts books from this list.  Generally considered one of the key pillars of Warhammer 40,000 fiction and essential reading for all newcomers to the franchise, the Gaunt’s Ghosts books follow the Tanith First and Only, a small regiment from a destroyed planet fighting in a deadly crusade.  Containing great characters, compelling storylines, and a gritty examination of the common Imperial soldier’s life, the Gaunt’s Ghosts books are pretty damn captivating and I have had a great deal of fun with them.  So far, I have only read the first two books, First and Only and Ghostmaker, as well as the prequel novel, The Vincula Insurgency, but my major reading priority in the future is to dive even further into the series.  Despite not finishing it yet, this is still clearly one of the best Warhammer series out there and I would strongly recommend it to anyone wanting to learn more about this cool universe.

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The Bookkeeper’s Skull by Justin D. Hill

The Bookkeeper's Skull Cover

While quite a few Warhammer novels have a certain horror element to them, especially when dealing with daemons, mutants and monsters, there is a fantastic subseries of books that go even deeper, with the Warhammer Horror novels.  I haven’t read too many of these yet, but the first one I got into was pretty damn epic and worthy inclusion of this list, the fantastically named The Bookkeeper’s Skull by acclaimed author Justin D. Hill.  A short, but very effective novel, The Bookkeeper’s Skull follows a rookie enforcer on an agricultural world who travels to an isolated farm experiencing problems.  However, he is unprepared for the deadly murders, self-mutilating cultists, and other bizarre incidents infecting the farm.  Hill paints a pretty grim atmosphere for this brutal story and it is very easy to power through this amazing novel in one terrifying sitting.

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Steel Tread by Andy Clark

Steel Tread Cover

While most Warhammer novels tries to capture the gritty realities of war, few have succeeded as well as Andy Clark’s 2022 novel, Steel Tread.  Set within the close confines of a tank, the book sees a crew of large personalities try to survive each other amid a destructive and terrifying warzone.  A super intense and deeply personal novel, I had an exceptional time with Steel Tread and it was one of the best soldier-focused Warhammer 40,000 novels I have had the pleasure of reading.

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The Twice-Dead King books – Nate Crowley

The Twice-Dead King - Ruin Cover

The next entry is another joint entry featuring the two The Twice-Dead King novels by Nate Crowley, Ruin and Reign.  A Necron focussed series, The Twice-Dead King follows a fallen Necron prince who battles to regain his power and throne when a deadly invasion of humans threatens his realm.  Providing one of the deepest examinations of the intriguing Necron faction in all of Warhammer fiction, you really get to understand this complex race, especially when they are faced with their own terrifying internal demons.  This book powerfully showcases Crowley’s talent for diving into alien races with his writing and you come away from these books extremely moved and highly impressed with just how good Warhammer fiction can be.

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For The Emperor by Sandy Mitchell

Warhammer 40,000 - For the Emperor Cover

Easily one of the funniest Warhammer novels I have ever read was the brilliant and compelling read, For the Emperor by Sandy Mitchell.  The first book in the long-running and beloved Ciaphas Cain series, For the Emperor follows the adventures of Commissar Ciaphas Cain, one of the Imperium’s greatest heroes.  However, it is soon revealed that Cain is a manipulative coward who actively tries to avoid combat, only to end up in even worse situations.  Mitchell paints a pretty hilarious picture around this scenario, and the end result is just spectacular and side-splittingly funny.  An exceptional and fun novel that serves as a great introduction to the Ciaphas Cain novels, while also showing just how impressive and varied this franchise can be.

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Grim Repast by Marc Collins

Warhammer 40,000 - Grim Repast Cover

Another great Warhammer Crime novel I had to feature here was Grim Repast by Marc Collins.  Utilising the format of a dark, noir-inspired psychological thriller book, Grim Repast sees a damaged detective attempt to stop brutal serial killer who is stealing people’s organs in his run-down part of the city.  However, his investigations reveal some very dark secrets about the city’s ruling class which he is forced to face on his own.  A particularly intense Warhammer novel that successfully combines excellent and twisty crime fiction elements with the grim setting, Grim Repast was an excellent read that successfully stands out from the other Warhammer Crime books.

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Outgunned by Denny Flowers

Warhammer 40,000 - Outgunned Cover

In my opinion, one of the best rising authors of Warhammer fiction now must be the intriguing author Denny Flowers, whose second book, Outgunned, so deeply impressed me last year.  While Flowers’ first book, Fire Made Flesh, was a great Necromunda novel, it pales in comparison to Outgunned which had me hooked very early on.  Outgunned follows an Imperial propaganda specialist who arrives on a swampy battlefield to film inspiration footage of a legendary fighter pilot as she battles an ork invasion.  However, nothing goes to plan as the protagonist soon discovers that his preferred subject is an arrogant drunkard, the planet has a great deal of secrets and the orks are actually winning the war.  A brilliant and intense novel that not only featured a ton of great aerial combat, but which also dives into some very dark places that shows just how far humanity has fallen in the far future.  Highly recommended.

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The Infinite and The Divine by Robert Rath

The Infinite and the Divine Cover

The most recent Warhammer novel I have read was another outstanding novel from Robert Rath, The Infinite and The Divine.  Focussed on two compelling and brilliant Necron characters, The Infinite and The Divine showcases the legendary feud between them as they spend thousands of years battling over a recovered artefact and its secrets.  Devolving into quite a petty scrap at times, The Infinite and The Divine is one of the funniest and cleverest Warhammer 40,000 books out there as it makes excellent use of humour, intense lore, and some very serious moments to tell a unique and memorable tale.  I had an exceptionally fun time with The Infinite and The Divine, and it is a fantastic novel for all Warhammer fans.

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Catachan Devil by Justin Woolley

Catachan Devil Cover

Justin Woolley pulled out a great novel last year with Catachan Devil, a brutal, intense and surprisingly funny military fiction read.  The brief of the novel was to highlight the distinctive Imperial Guard regiment, the Catachan Jungle Fighters, which Woolley does extremely well, using three different characters with their own unique views on the regiment to explore their actions and techniques.  However, the genius of this book lies in its third main character, an ork who grows obsessed with tactics and the Catachan’s fighting style and start utilising it against his rivals and the Catachans themselves.  This results in some hilarious and fun moments, especially as the antagonist turns into a major fanboy of his intended victims, and the resulting story is an exceptional and amazing read.

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Flesh and Steel by Guy Hayley

Flesh and Steel Cover

The Warhammer Crime hits keep on coming with Flesh and Steel by renowned author Guy Hayley.  This compelling read acts a bit of an odd-couple, buddy cop story when two very different detectives are forced to team up to investigate a dismembered body left across a city border.  Mixing some fantastic comedy with some pretty dark and horrific elements, Flesh and Steel provided one of the best character-focused stories in the Warhammer Crime range and I was deeply impressed with how everything unfolded.  A key Warhammer Crime read and one that I have a great deal of affection for.

Amazon

 

Day of Ascension by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Day of Ascension Cover

A great example of the impressive talent that this franchise attracts can be seen in the 2022 novel, Day of Ascension, written by highly renowned author Adrian Tchaikovsky, making his Warhammer debut.  Day of Ascension was a short and sweet novel which sets the robotic and callus Adeptus Mechanicus against a revolution started by a dangerous Genestealer Cult.  Featuring Tchaikovsky’s flair for highlighting alien mindsets and cultures, there are some very clever divergent perspectives in this novel, and I loved diving into the distinctive minds of two very different types of human hybrids.  Successfully introducing a great talent to the franchise, Day of Ascension is a brilliant read and one that I had an epic time with.

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13th Legion by Gav Thorpe

13th Legion Cover 2

Next up we have the first Last Chancer novel, 13th Legion, that perfectly adds in some expendable space convicts to a desperate military fiction narrative.  Written by another iconic Warhammer fiction author, Gav Thorpe, 13th Legion follows the 13th Penal Legion who are forced to participate in a series of suicidal missions to gain their freedom and redemption.  Essentially The Dirty Dozen in space, 13th Legion is an exciting and entertaining novel with a very high body count, that I honestly could not put down.

Amazon

 

Bloodlines by Chris Wraight

Warhammer 40,000 - Bloodlines Cover

The final entry on this list is the insanely good Warhammer Crime novel, Bloodlines by Chris Wraight.  Following a cynical, veteran detective as he is dragged into a problematic missing person’s case, Bloodlines soon devolves into a hard tale of rich privilege and gangster violence as the protagonist refuses to stop investigating a crooked corporation.  Probably one of the best pure crime fiction novels in this range, I loved the clever conclusion to the narrative and Bloodlines is a really outstanding read, and one I am particularly keen for a sequel for (the protagonist has some dark secrets that need to come into the light).  Highly recommended.

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And that’s the end of my list.  As you can see, I have quite a lot to say about Warhammer 40,000 fiction, and hopefully I haven’t gone too overboard here.  All 20 of the above books/series come very highly recommended, and each of them would make an excellent addition to any budding Warhammer fans collection.  Readers unfamiliar with this franchise should really consider giving it a try, especially before it becomes very mainstream in the future, and many of the above books are particularly fine entry points into this elaborate canon.  I hope I’ve inspired at least one reader to embark on a Warhammer 40,000 adventure, and you honestly won’t be disappointed.

WWW Wednesday – 8 February 2023

On By The Unseen LibraryIn WWW WednesdayLeave a comment

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Taking on a World of Words, where bloggers share the books that they’ve recently finished, what they are currently reading and what books they are planning to read next. Essentially you have to answer three questions (the Three Ws):

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

So, let’s get to it.

What are you currently reading?

The Death of John Lacey by Ben Hobson (Trade Paperback)

The Death of John Lacey Cover

I just started this intriguing Australian western from excellent author Ben Hobson.  Following several distinctive characters during the height of Australia’s goldrush era, The Death of John Lacey is already proving to be quite an awesome read and I am hoping to finish it off in the next few days.

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Warhammer 40,000: Bloodlines by Chris Wraight (Audiobook)

Warhammer 40,000 - Bloodlines Cover

Yeah, so I needed another fix of Warhammer Crime and the remaining major novel left to me is Bloodlines by Chris Wraight.  Featuring a dark missing persons case in the despair filled city of Varangantua, Bloodlines is another outstanding addition to the fantastic Warhammer 40,000 canon and I am having an epic time listening to this audiobook.  I will hopefully get through this by the end of the week and I will love every second of it.

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What did you recently finish reading?

Downfall by Louise Carey (Trade Paperback)

Downfall Cover

An epic ending to the awesome Inscape series, review to follow soon.

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Warhammer 40,000: Hereticus by Dan Abnett (Audiobook)

Warhammer 40,000 - Hereticus Cover

The perfect follow-up to Xenos and Malleus, Hereticus was an incredible Warhammer 40,000 novel that I read in no time at all.

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How to Kill a Client by Joanna Jenkins (Trade Paperback)

How to Kill a Client Cover

A cool and twisty Australian legal thriller from debuting author Joanna Jenkins.  I loved the fun story within which sees a backstabbing legal firm devolve into manipulation and murder.

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I Say Your Name in the Dark Nights by Jonathan Maberry (Audiobook)

I Say Your Name in the Dark Nights Cover

Before I read Jonathan Maberry’s next epic novel, Son of the Poison Rose, I chose to quickly listen to his associated short story, I Say Your Name in the Dark Nights.  A cool companion story to his 2022 release, Kagen the Damned, this tale was a dark and entertaining tale loaded with werewolves and other freaky occurrences.  I had a fun time with this short story and I am planning to listen to Son of the Poison Rose very soon.

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What do you think you’ll read next?

I Will Find You by Harlan Coben

I Will Find You Cover

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That’s it for this week, check back in next Wednesday to see what progress I’ve made on my reading and what books I’ll be looking at next.