WWW Wednesday – 26 April 2023

On April 26, 2023 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)

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.

Amazon

Warhammer 40,000: Warboss by Mike Brooks

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.

Amazon

What did you recently finish reading?

The Tyrant Skies by David Annandale (eBook)

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.

Amazon

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

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.

Amazon

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

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.

Amazon

What do you think you’ll read next?

Star Wars: Battle Scars by Sam Maggs

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.

Amazon

Echo Lake by Joan Sauers

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.

Amazon

The Book That Wouldn’t Burn by Mark Lawrence

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.

Amazon

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 April 21, 2023 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

Amazon

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.

Amazon

WWW Wednesday – 19 April 2023

On April 19, 2023 By The Unseen LibraryIn WWW WednesdayLeave a comment

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)

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.

Amazon

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

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.

Amazon

What did you recently finish reading?

The Last Orphan by Gregg Hurwitz (Trade Paperback)

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.

Amazon

City of Last Chances by Adrian Tchaikovsky (Audiobook)

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.

Amazon

What do you think you’ll read next?

Star Wars: Battle Scars by Sam Maggs

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.

Amazon

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 April 6, 2023 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

Amazon

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 41^st 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.

Amazon

WWW Wednesday – 5 April 2023

On April 6, 2023 By The Unseen LibraryIn WWW Wednesday1 Comment

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.

Amazon

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.

Amazon

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.

Amazon

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.

Amazon

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.

Amazon

The Investigators by Anthony Hill (Trade Paperback)

The Investigators Cover

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

Amazon

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.

Amazon

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 April 4, 2023 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.

Amazon Book Depository

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.

Amazon Book Depository

13^th 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 13^th Legion serves as a great introduction to the entire action-packed series.

Amazon

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.

Amazon

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.

Amazon

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.

Amazon Book Depository

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.

Amazon Book Depository

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.

Amazon Book Depository

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.

Amazon Book Depository

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.

Amazon

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.

Amazon Book Depository

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.

Amazon Book Depository

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.

Amazon Book Depository

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.

Amazon Book Depository

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.

Throwback Thursday – Warhammer 40,000: Kill Team by Gav Thorpe

On March 31, 2023 By The Unseen LibraryIn Extended Universe, Science Fiction, Throwback Thursday, Tie-in Novel, Warhammer8 Comments

Kill Team Cover

Publisher: Black Library (Paperback – 1 November 2001)

Series: Last Chancers – Book Two

Length: 277 pages

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Amazon

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. In my latest Throwback Thursday, I review the second epic entry in Gav Thorpe’s ultra-fun Last Chancers series with Kill Team.

I have been going through a real Warhammer phase in the last few months, especially as I have been lucky enough to find some awesome older paperbacks in second hand shops. I was particularly happy to find a copy of was the first two books in Gav Thorpe’s Last Chancers series. Following a rotating team of convict Imperial Guardsmen as they engage in suicide missions for their freedom, the Last Chancers books are essentially The Dirty Dozen in space, and I love the awesome and brutal stories that emerge. The first book, 13^th Legion, was one of the very best Warhammer 40,000 novels I have had the pleasure of reading, and I have been trying to fit the sequel, Kill Team, into my reading schedule for a while. I finally got a chance last weekend, and boy was it worth making the time for as the second Last Chancers novel had another outstanding and action-packed story to it.

In the far future, the armies of the Imperium contain multitudes of scum and villains, all of whom are considered useful in the service of the Emperor. However, after blowing his last chance at redemption after completing an impossible suicide mission, Lieutenant Kage has been cast aside, locked inside an Imperial detention centre away from the one thing he is good at, fighting the Emperor’s enemies. When his former commander, the mysterious and ruthless Colonel Schaeffer, returns with another deadly assignment, Kage is swift to accept and become useful again, even if he no longer has a chance at freedom.

The Colonel has been tasked with leading a small, disposable team to assassinate a prominent Tau commander and he needs a new version of the 13^th Penal Legion, the infamous Last Chancers, to pull the mission off. Placed in command, Kage must recruit a ragtag group of the worst killers, deserters, and malcontents that the Imperial Guard have cast out. Forcing them into a harsh training regime to bring them together into an effective squad, Kage soon finds himself leading a new squad of Last Chancers, many of whom are as desperate for freedom and the fight as he is.

However, their mission is another lethal suicide mission. Working with an immoral Imperial Inquisitor, the team is covertly inserted into Tau space and must infiltrate the political and military circles surrounding their target. But not everything is as it seems and soon the squad must content with treachery, personal enmity, and the superior technology of the Tau. Can these new Last Chancers succeed when so many before them have perished, or will the only redemption they find be in death?

Thorpe continues to give me all the Warhammer 40,000 fun I can ever need with this amazing and intense read. Serving as an outstanding sequel to 13^th Legion, Kill Team proved to be a fun and compelling novel, loaded with action, adventure and some intriguing characters.

Readers are in for another intense and brutal story with Kill Team, as Thorpe once again utilises The Dirty Dozen format to successfully set the scene. However, rather than having a massive regiment get whittled down until the toughest survivors are left, this time the protagonist and main narrator, Lieutenant Kage, is forced to choose his own team of criminals to lead on the Colonel’s new suicide mission. I really enjoyed the starting scenes of Kill Team, especially as you see Kage go from cell to cell choosing the best individuals for his team, before engaging in an extended and deadly training montage, which mirrored the hell he went through in the first book. As Kage is dealing with that, and his own substantial personal issues, the main mission of the book is set up as the Last Chancers are sent into Tau space to assassinate an ambitious, warmongering commander. Initially infiltrating in as diplomats and mercenaries, the team travel to several Tau planets before beginning their attack. The final third of the book is primarily focused on this deadly mission as the team find themselves in the middle of a bloody battle against the very worst the Tau can throw at them. The subsequent fight is pretty intense and brutal, and the readers are treated to some great scenes of warfare in various unique scenarios. The ending is well set up, with betrayals, fun reveals and some brilliant character focused moments as the team finally come together to succeed. I do think that Thorpe might have gone one twist too many at the end, but the overall story was extremely satisfying, and I deeply enjoyed how the entire thing came together.

I had a lot of fun with this second Last Chancer’s novel, and I am really glad that The Dirty Dozen plot basis didn’t wear thin in the second entry. Thorpe did a great job of following on from the story elements he introduced in 13^th Legion, especially when it comes to the two main characters, who have a fantastic new dynamic in Kill Team. Like the first book, Kill Team is very fast-paced, and I had a ton of fun at the start when the new characters are recruited, as well as all the awesomeness of the extended battle sequence at the end. However, unlike the episodic storytelling Thorpe utilised in 13^th Legion, Kill Team has a more straightforward plot line, which worked well to set it apart from the previous entry. You really get dragged into the struggles of the new Last Chancers, as well as the eternally battered Kage, who serves as the book’s primary narrator. While there are a lot of references to the first book, Kill Team can easily be read as a standalone read and it isn’t necessary to get through 13^th Legion first. However, I deeply enjoyed seeing the continued development of the protagonist and fans of the first book will probably get a lot more out of Kill Team as a result. Unsurprisingly, a lot of the book’s focus is on the action and combat, and Thorpe really doesn’t disappoint when it comes to that. The author does a wonderful job capturing every single firefight, brawl, and pitched battle that occurs within Kill Team, and you can see and feel every single shot, punch and stab that is thrown as a result. The presence of a few too many characters guaranteed to survive did occasionally lessen the impact of some dramatic fight scenes, however, you still get caught up in the violence and I deeply enjoyed how well Thorpe supported his narrative with his great writing.

Kill Team also serves as an intriguing entry in the wider Warhammer 40,000 canon, especially as it is one of the stories that follows a common soldier as he experiences the alien perils of the wider galaxy. Just like with 13^th Legion, readers don’t need a lot of background knowledge of the wider Warhammer 40,000 universe to enjoy Kill Team, and the Last Chancers books are actually a pretty good introductory series for those unfamiliar with the franchise. I loved some of the fun references and factions contained within Kill Team, not only because you get to see more of the dark side of the Imperial Guard, but you also get quite an in-depth look at the Tau. The Tau are one of the more interesting factions in the Warhammer canon, and frankly there aren’t enough books focusing on them. I had a lot of fun seeing them in Kill Team, mainly because you got to see the inexperienced human characters encountering them for the first time. Their reactions at the Tau culture, politics, and weaponry, makes for a great part of the book’s middle plot, and it was really fun to see them comparing their own lives in the Imperium to what the Tau have (that scene when they’re exploring the Tau ship’s bathroom was just great). While Thorpe did nerf the Tau when it comes to their battle prowess, as the Last Chancers mow down waves of Fire Warriors, you get a great idea of their military capability throughout Kill Team and I loved seeing the Battlesuits in action. There are a lot of great elements that Warhammer fans will get a kick out of in Kill Team and I really enjoyed some of the stuff Thorpe added in.

For me, the real highlight of Kill Team was the exceptional character work, especially when it came to Lieutenant Kage. Kage is a natural survivor who has gone through a lot in his life, especially since joining the Last Chancers. The Kage we met in 13^th Legion was a gritty survivor, just looking for his freedom at any cost. However, after the success and trauma of his mission and his subsequent failure to stay out of trouble, Kage has come back a little broken and a little bit more unhinged, especially as he is now racked with guilt over the fate of his original Last Chancers. After a lengthy, violent prison sentence, Kage is once again under the heel of Colonel Schaeffer in Kill Team. Kage actually ends up becoming more like Schaeffer in this book, especially when he chooses, trains and controls his own team of rogues, and the realisation that he will be responsible for their deaths weighs very heavily on him. This guilt, and his own mental trauma, plays a big part in how Kage interacts with many people in Kill Team, and there is something very wrong with Kage throughout this book. Despite this, he is still the ruthless survivor that he was in 13^th Legion, and, if anything, Thorpe possibly made him a little too unkillable and deadly for this sequel (he’s not really a common soldier anymore). The best scenes involving Kage are still the ones when he faces off against Schaeffer, and the have some great interactions throughout the book, especially as Kage blames Schaeffer for everything that happened to him. Kage honestly hates and fears the Colonel more than anyone else, and yet he still follows him, even though his own chance of freedom has already been spent. This results in some brilliant encounters between the unhinged Kage and the taciturn Schaeffer, and I cannot wait to see how their relationship evolves in the other Last Chancers books.

Aside from Kage and Schaeffer, there is a good collection of supporting characters featured throughout Kill Team. Most of the prominent ones are the new members of the Last Chancers who Kage recruits for the mission. Thorpe features a great introduction for all these new characters at the start of Kill Team and you soon get drawn into their unique storylines. Each brings something new to the book, even if it is only briefly, as you know well in advance that most, if not all, of these character are going to die. I liked the more specialist focused characters featured in Kill Team, as it was an intriguing departure from the more generalised grunts in 13^th Legion, although this did slightly pigeonhole these characters in certain ways. Still, all the new Last Chancers characters formed an excellent base for the story, and it was fascinating to see how they interacted with Kage, who see him in the same way that Kage viewed Schaeffer in the first book. Other awesome characters featured within Kill Team includes a wily Inquisitor, some alien diplomats and a mysterious passenger waiting in the wings. All these, and more, add so much to the plot, and I had a great job seeing how they, and their seemingly inevitable deaths, played into this awesome book.

Overall, Kill Team was exactly the sort of fun read that I thought it would be, as Gav Thorpe did a wonderful job in this second Last Chancers book. Loaded with action and highly damaged characters, Kill Team was another fantastic and electrifying romp through the chaotic and deadly Warhammer 40,000 universe with a crew of convicted soldiers. Sharp, brutal, and highly addictive, I powered through Kill Team very quickly and had an awesome time doing so. Hopefully I will be able to lay my hands on the next Last Chancers novels at some point in the future and I cannot wait to see what carnage they get up to next.

Amazon

Throwback Thursday – Warhammer 40,000: Caves of Ice by Sandy Mitchell

On March 17, 2023 By The Unseen LibraryIn Audiobook, Extended Universe, Science Fiction, Throwback Thursday, Tie-in Novel, Warhammer13 Comments

Caves of Ice Cover

Publisher: Black Library (Audiobook – 1 February 2004)

Series: Ciaphas Cain – Book Two

Length: 6 hours and 46 minutes

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Amazon

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 latest Throwback Thursday I look at another highly entertaining entry in the hilarious Ciaphas Cain Warhammer 40,000 series with the second book, Caves of Ice.

Even after my many recent reviews of Warhammer 40,000 fiction, my obsession with this franchise is far from over, so when I had a spare second, I quickly listened to Caves of Ice. Caves of Ice is the second novel in Sandy Mitchell’s (a pseudonym for author Alex Stewart) iconic Ciaphas Cain series, which follows the outrageous life of Commissar Ciaphas Cain, legendary hero of the Imperium of Man, who in reality is a pragmatic survivor whose heroic reputation is the result of chance and coincidence. I had a wonderful time reading the first book earlier in the year, For the Emperor, and not only was it an extremely funny book but it also ended up being one of the absolute best Warhammer 40,000 novels I have had the pleasure of reading. As such, I have been looking for an opportunity to continue this series and I worked hard to slip it into my reading cycle. This was well worth the effort as Caves of Ice is another fun and awesome read that takes the protagonist to a whole new dangerous battlefield in deadly circumstances.

After unravelling a diabolical conspiracy on Gravalax, the legendary Commissar Ciaphas Cain and the troops of the Valhallan 597^th have been redeployed to a new battlefront, the ice planet of Simia Orichalcae. Empty except for a vital promethium refinery, Simia Orichalcae has recently received a group of unwelcome guests, a warband of orks who crash landed on the planet and are making their destructive way towards the refinery with ill intent.

Happy to be facing a more conventional enemy on their preferred icy terrain, the Valhallan men and women eagerly prepare for battle. However, Cain, in his usual pragmatic approach to life and war, is less enthusiastic about the violent battle to come and searches for any way to avoid the fighting. Several mysterious disappearances in the tunnels beneath the refinery offer a potential escape for Cain as he leads a small squad underground to map the tunnels and discover the reasons behind the missing miners.

Cain, with his typical bad luck, finds far more than he bargained for beneath the ice. Not only are several ferocious monsters lurking in the vast underground labyrinth, but a far more sinister foe lies there undisturbed, one that Cain has good reason to fear. When the war and Cain’s explorations awaken this enemy, the entire planet is put at risk as this new, unrelenting danger attempts to destroy both the orks and the humans. It once again falls to the reluctant Cain to face impossible odds and try to find a way to save his men. But can even this legendary hero of the Imperium stop the flood of evil that is to come?

Sandy Mitchell continues his fantastic Ciaphas Cain series in a very fun way with Caves of Ice, which features another excellent story that strongly focuses on Mitchell’s reluctant hero. Caves of Ice was a wild ride from start to finish, with a fantastic and captivating mixture of action, adventure, humour and intriguing character moments. Taking place after the events of For the Emperor, Caves of Ice is another self-contained novel that any new reader can easily jump into. This was a much shorter novel than the previous Ciaphas Cain book, and Mitchell provides a more direct narrative as a result. Initially focusing on the ork invasion of Simia Orichalcae, the story is soon primarily set in the labyrinth of mines and tunnels laying underneath the refinery, where several miners have gone missing. Attempting to avoid the fighting on the surface, Cain leads his aide Jurgen and squads of soldiers on several missions into he depths to explore the tunnels and find whatever is behind the disappearances. What follows is an Aliens-esque series of adventures, as Cain discovers a variety of different and steadily more terrifying dangers down in the tunnels. Each discovery forces Cain to go even deeper into danger, thanks to his heroic reputation and hidden skills, and the resultant action is pretty epic, especially when combined with Cain’s cynical and self-serving narration of events. Everything leads up to a very explosive conclusion as the protagonist and his comrades are faced with the absolute worst their enemy has to offer them, and the resulting mess really brings everything together. This ended up being a pretty strong sequel to For the Emperor, and I had an incredible time seeing Cain dragged into another deadly adventure.

I love the way that Mitchell portrays the various adventures of Cain in these novels, especially as it allows him to express a great range of different writing styles. Just like with For the Emperor, Caves of Ice is primarily told from Cain’s perspective as entries from his personal memoirs. However, this chronicle is cut through with notes and inclusions from his unintended editor, Inquisitor Vail, who provides some added context to the story through her own introductions, footnotes, inclusions of in-universe texts, and quotes from other notable characters. These inclusions from Vail not only allow for a much wider story than the one Cain is telling (especially when it comes to the battle on the surface), but it also increases the humour of the novel by implying Cain is an unreliable narrator. This, combined with the cynical and less-than-heroic observations and actions of the protagonist, gives the entire Ciaphas Cain series a much more comedic edge than many other Warhammer 40,000 books out there, and indeed there were several times I was cracking up laughing throughout this book. However, Mitchell perfectly balances this lighter tone with some dark and bloody moments as the protagonist encounters all manner of deadly foes. The action and lethal battles are recorded in exquisite detail, and you can feel the terror and fear that the protagonist feels as he constantly fights for his life. This great blend of styles and tones really helps to make Caves of Ice stick in the mind, and I find the entire setup extremely compelling and very easy to fall in love with.

In addition to being a great Ciaphas Cain novel, I felt that Caves of Ice was a great entry in the wider Warhammer 40,000 canon. The clever, humorous writing, and the fact the book could easily stand on its own, makes Caves of Ice an ideal place for someone to start their Warhammer 40,000 adventure, even if they are very new to the franchise. The book provides some interesting insights into life in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, both through Cain’s insights and through the humorous or satirical texts that Inquisitor Vail adds to the book. I really enjoy the solider-focused observations of the primary narrator and some of the supporting characters, and it is always quite compelling to see the common soldier’s reactions to the aliens and monsters they encounter. Cain’s observations are always very sharp and funny, and his own range of experiences adds some amazing colour to the events unfolding in Caves of Ice. Mitchell also takes the time to explore several iconic Warhammer 40,000 factions and races throughout the book and its quite interesting to see Cain’s opinions and insights into them, especially as he has a much more realistic views towards them than some of his cohorts. Combine that with some fun insights into the day-to-day lives of soldiers in the Imperial Guard and their Commissar, and Caves of Ices proves to be quite an interesting Warhammer 40,000 novel. I love seeing the range of different experiences that the protagonist has in this universe, and it will be fascinating to see what deadly danger he encounters in the next book.

Without a doubt, the major highlight of this series and Caves of Ice is the fantastic and compelling characters, particularly Commissar Ciaphas Cain. Cain is one of the more entertaining figures in Warhammer 40,000 lore as he is a somewhat cowardly man who, in his mind, has accidently gained a reputation as a great hero and legendary fighter. Just like in his previous adventure, Cain is still obsessed with staying alive and avoiding battle, often manipulating events to ensure he’s far away from the action. Nearly all his thoughts revolve around how he can stay alive or in control, and it is often very entertaining to see his very selfish thought process in action. At the same time, he is conscious of his image as a hero, which he also tries to maintain as dearly as his life, and this forces him into so many situations and fights he would honestly rather avoid. His honest observations and hilarious internal reactions when events don’t go his way (which happens often), are some of the main drivers behind the book’s outrageous humour, and it is hard not to fall in love with this cheeky rogue. While a lot of this book does focus on Cain’s attempts at survival and avoiding combat, Mitchell does take the time to focus on Cain’s good qualities. Despite his own narration constantly trying to talk down his own abilities out of modesty (or self-loathing), Cain is shown to be a very competent fighter, explorer and commander, effectively leading his troops into battle and facing down a series of outrageous threats. His keen insights, vast history fighting the enemies of the Imperium, and his own uncanny survival skills, actually make him an ideal champion who often succeeds against all the odds. Indeed, with each adventure it is becoming more and more apparent that Cain is in denial about his own abilities and is suffering some form of imposter syndrome. Whatever the case is, Cain remains a particularly entertaining and surprisingly likeable figure, and I cannot wait to see what crazy adventures he has in his next book.

Aside from Cain, Caves of Ice contains an intriguing range of characters who add to the story in several different and unique ways. This second novel contains a fascinating range of supporting figures, including several who previously appeared in For the Emperor, as well as a few new characters as well. The always entertaining Inquisitor Vail, despite not appearing in person, continues to have a major impact on Caves of Ice as she is the one presenting Cain’s manuscripts to the reader, often editing it to make it more reliable and cohesive. Her insights into Cain’s adventures, mindset and unreliable narrations are very amusing, while also simultaneously impacting the reader’s perception of the protagonist and his various actions. As such, she is a vital part of Caves of Ice, and I am glad Mitchell continues to utilise her as a narrator. Another major character in the book is Jurgen, Cain’s aide and bodyguard who accompanies him on most of his adventures. Portrayed as a slightly dim, relentlessly straightforward, and somewhat smelly, Jurgen is essentially the Baldrick to Cain’s Blackadder, and at times he serves as a good additional comic relief, especially in some of the more serious scenes where Cain is scared. Despite his portrayal as a simple man, Jurgen is a very effective fighter and companion to Cain, and his love of the meltagun heavy weapon gets them out a jam plenty of times. I liked how Mitchell also strongly hints that Jurgen is a lot smarter than anyone realises, especially when it comes to Cain’s nature, and it will be interesting to see how their friendship develops in the future. Other great characters include Lieutenant Sulla, an exceedingly keen and annoying solider who offers some entertaining insights into the wider events of the story. This is primarily due to the fact that Vail quotes Sulla’s memoirs throughout the book, although Mitchell writes them as pompously and badly as possible to really highlight Sulla’s character deficits. Throw in some additional soldiers, arrogant bureaucrats, and a fanatical Adeptus Mechanicus priest who brings nothing but trouble for Cain, and you have an outstanding cast that I had a great time following.

Unsurprisingly, I chose to listen to the Caves of Ice audiobook rather than grab a physical copy, and I once again had an epic time with the fantastic audio format. Coming in at just under seven hours, this was a relatively short Warhammer audiobook entry, and I was able to power through extremely quickly. The audiobook format really made Caves of Ice a joy to listen to, and the entire story was beautifully portrayed throughout, especially the action scenes in the tunnels. I was particularly happy that this production once again featured the three narrators who were utilised in For the Emperor, with the excellent team of Stephen Perring, Penelope Rawlins and Emma Gregory once again making a major impact. All three give excellent performances in Caves of Ice, and I had a good chuckle listening to their fun and clever takes on the characters.

Perring is once again the central narrator as he voices everything in Caves of Ice shown from Cain’s perspective. Perring has an outstanding voice, and he really brings all the characters to life in a colourful way, especially when it comes to showcasing the slippery and jaded Cain. I also love his take on most of the supporting characters, especially Cain’s aid Jurgen, who Perring gives a very Baldrick-esque voice to. In addition to Perring, Penelope Rawlins serves a very vital role as Inquisitor Vail in the outside narration, who is compiling Cain’s memoirs for the reader. Rawlins voices all the extra notes that Vail adds to the proceedings, including the footnotes, several chapter introductions, and the descriptions of several in-universe texts, all of which Vail adds to give extra context to the story. Rawlins gives Vail an awesome voice steeped in knowledge, command and a light sense of humour, and it is always very fun to see her add some honesty and truth to Cain’s version of events, especially when the footnote appears in the immediate aftermath of Cain’s false information or ignorance. The final voice actor, Emma Gregory, is primarily used to narrate one of the major in-universe texts that is quoted throughout, the chronicles of supporting character Lieutenant Sulla (Like a Phoenix From the Flames), written many years after the events of Cave of Ice. Gregory voices all the excerpts of Like a Phoenix From the Flames in a particularly pompous manner to match the tone of these poorly written memoirs, and you really get a sense of the self-importance Sulla must feel in the future. This brilliant combination of narrators ensures that Caves of Ice, and indeed all the Ciaphas Cain audiobooks, really stands out, while also effectively increasing the humour of the entire production. For that, and more, audiobooks are easily the best way to enjoy the Ciaphas Cain series and I cannot recommend it enough.

The second entry in the outstanding Ciaphas Cain series, Caves of Ice, was another exceptional novel from Sandy Mitchell that I had an awesome time reading. Featuring an outstanding and hilarious protagonist, Caves of Ice is a great addition to one of the funniest series in the Warhammer 40,000 franchise. I cannot recommend this book enough, and any fans of fun adventure are going to have a great time with Caves of Ice.

Amazon

WWW Wednesday – 15 March 2023

On March 15, 2023 By The Unseen LibraryIn WWW WednesdayLeave a comment

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?

How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix (Trade Paperback)

I am still getting through the new Grady Hendrix horror book, How to Sell a Haunted House, which has so far proven to be quite the compelling read. Following a woman trying to sell her parent’s haunted house, this fantastic book is building up to its big horror reveals while also feature some compelling family drama. I cannot wait to see how this entire novel ends up and I am having an excellent time reading it at the moment.

Amazon Book Depository

Son of the Poison Rose by Jonathan Maberry (Audiobook)

I just started listening to the awesome fantasy novel Son of the Poison Rose by Jonathan Maberry. The sequel to Maberry’s epic and exceptional 2022 novel, Kagen the Damned, Son of the Poison Rose continues to follow Maberry’s doomed protagonist as he attempts to navigate the dark and deadly new fantasy realm he finds himself in. Sure to be one of the best books and audiobooks of 2023, I am very excited to see how this epic book turns out and I am sure it will feature a ton of deadly action, brutal depravity, and some major twists.

Amazon Book Depository

What did you recently finish reading?

Warhammer: Giantslayer by William King (Audiobook)

I managed to quickly finish off Giantslayer last week and it turned out to be a very fun addition to the Gotrek and Felix series. Make sure to check out my Throwback Thursday post from last week covering it.

Amazon

Warhammer 40,000: Caves of Ice by Sandy Mitchell (Audiobook)

I also managed to get through the fun Warhammer 40,000 novel, Caves of Ice. The sequel to the first Ciaphas Cain novel, For the Emperor, Caves of Ice sees Mitchell’s iconic Warhammer protagonist engage in another desperate battle for survival, this time on an ice planet loaded with all manner of aliens and monsters. A highly entertaining and action-packed novel, I am hoping to write a Throwback Thursday review about it later this week.

Amazon

Star Wars: The High Republic: The Battle of Jedha by George Mann

The latest fun addition to the High Republic sub-series of Star Wars fiction, The Battle of Jedha is a full-cast audio production that sees all out war engulf the Jedi holy city of Jedha. An intriguing and explosive addition to the High Republic series, The Battle of Jedha is well worth a listen and I am hoping to get a review up for it soon.

Amazon Book Depository

What do you think you’ll read next?

The Tyranny of Faith by Richard Swan

I am still planning to dive into the fantasy/crime fiction hybrid novel, The Tyranny of Faith by Richard Swan, next. The sequel to Swan’s highly regarded debut, The Justice of Kings, The Tyranny of Faith will contain another powerful adventure, filled with magic, mystery and political intrigue.

Amazon Book Depository

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 Favourite Warhammer 40,000 novels

On March 1, 2023 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.

Amazon

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.

Amazon

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.

Amazon Book Depository

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.

Amazon Book Depository

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.

Amazon Book Depository

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.

Amazon

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.

Amazon

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.

Amazon Book Depository

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.

Amazon Book Depository

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.

Amazon Book Depository

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.

Amazon Book Depository

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.

Amazon

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.

Amazon Book Depository

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.

Amazon

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.

Amazon Book Depository

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.

Amazon Book Depository

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.

Amazon Book Depository

13^th Legion by Gav Thorpe

13th Legion Cover 2

Next up we have the first Last Chancer novel, 13^th Legion, that perfectly adds in some expendable space convicts to a desperate military fiction narrative. Written by another iconic Warhammer fiction author, Gav Thorpe, 13^th Legion follows the 13^th 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, 13^th 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.

Amazon Book Depository

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.