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blithestbits's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: War
Moderate: Gore
lhgluke's review
4.0
This is my third ever Warhammer book, and I still wouldn't consider myself a 40k fan exactly, but I love the more grounded, somewhat realistic approach to the Gaunt's Ghosts series, so I keep coming back for more.
I cannot overstate how important it is that you listen to this as an audiobook rather than read it. Toby Longworth is incredible at narrating this (and most of the other books in the series), and he really does the Warhammer setting justice.
The writing style is great, and the characters and overall plot are fantastic. I especially love how it's set on one planet for the entire book, a far cry from the planet-hopping from the previous two books. I found it sometimes a bit confusing in the previous two books to try to remember what each planet they mention was like, so keeping this grounded to one planet, and one mega city was a great idea.
My biggest gripe is the massive plot hole surrounding Salvador Sondar, the High Master of the city of Vervunhive.
SPOILERS INCOMING:
When the enemy city attacks, Sondar kills Marshal Gnide and stops him from activating the shield surrounding the city.
I find it odd that nobody really seems to do anything about this, even when the city is being bombed and they do ask why the shields not up, but don't go to see why for themselves.
For the next 30ish days as the war rages on, Sondar is still in control of the city defences, but is corrupted by Chaos, leading him to eventually turn off the shield and allow the city to be almost destroyed.
It's only at this point that Gaunt and some others decide to confront Sondar and remove him from power - WHY HAS THIS TAKEN A MONTH?!
To allow a barely coherent old man who is being kept alive by machines to have full control over the city defences during a war, not to mention after he has murdered the Marshal, and to ignore or forget about this for approximately a month is a massive oversight and plot hole.
I still really enjoyed this entry and will continue to listen to Gaunt's Ghosts, but that was bugging me the entire time.
I cannot overstate how important it is that you listen to this as an audiobook rather than read it. Toby Longworth is incredible at narrating this (and most of the other books in the series), and he really does the Warhammer setting justice.
The writing style is great, and the characters and overall plot are fantastic. I especially love how it's set on one planet for the entire book, a far cry from the planet-hopping from the previous two books. I found it sometimes a bit confusing in the previous two books to try to remember what each planet they mention was like, so keeping this grounded to one planet, and one mega city was a great idea.
My biggest gripe is the massive plot hole surrounding Salvador Sondar, the High Master of the city of Vervunhive.
SPOILERS INCOMING:
When the enemy city attacks, Sondar kills Marshal Gnide and stops him from activating the shield surrounding the city.
I find it odd that nobody really seems to do anything about this, even when the city is being bombed and they do ask why the shields not up, but don't go to see why for themselves.
For the next 30ish days as the war rages on, Sondar is still in control of the city defences, but is corrupted by Chaos, leading him to eventually turn off the shield and allow the city to be almost destroyed.
It's only at this point that Gaunt and some others decide to confront Sondar and remove him from power - WHY HAS THIS TAKEN A MONTH?!
To allow a barely coherent old man who is being kept alive by machines to have full control over the city defences during a war, not to mention after he has murdered the Marshal, and to ignore or forget about this for approximately a month is a massive oversight and plot hole.
I still really enjoyed this entry and will continue to listen to Gaunt's Ghosts, but that was bugging me the entire time.
n2g's review
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
tickettbror's review
dark
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
soulless_disposition's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
juliusarna's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
nefilibata's review
3.0
The Third installment is a solid read with action all the way through.
I did struggle to finish this one as I found the nessecitated lulls going on for a bit too long. Around 50 pages to the end things really start picking up with no details skipped but I was hoping for more of that grim dark feel. Things happen towards the end that we are just told to accept without really knowing why or how things came to be that way.
The book leaves me optimistic about future installments but not wanting to dive right in and start the next one right away.
I did struggle to finish this one as I found the nessecitated lulls going on for a bit too long. Around 50 pages to the end things really start picking up with no details skipped but I was hoping for more of that grim dark feel. Things happen towards the end that we are just told to accept without really knowing why or how things came to be that way.
The book leaves me optimistic about future installments but not wanting to dive right in and start the next one right away.
waylander101's review against another edition
4.0
On the shattered world of Verghast, Gaunt and his Ghosts find themselves embroiled within an ancient and deadly civil war as a mighty hive-city is besieged by an unrelenting foe.
Listen to it because: The return of a classic Gaunt's Ghosts novel! The Tanith First deploy to Verghast to help break the Chaos siege of Vervunhive. Tanks clash with daemon engines, Imperial Guardsmen make brave last stands and Colonel-Commissar Gaunt steps up and takes control of the war effort, showing for the first time the command abilities that will go on to make him a legend.
The story: On the world of Verghast, a grinding war between two hive cities - one loyal to the Imperium, the other fallen to the worship of the Dark Gods - is bolstered by the forces of the Astra Militarum, spearheaded by the Colonel-Commissar Gaunt and the Tanith First and Only. But bitter rivalries and treachery threaten to derail the defence of Vervunhive, and it falls to Gaunt to take command of the Imperial forces and forge victory from an almost certain defeat.
Much as I appreciate Abnett's world building skills, and boy does he have them in spades, I feel its a little over-the-top to have almost three hours of scene setting and character building in a ten hour audiobook. Were you paid by the word for this one Dan? It wouldn't be so bad if the characters that were being built up were members of the ongoing series, most of them are just in this one novel to be foils for Gaunt and the Ghosts to combat. That being said once the Ghosts do arrive the action is non-stop with some nice political intrigue to add that spice we all love.
All in all I enjoyed this read of Necropolis as much this time via audiobook as I did reading the original novel almost a quarter century ago. If you're interested in the lore of the Warhammer 40,000 universe and want something more than genetically engineered super-soldiers you won't go far wrong with the Gaunt's Ghosts series and this despite the prologue indulgence is pretty damn good.
Listen to it because: The return of a classic Gaunt's Ghosts novel! The Tanith First deploy to Verghast to help break the Chaos siege of Vervunhive. Tanks clash with daemon engines, Imperial Guardsmen make brave last stands and Colonel-Commissar Gaunt steps up and takes control of the war effort, showing for the first time the command abilities that will go on to make him a legend.
The story: On the world of Verghast, a grinding war between two hive cities - one loyal to the Imperium, the other fallen to the worship of the Dark Gods - is bolstered by the forces of the Astra Militarum, spearheaded by the Colonel-Commissar Gaunt and the Tanith First and Only. But bitter rivalries and treachery threaten to derail the defence of Vervunhive, and it falls to Gaunt to take command of the Imperial forces and forge victory from an almost certain defeat.
Much as I appreciate Abnett's world building skills, and boy does he have them in spades, I feel its a little over-the-top to have almost three hours of scene setting and character building in a ten hour audiobook. Were you paid by the word for this one Dan? It wouldn't be so bad if the characters that were being built up were members of the ongoing series, most of them are just in this one novel to be foils for Gaunt and the Ghosts to combat. That being said once the Ghosts do arrive the action is non-stop with some nice political intrigue to add that spice we all love.
All in all I enjoyed this read of Necropolis as much this time via audiobook as I did reading the original novel almost a quarter century ago. If you're interested in the lore of the Warhammer 40,000 universe and want something more than genetically engineered super-soldiers you won't go far wrong with the Gaunt's Ghosts series and this despite the prologue indulgence is pretty damn good.
eososray's review against another edition
4.0
Gaunt is my favorite character in the Warhammer series. One of the best anti-heroes ever, he's a great example of how the will to survive by any means makes you a hero!
woody4595's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0