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sab754's review
3.0
It was...fine?
I don't know, I think I had different expectations considering it was meant to be about what happens when Saint Celestine dies & returns & dies & returns. But it was just a long trek of "Oh I can't remember who I am, HA sike I remember this now, wait but I'm not sure, HA sike I'm sure now" over and over again.
Interspersed with the seige story with Cadians & Adepta Sororitas, many of whom are now lacking faith but suddenly woah Saint Celestine is here and suddenly remembers everything but also doesn't but also-
Yeah. It was fine, a very quick read, I didn't really have any specific issue with it, but it just felt a bit bland to me. So eh. I almost think it could've been shorter -- having the preacher dude whose name I've already forgotten was a bit of a "Oh we need a bit of extra drama and show that faith CAN be bad sometimes" and didn't really add anything necessary.
I far preferred Celestine's Afterlife / Warp Purgatory parts to the seige.
So yeah. It was fine.
I don't know, I think I had different expectations considering it was meant to be about what happens when Saint Celestine dies & returns & dies & returns. But it was just a long trek of "Oh I can't remember who I am, HA sike I remember this now, wait but I'm not sure, HA sike I'm sure now" over and over again.
Interspersed with the seige story with Cadians & Adepta Sororitas, many of whom are now lacking faith but suddenly woah Saint Celestine is here and suddenly remembers everything but also doesn't but also-
Yeah. It was fine, a very quick read, I didn't really have any specific issue with it, but it just felt a bit bland to me. So eh. I almost think it could've been shorter -- having the preacher dude whose name I've already forgotten was a bit of a "Oh we need a bit of extra drama and show that faith CAN be bad sometimes" and didn't really add anything necessary.
Spoiler
Like, he wasn't necessary for killing the Saint and having her go through the whole cycle again. Could've easily had a massive daemon / horde of daemons just go ham and then have Sister Meritorious go into Full Faith Mode after the Saint is finally struck down.I far preferred Celestine's Afterlife / Warp Purgatory parts to the seige.
So yeah. It was fine.
tdrink's review
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
lowercase_em's review against another edition
challenging
dark
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
ratgrrrl's review
5.0
I was absolutely not expecting good Horus Heresy level stuff here, complete with the interesting and horrifying purgatory Celestine exists in between lives. It doesn’t hit the absolute heights of some of the character arcs in the better parts of the HH, but the writing is absolutely in the top tier of Warhammer 40K novels.
The different perspectives on the Imperial Creed, Celestine's relationship with her Saintly existences, the conflicts within the Imperial forces are handled well and show some really interesting dynamics.
Performance is spectacular and I hope to hear more from this narrator. I didn't know how much I needed a Welsh Sister of Battle as a background character.
The different perspectives on the Imperial Creed, Celestine's relationship with her Saintly existences, the conflicts within the Imperial forces are handled well and show some really interesting dynamics.
Performance is spectacular and I hope to hear more from this narrator. I didn't know how much I needed a Welsh Sister of Battle as a background character.
trackofwords's review against another edition
4.0
Initially available only as a rather beautiful Limited Edition hardback, Andy Clark’s short novel Celestine: The Living Saint offers the most thorough exploration yet of the realities of life (and death) for the legendary Saint Celestine. It’s a dark, occasionally unsettling story of sacrifice, faith and duty with two strands split between a desperate battle in Imperium Nihilus and a journey of discovery set…somewhere else. Equal parts conventional 40k action story and allegorical journey, it explores both the trials that Celestine faces in return for her power, and the different ways she affects the Imperial citizens she fights alongside.
If you’re specifically looking for something which fits in with an ongoing narrative then you probably won’t find that here. Instead, what you’ll find is an interesting character study wrapped up in an entertaining story, and a book which does an excellent job of reminding us that in 40k, even the brightest and most glorious characters are built atop dark and unsettling foundations.
Read the full review at https://www.trackofwords.com/2019/01/19/celestine-the-living-saint-andy-clark/
If you’re specifically looking for something which fits in with an ongoing narrative then you probably won’t find that here. Instead, what you’ll find is an interesting character study wrapped up in an entertaining story, and a book which does an excellent job of reminding us that in 40k, even the brightest and most glorious characters are built atop dark and unsettling foundations.
Read the full review at https://www.trackofwords.com/2019/01/19/celestine-the-living-saint-andy-clark/
historysoverture's review
5.0
This book was absolutely fantastic. I'm not super familiar with the 40k universe (or Warhammer at all to be honest), but when my boyfriend, who is a Games Workshop employee, told me about Celestine I was very interested. She is so strong, but I love that Celestine isn't without faults. It would be so easy to write a saintly character that is perfect and never fails. But she's so human in her devotion to her cause. In addition to Celestine, I absolutely fell in love with the characters Andy Clark created to flesh out the story. I really felt for all of their stories and hardships. It's almost like I've known them for a long time. The fact that this author was able to create such a beautiful story and real characters in just 240 pages is incredible.
Oh, and the audiobook was absolutely fantastic! I jumped back and forth between the audiobook and a hardcover copy, but the audiobook added such a cool extra factor. The narrator had a very distinct voice for each character and it was awesome! I'm so happy with this book.
Oh, and the audiobook was absolutely fantastic! I jumped back and forth between the audiobook and a hardcover copy, but the audiobook added such a cool extra factor. The narrator had a very distinct voice for each character and it was awesome! I'm so happy with this book.
mal_eficent's review
3.0
This was just a little boring.
What I wanted was a proper delve into the rebirthing of Celestine, and how that actually impacts her when it happens...Instead it was mostly fanatical retrospection, which can be interesting but fell flat with nothing else to balance it against.
I think the second narration – which covered a fight I didn't care about and had no relation to the story blurb – was supposed to provide this balance. The characters have doubts, and must fight against them without the symbolism and weird dreamscape that Celestine is experiencing. What this actually accomplished was making everyone else much more interesting. I cared way more about what happened to them by the end than anything to do with the Celestine mythos.
They, especially the militarum, had depth, purpose, and their motivations got explored. Celestine got vague hints at her original history and some light constantly stroking her face. The latter was mostly creepy, and even paled against the more complex discussion about the Emperor in Dark Imperium (which I hated).
This isn't necessarily bad, just did not meet up to the actual blurb and my expectations. If you're interested in Celestine and how resurrection might work in the 40k universe it's still something to pick up.
What I wanted was a proper delve into the rebirthing of Celestine, and how that actually impacts her when it happens...Instead it was mostly fanatical retrospection, which can be interesting but fell flat with nothing else to balance it against.
I think the second narration – which covered a fight I didn't care about and had no relation to the story blurb – was supposed to provide this balance. The characters have doubts, and must fight against them without the symbolism and weird dreamscape that Celestine is experiencing. What this actually accomplished was making everyone else much more interesting. I cared way more about what happened to them by the end than anything to do with the Celestine mythos.
They, especially the militarum, had depth, purpose, and their motivations got explored. Celestine got vague hints at her original history and some light constantly stroking her face. The latter was mostly creepy, and even paled against the more complex discussion about the Emperor in Dark Imperium (which I hated).
This isn't necessarily bad, just did not meet up to the actual blurb and my expectations. If you're interested in Celestine and how resurrection might work in the 40k universe it's still something to pick up.
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