Reviews

First and Only by Dan Abnett

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cuteseal's review against another edition

4.0

Filled with a luscious backstory, First and Only takes us through multiple campaigns in the Warhammer 40K universe, tied together with a twisting plot of political intrigue. It follows Ibram Gaunt, leader of a militia regiment as he inspires his men to do battle against enemies without and within. Abnett's writing is beautifully detailed, although it feels like he tosses in a Warhammer place/name/factoid in every second sentence. This does add to rich tapestry of the universe, although it does disrupt the flow of reading somewhat as you pause to digest each tidbit. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed this action packed and suspenseful sci-fi story.

voodoomutt's review against another edition

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4.0

It's basically Sharpe with lasguns. Still a rollicking good read with great characters you'll care about in a well known universe.

drwilko's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

itcamefromthepage's review against another edition

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4.0

I was truly amazed by how much I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I am only passably familiar with the universe, I've read and watched videos about it but I've never read a book or played the tabletop game.

With all of those caveats I was expecting a fun albeit trashy experience. What I got was a well constructed treatise on living in a world that's constantly at war. Gaunt was a truly compelling character with a rich backstory and I felt invested in his story.

Characters and genuinely compelling plot aside, this book still delivered on the action that I wanted.

I will definitely be checking out more books in this series.