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4.16 AVERAGE
4.16 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Strong book. It defines the term "grimdark" to perfection. Some really dark content makes its appearance here, but wonderfully crafted by ADB. And the voice of Andrew Wincott is just perfect for these characters. Absolutely mist read.
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-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:
Complicated
This is near perfection from ADB, if it wasn't for some misogynistic language it would be perfect.
At its best, in my opinion (off the top of my head) Prospero Burns by Dan Abnett, the opening quadrilogy by Abnett, McNeill, Counter, and Swallow, ADB's Word Bearers and World Eaters books, After Desh'ea by Matthew Farrer, Malcador: First Lord of the Imperium by L. J Goulding, and Sanguinius: The Great Angel by Chris Wraight, the Horus Heresy is generally the best the Black Library has to offer, regardless of the wildly varying quality and the ignoble way it was left to wither on the vine. In flagrant disregard for this, ADB continually writes some of the best Warhammer, GrimDark, and, frankly, epic sci-fi books on the market.
Soul Hunter is somehow entirely refreshing and different to so many other Warhammer 40,000 books, while being such a glorious encapsulation and honest representation of the Dark Millennia. The bones are classic Renegade and Heretic Space Marines doing their thing to survive, keep the Long War going, and constantly bicker and in fight between Warbands and within their own ranks, but the detail, perspectives, and quality of writing make this a unique and exquisite offering.
The eponymous Soul Hunter, Talos, is a fascinating character who links and grounds the narrative with his history with the Night Haunter and the Horus Heresy, as well as having the unique perspective of being a Night Lord Psyker/ Prophet, a Renegade, not a Heretic, and retaining some compassion and regard for human life. He also shares the limelight with the wider cast, granting greatest insight and details often overlooked. These come in the form of his serfs and slaves, Septimus and Octavia, and the experience of the human crew on Traitor Astartes vessels.
The dynamics of First Claw, with their vastly different perspectives on the warp, and the fractious nature of the Warband of the Exalted that 10th Company has become are fascinating, as is the bizarre character of the Exalted and the nightmare of possession and suppressed host he is. The loyalty and honour (and dishonour) the Night Lords and Black Legion display are incredibly compelling, as is the horror, monstrous, callous violence of the Blood Angels.
Andrew Wincott's narration ia exquisite.
I don't think the Vaults of Terra are bad books, but what they aren't is this. This has everything I felt was lacking in those books.
Throne, I adore this book!
At its best, in my opinion (off the top of my head) Prospero Burns by Dan Abnett, the opening quadrilogy by Abnett, McNeill, Counter, and Swallow, ADB's Word Bearers and World Eaters books, After Desh'ea by Matthew Farrer, Malcador: First Lord of the Imperium by L. J Goulding, and Sanguinius: The Great Angel by Chris Wraight, the Horus Heresy is generally the best the Black Library has to offer, regardless of the wildly varying quality and the ignoble way it was left to wither on the vine. In flagrant disregard for this, ADB continually writes some of the best Warhammer, GrimDark, and, frankly, epic sci-fi books on the market.
Soul Hunter is somehow entirely refreshing and different to so many other Warhammer 40,000 books, while being such a glorious encapsulation and honest representation of the Dark Millennia. The bones are classic Renegade and Heretic Space Marines doing their thing to survive, keep the Long War going, and constantly bicker and in fight between Warbands and within their own ranks, but the detail, perspectives, and quality of writing make this a unique and exquisite offering.
The eponymous Soul Hunter, Talos, is a fascinating character who links and grounds the narrative with his history with the Night Haunter and the Horus Heresy, as well as having the unique perspective of being a Night Lord Psyker/ Prophet, a Renegade, not a Heretic, and retaining some compassion and regard for human life. He also shares the limelight with the wider cast, granting greatest insight and details often overlooked. These come in the form of his serfs and slaves, Septimus and Octavia, and the experience of the human crew on Traitor Astartes vessels.
The dynamics of First Claw, with their vastly different perspectives on the warp, and the fractious nature of the Warband of the Exalted that 10th Company has become are fascinating, as is the bizarre character of the Exalted and the nightmare of possession and suppressed host he is. The loyalty and honour (and dishonour) the Night Lords and Black Legion display are incredibly compelling, as is the horror, monstrous, callous violence of the Blood Angels.
Andrew Wincott's narration ia exquisite.
I don't think the Vaults of Terra are bad books, but what they aren't is this. This has everything I felt was lacking in those books.
Throne, I adore this book!
Excellent characters and an intriguing setting. Only thing that was a let down was the stuff around with the war on Crythe.
Any discussion of the grander war felt forced to me and it didn't really add much to the plot other than a reason to have all separate characters meet.
Loved the descriptions of life aboard the Covenant of Blood. Chatter between slaves Septimus and Octavia were the highlights.
As far as protagonists go, I think Talos has a bit more depth than the average Astartes and that made reading from his perspective all the more worthwhile. Any references to Nostramo and Konrad Curze I also loved.
I'll be finishing the trilogy for sure, keen to see how the Eldar stack up against first claw.
Any discussion of the grander war felt forced to me and it didn't really add much to the plot other than a reason to have all separate characters meet.
Loved the descriptions of life aboard the Covenant of Blood. Chatter between slaves Septimus and Octavia were the highlights.
As far as protagonists go, I think Talos has a bit more depth than the average Astartes and that made reading from his perspective all the more worthwhile. Any references to Nostramo and Konrad Curze I also loved.
I'll be finishing the trilogy for sure, keen to see how the Eldar stack up against first claw.
Cracking 40k yarn with all the expected operatic space-murder, but a surprising amount of nuance and pathos too. Ol' mate ADB is apparently a very popular author of these tales and after reading this - my first of his - I can totally see why.
Up till now, Dan Abnett's Prospero Burns was my high-water mark for 30k/40k ficiton. Soul Hunter is really good. It may even better than Prospero Burns and I'm a Space Wolves fan.
In a sense, Dembski-Bowden pulls of a Soprano's maneuver with Talos and the Night Lords. You know they're the bad guys, but inch by inch you get pulled into seeing the Imperium and the long war through their crimson lenses. It's not just Octavia who's on their side by the final chapter.
It's a really clever bit of writing. Especially in regards to CSM politics. They could easily be slavering morons, but even Abaddon is depicted with more nuance than you'd expect. The Exalted in particular--well I really didn't see his arc coming to be honest.
In a sense, Dembski-Bowden pulls of a Soprano's maneuver with Talos and the Night Lords. You know they're the bad guys, but inch by inch you get pulled into seeing the Imperium and the long war through their crimson lenses. It's not just Octavia who's on their side by the final chapter.
It's a really clever bit of writing. Especially in regards to CSM politics. They could easily be slavering morons, but even Abaddon is depicted with more nuance than you'd expect. The Exalted in particular--well I really didn't see his arc coming to be honest.