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vyria's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
I love the lore of the Alpha Legion but centering them in a novel ends up just tedious with a bunch mysterious stealthy nonsense without any sense of payoff. The surrounding human cast is not especially interesting, save John Grammaticus, who has to share spotlight with 3 other focus characters.
abettin's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
tcreedy's review against another edition
5.0
HH finish that has improved with re-reading. Serpentine and winding, it works well and introduces new characters brilliantly.
At its heart it’s about relationships, betrayal and loyalty - but not always clearly.
At its heart it’s about relationships, betrayal and loyalty - but not always clearly.
st_ruben's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
A spy thriller set in the warhammer universe with the mysterious alpha legion stirring the boiling pot of intrigue and mystery.
A very good standalone story that has wet my appetite for political intrigue and interpersonal drama!
“haha! But I was actually a double-double spy!”
A very good standalone story that has wet my appetite for political intrigue and interpersonal drama!
euangumbrell's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
shimons's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
shookone's review against another edition
4.0
As a Warhammer book it’s pretty good. Abnett introduces a new faction to the ongoing storyline, and gives us a break from all the space marines by telling a story that’s primarily about regular human soldiers. Or at least as close to regular humans as anyone gets in this setting. It’s still Warhammer, it’s still shlocky and more than a little ridiculous, but it feels slightly more grounded than the other books in the series I’ve read.
Where it drops the ball is when it tries to be a spy novel. I don’t know about you, but when I think spy novels I think mystery, I think of suspicious characters with shady motivations and questionable loyalties, I think of paranoia and a sense of the hero trying to outrace and out think the bad guys. Abnett sort of gestures vaguely towards that kind of thing, there’s some really effective bits where soldiers are trying to work out who’s on whose side and if they’re being betrayed by their own superior officers. Abnett then undercuts his own efforts by immediately letting you know in the next scene that the person or situation a given character is worried about is totally cool. A little hard to believe the first time it happened. After it happened a couple more times all I could do was laugh. Overall I’d call this book a success, but the mishandling of the spy stuff makes it a book that succeeds in spite of itself.
Where it drops the ball is when it tries to be a spy novel. I don’t know about you, but when I think spy novels I think mystery, I think of suspicious characters with shady motivations and questionable loyalties, I think of paranoia and a sense of the hero trying to outrace and out think the bad guys. Abnett sort of gestures vaguely towards that kind of thing, there’s some really effective bits where soldiers are trying to work out who’s on whose side and if they’re being betrayed by their own superior officers. Abnett then undercuts his own efforts by immediately letting you know in the next scene that the person or situation a given character is worried about is totally cool. A little hard to believe the first time it happened. After it happened a couple more times all I could do was laugh. Overall I’d call this book a success, but the mishandling of the spy stuff makes it a book that succeeds in spite of itself.
adamt87's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
informative
mysterious
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? Yes
4.25
mgwills's review against another edition
4.0
How do you know you're reading Dan Abnett?
Long chapters, beautiful descriptions of locations, and a book that's finished before you know it.
A very interesting dive into the XX's and their particular brand of skullduggery from those in the know.
This is once again a prequel-kinda-sorta, so mileage may vary.
Long chapters, beautiful descriptions of locations, and a book that's finished before you know it.
A very interesting dive into the XX's and their particular brand of skullduggery from those in the know.
This is once again a prequel-kinda-sorta, so mileage may vary.