Review | First and Only by Dan Abnett (Black Library)

Gaunt is Colonel-Commissar, leader of the Tanith First - the first and only. With their home world destroyed in an attack that happened as the first regiment was leaving they became the last survivors of the planet, gifting them their nickname, Ghosts. With exceptional tracking and scouting skills due to the unique moving forests on their world, Gaunt's Ghosts are a formidable foe with many victories over the enemy, the forces of Chaos.

When a Vermilion level communication is intercepted by a spy network and falls into Gaunt's hands he must make a decision on how deal with the artifact mentioned within the information. With political enemies wanting the information Gaunt must trust his allies and work to complete his goal. From fighting a war on Fortis Binary and then on to Menazoid Epsilon - the world where the artifact resides - Gaunt faces numerous challenges, each requiring not only his full attention and training, but that of his Ghosts and allies too.

My first venture into the Warhammer 40,000 universe was Titanicus, also by Dan Abnett, and although I enjoyed it I found myself at a loss with all the details and history - I really didn't know what to make of it and it affected my enjoyment of the novel. First an Only was recommended to me and The Founding - an omnibus containing the first three Gaunt's Ghosts novels - soon landed on the doorstep (a huge thanks to Black Library for it!). I'll admit that I was still a little hesitant to jump into the rich history of Warhammer and approached First and Only with a hint of scepticism - all of which was completely unfounded and I thoroughly enjoyed the novel from start to finish!

I think the most important thing to say straight away is that although this is a solid Warhammer novel, it could easily be set in any fictional universe which really helped in getting my teeth into it and enjoying the story underneath the details. When there is a setting with so much history the story can get bogged down in detail, or even info-dumping. It would be unfair to say there are no sections in First and Only like this, after all, all books have to have this to some degree to engage the reader. The difference here is that the story flows well enough to make these sections blend into the narrative.

Gaunt is the main character in First and Only, commanding the Tanith First, although there are also many supporting characters from the higher ranks of this legion. Gaunt is a great character - a leader that cares for his men and doesn't consider them cannon fodder like many others. He is also a great tactician and while working with his men and allies some great scenes come about. Major Rawne is another character that has a good depth to him compared to the rest. With his hatred of Gaunt it instantly makes him a character that you keep in the front of your mind and wonder if he'll do anything he shouldn't. All in all the character dynamics work very well within this sort of military setting and are one of the highlights of the novel.

The story was also very enjoyable and I couldn't really find many faults with it. The progression and events are well executed and the descriptiveness brings it all to life exceedingly well. Set into a few main sections we focus first on the battle at Fortis Binary which introduces us to the setting and characters. It also gives some of the best scenes of the novel during the final assault on the Chaos base. From there it's a steady journey that brings Gaunt and his men to Menazoid Epsilon and the final attack and journey to the story's conclusion. Mixed in with all of this we get some flashbacks of Gaunt's earlier life, revealing precious bits of information piece by piece that keep on making those pages turn to get the full story.

One of the only weaknesses that I could see was this dispersal of information. Some of it, like Gaunt's flashbacks, were set out well enough and contributed to the feeling of suspense within the story, always making you guess at what exactly he knew from his past. Other parts, specifically the whole Vermilion artifact, are alluded to so vaguely that you never really know what it's going to be until the big revelation at the climax. I guess it's that fine balance between giving enough information to keep the reader hooked and guessing to giving a little too much that would ruin the ending. It's really only a minor niggle in what is otherwise a superbly told story.

All in all I can say that First and Only is the exact entry point into the Warhammer 40,000 universe that I was after. Not only has it been an enjoyable novel, but it's given me a reason to follow through with the rest of them in the omnibus - and beyond! Abnett is a great storyteller and the combat and war scenes he conjures are amongst the best I've read. This series is going to be a mainstay on my reading list and with 11 out there at the moment I'll have more than enough to keep me happy!

Cover Art | Nova War by Gary Gibson (Tor)

Gary has the cover for his next book, Nova War, up at his blog, but because it's such a nice looking cover I'll re-post it here for your viewing pleasure:


Is it me or does it have a retro feel about it?

Review | Cenotaxis by Sean Williams (MonkeyBrain Books)

Imre Bergamasc has arrived at Earth, although what he encounters is not what he expected. He is faced with a rebellion that doesn't want to hand over the planet to him and led by Jasper, a man who claims to be God. Told from Jasper's point of view, one that does not follow time in the usual way, we get to piece together the events of Imre arriving on Earth and the resulting battle between the two sides leading to a conclusion that is fitting.

Set in the same universe as his Astropolis books, Cenotaxis is a short story that takes place after Saturn Returns but before Earth Ascendant. As it's told from Jasper's viewpoint it's an interesting story, we see Imre and his colleagues differently, although each are still unmistakable. Jasper is also a good character, one that can live future parts of his life before ones in the past. This is surprisingly easy to read and the way he experiences time fits the story very well.

I'd recommend Cenotaxis without hesitation, although how it fits into the overall story arc is not yet clear to me - it comes across as an extended prologue rather than a stand alone, but I couldn't tell you whether this will be related to Earth Ascendant - that's one I'll be reading fairly soon to find out.

Review | Chaos Space by Marianne de Pierres (Orbit)

Mira has fled Araldis on Insignia - as an Innate only she can pilot the ship with the gene she has inherited from her father. Setting course to the nearest OLOSS system in search of help for Araldis, she faces continuous obstacles and questioning, not only about Araldis but of the Biozoon, Insignia, in which they show more than just a passing curiosity. Along with the group of mercenaries she picked up on Araldis, Mira and Insignia try to find help. Rast, the leader of the mercenaries, has some interesting contacts that will help them on the way.

Jo-Jo Rasterovich is stewing in his cell, locked up after being set up. With his ship gone and no evidence to back his version of events he fears all is lost. Meanwhile Tekton is gathering pace in order to carry out his magnificent plan to impress Sole. With news of the quixite coming from Araldis he sets about finding a craftsman that will realise his dream.

On Araldis Trin is leading those that are left to the islands where they hope safety awaits. Although there is reluctance from another group that has joined them, the protection and leadership he offers is hard to resist. With their goal set all he can do is travel towards it while he awaits Mira's return and the hope of salvation for Araldis.

In my review of Dark Space I said that although I enjoyed the novel, I didn't find it fitted with the space opera badge it was given. With almost all events taking place on Araldis it seemed like the story of Mira and Trin, the two characters it focused on more than others. I enjoyed it despite feeling slightly misled and looked forward to the other books in the series with high hopes. I was pretty confident that Marianne would expand the canvas and show us more of the galaxy of the Sentients of Orion. I can honestly say that Chaos Space not only lived up to my expectations, but exceeded them.

What we get this time around is a much larger picture of events going on and also more characters through whose eyes we see these events. Mira is the main character, that much is clear, and her progression carries through nicely. From fleeing the studium at the beginning of Dark Space she has changed quite a bit, becoming more confident even after the events she is put through at the hands of Trin. Her interaction with Rast is one of the better points and goes some distance to advance her character. Rast is still very much the mercenary looking after herself, but this time there is that layer beneath the surface that we only catch glimpses of now and again - I do like Rast, her in-your-face attitude just fits perfectly.

We also get plenty more of Tekton in Chaos Space and he is as ridiculous as ever, his attitude and mannerisms are completely out of place in his situation. It's nice to see him plow forward with his plans, cock-sure of himself and completely devious to gain what he wants. What I also like about Tekton is the gift Sole gave him: two minds. He has a free mind, basically him, and also a logic mind which is the complete opposite of his character. The interactions between these two are amusing and help to make him a better character than he normally would be.

We have some sections following Jo-Jo, his incarceration and some back story that helps things later in the novel. We also follow a little of Trin and the plight of the survivors to further escape the horror they are fleeing. Trin is still a character that I dislike, but his story is one I'm looking forward to follow further in the next book, something which sort of surprised me after putting Chaos Space down.

Overall the story takes a good turn, following effectively through from the events in Dark Space and bringing some more elements into play, just like any good space opera should. With two books still to come there are endless possibilities on where the direction of the series will go, and I'll be looking forward to finding out where that will be. Marianne has taken a huge step towards creating a must-read series with Chaos Space and a great multi-layered space opera. Wonderful stuff!

Review | The Gabble and other stories by Neal Asher (Tor)

The Gabble and other stories is a new collection of Neal's shorter fiction with 10 short stories dating from 1999 through to this year. Anyone that has read Neal's other collection, The Engineer ReConditioned, will know just what to expect from the man that is the master of weird, wonderful and downright gruesome alien creature creations. Add this to the great way in which Neal can quickly draw you into a story and you've got a must have collection of some of the best science fiction out there.

1. Softly Spoke the Gabbleduck - a nice and simple story following a few characters as they are hunting out of range of the authorities. With a couple of twists and turns and plenty to keep the story flowing at a good pace this is a great story. 8/10

2. Putrefactors - just what I love Neal for: alien creatures, the hint of corruption, a psycho Golem and an Earth Central monitor. Another page turner that keeps you questioning until the end. 9/10

3. Garp & Geronamid - As another world is at the stage of voting to join the Polity, a reification (dead man walking) named Garp and a reporter are thrown into the middle of events when an assassination attempt is made on the AI Geronamid as it arrives on planet. Add some twists, turns, corruption, addictive drugs, a Golem and an excellent finish and you've got another great short story. 9/10

4. The Sea of Death - one of the less exciting short stories where curiosity leads to some interesting findings. 7/10

5. Alien Archeaology - the longest offering in the collection that brings about everything Neal does well in a novel. I won't list them here, but suffice to say that this is 100% balls-to-the-wall storytelling (and even better is the promise of seeing a living and breathing Atheter). 9/10

6. Acephalous Dreams - with Geronamid making another appearance, this time after discovering a Csorian node and offering a prisoner on death row the chance to get his sentence cleared if he tests the device. I always enjoy the stories like this where a little more is discovered about the history of the Polity universe. 9/10

7. Snow in the Desert - a great story following Snow, an albino, who has a price on his head for the retrieval of his testicles. Seeing the way he has to live on a hot planet where everything revolves around getting and keeping water while avoiding the numerous challenges and attempts on his life makes for a good yarn. 9/10

8. Choudapt - a little exploration of the genetic mixing in the polity and the effects of a virus keyed to specific DNA. 7/10

9. Adaptogenic - a chance lot at an auction leads to some interesting information about some priceless relics that could make the finder very wealthy indeed. When Chel and an associate go looking for these at the wrong time of year on the wrong planet events take a turn for the worse. 8/10

10. The Gabble - another story set on Massada and revealing some more information about both Gabbleducks and Hooders. More of a back story filler than anything else, but still one of the more enjoyable ones from the collection. 9/10

On the whole this is a great collection of stories with only a couple of let downs. This collection is definitely one for fans and readers of Neal's work rather than someone new to him, the stories can rely to an extent on prior knowledge of some events. A prime example of this would be The Gabble where the events of The Line of Polity have just happened and a little explanation of them is done - so at least I know how that one will finish now! Regardless of any of this I still think that this is one of the better author specific collections I've read and that Neal is one of the must read authors in the science fiction genre.

Review | Saturn Returns by Sean Williams (Orbit)

The Slow Wave has hit the galaxy and has wrecked the Continuum in its wake. The Forts are no more and the line is in chaos as information travelling along it is trawled to find information on this disaster. What was once a united galaxy is now in turmoil as individual systems take control for themselves, resulting in more fighting for power.

When the Jinc find pieces of debris from a large artefact on the edge of the galaxy they painstakingly gather all of them together to reveal a drum, one with a back-up of Imre Bergamasc contained inside as data. After they re-create his body and mind using all this data, Imre awakens 150,000 years after his last memories, in a brand new body, unfortunately the wrong sex, and a patchy memory. Although the Jinc try and reassure him it could be due to the recreation of the drum, he has other thoughts and wants answers.

A former mercenary for the corps, Imre remembers his team and plans on finding them. After escaping the Jinc with the help of a mysterious object and the key phrase ‘luminous’, he heads for the familiar: the Mandala Supersystem. On entering this system he sees first hand how the Slow Wave has affected the galaxy, no united front and a nagging feeling that he shouldn’t just go straight to the first planet he comes across.

We follow Imre on a journey to reclaim his past life, to uncover the memories he is convinced are buried and to find out what exactly the Slow Wave is and who is behind it.

Firstly, I enjoyed Saturn Returns quite a lot. It’s a widescreen space opera with elements of military sci-fi thrown in, which is almost always a good combination. As the first part of projected trilogy (plus one short story) it does everything that it needs to do: the story, universe and characters are set up nicely and good descriptions are used to portray the technology in use. Also, plenty of questions are raised (and some answered) that make Saturn Returns a novel that is difficult to put down.

The characters we meet are all unique and each have their own motivations within the main narrative. Although this may sound like it can get messy, it doesn’t. All of the former corps members are given enough depth and personality to bring them to life and behave in a way that is both believable and interesting. Constant questions are raised about alliances and the history between them, but it just fits together nicely. As the story revolves around Imre and his journey we spend a lot of time seeing things from his perspective, flashbacks that reveal a little at a time and events that make the pages just turn quicker. We also know only what he does, so there is always the questioning and guessing, trying to put the puzzle together.

One of the better aspects of the novel was the time span involved in the galactic history. With the technology to make time pass quicker or slower than Absolute (normal time), hundreds of years can pass in mere days, or days can last hundreds of years. This brings up interesting questions about how this time difference affects the population, but is dealt with convincingly and effectively. There is also the fact that many characters have clones of themselves that run around the galaxy and occasionally the memories are combined when this happens. This is looked upon as an extension of that person, not a separate entity, which is a strange view to understand. Although it’s justified in the story, it’s a subject that I wasn’t entirely convinced about.

All in all, Saturn Returns is a great Space Opera novel that has set up the sequel very effectively. With characters and a universe that I look forward to revisiting, Saturn Returns has set the bar high for the sequel – I’m just hoping it the story will continue in such a great way. Highly recommended.