Synopsis:"When the Imperial shrine world of Kathur is blighted by Chaos, the brave Guardsmen of Cadia are sent to reclaim it. The plague of Nurgle has set in deeply on the planet, forcing the Cadians into battle with innumerable legion of infected. In the midst of battle, Captain Parmenion Thade is thrust into an unlikely commanding role. Yet he cannot imagine what lies ahead on Kathur, and just how important it will be to ensure victory there..."
What to expect: As with most novels some liberties are taken of course but for the most part it remains true to the background and what is known about Cadia and its inhabitants. The characters for the most part are fun, interesting and at the end of the novel, somewhat scary in some cases. Most are the staple of military fiction, the "tormented by his past" Commander, the new Commissar, the silent and brooding Kasrkin Commando sergeant with stoic one-liners (which actually don't blow for a change!), the hated operations commander and my favourite, the junior officer who speaks his mind regardless of company present and who nags about everything, resulting in some very colourful and refreshing moments in the book. I found myself caring for some of the characters and certainly looked at some differently at the end.
The plot is somewhat predictable and the outcome even more so but the pace and the way things go still make it a great read and I found myself captivated enough to no not skip to the last page and read that instead. Good show.
Sure there is the done to death theme of "we have to pull this off against all odds" but the way the author shows it to you is simple and blunt in most cases. No page long story about what happened to who, no he just tells you that the fight lasted half a minute and that him and her died. On the one hand it's different and a bit choppy, but on the other hand it's refreshing.
Another thing I liked was the inclusion of odd bits of text such as descriptions of the Emperor's Tarot complete with a description of what the card signified and did along with some excerpts from private journals. One of an Inquisitor who paints a bleak picture, a second of a fellow Guard commander who pretty much says the same and finally the journal entry of a mouthy Cadian lieutenant who has a tendency to speak his mind regardless of present company. His simply said "I hate this planet."
Final Verdict: It has been many winters since I've last read an Imperial Guard novel that didn't disappoint or blow. Not since Fifteen Hours did a Guard novel captivate me so much. I had my doubt about this seeing as Cadians are my primary army and big man crush, but this debut novel of the author doesn't fail or fall short in my eyes.
