‘Daemonbreaker’ – Jude Reid (Black Library)
Page Count: 223 Pages
Before we get into the review, a thank you to Black Library and Jude Reid for supplying me with a copy of ‘Daemonbreaker’ in exchange for a fair and honest review. It took me a little longer than planned to get round to reading ‘Daemonbreaker’ and that’s all on me. I didn’t realise until a couple of days ago just how easy it is for a Kindle to hide itself in a flat crammed full of books… (The universe dropping another ‘subtle’ hint that I should get my eyes tested, anyway…) I got there in the end :o) The last few days have seen me not be able to focus on any one book, until I picked up ‘Daemonbreaker’. That should tell you all you need to know but you probably need a little more than that to go on, right? Lets see what I can do for you.
The Imperium burns in the face of Abaddon’s Thirteenth Black Crusade, bringing with it the damnation of entire sectors and countless worlds. As the Despoiler’s malevolent gaze turns to Cadia, the sacred warhost of the Adepta Sororitas prepares itself for the greatest battle in generations.
Celestian Sacresant Aveline, of the Order of the Sacred Rose, has a final, sacred duty to perform before joining the battle for Cadia – securing Orison VIII, a minor shrine world in the Cadian Gate.
But when a simple mission to hunt down a Chaos sorcerer becomes a deadly game of cat and mouse, an ancient evil is uncovered – an evil that knows her name. Should Aveline be unsuccessful in defeating this new threat, Holy Terra itself will pay for her failure in blood.
I’ve read a few short stories, here and there, about the Adepta Sororitas and liked what I read. All of that holy zeal and firepower makes for explosive reading so there was no question of my not reading ‘Daemonbreaker’. And I’m more than happy to confirm that ‘Daemonbreaker’ runs along those same lines; Honestly, the sheer scale of smiting and purging that goes on here left me wondering why anyone would want to fall in with the dark gods in the first place, you'll lose your soul but your physical form is really going to suffer first.... If this is your first encounter with the Sisters of Battle, you’ll be left in no doubt as to what they’re all about and how they go about their business. And it’s just awesome to follow along on the page. Reid strikes a good balance between large scale assaults and smaller, more vicious warfare so you’re never left feeling like you’re stuck in a rut with it. The pace matches the scenes and it is so easy to keep turning the pages. It’s another story that I’d like to see animated and on Warhammer+.
But even that would get a little dull if that was all there was. Luckily for us, that isn’t all there is ;o) Reid takes us on a journey right into what it means to be a Sister of Battle and it’s not as clear cut as you’d think. You’d be forgiven for assuming that the Adepta Sororitas are just ‘stern purgers’, Reid shows us real women fighting for the Emperor but also fighting themselves so that they can be the best version of themselves. Their relationship with the Emperor may be sound but there is still plenty of other things that can trip them up; nowhere is that more apparent than in Aveline who is out to make a name for herself through her deeds. I’ve always been interested in how the actions of the Imperium actually feed and strengthen the dark gods and Aveline’s martial pride really skirts the edge of becoming something far darker, it certainly doesn’t go unnoticed. There is plenty to ponder here then and while Aveline’s destination may not be in doubt, it’s the journey that really matters.
I’ll be honest though, I was really there for the journey of the Novitiate Gwynett, the greatest and best example of someone who desperately wants to do well and impress the boss but constantly falls foul of bureaucracy. We’ve all been there and that makes Gwynett’s character all the more engaging for it. Don’t get me wrong, Aveline carries the plot well but it’s Gwynett who really needed to be the focus of the epilogue. Okay, okay, without giving too much away, I wanted to know that she was ok. After what she did during her vigil, Gwynett needs more time on the page.
Anyway, I’ve got a bit of a day ahead of me so will end things here. I thoroughly enjoyed ‘Daemonbreaker’ and I think 40K fans are guaranteed a good read here. It’s also given my ‘reading mojo’ a real shot in the arm and I’m very grateful for it. Definitely give ‘Daemonbreaker’ a read if you get the chance.
The Imperium burns in the face of Abaddon’s Thirteenth Black Crusade, bringing with it the damnation of entire sectors and countless worlds. As the Despoiler’s malevolent gaze turns to Cadia, the sacred warhost of the Adepta Sororitas prepares itself for the greatest battle in generations.
Celestian Sacresant Aveline, of the Order of the Sacred Rose, has a final, sacred duty to perform before joining the battle for Cadia – securing Orison VIII, a minor shrine world in the Cadian Gate.
But when a simple mission to hunt down a Chaos sorcerer becomes a deadly game of cat and mouse, an ancient evil is uncovered – an evil that knows her name. Should Aveline be unsuccessful in defeating this new threat, Holy Terra itself will pay for her failure in blood.
I’ve read a few short stories, here and there, about the Adepta Sororitas and liked what I read. All of that holy zeal and firepower makes for explosive reading so there was no question of my not reading ‘Daemonbreaker’. And I’m more than happy to confirm that ‘Daemonbreaker’ runs along those same lines; Honestly, the sheer scale of smiting and purging that goes on here left me wondering why anyone would want to fall in with the dark gods in the first place, you'll lose your soul but your physical form is really going to suffer first.... If this is your first encounter with the Sisters of Battle, you’ll be left in no doubt as to what they’re all about and how they go about their business. And it’s just awesome to follow along on the page. Reid strikes a good balance between large scale assaults and smaller, more vicious warfare so you’re never left feeling like you’re stuck in a rut with it. The pace matches the scenes and it is so easy to keep turning the pages. It’s another story that I’d like to see animated and on Warhammer+.
But even that would get a little dull if that was all there was. Luckily for us, that isn’t all there is ;o) Reid takes us on a journey right into what it means to be a Sister of Battle and it’s not as clear cut as you’d think. You’d be forgiven for assuming that the Adepta Sororitas are just ‘stern purgers’, Reid shows us real women fighting for the Emperor but also fighting themselves so that they can be the best version of themselves. Their relationship with the Emperor may be sound but there is still plenty of other things that can trip them up; nowhere is that more apparent than in Aveline who is out to make a name for herself through her deeds. I’ve always been interested in how the actions of the Imperium actually feed and strengthen the dark gods and Aveline’s martial pride really skirts the edge of becoming something far darker, it certainly doesn’t go unnoticed. There is plenty to ponder here then and while Aveline’s destination may not be in doubt, it’s the journey that really matters.
I’ll be honest though, I was really there for the journey of the Novitiate Gwynett, the greatest and best example of someone who desperately wants to do well and impress the boss but constantly falls foul of bureaucracy. We’ve all been there and that makes Gwynett’s character all the more engaging for it. Don’t get me wrong, Aveline carries the plot well but it’s Gwynett who really needed to be the focus of the epilogue. Okay, okay, without giving too much away, I wanted to know that she was ok. After what she did during her vigil, Gwynett needs more time on the page.
Anyway, I’ve got a bit of a day ahead of me so will end things here. I thoroughly enjoyed ‘Daemonbreaker’ and I think 40K fans are guaranteed a good read here. It’s also given my ‘reading mojo’ a real shot in the arm and I’m very grateful for it. Definitely give ‘Daemonbreaker’ a read if you get the chance.
I just finished up Dead Men Walking and that really shows why imperial citizens can be tempted to turn to the ruinous powers.
ReplyDeleteIt's been a long time since I read that book but it was a good one from what I remember, The Death Korps of Krieg are always good value for money ;o)
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