‘Daemonhammer’ – Darius Hinks (Black Library)

 

In the grim, dark universe of the far future, there is only war; even in the parts of the galaxy where you’d be forgiven for thinking that war hadn’t touched. Even on Holy Terra itself… There is an unseen war being fought for the very soul of the Imperium and no-one is safe. I’m talking, of course, about the fine work done by the Inquisitors; the last line of defence against humanity’s knack of falling prey to Chaos...

I haven’t read many ‘Inquisitor Books’ but I’ve enjoyed what I have read (Dan Abnett’s ‘Eisenhorn’ trilogy) and I love Darius Hinks’ Black Library output, in general, so when I saw Hinks’ name on an Inquisitor book, well… That read pretty much chose itself :o)

Let me tell you about it.

Zealous and uncompromising, Inquisitor Torquemada Coteaz is the scourge of cultist and daemon alike, striking fear into the hearts of the Emperor’s foes. As lord inquisitor and High Protector of the Formosa Sector, he wields terrible power, able to purge entire systems of the taint of Chaos and heresy, with a legion of agents and interrogators at his disposal. But the long decades of horrors are taking their toll, and his body is reaching the limits of endurance. When sinister tidings from a forgotten corner of the sector hint at spectres from his past, Coteaz must face a terrible choice: abandon his throne to those who covet it, or cling to power by shattering the very bounds of mortality. Yet there are other forces at work in the darkness, and should Coteaz succumb to their alluring power, billions will fall with him.

Some jobs are just a job that you do to pay the bills, we’ve all had a couple of these ;o) Other jobs are a vocation and some… Some jobs are an actual calling and while I’ve never had a job like that, the question does spring to mind. If you are called to do something, how do you know when it’s time to stop? Will there ever be a time where you just stop?

If you’re Inquisitor Torquemada Coteaz, the answer to that last question is a very emphatic ‘NO’. The threat to the Imperium is constant and he cannot afford to slow down for a second lest the seeds of Chaos grow. And what if you feel the call so strongly that you cannot let someone else take the load? Death becomes something that must be fought and that is where ‘Daemonhammer’ gets very interesting.

There is a threat to the Formosa Sector (and by extension, the wider Imperium) and that means a mystery to be solved and capped off with an epic finale against a daemon foe. There are no surprises here but the plot is engaging and a lot of fun to follow (with a suitably epic finale). Given the last couple of weeks, that was just I needed and I was more than happy to go along with that.

But ‘Daemonhammer’ isn’t just your regular ‘Inquisitor Book’ :o)

Hinks really taps into not only Coteaz’s faith and zeal but also all the insecurities that he carries through his work; mostly the worry that his body will not let him carry on the work of the Emperor and he cannot trust anyone to take it on. Not does this lend the plot some real impetus but it also throws a real air of uncertainty around just whom Coteaz can trust and sends the plot off in loads of interesting directions. This is particularly the case when you realise that while this may be a tiny chink in Coteaz’s armour, it’s a weakness that the Warp can exploit. Baseline humanity has its part to play in the fight but even the mightiest Inquisitor is only human. It’s a real lesson in how the Warp can exploit strength, as well as weakness and does wonders for the plot.

A lot of fun then with some food for thought on the side. ‘Daemonhammer’ has it all and you should definitely give it a look if you’re after some ‘standalone’ Inquisitor action. I can’t help but wonder though… If we ever see Coteaz again, what shape will he be in…?