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Imperial Guard
Rebel Winter
An Astra Militarum novel
Caught between rebels and orks on the icy Danik's World, a company of Vostroyan Firstborn are cut off and must survive behind enemy lines while escorting a vital traitor through territory filled with threats…
READ IT BECAUSE
It doesn't get much more classic than the Imperial Guard fighting orks… and throw some rebels, a secret mission and tension with high command, and you have all the makings of a stone cold (or ice cold, perhaps) classic.
THE STORY
Captain Sebastev of the Vostroyan Firstborn has risen through the ranks, much to the chagrin of some of his fellow officers. His mettle is truly put to the test during a posting on the ice-encrusted battlefields of Danik's World, fighting against a fierce rebellion. Caught between rebels and hordes of orks, Sebastev's company is tasked with holding the line, while the rest of the Vostroyan army makes a tactical retreat. But the withdrawal goes horribly wrong, and Sebastev and his men are cut off and stranded behind enemy lines. Worse still, when new orders come in, the captain must not only try to ensure the survival of his company but escort a traitor back to Vostroyan high command or all efforts in the war thus far will have been for nothing!
Caught between rebels and orks on the icy Danik's World, a company of Vostroyan Firstborn are cut off and must survive behind enemy lines while escorting a vital traitor through territory filled with threats…
READ IT BECAUSE
It doesn't get much more classic than the Imperial Guard fighting orks… and throw some rebels, a secret mission and tension with high command, and you have all the makings of a stone cold (or ice cold, perhaps) classic.
THE STORY
Captain Sebastev of the Vostroyan Firstborn has risen through the ranks, much to the chagrin of some of his fellow officers. His mettle is truly put to the test during a posting on the ice-encrusted battlefields of Danik's World, fighting against a fierce rebellion. Caught between rebels and hordes of orks, Sebastev's company is tasked with holding the line, while the rest of the Vostroyan army makes a tactical retreat. But the withdrawal goes horribly wrong, and Sebastev and his men are cut off and stranded behind enemy lines. Worse still, when new orders come in, the captain must not only try to ensure the survival of his company but escort a traitor back to Vostroyan high command or all efforts in the war thus far will have been for nothing!
256 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published July 31, 2007
15 people are currently reading
246 people want to read
About the author
Steve Parker
38 books75 followersOriginally hailing from the rainswept land of the Picts, Steve Parker now sleeps, eats, trains and writes in Tokyo, Japan.
His novels have been published in four languages and include Rebel Winter, Gunheads, Rynn's World, and Deathwatch, with a fifth novel to follow very soon.
Short works (most now available via Amazon Kindle) include:
Stray Dog Swordsman on Redemption Road
Starfish
The Falls of Marakross
Mercy Run
The Citadel
Headhunted
Exhumed
Survivor
Culling the Horde
Pedro Kantor: The Vengeful Fist
His novels have been published in four languages and include Rebel Winter, Gunheads, Rynn's World, and Deathwatch, with a fifth novel to follow very soon.
Short works (most now available via Amazon Kindle) include:
Stray Dog Swordsman on Redemption Road
Starfish
The Falls of Marakross
Mercy Run
The Citadel
Headhunted
Exhumed
Survivor
Culling the Horde
Pedro Kantor: The Vengeful Fist
Ratings & Reviews
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
November 13, 2024
Brilliant book. Absolutely loved the dialogue and the battle scenes were well written. A fantastic cast of characters and I’m gutted that Steve Parker hasn’t written more Vostroyan firstborn. Amazing read.
Read
October 5, 2007It's an OK book for those die-hard 40K fans, especially if you play IG. Went kind of slow and I was hoping they'd build up some background on the two protagonist units (orks and chaos).
July 29, 2018
Steve Parker's first written 40K book and my last one of his to read. I still really like his style although I can see how it has developed a little since this fist novel. He is a master builder of characters that you want to know about and most importantly care about. The story is not to be overlooked however as he weaves a good tale and end with the promise of more to follow. I am hoping he will write more for Black Library.
June 15, 2024
Much closer to Gaunt's Ghosts than Ciaphas Caine. It's repetitive and bland. There's no twists, no intrigue (though it pretends there will be) and there's precious little tactics to the battles in the story. Every upper officer is nicknamed and the "clear as Rahzvod" joke is told like 5 times. Not sure what the point of this was besides worldbuilding.
November 21, 2025
Rebel Moon is straight-up pulp, and that’s a compliment. It moves quickly, hits hard, and never pretends to be anything other than a scrappy little war story in the 40k muck. If you already know the setting’s flavour, it’s a very easy book to sink into. The battles feel weighty, the squad banter actually lands, and the plot doesn’t dissolve into noise by the final act
September 22, 2017
The key thing to 40k books is being realistic about what they are and aren't going to be. These here are 4 pulpy, ridiculous, action-laden stars. If you like the universe then dive in.
June 3, 2018
The cliffhanger at the end sounds like some shady Inquisition stuff. And of course it was interesting and so far as I can tell not followed up on. At least not by any novel fluff.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 3, 2022
A fun read.
January 23, 2025
For the emperor of mankind.
September 13, 2016
Bookworm Speaks!
Warhammer 40k
Rebel Winter
by Steve Parker
****
Acquired: Half-Price Books
Series: Warhammer 40,000 Novels
Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Black Library (July 31, 2007)
Language: English
****
The Story: On the brutal battlefields of the 41st Millennium, the life of an Imperial Guardsman is harsh and short. On the snowy wastes of Danik's World, a regiment of Vostroyans is ordered to hold their ground to protect the retreat of other Imperial forces. When their own orders come to move back, they discover they have been stranded behind enemy lines. Cold, hungry and running out of supplies, trapped between rebel forces and hordes of orks, can the Guardsmen ever fight their way back to safety?
The Review: Bookworm is a member of many fandoms across the creative hemisphere. Star Trek, Star Wars, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Fallout and a few others. Warhammer 40k stands out among all of them. For one thing, Bookworm owns more books about the 41st Millennium than all the others combined. Also because of something a little more esoteric. Warhammer 40k is one of the most fantastical and one of the most visceral human franchises he has ever seen.
Star Wars and Star Trek have one thing in common: They represent idealism. Pure and Noble heroes out to save the day in a rich universe ripe for exploration. Warhammer 40k on the other hand, is the complete inverse. It may be a rich universe, but it is a universe of darkness. The stars are filled with monsters and madmen that want nothing better than to bite your face off among other terrible things.
Life for the majority is a merciless grind and the ‘heroes’ of such a universe are monstrous beings crafted to freakish proportions by half-forgotten sciences and oftentimes the product of entire cultures whose only purpose is to battle. Literally…the entire industrial and social output of the planet Vostroya is to produce soldiers and weapons for the never-ending Imperial war effort.
One such culture is the Planet Vostroya and the Vostroyan First Born. There is no going home for them. Maybe one or two of them may live long enough to go back and train the next generation of Vostroyans, the rest will die unsung.
This immediately makes the characters, not so much relatable, but appealing. They already have a gripping narrative. The inklings of the larger Vostroyan culture that filter through the narrative are very fascinating. The history of previous campaigns also add an interesting context to explain the Vostroyan’s what they are and also highlighting the brutal nature of the galaxy they live in.
What was really one facet of the story that kept Bookworm going was the same thing that kept the regiment going: They never gave up. That is true for a great many stories in Warhammer 40k. No matter how hopeless it became. No matter how many died. No matter how much the enemy outnumbered them, the Vostroyan’s never stopped fighting. To do otherwise would spit on their homeworld and their Emperor, to which to both they dedicated their lives. The whole text could be seen as one, long, last stand, which are always a great sell.
One scene that exemplifies this where the regiment is forced to drive through a firestorm and when they make it, they realize that the driver has died. He was being burned alive throughout the ordeal and never stopped or even cried out. As said by the leader, “he died a true Vostroyan.” That scene really grips at the heartstrings. There are several more in the book and instead of bringing them down, it only pushes them forward.
Final Verdict: In spite of its fantastical surroundings, Rebel Winter and indeed many of the tomes about the Imperial Guard are probably the most realistic depictions of war there are. There is little glory, just a long grind. It involves soldiers that are tired and hungry and not feeling particularly brave. When victory is achieved, it often feels hollow, but is not much else to do but square their soldiers and go on to whatever comes next. That is Warhmmer 40k is so addicting. It is so relatable on so many levels. Even in a culture as corrupt and oppressive as the Imperium of Man, noble traits like duty, honor, loyalty, self-sacrifice still have not died.
Four Snowflakes out of Five
thecultureworm.blogspot.com
Warhammer 40k
Rebel Winter
by Steve Parker
****
Acquired: Half-Price Books
Series: Warhammer 40,000 Novels
Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Black Library (July 31, 2007)
Language: English
****
The Story: On the brutal battlefields of the 41st Millennium, the life of an Imperial Guardsman is harsh and short. On the snowy wastes of Danik's World, a regiment of Vostroyans is ordered to hold their ground to protect the retreat of other Imperial forces. When their own orders come to move back, they discover they have been stranded behind enemy lines. Cold, hungry and running out of supplies, trapped between rebel forces and hordes of orks, can the Guardsmen ever fight their way back to safety?
The Review: Bookworm is a member of many fandoms across the creative hemisphere. Star Trek, Star Wars, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Fallout and a few others. Warhammer 40k stands out among all of them. For one thing, Bookworm owns more books about the 41st Millennium than all the others combined. Also because of something a little more esoteric. Warhammer 40k is one of the most fantastical and one of the most visceral human franchises he has ever seen.
Star Wars and Star Trek have one thing in common: They represent idealism. Pure and Noble heroes out to save the day in a rich universe ripe for exploration. Warhammer 40k on the other hand, is the complete inverse. It may be a rich universe, but it is a universe of darkness. The stars are filled with monsters and madmen that want nothing better than to bite your face off among other terrible things.
Life for the majority is a merciless grind and the ‘heroes’ of such a universe are monstrous beings crafted to freakish proportions by half-forgotten sciences and oftentimes the product of entire cultures whose only purpose is to battle. Literally…the entire industrial and social output of the planet Vostroya is to produce soldiers and weapons for the never-ending Imperial war effort.
One such culture is the Planet Vostroya and the Vostroyan First Born. There is no going home for them. Maybe one or two of them may live long enough to go back and train the next generation of Vostroyans, the rest will die unsung.
This immediately makes the characters, not so much relatable, but appealing. They already have a gripping narrative. The inklings of the larger Vostroyan culture that filter through the narrative are very fascinating. The history of previous campaigns also add an interesting context to explain the Vostroyan’s what they are and also highlighting the brutal nature of the galaxy they live in.
What was really one facet of the story that kept Bookworm going was the same thing that kept the regiment going: They never gave up. That is true for a great many stories in Warhammer 40k. No matter how hopeless it became. No matter how many died. No matter how much the enemy outnumbered them, the Vostroyan’s never stopped fighting. To do otherwise would spit on their homeworld and their Emperor, to which to both they dedicated their lives. The whole text could be seen as one, long, last stand, which are always a great sell.
One scene that exemplifies this where the regiment is forced to drive through a firestorm and when they make it, they realize that the driver has died. He was being burned alive throughout the ordeal and never stopped or even cried out. As said by the leader, “he died a true Vostroyan.” That scene really grips at the heartstrings. There are several more in the book and instead of bringing them down, it only pushes them forward.
Final Verdict: In spite of its fantastical surroundings, Rebel Winter and indeed many of the tomes about the Imperial Guard are probably the most realistic depictions of war there are. There is little glory, just a long grind. It involves soldiers that are tired and hungry and not feeling particularly brave. When victory is achieved, it often feels hollow, but is not much else to do but square their soldiers and go on to whatever comes next. That is Warhmmer 40k is so addicting. It is so relatable on so many levels. Even in a culture as corrupt and oppressive as the Imperium of Man, noble traits like duty, honor, loyalty, self-sacrifice still have not died.
Four Snowflakes out of Five
thecultureworm.blogspot.com
February 21, 2025
Vostroyan Firstborn is an imperial regiment made up of only firstborn son, irregardless of stature or wealth.
This story takes place on Danik's world, which used to be a prosperous agri world, now a frozen wasteland.
Captain Gregorious Sebastev and his company are in a deadlock with an orc tribe.
Which goes from bad to worse when Danik's world rebels start attacking on a different front.
Then, when they have to go rescue their comrads on the other front, things go from worse to bleak.
This novel is my first Vostroyan story and I'm all for it.
I want more Vostroyan stories and if they include Sebastev, the better. I also want to give a shout out to the White Boar, I would follow that man to hell and back!
All in all a great novel, great read, more then enough brutally, sadness and orcs to go around.
If you like impossible odds and heroes, this is a book for you.
This story takes place on Danik's world, which used to be a prosperous agri world, now a frozen wasteland.
Captain Gregorious Sebastev and his company are in a deadlock with an orc tribe.
Which goes from bad to worse when Danik's world rebels start attacking on a different front.
Then, when they have to go rescue their comrads on the other front, things go from worse to bleak.
This novel is my first Vostroyan story and I'm all for it.
I want more Vostroyan stories and if they include Sebastev, the better. I also want to give a shout out to the White Boar, I would follow that man to hell and back!
All in all a great novel, great read, more then enough brutally, sadness and orcs to go around.
If you like impossible odds and heroes, this is a book for you.
October 8, 2011
This was the third book by the Imperial Guard novels. The first Fifteen Hours by M. Scanlon and Deathworld by Steve Lyons. What can I say? It continued the great debut and the second book (my favourite of the series).
The book had a decent Commissar for once... Reading several book you tend to get incompetents, or heroes that completely fail to act like Commissars. He was also interesting, in that he didn't always get on with everyone else. In fact, many of the characters didn't...usually anyone the heroes don't like turns out to be a coward, traitor or deserter at some stage later on. That didn't happened here and that was very good. Anti-Cliche. The soldiers acted like soldiers and de the Medicae in the end of the book instead of the "fight to the death" to save the wounded just give them something to ease them off into death so the orks can't get to them before he goes to fight to his death. In the begining and the end the main character is on trial... I think that there wasn't much point putting the trial in, and no real reason at at sticking Space Marines, the Inquisition and an infil-traitor in. Not all books in 40k need SMs and Inquisitor. But it was not that important and revelant to story. In the end I would recommend this book to anyone who wanted to read a Soldiers point of view book. As I would recommend Fifteen Hours.
The book had a decent Commissar for once... Reading several book you tend to get incompetents, or heroes that completely fail to act like Commissars. He was also interesting, in that he didn't always get on with everyone else. In fact, many of the characters didn't...usually anyone the heroes don't like turns out to be a coward, traitor or deserter at some stage later on. That didn't happened here and that was very good. Anti-Cliche. The soldiers acted like soldiers and de the Medicae in the end of the book instead of the "fight to the death" to save the wounded just give them something to ease them off into death so the orks can't get to them before he goes to fight to his death. In the begining and the end the main character is on trial... I think that there wasn't much point putting the trial in, and no real reason at at sticking Space Marines, the Inquisition and an infil-traitor in. Not all books in 40k need SMs and Inquisitor. But it was not that important and revelant to story. In the end I would recommend this book to anyone who wanted to read a Soldiers point of view book. As I would recommend Fifteen Hours.
March 28, 2024
A great retro 40k novel I would love to see revisited.
the focus is on one of the regiments that makes the Astra Militarum interesting, and it has a fair amount of interesting dynamics within the guard ranks, elites vs commoners that sort of thing.
It also has a good amount of culture shock "stranger in a strange land" effect with a new Commissar who is not from Vostroya joining the regiment, and then eventually coming to respect the guardsmen.
My only real issue is that it leaves on a cliffhanger for a really interesting continuation we never got, and most likely will never get given that GW seems to never really come back to these earlier storylines, no matter how solid or how much people liked them.
the focus is on one of the regiments that makes the Astra Militarum interesting, and it has a fair amount of interesting dynamics within the guard ranks, elites vs commoners that sort of thing.
It also has a good amount of culture shock "stranger in a strange land" effect with a new Commissar who is not from Vostroya joining the regiment, and then eventually coming to respect the guardsmen.
My only real issue is that it leaves on a cliffhanger for a really interesting continuation we never got, and most likely will never get given that GW seems to never really come back to these earlier storylines, no matter how solid or how much people liked them.
December 18, 2014
For whatever reason this one just did not work for me. I've liked a fair amount of Parker's work, so I'm not sure if it was just him finding his 40K "voice" here or what. The first chapter was a horrible slog for me, and after that it got a little better, but the overall plot just held zero interest for me. I enjoyed the snooty commissar, his assistant, and the sniper, but everyone else was just painful to read about. Could be it gets a lot better in the latter half, but I did not make it that far.
November 10, 2019
This book is basically orks vs. space Russians, and it's every bit as entertaining as you'd imagine. Steve Parker is one of the better 40k writers, and his other Imperial Guard novel Gunheads was very engaging, so I had high hopes for this book. I wasn't disappointed. Although the protagonists are total caricatures of Russian/Cossacks, the author manages to fill them with personality. The dialogue is average to good, but the pacing and plot are the high points here. Parker never lets up on the action and keeps the meat-grinder going. Heavily recommended for any fan of the IG.
February 1, 2014
A company of Vostroyan Firstborn must fight through Ork lines to bring a political prisoner back to base to be debriefed. It was a straight forward mission read full of action and moments of human interaction. The ending, although abrupt, showed how the soldiers in the field really didn't know about the intrigues at headquarters level.
July 30, 2014
certainly a story you won't regret reading but overall just average for a w40k novel. sure there's a few interesting twists near the end which could set up a few very good sequels but as they are they're simply dead ends with no plan to finish them off. personally unfinished stories are a pet peeve of mine and while he may have meant to revisit the story he thus far hasn't.
March 1, 2008
first book on the Vostroyan's, and one of the best stories on the Imperial Guard.
March 28, 2012
A tragic story of the imperial vostrian 5th bettalion
November 8, 2012
Imperial Guard against Orks, the most satisfying mix.
September 8, 2008
Similar to fifteen hours, it is also really addicting but also gory.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews