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Ravenor #2
Ravenor Returned
On the wild frontiers of human space, Inquisitor Gideon Ravenor and his elite team of agents hunt down mankind's most dangerous enemies. If Chaos is left unchecked, mankind's future is surely doomed.
412 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 130 reviews
February 23, 2017
This one seemed a bit more fleshed out than the first novel in the trilogy, though it still seems to fall short of the Eisenhorn books. One thing that's starting to stand out for me is how Abnett paints his characters as these huge badasses in their respective fields, but that means that in order for us as readers to feel that they're in any sort of danger they have to go head to head with people at least as tough as them, which in the long run starts to seem stupid. I mean, if Harlon Nayl or Ravenor himself or any other character is so awesome and exceptional, how is it that some random dude or woman they met in some backwater planet can battle them on their own terms, whether physically or psionically. It's like a dumb formulaic Japanese cartoon where the hero always has to almost die to beat this unbelievably powerful villain, and after he manages to do it by a hair, the next episode he comes across some previously unknown bad guy that is somehow and effortlessly still MORE powerful than the guy he just barely managed to beat. Fun books, though. I'll read the third one for sure.
September 21, 2025
Ravenor Returned, the sophomore of the Ravenor trilogy, picks up right where the last installment ended. After thwarting the plans of the cartel to ambush them and drive their starship into a sun, Ravenor and company decide to head back to Eustis Majoris, the hub planet of the sector where the original story began. They know something is stinky there, but not exactly what. Besides traffic in in the fracts, the government of Eustis Majoris has been buying boatloads of computers and such from a world that for centuries had been lost in a warp storm. The warp storm killed everyone and produced the fracts, which are just shards of broken windows littering the ground of the smashed cities. Looking at the shards/fracts, one sometimes sees and feels things, almost like a drug, but emanating from the warp. The fracts, we find out, were just a sideline to the computer shipments.
Ravenor and company decide to go 'undercover' when they return, leaving the team cut off from any support of the Inquisition; they know the rot goes high in the government and feel the need not to tip their hands that they have returned. Without giving spoilers, I can say that the criminal plot indeed goes deep, and what the conspiracy hopes to achieve is really out of this world. Besides that, we have some odd cult who like to hasten death and destruction, like encouraging plagues and such. They 'see' (their members have some foresight) some manifestation of a warp demon or something arising shortly on Eustis Majoris and have agents on hand to expediate it. So, two nasty plots for our team of inquisitors to untangle!
Abnett does action very well, but here, like the previous installment, proves he also has a way with mystery and plotting. He also tosses in some cool curves and misdirections to keep things hopping, and paces this well. Looking forward to the final installment! This seems more like one large story than three discrete tales, but still, Abnett gives each a denouement and wraps things up. 4 crazy stars!!
Ravenor and company decide to go 'undercover' when they return, leaving the team cut off from any support of the Inquisition; they know the rot goes high in the government and feel the need not to tip their hands that they have returned. Without giving spoilers, I can say that the criminal plot indeed goes deep, and what the conspiracy hopes to achieve is really out of this world. Besides that, we have some odd cult who like to hasten death and destruction, like encouraging plagues and such. They 'see' (their members have some foresight) some manifestation of a warp demon or something arising shortly on Eustis Majoris and have agents on hand to expediate it. So, two nasty plots for our team of inquisitors to untangle!
Abnett does action very well, but here, like the previous installment, proves he also has a way with mystery and plotting. He also tosses in some cool curves and misdirections to keep things hopping, and paces this well. Looking forward to the final installment! This seems more like one large story than three discrete tales, but still, Abnett gives each a denouement and wraps things up. 4 crazy stars!!
August 22, 2021
I think this may be the book that made me enjoy ravenor more than eisenhorn. What a book. What an ending!
May 6, 2022
The second installment of Gideon Ravenor's adventures. Not as strong as the first, but the second act is always hard to do flawlessly as a work in its own right. The Ravenor trilogy should really be viewed as a single work, as with the Eisenhorn trilogy. Some good new characters and twists and turns. One thing that does confuse me is that we are told how powerful a psyker Ravenor is, and yet for the second book in a row he comes up second best in a final climactic psychic battle. His mind is meant to be this amazing, all powerful thing, so for him to lose all these contests makes him seem a bit toothless. Nonetheless, still a great book, classic Abnett action-adventure.
June 1, 2024
*** 4.43 ***
December 14, 2025
The Inquisitor books really are some of the best in 40K. The villain in this is so interesting to follow. In fact, this is the first where the villain gets such considerable “screen” time. Ravenor’s retinue is great, the story is followable. These just get better and better as they go.
July 8, 2022
Dan Abnett does it again. A deftly woven plot full of action, occultism, chaos and twists. Also Carl Thonius invented the grimdark post it note you heard it hear second if you have watched ArbitorIan’s Book Club
February 15, 2023
There were may plot twists around, but none that could give some more credit to the insane luck in the first book. However, the story is working, and growing well with the characters around them. Though, even more so than with Eisenhorn, we have an Ordo Xenos agent fighting at the other fronts. Expect a lot of Hereticus and a dash of Malleus from this story, if you read it!
Also, I have to add that in this novel luck and coincidence wasn't overused. Or used much at all, that is. The pieces are falling into place, telling a convincing chain-reaction of events - the way I do like it, too, and know it from most of the Horus Heresy novels.
Still, there is the lingering feeling of Abnett's initial idea of making Ravenor an ongoing series like Gaunt's Ghosts. Though he himself thinks the three-piece story arch was showing clearly by the end of this book, I have to differ in so much as that the plot and the action feel reminiscent of a series in its early stages.
Which isn't a bad thing. It certainly makes these novels different to Eisenhorn, giving us a new taste of inquisitorial work. I very much recommend them.
Also, I have to add that in this novel luck and coincidence wasn't overused. Or used much at all, that is. The pieces are falling into place, telling a convincing chain-reaction of events - the way I do like it, too, and know it from most of the Horus Heresy novels.
Still, there is the lingering feeling of Abnett's initial idea of making Ravenor an ongoing series like Gaunt's Ghosts. Though he himself thinks the three-piece story arch was showing clearly by the end of this book, I have to differ in so much as that the plot and the action feel reminiscent of a series in its early stages.
Which isn't a bad thing. It certainly makes these novels different to Eisenhorn, giving us a new taste of inquisitorial work. I very much recommend them.
October 6, 2019
This is by far the best of the inquisitorial series to date. I'm aware that most think the Eisenhorn trilogy to be superior, but this book captured the unearthly dread of the lovecraftian threat superbly.
September 25, 2011
Dark and out of my comfort zone. I didn't like it at first but it grew on me. Lots of death and scads of action. Nice and enjoyable. I am keeping this tale. =)
November 23, 2025
Holy shit, that was unbelievably good. I read it in about 36 hours because it was just consistently exciting and never boring for a second. I thought the first book was really good, but this one was even better. I'm so excited for the third book.
December 13, 2023
5 Estrellas, ovación y aplauso.
April 25, 2025
Please learn how to write endings soon
May 5, 2018
Dan Abnett a Warhammer je prostě dobrá kombinace. I když tohle rozhodně nepatří k jeho nejlepším sériím, pořád je to čtivé, jsou tam správně podivná prostředí a monumentální bitky. Na druhou stranu tady jde asi jde nejdál ve svém týmovkovém pojetí. Hlavní hrdina tady vlastně ani neexistuje... tedy, existuje, ale profesor Xavier (kterým se podle mě trochu inpsiroval) je vedle něj hotový Usain Bolt. A přiznám se, že zbytek týmu mi dělalo problém od sebe odlišovat. Což je jednak způsobeno mou sklerózou, jednak tím, že to Abnett fakt valí děsným tempem a nějakým rozkreslováním postav se moc nezdržuje. Chvílemi to je až škoda, na některých zajímavých místech by člověk pobyl chvíli déle.
První díl mi přišel hodně roztříštěný, tady už je to sevřenější, jsou jasní padouši a o co půjde a všechno se připravuje na finální díl trilogie. Tak uvidíme, kolik tisíců lidí zařve tam.
První díl mi přišel hodně roztříštěný, tady už je to sevřenější, jsou jasní padouši a o co půjde a všechno se připravuje na finální díl trilogie. Tak uvidíme, kolik tisíců lidí zařve tam.
November 14, 2013
This was an OK book. A decent middle chapter, no where near as good as any part of the Eisenhorn trilogy. I'll have to see how the story shapes up in the final book. It might be worth it all, or it might be just blah. Eisenhorn was excellent because of the timespan it took for the entire series to cover and really showed a great progression of the character.
Ravenor it seems, is just going to remain the goodie little two shoes he started out as and isn't going to change much.
Maybe, Abnett just isn't capable enough of a writer to really bring out what it would be like to be a skin encased brain on a hoverchair.
Ravenor it seems, is just going to remain the goodie little two shoes he started out as and isn't going to change much.
Maybe, Abnett just isn't capable enough of a writer to really bring out what it would be like to be a skin encased brain on a hoverchair.
February 20, 2023
Almost 4 years to the day since I read this for the first time, and it's still an absolute thrill. The final entry rears its head and I have no recollection of it at all.
September 27, 2024
Oh the things you know, Carl thonius.
December 23, 2013
Most people don't like being wrong. Part of the dislike towards being wrong is an innate evolutionary reaction, but most of it is culturally-ingrained. But no matter how hard one tries to avoid being wrong, one can be wrong, and far too often, is. It's simply a part of life.
Sometimes, though, one is happy to be proven wrong - there are plenty of times, I'm sure, when being right would mean something terrible, and in those moments, it's always a happy thing to know that one has been wrong the whole time.
This happens a lot to me when I'm reading series. There have been times when I've started off a series and think it promising, only to be proven wrong - sometimes horrifically so - by the time I read the end of it - and since I always try to finish a series if I like the first book, this can occasionally be a terrible experience if the subsequent books after the first one don't have any redeeming qualities at all. Case in point: Stephenie Meyer's Twilight Saga. I started on it when I first heard of the hype, and though I'd already seen the many negative reviews I thought it was only right that I came to that decision myself. The first book wasn't altogether that bad: it was juvenile, to be sure, but I thought I came to that conclusion only because I was reading it from the perspective and with the experience of a twenty-something who was already done with her teenage years and was relatively happy to leave them behind. Alas, the succeeding books proved my initial optimistic assumption wrong, and I don't think I've ever gotten rid of a set of books quite so quickly as I got rid of my copies of the Twilight Saga.
On the other hand, there have been times when I've been happy to be proven wrong about something. When I first heard about Laurie R. King's Mary Russell series, for instance, I'd heard some rumblings that they weren't very good at all, and I was pleased to find that most of the books in the series were, in fact, a lot of fun to read. The negative reviews likely came from people who had some very strict ideas about what could and couldn't be done with Sherlock Holmes (though how they summoned Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's spirit from beyond the grave to get that authority, I'd like to know).
Most recently, I've been proven wrong in my assumptions about a series by Dan Abnett's Ravenor Returns, the second book in the Ravenor trilogy, set in the massive Warhammer 40,000 shared universe. I've just come directly off the first book, Ravenor, which didn't really leave much of an impression on me, and which I found rather mediocre, especially in comparison with the Eisenhorn trilogy, which was also written by Abnett and which precedes the Ravenor trilogy.
However, Ravenor Returned proves my initial assumptions wrong - and my friend Steven correct. He was right when he told me that I should hang in there despite my misgivings, and I'm glad I did.
Taking place a year after the events of Ravenor, Ravenor Returned
In my review for Ravenor one of the first things I noted was that Ravenor didn't seem to have a very strong narrative voice - something I found disappointing, especially since I always appreciate a strong narrative voice if I'm reading anything told from a first-person perspective. I contrasted this with the Eisenhorn books, wherein the main character and narrator, Gregor Eisenhorn, had such a distinctive voice that it was possible to learn a great deal about who he was as a character just from his narration alone. I'd been hoping for that kind of narration when I started the Ravenor trilogy, and when that didn't happen in Ravenor, I found myself rather disappointed.
As of Ravenor Returned, though, I've decided to revise my stand on that matter. While I'm still disappointed that Ravenor's voice isn't as distinctive, and probably will never be, as Eisenhorn's, I've come to realize that the Ravenor books are far more about the team than they are about Ravenor himself. Sure, Ravenor's the glue that holds them all together, and in many ways he's the brain that guides them all, but I've begun to see that the series might be named after him, but it's not about him - at least, not in the same way the Eisenhorn books were about Eisenhorn, anyway. This means, then, that I should be reading the Ravenor books as being told from the third-person perspective with occasional slides into the first-person. This makes reading Ravenor Returned - and indeed, Ravenor itself - much easier to understand and settle into.
Another issue I had with Ravenor was the plot. I felt it was too small, or a little too short, like it needed some time to grow a bit more so it could be something truly spectacular. While that still stands as a bone I have to pick with Ravenor, the plot is no longer a problem in Ravenor Returned.
And as for the characters, Abnett does a fine job with them as well. As always, the members of Ravenor's team are fun to read about, and a handful of them undergo some crucial development that will certainly have an impact on events in the third novel. There are some new characters as well who prove quite interesting:
On the other hand, I'm not entirely sure how I feel about the direction Kara Swole's story has taken.
Overall, Ravenor Returned is much better than Ravenor, mostly because of the larger scale of the plot and the direction certain characters take. It also becomes clear in this novel why Ravenor isn't really the main narrator of his own series in the same way Eisenhorn was in his, and while I would have liked for that to have been clearer in the first novel, finally seeing the purpose behind it in Ravenor Returned is better than seeing it only in the last book of the trilogy.
At the very least, all indicators show that I can look forward to an explosive, bloody, and likely heart-wrenching conclusion to the trilogy when I get to the last book, Ravenor Rogue. I can already tell one of the major outcomes just from the title alone, but how that happens still remains to be seen - and after this novel, I'm very much looking forward to finding out how it all goes down.
Sometimes, though, one is happy to be proven wrong - there are plenty of times, I'm sure, when being right would mean something terrible, and in those moments, it's always a happy thing to know that one has been wrong the whole time.
This happens a lot to me when I'm reading series. There have been times when I've started off a series and think it promising, only to be proven wrong - sometimes horrifically so - by the time I read the end of it - and since I always try to finish a series if I like the first book, this can occasionally be a terrible experience if the subsequent books after the first one don't have any redeeming qualities at all. Case in point: Stephenie Meyer's Twilight Saga. I started on it when I first heard of the hype, and though I'd already seen the many negative reviews I thought it was only right that I came to that decision myself. The first book wasn't altogether that bad: it was juvenile, to be sure, but I thought I came to that conclusion only because I was reading it from the perspective and with the experience of a twenty-something who was already done with her teenage years and was relatively happy to leave them behind. Alas, the succeeding books proved my initial optimistic assumption wrong, and I don't think I've ever gotten rid of a set of books quite so quickly as I got rid of my copies of the Twilight Saga.
On the other hand, there have been times when I've been happy to be proven wrong about something. When I first heard about Laurie R. King's Mary Russell series, for instance, I'd heard some rumblings that they weren't very good at all, and I was pleased to find that most of the books in the series were, in fact, a lot of fun to read. The negative reviews likely came from people who had some very strict ideas about what could and couldn't be done with Sherlock Holmes (though how they summoned Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's spirit from beyond the grave to get that authority, I'd like to know).
Most recently, I've been proven wrong in my assumptions about a series by Dan Abnett's Ravenor Returns, the second book in the Ravenor trilogy, set in the massive Warhammer 40,000 shared universe. I've just come directly off the first book, Ravenor, which didn't really leave much of an impression on me, and which I found rather mediocre, especially in comparison with the Eisenhorn trilogy, which was also written by Abnett and which precedes the Ravenor trilogy.
However, Ravenor Returned proves my initial assumptions wrong - and my friend Steven correct. He was right when he told me that I should hang in there despite my misgivings, and I'm glad I did.
Taking place a year after the events of Ravenor, Ravenor Returned
In my review for Ravenor one of the first things I noted was that Ravenor didn't seem to have a very strong narrative voice - something I found disappointing, especially since I always appreciate a strong narrative voice if I'm reading anything told from a first-person perspective. I contrasted this with the Eisenhorn books, wherein the main character and narrator, Gregor Eisenhorn, had such a distinctive voice that it was possible to learn a great deal about who he was as a character just from his narration alone. I'd been hoping for that kind of narration when I started the Ravenor trilogy, and when that didn't happen in Ravenor, I found myself rather disappointed.
As of Ravenor Returned, though, I've decided to revise my stand on that matter. While I'm still disappointed that Ravenor's voice isn't as distinctive, and probably will never be, as Eisenhorn's, I've come to realize that the Ravenor books are far more about the team than they are about Ravenor himself. Sure, Ravenor's the glue that holds them all together, and in many ways he's the brain that guides them all, but I've begun to see that the series might be named after him, but it's not about him - at least, not in the same way the Eisenhorn books were about Eisenhorn, anyway. This means, then, that I should be reading the Ravenor books as being told from the third-person perspective with occasional slides into the first-person. This makes reading Ravenor Returned - and indeed, Ravenor itself - much easier to understand and settle into.
Another issue I had with Ravenor was the plot. I felt it was too small, or a little too short, like it needed some time to grow a bit more so it could be something truly spectacular. While that still stands as a bone I have to pick with Ravenor, the plot is no longer a problem in Ravenor Returned.
And as for the characters, Abnett does a fine job with them as well. As always, the members of Ravenor's team are fun to read about, and a handful of them undergo some crucial development that will certainly have an impact on events in the third novel. There are some new characters as well who prove quite interesting:
On the other hand, I'm not entirely sure how I feel about the direction Kara Swole's story has taken.
Overall, Ravenor Returned is much better than Ravenor, mostly because of the larger scale of the plot and the direction certain characters take. It also becomes clear in this novel why Ravenor isn't really the main narrator of his own series in the same way Eisenhorn was in his, and while I would have liked for that to have been clearer in the first novel, finally seeing the purpose behind it in Ravenor Returned is better than seeing it only in the last book of the trilogy.
At the very least, all indicators show that I can look forward to an explosive, bloody, and likely heart-wrenching conclusion to the trilogy when I get to the last book, Ravenor Rogue. I can already tell one of the major outcomes just from the title alone, but how that happens still remains to be seen - and after this novel, I'm very much looking forward to finding out how it all goes down.
September 17, 2024
This book was awesome! I enjoyed every second of it. It's like a spy detective story on steroids, with infilatrations, intelligence gathering, deception and the occasional action scene. In comparison to the Eisenhorn books, I like the closer continuation of the story between books, compared to the hundreds of years and kinda skips in missions and occurences there. Especially the lost and new characters without any context. Obviously, that had it's charme and shows the grand scale of things in the universe, but made for a less enjoyable experience. Now, with the two Ravenor books, I got really attached to the characters of his retinue. Even Unwerth... ^^
SPOILERS
After some investigations they get back to Zayl's homeworld of Eustis Majoris, being undercover as their opponents think they are dead because of their plotting. I like that the author shows scenes from the point of view of the enemies, the cult and the secretists alike. Sometimes they get into a huge fight having to cover their tracks and then Ravenor just talks to that retired Rogue Trader and basically gets all the info about Contract 13. Still not, what they are actually trying to accomplish, as he didn't know, but a lot. Felt a bit weird how he could extract that at this stage.
Then the glimpses of what is happening to Carl, which kept me asking. I assumed he was the demon manifestation Slyte after his chase scene. Once again, Inquisitors seem prone to keeping prisoners alive for them to escape and make problems. Oh well.
Kara and the doctor felt a bit stilted, but ok. Nayl keeps being him, as does Frauke, but even he receives a little character progression.
Admittedly, the bad guys are kinda more interesting. Thrice was cool, as well as Revoke and how powerful he was in holding back the brass thief. The Diadochoi was weird, but I didn't thought of that being Molotch. Culzean felt interesting, how he manipulates and bluffs his way around.
And understanding this grand scheme of building a library and understanding of Enuncia felt astonishing and well portrayed by their work within the ministry. All the high profile cover ups and machinations for such a big city felt convincing to me. Not sure about this power words warp magics, but I can't say I fully understand it yet. Nevertheless, seems powerful and understandable they want to control that.
So now, they need to continue going after Molotch, which I certainly want to read.
SPOILERS
After some investigations they get back to Zayl's homeworld of Eustis Majoris, being undercover as their opponents think they are dead because of their plotting. I like that the author shows scenes from the point of view of the enemies, the cult and the secretists alike. Sometimes they get into a huge fight having to cover their tracks and then Ravenor just talks to that retired Rogue Trader and basically gets all the info about Contract 13. Still not, what they are actually trying to accomplish, as he didn't know, but a lot. Felt a bit weird how he could extract that at this stage.
Then the glimpses of what is happening to Carl, which kept me asking. I assumed he was the demon manifestation Slyte after his chase scene. Once again, Inquisitors seem prone to keeping prisoners alive for them to escape and make problems. Oh well.
Kara and the doctor felt a bit stilted, but ok. Nayl keeps being him, as does Frauke, but even he receives a little character progression.
Admittedly, the bad guys are kinda more interesting. Thrice was cool, as well as Revoke and how powerful he was in holding back the brass thief. The Diadochoi was weird, but I didn't thought of that being Molotch. Culzean felt interesting, how he manipulates and bluffs his way around.
And understanding this grand scheme of building a library and understanding of Enuncia felt astonishing and well portrayed by their work within the ministry. All the high profile cover ups and machinations for such a big city felt convincing to me. Not sure about this power words warp magics, but I can't say I fully understand it yet. Nevertheless, seems powerful and understandable they want to control that.
So now, they need to continue going after Molotch, which I certainly want to read.
June 28, 2025
Ravenor Strikes Back
My gut feeling is that this entry is a step up from the first Ravenor book. Things feel tighter, better paced and the ending is an absolute banger sans a deus ex machina to take you right out of it, looking at you book 1 👀
As opposed to Eisenhorn with its huge time jumps, this story follows on pretty much contemporaneously from book 1 with Ravenor and his motley crew investigating the mysterious flect trade/smuggling of heretical technology and uncovering something much more sinister. What I love about the Ravenor books is that Abnett is not afraid to play with multiple genres and once again bathes us in oppressive cyberpunk Bladerunner-esque city scapes whilst adeptly lacing heist, rescue and political plot lines.
I feel we get to know the characters a lot better in this book and the more I found myself reading the more I enjoyed their company. There isn't too much character development as the book is focussed on driving the narrative forward primarily but the team remain a fun bunch to spend time with. I particularly found the introduction of Zael, the child picked up form the first book, an excellent counterpoint to the gruff, macho bulk of Ravenors squad.
Ravenor as a character is unfortunately still fairly under developed and most of the action is seen through the eyes of his squad as he is routinely confined to his mobile coffin on wheels. It is a by-product of that plot device that unfortunately ties Ravenor down from taking part in a lot of the action.
Ravenor Returned very much feels like the Empire Strikes Back of the trilogy. I have found Abnett struggles with the endings of his books sometimes and I am pleased that this book ended on an extremely exciting note. The climax is riveting as I decided to put of essential work I probably should have been doing to beast through to the end. Did it leave me aching to immediately start book 3. Yes it bloody did.
My gut feeling is that this entry is a step up from the first Ravenor book. Things feel tighter, better paced and the ending is an absolute banger sans a deus ex machina to take you right out of it, looking at you book 1 👀
As opposed to Eisenhorn with its huge time jumps, this story follows on pretty much contemporaneously from book 1 with Ravenor and his motley crew investigating the mysterious flect trade/smuggling of heretical technology and uncovering something much more sinister. What I love about the Ravenor books is that Abnett is not afraid to play with multiple genres and once again bathes us in oppressive cyberpunk Bladerunner-esque city scapes whilst adeptly lacing heist, rescue and political plot lines.
I feel we get to know the characters a lot better in this book and the more I found myself reading the more I enjoyed their company. There isn't too much character development as the book is focussed on driving the narrative forward primarily but the team remain a fun bunch to spend time with. I particularly found the introduction of Zael, the child picked up form the first book, an excellent counterpoint to the gruff, macho bulk of Ravenors squad.
Ravenor as a character is unfortunately still fairly under developed and most of the action is seen through the eyes of his squad as he is routinely confined to his mobile coffin on wheels. It is a by-product of that plot device that unfortunately ties Ravenor down from taking part in a lot of the action.
Ravenor Returned very much feels like the Empire Strikes Back of the trilogy. I have found Abnett struggles with the endings of his books sometimes and I am pleased that this book ended on an extremely exciting note. The climax is riveting as I decided to put of essential work I probably should have been doing to beast through to the end. Did it leave me aching to immediately start book 3. Yes it bloody did.
December 12, 2017
Inquisitor Gideon Ravenor and his team have evaded a lethal trap and returned incognito to Eustis Majoris. Aware that some of the planet's law-enforcement agencies are involved the flect trade, Ravenor invokes Special Condition status, going deep undercover and gaining the ability to deal with the crisis any way he sees fit.
Ravenor Returned is the second novel in the Ravenor Trilogy and, unusually for an Abnett WH40K novel, does not stand alone, instead picking up almost immediately after the events of the previous book (the omnibus edition incorporates a short story where Ravenor is briefly reunited with Eisenhorn and receives a dire warning of events to come). Ravenor and his team are back on Eustis Majoris, able to operate only on their own with no official assistance, whilst their various adversaries are continuing to forward their own plans.
One of the more notable changes to Ravenor Returned from the previous novel is that there are two factions opposed to Ravenor with their own complex plans in motion and we get POV chapters in both camps, building up a much more complete picture of what is going on. This gives rise to some of Abnett's better-realised adversaries, such as Lucius Worna and Revoke, as their agendas also clash (rather amusingly, in one case) with one another as well as the Inquisition. But once again the main focus of character development is on Ravenor's team as they continue to face their own challenges and issues (some pretty major ones, in one case).
Complaints are few. Sholto Unwerth and his splendidly entertaining diction gets disappointingly little page-time, whilst Ravenor himself is a little bit of a blank slate compared to his very well-realised team-members and Eisenhorn.
But overall, Ravenor Returned (****½) is a very fine continuation of the series. It is available now as part of the Ravenor Omnibus in the UK and USA.
Ravenor Returned is the second novel in the Ravenor Trilogy and, unusually for an Abnett WH40K novel, does not stand alone, instead picking up almost immediately after the events of the previous book (the omnibus edition incorporates a short story where Ravenor is briefly reunited with Eisenhorn and receives a dire warning of events to come). Ravenor and his team are back on Eustis Majoris, able to operate only on their own with no official assistance, whilst their various adversaries are continuing to forward their own plans.
One of the more notable changes to Ravenor Returned from the previous novel is that there are two factions opposed to Ravenor with their own complex plans in motion and we get POV chapters in both camps, building up a much more complete picture of what is going on. This gives rise to some of Abnett's better-realised adversaries, such as Lucius Worna and Revoke, as their agendas also clash (rather amusingly, in one case) with one another as well as the Inquisition. But once again the main focus of character development is on Ravenor's team as they continue to face their own challenges and issues (some pretty major ones, in one case).
Complaints are few. Sholto Unwerth and his splendidly entertaining diction gets disappointingly little page-time, whilst Ravenor himself is a little bit of a blank slate compared to his very well-realised team-members and Eisenhorn.
But overall, Ravenor Returned (****½) is a very fine continuation of the series. It is available now as part of the Ravenor Omnibus in the UK and USA.
October 23, 2021
An interesting one - this is definitely an attempt to move into more ambitious, complicated story-telling than the Eisenhorn books, and it gets strong points for effort, but it also *sprawls* a bit too much. If the Eisenhorn books were tight, economical movie treatments this is a rambling netflix drama... with a few too many characters and a tendency to loose track of the plot at times.
Compared to the first one there's a bit more humour and humanity. The fleshing out of some of the supporting characters addresses a major problem from the first one. The laconic Wystan Frauka is even becoming a bit of a favorite. But still, for quite a lot of this the villains seemed more likable and human than the heroes... which may of course be deliberate.
The central problem remains Ravenor himself. He's likable enough. More human than Eisenhorn, and it's interesting how much of the book is driven by him getting things wrong or missing the point - for a genre that can easily be a power fantasy that's interesting in itself - but unlike Eisenhorn there isn't the feeling that he is going anywhere. Worse, I don't get the feeling that these books are *about* anything more than what's on the page, which was the major suprise with the Eisenhorn trilogy. Odd given they're on the surface the more 'mature' of the two trilogies.
I'll give the final one in the trilogy a run, and definitely points for effort, but I was kind of left with the feeling this would have been stronger if they'd had the villians as the protoganists and had Ravenor and his crew as shadowy antagonists.
Compared to the first one there's a bit more humour and humanity. The fleshing out of some of the supporting characters addresses a major problem from the first one. The laconic Wystan Frauka is even becoming a bit of a favorite. But still, for quite a lot of this the villains seemed more likable and human than the heroes... which may of course be deliberate.
The central problem remains Ravenor himself. He's likable enough. More human than Eisenhorn, and it's interesting how much of the book is driven by him getting things wrong or missing the point - for a genre that can easily be a power fantasy that's interesting in itself - but unlike Eisenhorn there isn't the feeling that he is going anywhere. Worse, I don't get the feeling that these books are *about* anything more than what's on the page, which was the major suprise with the Eisenhorn trilogy. Odd given they're on the surface the more 'mature' of the two trilogies.
I'll give the final one in the trilogy a run, and definitely points for effort, but I was kind of left with the feeling this would have been stronger if they'd had the villians as the protoganists and had Ravenor and his crew as shadowy antagonists.
December 6, 2019
Ravenor Returned sets the tone, the atmosphere and the pace better than the first book. While there are now more enemies to deal with, switching the narrative from their point-of-view is a welcome addition to establishing the overall plot.
Ravenor and his team don't always win their battles and are consistently losing members left and right. And I think that's okay. This series has its own theme. This is not Eisenhorn, and no, these aren't Primarchs, let alone Space Marines. They get their asses handed to them by enemies that aren't just there as cannon fodder. These are also powerful, cunning and often unexpected threats. So no, don't expect Team Ravenor to always have the upper hand. Their failures also lead to deaths and disastrous consequences, but you'll have to know who these guys are and what they're up against, which this book effectively sets up.
Each of Ravenor's team members gets their chance at being introduced and developed further, but Ravenor himself . I'm not complaining, tho. Like I said, this book has its own pace, and I respect that we're not being bombarded with flashbacks or plot devices that force glimpses into a character's past. That being said, the ending was okay but is a total cliffhanger for the next book, which I'm eagerly starting right now.
Ravenor and his team don't always win their battles and are consistently losing members left and right. And I think that's okay. This series has its own theme. This is not Eisenhorn, and no, these aren't Primarchs, let alone Space Marines. They get their asses handed to them by enemies that aren't just there as cannon fodder. These are also powerful, cunning and often unexpected threats. So no, don't expect Team Ravenor to always have the upper hand. Their failures also lead to deaths and disastrous consequences, but you'll have to know who these guys are and what they're up against, which this book effectively sets up.
Each of Ravenor's team members gets their chance at being introduced and developed further, but Ravenor himself . I'm not complaining, tho. Like I said, this book has its own pace, and I respect that we're not being bombarded with flashbacks or plot devices that force glimpses into a character's past. That being said, the ending was okay but is a total cliffhanger for the next book, which I'm eagerly starting right now.
March 1, 2018
The plots thickens considerably, as schemes many years in the making come to a explosive head. Secrets are revealed and kept. And choices must be made, consequences must be borne.
___
His conversation was poor. He wanted to impress, and like many wealthy, empty men, his conspicuous wealth was the only thing he could think of using.
If you can't hide, don't. Bluster.
"I'm impressed, Wystan. I didn't think you were even listening at the briefing."
"You wound me, inquisitor. I listen. Quite often, actually. I just don't care much."
"One life, Harlon. I learned many things from Eisenhorn, but ruthlessness was not one of them. Thousands may die, millions even, unless Molotch is found and brought to justice. But any count of a million starts with one, and to ignore one life when there is still a chance of saving it, well, one might as well give up on the other 999,999 as well."
And this winner from Unwerth: "Well I am five saken."
"Five?"
"It is one more than four saken. It is a level of grief behind which there is no furthestmost."
"Except six?"
"Pray no one ever experiences six saken."
___
His conversation was poor. He wanted to impress, and like many wealthy, empty men, his conspicuous wealth was the only thing he could think of using.
If you can't hide, don't. Bluster.
"I'm impressed, Wystan. I didn't think you were even listening at the briefing."
"You wound me, inquisitor. I listen. Quite often, actually. I just don't care much."
"One life, Harlon. I learned many things from Eisenhorn, but ruthlessness was not one of them. Thousands may die, millions even, unless Molotch is found and brought to justice. But any count of a million starts with one, and to ignore one life when there is still a chance of saving it, well, one might as well give up on the other 999,999 as well."
And this winner from Unwerth: "Well I am five saken."
"Five?"
"It is one more than four saken. It is a level of grief behind which there is no furthestmost."
"Except six?"
"Pray no one ever experiences six saken."
January 4, 2024
I enjoyed this but, as with the first book in this trilogy, think that it fell short of the prior trilogy eisenhorn. this book was fun and well paced and engaging for about 60% and then got a bit weird. I had a few major gripes:
firstly ravenor the titular character seemed weirdly useless this whole book. he is an inquisitor but seemingly has NO powers of deduction or intuition (most of the bad guys are hiding right under his nose the hole time?) and his psyker powers didnt really play any part in any of the climaxes
some of the combat was quite cool, i really enjoyed the ice hive world and the wych house, very unique setting and exacerbated the feeling of the narrative at that point
i struggled to connect with some of the secondary characters, especially the ones introduced in this book, but for the most part they were all good inclusions. i found that many of the main characters had quite unsatisfactory endings but remember that being common in the eisenhorn trilogy too, so might just be a quirk of the author
overall this was fun but defintely not groundbreaking. will probably read on but in absolutely no rush
firstly ravenor the titular character seemed weirdly useless this whole book. he is an inquisitor but seemingly has NO powers of deduction or intuition (most of the bad guys are hiding right under his nose the hole time?) and his psyker powers didnt really play any part in any of the climaxes
some of the combat was quite cool, i really enjoyed the ice hive world and the wych house, very unique setting and exacerbated the feeling of the narrative at that point
i struggled to connect with some of the secondary characters, especially the ones introduced in this book, but for the most part they were all good inclusions. i found that many of the main characters had quite unsatisfactory endings but remember that being common in the eisenhorn trilogy too, so might just be a quirk of the author
overall this was fun but defintely not groundbreaking. will probably read on but in absolutely no rush
July 8, 2022
This is the second book of the Ravenor trilogy. It's set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, but you don't really need to know anything about that to enjoy the book.
This is a direct continuation of the trilogy and feels like it. It is a sort-of self contained story, but there is a lot of setting things up for the final book, so don't bother with this one unless you plan to read both.
It's basically a detective story in space, with a some sci-fi elements thrown in. I quite like the way the hive city is described, and the background given to some things that never influence the tabletop games on which this is based. I particularly liked the idea of hundreds of thousands of people working in a single building, processing endless streams of data with what I imagined to be Victorian-style technology running 'cogitators'. The whole idea of mankind being able to operate starships but not build a computer is a bit daft, but it's all part of the setting.
Not an amazing book, but enjoyable enough.
This is a direct continuation of the trilogy and feels like it. It is a sort-of self contained story, but there is a lot of setting things up for the final book, so don't bother with this one unless you plan to read both.
It's basically a detective story in space, with a some sci-fi elements thrown in. I quite like the way the hive city is described, and the background given to some things that never influence the tabletop games on which this is based. I particularly liked the idea of hundreds of thousands of people working in a single building, processing endless streams of data with what I imagined to be Victorian-style technology running 'cogitators'. The whole idea of mankind being able to operate starships but not build a computer is a bit daft, but it's all part of the setting.
Not an amazing book, but enjoyable enough.
June 15, 2024
I'll avoid repeating my review of the first book, as it is very similar.
Ravenor trilogy reads really like a long single story. Ravenor Returned,for being second on a trilogy works quite correctly without falling into the "bridge syndrome".
The main weaknesses of the first book still appear though: slightly below Eisenhorn trilogy, very awkward management of the very own Ravenor who can be extremely powerful of useless depending on the need of the plot.
Even though the plot tries to go higher stakes than the first book, for some reason for me Moloth as arch-nemesis feels very underdeveloped, I can't just care about him, and being the nemesis meant to define much of what Ravenor does it makes the whole plot to feel not as high stakes as I'd like to, or as high hyperbolic as warhammer novels have us accustomed to.
Would I recommend this book? Just as an easy-to-read entertainment. For being a warhammer novel, which is a universe with very regrettable low quality authors, Dan Abnnet easily stands out with Ravenor, but he has better books in the same universe.
Ravenor trilogy reads really like a long single story. Ravenor Returned,for being second on a trilogy works quite correctly without falling into the "bridge syndrome".
The main weaknesses of the first book still appear though: slightly below Eisenhorn trilogy, very awkward management of the very own Ravenor who can be extremely powerful of useless depending on the need of the plot.
Even though the plot tries to go higher stakes than the first book, for some reason for me Moloth as arch-nemesis feels very underdeveloped, I can't just care about him, and being the nemesis meant to define much of what Ravenor does it makes the whole plot to feel not as high stakes as I'd like to, or as high hyperbolic as warhammer novels have us accustomed to.
Would I recommend this book? Just as an easy-to-read entertainment. For being a warhammer novel, which is a universe with very regrettable low quality authors, Dan Abnnet easily stands out with Ravenor, but he has better books in the same universe.
June 2, 2021
A bit more thought out than the first book in the Ravenor trilogy, I still think this series has fallen short of Eisenhorn. The Eisenhorn trilogy grabbed me almost instantly. I do like the characters, I understand the threats, but overall I just don't care much for Ravenor as a character; its a shame we didn't get more time with him before he was so quickly taken out so quickly in "Malleus" as having more setup for him might have helped? Still, you should be able to read, and appreciate, this trilogy without having read the Eisenhorn books. Also, I find it strange to see how powerful he is said to be but he consistently gets taken out by characters. Many times its his retinue saving his hide opposed to Ravenor accomplishing things on his own and I very much dislike that.
Either way, I enjoyed the book fine but I would be lying if I didn't say that I was forcing my way through the Ravenor books so I can get to the Bequin trilogy.
Either way, I enjoyed the book fine but I would be lying if I didn't say that I was forcing my way through the Ravenor books so I can get to the Bequin trilogy.
December 26, 2021
Following up on Ravenor, the second book in the series is more fleshed out, especially regarding the antagonists. Usually, I'm not a fan of antagonist points of view, especially when they act as true villains with no redeeming features - kinda like here. They're bad. Really bad, and you get that from the first pages, but it's truly a delight to follow the bad guys planning more meticulously than the good guys with unexpected consequences.
It makes for more interesting confrontations, as you start to root a little bit for the villains, too. Not too much but enough to doubt the results of important battles. And that's an exciting feature of this book.
I'm not going to compare it with the previous novels written by Abnett as probably it feels more limited in scope and not so epic, sometimes following a comic book formula, but nevertheless, I appreciate the Ravenor series because secondary characters have more time to shine to grow.
It makes for more interesting confrontations, as you start to root a little bit for the villains, too. Not too much but enough to doubt the results of important battles. And that's an exciting feature of this book.
I'm not going to compare it with the previous novels written by Abnett as probably it feels more limited in scope and not so epic, sometimes following a comic book formula, but nevertheless, I appreciate the Ravenor series because secondary characters have more time to shine to grow.
November 20, 2020
The second book in the omnibus was a much quicker take off for me since I had the background on all the folks. I enjoyed more POV from Ravenor himself and a couple other characters that didn't get as much attention in the first one while missing Nayl (he's there just more secondary now).
I think I've decided I don't like how he writes the two main women, Kara and Patience. I could never keep them apart in my head. Like there wasn't enough difference in personality, they have different back stories, powers, and looks but they didn't feel different when they spoke or reacted to things. However they are both badass and some of that is leaving towards the end of this book. Also, there are a lot of characters to keep track of so they could just get lost in the mix.
Enjoyed it a lot! Love the overarching plot between all books.
I think I've decided I don't like how he writes the two main women, Kara and Patience. I could never keep them apart in my head. Like there wasn't enough difference in personality, they have different back stories, powers, and looks but they didn't feel different when they spoke or reacted to things. However they are both badass and some of that is leaving towards the end of this book. Also, there are a lot of characters to keep track of so they could just get lost in the mix.
Enjoyed it a lot! Love the overarching plot between all books.
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