What do you think?
Rate this book
Bequin #1
Pariah
In the city of Queen Mab, nothing is quite as it seems. Pariah, spy and Inquisitorial agent, Alizebeth Bequin is all of these things and yet none of them. An enigma, even to herself, she is caught between Inquisitors Gregor Eisenhorn and Gideon Ravenor, former allies now enemies who are playing a shadow game against a mysterious and deadly foe. Coveted by the Archenemy, pursued by the Inquisition, Bequin becomes embroiled in a dark plot of which she knows not her role or purpose. Helped by a disparate group of allies, she must unravel the secrets of her life and past if she is to survive a coming battle in which the line between friends and foes is fatally blurred.
Read it because
It's an intriguing and evocative story that shows characters you know and love through new (yet strangely familiar) eyes, and forges a stunning mystery that will leave you astonished.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2012
444 people are currently reading
2784 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 250 reviews
January 14, 2021
Someone please get to work cloning Mr. Abnett.
May 18, 2017
I am a big fan of the Warhammer 40K series of novels. I've read several and this is one of the first ones that the story did not revolve around Space Marines. To me that was novel.
A Pariah is a psyker that has no soul. Due to this they are unaffected by the Warp and psyker abilities. Beta Bequin is one such person. Raised as an orphan by a strange offshoot of the Inquisitores Ordos., she becomes a skilled intelligence agent. Except the Inquisition has THREE Ordos- Xenos (aliens); Malleus (Daemons) and Hereticus (Heretics), thus what is this mysterious fourth?
In the Maze Undue, the training facility for the Ordos, Beta and her classmates are taught the intricacies of being a top level field operative. All that ends on a stunning night of attack. What follows is a fine tale of duplicity and bizarre events.
What I found very interesting about this book is that it deals with other parts of the Imperium. Beta's Ordos may not be what it seems. Not to mention two great Inquisitors (Ravenor and Eisenhorn) are working at cross purposes for the same goal.
This is a good look at the different aspects of training for the Inquisition. I also found the concept of "eudaemonic" research to be interesting. In essence this Ordos believes it can use the powers of the Warp against the Warp. Obviously such a path is fraught with peril. Something they find out quickly, not to mention that in the eyes of the rest of the Imperium this is heresy.
While Space Marines DO make an appearance, they are Traitor Marines. From Teke, the Smiling One, who is an Emperor's Children Marine (one of the legions that sided with Horus during the Heresy) and two Space Marines of the Word Bearer's Legion (another Traitor Legion) are involved. They wish to recruit or kidnap Beta because she might lead them to a sacred "word of power". With this word, the Imperium could be unmade via spellwork.
Thus a very interesting and different look at the Warhammer 40k world. I enjoyed it. I will be looking up the remaining books in this series. If you're a Warhammer 40K fan and would like to read about something other than Space Marines-this is a good book for you. If you are unfamiliar with the Warhammer 40K world, this may be a little confusing. I am fairly well versed in the world and even I found some of the things to be confusing till the middle and end parts of the tale when things begin to clear up. I also enjoyed seeing the various sections of the Inquisition and how they work (Or not). Eisenhorn is a famous figure and this is the first time I encounter him in an actual story, rather than in passing. Also the conflicts between the Traitor Legions is interesting. Since they are no longer human, but daemon spawn-it is fascinating to see how the Word Bearer's and Emperor's Children are no longer allies but will fight among themselves.
Hopefully the rest of the series will keep to this same level of interest and plot. If so I will most certainly buy them.
A Pariah is a psyker that has no soul. Due to this they are unaffected by the Warp and psyker abilities. Beta Bequin is one such person. Raised as an orphan by a strange offshoot of the Inquisitores Ordos., she becomes a skilled intelligence agent. Except the Inquisition has THREE Ordos- Xenos (aliens); Malleus (Daemons) and Hereticus (Heretics), thus what is this mysterious fourth?
In the Maze Undue, the training facility for the Ordos, Beta and her classmates are taught the intricacies of being a top level field operative. All that ends on a stunning night of attack. What follows is a fine tale of duplicity and bizarre events.
What I found very interesting about this book is that it deals with other parts of the Imperium. Beta's Ordos may not be what it seems. Not to mention two great Inquisitors (Ravenor and Eisenhorn) are working at cross purposes for the same goal.
This is a good look at the different aspects of training for the Inquisition. I also found the concept of "eudaemonic" research to be interesting. In essence this Ordos believes it can use the powers of the Warp against the Warp. Obviously such a path is fraught with peril. Something they find out quickly, not to mention that in the eyes of the rest of the Imperium this is heresy.
While Space Marines DO make an appearance, they are Traitor Marines. From Teke, the Smiling One, who is an Emperor's Children Marine (one of the legions that sided with Horus during the Heresy) and two Space Marines of the Word Bearer's Legion (another Traitor Legion) are involved. They wish to recruit or kidnap Beta because she might lead them to a sacred "word of power". With this word, the Imperium could be unmade via spellwork.
Thus a very interesting and different look at the Warhammer 40k world. I enjoyed it. I will be looking up the remaining books in this series. If you're a Warhammer 40K fan and would like to read about something other than Space Marines-this is a good book for you. If you are unfamiliar with the Warhammer 40K world, this may be a little confusing. I am fairly well versed in the world and even I found some of the things to be confusing till the middle and end parts of the tale when things begin to clear up. I also enjoyed seeing the various sections of the Inquisition and how they work (Or not). Eisenhorn is a famous figure and this is the first time I encounter him in an actual story, rather than in passing. Also the conflicts between the Traitor Legions is interesting. Since they are no longer human, but daemon spawn-it is fascinating to see how the Word Bearer's and Emperor's Children are no longer allies but will fight among themselves.
Hopefully the rest of the series will keep to this same level of interest and plot. If so I will most certainly buy them.
June 25, 2023
7,5/10
Hacía tiempo que no leía nada de WH40K y cuando vi este libro me hizo gracia, ya que se aleja bastante de los estándares de los marines espaciales y demás, que es lo que más he leído.
La trama nos sitúa en uno de los millares de mundos que controla el Imperio, Reina Mab. De primeras no tiene nada demasiado especial, pero conforme vamos avanzando vamos viendo que en este planeta se está gestando algo importante, y nuestra protagonista, Bequin, una joven entrenada por la Inquisición, es objeto de deseo de diferentes bandos, cuyos objetivos le son desconocidos a la joven, por lo que no deja de huir sin saber quienes son sus amigos y enemigos.
Me ha gustado el cambio de escenario con respecto a lo que estaba habituado, también los guiños a la Herejía y que bueno, el libro tiene bastante acción y se lee rápido, algo que siempre me gusta.
Por el lado contrario, todo el conjunto cumple, pero al mismo tiempo hay momentos que se queda corto. Le falta trasfondo en muchos casos y más profundidad. Pero claro es una novela de WH40K, aquí no vas a encontrar una prosa delicada ni una gran profundidad.
Si traducen los demás libros seguro que los leo.
Hacía tiempo que no leía nada de WH40K y cuando vi este libro me hizo gracia, ya que se aleja bastante de los estándares de los marines espaciales y demás, que es lo que más he leído.
La trama nos sitúa en uno de los millares de mundos que controla el Imperio, Reina Mab. De primeras no tiene nada demasiado especial, pero conforme vamos avanzando vamos viendo que en este planeta se está gestando algo importante, y nuestra protagonista, Bequin, una joven entrenada por la Inquisición, es objeto de deseo de diferentes bandos, cuyos objetivos le son desconocidos a la joven, por lo que no deja de huir sin saber quienes son sus amigos y enemigos.
Me ha gustado el cambio de escenario con respecto a lo que estaba habituado, también los guiños a la Herejía y que bueno, el libro tiene bastante acción y se lee rápido, algo que siempre me gusta.
Por el lado contrario, todo el conjunto cumple, pero al mismo tiempo hay momentos que se queda corto. Le falta trasfondo en muchos casos y más profundidad. Pero claro es una novela de WH40K, aquí no vas a encontrar una prosa delicada ni una gran profundidad.
Si traducen los demás libros seguro que los leo.
September 28, 2022
Tentadísima de leerme ya el siguiente de lo mucho que me ha gustado, menos mal que van a dejarme hablar de él en un podcast 🤗❤
October 8, 2012
Pariah! For those who waited years for the final 'trilogy of trilogies,' closure is upon us!
Pariah had me hooked from the very beginning, as Bequin is back from her coma (Or is she?) and is embroiled in a complex plot with many a twist and turn. I constantly asked myeslef "The hell is going on here?" and powered through the novel in two days. Of course, I had even more unanswered questions by the end and will have to wait god knows how long for the next book and hope for "Penitent."
I'll call out one part of the book that was written exceptionally well and was downright terrifying, the dolls! I won't say any more, but the good Mr. Abnett should consider branching into the horror genre with that quality of work.
My only criticism is that Bequin isn't much of a character in this book. She's the MacGuffin that's shoved from plot point to plot point and never takes hold of her own destiny or controls the story. She's constantly put in peril, then rescued by yet another faction, then lost to another faction, then imperiled, repeat, etc.
Still, this book is a must read for all fans of Inquisitors Eisenhorn (he's back!) and Ravenor (also back!). A fine opener to the final trilogy.
Oh...I am Alpharius. I should add.
Pariah had me hooked from the very beginning, as Bequin is back from her coma (Or is she?) and is embroiled in a complex plot with many a twist and turn. I constantly asked myeslef "The hell is going on here?" and powered through the novel in two days. Of course, I had even more unanswered questions by the end and will have to wait god knows how long for the next book and hope for "Penitent."
I'll call out one part of the book that was written exceptionally well and was downright terrifying, the dolls! I won't say any more, but the good Mr. Abnett should consider branching into the horror genre with that quality of work.
My only criticism is that Bequin isn't much of a character in this book. She's the MacGuffin that's shoved from plot point to plot point and never takes hold of her own destiny or controls the story. She's constantly put in peril, then rescued by yet another faction, then lost to another faction, then imperiled, repeat, etc.
Still, this book is a must read for all fans of Inquisitors Eisenhorn (he's back!) and Ravenor (also back!). A fine opener to the final trilogy.
Oh...I am Alpharius. I should add.
October 2, 2012
wow. I was hooked from the very beginning. In fairness, I had been waiting for this book for a very long time, so expectations were high. Dan Abnett, as always, did not disappoint. The characters are fantastic, brilliantly portrayed and intelligently written. When the twists come, they come in such a subtle way that you feel your jaw drop when the full impact of what you have just read sinks in. As for the ending, well that had me grinning from ear to ear and yanking at my hair for more. Bravo, Mr Abnett, bravo.
October 30, 2012
This book started out quite slowly. I loved the Eisenhorn and Ravenor trilogies, so I was super pumped for this come out. I was disappointed at first, the titular characters of Eisenhorn and Ravenor are nowhere to be found in the first two thirds or so of the book. I'm glad I stuck with it and trusted Abnett to deliver a great story. He wraps everything up, brings it all together, and leaves the story on such an awesome cliffhanger that I can't wait for the next book.
April 7, 2025
Pierwsza połowa przynudza, nie strzelają się czy coś
March 12, 2023
Wow. It's like Abnett reincarnated in an even more wicked version of himself. I don't know how to review this book without spoiling the best bits, they are everywhere!
Don't read this book before reading the Eisenhorn and Ravenor series!
Often have I picked up steampunk / urban-fantasy novels that promised all the mystery, ambience and thriller which I've now found within Pariah. A female heroine in the role of a powerful special agent for [insert your favorite institution here] without parents, an orphan with strong resolve and believes, facing events that shake the very foundation of everything she thought she knew, while trying to keep up to her mission but slowly tumbling deeper into doubt about the value of that mission, compared to everything else.
In my opinion, Abnett wrote this with more daring compositions of elements from the 40k universe than ever before. And sorry but I can't say more without spoiling the surprise, seriously! I hope it will be as entertaining and exciting to other friends of the franchise as it was to me!
On top of that, after reading Eisenhorn and Ravenor, the reader is familiar with so many symbols, names and concepts which the heroine is only learning for the first time of her live, oblivious to all the implications. We recognize so many faces and agendas, but even we, the reader, can't be sure whose side we are on. The further the protagonist spirals into the web of clashing interests and loyalties, the more the reader, too, comes to question their knowledge of the powers at play.
This captivating scheme holds up until the very last page, to the very last line of the book. It's a blessing the second of the series has already been published, a copy sitting in arms reach as I type this. Though I fear the ending of Penitent will be even harder to bear.
Don't read this book before reading the Eisenhorn and Ravenor series!
Often have I picked up steampunk / urban-fantasy novels that promised all the mystery, ambience and thriller which I've now found within Pariah. A female heroine in the role of a powerful special agent for [insert your favorite institution here] without parents, an orphan with strong resolve and believes, facing events that shake the very foundation of everything she thought she knew, while trying to keep up to her mission but slowly tumbling deeper into doubt about the value of that mission, compared to everything else.
In my opinion, Abnett wrote this with more daring compositions of elements from the 40k universe than ever before. And sorry but I can't say more without spoiling the surprise, seriously! I hope it will be as entertaining and exciting to other friends of the franchise as it was to me!
On top of that, after reading Eisenhorn and Ravenor, the reader is familiar with so many symbols, names and concepts which the heroine is only learning for the first time of her live, oblivious to all the implications. We recognize so many faces and agendas, but even we, the reader, can't be sure whose side we are on. The further the protagonist spirals into the web of clashing interests and loyalties, the more the reader, too, comes to question their knowledge of the powers at play.
This captivating scheme holds up until the very last page, to the very last line of the book. It's a blessing the second of the series has already been published, a copy sitting in arms reach as I type this. Though I fear the ending of Penitent will be even harder to bear.
March 25, 2025
Struggled with this book, didn't really Grip me, was a struggle to get any traction and build momentum and so took weeks instead of days. Was never dying to pick the book back up and find out what happens next, was just grudgingly stubborn to finish it a few pages at a time.
Also some of the parts of the story, the discoveries and revelations seemed a bit weird and grasping trying to make something be grand and unique, but instead made it seem a bit disappointing.
Not a bad book, just not great.
Also some of the parts of the story, the discoveries and revelations seemed a bit weird and grasping trying to make something be grand and unique, but instead made it seem a bit disappointing.
Not a bad book, just not great.
January 5, 2013
You can find the full review over at The Founding Fields:
http://thefoundingfields.com/2013/01/...
Shadowhawk reviews the latest Inquisition novel from Dan Abnett.
“In the battle of expectations versus reality, it’s my expectations that got bombed to hell.” ~The Founding Fields
When Black Library announced last year that Dan Abnett was going to be penning a new installment for his Inquisition series, I was fairly excited. His novels with Inquisitors Gregor Eisenhorn and Gideon Ravenor are some of my favourites in all of Warhammer 40,000 and were my early reads as well. I didn’t like how the third novel in each trilogy ended, but the first two were spectacular. He put the war in warhammer in a very creative way by showing us life behind the frontlines of grand battles between two opposing armies. These books are more like crime/mystery thrillers rather than military SF as most Warhammer 40,000 books are. The new series is themed to be Eisenhorn vs Ravenor, which is a significant claim since Ravenor was once Eisenhorn’s apprentice before he achieved a full Inquisitor rank, and the two have a lot of history together, through thick and thin. And it being Dan Abnett, I had high expectations of the novel, in a series which is also called the Bequin trilogy, Bequin being the surname for one of Eisenhorn’s oldest allies, Alizebeth Bequin, a psychic blank who entered his service early on in his career, and became one of his firm friends, and a romantic interest that never reached fruition.
It’s fair to say that my expectations proved to be too much for the reality of the novel. Far too much actually. From the beginning of the novel, through to the meat of it, and all the way to the climax, Pariah was one disappointment after another. I’ve rarely had such a reaction to something by Dan Abnett. The last I remember is his Horus Heresy novel Prospero Burns which I didn’t even finish, despite trying to read it three times. I listened to the audiobook last year, and, to be frank, I consider that time wasted. The audiobook was an easier experience than the novel, but it failed to capture me at all. It is extremely rare for me to not finish a Black Library book, and Prospero Burns has that dubious honour, right alongside Eldar Prophecy by C. S. Goto.
Dan Abnett can be said to be a master of world-building. His settings are always detailed, with lots of nuance and meanings attached to almost everything. It’s what he excels at, and that’s fine, but only to a reasonable degree. He is also a master of what I, and many other people, call “domestic 40k”. That is, the more civilian side of the setting which is all about hive-world politics, Inquisitorial intrigues, local police forces, and so on. That’s what the Eisenhorn and Ravenor series so great. In Pariah he takes it all to an extreme. To be quite honest, the first 100 pages could very well be generic science fiction set on a densely populated world with a singularly unremarkable protagonist if not for the fact that he does drop words like “ordos”, “pariah”, and a few others at irregular intervals. I had a tough time coming to grips with this, to the extent that I was wondering if I was even reading a Warhammer 40,000 novel! There’s just too much focus on the everyday life of the protagonist, which reads more like a series of diary entries, rather than a cohesive story. Each chapter is almost episodic in nature and does little more than tell the reader about the protagonist’s acquaintances. At such an early point in the novel I want to find out about the protagonist, his/her motivations, what drives him/her, and behaviour and so on. I don’t want to read introductions to their daily companions. That’s too… banal for me.
Then there’s the fact that Beta Bequin is the most boring and unrealistic protagonist ever. Yes, there is a double-meaning to the protagonist’s first name, which is a contraction of Alizebeth. Yes, Dan Abnett has made a big twist out of the series title Bequin. No, it did not work for me at all. At least, didn’t work in the sense that I could never take her seriously. She is too accomplished, too sure of herself, too unquestioning of events as they happen around her, too trusting of people. To be clear, I don’t have a problem with Beta Bequin not being the Alizebeth Bequin I was expecting, just with her portrayal. She is raised up in the belief that she is being trained for future service in the Inquisition, that she does the work of the Holy Orders of the Emperor’s Inquisition in His name. Halfway through however, her entire life is turned upside down and a massive lie is exposed, one that has some severe repercussions on the narrative. And that’s where things go seriously downhill. See, for someone who’s entire life is exposed as a lie, said person should question everything and everyone, he or she should be high on paranoia, especially one who is trained as an Inquisition agent. But that’s not to be. Under the guise of mutual respect with a couple characters, and later, a “who cares attitude” with a couple other characters, Beta is ready to believe anything she is told. She really must be desperate to be an Inquisition agent, is all I can say.
Add to that another aspect of the novel I did not like at all: why is it that in a lot of Dan’s work, the characters know so much about the Horus Heresy, and about the old languages of Terra? To put the first into context, the Horus Heresy happened 10,000 years ago within the setting and is a time shrouded in mystery, half-truths, lies and deception. It is quite literally an age of gods and demi-gods. Yet one minor, random character in the novel is quite educated about this time. She herself is nothing more than a weak attempt to tie Pariah to Xenos (the first Eisenhorn novel). Her inclusion also rings alarm bells, given that her… family was pretty much purged already. At least, that’s the inference I made from Xenos. To contextualise the second point: Beta Bequin is an expert in French. The tutors at the Maze Undue (a play on maison dieu, translated as house of god ironically enough) know several old languages of Terra from a time that is more than 35,000 in the past! How does that work? There was already too much of this angle in Prospero Burns, with secret societies and such, and it is no different here. There’s only so much suspension of disbelief that is possible!
http://thefoundingfields.com/2013/01/...
Shadowhawk reviews the latest Inquisition novel from Dan Abnett.
“In the battle of expectations versus reality, it’s my expectations that got bombed to hell.” ~The Founding Fields
When Black Library announced last year that Dan Abnett was going to be penning a new installment for his Inquisition series, I was fairly excited. His novels with Inquisitors Gregor Eisenhorn and Gideon Ravenor are some of my favourites in all of Warhammer 40,000 and were my early reads as well. I didn’t like how the third novel in each trilogy ended, but the first two were spectacular. He put the war in warhammer in a very creative way by showing us life behind the frontlines of grand battles between two opposing armies. These books are more like crime/mystery thrillers rather than military SF as most Warhammer 40,000 books are. The new series is themed to be Eisenhorn vs Ravenor, which is a significant claim since Ravenor was once Eisenhorn’s apprentice before he achieved a full Inquisitor rank, and the two have a lot of history together, through thick and thin. And it being Dan Abnett, I had high expectations of the novel, in a series which is also called the Bequin trilogy, Bequin being the surname for one of Eisenhorn’s oldest allies, Alizebeth Bequin, a psychic blank who entered his service early on in his career, and became one of his firm friends, and a romantic interest that never reached fruition.
It’s fair to say that my expectations proved to be too much for the reality of the novel. Far too much actually. From the beginning of the novel, through to the meat of it, and all the way to the climax, Pariah was one disappointment after another. I’ve rarely had such a reaction to something by Dan Abnett. The last I remember is his Horus Heresy novel Prospero Burns which I didn’t even finish, despite trying to read it three times. I listened to the audiobook last year, and, to be frank, I consider that time wasted. The audiobook was an easier experience than the novel, but it failed to capture me at all. It is extremely rare for me to not finish a Black Library book, and Prospero Burns has that dubious honour, right alongside Eldar Prophecy by C. S. Goto.
Dan Abnett can be said to be a master of world-building. His settings are always detailed, with lots of nuance and meanings attached to almost everything. It’s what he excels at, and that’s fine, but only to a reasonable degree. He is also a master of what I, and many other people, call “domestic 40k”. That is, the more civilian side of the setting which is all about hive-world politics, Inquisitorial intrigues, local police forces, and so on. That’s what the Eisenhorn and Ravenor series so great. In Pariah he takes it all to an extreme. To be quite honest, the first 100 pages could very well be generic science fiction set on a densely populated world with a singularly unremarkable protagonist if not for the fact that he does drop words like “ordos”, “pariah”, and a few others at irregular intervals. I had a tough time coming to grips with this, to the extent that I was wondering if I was even reading a Warhammer 40,000 novel! There’s just too much focus on the everyday life of the protagonist, which reads more like a series of diary entries, rather than a cohesive story. Each chapter is almost episodic in nature and does little more than tell the reader about the protagonist’s acquaintances. At such an early point in the novel I want to find out about the protagonist, his/her motivations, what drives him/her, and behaviour and so on. I don’t want to read introductions to their daily companions. That’s too… banal for me.
Then there’s the fact that Beta Bequin is the most boring and unrealistic protagonist ever. Yes, there is a double-meaning to the protagonist’s first name, which is a contraction of Alizebeth. Yes, Dan Abnett has made a big twist out of the series title Bequin. No, it did not work for me at all. At least, didn’t work in the sense that I could never take her seriously. She is too accomplished, too sure of herself, too unquestioning of events as they happen around her, too trusting of people. To be clear, I don’t have a problem with Beta Bequin not being the Alizebeth Bequin I was expecting, just with her portrayal. She is raised up in the belief that she is being trained for future service in the Inquisition, that she does the work of the Holy Orders of the Emperor’s Inquisition in His name. Halfway through however, her entire life is turned upside down and a massive lie is exposed, one that has some severe repercussions on the narrative. And that’s where things go seriously downhill. See, for someone who’s entire life is exposed as a lie, said person should question everything and everyone, he or she should be high on paranoia, especially one who is trained as an Inquisition agent. But that’s not to be. Under the guise of mutual respect with a couple characters, and later, a “who cares attitude” with a couple other characters, Beta is ready to believe anything she is told. She really must be desperate to be an Inquisition agent, is all I can say.
Add to that another aspect of the novel I did not like at all: why is it that in a lot of Dan’s work, the characters know so much about the Horus Heresy, and about the old languages of Terra? To put the first into context, the Horus Heresy happened 10,000 years ago within the setting and is a time shrouded in mystery, half-truths, lies and deception. It is quite literally an age of gods and demi-gods. Yet one minor, random character in the novel is quite educated about this time. She herself is nothing more than a weak attempt to tie Pariah to Xenos (the first Eisenhorn novel). Her inclusion also rings alarm bells, given that her… family was pretty much purged already. At least, that’s the inference I made from Xenos. To contextualise the second point: Beta Bequin is an expert in French. The tutors at the Maze Undue (a play on maison dieu, translated as house of god ironically enough) know several old languages of Terra from a time that is more than 35,000 in the past! How does that work? There was already too much of this angle in Prospero Burns, with secret societies and such, and it is no different here. There’s only so much suspension of disbelief that is possible!
August 30, 2024
*** 4.38 ***
When I started reading the Warhammer Eisenhorn/Ravenor/Bequin series, I was expecting a lot of military hard sci-fi battles, space Marines, and not much of a plot. Instead, I was very pleasantly surprised to discover a series with debt of plotting and mystery upon mystery! The characters are not super flashed out, but the little we learn about them is plenty for us to root for the characters we get to know, even if eventually we find out they might not be on the up and up... There is politics, mysticism, friendships and betrayal. And there are fights to keep things moving, 😃.I liked these series so much, I have decided to delve deeper into this world and try some of the other authors who work in this universe. 👍👍😃
When I started reading the Warhammer Eisenhorn/Ravenor/Bequin series, I was expecting a lot of military hard sci-fi battles, space Marines, and not much of a plot. Instead, I was very pleasantly surprised to discover a series with debt of plotting and mystery upon mystery! The characters are not super flashed out, but the little we learn about them is plenty for us to root for the characters we get to know, even if eventually we find out they might not be on the up and up... There is politics, mysticism, friendships and betrayal. And there are fights to keep things moving, 😃.I liked these series so much, I have decided to delve deeper into this world and try some of the other authors who work in this universe. 👍👍😃
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 27, 2024
The book started slow and didn’t grab my attention. There was one scene specifically in the first half of the book which made me consider giving up on it. However, the second half of the book picks up and is great.
To anyone who decides to read the book, be patient and get through the beginning, the second half of the book makes up for the boring start.
To anyone who decides to read the book, be patient and get through the beginning, the second half of the book makes up for the boring start.
January 5, 2013
First posted at Fantasy Review Barn
How does one review a book that follows two distinct trilogies? A fan who has already read through ‘Eisenhorn’ and ‘Ravenor’ with no doubt be going after ‘Pariah,’ and no one else is going to bother.
So, if you have not read ‘Eisenhorn,’ check it out and see if it is for you. It is the best written tie-in fiction I have found (for whatever that is worth), and I wrote a real rough review for it in February. It was followed by the ‘Ravenor’ trilogy, which was almost as good. ‘Pariah’ is the first book of the concluding trilogy. Anyone still interested? Read on.
Sorry fellow fans, I was disappointed. I can’t complain too much, Abnett still weaves a nice story, and I read this book in two sittings. Beta (Alizabeth Bequin) is an interesting character. She is smart and resourceful, and has been trained to be a perfect inquisition operative. Something is off; this can’t be the Bequin from ‘Eisenhorn’ could it? Her story doesn’t mesh, but it all will eventually be explained. The book moves at a quick pace, and has some interesting diversions. My favorite (and I have the feeling I won’t be the only one) comes from two living dolls with attitude. Nothing new, corny as hell, but it actually works OK within the story.
My biggest problem with the book is it feels like 300 pages of fan service. Look! There is Gideon Ravenor! What ho! It’s Patience! OMG, a Glaw sighting! And it is not just people from the first two Abnett trilogies. There were references I had to look up, greater Warhammer Lore is required (and I don’t have it).
The book is also misnamed. Labeled Ravenor vs Eisenhorn, it should be called “set up for an eventual series called Ravenor vs Eisenhorn.” You see the plot doesn’t go anywhere. I read it so fast I didn’t notice this while reading. But when collecting my thoughts for the review I started realizing just how much of a mess most the plot was. While Beta is smart and resourceful, most of the time it doesn’t matter; she is obviously a pawn being coveted by several different powers, and is out of her league the whole book. Every move she makes results in her being captured by one set of powers, and being ‘rescued’ by a different set. This goes right on until the cliff hanger ending. Not once is she in control.
This book may look better when the series is completed, and I am sure true WH4K fans will be salivating over it (that is what fan service is for). The overall story may turn out great. But for the casual fan like myself, it is a mess, and feels like I read half a book with absolutely no resolution in the plot. A 300 page limit was hit, so book over, read the second part next year.
2 Stars
How does one review a book that follows two distinct trilogies? A fan who has already read through ‘Eisenhorn’ and ‘Ravenor’ with no doubt be going after ‘Pariah,’ and no one else is going to bother.
So, if you have not read ‘Eisenhorn,’ check it out and see if it is for you. It is the best written tie-in fiction I have found (for whatever that is worth), and I wrote a real rough review for it in February. It was followed by the ‘Ravenor’ trilogy, which was almost as good. ‘Pariah’ is the first book of the concluding trilogy. Anyone still interested? Read on.
Sorry fellow fans, I was disappointed. I can’t complain too much, Abnett still weaves a nice story, and I read this book in two sittings. Beta (Alizabeth Bequin) is an interesting character. She is smart and resourceful, and has been trained to be a perfect inquisition operative. Something is off; this can’t be the Bequin from ‘Eisenhorn’ could it? Her story doesn’t mesh, but it all will eventually be explained. The book moves at a quick pace, and has some interesting diversions. My favorite (and I have the feeling I won’t be the only one) comes from two living dolls with attitude. Nothing new, corny as hell, but it actually works OK within the story.
My biggest problem with the book is it feels like 300 pages of fan service. Look! There is Gideon Ravenor! What ho! It’s Patience! OMG, a Glaw sighting! And it is not just people from the first two Abnett trilogies. There were references I had to look up, greater Warhammer Lore is required (and I don’t have it).
The book is also misnamed. Labeled Ravenor vs Eisenhorn, it should be called “set up for an eventual series called Ravenor vs Eisenhorn.” You see the plot doesn’t go anywhere. I read it so fast I didn’t notice this while reading. But when collecting my thoughts for the review I started realizing just how much of a mess most the plot was. While Beta is smart and resourceful, most of the time it doesn’t matter; she is obviously a pawn being coveted by several different powers, and is out of her league the whole book. Every move she makes results in her being captured by one set of powers, and being ‘rescued’ by a different set. This goes right on until the cliff hanger ending. Not once is she in control.
This book may look better when the series is completed, and I am sure true WH4K fans will be salivating over it (that is what fan service is for). The overall story may turn out great. But for the casual fan like myself, it is a mess, and feels like I read half a book with absolutely no resolution in the plot. A 300 page limit was hit, so book over, read the second part next year.
2 Stars
August 11, 2016
I was excited about this book, because I liked Bequin, and I wanted to see what would happen next for her, Eisenhorn, and Ravenor. However, while the book had some exciting, interesting, and creepy parts, it feels like a bit of a bait-and-switch.
July 3, 2021
This will be a somewhat spoiler heavy review, so ill just start out by saying it is a very good book, written very well with several tense bits, but if you have read the Eisenhorn and Ravenor trilogiens, which you really should by the way, then it might effect your experience like it did me...
Okey sooo...
First off i loath when later works go back a change an established story, this book doesn't do that, but for the first 13 chapters we follow Elizabeth Bequin, without any indication that this isn't a new backstory for THE Elizabeth Bequin.
This really soured my initial take on the book as it set this Elizabeth Bequin up to have been raised in a Cognita facility, and would have totally changed the originals background and motivation... but after getting past the i enjoyed the book immensely... until the last 3-4 chapters at which point 3 Traitor legion have had their fingers in the pie, which seem a bit much, and in the last chapter Ravenor gets presented as cruel and callous which he never was in any of the earlier books, or even any of the short stories... I mean this is the Ravenor who spent two whole books NOT killing a child who he believed was being possesed by an Über Greater Demon, Becourse killing an unconscious boy who couldn't defend himself, and who might be innocent, was too cruel for him.... So yeah that soured me a little again...
Okey sooo...
First off i loath when later works go back a change an established story, this book doesn't do that, but for the first 13 chapters we follow Elizabeth Bequin, without any indication that this isn't a new backstory for THE Elizabeth Bequin.
This really soured my initial take on the book as it set this Elizabeth Bequin up to have been raised in a Cognita facility, and would have totally changed the originals background and motivation... but after getting past the i enjoyed the book immensely... until the last 3-4 chapters at which point 3 Traitor legion have had their fingers in the pie, which seem a bit much, and in the last chapter Ravenor gets presented as cruel and callous which he never was in any of the earlier books, or even any of the short stories... I mean this is the Ravenor who spent two whole books NOT killing a child who he believed was being possesed by an Über Greater Demon, Becourse killing an unconscious boy who couldn't defend himself, and who might be innocent, was too cruel for him.... So yeah that soured me a little again...
November 15, 2025
An enjoyable story. I rather liked the prose of it, specially the more suspenseful bits, and really enjoyed the setting of Queen Mab, but I feel like overall not a whole lot happens. Much time is spent instead establishing the world, and while I am not one to begrudge world-building, it did feel like world-building to the detriment of plot.
Maybe because of this, it felt like so much of the book was a prologue of sorts.
Which I suppose it is, in a way.
I have to admit, first, that I did not read the Ravenor trilogy. Ravenor as a character has never been entirely interesting to me, and so I don't know all that has transpired in those books.
Maybe because of this, and because I read Eisenhorn a whole year ago, I had originally thought that Pariah was exploring Alizabeth's past. Some things felt sketchy , to be sure, but I thought that simply owed to her being in some sort of dreamworld or the like.
I think the book does a fine job of revealing the truth when it does. By then we've had some gentle and some not-so-gentle hints of the truth, and the fact we are dealing with an entirely new character is not quite enough to turn us off. This Alizabeth, even if not our Alizabeth, is still plenty interesting on her own.
Maybe because of this, it felt like so much of the book was a prologue of sorts.
Which I suppose it is, in a way.
I have to admit, first, that I did not read the Ravenor trilogy. Ravenor as a character has never been entirely interesting to me, and so I don't know all that has transpired in those books.
Maybe because of this, and because I read Eisenhorn a whole year ago, I had originally thought that Pariah was exploring Alizabeth's past. Some things felt sketchy , to be sure, but I thought that simply owed to her being in some sort of dreamworld or the like.
I think the book does a fine job of revealing the truth when it does. By then we've had some gentle and some not-so-gentle hints of the truth, and the fact we are dealing with an entirely new character is not quite enough to turn us off. This Alizabeth, even if not our Alizabeth, is still plenty interesting on her own.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 12, 2023
This was a great character-focused Warhammer 40k novel. Be warned: one probably needs to have read the previous Eisenhorn novels to get some of the Easter eggs and to enjoy some of the big reveals. The setting is very unique, and there are interesting references to Warhammer lore. You get to experience the inside of the Ecclesiarchy and see some horrible chaos-stuff lurking behind the scenes. My only complaint about this was it consists of a lot of 'catch and release.' The main character is attacked, flees, is captured, escapes, is attacked, flees again, is captured again, and repeat. After a while, this cycle becomes tedious. Plot aside, this was a satisfying atmospheric Warhammer 40k novel, a great addition to the Eisenhorn narrative.
February 28, 2025
Beta Bequin va rebotando de un enemigo a otro. Ese es todo el argumento de la novela, con poco o ningún trasfondo o historia adicional.
Entretiene, pero jamás la recomendaría a nadie ajeno al trasfondo de Wh40k.
Entretiene, pero jamás la recomendaría a nadie ajeno al trasfondo de Wh40k.
December 8, 2012
Dan Abnett is the best Black Library author.
Can't wait for "Penitent" (2014).
Can't wait for "Penitent" (2014).
October 22, 2021
Amazing ending. Just brilliant.
August 5, 2024
4.5 ⭐
In the grim-dark future there is only Dan Abnett.
In the grim-dark future there is only Dan Abnett.
August 5, 2021
Na Warhammer 40.000 je tohle poměrně komorní kniha. Tedy, nechápejte mě špatně, jsou tu katedrály, kterými procházíte několik dní a v jejichž kopulích se prohánějí mraky… ale celé se to odehrává nejen na jedné jediné planetě, ale dokonce i v jednom jediném městě.
Je to Abnett, takže je to samozřejmě dobře napsané (Abnett tady navíc hodně přizpůsobil jazyk mladé hrdince, takže je to psané jednoduše a přímočaře), ale rozhodně to není kniha, po které by měl sáhnout inkviziční nováček. Jasně, základní příběh pochopíte, ale většina šokujících zvratů spočívá v tom, že se objeví postavy, které znáte z minulých knih (tedy, měli byste znát, já se občas musel podívat do databáze).
Ač je na obálce nápis Ravenor vs Eisenhorn, tak ti se v knize moc neobjeví. Sledujeme mládí a výchovu špiónky Alizebeth Bequin… a to, jak se stává cílem snad všech mocenských organizací, které na planetě existují, inkvizice, mocných, kultistů, lidí i démonů. Víc bych zase prozrazoval nerad, protože nějaké překvapivé zvraty tam jsou.
Je to jen rozjezd řady, který má za účel hlavně představit situaci a aktéry. Čili je tu pár pěkných bitek a atmosférických scén, ale k ničemu zásadnímu nedojde. Sice může být čtenář zpruzený, že nenarazí na hlavní hrdiny svých oblíbených knižních sérií (respektive, že na ně narazí skoro až na konci knihy) ale rychle si uvědomí, že Abnett udělal dobře. To, že vidíme jak Ravenora, tak Eisenhorna z nového úhlu a spíš zpovzdálí, tím ani netušíme, který z nich je v právu. Ví se, že oba mají své temné stránky, že Eisenhorn si s kacířstvím už v minulosti párkrát zahrával, a že Ravenor je v mnohém ultimátnější, takže se nedá odhadnout, kdo má pravdu a komu by člověk měl fandit. (Za mě samozřejmě Eisenhornovi – Clint Eastwood je mi milejší než pojízdná rakev.)
Není to nejlepší příspěvek do série, ale hlavní hrdinka je sympatická, svět zajímavý a protivníci děsiví. Čili přesně to, co člověk od Warhammeru chce (až na ty sympatické postavy, ty vážně nejsou povinné). Sem s dalšími díly, než zapomenu, co se stalo!
Je to Abnett, takže je to samozřejmě dobře napsané (Abnett tady navíc hodně přizpůsobil jazyk mladé hrdince, takže je to psané jednoduše a přímočaře), ale rozhodně to není kniha, po které by měl sáhnout inkviziční nováček. Jasně, základní příběh pochopíte, ale většina šokujících zvratů spočívá v tom, že se objeví postavy, které znáte z minulých knih (tedy, měli byste znát, já se občas musel podívat do databáze).
Ač je na obálce nápis Ravenor vs Eisenhorn, tak ti se v knize moc neobjeví. Sledujeme mládí a výchovu špiónky Alizebeth Bequin… a to, jak se stává cílem snad všech mocenských organizací, které na planetě existují, inkvizice, mocných, kultistů, lidí i démonů. Víc bych zase prozrazoval nerad, protože nějaké překvapivé zvraty tam jsou.
Je to jen rozjezd řady, který má za účel hlavně představit situaci a aktéry. Čili je tu pár pěkných bitek a atmosférických scén, ale k ničemu zásadnímu nedojde. Sice může být čtenář zpruzený, že nenarazí na hlavní hrdiny svých oblíbených knižních sérií (respektive, že na ně narazí skoro až na konci knihy) ale rychle si uvědomí, že Abnett udělal dobře. To, že vidíme jak Ravenora, tak Eisenhorna z nového úhlu a spíš zpovzdálí, tím ani netušíme, který z nich je v právu. Ví se, že oba mají své temné stránky, že Eisenhorn si s kacířstvím už v minulosti párkrát zahrával, a že Ravenor je v mnohém ultimátnější, takže se nedá odhadnout, kdo má pravdu a komu by člověk měl fandit. (Za mě samozřejmě Eisenhornovi – Clint Eastwood je mi milejší než pojízdná rakev.)
Není to nejlepší příspěvek do série, ale hlavní hrdinka je sympatická, svět zajímavý a protivníci děsiví. Čili přesně to, co člověk od Warhammeru chce (až na ty sympatické postavy, ty vážně nejsou povinné). Sem s dalšími díly, než zapomenu, co se stalo!
April 8, 2022
This was a reread for me, to get me stoked for the sequel which comes out in paperback soon. And boy oh boy am I stoked.
This is the seventh book in a planned series of nine -- otherwise put, a trilogy of trilogies, with this being the first installment of the final trilogy. If you've not read the preceding six books (aka two trilogies?) or you're not a Warhammer 40000 fan then I think this will just strike you as pulpy wannabe-pseudo-Gothic sci-fi. I have read all six, and yes it's still all of those things, but it's also a sound action romp of characters going to ground, being on the run and not knowing who to trust. Plenty of fun for me and so much more enjoyable to read then a Ken Follett.
This has helped me find joy in reading again so, for that alone, thank you very much Mr Dan Abnett :)
This is the seventh book in a planned series of nine -- otherwise put, a trilogy of trilogies, with this being the first installment of the final trilogy. If you've not read the preceding six books (aka two trilogies?) or you're not a Warhammer 40000 fan then I think this will just strike you as pulpy wannabe-pseudo-Gothic sci-fi. I have read all six, and yes it's still all of those things, but it's also a sound action romp of characters going to ground, being on the run and not knowing who to trust. Plenty of fun for me and so much more enjoyable to read then a Ken Follett.
This has helped me find joy in reading again so, for that alone, thank you very much Mr Dan Abnett :)
April 13, 2022
Vzhledem ke skutečnosti, že jsem po dobu čtení této knihy byla upřímně na vážkách, co si o knize myslet, nemám ani chuť sepsat ucelený text. Ale aspoň se pokusím něco málo podat v pár bodech:
- hlavní postava je mi těžce nesympatická
- hlavní postava má navíc nádech strong female character, což je pro mě solidní red flag
- atmosféra: monumentální popisy míst, ale zároveň obrovská stísněnost z nich
- příliš mnoho detailů bylo nahozeno pro okamžitý dějový efekt, ale jinak zůstaly v logice posloupnosti dění nevysvětleny (ale třeba se to bude řešit v dalších svazcích?)
- nevím, komu fandit, protože relativní oblíbence mám na obou stranách
- působilo to na mě jako kvalitativní odrůda Xenos, jen s tím plusem, že se zde mihnou jména, která vidím vždycky ráda
Pustím se do dvojky? Časem možná. Ale radši se teď nahodím zase na vlnu 30k. Takže asi tolik.
- hlavní postava je mi těžce nesympatická
- hlavní postava má navíc nádech strong female character, což je pro mě solidní red flag
- atmosféra: monumentální popisy míst, ale zároveň obrovská stísněnost z nich
- příliš mnoho detailů bylo nahozeno pro okamžitý dějový efekt, ale jinak zůstaly v logice posloupnosti dění nevysvětleny (ale třeba se to bude řešit v dalších svazcích?)
- nevím, komu fandit, protože relativní oblíbence mám na obou stranách
- působilo to na mě jako kvalitativní odrůda Xenos, jen s tím plusem, že se zde mihnou jména, která vidím vždycky ráda
Pustím se do dvojky? Časem možná. Ale radši se teď nahodím zase na vlnu 30k. Takže asi tolik.
March 10, 2025
WOW qué viaje. Tras leerme Eisenhorn hace años esta novela es un REGALAZO.
No puedo comentar gran cosa más allá de que me ha tenido atento de principio a fin, los misterios de la trama son legibles, pero en absoluto predecibles.
Los giros son magníficos, el final genial, me he tirado las últimas 70 páginas con la sonrisa en los labios y pegado a las páginas.
Por desgracia para mí, creo que es imprescindible haber leído al menos una de las sagas anteriores de Abnett para que la novela tenga el impacto que ha tenido en mí. 😅
No puedo comentar gran cosa más allá de que me ha tenido atento de principio a fin, los misterios de la trama son legibles, pero en absoluto predecibles.
Los giros son magníficos, el final genial, me he tirado las últimas 70 páginas con la sonrisa en los labios y pegado a las páginas.
Por desgracia para mí, creo que es imprescindible haber leído al menos una de las sagas anteriores de Abnett para que la novela tenga el impacto que ha tenido en mí. 😅
May 30, 2022
I saw most of the twists coming from a mile away, and I wouldn’t in a million years recommend this to someone who wasn’t already fascinated with and interested in the universe and characters, but it was a fun read.
May 23, 2023
Wirklich gutes Buch, toll alte Charaktere wieder zu sehen und eine tolle Geschichte an einem interessanten und mysteriösen Ort.
February 10, 2024
Desconocía por completo la figura de Alizebeth Bequin y la saga de Eisenhorn, siempre me fui más a las novelas de Fantasy. Pero le voy a dar una oportunidad a 40K otra vez. Empieza casi como una novela de espías y todo da un giro brutal. Hay un par de Deus Ex pero no molestan y luego se justifican bien.
January 18, 2026
La mejor novela de la Inquisición, aunque sea por la constante sensación de confusión, y que la acción está mejor repartida. Es difícil aburrirse con este.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 250 reviews