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Warhammer 40,000
Playing Patience
A young woman growing up in poverty on the dismal world of Sameter, Patience Kys has a remarkable gift. She knows what people are going to do, and she can move things with her mind. It is her greatest secret, and her deadliest talent. When her life spirals out of control, Patience is set on a crash course for destruction, until a chance encounter with Inquisitor Gideon Ravenor gives her a chance to use her powers for the good of the Imperium.
Read it because
It's the origin story of one of Ravenor's fascinating followers.
50 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 1, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
March 2, 2023
This was a very interesting and most well done prequel to the Ravenor series. The characters are notably younger and less experienced, and we see them struggling with the effects of a major event from the recent past.
For a short story, it was impressively comprehensive and involving. What I mean to say is that it was these things despite it being a short story. With just a few strokes of the pen, Abnett wove his atmosphere and drama, immersing you entirely into his world and characters.
For a short story, it was impressively comprehensive and involving. What I mean to say is that it was these things despite it being a short story. With just a few strokes of the pen, Abnett wove his atmosphere and drama, immersing you entirely into his world and characters.
September 23, 2018
Set between Hereticus and Ravenor, Playing Patience introduces us to the character of Patience Kys and shows how she came to be part of Ravenor’s entourage.
As short stories go this is fairly long, being twice (or more) the length of most of the other Eisenhorn/Ravenor tales, which means there’s room for exploration of Patience’s backstory and Ravenor’s multi-stage investigation. On the surface it’s action-packed and pacy, and makes a great introduction to or reminder of these characters (depending on your familiarity) but beneath the surface it’s actually quite a dark story, even for 40k.
Read the full review at https://www.trackofwords.com/2018/08/...
As short stories go this is fairly long, being twice (or more) the length of most of the other Eisenhorn/Ravenor tales, which means there’s room for exploration of Patience’s backstory and Ravenor’s multi-stage investigation. On the surface it’s action-packed and pacy, and makes a great introduction to or reminder of these characters (depending on your familiarity) but beneath the surface it’s actually quite a dark story, even for 40k.
Read the full review at https://www.trackofwords.com/2018/08/...
August 23, 2021
fantastic to read the beginnings of patience’s story and you can really see some of the development of the characters form the first 2 books.
March 12, 2025
40K Battle Royale
I was initially sceptical at how I would take to Ravenor and his Professor X style adventures having spent a vast part of 2025 already with Mr Eisenhorn. I must say, I am pleasantly surprised and Abnett crafts an excellent little narrative that introduces us to the Ravenors band of merry men and women.
This is essentially a little short (that is actually quite long) that gives us the backstory to Patience, a character I am assuming will play a prominent role in the upcoming Ravenor trilogy. As with most of his short stories Abnett manages to do a lot with the word count and there is a breath of fresh air as we are no longer locked into the first person view point of one character, as with the Eisenhorn books.
The world is dark, bleak and wonderfully described. Patience is an engaging character and one I am keen to share more time with. Side characters from the Eisenhorn books such as Harlon Nayl are given a lot more personality and the action is compelling and violent.
All this does is give me great enthusiasm for the upcoming Ravenor books I am about to tuck into. An excellent introduction, with an incredibly bleak ending. The final pages were particularly harrowing concerning how a certain situation was handled. Grim dark indeed.
I was initially sceptical at how I would take to Ravenor and his Professor X style adventures having spent a vast part of 2025 already with Mr Eisenhorn. I must say, I am pleasantly surprised and Abnett crafts an excellent little narrative that introduces us to the Ravenors band of merry men and women.
This is essentially a little short (that is actually quite long) that gives us the backstory to Patience, a character I am assuming will play a prominent role in the upcoming Ravenor trilogy. As with most of his short stories Abnett manages to do a lot with the word count and there is a breath of fresh air as we are no longer locked into the first person view point of one character, as with the Eisenhorn books.
The world is dark, bleak and wonderfully described. Patience is an engaging character and one I am keen to share more time with. Side characters from the Eisenhorn books such as Harlon Nayl are given a lot more personality and the action is compelling and violent.
All this does is give me great enthusiasm for the upcoming Ravenor books I am about to tuck into. An excellent introduction, with an incredibly bleak ending. The final pages were particularly harrowing concerning how a certain situation was handled. Grim dark indeed.
July 3, 2026
A novella that occurs between the events of Hereticus and Ravenor's own first novel. Though it was written quite a few years after the Ravenor books, the author nonetheless recommends reading it in in-world chronological order.
The story starts following two paths, one Ravenor's, in quite a low moment, and another, Patience's. Things turn quite dark, even for a 40k story, but Abnett, as usual, keeps tension and interest high.
Original review at https://reviews.blulaktuko.net/posts/playing-patience-2026-07-03/ .
The story starts following two paths, one Ravenor's, in quite a low moment, and another, Patience's. Things turn quite dark, even for a 40k story, but Abnett, as usual, keeps tension and interest high.
Original review at https://reviews.blulaktuko.net/posts/playing-patience-2026-07-03/ .
September 12, 2023
-Para completistas.-
Género. Relato.
Lo que nos cuenta. El relato Ser Patience (publicación original: Playing Patience, 2011) nos presenta a una joven, Patience, que para proteger a sus hermanas pequeñas permanece en una institución desagradable y abusiva, pero no logra su cometido finalmente y entra a formar parte de un juego violento y mortal. Trabajo que transcurre antes de los acontecimientos de la primera novela de la saga Ravenor.
¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
https://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com...
Género. Relato.
Lo que nos cuenta. El relato Ser Patience (publicación original: Playing Patience, 2011) nos presenta a una joven, Patience, que para proteger a sus hermanas pequeñas permanece en una institución desagradable y abusiva, pero no logra su cometido finalmente y entra a formar parte de un juego violento y mortal. Trabajo que transcurre antes de los acontecimientos de la primera novela de la saga Ravenor.
¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
https://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com...
November 15, 2020
Good short story this one, introducing Patience Kys. Unlike the Eisenhorn stories preceding this, this isn't solely from a first person point of view, which allows for some more tension from knowing what is going on for some characters, when other characters are blissfully unaware. Leaves some loose plot thread as such, that I'm not sure are ever resolved, but add a bit of mystery.
March 1, 2018
Meaty in-between origin story that reveals the origin of Kys (in more ways than one). Whatever happened to her sisters though??
March 19, 2019
The origin story of Patience best if read before Ravenor.
April 1, 2021
The weakest story in the Eisenhorn/Ravenor/Bequin series so far, but put me in the mood to get started on the first Ravenor novel.
September 7, 2021
Great, pacy little novella that introduces Ravenor as a main character in his own right. Good-o, I'm off to start the main event right now!
October 17, 2023
Quite boring.
December 19, 2023
I really like Ravenor. He's a good bit different from Eisenhorn but you can tell he was his student.
December 6, 2024
Some weird writing of extant characters aside, this is an excellent bit of writing from Abnett - high stakes, human action in a gritty, grimdark world. Good stuff.
November 24, 2025
1000/10
Patience is such a badass character, I love her so much. Her background story is just as amazing as she is in the series.
Patience is such a badass character, I love her so much. Her background story is just as amazing as she is in the series.
November 2, 2026
A nice short story featuring Inquisitor Ravenor and his team in search of a rogue psycher. We get to witness his powers and ethics.
An entry point to his adventures , first in the Ravenor Omnibus.
An entry point to his adventures , first in the Ravenor Omnibus.
July 20, 2026
I started reading Warhammer with the Eisenhorn Omnibus and I've since gone and read a variety of other books set in the 40k universe. Coming Back to Dan Abnett again felt amazing. He's the only writer I've found so far who has contributed to the 40k universe where reading the books doesn't feel like a guilty pleasure. I'd read every 40k book he's written even if it had nothing to do with the universe. They're also a great introduction to the world of 40k.
November 14, 2013
A fun little backstory for the Dannyverse, abneverse? Enjoyable story. On to the final Ravenor book! Until the Ravenor vs Eisenhorn stories.
September 5, 2015
very enjoyable short story focusing on patience kys and how she joined the team
September 24, 2015
Well, at least the chair is armed after all. Too bad it's not something that isn't psi related!
November 13, 2017
Very good novel, but interrupts in the middle... Looks like publisher missed second half)
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews