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Yarrick #1
Yarrick: Imperial Creed
Yarrick: the very name carries the weight of legend, of great deeds and of wars won for the Imperium.
But Sebastian Yarrick, who fought on Armageddon, who Space Marine Chapter Masters show their fealty to on bended knee, was not always Lord Commissar. He was once just a man, a newly minted officer from the ranks of the schola progenium.
His first mission under the tutelage of Lord Commissar Rasp was on Mistral. Here, an uprising of barons had upset the delicate balance of power. But, as Yarrick was soon forced to learn, Mistral and Imperial politics are often murky, the truth seldom clear cut. As war engulfs the world, a plot unravels that pits old friends against one another and fashions unusual alliances. Chaos cults, the fanatical Adepta Sororitas and clandestine inquisitors all stand between Yarrick and his mission. Here is where the legend began. In this crucible was Lord Commissar Sebastian Yarrick forged in blood.
But Sebastian Yarrick, who fought on Armageddon, who Space Marine Chapter Masters show their fealty to on bended knee, was not always Lord Commissar. He was once just a man, a newly minted officer from the ranks of the schola progenium.
His first mission under the tutelage of Lord Commissar Rasp was on Mistral. Here, an uprising of barons had upset the delicate balance of power. But, as Yarrick was soon forced to learn, Mistral and Imperial politics are often murky, the truth seldom clear cut. As war engulfs the world, a plot unravels that pits old friends against one another and fashions unusual alliances. Chaos cults, the fanatical Adepta Sororitas and clandestine inquisitors all stand between Yarrick and his mission. Here is where the legend began. In this crucible was Lord Commissar Sebastian Yarrick forged in blood.
387 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 2014
8 people are currently reading
319 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
July 7, 2014
"Be a symbol, be a symbol, be a symbol" - so you want to be a musical instrument Yarrick? Hmm.
Imperial Creed really does remind me of the Ciaphas Cain series - which is no bad thing. Yarrick is much more the embodiment of what a commissar actually is. That being a symbol of spiritual authority to the men of the Imperial Guard. In essence he epitomises the Emperor through deeds and words. Ciaphas on the other hand is a man of luck, not seeking fame or fortune, Yarrick is but he is also looking to do the Emperor's work through his deeds.
Who is Sebastian Yarrick. In centuries to come he becomes a hero of the Imperium by holding the Ork Warlord Ghazghkull Mag Uruk Thraka (what a stupid name, Orks are stupid!) at bay during the siege of Armageddon. This is the first in the series (I hope) of telling Yarrick's endeavours throughout his defence of the Imperium.
What we're faced with here is a inexperienced Yarrick, who finds himself embroiled in the murky waters of Mistral's politicking. The story is of a typical Black Library formulaic structure - a planet in distress, the populace beginning to show heretical ambitions and a the saviours (the Imperial Guard) are sent in to hammer out such foul notions. I'd be lying if I said the story was original, that it was inspiring, as it's not. What is inspiring is Yarrick and how well David handles the brilliant prose throughout the novel. Some times you read a piece of fiction and the first half may be very well written, then slides of towards the next half. Not so here, the story is consistent and keeps pace, even between lulls of any action.
The author has a great handle on Chaos, but manages to flesh them out as really nasty buggers, as they are. Some authors seem to want to skip through the horror of what lies in the warp, just brushing over that there "were daemons spewing forth from the warp" BORING. David brings the real horror to the fore, I found myself gripped by his detailed story-telling, something that sadly has been lacking in the more recent releases from Black Library. There is a real effort to show the reader how Chaos corrupts. Some many times we read a story where Chaos has already corrupted the poor populace - this time however we are shown how the roots of such anatomous beings from the dark places of the warp influence and toy with loyal Imperial citizens. Brilliant!
Mistral's downfall begins at the top - when the Imperial Guard, Yarrick and his comrade and fellow student Sherof make planetfall, they literally step off the troop lander and are shelled by the heretics. Along with the 70th Mortisian Rifles he begins his legend. Baron Lom has fallen to Chaos and it is up to the guard and Yarrick to lance out this cancer. Soon after Yarrick finds out just how murky the waters run through Mistral's politics - the Ecclisiarchy rules the planet, a man called Wangenheim who seems more interested in lording himself more than the Emperor of mankind, is a lonesome wretch, your come to dislike him intently. Yarrick soon gathers that certain things are being manipulated by the Ecclisiarchy, powerless he can only look on and do his duty - but by doing so he is listening and learning how to become a commissar of the Imperial Guard. One character who is both Yarrick's and Sherof's mentor and friend, Rasp, helps to enlighten the two and further involves both young commissars within the happenings of the Ecclisiarchy.
Some really interesting characters come up through Imperial Creed firstly Vercor, a assassin belonging to Wangenheim, she does his dirty deeds and moops up any of those who oppose him. A assassin assigned to the religious wing of the Imperium? Must make a note not to upset anyone from the Vatican! She pops up now and then, more so towards the end of the novel, but I really felt she was underused. Sister Superior Sethano is a characters from Death of Anatongis she makes a welcome return here. Some reviewers seem to complain that she is too wooden and her character hamstrung by not having a 'larger-than-life' personality. Really? Because I'm sure those sworn to protect the holy relics of mankind are going to be cracking out jokes like Jim Carrey 24/7. I happen to think she fits the roll well, stoic, self-assured and confident when a crisis occurs. Isn't that what you want when a daemon is about to chew through your ribcage? I guess, but then I've not come across manner gnasher's who want to eat my innards - thankfully! BOOM.
I'd say Imperial Creed is very underrated. For me it is the most enjoyable and most strongly written Black Library novel I've read since Deathwatch by Steve Parker. Let me know what you think if you read it.
Imperial Creed really does remind me of the Ciaphas Cain series - which is no bad thing. Yarrick is much more the embodiment of what a commissar actually is. That being a symbol of spiritual authority to the men of the Imperial Guard. In essence he epitomises the Emperor through deeds and words. Ciaphas on the other hand is a man of luck, not seeking fame or fortune, Yarrick is but he is also looking to do the Emperor's work through his deeds.
Who is Sebastian Yarrick. In centuries to come he becomes a hero of the Imperium by holding the Ork Warlord Ghazghkull Mag Uruk Thraka (what a stupid name, Orks are stupid!) at bay during the siege of Armageddon. This is the first in the series (I hope) of telling Yarrick's endeavours throughout his defence of the Imperium.
What we're faced with here is a inexperienced Yarrick, who finds himself embroiled in the murky waters of Mistral's politicking. The story is of a typical Black Library formulaic structure - a planet in distress, the populace beginning to show heretical ambitions and a the saviours (the Imperial Guard) are sent in to hammer out such foul notions. I'd be lying if I said the story was original, that it was inspiring, as it's not. What is inspiring is Yarrick and how well David handles the brilliant prose throughout the novel. Some times you read a piece of fiction and the first half may be very well written, then slides of towards the next half. Not so here, the story is consistent and keeps pace, even between lulls of any action.
The author has a great handle on Chaos, but manages to flesh them out as really nasty buggers, as they are. Some authors seem to want to skip through the horror of what lies in the warp, just brushing over that there "were daemons spewing forth from the warp" BORING. David brings the real horror to the fore, I found myself gripped by his detailed story-telling, something that sadly has been lacking in the more recent releases from Black Library. There is a real effort to show the reader how Chaos corrupts. Some many times we read a story where Chaos has already corrupted the poor populace - this time however we are shown how the roots of such anatomous beings from the dark places of the warp influence and toy with loyal Imperial citizens. Brilliant!
Mistral's downfall begins at the top - when the Imperial Guard, Yarrick and his comrade and fellow student Sherof make planetfall, they literally step off the troop lander and are shelled by the heretics. Along with the 70th Mortisian Rifles he begins his legend. Baron Lom has fallen to Chaos and it is up to the guard and Yarrick to lance out this cancer. Soon after Yarrick finds out just how murky the waters run through Mistral's politics - the Ecclisiarchy rules the planet, a man called Wangenheim who seems more interested in lording himself more than the Emperor of mankind, is a lonesome wretch, your come to dislike him intently. Yarrick soon gathers that certain things are being manipulated by the Ecclisiarchy, powerless he can only look on and do his duty - but by doing so he is listening and learning how to become a commissar of the Imperial Guard. One character who is both Yarrick's and Sherof's mentor and friend, Rasp, helps to enlighten the two and further involves both young commissars within the happenings of the Ecclisiarchy.
Some really interesting characters come up through Imperial Creed firstly Vercor, a assassin belonging to Wangenheim, she does his dirty deeds and moops up any of those who oppose him. A assassin assigned to the religious wing of the Imperium? Must make a note not to upset anyone from the Vatican! She pops up now and then, more so towards the end of the novel, but I really felt she was underused. Sister Superior Sethano is a characters from Death of Anatongis she makes a welcome return here. Some reviewers seem to complain that she is too wooden and her character hamstrung by not having a 'larger-than-life' personality. Really? Because I'm sure those sworn to protect the holy relics of mankind are going to be cracking out jokes like Jim Carrey 24/7. I happen to think she fits the roll well, stoic, self-assured and confident when a crisis occurs. Isn't that what you want when a daemon is about to chew through your ribcage? I guess, but then I've not come across manner gnasher's who want to eat my innards - thankfully! BOOM.
I'd say Imperial Creed is very underrated. For me it is the most enjoyable and most strongly written Black Library novel I've read since Deathwatch by Steve Parker. Let me know what you think if you read it.
July 21, 2020
Grabbed a bunch of 40k novels from Humble Bundle and they've been hit or miss, but really enjoyed this one. Great mix of combat crunch, inter-department politicking, and chaos incursion. Wasn't quite sure about the point of view shifts at first (Yarrick's chapters are first person, everyone else has third person descriptions) but got used to it quickly. Interesting to see things from the point of view of the Imperial Guard rather than the Inquisition or Space Marines, as these lowly peons of the war machine don't always share the same ultra rigid views as their superiors. Particularly liked how the various chaos creatures weren't specifically named by their in-game terms but rather given horrifying descriptions to make them seem like the unique, mind-bending terrors they are rather than just an enemy unit type.
September 15, 2025
The voice of Yarrick resembles Grimaldus. I can taste the charisma. I adore the grit. His will elevates every page. I'm going to be quoting him for years to come.
Absolute cinema. How did I ever miss this when it first came out?
Highly Recommended.
I had come in the name of the absolute truth of the Imperial Creed, and what could this monster’s lies matter to me? I found the will. I turned to the Emperor. I embraced the great virtue of ignorance. I shut my eyes to the cancer of knowledge.
Absolute cinema. How did I ever miss this when it first came out?
Highly Recommended.
December 18, 2018
David Annandale does words good.
February 18, 2015
According to a quip at a convention panel, Imperial Commissars who reach retirement age are required to write memiors. Given the length of Yarrick's service, this is only a small slice of his, from early in his career. The future Ork-fighter is dealing with an uprising by Chaos Cultists on a world almost entirely taken over by the Ecclesiarchy. Imperial factional infighting caused the uprising, and impair the ability of the Guard to put it down. The tale was well-written and engrossing, triggering a presumptive "I'll read that" for the rest of Annadale's Yarrick work.
One of these days I might figure out what he wrote when he signed my copy.
One of these days I might figure out what he wrote when he signed my copy.
July 21, 2015
Bookworm Speaks!
Warhammer 40k
Yarrick: Imperial Creed
by David Annandale
****
The Story: The thrilling exploits of one of Warhammer 40,000's most iconic characters
Yarrick: the very name carries the weight of legend, of great deeds and of wars won for the Imperium. But Sebastian Yarrick, who fought on Armageddon, who Space Marine Chapter Masters show their fealty to on bended knee, was not always Lord Commissar. He was once just a man, a newly minted officer from the ranks of the schola progenium.
His first mission under the tutelage of Lord Commissar Rasp was on Mistral. Here, an uprising of barons had upset the delicate balance of power. But, as Yarrick was soon forced to learn, Mistral and Imperial politics are often murky, the truth seldom clear cut. As war engulfs the world, a plot unravels that pits old friends against one another and fashions unusual alliances. Chaos cults, the fanatical Adepta Sororitas and clandestine inquisitors all stand between Yarrick and his mission. Here is where the legend began. In this crucible was Lord Commissar Sebastian Yarrick forged in blood.
The Good: Let’s start off by saying that this is a very handsome book. A lot of Warhammer 40k covers tend to lean toward the ‘over the top’ covers and fonts, leaning more toward comic books. This cover on the other hand has a very tasteful color scheme and a very elegant font. It has a certain dignity to it that separates from other books.
But like they say, you can’t judge a book by its cover…so lets get into the meat of it all.
Commissar Sebastian Yarrick is a famous character in Warhammer 40K, the hero of the War for Armageddon, but in the original stories he was already old and grizzled. In this book he is a young(er) man, and on one of his first missions as a Commissar. He is still learning his stripes and it shows through the text. He is constantly reminding himself of his lessons and struggling to be a force for the Guard to rally behind.
The way the story is written partly from the perspective of Yarrick himself, it is almost like a memoir. This lends itself to an intriguing tone for the book that separates it from previous volumes in the series.
The action of course is top notch. It is said that the Imperial Guard is a meat grinder for the excess populations of Imperial Worlds, and this book reinforces this mantra is spades. Every other page seems to depict another dozen soldiers being blown up or trampled but on the next page it shows more being mustered. They are the hammer of the Emperor and few things can withstand a thousand men shooting something all at once. The sheer ferocity and firepower of the war oozes off of the page. It is easy to see why war is such a fact of life in the Imperium of Man and how it defines the identity of so many of its inhabitants.
One of the best things we see in this book is the inclusion of Adeptus Sororitas! The Adeptus Sororitas are the all-female army of the Ecclesiarchy or the Imperial Church. The closest things to female Space Marines in Warhammer 40K, the Sororitas are a fascinating aspect of the lore and Bookworm desperately desires more stories that feature them.
Females are sorely underrepresented in Warhammer, as well as popular media in general and it
is great to see them in this story and for one of the characters to actually be a main one.
The Flaws: It was said in one of the Codex’s of the RPG that there was no such thing as an “average’ Imperial World. Yet, a lot of the books in the Warhammer 40k universe seem to dispute that. The world of Mistral seems to be very much like a lot of other Imperium worlds visited by Imperial forces in a variety of other stories. There is not a lot to distinguish this world from the others. This is somewhat in place with the universe as conformity is considered a virtue in the despotic Imperium of Man but at the same time, every place is different and the only thing that seems to separate Mistral from Salinas is that there is a lot of wind. Boring.
What is also boring is the Imperial Guard themselves. Aside from Yarrick and Rasp, all the other characters seem to be rather cookie cutter. Again this consistent with the lore, but variety is the spice of life and a crucial part to telling any story is to not make it boring. A lot of characters from the Inquisitor to the cardinal fall into this trap.
What is also troubling is the depiction of combat, somewhat. We have plenty of action but Bookworm is sometimes lost on the matter of the scale of the combat. The Imperial Guard typically uses it’s large numbers to overwhelm the enemy. Here, it is not made clear if this is actually how the war is being waged. When Yarrick is battling cultists in the city streets, it sometimes seems like there are only five people waging the battle and it the next paragraph there is a whole battalion opening fire on the enemy. While the story is being told from the immediate perspective of the character, this kind of inconsistency can make the plot choppy and confuse the reader.
As mentioned previously, one of the strengths of this book is the Adeptus Sororitas but they are given the short straw when it comes to the overall story. Most of the time, they are little more than side characters. The passages that feature are extremely brief and the characters feature are very flat-featured and boring. Overall, they were given the short-straw in this story and it is very disappointing.
Final Verdict: For a story of one of Warhammer’s most iconic characters, this book is a good place to begin.
Four out of Five Stars
thecultureworm.blogspot.com
Warhammer 40k
Yarrick: Imperial Creed
by David Annandale
****
The Story: The thrilling exploits of one of Warhammer 40,000's most iconic characters
Yarrick: the very name carries the weight of legend, of great deeds and of wars won for the Imperium. But Sebastian Yarrick, who fought on Armageddon, who Space Marine Chapter Masters show their fealty to on bended knee, was not always Lord Commissar. He was once just a man, a newly minted officer from the ranks of the schola progenium.
His first mission under the tutelage of Lord Commissar Rasp was on Mistral. Here, an uprising of barons had upset the delicate balance of power. But, as Yarrick was soon forced to learn, Mistral and Imperial politics are often murky, the truth seldom clear cut. As war engulfs the world, a plot unravels that pits old friends against one another and fashions unusual alliances. Chaos cults, the fanatical Adepta Sororitas and clandestine inquisitors all stand between Yarrick and his mission. Here is where the legend began. In this crucible was Lord Commissar Sebastian Yarrick forged in blood.
The Good: Let’s start off by saying that this is a very handsome book. A lot of Warhammer 40k covers tend to lean toward the ‘over the top’ covers and fonts, leaning more toward comic books. This cover on the other hand has a very tasteful color scheme and a very elegant font. It has a certain dignity to it that separates from other books.
But like they say, you can’t judge a book by its cover…so lets get into the meat of it all.
Commissar Sebastian Yarrick is a famous character in Warhammer 40K, the hero of the War for Armageddon, but in the original stories he was already old and grizzled. In this book he is a young(er) man, and on one of his first missions as a Commissar. He is still learning his stripes and it shows through the text. He is constantly reminding himself of his lessons and struggling to be a force for the Guard to rally behind.
The way the story is written partly from the perspective of Yarrick himself, it is almost like a memoir. This lends itself to an intriguing tone for the book that separates it from previous volumes in the series.
The action of course is top notch. It is said that the Imperial Guard is a meat grinder for the excess populations of Imperial Worlds, and this book reinforces this mantra is spades. Every other page seems to depict another dozen soldiers being blown up or trampled but on the next page it shows more being mustered. They are the hammer of the Emperor and few things can withstand a thousand men shooting something all at once. The sheer ferocity and firepower of the war oozes off of the page. It is easy to see why war is such a fact of life in the Imperium of Man and how it defines the identity of so many of its inhabitants.
One of the best things we see in this book is the inclusion of Adeptus Sororitas! The Adeptus Sororitas are the all-female army of the Ecclesiarchy or the Imperial Church. The closest things to female Space Marines in Warhammer 40K, the Sororitas are a fascinating aspect of the lore and Bookworm desperately desires more stories that feature them.
Females are sorely underrepresented in Warhammer, as well as popular media in general and it
is great to see them in this story and for one of the characters to actually be a main one.
The Flaws: It was said in one of the Codex’s of the RPG that there was no such thing as an “average’ Imperial World. Yet, a lot of the books in the Warhammer 40k universe seem to dispute that. The world of Mistral seems to be very much like a lot of other Imperium worlds visited by Imperial forces in a variety of other stories. There is not a lot to distinguish this world from the others. This is somewhat in place with the universe as conformity is considered a virtue in the despotic Imperium of Man but at the same time, every place is different and the only thing that seems to separate Mistral from Salinas is that there is a lot of wind. Boring.
What is also boring is the Imperial Guard themselves. Aside from Yarrick and Rasp, all the other characters seem to be rather cookie cutter. Again this consistent with the lore, but variety is the spice of life and a crucial part to telling any story is to not make it boring. A lot of characters from the Inquisitor to the cardinal fall into this trap.
What is also troubling is the depiction of combat, somewhat. We have plenty of action but Bookworm is sometimes lost on the matter of the scale of the combat. The Imperial Guard typically uses it’s large numbers to overwhelm the enemy. Here, it is not made clear if this is actually how the war is being waged. When Yarrick is battling cultists in the city streets, it sometimes seems like there are only five people waging the battle and it the next paragraph there is a whole battalion opening fire on the enemy. While the story is being told from the immediate perspective of the character, this kind of inconsistency can make the plot choppy and confuse the reader.
As mentioned previously, one of the strengths of this book is the Adeptus Sororitas but they are given the short straw when it comes to the overall story. Most of the time, they are little more than side characters. The passages that feature are extremely brief and the characters feature are very flat-featured and boring. Overall, they were given the short-straw in this story and it is very disappointing.
Final Verdict: For a story of one of Warhammer’s most iconic characters, this book is a good place to begin.
Four out of Five Stars
thecultureworm.blogspot.com
November 20, 2018
One of the most iconic figures of Warhammer 40K, Commissar Sebastian Yarrick.
The planet Mistral is the political toy of Wangenheim, a member of the Eccleshiarchy, leading to upheaval that the Hammer of the Emperor needs to correct. Yarrick very much becomes a symbol in this book. Good foreshadowing as well as to what is to come. Quite the starter for a series.
A nice gallery of bi-characters as well makes this a good Warhammer story. Can even serve as a good intro to Warhammer 40k for people unsure just where to start. Normally i have recommended the Eisenhorn books as a good intro, but this might be a lighter start. Showing just how merciless the universe is.
The planet Mistral is the political toy of Wangenheim, a member of the Eccleshiarchy, leading to upheaval that the Hammer of the Emperor needs to correct. Yarrick very much becomes a symbol in this book. Good foreshadowing as well as to what is to come. Quite the starter for a series.
A nice gallery of bi-characters as well makes this a good Warhammer story. Can even serve as a good intro to Warhammer 40k for people unsure just where to start. Normally i have recommended the Eisenhorn books as a good intro, but this might be a lighter start. Showing just how merciless the universe is.
October 8, 2025
Spoilers
This was a really good introduction to Yarrick. It had the usual 40k atmosphere of war and despair, but with some fresh twists that caught me off guard, I thought I knew where it was going, but I didn’t. That kept it interesting. The book had a strong siege vibe throughout, and overall it was an entertaining read. Definitely one I’d recommend to 40k fans, and I’d consider rereading it.
This was a really good introduction to Yarrick. It had the usual 40k atmosphere of war and despair, but with some fresh twists that caught me off guard, I thought I knew where it was going, but I didn’t. That kept it interesting. The book had a strong siege vibe throughout, and overall it was an entertaining read. Definitely one I’d recommend to 40k fans, and I’d consider rereading it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 12, 2020
Commissar Yarrick was young once and naive in a way, but matured in brutal way of WH40k Universe. Planet Mistral was known for being beautiful but with rotten politics shaking its foundation. The Chaos wormed itself in facilitated by corrupted cardinal who pushed loca barons into the rebellion. Yarrick had to make difficult choices and it cost him. Definitely reread it in the future.
December 18, 2020
Mostly well written, occasionally overly flowery superlatives and adjectives. Interesting main characters, some overwrought and skippable descriptions but overall a very entertaining and insightful yarn full of heroic combat and military and religious politics in the far future.
February 16, 2025
Serviceable overall. Seems like more of a prequel. Kind of hard to get the tone right when out-and-out fascism is the model. It works when there's a bit of satire, not so much when it's played completely straight.
April 19, 2020
This book features Sisters of Battle the way they SHOULD be shown.
May 14, 2020
I love the Ciaphas Cain books so was interested to see what a less humorous commissar would read like, I enjoyed thus book and will be reading the other yarrick books soonest
August 12, 2020
Annandale knows how to build to a crescendo.
September 23, 2021
Pretty typical 40k novel, but some cool depictions of Tzeentch stuff towards the end
August 28, 2023
It was surprisingly to me a very good book. I expected standard 40k things and I found a very well put, very tense, no moment to rest book.
I think I read it in three days.
I think I read it in three days.
December 31, 2023
The commissar faces a daemon that challenges his beliefs.
March 7, 2024
Simply amazing... So much so that it makes me proud to be.. human. :D
Burn the heretic. Kill the mutant. Purge the unclean.
Burn the heretic. Kill the mutant. Purge the unclean.
December 12, 2024
I read other Yarrick books, but this is my least liked one. I'm guessing he hadn't come to be the Yarrick I know, yet.
June 27, 2015
David Annandale does it again with Yarrick. But this time it is a full-length novel instead of a short story where David delivers a story of Yarrick's youth which is filled with excellent prose and characterization, while delivering an action packed tale with twists and turns abound. His grip on the character is as strong as ever while focusing on an adventure packed with an interesting cast, political intrigue, a bit of horror regarding chaos influence on human souls and a story jam-packed with nicely written action sequences.
The tale is focused on Yarrick's first mission under the tutelage of Lord Commissar Rasp on the planet Mistral. Here, an uprising of barons had upset the delicate balance of power. But, Mistral and Imperial politics are often murky, and the truth is seldom clear cut. As war engulfs the world, a plot unravels that pits old friends against one another and fashions unusual alliances. Chaos cults, the fanatical Adepta Sororitas and clandestine inquisitors all stand between Yarrick and his mission. Here is where the legend of Lord Commissar Sebastian Yarrick began, a legend forged in blood and war.
The story is a fast paced affair, which gives the readers no respite and never seems to slow down with Yarrick traveling between challenges of warfare and politics while trying to uphold his duty as a Commissar. There is also lots of action and excellent dialogue as well as a bit of mystery regarding the origin of the chaos influence. As Yarrick tries to stop this heretical rebellion he gets entrenched into deeper mysteries and also learns of how the Ecclisiarchy rules the planet using the name of the Emperor for personal and financial gains. It really is quite interesting to read about his inner turmoil with the corruption of the rulers and his duty to the Imperial Creed.
Once again, Annandales's strong point is his excellent understanding of his characters. He writes Yarrick so brilliantly, as a young Commissar still fitting into his role and learning the ropes of his calling and duty. His indomitable will and excellent decision making potential as well as his belief in the Emperor sets him above the rest. Other characters including Wangenheim, the narcissistic and selfish ruler of Mistral; Lord Commissar Rasp, Yarrick's mentor and role model; Vercor, an assassin with an agenda of her own; Vahnsin, the leader of the barons who was a friend of Rasp now struggling against the unjust rulers of Mistral; Krauss, a dogmatic and prideful member of the inquisition; Captain Saultern, a soldier who is just beginning to grow into the role he was forced into through help of Yarrick; Sister Superior Sethano, leader of the group of Adepta Sororitas who is as young and inexperienced as Yarrick at times; are but some of the excellent cast of side characters that Annandale wrote about.
So this is another excellent Yarrick tale that despite being a full-length novel seems to end so quickly with the readers begging for more due to the remarkable writing. I do hope David Annandale does keep writing about this interesting character who he seems to have such a good grip on.
This one gets 4.5 out of 5 stars from me.
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The tale is focused on Yarrick's first mission under the tutelage of Lord Commissar Rasp on the planet Mistral. Here, an uprising of barons had upset the delicate balance of power. But, Mistral and Imperial politics are often murky, and the truth is seldom clear cut. As war engulfs the world, a plot unravels that pits old friends against one another and fashions unusual alliances. Chaos cults, the fanatical Adepta Sororitas and clandestine inquisitors all stand between Yarrick and his mission. Here is where the legend of Lord Commissar Sebastian Yarrick began, a legend forged in blood and war.
The story is a fast paced affair, which gives the readers no respite and never seems to slow down with Yarrick traveling between challenges of warfare and politics while trying to uphold his duty as a Commissar. There is also lots of action and excellent dialogue as well as a bit of mystery regarding the origin of the chaos influence. As Yarrick tries to stop this heretical rebellion he gets entrenched into deeper mysteries and also learns of how the Ecclisiarchy rules the planet using the name of the Emperor for personal and financial gains. It really is quite interesting to read about his inner turmoil with the corruption of the rulers and his duty to the Imperial Creed.
Once again, Annandales's strong point is his excellent understanding of his characters. He writes Yarrick so brilliantly, as a young Commissar still fitting into his role and learning the ropes of his calling and duty. His indomitable will and excellent decision making potential as well as his belief in the Emperor sets him above the rest. Other characters including Wangenheim, the narcissistic and selfish ruler of Mistral; Lord Commissar Rasp, Yarrick's mentor and role model; Vercor, an assassin with an agenda of her own; Vahnsin, the leader of the barons who was a friend of Rasp now struggling against the unjust rulers of Mistral; Krauss, a dogmatic and prideful member of the inquisition; Captain Saultern, a soldier who is just beginning to grow into the role he was forced into through help of Yarrick; Sister Superior Sethano, leader of the group of Adepta Sororitas who is as young and inexperienced as Yarrick at times; are but some of the excellent cast of side characters that Annandale wrote about.
So this is another excellent Yarrick tale that despite being a full-length novel seems to end so quickly with the readers begging for more due to the remarkable writing. I do hope David Annandale does keep writing about this interesting character who he seems to have such a good grip on.
This one gets 4.5 out of 5 stars from me.
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July 30, 2014
David Annandale gets a series (I think it's a series) devoted to one of the most iconic of the non-Astartes Imperial heroes of the 40K universe: Sebastien Yarrick.
Imperial Creed is a good read. This takes place very early in Yarrick's career, though I couldn't help but see him played in the movie my mind showed me as I read by Ciarin Hinds who was Caesar in HBO's Rome and Mance Rayder in HBO's Game of Thrones.
Yarrick is assigned to an elder Lord Commissar to help oversee the morale of a unit from a dying Hive world. The novel kicks off with action from the get go, but Mr. Annandale doesn't weave a simple tale. After the opening sequence of shooty-death-kill we are treated to a world that is on the brink of civil war thanks to a corrupt Ecclesiarchy Bishop, a Barony that is united against his naked ambition and a populace that is falling to CHAOS.
Needless to say, chaos (ahem) does ensue. There are also excellent scenes with a squad of Adepta Sororitas, Sisters of Battle, and I think David nailed their characterization. Though, to be honest, I'd have preferred to see a bit more of them.
To be honest, the book is not perfect. My only complaint is a minor one, however.
David's style of Yarrick's viewpoint being first person, as in like a memoir or a reminisce, while the other characters scenes are all third person was a bit jarring at first. For some I can see where this would get annoying, but by the end I found it to be a bit brilliant, to be honest. Just at first, it was a bit shocking and jarring to the flow.
All in all a very good read, Annandale goes into the mind of the keeper of the faith and morale of a Imperial Guard unit, a keeper who eventually becomes a hero.
I recommend this.
Imperial Creed is a good read. This takes place very early in Yarrick's career, though I couldn't help but see him played in the movie my mind showed me as I read by Ciarin Hinds who was Caesar in HBO's Rome and Mance Rayder in HBO's Game of Thrones.
Yarrick is assigned to an elder Lord Commissar to help oversee the morale of a unit from a dying Hive world. The novel kicks off with action from the get go, but Mr. Annandale doesn't weave a simple tale. After the opening sequence of shooty-death-kill we are treated to a world that is on the brink of civil war thanks to a corrupt Ecclesiarchy Bishop, a Barony that is united against his naked ambition and a populace that is falling to CHAOS.
Needless to say, chaos (ahem) does ensue. There are also excellent scenes with a squad of Adepta Sororitas, Sisters of Battle, and I think David nailed their characterization. Though, to be honest, I'd have preferred to see a bit more of them.
To be honest, the book is not perfect. My only complaint is a minor one, however.
David's style of Yarrick's viewpoint being first person, as in like a memoir or a reminisce, while the other characters scenes are all third person was a bit jarring at first. For some I can see where this would get annoying, but by the end I found it to be a bit brilliant, to be honest. Just at first, it was a bit shocking and jarring to the flow.
All in all a very good read, Annandale goes into the mind of the keeper of the faith and morale of a Imperial Guard unit, a keeper who eventually becomes a hero.
I recommend this.
August 20, 2015
What can I say about this novel? Well on a basic level, it was really enjoyable and I loved every minute of it. Those familiar with the lore of the Warhammer 40,000 universe will most likely know who Yarrick is exactly, this novel was great as it was about his first real experience as a Commissar and it was many years yet before he became the Hero of Hades Hive.
In the novella Chains of Golgotha (also written by David Annandale), Yarrick is thoroughly war torn and zealous in his duty as a Lord Commissar and symbol for the Imperial Guard. In Imperial Creed however we see the total contrast to that character, and it proved to be a very interesting tale. All the side characters proved to be very engaging as well, and there were a number of good surprises to be discovered. Can't wait to start the next Yarrick novel.
In the novella Chains of Golgotha (also written by David Annandale), Yarrick is thoroughly war torn and zealous in his duty as a Lord Commissar and symbol for the Imperial Guard. In Imperial Creed however we see the total contrast to that character, and it proved to be a very interesting tale. All the side characters proved to be very engaging as well, and there were a number of good surprises to be discovered. Can't wait to start the next Yarrick novel.
May 14, 2014
Absolutely brilliant from Prologue to Epilogue.
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