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Warhammer 40,000
Damocles
Two centuries ago, the Imperium of Man and the upstart Tau Empire fought to a standstill in the Damocles Gulf. Now, as the 41st millennium draws to a close, the tau have returned. As the world of Agrellan falls under attack, the White Scars and Raven Guard rush to its defence, but with the skilled Commander Shadowsun leading the alien forces, the Space Marines and their allies are hard pressed. Kor’sarro Khan, Huntmaster of the White Scars, swears that he will win the day in the most direct way possible – by taking Shadowsun’s head.
Gathered within this volume are four novellas that focus on the events of the second Damocles Gulf Crusade. This book contains:
Blood Oath by Phil Kelly
Broken Sword by Guy Haley
Black Leviathan by Ben Counter
Hunter’s Snare by Josh Reynolds
Gathered within this volume are four novellas that focus on the events of the second Damocles Gulf Crusade. This book contains:
Blood Oath by Phil Kelly
Broken Sword by Guy Haley
Black Leviathan by Ben Counter
Hunter’s Snare by Josh Reynolds
Hardcover
First published March 1, 2014
54 people are currently reading
270 people want to read
About the author
Phil Kelly
86 books58 followersPhil Kelly (born 1977) is the Creative Lead for 'Warhammer: Age of Sigmar' in the Games Workshop design studio.
He has written over 60 gaming books in the last twenty years.
He has also written several Warhammer 40,000, Age of Sigmar and Warhammer Horror books and audio dramas for Black Library.
Librarian Note: there is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
He has written over 60 gaming books in the last twenty years.
He has also written several Warhammer 40,000, Age of Sigmar and Warhammer Horror books and audio dramas for Black Library.
Librarian Note: there is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
August 10, 2016
Review also published here
I'd be lying if I'd tell you Damocles was an easy read. It most assuredly was not, at least to me.
I started reading this anthology back in April, and it took me until late July to finish. Why, you ask? The easiest way to answer that would be to point towards the first of the four stories in this anthology.
Blood Oath by Phil Kelly
I absolutely could not enjoy this one. It made the White Scars feel flat, unlikeable, and even the focus on O'Shaserra, the famous Commander Shadowsun of the Tau Empire, could not fix the lack of substance in this novella.
Where Kor'sarro Khan felt often incompetent and out of character, especially when clashing with the other imperial forces on Agrellan (including Colonel "Iron Hand" Straken of the Catachan Devils and the head of a house of Imperial Knights), Shadowsun came across as a cliched female warrior who neither could not get over her old rival O'Shovah, Commander Farsight, nor get the respect of her subordinates. Even her shield/combat drones seemed disrespectful towards her, and the stealth team attached to her seemed badly misplaced. Her mutterings about Farsight felt especially jarring, as they occured way too often. If a scene centered on Shadowsun, you could bet she'd bring up "the traitor Shoh" again.
I did like the portrayal of Aun'Va, however. He came across as a prick, an arrogant self-aggrandizing prophet. It suited him.
Colonel Straken, who I have a soft spot for, was completely underwhelming in Blood Oath. He had a few lines of dialogue, and even those were mostly about telling Kor'sarro Khan off.
Overall, however, there was not much to gain from this story outside of fairly shallow action. On various occassions the story felt like bad marketing for Games Workshop's expensive, then-new Imperial Knight kit and the Tau Riptide. Yes, they're impressive warmachines, I get it, but this story felt like it was fawning over them way too much.
I did enjoy the Tau's coordinated strikes to bring down most Hives on Agrellan within hours, but those scenes were over so quickly, I felt disappointed overall.
Blood Oath felt wrong, and it is by far the weakest story in this collection. That I score Damocles at 4 stars is testament to how much I enjoyed the other stories by comparison.
Broken Sword by Guy Haley
Ah, Guy Haley. It won't be news to you that I adore his novels. He writes some of the best non-human characters out there, whether it be greenskins, eldar, artificial intelligences or, in this case, Tau.
Broken Sword is a totally different story from Blood Oath - and not just in terms of quality. It goes under the hood of Tau society, the indoctrination of humans into the Greater Good, and as such offers Guy Haley a lot of room to show off his skills at constructing the Tau as an advanced species, and an intergalactic empire.
Unlike Blood Oath, which depicted the Tau as ruthless conquerors and usurpers of mankind's right to rule the stars, Broken Sword depicts them as liberators, offering freedom to the oppressed people of the fringe worlds between Imperium and Tau Empire, and the kind of life they never knew was possible.
The main protagonist is one such man who joined the Tau'va, believing it superior to the imperial rule and embracing it fully. The story is, for the most part, presented as the protagonist's retelling of the events, which offers further commentary in retrospect. We follow him through certain points of the war for Agrellan, and see him forge bonds of friendship with a member of the Tau Water Caste, their diplomats. This offers a fairly unique spin on the Tau Empire topic, and I enjoyed it greatly.
On the other hand, we have the Raven Guard attempting to capture said Water Caste Tau, which is also told in an interesting fashion. The action in the story is rather light, and more akin to skirmishes with few Space Marines, rather than the large scale warfare seen in the first story. This is, in my opinion, a plus.
Overall I'd say this is my favorite story of the bunch. It offered plenty of insight as well as twists and turns, and kept me engaged as a reader.
Black Leviathan by Ben Counter
I struggled a bit with this story. It takes the war for Damocles from Agrellan to a neighboring world, which, until the Imperium's arrival, had been inhabited by nomad-savages.
The descendants of these tribes reject the Imperium's claim for the world, and ally with the Tau to rid themselves of their overlords and return to the good old ways.
Set to prevent the Tau from overtaking the planet are a squad of Ultramarines led by a Captain I've never heard of, and another squad of Jade Dragons, a Chapter created for this story.
While I did not quite like the Ultramarines in this story, the Jade Dragons made for an interesting story. Ben Counter did a fine job characterizing his new Chapter, lending them both their own traditions as well as superstitions, which both play into the overall story. They also give the two very different Chapters reason to mistrust one another, and rather than cooperate clash on various occassions.
On the Tau side, we see yet another Water Caste member who is busy spinning a net of subterfuge and traps around the Space Marines. This Tau made for a very good antagonist, even though direct confrontations were avoided. He played both the Space Marines, the Tribes and the general population as well as his own Tau Fire Warriors like pawns on a chess board.
Black Leviathan is a story about subterfuge, mistrust and good intentions that carve the way for bad results. It was more of a political tale than an action piece, but the bolter action pieces did not disappoint either.
A second good story in this collection.
Hunter's Snare by Josh Reynolds
This final story by Josh Reynolds of Warhammer Fantasy fame goes back to Agrellan and the White Scars, forming a sequel to Phil Kelly's Blood Oath. Thankfully, Josh managed to set things right and return the White Scars back where they belong: In the saddles of their bikes, laughing while they kill their Tau enemies.
Hunter's Snare is, at its core, a deadly dance between two very different yet so alike hunters - Kor'sarro Khan and Commander Shadowsun. After the events of Blood Oath, Kor'sarro returns to hunt down the Tau Commander, and the two characters dance a dangerous waltz of feints and snares.
Kor'sarro is back to the way I enjoy reading about him - a passionate, dedicated huntsmaster who does not lack humor and finds respect for a worthy enemy. I would also say that Josh Reynolds is a great pick for writing White Scars - he understands their character, and manages to put good humor into their mouths.
Unlike the first story, Shadowsun and the Tau are taking the backseat in Hunter's Snare. They do appear as antagonists, catching the Scars off-guard on various occassions, but we do not get an insight into them the way we did in previous stories. This works well for the story, and I enjoyed the focus on the Khan and his brothers.
I'd also like to point out that there are various nods to characters from Chris Wraight's Horus Heresy novel Scars, which I appreciated greatly.
Josh Reynolds, in my opinion, is an excellent writer with a sure hand when it comes to writing and placing humor. His characters, whether it be Gotrek and Felix from The Serpent Queen, the whole cast of Bernheimer's Gun or the protagonists of his original novel The Whitechapel Demon, all come across as interesting people, and manage to make me chuckle rather frequently. Most importantly, the humor always seems to fit the story's context, and Josh knows when to be serious instead.
I like this skill, and am looking forward to reading more of his stories, with The Whitechapel Demon being on my current reading pile.
All in all, Damocles is not a bad anthology. It actually was a fairly good read once I got past the initial disappointment, or even distaste, for Phil Kelly's contribution to the book.
The biggest flaw of the whole collection is that it frontloaded the worst it had to offer, making me put the whole thing down countless times, over the course of many weeks. If I had known how much I would like the other offerings, I would have forced myself to finish Blood Oath sooner.
Be that as it may, I would definitely recommend picking this anthology up early next year, when it gets re-released as part of the Space Marine Battles series - the paperback is already announced. Though I do disagree on this being a SMB candidate, considering that it is most assuredly a Tau collection.
But I digress.
A big thanks to Guy Haley, Ben Counter and Joshua Reynolds for turning my initial distaste for Damocles into a good experience.
I'd be lying if I'd tell you Damocles was an easy read. It most assuredly was not, at least to me.
I started reading this anthology back in April, and it took me until late July to finish. Why, you ask? The easiest way to answer that would be to point towards the first of the four stories in this anthology.
Blood Oath by Phil Kelly
I absolutely could not enjoy this one. It made the White Scars feel flat, unlikeable, and even the focus on O'Shaserra, the famous Commander Shadowsun of the Tau Empire, could not fix the lack of substance in this novella.
Where Kor'sarro Khan felt often incompetent and out of character, especially when clashing with the other imperial forces on Agrellan (including Colonel "Iron Hand" Straken of the Catachan Devils and the head of a house of Imperial Knights), Shadowsun came across as a cliched female warrior who neither could not get over her old rival O'Shovah, Commander Farsight, nor get the respect of her subordinates. Even her shield/combat drones seemed disrespectful towards her, and the stealth team attached to her seemed badly misplaced. Her mutterings about Farsight felt especially jarring, as they occured way too often. If a scene centered on Shadowsun, you could bet she'd bring up "the traitor Shoh" again.
I did like the portrayal of Aun'Va, however. He came across as a prick, an arrogant self-aggrandizing prophet. It suited him.
Colonel Straken, who I have a soft spot for, was completely underwhelming in Blood Oath. He had a few lines of dialogue, and even those were mostly about telling Kor'sarro Khan off.
Overall, however, there was not much to gain from this story outside of fairly shallow action. On various occassions the story felt like bad marketing for Games Workshop's expensive, then-new Imperial Knight kit and the Tau Riptide. Yes, they're impressive warmachines, I get it, but this story felt like it was fawning over them way too much.
I did enjoy the Tau's coordinated strikes to bring down most Hives on Agrellan within hours, but those scenes were over so quickly, I felt disappointed overall.
Blood Oath felt wrong, and it is by far the weakest story in this collection. That I score Damocles at 4 stars is testament to how much I enjoyed the other stories by comparison.
Broken Sword by Guy Haley
Ah, Guy Haley. It won't be news to you that I adore his novels. He writes some of the best non-human characters out there, whether it be greenskins, eldar, artificial intelligences or, in this case, Tau.
Broken Sword is a totally different story from Blood Oath - and not just in terms of quality. It goes under the hood of Tau society, the indoctrination of humans into the Greater Good, and as such offers Guy Haley a lot of room to show off his skills at constructing the Tau as an advanced species, and an intergalactic empire.
Unlike Blood Oath, which depicted the Tau as ruthless conquerors and usurpers of mankind's right to rule the stars, Broken Sword depicts them as liberators, offering freedom to the oppressed people of the fringe worlds between Imperium and Tau Empire, and the kind of life they never knew was possible.
The main protagonist is one such man who joined the Tau'va, believing it superior to the imperial rule and embracing it fully. The story is, for the most part, presented as the protagonist's retelling of the events, which offers further commentary in retrospect. We follow him through certain points of the war for Agrellan, and see him forge bonds of friendship with a member of the Tau Water Caste, their diplomats. This offers a fairly unique spin on the Tau Empire topic, and I enjoyed it greatly.
On the other hand, we have the Raven Guard attempting to capture said Water Caste Tau, which is also told in an interesting fashion. The action in the story is rather light, and more akin to skirmishes with few Space Marines, rather than the large scale warfare seen in the first story. This is, in my opinion, a plus.
Overall I'd say this is my favorite story of the bunch. It offered plenty of insight as well as twists and turns, and kept me engaged as a reader.
Black Leviathan by Ben Counter
I struggled a bit with this story. It takes the war for Damocles from Agrellan to a neighboring world, which, until the Imperium's arrival, had been inhabited by nomad-savages.
The descendants of these tribes reject the Imperium's claim for the world, and ally with the Tau to rid themselves of their overlords and return to the good old ways.
Set to prevent the Tau from overtaking the planet are a squad of Ultramarines led by a Captain I've never heard of, and another squad of Jade Dragons, a Chapter created for this story.
While I did not quite like the Ultramarines in this story, the Jade Dragons made for an interesting story. Ben Counter did a fine job characterizing his new Chapter, lending them both their own traditions as well as superstitions, which both play into the overall story. They also give the two very different Chapters reason to mistrust one another, and rather than cooperate clash on various occassions.
On the Tau side, we see yet another Water Caste member who is busy spinning a net of subterfuge and traps around the Space Marines. This Tau made for a very good antagonist, even though direct confrontations were avoided. He played both the Space Marines, the Tribes and the general population as well as his own Tau Fire Warriors like pawns on a chess board.
Black Leviathan is a story about subterfuge, mistrust and good intentions that carve the way for bad results. It was more of a political tale than an action piece, but the bolter action pieces did not disappoint either.
A second good story in this collection.
Hunter's Snare by Josh Reynolds
This final story by Josh Reynolds of Warhammer Fantasy fame goes back to Agrellan and the White Scars, forming a sequel to Phil Kelly's Blood Oath. Thankfully, Josh managed to set things right and return the White Scars back where they belong: In the saddles of their bikes, laughing while they kill their Tau enemies.
Hunter's Snare is, at its core, a deadly dance between two very different yet so alike hunters - Kor'sarro Khan and Commander Shadowsun. After the events of Blood Oath, Kor'sarro returns to hunt down the Tau Commander, and the two characters dance a dangerous waltz of feints and snares.
Kor'sarro is back to the way I enjoy reading about him - a passionate, dedicated huntsmaster who does not lack humor and finds respect for a worthy enemy. I would also say that Josh Reynolds is a great pick for writing White Scars - he understands their character, and manages to put good humor into their mouths.
Unlike the first story, Shadowsun and the Tau are taking the backseat in Hunter's Snare. They do appear as antagonists, catching the Scars off-guard on various occassions, but we do not get an insight into them the way we did in previous stories. This works well for the story, and I enjoyed the focus on the Khan and his brothers.
I'd also like to point out that there are various nods to characters from Chris Wraight's Horus Heresy novel Scars, which I appreciated greatly.
Josh Reynolds, in my opinion, is an excellent writer with a sure hand when it comes to writing and placing humor. His characters, whether it be Gotrek and Felix from The Serpent Queen, the whole cast of Bernheimer's Gun or the protagonists of his original novel The Whitechapel Demon, all come across as interesting people, and manage to make me chuckle rather frequently. Most importantly, the humor always seems to fit the story's context, and Josh knows when to be serious instead.
I like this skill, and am looking forward to reading more of his stories, with The Whitechapel Demon being on my current reading pile.
All in all, Damocles is not a bad anthology. It actually was a fairly good read once I got past the initial disappointment, or even distaste, for Phil Kelly's contribution to the book.
The biggest flaw of the whole collection is that it frontloaded the worst it had to offer, making me put the whole thing down countless times, over the course of many weeks. If I had known how much I would like the other offerings, I would have forced myself to finish Blood Oath sooner.
Be that as it may, I would definitely recommend picking this anthology up early next year, when it gets re-released as part of the Space Marine Battles series - the paperback is already announced. Though I do disagree on this being a SMB candidate, considering that it is most assuredly a Tau collection.
But I digress.
A big thanks to Guy Haley, Ben Counter and Joshua Reynolds for turning my initial distaste for Damocles into a good experience.
August 22, 2015
This is an anthology, rather than a novel. If you are a Tau fan, you'll probably enjoy it.
The first story, by Phil Kelly, is the weakest by far. While the Tau portrayal is fairly good, especially of Shadowsun, the White Scars are written as incompetent neophytes in the ways of war, unable to see even the most obvious traps. I like the Scars. a lot. So I didn't really appreciate that. 2 stars
The second two focus more on the Water Caste of the Tau than on military maneuvers, and I loved them. They give insight into the real strength of the Tau- propaganda and information manipulation. 5 stars for both.
The final story is back to Scars and Fire Caste, but is vastly better than the first. Josh Reynolds maintains the Scars sense of humor and free-flowing combat well. Though, it's chronology with the first story, featuring the same Khan, is unclear- it seems to take place on Agrellan itself, but Imperial forces pulled out at the end of the first story, and it's clearly after that, so.....? Also, the Tau seem to neglect their range advantages, and Reynolds has them behave in what, to me, are uncharacteristic ways on the battlefield. It was still a fun story though, 4 stars.l
The first story, by Phil Kelly, is the weakest by far. While the Tau portrayal is fairly good, especially of Shadowsun, the White Scars are written as incompetent neophytes in the ways of war, unable to see even the most obvious traps. I like the Scars. a lot. So I didn't really appreciate that. 2 stars
The second two focus more on the Water Caste of the Tau than on military maneuvers, and I loved them. They give insight into the real strength of the Tau- propaganda and information manipulation. 5 stars for both.
The final story is back to Scars and Fire Caste, but is vastly better than the first. Josh Reynolds maintains the Scars sense of humor and free-flowing combat well. Though, it's chronology with the first story, featuring the same Khan, is unclear- it seems to take place on Agrellan itself, but Imperial forces pulled out at the end of the first story, and it's clearly after that, so.....? Also, the Tau seem to neglect their range advantages, and Reynolds has them behave in what, to me, are uncharacteristic ways on the battlefield. It was still a fun story though, 4 stars.l
August 9, 2024
Solid 40K story. I was hoping for a lot of Ravenguard action but mainly was Tau and Whitescars. I did enjoy how the main struggle with the Tau is their technology and how their ambassadors are able to convert people over to their empire. But in the end the true lesson of this story is, if the enemy has superior firepower and are really good with words. Just pummel them with your fists and you will be victorious.
October 22, 2024
This multi-author collection features one really excellent short story (Broken Sword by Guy Haley) and three extremely boring ones. Phil Kelly in particular gotta be one of the worst authors Black Library ever hired.
July 18, 2025
Pretty good warhammer storytelling, sometimes was a little slow. Liked the espionage and secrecy of some of the stories. Also having smaller chapters like the dark hunters and jade dragons was a welcome respite from big chapters.
June 15, 2025
Loved the way the different perspectives tell the story of the Tau. As a big fan of Zen philosophy I’ve really come round to them as a species in the 40K universe. I think I would have converted as Gue’lla given the dystopia of life in the 41st millennium as a human in the imperium!
June 18, 2020
Damocles is an anthology book, meaning that it is a series of short stories within the Space Marine Battles line of 40k novels. If you’ve been keeping up with my exploration of Warhammer and the tiny people that inhabit it’s Universe (they are life-size models, right?), then you’ll know that the Tau are one the factions I’ve started collecting and this book is all about the Imperium fighting the Tau, so I was immediately intrigued. I think it’s fair to say that when you have a collection of stories like this, the quality or your preference is bound to move and shift with each one. For me, I found that I thoroughly enjoyed one story, found two good fun and a third fell a bit flat. With that in mind, let’s talk through the battles of the Damocles Gulf and the ongoing conflict between the Adeptus Astartes and the Greater Good.
The first story in Damocles is Blood Oath by Phil Kelly. As the opening story to the book, I found it to be an engaging, if shallow, read. Blood Oath focuses on the White Scars chapter and the Tau’s Commander Shadowsun. As my first foray into the Tau story, it got a good feel for their different ways of fighting and Shadow Sun’s ways of war. The descriptions of the battles did at times feel a bit blow for blow but there were some suitably adrenaline-fueled fights using an array of Tau units that I, personally, really enjoyed. I can see if you’ve been around a bit that this story could come across as extremely shallow and I didn’t like the depiction of the White Scars (another faction I know very little about). Shadow Sun’s constantly bringing up ‘the traitor Shoh’ in almost all of her scenes was a little annoying but again as somebody with very little knowledge, I found this intriguing more than anything. I would have liked some more depth and a little more than the few nuggets we get about her and Farsight’s relationship and training together but I get why that isn’t there. On the whole, if you want some cool Tau fight scenes, then that is what Blood Oath provides. If you want some more depth, then you’ll need to wait for the next story in this anthology.
For the full review, please visit Bits & Pieces - https://bitsandpieces.games/2020/06/1...
The first story in Damocles is Blood Oath by Phil Kelly. As the opening story to the book, I found it to be an engaging, if shallow, read. Blood Oath focuses on the White Scars chapter and the Tau’s Commander Shadowsun. As my first foray into the Tau story, it got a good feel for their different ways of fighting and Shadow Sun’s ways of war. The descriptions of the battles did at times feel a bit blow for blow but there were some suitably adrenaline-fueled fights using an array of Tau units that I, personally, really enjoyed. I can see if you’ve been around a bit that this story could come across as extremely shallow and I didn’t like the depiction of the White Scars (another faction I know very little about). Shadow Sun’s constantly bringing up ‘the traitor Shoh’ in almost all of her scenes was a little annoying but again as somebody with very little knowledge, I found this intriguing more than anything. I would have liked some more depth and a little more than the few nuggets we get about her and Farsight’s relationship and training together but I get why that isn’t there. On the whole, if you want some cool Tau fight scenes, then that is what Blood Oath provides. If you want some more depth, then you’ll need to wait for the next story in this anthology.
For the full review, please visit Bits & Pieces - https://bitsandpieces.games/2020/06/1...
March 22, 2024
Some good stuff here
Broken Sword is absolutely fantastic but you can skip Black Leviathan. That one’s a bit crap
Broken Sword is absolutely fantastic but you can skip Black Leviathan. That one’s a bit crap
May 8, 2015
Basically Darkchaplain said everything I thought about this book almost page by page. Blood Oath by Guy Haley is one of my favorite 40K stories I've read so far. Absolutely brilliant. Finally someone did the Tau in a way that seems in line w/everything I've read about them.
May 16, 2015
There are four stories in this book.
Book one = great, exactly what I wanted to read.
Book two = good, very good character development
Book three = not good, doesn't really fit well in the 40K universe, seems like author didn't try very hard.
Book four = good.
Book one = great, exactly what I wanted to read.
Book two = good, very good character development
Book three = not good, doesn't really fit well in the 40K universe, seems like author didn't try very hard.
Book four = good.
April 2, 2015
The only story that holds this back is Black Leviathan; not because it isn't well-written, but because it has no real payoff or resolution, and doesn't tie well to the rest of the stories.
September 23, 2017
Admittedly, this was a very disappointing read. Great idea, poor execution. The Tau are definitely the highlight here, while the Raven Guard were uninteresting at best. To my dismay, and presumably the dismay of anyone with a good head on their shoulders, the White Scars were portrayed as buffoons. It's tragic, really.
Overall, this isn't a recommended read, but I'm sure there are far worse out there that I haven't yet read. "Damocles" gets a 2/5 from me
Overall, this isn't a recommended read, but I'm sure there are far worse out there that I haven't yet read. "Damocles" gets a 2/5 from me
July 13, 2019
Broken Sword was the best of the four books, imho. Black Leviathan had a really slow start but the ending was an okay twist. Hunter's Snare was the worst of the four. It had it's okay moments but it was mostly a love-letter to the White Scars Space Marine chapter, in which the T'au were reduced to generic video-game A.I. enemies. Oh and Shadowsun is apparently racist.
August 19, 2021
Collection of novels in this book with some better then others . If wasn't for 2nd book would rate it a lot lower , Book 2 was great insight into Tau society and very well written with great character development . Books 1 and 3 were the weakest by far which brought down the rating , Shame as Tau fan as well .
January 18, 2023
I loved the many different stories from authors who have done a fantastic job of portraying the conflict between the varied chapters of space marines and the Tau. My favourite story is the conflict between the white scars khan Kor'sarro and the Tau commander Shadowsun, their battle was tense and strategic and extremely gripping.
April 12, 2023
A solid little collection of novellas in which one IS FAR and above the best 'Broken Sword by Guy Haley'. The balance disrupts the overall experience but I still enjoyed my experience. This offered a more nuanced view on the Tau and had some great 'Retrofuturism vs. Modern Sci-Fi' elements.
September 19, 2017
Overall a pretty average 40K anthology, but I gave it 5 stars because I really enjoyed getting a story from the perspective of a human Tau auxiliary, which I think was the best story of the lot.
May 7, 2018
i'm done with the tau
read this if you are interested
http://thegoodthebadtheinsulting.blog...
read this if you are interested
http://thegoodthebadtheinsulting.blog...
December 10, 2018
Great stories, but the audible recording is akin to being whispered at for hours at a time.
November 15, 2019
There was some entertaining moments, even good stories. But by the end of the anthology, I was pretty sick of reading about this love/hate relationship between the Tau and White Scars Space Marines.
November 14, 2020
One of the few good Tau related anthologies.
December 7, 2022
A fun read.
December 3, 2023
First and last novellas are the highlights in this novella, was nice in broken blade to hear of a gue'vesa point if view
February 15, 2025
Fabulous introduction to the T'au would recommend for anyone looking to dive into the greater good.
May 7, 2015
Bookworm Speaks!
Warhammer 40,000
Damocles
by Phil Kelly, Guy Haley, Ben Counter, and Josh Reynolds
****
The Story: Four Novellas that focus on the events of the second Damocles Gulf Crusade.
Two centuries ago, the Imperium of Man and the upstart Tau Empire fought to a standstill in the Damocles Gulf. Now, as the 41st Millennium draws to a close, the Tau have returned. As the world of Agrellan falls under attack, the White Scars and the Raven Guard rush to its defense, but with the skilled Commander Shadowsun leading the alien forces, the Space Marines and their allies are hard pressed. Kor’sarro Khan, Huntmaster of the White Scars, swears that he will win the day in the most direct way possible-by taking Shadowsun’s head.
The Good: First off…it is a story of the White Scars. A first founding Legion under the Primarch Jaghatai Khan, who have an emphasis of mobile conflict, are sorely lacking proper representation in the Black Library, which is a real shame as they are quite fascinating. This is only the third book that emphasizes the White Scars to any significant degree. The same can be said about the Raven Guard. Bookworm doesn’t think he owns any books with the sons of Corvus Corax as the focus, which is also a shame. To see both chapters further expanded over the course of the novellas is a real treat. Furthering the entertainment value is the contrast to how the different chapters operate. The White Scar’s ride proudly into battle and collect the heads of their foes and display as trophies. The Raven Guard operate from the shadows and strike silently, their names unknown, even among their brothers. Contrast is a gateway to conflict and it leads into the primary reason why the antagonists of this volume are so appealing.
Of all the enemies of the Imperium of Man that Games Workshop has introduced, the Tau Empire may not be a favorite but from a creative standpoint they are one of the best. A great way to really challenge a protagonist is to pit them against themselves. The Tau represents what the Imperium of Man should have been had the Emperor had not been imprisoned upon the Golden Throne, a peaceful, progressive society, which values technological innovation and a government that works for the benefit of all, (supposedly). The Tau are also zealots in the same way that the Space Marines are. The Astartes fight whole-heartedly for their faith in the Emperor and the Tau fight whole-heartedly for their faith in the Greater Good, the philosophy that governs their society. The other enemies of the Imperium are fairly one dimensional: The orks just want to pillage and plunder, the Tyranids just want to eat everything, the Chaos Space Marines want to do both, and don’t get Bookworm started on the Necrons. The Tau are not a force of nature like Orks or Tyranids, they are a rival society which has multiple dimensions, same as the Imperium.
The only exception to this might be the Eldar but Bookworm has not read any stories about them yet.
Also, like the Imperium of Man, there may be less than honorable forces at work. While the Tau preach something that sounds good, the authors are wise to include little tidbits here and there that show that there is something far more insidious to the Tau than meets the eye. This is just Bookworm’s own hypothesis but it is hinted in one of the novellas that the Tau surgically alter humans to look like Tau. Whose greater good is it?
Speaking of covert motives. We get a new Space Marine Chapter! The Jade Dragons are introduces in the third novella of the volume. They are very interesting and Bookworm hopes we see them again. They definitely follow a more mystical approach to war than the Ultramarines. Like the differences between the White Scars and Raven Guard, the contrast between the two very different chapters provides amusing conflicts and different approaches between the chapters of the novella.
The Flaws: While by itself, the story is not bad, the fact is that the third novella in the book, Black Leviathan, feels out of place compared to the other stories. It takes place on a different planet other than Agrellan, which is contrary to the plot summary, and it involves neither the White Scars or the Raven Guard. It is back to the Black Library favorites of the Ultramarines, and The Jade Dragons, which we know nothing about. The other three stories share a common denominator but the only thing the Black Leviathan has in common with the other three is the fact that the Tau are there. We have plenty of Ultramarines stories, lets keep exploring the world of the Khan and the Raven.
Another common flaw is the disparate head-hopping that takes place. The perspectives switch places between the character pretty often and it can get a little confusing. In a few of the chapters the pacing needs some reworking.
Final Verdict: Damocles is an excellent book that provides multiple perspectives on a great crusade of the Imperium of Man.
Four out Five Stars
thecultureworm.blogspot.com
Warhammer 40,000
Damocles
by Phil Kelly, Guy Haley, Ben Counter, and Josh Reynolds
****
The Story: Four Novellas that focus on the events of the second Damocles Gulf Crusade.
Two centuries ago, the Imperium of Man and the upstart Tau Empire fought to a standstill in the Damocles Gulf. Now, as the 41st Millennium draws to a close, the Tau have returned. As the world of Agrellan falls under attack, the White Scars and the Raven Guard rush to its defense, but with the skilled Commander Shadowsun leading the alien forces, the Space Marines and their allies are hard pressed. Kor’sarro Khan, Huntmaster of the White Scars, swears that he will win the day in the most direct way possible-by taking Shadowsun’s head.
The Good: First off…it is a story of the White Scars. A first founding Legion under the Primarch Jaghatai Khan, who have an emphasis of mobile conflict, are sorely lacking proper representation in the Black Library, which is a real shame as they are quite fascinating. This is only the third book that emphasizes the White Scars to any significant degree. The same can be said about the Raven Guard. Bookworm doesn’t think he owns any books with the sons of Corvus Corax as the focus, which is also a shame. To see both chapters further expanded over the course of the novellas is a real treat. Furthering the entertainment value is the contrast to how the different chapters operate. The White Scar’s ride proudly into battle and collect the heads of their foes and display as trophies. The Raven Guard operate from the shadows and strike silently, their names unknown, even among their brothers. Contrast is a gateway to conflict and it leads into the primary reason why the antagonists of this volume are so appealing.
Of all the enemies of the Imperium of Man that Games Workshop has introduced, the Tau Empire may not be a favorite but from a creative standpoint they are one of the best. A great way to really challenge a protagonist is to pit them against themselves. The Tau represents what the Imperium of Man should have been had the Emperor had not been imprisoned upon the Golden Throne, a peaceful, progressive society, which values technological innovation and a government that works for the benefit of all, (supposedly). The Tau are also zealots in the same way that the Space Marines are. The Astartes fight whole-heartedly for their faith in the Emperor and the Tau fight whole-heartedly for their faith in the Greater Good, the philosophy that governs their society. The other enemies of the Imperium are fairly one dimensional: The orks just want to pillage and plunder, the Tyranids just want to eat everything, the Chaos Space Marines want to do both, and don’t get Bookworm started on the Necrons. The Tau are not a force of nature like Orks or Tyranids, they are a rival society which has multiple dimensions, same as the Imperium.
The only exception to this might be the Eldar but Bookworm has not read any stories about them yet.
Also, like the Imperium of Man, there may be less than honorable forces at work. While the Tau preach something that sounds good, the authors are wise to include little tidbits here and there that show that there is something far more insidious to the Tau than meets the eye. This is just Bookworm’s own hypothesis but it is hinted in one of the novellas that the Tau surgically alter humans to look like Tau. Whose greater good is it?
Speaking of covert motives. We get a new Space Marine Chapter! The Jade Dragons are introduces in the third novella of the volume. They are very interesting and Bookworm hopes we see them again. They definitely follow a more mystical approach to war than the Ultramarines. Like the differences between the White Scars and Raven Guard, the contrast between the two very different chapters provides amusing conflicts and different approaches between the chapters of the novella.
The Flaws: While by itself, the story is not bad, the fact is that the third novella in the book, Black Leviathan, feels out of place compared to the other stories. It takes place on a different planet other than Agrellan, which is contrary to the plot summary, and it involves neither the White Scars or the Raven Guard. It is back to the Black Library favorites of the Ultramarines, and The Jade Dragons, which we know nothing about. The other three stories share a common denominator but the only thing the Black Leviathan has in common with the other three is the fact that the Tau are there. We have plenty of Ultramarines stories, lets keep exploring the world of the Khan and the Raven.
Another common flaw is the disparate head-hopping that takes place. The perspectives switch places between the character pretty often and it can get a little confusing. In a few of the chapters the pacing needs some reworking.
Final Verdict: Damocles is an excellent book that provides multiple perspectives on a great crusade of the Imperium of Man.
Four out Five Stars
thecultureworm.blogspot.com
September 5, 2015
Based 200 years after the First Damocles Crusade, the blue fish heads are back at it. They're after the hive-city world of Agrellan and aren't as naive about the Imperium as they were first time around.
The book is a collection of four stories based on Space Marine vs. Tau on Agrellan.
Blood Oath by Phil Kelly - In summary this is the main battle for the hive-world proper. It features the first meeting of Kor'sarro Khan of the White Scars and Commander Shadowsun of the Tau. You get the feeling that this story should have been a full-blown novel as key points are rushed. I would have preferred this to have been a standalone as it gave some wonderful insights into what the Tau thought of different aspects of the Imperium such as their amazement at hive-cities - not that they are marvels but as to how they can stand leave alone function. This story also features the Tau's newest weapon, the ridiculously named Riptide. If you want some Imperial Knight vs. Tau action then there's a few paragraphs in here for you. The author likes to say phrases like "rammed it home" a lot as well which does get annoying. On the upside, Colonel 'Iron Hand' Straken makes an appearance and is easily the best character but is hardly used and thus wasted. If only this had been a 400 page story...
Broken Sword by Guy Haley - This is my favourite of the four and focuses on the Gue'vesa, which is long overdue in the Black Library. The story is told from two perspectives; from a post-battle debriefing/interview with former Imperial Guard Captain Jathen Korling who is now Gue'vesa, and from the mind-rip of Raven Guard Brother-Sergeant Cornix (the mind-rip being a bunch of computers hooked to his brain and squeezing out memories like an orange juicer - and with similar results). Again this is filled with comparisons between Imperial and Tau cultures and hints a lot at humanity's place in the Tau Empire. It features a nice twist at the end and also plenty of Riptides. Hang on, this book seems to have a few of those showing up.
Black Leviathan by Ben Counter - Here is the one that brings down the average. Set on the moon orbiting Agrellan this features the Ultramarines and Jade Dragons taking on a tame Tau insurgency but the ruinous powers may be involved. But they may not. We're not told for sure. The combat is a mess and the author isn't clear at one point if a Marine has his helmet on or not. The main Tau antagonist, a water caste diplomat, might as well be walking around twirling his moustache like a black and white movie villain as he is a far cry from any other Tau that's been penned. Riptides make numerous appearances here as well.
Hunter's Snare by Josh Reynolds - I've not had much exposure to Mr Reynolds but this one was rather pleasant. We go back to Agrellan for more White Scars vs Tau action to see Commander Shadowsun try and capture Kor'sarro Khan. There's also a sub-story about a Dark Hunter Marine Champion on secondment to the White Scars who is only really there to show us how different the White Scars are from other chapters. The combat is nice but it did stutter at one point where you have to decide if the battlesuits the author is talking about are Riptides or the smaller versions that everyone else calls battlesuits. Riptides do make an appearance I know that for sure. Since this once is told completely from the White Scars perspective you get their insights to the Tau and is quite refreshing from the norm. The summary of this last story is that the Khan and Shadowsun are two sides of the same coin.
A good book to read if you're interested in Space Marines and Tau. It didn't feel like a slog like some can be. However, it really did feel like a J. Peterman style advertisement for the Riptide battlesuit as I know authors are supposed to put new releases into some of their stories like the Elysian buggies in one of the Gaunts books or the limited edition boarding marines in another. There were areas of inconsistency that could have been addressed by better communication between the four authors namely the power of the Tau pulse weapons. In one story someone shoots a Marine point blank in the chest numerous times and does nothing, but in the next story they're punching fist-sized holes in their armour. Another point is the attitude of the White Scars towards aliens as in one they were throthing at the mouth shouting "FILTHY XENOS SCUM" in typical Imperial fashion while in another they're saying "They're cunning hunters that demand respect" which leaves you wondering if they're writing about the same character.
Guy Haley is becoming one of those authors you needs to start looking out for. He is adept at taking a story and telling it from an interesting angle without coming across as trying too hard *cough*Nick Kyme*cough*
The book is a collection of four stories based on Space Marine vs. Tau on Agrellan.
Blood Oath by Phil Kelly - In summary this is the main battle for the hive-world proper. It features the first meeting of Kor'sarro Khan of the White Scars and Commander Shadowsun of the Tau. You get the feeling that this story should have been a full-blown novel as key points are rushed. I would have preferred this to have been a standalone as it gave some wonderful insights into what the Tau thought of different aspects of the Imperium such as their amazement at hive-cities - not that they are marvels but as to how they can stand leave alone function. This story also features the Tau's newest weapon, the ridiculously named Riptide. If you want some Imperial Knight vs. Tau action then there's a few paragraphs in here for you. The author likes to say phrases like "rammed it home" a lot as well which does get annoying. On the upside, Colonel 'Iron Hand' Straken makes an appearance and is easily the best character but is hardly used and thus wasted. If only this had been a 400 page story...
Broken Sword by Guy Haley - This is my favourite of the four and focuses on the Gue'vesa, which is long overdue in the Black Library. The story is told from two perspectives; from a post-battle debriefing/interview with former Imperial Guard Captain Jathen Korling who is now Gue'vesa, and from the mind-rip of Raven Guard Brother-Sergeant Cornix (the mind-rip being a bunch of computers hooked to his brain and squeezing out memories like an orange juicer - and with similar results). Again this is filled with comparisons between Imperial and Tau cultures and hints a lot at humanity's place in the Tau Empire. It features a nice twist at the end and also plenty of Riptides. Hang on, this book seems to have a few of those showing up.
Black Leviathan by Ben Counter - Here is the one that brings down the average. Set on the moon orbiting Agrellan this features the Ultramarines and Jade Dragons taking on a tame Tau insurgency but the ruinous powers may be involved. But they may not. We're not told for sure. The combat is a mess and the author isn't clear at one point if a Marine has his helmet on or not. The main Tau antagonist, a water caste diplomat, might as well be walking around twirling his moustache like a black and white movie villain as he is a far cry from any other Tau that's been penned. Riptides make numerous appearances here as well.
Hunter's Snare by Josh Reynolds - I've not had much exposure to Mr Reynolds but this one was rather pleasant. We go back to Agrellan for more White Scars vs Tau action to see Commander Shadowsun try and capture Kor'sarro Khan. There's also a sub-story about a Dark Hunter Marine Champion on secondment to the White Scars who is only really there to show us how different the White Scars are from other chapters. The combat is nice but it did stutter at one point where you have to decide if the battlesuits the author is talking about are Riptides or the smaller versions that everyone else calls battlesuits. Riptides do make an appearance I know that for sure. Since this once is told completely from the White Scars perspective you get their insights to the Tau and is quite refreshing from the norm. The summary of this last story is that the Khan and Shadowsun are two sides of the same coin.
A good book to read if you're interested in Space Marines and Tau. It didn't feel like a slog like some can be. However, it really did feel like a J. Peterman style advertisement for the Riptide battlesuit as I know authors are supposed to put new releases into some of their stories like the Elysian buggies in one of the Gaunts books or the limited edition boarding marines in another. There were areas of inconsistency that could have been addressed by better communication between the four authors namely the power of the Tau pulse weapons. In one story someone shoots a Marine point blank in the chest numerous times and does nothing, but in the next story they're punching fist-sized holes in their armour. Another point is the attitude of the White Scars towards aliens as in one they were throthing at the mouth shouting "FILTHY XENOS SCUM" in typical Imperial fashion while in another they're saying "They're cunning hunters that demand respect" which leaves you wondering if they're writing about the same character.
Guy Haley is becoming one of those authors you needs to start looking out for. He is adept at taking a story and telling it from an interesting angle without coming across as trying too hard *cough*Nick Kyme*cough*
May 5, 2017
This is actually a 3.5 but since I am a Tau player and have been dying for some book about them I rounded up.
Damocles is not actually a novel but an anthology of 4 short stories concentrating on the Tau (and some of their encounters with Space Marines of various chapters).
1.Blood Oath
The first and arguably weakest of the stories. It focuses on the Tau fire cast and Commander Shadowsun on one side with the White Scars (featuring Raven Guard and some Imperial troops).
The characters are really odd. The White Scars are portrayed as simpletons who are content to blindly strike at their foes and hope for the best. Aun'va is shown as a cliched asshole politician (despite the Tau Ethereals always being characterized as wise, caring, overall nice and intelligent aliens) who seems to despise and disconsider Shadowsun while also stressing her importance.
Shadowsun herself is nicely built but with some inconsistencies which I will not detail to avoid spoilers. What I can say I found dissapointing was her obsesion with "The Traitor" which goes unexplored and unsolved.
Overall not a very good begining saved by a fascinating exploration into the Tau way of war.
2. Broken Sword
A radical departure from the first story. Interesting protagonists (a Raven Guard in an unique situation and a human soldier converted by the Tau) with a story centered on the Tau way of diplomacy and subterfuge. It features few battle scenes, and even those only skirmishes, but provides a fascinating view of the water caste and the tools with which the Tau conquer without fight. Probably my favourite of the 4, it is out of the ordinary in every way.
3.Black Leviathan
Another story focusing on a member of the water caste this time facing off against Ultramarines and Jade Dragons.
The Ultramarines are rather dull and straightforward though their leader does get a very nice moment towards the end. The Jade Dragons appear only a few times and though they seem quite unique among the miriad of Space Marines Chapters, personally I did not like them very much. They have some interesting aspects and intriguing misteries but also a degree of arrogance and blind confidence in mystic forces which is very off-putting for me. Thid being said, they did provide a welcome contrast to the Ultramarines and added an extra flavour to the mix.
The Tau diplomat on the other hand is taken straight from Westeros and thrust into the 41st Millenium. He is blue, noseless Littlefinger. And he provides the best ending sentence of the book which by itself adds a whole new layer to the Tau race.
4.Hunter's Snare
Also called "Oh, so this is what the White Scars are supposed to be". But before talking about them....when the hell is the action here supposed to happen? It is clearly contained within Blood Oath but there does not seem to be any free space in which these events would fit. It confused me greatly throughout the read and made me flip back pages several times to ensure I did not miss something.
But back to the White Scars now. They are awesome. Seriously, when compared to the first short story the differences are huge. They seem like fearless, bold, cunning warriors who, though flawed, can regroup and repair their mistakes with deadly force. They do suffer from the "American Protagonist" cliche though. Let me expand. A protagonist in most American movies will start with a hardship, either born from bad luck or from a mistake, will continue to suffer as all the cards seem aligned against him until suddenly he finds within him some sort of extra power and motivation with which he vanquishes his foes and wins the day. This is basically the plot of the story. White Scars make mistake, they make it worse, the power of being main characters protects their leaders then the invincibility button is pressed and the proceed to kick ass while the Tau who outsmarted them at every point are now useless cannon fodder. Even more, this being contained within Blood Oath means that there is virtually nothing at stake since the reader will know, largely, how things ends.
Good writing and good fights save a cliched, confusing and in many aspects irelevant plot.
Overall I would consider this a good anthology. It is certainly hit and miss and recommendable only for 40k fans but it was a fun read if only to see Space Marines outwitted and many times outright beaten (though I swear, the effects of Tau weapons on Space Marine power armor varies from page to page).
Damocles is not actually a novel but an anthology of 4 short stories concentrating on the Tau (and some of their encounters with Space Marines of various chapters).
1.Blood Oath
The first and arguably weakest of the stories. It focuses on the Tau fire cast and Commander Shadowsun on one side with the White Scars (featuring Raven Guard and some Imperial troops).
The characters are really odd. The White Scars are portrayed as simpletons who are content to blindly strike at their foes and hope for the best. Aun'va is shown as a cliched asshole politician (despite the Tau Ethereals always being characterized as wise, caring, overall nice and intelligent aliens) who seems to despise and disconsider Shadowsun while also stressing her importance.
Shadowsun herself is nicely built but with some inconsistencies which I will not detail to avoid spoilers. What I can say I found dissapointing was her obsesion with "The Traitor" which goes unexplored and unsolved.
Overall not a very good begining saved by a fascinating exploration into the Tau way of war.
2. Broken Sword
A radical departure from the first story. Interesting protagonists (a Raven Guard in an unique situation and a human soldier converted by the Tau) with a story centered on the Tau way of diplomacy and subterfuge. It features few battle scenes, and even those only skirmishes, but provides a fascinating view of the water caste and the tools with which the Tau conquer without fight. Probably my favourite of the 4, it is out of the ordinary in every way.
3.Black Leviathan
Another story focusing on a member of the water caste this time facing off against Ultramarines and Jade Dragons.
The Ultramarines are rather dull and straightforward though their leader does get a very nice moment towards the end. The Jade Dragons appear only a few times and though they seem quite unique among the miriad of Space Marines Chapters, personally I did not like them very much. They have some interesting aspects and intriguing misteries but also a degree of arrogance and blind confidence in mystic forces which is very off-putting for me. Thid being said, they did provide a welcome contrast to the Ultramarines and added an extra flavour to the mix.
The Tau diplomat on the other hand is taken straight from Westeros and thrust into the 41st Millenium. He is blue, noseless Littlefinger. And he provides the best ending sentence of the book which by itself adds a whole new layer to the Tau race.
4.Hunter's Snare
Also called "Oh, so this is what the White Scars are supposed to be". But before talking about them....when the hell is the action here supposed to happen? It is clearly contained within Blood Oath but there does not seem to be any free space in which these events would fit. It confused me greatly throughout the read and made me flip back pages several times to ensure I did not miss something.
But back to the White Scars now. They are awesome. Seriously, when compared to the first short story the differences are huge. They seem like fearless, bold, cunning warriors who, though flawed, can regroup and repair their mistakes with deadly force. They do suffer from the "American Protagonist" cliche though. Let me expand. A protagonist in most American movies will start with a hardship, either born from bad luck or from a mistake, will continue to suffer as all the cards seem aligned against him until suddenly he finds within him some sort of extra power and motivation with which he vanquishes his foes and wins the day. This is basically the plot of the story. White Scars make mistake, they make it worse, the power of being main characters protects their leaders then the invincibility button is pressed and the proceed to kick ass while the Tau who outsmarted them at every point are now useless cannon fodder. Even more, this being contained within Blood Oath means that there is virtually nothing at stake since the reader will know, largely, how things ends.
Good writing and good fights save a cliched, confusing and in many aspects irelevant plot.
Overall I would consider this a good anthology. It is certainly hit and miss and recommendable only for 40k fans but it was a fun read if only to see Space Marines outwitted and many times outright beaten (though I swear, the effects of Tau weapons on Space Marine power armor varies from page to page).
March 31, 2014
Finally a new Tau book! Unfortunately, it is an anthology and the stories in it differ greatly in their quality.
The first story, Blood Oath by Phil Kelly is a good start for this anthology. At least in theory. It shows us the first battles on Agrellan and how it fell. (Although the last story tells us otherwise.) My problem with this story is the potrayal of Kor'sarro Khan who is basically an ork in this story. He isn't a great strategist, a patient hunter, a warrior who specializes in flanking and harrying the enemy. He loves to ride fast and collect skulls. No traps, no plan b, no anything. He makes the same mistakes and acts like an ork speed freak. On the other hand, Shadowsun is brilliant and I love her potrayal. This should have been a novel only about her and her many inner problems and dilemas. I won't spoil it for you, but she has a lot on her mind during the invasion. I honestly think this would have been and excellent Tau vs. Orks story, but it is just ok for what it is.
The second story, Broken Sword by Guy Haley, is something every Warhammer 40k fan waited for a long time. A story about a squad of Gueve'sa. Finally! Unfortunately it focuses only on a single character in the squad and a captured space marine. Again, a great idea for a novel, but it falls incredibly short. The space marine story isn't really necessary and is a bit boring. His point of view didn't affect the story at all, except making it a bit more grimdark. We never get to know the Gueve'sa squad properly and how their normal life in the Empire looks like. There are many comparisons between the Imperium an the Tau but we don't get that many personal scenes in places like bars where humans interact with other species who aren't tau diplomates or with second or third generation Gue'la. Ciaphas Cain gave us more insight in their mindset than this. There is a traitor among the Gueve'sa (not a spoiler, they tell you that early in the story) and anyone who ever read a book with imperial spies in it, knows who the traitor is. The conclusion to the conflict doesn't come as a surprise either, but then the story turns grimdark and a bit confusing. It explains a lot of things, but it also makes me wonder even more about how much the Tau know about the galaxy. In some stories they seem to a bit ignorant about humans and in others they know more about mankind than most humans of the Imperium. It is a nice story about why a human soldier would change sides and embrace the Greater Good and a darker side to the Tau, but I hoped it would be more.
The third story is Black Leviathan by Ben Counter. It is a typical Ben Counter story; grimdark, space marines are fanatical asses, a crazy villain with a master plan, with a touch of mystery behind some characters. It is fun, but I never liked Ben Counter's stories. They are nicely written but you have to accept some things as they are and not think too deep about them. This time we can't even rationalize it with "the daemons made it so". I liked the main villain though. A Tau like that is something new and I like it.
The last story is the Hunter's Snare by Josh Reynolds. It is my favorite story, although it lacks Tau characters. It is a sequel of sorts to the first story and a much better one. The space marines are better portrayed, each is a distinct and likeable character and they are quite smart. They sing when they fight, they think as hunters and create strategies together. Khan is patient, intelligent, powerful and aware of his own faults and strengths, just as those of his soldiers and his enemies. This doesn't make the Tau less threatening. It is the opposite, it makes them seem much more dangerous and cunning. Shadowsun expressed extensive knowledge about White Scars and a certain kinship with the Khan. The story could be classified as bolter porn by some, but it is so well written, I didn't mind.
Overall it is a good anthology, fast paced and has some memorable characters. There are some discrepancies, but it made me wish for more stories, especially about Khan and Shadowsun if they are written by Reynolds. And I hope this book will be a success so we can get full novels about Tau and Gueve'sa. Not a great book, but a solid start for better books yet to come.
The first story, Blood Oath by Phil Kelly is a good start for this anthology. At least in theory. It shows us the first battles on Agrellan and how it fell. (Although the last story tells us otherwise.) My problem with this story is the potrayal of Kor'sarro Khan who is basically an ork in this story. He isn't a great strategist, a patient hunter, a warrior who specializes in flanking and harrying the enemy. He loves to ride fast and collect skulls. No traps, no plan b, no anything. He makes the same mistakes and acts like an ork speed freak. On the other hand, Shadowsun is brilliant and I love her potrayal. This should have been a novel only about her and her many inner problems and dilemas. I won't spoil it for you, but she has a lot on her mind during the invasion. I honestly think this would have been and excellent Tau vs. Orks story, but it is just ok for what it is.
The second story, Broken Sword by Guy Haley, is something every Warhammer 40k fan waited for a long time. A story about a squad of Gueve'sa. Finally! Unfortunately it focuses only on a single character in the squad and a captured space marine. Again, a great idea for a novel, but it falls incredibly short. The space marine story isn't really necessary and is a bit boring. His point of view didn't affect the story at all, except making it a bit more grimdark. We never get to know the Gueve'sa squad properly and how their normal life in the Empire looks like. There are many comparisons between the Imperium an the Tau but we don't get that many personal scenes in places like bars where humans interact with other species who aren't tau diplomates or with second or third generation Gue'la. Ciaphas Cain gave us more insight in their mindset than this. There is a traitor among the Gueve'sa (not a spoiler, they tell you that early in the story) and anyone who ever read a book with imperial spies in it, knows who the traitor is. The conclusion to the conflict doesn't come as a surprise either, but then the story turns grimdark and a bit confusing. It explains a lot of things, but it also makes me wonder even more about how much the Tau know about the galaxy. In some stories they seem to a bit ignorant about humans and in others they know more about mankind than most humans of the Imperium. It is a nice story about why a human soldier would change sides and embrace the Greater Good and a darker side to the Tau, but I hoped it would be more.
The third story is Black Leviathan by Ben Counter. It is a typical Ben Counter story; grimdark, space marines are fanatical asses, a crazy villain with a master plan, with a touch of mystery behind some characters. It is fun, but I never liked Ben Counter's stories. They are nicely written but you have to accept some things as they are and not think too deep about them. This time we can't even rationalize it with "the daemons made it so". I liked the main villain though. A Tau like that is something new and I like it.
The last story is the Hunter's Snare by Josh Reynolds. It is my favorite story, although it lacks Tau characters. It is a sequel of sorts to the first story and a much better one. The space marines are better portrayed, each is a distinct and likeable character and they are quite smart. They sing when they fight, they think as hunters and create strategies together. Khan is patient, intelligent, powerful and aware of his own faults and strengths, just as those of his soldiers and his enemies. This doesn't make the Tau less threatening. It is the opposite, it makes them seem much more dangerous and cunning. Shadowsun expressed extensive knowledge about White Scars and a certain kinship with the Khan. The story could be classified as bolter porn by some, but it is so well written, I didn't mind.
Overall it is a good anthology, fast paced and has some memorable characters. There are some discrepancies, but it made me wish for more stories, especially about Khan and Shadowsun if they are written by Reynolds. And I hope this book will be a success so we can get full novels about Tau and Gueve'sa. Not a great book, but a solid start for better books yet to come.
February 25, 2017
FOR THE GREATER WEEABOO vs THE EMPEROR PROTECTS
There are 4 stories in this anthology. The first one has White Scars and Raven Guard, 2nd one has Raven Guard, 3rd story has Ultrasmurfs and Dark Jade, and the last story has the White Scars.
It is a depressing book if you are a supporter of Imperium of Man.
There are 4 stories in this anthology. The first one has White Scars and Raven Guard, 2nd one has Raven Guard, 3rd story has Ultrasmurfs and Dark Jade, and the last story has the White Scars.
It is a depressing book if you are a supporter of Imperium of Man.
July 16, 2016
This book was a little hit or miss. It's an anthology of four novellas, so i kindof expected that going in. Two of the stories were okay, but a little weak, but the other two were pretty great. I really really enjoyed Guy Haley's story about the Gue'la human auxiliaries to the Tau. That was a fantastic story... Phil Kelly's story was serviceable but overall felt like i was reading a really long sidebar from a rulebook designed to give me an impression of the background. The weakest link was Ben Counter's story... and i think that he's just not a great author for me personally. He's got a lot of books under his belt, but they frequently don't reach or move/motivate me. But that's okay, not every author is for every reader. Finally Josh Reynolds story was pretty good and really gave the White Scars chapter some much needed personality for the 41st millenium.
My only real complaint in this book, was that the Raven Guard (one of the armies i play in the game) was WOEFULLY underrepresented. Capt. Shrike is RIGHT THERE on the cover, and he's a cameo in Phil Kelly's story at best. I was really hoping he'd be a major character, but sadly... not so much.
Still, learned a lot about the Tau with these stories, which was cool. Kiiiiinda want to buy a few just to paint now. This is how they get'cha. ;)
My only real complaint in this book, was that the Raven Guard (one of the armies i play in the game) was WOEFULLY underrepresented. Capt. Shrike is RIGHT THERE on the cover, and he's a cameo in Phil Kelly's story at best. I was really hoping he'd be a major character, but sadly... not so much.
Still, learned a lot about the Tau with these stories, which was cool. Kiiiiinda want to buy a few just to paint now. This is how they get'cha. ;)
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