Hell's Last: Minka Lesk: Warhammer 40,000

Cadia #5

by Justin D. Hill, Colleen Prendergast (Narrator)

A Minka Lesk Audiobook

Cadia has fallen. Last to escape the hell that was the Thirteenth Black Crusade's destruction of their home world, the Cadian 101st are bloodied, but unbroken as they fight to prove they deserve the legacy that was left to them.

LISTEN TO IT BECAUSE

Captain Minka Lesk returns and is tested as never before. As she leads her regiment in the Gallows Cluster, she must deal with a threat she's never seen – a jungle that wants to eat her troops alive!

THE STORY

When a new threat surges through the Gallows Cluster, jeopardising the stability of the entire warfront, the 101st are thrown into the breach. As loyal fortresses fall on the world of Alia, Minka Lesk’s company leads the mad gambit that is the last hope of turning the tide. But when the jungle itself is as deadly as any enemy, can Minka keep her troopers fighting as her regiment fractures around her?

Genres: Science Fiction, 40k, Novels, Military Fiction

Audible Audio

First published March 8, 2025

About the author

Justin is a long-time Astra Militarum player with a trophy cabinet of painting and gaming awards. He now leads his Imperial Fists into the hell of the Horus Heresy.

Reviews

[Luk · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn’t put this book down. Justin D Hill writes amazing battle sequences. That last stand was a *chefs kiss*

[Matt TB · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderfully grim and epic.
Band of brothers style human warfare in the 41st millennium, I’ve enjoyed all of Minka Lesks tales and this is another solid entry to her tale.

[Virgil Purvis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book

A really good warhammer 40 k book. Keeps you on edge the whole time.You can't put it down. Loved it.

[Jack Neighbour · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good jungle romp with an epic defensive battle. Fair amount of peril but not perfect. Still love the series.

[Benjamin Ho · Rating 5 out of 5]

Idk how many final stands I’ve read. I don’t even know the lines or tune to “Flowers of Cadia”. But when CPT Lesk begins to sing as the forces of Hel make their final push, tears stung my eyes. I won’t spoil what happens, but I’ve been following Minka’s crusade since book 1, and what a growth in character. This is what the Black Library needs, dynamic growth of characters like her and Yarrick. Well done!

[Paul Sparks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Death and Mayhem abound Which is pretty normal if you have followed minka and her companions over the series, I almost thought that this was going to be the end for her and 7th company, really enjoyed it and the epilogue gives us more enemies to fight

[Christian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Last Stand at Obsidian Ridge.

That was the best.

[Chris Steele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh wow I could not put this book down every intense story from start to finish to a couple of times when I Jo didn't know what was going to happen next and I had to find out over the last four books I really got attached to some of the characters so seeing some of them die was really heartbroken. It's also with me very interested to see where the store is going to go next.
a sidenote I really like the structure of how the book was laid out it gave me a lot of room to take breaks I felt like I ended up reading more

[Joshua · Rating 4 out of 5]

More bad ass cadia fighting, Minka is cool a few sad moments and I was generally not sure what would happen next in some parts, very fun read

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent book and continues the growth of Minka Lesk's character. The author does a wonderful job in creating a jungle setting and has clearly put some research into jungle warfare. The first two thirds of the book has little to zero combat and is instead about logistics, navigation and fighting the jungle conditions, which makes a nice change from just pure shooting.

Once the major battle begins, the stage is well and truly set for it with enough tension created. From the first shot fired it becomes very hard to put this book down.

Spoiler Warning - Includes Ending Below

Justin D Hill takes a risk for the future of the series by killing off a major and beloved character. This contributed by setting the stakes for the final battle, but personally I thought it was an ignominious way for them to die, and represent a major failure in tactics for the Cadians 101st, by sending the regimental HQ in the vanguard with the Kasrkin 1st Company. That felt silly to me personally and somewhat broke my immersion, then again the 101st are not Jungle specialists and by the end of the novel it becomes clear how stupid the mission from High Command was.

There are a couple of very minor details that I felt also needed some editorial polish, such as multiple colour sergeants within a single company, and a captain being promoted over multiple colonels. Same as the appearance of two Cadian pilots in the regiment despite having no attached air support, and it not being clear how Seventh Company is able to transport so much equipment and material through the jungle with just nine Sentinels for an infantry formation of approx 200-300 men. Further, the 101st is described as having 10,000 men despite Rath's armoured company clearly being huge, the differences between the companies isn't well explained and would be better described as battalions. I also don't understand how Rath ends up as an armoured commander despite being himself Kasrkin elite infantry. I realise I'm being very picky here, but for such a good author and so well established a series, I felt this should have been picked up by the editor.

Finally, I thought the ending was slightly bizarre. Once Rath disobeys orders to support 7th Company and fires a salvo of Deathstrikes and Earthshaker shells (whose range is far over 10 miles so why didn't they start with that and carpet bomb the Quag once 7th Coy engaged?), I genuinely thought that 7th Coy would be completely wiped out including Lesk and thereby end the series with a genuinely powerful and emotional "fire on my position" finale - however the defenders somehow survive this - which felt like unnecessary plot armour.

Again, I realise I might be being harsh as this is genuinely an excellent book with a fantastic setting and charectar development, and a possible spiritual successor to Gaunt's Ghosts, which is probably the highest praise giveable to a Guard novel.

[Heather Dyson · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, I have never read a Warhammer book before so I really didn't know what to expect. I will say that I enjoyed it, I did finish it, and I would recommend it to certain people. I wasn't left excited or on the edge of my seat by it. I also thought that the author could have made more with the actual jungle aspect. It was all a bit "the jungle is SO dangerous!!!...oh we fixed it".

I had also assumed there would be more horror but I think that was probably a misunderstanding on my side of what warhammer is. If you're looking for a military book set in a sci-fi universe then you're probably onto a winner. It is well written and the characters were pretty good.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another solid entry in the Minka Lesk series! Justin Hill does an amazing job of describing battles and making them seem frantic. The characters feel fleshed out and contiue to grow as the book goes on. The first half of the novel we don't make contact with the enemy but the pages flew by and once we did get into the fire fights it never relented. This is a must read for anyone who enjoys Guard novels.

[Conor · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel bad for not enjoying this book more. As much as the high points were the best in the series, i'd become a bit fatigued of battlefield logistics and the experience of how easily tanks can get trapped in mud by the forth instalment.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story was good, but a little flat in places. It struck me as being a bit of a fill in book.

[Richard Cheng · Rating 3 out of 5]

bit of a quick ending but fun read.

[James Leyden · Rating 3 out of 5]

it's a slow build with a lot of names in the first half. But when it gets going. it gets GOING, and only a few of the names actually matter the rest could be generic guardsmen #3.

[Eric Irwin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Novelization of hurry up and wait