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Hive Part I & II
The planetary governor has fallen amidst scandal and treachery, and the city chokes under the oppressive austerity of Imperial life while roving Adeptus Arbites patrols enforce the Lex Imperialis without so much as a hint of pity. The newly crowned replacement has a lot to contend with – not least that they are an outsider to this rough and dogmatic city – and already whispers of rebellion reach the upper spires.[1]
Who are the people planting seeds of anarchy beneath the sprawl of Sacramentus? Could they topple the new governor’s regime before it gets moving? Are they even the greatest threat lurking below?
Who are the people planting seeds of anarchy beneath the sprawl of Sacramentus? Could they topple the new governor’s regime before it gets moving? Are they even the greatest threat lurking below?
600 pages, Hardcover
Published May 10, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
May 17, 2026
boy oh boy!!
take a bow mr. abnett because that was one hell of a ride!
as always with brand new books, i’ll avoid any spoilers.
i honestly don’t even know where to start. there’s so much i want to say. i guess first and foremost, the characters and how they evolve and progress throughout the story was phenomenal. you can truly see how much fun abnett was having with these characters! also, a big gripe i have with some 40k novels is they will introduce you to quite a few characters but will slowly forget about them and focus on 1 or 2..
abnett however, did the complete opposite of that (thank the emperor!) EVERY single character is flushed out. each having there moment to shine through the pages. (and to preface. there’s a lot of characters)
the next thing i want to focus on is the style and setting. the borderline horror-esque hive we are in throughout the novel was something i was not completely ready for to be honest, but i welcome it with open arms! when i say horror-esque, i don’t mean this is a scary book but it is very very veryyy eerie and very grimdark! again, thank the emperor (known as abnett). i would almost describe the hive itself as the true protagonist/antagonist of this story. the feelings the hive itself provides to the characters is reflected on the reader in such a unique way, that i absolutely loved.
now i reaaaaally want to mention the story, but to keep this spoiler free - all i will say is the twist and turns abnett takes the reader through throughout this novel was done so masterfully, there’s a reason he is known as THE 40k author.
i’ll probably add on to this once i gather my thoughts on this master class but until then, as always mr.abnett. you have a one of a kind talent and it’s a honour to experience it.
take a bow mr. abnett because that was one hell of a ride!
as always with brand new books, i’ll avoid any spoilers.
i honestly don’t even know where to start. there’s so much i want to say. i guess first and foremost, the characters and how they evolve and progress throughout the story was phenomenal. you can truly see how much fun abnett was having with these characters! also, a big gripe i have with some 40k novels is they will introduce you to quite a few characters but will slowly forget about them and focus on 1 or 2..
abnett however, did the complete opposite of that (thank the emperor!) EVERY single character is flushed out. each having there moment to shine through the pages. (and to preface. there’s a lot of characters)
the next thing i want to focus on is the style and setting. the borderline horror-esque hive we are in throughout the novel was something i was not completely ready for to be honest, but i welcome it with open arms! when i say horror-esque, i don’t mean this is a scary book but it is very very veryyy eerie and very grimdark! again, thank the emperor (known as abnett). i would almost describe the hive itself as the true protagonist/antagonist of this story. the feelings the hive itself provides to the characters is reflected on the reader in such a unique way, that i absolutely loved.
now i reaaaaally want to mention the story, but to keep this spoiler free - all i will say is the twist and turns abnett takes the reader through throughout this novel was done so masterfully, there’s a reason he is known as THE 40k author.
i’ll probably add on to this once i gather my thoughts on this master class but until then, as always mr.abnett. you have a one of a kind talent and it’s a honour to experience it.
May 17, 2026
Dan Abnett, you absolute genius! You did it again!
HIVE has rocketed up to sit nicely at the top of my favourite book list. It is just incredible, I blasted through it in a single weekend. Couldn't put it down!
The Hive is it's people and the people are the Hive. Beset by gangs, oppression, corruption and even cults, the Hive teeters on the edge of rebellion. So when the new offworld planetary governer arrives to take her place, the Hive is set to erupt into chaos.
But there's something even darker lurking in the Hive's heart and it's ready to emerge.
Reading HIVE was an absolute roller coaster of emotions, and now it'll be all I can think of for months!
If you're a big Dan Abnett or Warhammer 40k fan you are in for an absolute treat!
May your light last
HIVE has rocketed up to sit nicely at the top of my favourite book list. It is just incredible, I blasted through it in a single weekend. Couldn't put it down!
The Hive is it's people and the people are the Hive. Beset by gangs, oppression, corruption and even cults, the Hive teeters on the edge of rebellion. So when the new offworld planetary governer arrives to take her place, the Hive is set to erupt into chaos.
But there's something even darker lurking in the Hive's heart and it's ready to emerge.
Reading HIVE was an absolute roller coaster of emotions, and now it'll be all I can think of for months!
If you're a big Dan Abnett or Warhammer 40k fan you are in for an absolute treat!
May your light last
June 29, 2026
Man im super conflicted on this one.
Overall I enjoyed it, but the vast amount of characters and a twist that turns the whole thing on it head just did not work for me. I love Dan Abnett’s work and consider the Eisenhorn series some of the most immersive and fun sci fi I have read. However, Hive doesn’t reach those same heights and struggles with the ambition of telling a grand story full of misdirection and politics.
Overall I enjoyed it, but the vast amount of characters and a twist that turns the whole thing on it head just did not work for me. I love Dan Abnett’s work and consider the Eisenhorn series some of the most immersive and fun sci fi I have read. However, Hive doesn’t reach those same heights and struggles with the ambition of telling a grand story full of misdirection and politics.
May 28, 2026
Hive
A Warhammer 40k novel that takes you into the culture of the genre. It's a great read as it gives you a feeling of what it is like to be a citizen of the Warhammer 40K society. Most of the books describe the warfare but this book takes you into the ordinary streets. An excellent read
A Warhammer 40k novel that takes you into the culture of the genre. It's a great read as it gives you a feeling of what it is like to be a citizen of the Warhammer 40K society. Most of the books describe the warfare but this book takes you into the ordinary streets. An excellent read
July 8, 2026
Dan Abnett at his most Dan Abnett: writing a book with some somewhat baffling pacing decisions and story choices that nevertheless manages to stay compelling throughout. There’s tons of great characters, with Dan’s knack for making them memorable really shining (“Only 6 rounds in the drum. But they were manstoppers, and his aim was good”). The opening act does a great job of introducing all these different characters and plot threads, which gives a great “slice of life” side of 40K, with a lot of interesting details. There’s some really great horror moments in this one too, and the reveal of the first genestealer cultist (“her left hand did X, her right hand did Y, and her other hand did Z”) was classic Abnett.
What holds it back, in my opinion, and maybe this is my expectations getting the better of me, is that I couldn’t wait to see how all these different plot threads come together in the climax…and they don’t really. Instead, these threads get overwhelmed and subsumed by the Genestealer Cult uprising, which in turn gets shuffled off stage for the Tyranids. I think this plotline still works overall, but I think it’s definitely flawed in the execution. The Genestealer reveal comes way too late in the story for them to be the warm up final boss. The precision F-Strike “That’s a fucking genestealer!” (Black Library will let Dan do whatever he wants) is a great moment, but it comes at a point in the story that the greater threat has already clearly become the Tyranids (and the reader, if they’re familiar enough with Warhammer to know what a Genestealer is, has already figured out that they’re involved, so it’s not a reveal to the reader). In a similar vein, it’s weirdly paced. We go probably 60% of the book before clearly realizing genestealers are present, then the first non-genestealer Tyranids come into play at around the last 15%, and the Tyranids overwhelming the Hive’s defenses takes up about the last 5% of the book. Abnett’s short climaxes strike again. I think the Genestealer reveal and Tyranid assault both probably needed to be moved up in the story, to give them a bit more time to breathe.
I also think the book falls into the frequent horror trap/trope of “there’s literally nothing these characters could have done to avert their fate.” Which in fairness is Abnett’s explicit thesis: a character spells out that the imperium has lost the war for this world years before it even began. I think you can tell a good “the Tyranids are totally unstoppable” story. But I don’t know that it’s as satisfying a story when we completely miss the decisive moment.
Relatedly, how do they miss the tyranid hive fleet approaching? Does no one own a telescope in this hive? It’s a plot point that the tyranids have been landing troops and the only way the hive hears of it is through a seismometer. It didn’t really feel like the tyranids’ element of surprise was earned.
Yet after all that complaining: still a really fun book. No one does it like Dan, for good and ill, but 90% of it is good.
EDIT: Two things I forgot but wanted to comment on: I very much enjoyed the Slaanesh worshipper who really doesn’t quite understand what he’s worshipping turning himself in to warn the Hive. Good moment.
Second, this story reminded me (though I think there’s still more to do with it) of vampire fiction’s influence on the genestealers as a concept, particularly with the “translation error” about them stealing blood. You’ve got the thralls worshipping the thing that turned them. I’d love to see a more standard gothic horror type story but the twist is instead of a vampire, it’s a genestealer.
EDIT 2: One final point, to elaborate on something I left more implicit earlier. I think the version of this book where the tyranids are absent, and the genestealers are absent or merely one plotline among many is one I would have preferred to see. Seeing how the administration of the hive changed and how it dealt with or failed to deal with the various planned uprisings (both the workers and the gangs), the spies from the other city, the elite coup attempt, the psyker manhunt, the murder investigation, and the slaaneshi cult would have come together was something I was super interested in as I started the book, and I don’t think it delivered totally.
What holds it back, in my opinion, and maybe this is my expectations getting the better of me, is that I couldn’t wait to see how all these different plot threads come together in the climax…and they don’t really. Instead, these threads get overwhelmed and subsumed by the Genestealer Cult uprising, which in turn gets shuffled off stage for the Tyranids. I think this plotline still works overall, but I think it’s definitely flawed in the execution. The Genestealer reveal comes way too late in the story for them to be the warm up final boss. The precision F-Strike “That’s a fucking genestealer!” (Black Library will let Dan do whatever he wants) is a great moment, but it comes at a point in the story that the greater threat has already clearly become the Tyranids (and the reader, if they’re familiar enough with Warhammer to know what a Genestealer is, has already figured out that they’re involved, so it’s not a reveal to the reader). In a similar vein, it’s weirdly paced. We go probably 60% of the book before clearly realizing genestealers are present, then the first non-genestealer Tyranids come into play at around the last 15%, and the Tyranids overwhelming the Hive’s defenses takes up about the last 5% of the book. Abnett’s short climaxes strike again. I think the Genestealer reveal and Tyranid assault both probably needed to be moved up in the story, to give them a bit more time to breathe.
I also think the book falls into the frequent horror trap/trope of “there’s literally nothing these characters could have done to avert their fate.” Which in fairness is Abnett’s explicit thesis: a character spells out that the imperium has lost the war for this world years before it even began. I think you can tell a good “the Tyranids are totally unstoppable” story. But I don’t know that it’s as satisfying a story when we completely miss the decisive moment.
Relatedly, how do they miss the tyranid hive fleet approaching? Does no one own a telescope in this hive? It’s a plot point that the tyranids have been landing troops and the only way the hive hears of it is through a seismometer. It didn’t really feel like the tyranids’ element of surprise was earned.
Yet after all that complaining: still a really fun book. No one does it like Dan, for good and ill, but 90% of it is good.
EDIT: Two things I forgot but wanted to comment on: I very much enjoyed the Slaanesh worshipper who really doesn’t quite understand what he’s worshipping turning himself in to warn the Hive. Good moment.
Second, this story reminded me (though I think there’s still more to do with it) of vampire fiction’s influence on the genestealers as a concept, particularly with the “translation error” about them stealing blood. You’ve got the thralls worshipping the thing that turned them. I’d love to see a more standard gothic horror type story but the twist is instead of a vampire, it’s a genestealer.
EDIT 2: One final point, to elaborate on something I left more implicit earlier. I think the version of this book where the tyranids are absent, and the genestealers are absent or merely one plotline among many is one I would have preferred to see. Seeing how the administration of the hive changed and how it dealt with or failed to deal with the various planned uprisings (both the workers and the gangs), the spies from the other city, the elite coup attempt, the psyker manhunt, the murder investigation, and the slaaneshi cult would have come together was something I was super interested in as I started the book, and I don’t think it delivered totally.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 17, 2026
Abnett continues to be one of the best BL authors writing stories set in the 40k universe. I struggled a little bit with how short all the different character’s POVs were at first but the end effect is much like what life in a hive must be like, an overwhelming display of human diversity, struggles, scheming, and triumphs. This book is long, but I think that’s necessary to explore all of the different social strata and perspectives in Sacramentus, from the neg to top of the overmost. As a longtime 40k enthusiast and lorebuff, I enjoyed the red herring big bad before the true enemy within is revealed. The length also helps the end feel more meaningful as you realize how meaningless it all was.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 29, 2026
The highly inventive and compelling Dan Abnett once again impresses with his latest addictive entry in the gritty Warhammer 40,000 universe, Hive, an exceptional novel that really puts the grim into grimdark fiction.
In the hive city of Sacramentus, known simply as the Hive, toil, duty and austerity are the way of life, as its people work in the Hive’s oppressive darkness. However, after years of war with the planet’s other major city, Sacramentus is entering a period of instability and change. The planet’s governor, the Domne, has been deposed and executed by the Adeptus Arbites, and a new Domne has been named. However, this new Domne is an off-planet administrator sent by the wider Imperium of Man to rule, and the Hive does not appreciate outsiders.
As preparations begin for the Domne’s coronation, unrest besets Sacramentus. Many of the Hive’s citizens, from its lowest worker to its highest noble, speak of revolution and anarchy, while unusual murders and the destructive emergence of unstable psykers create their own havoc. With the city on edge, many look to take advantage, with gangs, revolutionaries, terrorists and tired workers all determined to make their mark, no matter the cost.
Soon, protests and deadly riots are unleashed upon the Hive’s streets, and the city’s new ruler attempts to maintain control from the forces arrayed against her. However, there is far more to this atmosphere of dissent and revolution than anyone realises. A dark and dangerous threat lies just beneath the surface of the Hive, hidden and waiting to unleash its full wrath on everything it encounters. Can the beleaguered citizens of Sacramentus pull together and fight the malevolent forces coming for it, or is the city’s precious light about to go out for good?
Well damn, that was a very impressive read. Dan Abnett continues to showcase why he is one of the very best authors of Warhammer fiction, with the highly intricate and deeply addictive Hive. A powerful and multilayered novel filled with a multitude of compelling character stories, Hive was one of Abnett’s most epic projects yet, with the author’s inventive flair and ability to craft large, unique worlds, perfectly showcased. A particularly dark and intense novel that gets a very easy five-star rating, Hive is guaranteed to hook you all the way to the bitter end.
To see the full review, click on the link below:
https://unseenlibrary.com/2026/06/29/...
For other exciting reviews and content, check out my blog at:
https://unseenlibrary.com/
In the hive city of Sacramentus, known simply as the Hive, toil, duty and austerity are the way of life, as its people work in the Hive’s oppressive darkness. However, after years of war with the planet’s other major city, Sacramentus is entering a period of instability and change. The planet’s governor, the Domne, has been deposed and executed by the Adeptus Arbites, and a new Domne has been named. However, this new Domne is an off-planet administrator sent by the wider Imperium of Man to rule, and the Hive does not appreciate outsiders.
As preparations begin for the Domne’s coronation, unrest besets Sacramentus. Many of the Hive’s citizens, from its lowest worker to its highest noble, speak of revolution and anarchy, while unusual murders and the destructive emergence of unstable psykers create their own havoc. With the city on edge, many look to take advantage, with gangs, revolutionaries, terrorists and tired workers all determined to make their mark, no matter the cost.
Soon, protests and deadly riots are unleashed upon the Hive’s streets, and the city’s new ruler attempts to maintain control from the forces arrayed against her. However, there is far more to this atmosphere of dissent and revolution than anyone realises. A dark and dangerous threat lies just beneath the surface of the Hive, hidden and waiting to unleash its full wrath on everything it encounters. Can the beleaguered citizens of Sacramentus pull together and fight the malevolent forces coming for it, or is the city’s precious light about to go out for good?
Well damn, that was a very impressive read. Dan Abnett continues to showcase why he is one of the very best authors of Warhammer fiction, with the highly intricate and deeply addictive Hive. A powerful and multilayered novel filled with a multitude of compelling character stories, Hive was one of Abnett’s most epic projects yet, with the author’s inventive flair and ability to craft large, unique worlds, perfectly showcased. A particularly dark and intense novel that gets a very easy five-star rating, Hive is guaranteed to hook you all the way to the bitter end.
To see the full review, click on the link below:
https://unseenlibrary.com/2026/06/29/...
For other exciting reviews and content, check out my blog at:
https://unseenlibrary.com/
May 30, 2026
4.5/5 stars (round to 5)!
A perfect book to introduce someone to 40k. No prior knowledge is needed to read this. No primarchs, Astartes, or any of the usual craziness is present without it being seen from the ground level PoV of people who barely understand it.
This is a long book for Black Library, and one or two parts in the middle third do drag a bit. But once it get rolling, Abnett proves why he is still the King of 40k. And if you are a fan of the setting, you can pick up on what is going on much earlier than the characters in the story, giving it a sense of dread that otherwise would not be present.
I do think one or two characters have some “modern” views on the setting that seems pretty unusual for 40k, but the whole point of this system is that it’s been relatively immune from the wars which ravage the setting. We also probably could have lost 1-2 PoVs without loosing much (there are a lot of PoV characters), but when we so rarely get a grounded human view of the setting I don’t want to complain too much.
I have seen some people criticize the end for being sudden and while I see where they are coming from, I disagree. I think the end, while surprising, is set up enough in the story to not come out of nowhere and it wonderfully ties into the wider theme’s of the setting about not going quietly into the dark night.
Highly recommend for anyone even slightly interested in 40k.
A perfect book to introduce someone to 40k. No prior knowledge is needed to read this. No primarchs, Astartes, or any of the usual craziness is present without it being seen from the ground level PoV of people who barely understand it.
This is a long book for Black Library, and one or two parts in the middle third do drag a bit. But once it get rolling, Abnett proves why he is still the King of 40k. And if you are a fan of the setting, you can pick up on what is going on much earlier than the characters in the story, giving it a sense of dread that otherwise would not be present.
I do think one or two characters have some “modern” views on the setting that seems pretty unusual for 40k, but the whole point of this system is that it’s been relatively immune from the wars which ravage the setting. We also probably could have lost 1-2 PoVs without loosing much (there are a lot of PoV characters), but when we so rarely get a grounded human view of the setting I don’t want to complain too much.
I have seen some people criticize the end for being sudden and while I see where they are coming from, I disagree. I think the end, while surprising, is set up enough in the story to not come out of nowhere and it wonderfully ties into the wider theme’s of the setting about not going quietly into the dark night.
Highly recommend for anyone even slightly interested in 40k.
June 3, 2026
"In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only class war."
The only three flaws I can level against this novel are as follows: it didn't need to be two volumes, the science-fiction-profanity is groanworthy and criminally overused, and the names in this one are also clumsy.
The rest is a triumph. Deep political intrigue threads the work. We get a varied, authentic cross-section of urban life. This book expands the known universe of the 41st millenium in a way that few before it have.
The most refreshing design choice here is how much of the universe is unknown. Our characters are literally and figuratively hooded; their eyes are pointed downward into the dust of the hive and lofty ideals like Chaos, heresy, xenos, and Adeptus Astartes exist on the outside of the Platonic cave Abnett's constructed, and they are out of sight and out of mind for our cast.
Is the work derivative? Yes. It's shot through with notes of Andor and The Expanse, to name two in similar keys. But it's also good, fresh Warhammer, and Abnett sticks the landing for a satisfying conclusion. And absent the egregious untranslated slang, we have compelling notes of culture here that again colour the world of the Imperium just a bit more vividly.
Plenty be.
The only three flaws I can level against this novel are as follows: it didn't need to be two volumes, the science-fiction-profanity is groanworthy and criminally overused, and the names in this one are also clumsy.
The rest is a triumph. Deep political intrigue threads the work. We get a varied, authentic cross-section of urban life. This book expands the known universe of the 41st millenium in a way that few before it have.
The most refreshing design choice here is how much of the universe is unknown. Our characters are literally and figuratively hooded; their eyes are pointed downward into the dust of the hive and lofty ideals like Chaos, heresy, xenos, and Adeptus Astartes exist on the outside of the Platonic cave Abnett's constructed, and they are out of sight and out of mind for our cast.
Is the work derivative? Yes. It's shot through with notes of Andor and The Expanse, to name two in similar keys. But it's also good, fresh Warhammer, and Abnett sticks the landing for a satisfying conclusion. And absent the egregious untranslated slang, we have compelling notes of culture here that again colour the world of the Imperium just a bit more vividly.
Plenty be.
June 7, 2026
A worthwhile look at the grim dystopian lifestyle and culture of a prominent hive-city in 40k. I appreciate all the world building Abnett got to do, and I understand his reasoning for all the slang use, but I also think he went a little too hard on it. 40k already has a fair bit of unique jargon, and this particular novel throws another dozen on top of that. You figure it out through context as it goes, but I can see why some might find it annoying.
I also liked that he wrote a lot about the more common citizens, and how little they'd know of potential chaos or xenos threats, other than myths or rumor.
I also liked that he wrote a lot about the more common citizens, and how little they'd know of potential chaos or xenos threats, other than myths or rumor.
May 28, 2026
This book is horrifying because Abnett made you feel care for all the people who were mercilessly cut down one by one onscreen up till the very end. All the stunning characters and locations he created just for this book get massacred and wrecked in a wave of unending carnage.
The book starts as a crime investigation featuring Adeptus Arbites (and is the only Warhammer Crime novel we get cause GW stopped publishing Crime novels 3 years ago with Jonathan D. Beer's King of the Spoil) but when the dark secrets of the Hive are finally discovered - the body count skyrockets through the ceiling.
It is an extremely well written book, until you find out what is the bleakest truth about the Sacramentus Hive. After that everything you just read feels pointless in the face of what comes next. So in the words of Domne Planetia Aphra Montroff Gentileshi "If we know nothing - we know no fear".
The book starts as a crime investigation featuring Adeptus Arbites (and is the only Warhammer Crime novel we get cause GW stopped publishing Crime novels 3 years ago with Jonathan D. Beer's King of the Spoil) but when the dark secrets of the Hive are finally discovered - the body count skyrockets through the ceiling.
It is an extremely well written book, until you find out what is the bleakest truth about the Sacramentus Hive. After that everything you just read feels pointless in the face of what comes next. So in the words of Domne Planetia Aphra Montroff Gentileshi "If we know nothing - we know no fear".
June 17, 2026
This was a very different sort of Warhammer book. Abnett builds his Hive literally from the ground up: its strict social structure, its complex tiered architecture, its language – oh, my goodness, its language. There’s a complex slang vocabulary that really helps bring the place to life. And, as the characters say, “The hive is its people.” We meet folks from every walk of life – gang members, laborers, academics, soldiers, politicians. It’s complex, but a good read.
It’s an exploration of life on an isolated Hive planet with no contact and very little knowledge of the rest of the Imperium. Locals refer to their Hive as “all that is.” A change in leadership from Without brings with it all kinds of possible conflict, which threaten the well-being of the planet. But what’s really going on? Workers’ rebellion, an attempted coup, a mysterious cult, or xenos invaders from Without?
It was slow-going, but this was an excellent and compelling read.
It’s an exploration of life on an isolated Hive planet with no contact and very little knowledge of the rest of the Imperium. Locals refer to their Hive as “all that is.” A change in leadership from Without brings with it all kinds of possible conflict, which threaten the well-being of the planet. But what’s really going on? Workers’ rebellion, an attempted coup, a mysterious cult, or xenos invaders from Without?
It was slow-going, but this was an excellent and compelling read.
June 4, 2026
Dan Abnett’s finest work yet.
This beautifully dark story follows not the Astartes, nor the ordos, nor any other well-established faction in the 40K universe. Instead it tells the story of a city and its people, the oppression and corruption that they face, and the dark secrets that lie throughout and beneath.
While the story itself was excellent, I hesitate to give it a perfect store, (I’d rate it a 4.75 if I could) mostly due to the beginning of the story being loaded with character introductions and perspective changes that made things a bit difficult to follow at first. The handful of slang created for this book also made the early portions a little awkward to read, but as their meanings became clearer through repeated use and context clues, it quickly became easier to follow.
I look forward to whatever else Abnett has in store for us.
This beautifully dark story follows not the Astartes, nor the ordos, nor any other well-established faction in the 40K universe. Instead it tells the story of a city and its people, the oppression and corruption that they face, and the dark secrets that lie throughout and beneath.
While the story itself was excellent, I hesitate to give it a perfect store, (I’d rate it a 4.75 if I could) mostly due to the beginning of the story being loaded with character introductions and perspective changes that made things a bit difficult to follow at first. The handful of slang created for this book also made the early portions a little awkward to read, but as their meanings became clearer through repeated use and context clues, it quickly became easier to follow.
I look forward to whatever else Abnett has in store for us.
June 28, 2026
Grim, exciting, extremely well fleshed out, and massively entertaining to read. This might be Dan Abnett’s best 40k book. There are a ton of perspectives and characters that get introduced early, but the book does a fantastic job of making sure to reorient the reader whenever you jump back to them. The stories dovetail in ways that I didn’t expect but ways that made sense.
It’s a really long book but it doesn’t feel like it, it just feels fleshed out and full. The world building is the best I’ve ever read in a Warhammer book. The hive of Sacramentus feels alive and real, with its own history and culture. The characters are compelling and it’s full of surprises until the very end. Not just a great 40k novel, but a great sci fi novel.
It’s a really long book but it doesn’t feel like it, it just feels fleshed out and full. The world building is the best I’ve ever read in a Warhammer book. The hive of Sacramentus feels alive and real, with its own history and culture. The characters are compelling and it’s full of surprises until the very end. Not just a great 40k novel, but a great sci fi novel.
July 10, 2026
40k is usually about big doings, following characters who know about the unknowable. To them, the heretic, the xenos, and the alien are existential threats to the sanctity of a million million worlds.
On the ground at a scale a thousand times larger than any megacity, the heretic, xenos, and alien are more mantra than reality. The daily rigor is all about the drudgery of planetary work, the overreach of the Arbites (like Judges from Dredd), and trying not to get starched by the mutant beasties that sculk all around the edges of “civilized” life on Sacramentus (food is so scarce that bodies are turned into corpse starch, a building block for rations used to feed the lowers).
This is your first real look at why and how ignorance protects the masses. It’s a delightfully bleak vision of the meat grinder that lurks behind the curtain of Imperial rule.
On the ground at a scale a thousand times larger than any megacity, the heretic, xenos, and alien are more mantra than reality. The daily rigor is all about the drudgery of planetary work, the overreach of the Arbites (like Judges from Dredd), and trying not to get starched by the mutant beasties that sculk all around the edges of “civilized” life on Sacramentus (food is so scarce that bodies are turned into corpse starch, a building block for rations used to feed the lowers).
This is your first real look at why and how ignorance protects the masses. It’s a delightfully bleak vision of the meat grinder that lurks behind the curtain of Imperial rule.
June 16, 2026
Dan Abnett's latest spends a good portion of its (slightly-too-long) page count pitching itself quite convincingly as 40K's answer to Andor. Slow moving, contemplative, following multiple characters and dealing with themes of oppressed and oppressor it's really solid stuff and surprisingly cerebral.
Then, in the third act, things pop off and take a more familiar turn. This isn't a bad thing per se, but I found myself a little let down by the fact the heady earlier acts were all but abandoned for more action oriented gear. Still, Abnett can write the hell out of a yarn and this one is absolutely gripping.
Then, in the third act, things pop off and take a more familiar turn. This isn't a bad thing per se, but I found myself a little let down by the fact the heady earlier acts were all but abandoned for more action oriented gear. Still, Abnett can write the hell out of a yarn and this one is absolutely gripping.
June 4, 2026
Full of great world building, fascinating intrigue, really enjoyed it...up until the twist around the middle. Without wanting to spoil anything, I'll just say that it's really disappointing that Abnett went with the most common 40k twist after all this awesome buildup. Sadly it made me lose a lot of interest, so i only finished the book because of the sunk cost fallacy. It is still a well made story with a lot of interesting characters, I just wish it went in a different direction, one that's not so played out in the setting.
June 11, 2026
A hive of billions of souls is getting a new governor after the last Domne was purged for rampant corruption. Rebellion is brewing and there are enemies of the empire and Sacramentum everywhere.
It's a really good 40k novel, probably top 10%, and a frhaka good read. The dialogue and action draw you into the world it's a real page turner. There are many different POV characters, both lowly and powerful, loyalist and foe, order to give you more perspectives of the Hive. Probably a few too many POVs, you might go a hundred pages without visiting one and forget all the names.
It's a really good 40k novel, probably top 10%, and a frhaka good read. The dialogue and action draw you into the world it's a real page turner. There are many different POV characters, both lowly and powerful, loyalist and foe, order to give you more perspectives of the Hive. Probably a few too many POVs, you might go a hundred pages without visiting one and forget all the names.
June 20, 2026
I was thinking that the pacing was weird in this book. So the main characters all find out what is really happening separately. Why wouldn't the stories build on top of another? Then the characters would eventually meet each other, bring their piece of the puzzle and together fight the ... and ... and ... oh. I see. The depiction of the hive was great I could even swallow Abnett's foray into gutter slang this time. A little bit padded at times with so many characters but in the end never boring 3.5
May 30, 2026
Creación de un mundo dentro del mundo de Warhammer. Eso es otro nivel. Es una colmena, pero una colmena muy particular y con una estructura bien desarrollada. Incluso un dialecto que en un momento hasta terminé utilizando sin querer en alguna que otra ocasión. El conflicto final no me lo esperaba, y tiene todo el sentido del mundo. Así que bien podría darle sus cuatro estrellas si me sintiera un poco más generoso.
June 8, 2026
Top-tier Warhammer
Starts a bit slow, but grows excellent as the plot gathers momentum. Dan Abnett brings a sprawling, lived-in verisimilitude to the 40k universe that other authors cannot match. I can't discuss more without spoilers, but the book is excellent, and very Warhammer in tone. Think of one John Blanche's giant battle scenes - this book zooms in on a few of the faces in the churning Gothic crowd, and their varied stories.
Starts a bit slow, but grows excellent as the plot gathers momentum. Dan Abnett brings a sprawling, lived-in verisimilitude to the 40k universe that other authors cannot match. I can't discuss more without spoilers, but the book is excellent, and very Warhammer in tone. Think of one John Blanche's giant battle scenes - this book zooms in on a few of the faces in the churning Gothic crowd, and their varied stories.
June 14, 2026
Wow Mr Abnett your mastery and craft shines bright through out this book , it kept me hooked until the end , your hints at things ongoing are amazing and deftly crafted , and doesn’t spoil anything for those who have a bit of 40k lore and knowledge.
A must read to all.
Long may your light shine sir , I look forward to more books in this universe written in your creative way.
A must read to all.
Long may your light shine sir , I look forward to more books in this universe written in your creative way.
June 22, 2026
Complex society with a twist ending
Dan does it again, delivering another great masterpiece
This is the novel that shows what a Hive World/City is like in Warhammer 40k. How a complex society interacts
The twist in the story is very amazing. I thought it would be a certain enemy but it turns out to be another
Dan does it again, delivering another great masterpiece
This is the novel that shows what a Hive World/City is like in Warhammer 40k. How a complex society interacts
The twist in the story is very amazing. I thought it would be a certain enemy but it turns out to be another
June 26, 2026
Dan Abnett continues as the absolute master of presenting the grimdark of Warhammer 40K for it's fan in intricate technicolour writing that gives you the flavour, the feeling and the horror of the grimdark setting in it's infinite splendour.
I'm a huge fan of his work and Hive presents the gritty reality of the different levels of the hive from the very top to the very bottom grappling with the horror of it's existence and challenges.
I won't provide any spoilers, other than to say that it is a definite must read alongside his other works and is a very valuable insight into the "Hive" mega cities of the setting.
I'm a huge fan of his work and Hive presents the gritty reality of the different levels of the hive from the very top to the very bottom grappling with the horror of it's existence and challenges.
I won't provide any spoilers, other than to say that it is a definite must read alongside his other works and is a very valuable insight into the "Hive" mega cities of the setting.
June 27, 2026
The 40k book I always wanted to read (listen to). An examination of a hive from many different perspectives from the gangs in the low darkness to the lord governor in the high citadel and many in between. My only complaint was that it was hard to keep track of all the names and characters. The book builds into an incredible grim dark climax that feels iconically 40k!
Did Not Finish
June 29, 2026Very sad to DNF this one, really thought I’d love it. Too much slang, too many characters, I’ve got about a 1/4 of the way in and still don’t really have much of an idea of what’s going on. Maybe I’ll come back to it, there was some very promising things such as the cult but it jumps around too much and there’s too many folks for my brain to keep hold of.
May 31, 2026
Abnett builds a Hive culture from scratch.
Deep dive into a new Hive City culture alongside a master of prose and lexicon. Plenty of fun, though it can be hard to parse all the proper nouns at first. At the end of the book it becomes second nature though.
Deep dive into a new Hive City culture alongside a master of prose and lexicon. Plenty of fun, though it can be hard to parse all the proper nouns at first. At the end of the book it becomes second nature though.
May 31, 2026
Joy!
Reading this book was like eating your favourite cheesecake. You try and consume it slowly to enjoy it more however eventually it ends and you are sorrowful that there is no more. Plenty be your light!
Reading this book was like eating your favourite cheesecake. You try and consume it slowly to enjoy it more however eventually it ends and you are sorrowful that there is no more. Plenty be your light!
June 11, 2026
Another winner from Abnett.
Incredibly expansive and has a great twist halfway through that I suspected but wasn't sure on.
I do enjoy that the first book for 10th edition and the last book for 10th edition basically have the exact same endings.
Incredibly expansive and has a great twist halfway through that I suspected but wasn't sure on.
I do enjoy that the first book for 10th edition and the last book for 10th edition basically have the exact same endings.
July 8, 2026
Dan Abnett does it again. The multiple perspectives in the story did wonders for building up the atmosphere and the 'world' of the Hive. The tension that builds is top notch. The audiobook duo with Toby Longworth is, as always, stellar.
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