Deathwatch

Warhammer 40,000

by Steve Parker

The Deathwatch stand apart. Chosen from among the finest warriors of the Adeptus Astartes, they are an elite and secretive force, wielding advanced weaponry to wage a shadow war against the myriad xenos predations assailing the Imperium of Mankind. When a resurging threat collides with a bitter foe on the fringes of the galaxy, annihilation comes to the Kurbynola System, poised to spread into the entirety of the Emperor’s domain. With the fate of humanity in the balance, Watch Captain Artemis leads the Deathwatch into battle against untold billions. It is a war that will teach Artemis the true meaning of duty in service to the Imperium, and the price that must be paid to preserve it.

Read it because
It's the perfect primer for anyone wanting to know more about the Deathwatch. And if that wasn't enough, it features a character well known to long-term fans as the first Deathwatch member ever named, way back in the 'Inquisitor' miniatures game. A true blast from the past.

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

416 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 11, 2013

About the author

Originally hailing from the rainswept land of the Picts, Steve Parker now sleeps, eats, trains and writes in Tokyo, Japan.
His novels have been published in four languages and include Rebel Winter, Gunheads, Rynn's World, and Deathwatch, with a fifth novel to follow very soon.
Short works (most now available via Amazon Kindle) include:

Stray Dog Swordsman on Redemption Road
Starfish
The Falls of Marakross
Mercy Run
The Citadel
Headhunted
Exhumed
Survivor
Culling the Horde
Pedro Kantor: The Vengeful Fist

Reviews

[Terrible Reviewer · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Deathwatch isn't cliché, it doesn't employ overused bolter-porn fluff. Steve Parker doesn't use the mantra which is "There is only war, so only standard characters and generic story"

While chewing over some Weetabix this morning, I was thinking how to describe Deathwatch in a way that would set it out from the other Warhammer 40,000 novels that grace us every month from Black Library. The simple term I came up with was unique, but really that isn't quite right. So I got thinking again (my brain is overtaxed as it is). After much consideration (about two minutes in fact) 'whooper' came into mind. Not the Burger King version mind. Deathwatch by Steve Parker is a whooper in the sense it doesn't skimp with the content, the characters are all superbly written, the story binds together well and it's essentially a story about survival. A different type of Space Marine evolving through the practices of the Deathwatch.

So who the hell are the Deathwatch Chapter? They are hand-picked marines from every loyal Chapter in the Imperium. There's a fair few of them, let's say a thousand. They are used by the Inquisition Ordo Xenos (they hunt aliens) with much more finesse than the direct approach by many Chapters. Stealth, assassinations, rescue missions and sometimes search and destroy missions. The latter three not really being something a Astrates would do. There is almost outright rebellion from those newly integrated post-humans. Not more so than the main characters Lyandros Karras, First Codicer of the Death Spectre Chapter (soon to be formally). He doesn't take to this non-honourable way of sneaking around in the night to well. Neither does several of the other new intake. Steve Parker really gets a handle of how to project this to the reader via his brilliant prose.

Details are rich within Deathwatch more so than any other BL novel I've read for a while, and the good thing is, it doesn't slow down the flow of the story. There are even footnotes to decipher certain lore for the reader. Steve Parker reveals some interesting information about the implantations that a Space Marine has to go through, it's not just one big gland and wham-bam. What interested me were the origins of the Death Spectres and several of the other Chapters who are recruited by the Deathwatch. The Spectres/Steve Parker borrow heavily from Egyptian mythology, of eternal life. The First Spectre (i.e. Chapter Master) gives his life-force away so other worthy members of the Chapter can be reborn upon death. Rather unique. Another element was Watch Station Damaroth, which is essentially based on the bastion of some xeno technology - rather ironic given whom is using the station. These mammoth constructions are some of the best kept secrets in the Imperium (never heard that before). Bigger than a Star Fort, packing more fire power than several fleets, this thing is a beast.

As for the story, well there are two parts unfolding. One involving Karras and the difficulty he has integrating in the Deathwatch. The other is of Ordimas Arujo, a Inquisition operative, a rather unique individual to say the least. He finds himself doing all sorts of unsavoury things on the mining planet Chiaro. The back-story with Arujo is rather refreshing, it reveals a Imperial agent who actually CARES about someone in his life. Sheez, this doesn't happen in 40K right? There's only war remember! No time for tender reflections of the heart stuff. Not so here. Ordimas story of how he struggles with not running away with a young boy who he has become a father to, really gave strong balance to the whole story. So why is Ordimas on Chiaro? Doing the usual, sniffing out naughty people. He finds some, but not what he expects. Oh'er missus.

The other part of the story picks up with Karras meeting his new kill-team, training, eating and trading insults, some physical. His team (he becomes Alpha=squad leader) includes, Siefer Zeed aka Ghost, a Raven Guard. He makes Lucius from the Emperor Children Legion look like a amateur when it comes to swordplay. Zeed is also strong with the banter. Then there is Maximmion Voss aka Omni, a Imperial Fist. This guy is short but continues to grow outwards. Makes Arnie look like a midget. Solarion aka 'Prophet', a Ultramarine and a know-all-been-there-done-that type. The final member is introduced later, Chyron the last of the Lamenter Chapter. A dreadnought who detests xenos, which is rather good thing considering the foe they face.

There are certain things that Steve Parker really handles well in Deathwatch, the first being character development. I've not read a Black Library novel that didn't have such a interesting bunch of characters before (other than the Mournvial from the Horus Heresy). Humour is really strong also, it didn't read false and overused as in some other BL books. Character names are also brilliant Maximmion Voss, how awesome is that. There is so much else to cover, but I'm aware that this is now turning into a essay. I've not even revealed who the foes are have I? I'm not going to tell you! All I say is, what's purple and comes with fours arms?

I really hope you pick this up, even as a non-Warhammer 40K fan you will enjoy this. Brilliant, brilliant stuff. Deathwatch isn't cliché, it doesn't employ overused bolter-porn fluff. Steve Parker doesn't use the mantra which is "There is only war, so only standard characters and generic story" - that being stoic till the last, non-thinking Space Marines. We go too planet A and B kill all.

[Sud666 · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very interesting book about a specialized unit of Space Marines known as the Deathwatch. I've heard about the Deathwatch in my various readings but this is the first book about the Order.

The Deathwatch are the militant arm of the Ordo Inquistores. They deal in xenos operations. Deathwatch Space Marines are picked from various chapters and undergo a brutal regimen to turn them into an integrated "Kill Team".

Told from the viewpoint of Lyandro Karras, First Codicier of the Death Spectres Chapter. Karras is a Librarian, which means he is a psyker as well as being an Adeptus Astartes. The rest of the book is about his selection and training to enter the elite order.

At the same time, on the planet of Cholixe, undercover operatives of the Imperial Inquisition discover a xenos threat. This is the first time I encountered Tyranid cults and the concept of the pre-invasion genestealers. It answers some questions I had as to why any human would worship an alien insectoid hive mind. It also places the Tyranid genestealer's action up there with some of the worst fates in the Warhammer 40K universe. I shudder to think the worst the Tyranids would do is eat/kill you. I was mistaken. The cult practices are so debased and disgusting and the outcome is so truly foul-that this method of death ranks up there with some of the terrible fates awaiting those humans caught by Dark Eldar or Chaos forces.

Overall a good story. Some of the Warhammer 40K authors are truly gifted at crafting a fast paced but detailed tale that also reads very well. Parker, while never less than good, never quite is able to match the style of say a Dan Abnett. Still-this is a well written and fun look at the very secrative and very mysterious Deathwatch order. The ending of the book left the story rather incomplete, in my opinion, and thus while this was a really good story-I've read better Warhammer stories. 3 Stars though, which means I did like it and no regrets at all.

[Tinajeroftenma · Rating 5 out of 5]

when i read it i felt like i was there, killing everyone

[Milou · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of the books my fiancé left on my bookshelf. He is absolutely obsessed with Warhammer, so I was curious what all the fuss was about and picked this up. Like I say I am a total novice to this massive world, though I did get a bit of background info from my fiancé. But I could definitely easily follow and understand the story. It follows two different story lines, which in the end merge together. One part follows two different Inquisition operatives on the mining planet Chiaro. Ordimas is sent deep into the mines, making use of his awesome talents of changing his body, where he is faced with horrible things which he is forced to take part in. The information he gains with this he gives to his female colleague, who is very kick ass. I loved this part of the story so much. Ordimas is very likeable, yet has to do some unsavory things. Steve Parker did a very good job of showing the reader that absolutely horrible things are going on, without actually telling us What is happening. We sure have an idea but never have to read the actual act and its details. I found this a very clever way to deal with fairly sensitive topics. The other part of the story tells about Karras, his training and the formation of his team of the Deathwatch. I found the training scenes kind of boring (though that was probably more because I loved the scenes in Chiaro and just wanted to stay there), but the dynamics in the team onceit was formed were very well written. The last third of the book was pure action and it was awesome. My main complaint about this book is the ending. It sets everything up very well for a sequal, which does not exist (as far as I know). I have got so many questions! It is very ‘prepare for what is to come’…. and then nothing comes. So I gave this a 3.5* rating and will definitely pick up more Warhammer books in the future.

[Milo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read the Original Review: http://thefoundingfields.com/2013/06/....

“A book that is great fun to read. Steve Parker crafts an entertaining, action packed read that reminds us why the very idea ofa Deathwatch novel is so awesome.” ~The Founding Fields

I’ve fallen rather behind on my Black Library reading as of late, with the last novel that I finished being Dan Abnett’s Pariah. But when I saw Deathwatch in the shelves, it was a chance that I knew I couldn’t pass by. I’d been waiting for this novel for ever since it was announced that Steve Parker was working on a Deathwatch novel, following the short stories in the various …of the Space Marines anthologies, which I all really enjoyed. So, how does the full novel fare? Quite well, as it turns out, and it seems that my return to Black Library novels has been a successful one indeed.

"When they first came together, Talon Squad were a disparate group of Space Marines from various Chapters. Under the auspice of the Deathwatch, trained in an ironclad Watch Fortress, they become a kill-team. Alien hunters, experts in xenos extermination, their first mission under the mysterious Inquisitor Sigma is a deadly one. Of all the enemies the Deathwatch face, the genestealers are amongst the fiercest, the most invidious. Led by Brother-Librarian Karras, Talon Squad must penetrate the bowels of a genestealer lair and put the abominations to the flame or face the consequences of an entire planet’s extinction."

A Deathwatch novel allows the possibility to draw Space Marines from a variety of Chapters under one banner and explore their characters. This does run the risk of using archtypical portrayals of Space Marines, with their standard cliched impersonations – for example, you get the law-abiding Ultramarine, the gung-ho rebellious Space Wolf always arguing with the Dark Angel, the stealth expert of the Raven Guard, the staunchly determined Imperial Fist – you get the idea. In the wrong hands, you start to remember their roles over their names, which is never a good sign. But thankfully, Parker manages to avoid that trap, by sticking with the same team, Talon Squad – that he’s worked on in the aforementioned short stories, Headhunted and Exhumed, he takes this opportunity to use this novel as a prequel for those two shorts as a way to appeal to newcomers to his work as well as fans who have read the previous books.

The dramatis personae is quite small for this book, and we’re drawn into a variety of team members that have different roles, but Parker manages to avoid the fear that I had above and continue to build upon some interesting characters that aren’t just bland and one dimensional. For example, you get Lyrandro Karras, nicknamed Scholar, the Librarian and leader of Talon Squad, standing alongside Darrion Rauth, aka the Watcher, and a member of the Exorcists Chapter. He’s also the only member of Talon Squad who doesn’t come from a first-founding chapter. Then there’s Maximmion Voss, the Imperial Fist, codenamed Omni, Ignatio Solarian of the Ultramarines and Siefer Zeed of the Raven Guard, who are supported by Chyron, a Dreadnought of the Lamenters Chapter. This allows Parker to explore a wide view of what different Chapters have on the Deathwatch, and allows to give us some very different personalities. Karass gets the most page-time, but they’re all interesting warriors of their own with stories to tell, and I really hope that either in future short stories or standalone ones, Parker explores them further.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a Black Library book without some action and Deathwatch delivers some very entertaining action indeed. Using his experience as a Black Library writer being one of the more prolific authors of this Publisher to date (even if he may not be held in as high regard as the likes of Dan Abnett and Aaron Dembski-Bowden), Parker manages to craft several action sequences that are a step-up from the average bolter porn novels from the likes of CS Goto and Ben Counter, with some great battle scenes and the way that he manages to narrate them prevents the character development from being dragged down and allows for the book to have a breakneck pace.

The plot itself you can tell has been planned out into various acts and Deathwatch clearly benefits from that particular method rather than the make it up off the top of your head method that some writers are known to use (outside of the Black Library verse, Stephen King is a well known user of this method). Parker takes some time to show the assembling of Talon Squad when he could have just dived straight into the main plot, which allows for some great set up where we get to know the characters before the fun really begins, and when the fun begins, it certainly does – this is one of the better Black Library novels that I’ve had the pleasure of reading and Steve Parker really knocks it out of the park. I really hope that there’ll be more Deathwatch novels, or just short stories soon – I’ll certainly be on board for them.

Deathwatch is also a pretty strong book for newcomers to the Warhammer 40,000 Universe providing they have a basic understanding of the lore. I wouldn’t suggest it for somebody completley new to the Universe, you might want to try either Dan Abnett’s Gaunts Ghosts / Eisenhorn Omnibus, or check out what fellow Founding Fields reviewer Shadowhawk has to offer on the subject here . As already mentioned, it gives an introduction to a variety of Chapters and explains how the Deathwatch function clearly, as well as providing explanations for certain terms – but all the terms are fresh, and I haven’t encountered them before in the Black Library Universe.

So, what next? Now that I’ve returned to the realm of Black Library, I’m thinking that my next purchase will probably be along the lines of Baneblade by Guy Hayley, as I’d prefer to either wait for paperbacks or buy ebooks. And Guy Hayley is an author whose work for Angry Robot I’ve really enjoyed, so I’m hoping he can deliver within the Warhammer 40,000 Universe.

VERDICT: 4/5

[Andrew Harvey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great 40K book. This is my first one by Steve Parker. I got introduced to a few different Adeptus Astartes chapters that I didn't know existed. Got more of an indepth look at the Ordo Xenos after several books I read had to do with Ordo Hereticus. A good book about Clandestine operations carried out by Space Marines who take part in an organization shrouded in deep mystery and everything is compartmentalized. A damn good read.

[Thomas · Rating 1 out of 5]

Did not finish. The novel expresses some truly malicious attitudes towards women, and was not good enough to push past these parts. This novel begins with two story tracts, the first following a space marine as he is trained and integrates himself into a deathwatch kill team, these segments are well written and enjoyable enough. The second track is where my problems occur. It follows the acolytes of the inquisition. Any time a woman appears she is treated to a tragic and brutal fate. The book seems to go out of its way to remove women from being the agent of their own decisions, while at the same time justifying how their fate is deserved.

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

The origin and first mission of Talon Squad has plenty of intrigue and lots of action. A special ops kill team of Deathwatch chapter, that does precision missions for the Inquisition, taking out the Xenos threat. Good characters and story, I look forward to reading more. Check it out.

[Corey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Highly enjoyable

[Sud666 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really great 40K story. There is a reason I have read this a few times. It's very good. But, if you are a newcomer to the lore and have been wondering what to jump into, this isn't a bad book. Why? It shows many different aspects of the 40K Lore- from the different Chapters of Astartes that send their Marines to the Deathwatch and their differences. The Marines of Talon Squad come from diverse Chapters ranging from the Ultramarines and Imperial Fists to the more esoteric Death Spetres and Exorcists. One of the things that makes this lore so great is its depth, thus this book shows several different chapters and how they vary in mode and thought.

Then there is the Deathwatch itself. The militant arm of the Inquisition's Ordo Xenos (Alien Hunters), functioning much like the Grey Knights- Ordo Malleus (Demon Hunters) relationship, is one of the most elite units of the Imperium. Taking veteran Space Marines and then honing them to a razor sharp edge, the Deathwatch specialize in striking high value Xenos targets. The training and thought process described is quite interesting.

Finally we have a birds eye view of how the Imperial Inquisition's Ordo Xenos operate. From the deep cover operatives to the follow on Inquisitiors. A hard job for hard people. The story also excels in showing the slow, creeping insidiousness of a Tyrannid Genestealer infestation.

A great book on all fronts. A nice place for someone interested in the universe to start, since it introduces many different aspects of the Imperial world.

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Deep in the bowels of some backwater planet or another, a nefarious alien menace has emerged. There is only one group capable of handling such a dastardly threat. The space marines! *cue cheesy action music*

Okay, I'm poking fun, and it's hard not to. The Warhammer books aren't known for their literary merit. Despite being composed of who-knows-how-many hundreds of books, they are more known for mindless action, and enough backstory to give any enthusiastic fan a rampant lore-boner. Deathwatch doesn't do much to alter that formula, which said fans may be...pleased to hear.

The Deathwatch are an elite group of space marines, hand-picked from across the universe, whose sole purpose is to quell xenos (alien) invasions. In this case there is an alien threat and, um, the Deathwatch battle them. Yep, that's about it. The plot develops slowly, the characters don't develop much at all, and it ends pretty much how you expect. ...and, that's it.

It really wasn't that bad of a read. The first 100 pages or so were horrendous, it was all over the place and I was a drowning man desperately grasping for something to cling to. Once the plot finally formed it did become an enjoyable book though. These types of books always have interesting characters, mostly because they are ridiculously flat, over-the-top, and unbelievable; but I could live with it. After another 200 pages, at about the 300-page mark, the book started bogging down on me again. The characters spent 200 pages in a training camp, learning about group cohesion and battle-readiness, but once the action started the characters were just whiny and obnoxious. Like I said earlier, the characters didn't develop much, and they were pretty much exactly as they were at the start of the story.

Anyway, in the end it was pretty okay. It's far from the greatest thing I've ever read, but I'm interested enough in the characters to seek out more of their books. Assuming I can figure out how to navigate the tangled, convoluted labyrinth that is the Black Library.

[Luke Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's common to compare the armies of the Imperium of Man to weapons. The soldiers of the Imperial Guard a sledgehammer to bludgeon humanity's enemies into submission. The superhuman warriors of the Adeptus Astartes ('Space Marines') a sword meant to strike a precise, lethal blow. The Deathwatch, considered the elite even amongst their Astartes brethren, are a dagger meant to strike from the shadows and cut the enemy's throat. The Chamber Militant of the Ordo Xenos, the branch of the Imperial Inquisition that studies and neutralises the threat posed by alien races to humanity, when the Deathwatch are deployed, it is to eliminate the alien threat with lethal precision.

The Deathwatch have long been a favourite faction of mine in Warhammer 40,000, and this novel is a very satisfying dive into who the Chamber Militant of the Ordo Xenos are and what they do, going into their recruitment, training and deployment in gripping detail, not to mention how Space Marines from so many differing Chapters can be moulded to work together. The members of Talon Squad make for an eclectic bunch (my personal favourite has to be Zeed) and their infiltration mission to Chiaro is an engaging heart pounder as they struggle to recover an extremely important Inquisitorial asset that feels taken straight out of Aliens (though Genestealer Cults make xenomorphs look cuddly IMO: creatures like those and the things Talon Squad sees when they reach the 'breeding ground' is enough to make me fully support the Imperial maxim of "Suffer not the alien to live")... With a gripping hook to get you wanting to read the next book, this is a great look into the Imperium of Man's finest alien hunters and the shadow war they fight (as well as reminding me I still need to do a Deathwatch army for 40K at some point...)

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an avid Gamer and Geeksman, I love it when fiction is written supporting a RPG I am running or playing. This one came right along as I first got to play the Deathwatch RPG, by Fantasy Flight Games. I gotta say, it was gritty and filled with intrigue and action, but Mr. Parker captured the fact that soldiers don't get along within their own ranks a lot of the time. Cliques are formed, friendships are made and destroyed, but loyalty and brotherhood stand firm, even against the vile evil of the Dark Future, so 40,000 years from now. Such a good read, I can't wait for him to write another!

[Jack Keane · Rating 3 out of 5]

this is the 40k version of the SAS and the banter between the marines is genuinely funny and believable but the ending tapers off quite abruptly to what I found to be an unfortunately forgettable ending however I have high hopes for the inevitable sequel. Hopefully the loose ends are tied up satisfactorily next time.And kudos for including a midget imperial fist who is wider than he is tall, that made me chuckle.

[Dawie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book ticks all the boxes for me personally. I am not ashamed of my rating.

[Callum Shephard · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you’ve been reading from Black Library for a while you might know the company doesn’t have the best track record with Deathwatch novels. The previous two featured Razorbacks suddenly transforming into Land Raiders, multilasers everywhere, and vast leaps in logic which would leave an ork scratching its head. At best they were a bad joke. What’s more, they were frequently not about the Deathwatch per se so much as the battlefield they were on. Doing little to expand or detail the Ordo Xenos’ militant arm or represent them as elite spec ops strike teams.

This one however? Not only does it actually manage to focus on the Deathwatch and expand upon their methods, but it’s possibly one of the single best books focusing upon the difficulties of astartes from different origins working together.

Serving as a prequel to the short stories Headhunted and Exhumed, both also by Steve Parker, Deathwatch focuses upon the formation of Talon Squad. As tempers fray, old chapter grudges arise and clashes occur as a result of egos, the space marines from a thousand varying origins must learn to work together. To overcome their natural opposition to one another, adapt to the methods the Deathwatch employ and fight as an effective combat unit. They must learn fast however, as a thousand worlds away the agents of the Inquisition are uncovering a new threat to humanity. One which will require the elite tactics, skills and warriors of the Deathwatch before it can be slain.

The book’s strongest element ultimately comes from how it was planned out, with it divided into three parts and two separate plots. One focusing upon the action of Inquisitorial agents as they spy upon their enemy even as the space marines are recruited. One focusing upon the Inquisition’s initial efforts to combat the threat as the space marines are retrained via Deathwatch methods. Then a final section after Talon is formed when they are deployed together for the first time. Despite an awkward opening which jumps from location to location with little establishment of what is really going on, once the book gets into the swing of things the story runs like clockwork.

It would have been an easy thing to simply have Talon already assembled in the introduction but this way more is detailed about the Deathwatch. Giving light to just how the organisation has so many rival chapters or direct opposites learn to effectively fight together, the level of retraining required and the sorts of individuals who are sent to their ranks. With some being offered because of the honour they regard the chapter with. Others to try and rid themselves of/improve the attitudes of trouble makers. Yes, the Deathwatch is to certain chapters what boot camp is to certain parents. In all seriousness though this does work, with the flaws of some individuals serving as a great source of conflict. At the same time making it evident that the Deathwatch is used to dealing with less rigidly disciplined factions as much as they are marines from extremely codex adherent origins.

Kudos definitely has to be given to Parker for handling this with such skill and for who he chose as the trouble maker in Talon. Clearly establishing that no chapter is innately superior and simply outright better than any other. Also for managing to simultaneously integrate the Fantasy flight RPG’s insanity system into the narrative to some degree. The only unfortunate thing about this is that the aforementioned character goes largely underdeveloped.

Throughout the book only three of Talon Squad are truly fleshed out. With others either being left largely as an enigma or left largely blank. Either due to being previously detailed in Headhunted or an apparent lack of focus as the story emphasises upon certain details. This means that changes, such as the development of some to be more accepting and a part of the squad, happen without apparent development. Their problems either simply fading into the background or mysteriously disappear part way through. As a result the only ones who are truly examined are Karras of the Death Spectres, Zeed of the Raven Guard, and the dreadnought Chyron to some degree.

The book has far more of a spec ops or tactical feel than you would tend to get with space marines. Something helped in part by the structure and overall build-up to the conclusion. With almost the entire tale builds up to a single brief but bloody surgical strike after weeks of planning, practice runs and operations. One which requires a vast amount of equipment, effort and feels in some respects more like a Shadowrun operation than it does something within Warhammer 40K. What helps keep things clearly in this universe however are the space marines themselves, who despite their differences from the norm in many cases are clearly space marines. That and also the details we learn about the Death Spectres through Karras, fleshing out their attitudes, traditions and methodology. Both giving a primary detailed example to contrast with the Deathwatch besides the better known chapters and give something familiar to readers expecting something more traditional.

While Parker’s willingness to progress beyond what would usually be expected of Imperial factions, even the Inquisition, is usually of benefit to the story he does occasionally go too far. The most notable examples of this is when it’s clearly a radical Inquisitor commanding Talon and the widespread use of elder tech. At least unlike with Goto eldar technology isn’t simply something widespread and casually accepted by all Imperials, but both Sigma and the Deathwatch use it. The former isn’t so much of a problem but the latter? It’s something which makes the xenos hunters look like hypocrites and feels out of place even amongst the more pragmatic space marines. It’s really a step too far even with what he was apparently aiming for in how the Deathwatch differed from ordinary space marines. Though even that has its problems at times.

While Parker might have been writing about space marines, if you look at his previous books he’s more experienced with Imperial Guard. That seems to bleed over here in more than a few places with the behaviour of the astartes feeling more like those of unenhanced humans. Mostly this is Zeed admittedly, and you’ll see why when you read the book, but a few things just didn’t feel right. The nicknames Talon uses in particular felt more like something out of a Last Chancers novel than something focusing upon the Deathwatch.

Getting back to the positives, other elements which help to keep the spec ops theme are the levels of restricted information and advanced operations. Both when Talon is being trained and under the command of an Inquisitor code-named Sigma, who might be even more of a threat to the Imperium than the villains, they are kept in the dark. Other kill-team’s missions, just what their operation actually involves, who their commander actually is are all details which are restricted to them. Even why they specifically were hand-picked is something never gone into and instead left for the future.

As for the advanced operations, the Inquisitorial agents which are first sent in clearly define some of the methods utilised by the Hallowed God-Emperor’s KGB. Mostly those less seen in the likes of Eisenhorn and Ravenor. With shape changing agents willing to assassinate any in their path and information gathering bionics to infiltrate cults and deliver direct information to superiors. There are enough elements here to make it feel like it’s in the same universe as the other books, but their more procedural spy-like methods make them feel a bit more like a secret service.

All this is definitely helped by Parker’s very cinematic writing style. He delivers just enough information for the reader to understand yet more than enough to have them create an image of events in their heads. While not as heavily detailed as Abnett or McNeill it still creates a distinct feel to each environment and, like James Swallow’s books, feels extremely streamlined. Allowing you to quickly absorb information and progress through the book at high speed. Something it definitely needed with the sudden twists the plot takes more than once.

Even with all these positives there are one or two niggling problems which hamper the book. While the review up to now might have commented upon occasional weaknesses and problems in the script there are a two which stand out. Both are introduced in the book’s final pages and are handled nowhere near as well as they should have been.

A clear problem is that while Sigma might be an interesting character with hints of power, manipulative abilities and planning, he doesn’t make a lot of sense. Well at least his plan doesn’t. While it might seem fine throughout most of the tale, in the final pages it’s eventually explained and revealed to be borderline insane. Convoluted and wasteful to the point where Daenyathos’ infamous several thousand year gambit looks reasonably straight forwards.

The other flaw is that the ending is blatantly sequel baiting. On the one hand this isn’t an entirely bad thing given the story’s quality and it’s easily good enough to be the start of a series. On the other it’s not that well implemented; only really coming into play at the very end. Not only is there no real build-up towards this but you can’t take it as a possible conclusion to a standalone book. While Xenos in the Eisenhorn trilogy might have also hinted at a follow-up story, it was small and done in a way ambiguous enough that it could work as a single novel. Here? Not so much and it leaves more than one major character’s plot thread hanging. A frustrating and mostly unnecessary addition to what was otherwise an extremely solid novel.

Despite its flaws this is definitely recommended to almost anyone interested in the Ordo Xenos. It gives a large number of unseen details, serves as an interesting tale and has contrasting characters to keep you interested for more than one read-through. Furthermore the amount of ideas and lore it contains makes it a must buy for anyone planning to run a campaign of the Deathwatch RPG. As it manages to show certain details the rulebook never could in its format or without specific focus characters.

[Edoardo Albert · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is, basically, the male equivalent of chick lit: big blokes with blasters blasting bad guys. The Warhammer 40k universe misses one trick though. Being dedicated to war - it exists, after all, to facilitate a war game - the spin-off books ignore one aspect of the 40k universe that might not be obvious to anyone unfortunate enough to actually live in it, but that is obvious to at least this visitor: it is a world of wonders. Magic, elves, orcs, space ships, demons - it's as if all the fantasy creatures of earth's deep past were waiting for us all along, among the stars. Admittedly, in this version of the future, they are all busily trying to exterminate us, as we are attempting to destroy them, but there you go - you can't make an Imperium without cracking a few alien skulls. And in the cracking of alien skulls, none are better than the Space Marines. Unfortunately, in the world of 40k books, none are so boring as the Space Marines. Being engineered killing machines who know no fear, sexual desire, curiosity or anything much else apart from glory, honour and loyalty, they make poor protagonists for a 40k novel. Far better when the hero is a normal human being, such as the Gaunt's Ghosts novels, or an abnormal one, such as the Eisenhorn novels. Even better if you can get Dan Abnett to write the books too. But even Abnett failed to make the Space Marines interesting when he essayed a Space Marines novel. In that respect, Steve Parker does a better job, but I wish he'd stayed longer with the characters from the Inquisition that he introduces alongside the eponymous Deathwatch Space Marines.

Albert's rule number 1 for 40k novels: Space Marines are cool as background characters, riding in on Storm Ravens and killing aliens and Chaos spawn, but they're not to be used as central characters. Might as well make a tree the hero, it would be less wooden.

[Christopher Nilssen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclosure: I knew Steve Parker when I lived and worked in Japan in the early 2000s.

I don't know how it happened, but I've found myself immersed in all things Warhammer 40,000. Over the years I've flirted with the universe that Games Workshop has created, but never really dove into the fiction. The closest I came was reading Steve's Rebel Winter around the time it was published. I've played a good number of the video games. I even have a set of the models moldering away in storage, unpainted and unloved. But something drew me into the Black Library recently. I have a collection of the 40K novels in ebook form from a Humble Bundle of years gone by, and I was sorting through the files on my Kindle when Deathwatch scrolled by. On a lark, I decided to open it up and give it a go. That seemed to lead to downloading the video games I have in my Steam library, acquiring a few more, and then proceeding to get a hold some fifty-odd audio books of the Horus Heresy.

I'm neck deep in it now.

This particular book was an easy read. It has a tremendous build up that then picks up speed in rapid-fire chapters as it rockets towards its conclusion. Although I feel like I would have benefitted from having a deeper understanding of more of the lore-that in itself being an herculean task-I never really felt lost. The book is very much a bridge from and to other places in the Black Library, but I feel that's very much by design. The characters are well defined, and the action is blazing hot. If you're at all interested in the sprawling literary venture that these books represent, this is certainly a solid volume to start with.

[Eleena Yasmin · Rating 4 out of 5]

My second read of this book and it is, as it was the first time, highly enjoyable. I love all things Raven Guard and all things Deathwatch, so Karras is incredibly dear to me (yes I know he’s not REALLY Raven Guard, but the ancestry counts 😂). He holds his own as a character beyond my fondness for the sons of Corax too. He’s surprisingly human, and kind, for the grim Death Spectres, and I love that in contrast to the war machines that all space marines are under that veil of humanity.

And of course I have to shout out the actual Raven Guard of the lot. Zeed is absolutely hysterical 😂 I adore this oddball of a Raven Guard and his sarcastic quips so much.

Genuinely this is one of my very favourite Deathwatch novels. If I had any complaints its only one: reading this and its sequel Shadowbreaker, with the greatest respect I really have to point out the author’s weakness in writing his female characters. It is FAR from being openly distasteful, but I do have to say that the depictions of women in Deathwatch and Shadowbreaker are just uncomfortable enough to have me raising an eyebrow. Not out of malice, I am extremely sure, but it is there. And beyond that, I find that for all the variance in personality that the author manages to write for the Deathwatch brothers, the two lady inquisitorial agents in the books, despite being a significant mover of the story, are incredibly one note and almost just a copy-paste of each other: hot lady inquisitor / agent that men lust over. It does get eye rolling.

To end it on a positive note, it should be clear how good rest of the story is that I love it so and gave it such a high rating despite my criticism in the last paragraph. If only that one weak spot was eliminated, I would be absolutely thrilled to see Talon Squad in a new novel in the future.

[Gareth · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable, and grim story, just a little let down for me by pacing - and two interweaving threads, one quite fascinating, but kept being left on little cliffhangers that were resolved by the time we next came to that thread again, rather than seeing the resolution, which I found a bit frustrating, and the second thread was a bit slow to begin with, taking a bit too long to introduce some characters I feel.
Outside of that though, some great scenes, with some good action, tension and a bit of slow creeping horror at times.
Reading in parallel to the Horus Heresy novels, does show well I Think the contrast between the two time periods, with 40k a lot darker than 30k, and some factions doing some quite nasty things really to achieve their goals.
Characters felt a bit one dimensional in many cases, with only one space marine in particular feeling reasonably well rounded out, but then they didn't need too much fleshing out for the overall story to function, and it was a pretty good read in the end.

[Oliver Eike · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent book about a rescue and recovery mission undertaken by a newly formed Deathwatch team.

The story and characters themselves were interesting as was the sprinkling of lore and foreshadowing. However the Inquisition characters were both under-represented and over-represented at the same time. For the characters were boring and their chapters took away from my immersion. And i know they were meant to set the groundwork, but in the end it was meaningless and just downright boring. Much could have been done to rescue that if more weight had been placed on them, but at the same time it could have made things worse too.

In the end if you like Space Marines killing lots of stuff mixed into a Black-ops style. This is an interesting read.

[Hunter · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW what a damn awesome read. Also, what an INCREDIBLE breath of fresh air after reading eight Horus heresy books in a row! I didn’t really think I was going to like this but Steve Parker really made me feel connected with the characters. I am somewhat new to 40K lore, so had no idea what gene stealers were (besides seeing the models in the past). That’s probably why I thought it was such a kick ass story because not only was there a kick ass story, kick ass action, but the tyrannids/genestealers duo was totally new to me which I was fascinated by. I love a good book/movie that leaves me not only wanting more, but having unanswered questions & this book definitely left me with a couple. Best book I’ve read In a while, 10/10 recommend 👍🏼

[Dillon Ostlund · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cult on a planetoid with inscrutable ends, an elite covert ops team of super soldier marines, and shadowy political elites pulling strings in the background. This book had the promise of something extremely interesting, and for the most part it lived up to that promise.

The dialogue ranged from very good to wildly contrived. The twists were interesting, but it did feel like the author struggled with knowing where to lead those twists. Many of the moments of resolution felt unsatisfying, and the ending obviously tees it up for a second novel but without setting the stakes for that novel.

Overall this book was alright. I would read the sequel and if you’re a fan of Warhammer 40k novels this isn’t a bad choice by any means.

[Keanu Concepcion · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of the writing just kept unnecessarily suggesting events that might or might not happen. But because of that you can only take so much of, "Will he survive? I don't know! Keep Reading." before you KNOW that of course he will survive why else would you ask more than 4 times?

Otherwise was pretty exciting look into my favorite chapter. Will be reading the sequel. Act I/II of this book was probably 5 star but the ending becomes predictable and tries to throw out too many plot hooks that while they do have set up, just felt like it slowed down the pace too much during a time where speed is the crux of the plot.

[Hunter82 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Düstere Fantasy. Warhammer 40K.
Und die Deathwatch ist mit einer der Geheimnisvollsten Gruppierungen innerhalb des Imperiums.

Nur die besten Space Marines werden aus den Orden des Imperators ausgesucht. Sie bekommen eine Einlandung um den Ruf zu folgen und Ehre für sich und Ihren Orden zu erlangen.
Die zusätzliche Ausbildung ist hart und gefährlich. Doch wer sie schafft kann sich zur Deathwatch zählen.

Düstere Stimmung, Rangkonflikte und Blutige Auseinandersetzungen. Auch dieser Band hat einiges zu bieten.

[Garrett Kaltenbach · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve read this book twice. Storyline is fun albeit predictable and has a number of basic plot elements that you can discern fairly early on with stereotypical characters.

But there’s also depth to a few of them and the story does a nice job switching to different POVs at the right time that add more depth and intrigue to keep you entertained. Genestealers are a nasty bunch so it’s cool to see more depth to them without having to read a full Codex. Also cool to see different chapters like the Death Spectres and Exorcists. Also Siefer Zeed is hilarious, we love our Raven Boys

[Travis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sure its bolter slop, but its also death spectres background. Inquisition chicanery and subterfuge. Genestealer cults and the true horror of one slice of the imperium. Its also got lots of very fun character beats, and some fun looks at the wideness of the 40k-verse. Looking forward to circling back to the sequel and the adventures of the squad. Especially THIIICK BOY Imperial Fist, who had some of the funniest marine characterization I've read.

So so much better than leviathan (10th edition release) book which I thought was kinda horrendous.

[eFTy · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a 40k book this was a good read. It's basically a decently fleshed out origin story for the characters of some short stories written by the same author. This is a good opportunoty to shed some light on the Deathwatch and the way ot trains its recruits, along with some shadowy Inquisition shenanigans. The ending leaves plenty of mustery for a sequel, so here's hoping the upcoming second book in the series will be just as good, at least.

[Brennan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was excited to get this book started because I’ve been a fan of the tabletop 40k universe for YEARS. While I understand backstory is important, the amount of backstory in this novel is excessive at times. The over explaining of characters actions seemed tedious at times. That being said...
I did truly enjoy this novel. The combat scenes were gruesomely detailed and enthralling, and that was enough to keep me hooked!

[Rupert Breheny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice bit of lore for Death Spectres, Deathwatch and Tyrannids, but I couldn't rate this higher as the dialogue just kept falling flat for me. Dan Abnett and Chris Wraight set a high bar here, and I miss that level of texture and subtext.

I will say that once you finish the epilogue, it's a worthwhile exercise to go back over the first three chapters to read them afresh, knowing what you now know.