What do you think?
Rate this book
Gaunt's Ghosts #4-7
The Saint
In the blood-soaked Sabbat Worlds Crusade, the massed ranks of the Imperium battle the dark forces of Chaos for dominion. At the forefront of this conflict are the Imperial Guard - untold numbers of ordinary soldiers fighting to preserve the Emperor's holy realm. Colonel-Commissar Ibram Gaunt and the men of the Tanith First and Only are at the heart of this struggle. Forced to flee their planet before it was destroyed by Chaos, their specialist scouting role has earned them the nickname 'Ghosts', along with any dangerous mission their commanders choose to throw at them. Follow Gaunt's epic adventures as he and his men storm into battle with their war cry: 'Men of Tanith, do you want to live forever?'
CONTENTS
Honour Guard
The Guns of Tanith
Straight Silver
Sabbat Martyr
Read it Because
It's in these stories that the Gaunt's Ghosts series becomes a true classic. Story arcs take shape, characters rise and fall and shock abound.
1427 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 28, 2007
269 people are currently reading
1129 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
December 13, 2019
¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
Guardia de honor: https://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com...
Armas de Tanith: https://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com...
Plata pura: https://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com...
Santa Sabbat Mártir: https://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com...
Guardia de honor: https://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com...
Armas de Tanith: https://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com...
Plata pura: https://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com...
Santa Sabbat Mártir: https://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com...
September 17, 2020
An excellent collection of grimdark military scifi stories. One of the finest.
February 15, 2008
Hits hard and keeps hitting. The term 'gritty' is over-used these days, but you can feel the hard surfaces and ash-blown environments in his writing. He's particularly adept at building characters enough that when/if they die (and often in the typically senseless ways of war as an aside in a sentence) it really does shock.
It won't be to everyone's taste, but if you like a good shot of testosterone with your coffee, tempered with mysticism and half an eye on historical conflicts, this is a book to go for.
It won't be to everyone's taste, but if you like a good shot of testosterone with your coffee, tempered with mysticism and half an eye on historical conflicts, this is a book to go for.
May 28, 2009
Not as good as its predecessor, The Founding, but still enjoyable. The Guns of Tanith as a whole and bits of Straight Silver really stood out, and the pitched armor battles in Honour Guard are also very well done.
Sabbat Martyr is literally one long cityfight, with a small break between a skirmish at the beginning and the real battle about a third of the way in. It makes the book feel rather shorter than the previous three, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, and only fitting for the climax of the Saint saga, really. The ending is appropriately epic and satisfying, and, of course, bittersweet--this is a Gaunt's Ghosts novel, after all. The space battle before the ground assault also stands out as particularly enthralling, though all too brief. Time to see if Abnett has anything on the Imperial Navy!
Another point: Abnett handles Soric's 'gift' and the general uptick in miraculous events in this saga quite well. True, the WH40k universe gives him a lot of leeway on this front. Still, mixing gritty, footslogging, uber-rational military fiction with non-weaponized psychic powers--that is, miracles--without crossing the thin line into deus ex machinae doesn't strike me as an easy task. Abnett does it well.
One minor annoyance: I understand that Gaunt is basically invulnerable--no more novels without him, after all--and while Abnett's insistence on noting every MINOR WOUND, NEAR MISS, etc. as they occur is probably intended to offset that back-of-the-mind fact, it only serves to call unneeded attention to it. Very minor, though--it only really jumped out at me in the climactic melee at the end of Sabbat Martyr.
Sabbat Martyr is literally one long cityfight, with a small break between a skirmish at the beginning and the real battle about a third of the way in. It makes the book feel rather shorter than the previous three, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, and only fitting for the climax of the Saint saga, really. The ending is appropriately epic and satisfying, and, of course, bittersweet--this is a Gaunt's Ghosts novel, after all. The space battle before the ground assault also stands out as particularly enthralling, though all too brief. Time to see if Abnett has anything on the Imperial Navy!
Another point: Abnett handles Soric's 'gift' and the general uptick in miraculous events in this saga quite well. True, the WH40k universe gives him a lot of leeway on this front. Still, mixing gritty, footslogging, uber-rational military fiction with non-weaponized psychic powers--that is, miracles--without crossing the thin line into deus ex machinae doesn't strike me as an easy task. Abnett does it well.
One minor annoyance: I understand that Gaunt is basically invulnerable--no more novels without him, after all--and while Abnett's insistence on noting every MINOR WOUND, NEAR MISS, etc. as they occur is probably intended to offset that back-of-the-mind fact, it only serves to call unneeded attention to it. Very minor, though--it only really jumped out at me in the climactic melee at the end of Sabbat Martyr.
April 1, 2022
This had ceased to be a global matter. Now it was well and truly part of the Crusade.
The Saint collates four novels that represent an upward slope for the Gaunt's Ghosts series.
Characters are settled and have room to develop and interact with their world; the plot; and each other. They're distinct enough with their abilities and limitations to just be "poor bloody infantrymen". Deaths are handled in interesting ans meaningful ways.
That's all a bit pat though, congratulating Abnett for making it up a couple of rungs of the "good novel" ladder. Is there anything particularly distinctive about the series?
Well... ...it's a bunch of guys (and a reasonable number of girls) morphing from one set of specialisations to another. Mobile warfare, air assault, commando, trench raiding, bushwhacking, urban defending. It's sci-fi Sharpe or Band of Brothers where Abnett has to create the setpieces rather than flitting between historical engagements.
In doing this, The Saint projects the realism and grit in warfare while remaining totally fantastical and improbable. Chainswords remain effective weapons in all situations. Proper weapons discipline is essential, especially because message in a bottle written by your psychic self told you it was. Head injuries can completely change the personality of a man, unless he's dipped in water blessed by a Saint.
I'm not sure I'm totally sold on the mix. My suspicion is that Gaunt's Ghosts best appeals to the wargamming section of the Warhammer 40K community. It also improves the reputation of the Imperial Guard from being just endless cannon fodder. Otherwise, the characters remain grounded by their fictional situations, which is fine, but not memorable.
Good, but still not quite what its reputation makes it to be. Rating a little on the harsh side, but the 4 star books within the Warhammer 40K offer a little more to me.
The Saint collates four novels that represent an upward slope for the Gaunt's Ghosts series.
Characters are settled and have room to develop and interact with their world; the plot; and each other. They're distinct enough with their abilities and limitations to just be "poor bloody infantrymen". Deaths are handled in interesting ans meaningful ways.
That's all a bit pat though, congratulating Abnett for making it up a couple of rungs of the "good novel" ladder. Is there anything particularly distinctive about the series?
Well... ...it's a bunch of guys (and a reasonable number of girls) morphing from one set of specialisations to another. Mobile warfare, air assault, commando, trench raiding, bushwhacking, urban defending. It's sci-fi Sharpe or Band of Brothers where Abnett has to create the setpieces rather than flitting between historical engagements.
In doing this, The Saint projects the realism and grit in warfare while remaining totally fantastical and improbable. Chainswords remain effective weapons in all situations. Proper weapons discipline is essential, especially because message in a bottle written by your psychic self told you it was. Head injuries can completely change the personality of a man, unless he's dipped in water blessed by a Saint.
I'm not sure I'm totally sold on the mix. My suspicion is that Gaunt's Ghosts best appeals to the wargamming section of the Warhammer 40K community. It also improves the reputation of the Imperial Guard from being just endless cannon fodder. Otherwise, the characters remain grounded by their fictional situations, which is fine, but not memorable.
Good, but still not quite what its reputation makes it to be. Rating a little on the harsh side, but the 4 star books within the Warhammer 40K offer a little more to me.
August 15, 2021
I was on the fence here, not sure if I ought to give this 4 or 5 stars. But then the ending happened, and... for feth's sake, it had to be a 5. It actually made me cry. Yes, cry! For real! Abnett sure knows how to manipulate your emotions... Now, I can't wait to read the next omnibus.
April 29, 2022
This series is often lauded as some of the pinnacle of W40K writing (that's at least how I came to read this). Since there are no other negative reviews, I thought to write some points while this is still fresh in mind.
The premise is simple. Gaunt - a Richard Sharpe wannabe - leads a regiment of Imperial Guard from battle to battle, hampered by the incompetence (or malice) of his superiors. The prose does the job; the combat descriptions are above average, though it does get kind of samey. Perhaps that is why the series is at pains to showcase a new type of conflict in every book; in this sub-series, we get tank battles, airborne assault, WW1 trench warfare and urban fighting. It does help to keep things fairly fresh, even if it tends to stretch disbelief at times (especially in the trench warfare). Unfortunately there's not a lot more positive to say.
Even after seven books, most of the characters are just caricatures - that's when they are recognizable at all (the problem with having so many named characters). These four books are tied together by "Saint Sabat", whom Gaunt apparently venerates very highly (despite never mentioning her once in the previous three books). People pick up character traits as suits the occasion, and then discard them again when it's served the purpose of the story. Gaunt - this cool, collected Commissar - suddenly develops a drinking problem for some unfathomable reason, then loses it when it's convenient. This happens again and again with various characters - sometimes very overtly - but most of the time it just happens in the background. Of character development, there is literally none. Despite entering hell and exiting it over and over, none of these character really ever change. Every once in a while, we're told that "so and so" once thought differently, but usually it's just words. For example, towards the end, it is implied that Gaunt has "gone soft" because he backs down from executing a trooper in cold blood... but given that this is the 7th book, and this is the first time he is actually at the point of wanting/needing to do so, this is not character development as he has never been shown as capable of doing so in the first place (unlike most of the other Commissars in the books). And this is one of the very few episodes in 7 books where characters show something resembling a character arc. Personally, I find this makes the protagonists (and the many deaths in the regiment) fairly uninteresting.
Abnett tries every trick in the book to make us care, though. He tries to pull at people's heart strings - and when he succeeds, it often because he offs one or more of the long-standing characters. But you'll also constantly find the some previously unnamed grunt lovingly detailed backstory about their lovely daughter, grandchild, and puppies that they truly miss ... a few paragraphs before the grunt gets his brains blown out. There's also near constant death fake-outs, to the point that if you don't explicitly read that a character is dead, you should pretty much expect they're alive. It's easy to understand why some people feel moved by parts of these books (that's the point, after all), but I find it cynical, melodramatic and ham-fisted.
It doesn't help that the antagonists are weak. The chaos antagonists are not memorable at all, and unlike the first trilogy, where General Sturm and Gilbear made for a relatively interesting pair of antagonists (because there was some "grey" to them), there is nothing particularly interesting about the enemies in this book.
There is one "antagonist" who it is very clear we are intended to hate (and you'll find plenty of hate online, if you search for it) but who seems mostly like a missed opportunity. If the character had been written with some moral nuance and/or cunning, he could have been great. Unfortunately, that is not what we get; instead we get a cardboard evil caricature, doing stupid things, and wearing the most blatant plot armor imaginable. All the rest are just cookie-cutter evil guys and incompetents.
The weak antagonists basically sap the tension of the story. It is made up for - in part - by placing the Ghosts up against "insurmountable" odds. In a Sharpe novel, this is where the Rifles would usually win through on the qualities of Sharpe and the chosen men. That is unfortunately never in evidence in these books. We are occasionally _told_ what a good leader Gaunt is and how well he organizes his forces, but we are never shown it. In every single book, the Ghosts succeed through some Deus Ex Machina, frequently through some prophecy that they (naturally) discern the true meaning off at the right time, or some other unlikely coincidence.
The Emperor protects... and that may be very true to the setting, but I expect more from good military Scifi than battle descriptions and soldiers winning through blind luck and faith in God. If you're in the mood for some grimdark W40K world-building and pages upon pages of slaughter, this will undoubtedly slake that thirst. Just don't expect much more than that.
The premise is simple. Gaunt - a Richard Sharpe wannabe - leads a regiment of Imperial Guard from battle to battle, hampered by the incompetence (or malice) of his superiors. The prose does the job; the combat descriptions are above average, though it does get kind of samey. Perhaps that is why the series is at pains to showcase a new type of conflict in every book; in this sub-series, we get tank battles, airborne assault, WW1 trench warfare and urban fighting. It does help to keep things fairly fresh, even if it tends to stretch disbelief at times (especially in the trench warfare). Unfortunately there's not a lot more positive to say.
Even after seven books, most of the characters are just caricatures - that's when they are recognizable at all (the problem with having so many named characters). These four books are tied together by "Saint Sabat", whom Gaunt apparently venerates very highly (despite never mentioning her once in the previous three books). People pick up character traits as suits the occasion, and then discard them again when it's served the purpose of the story. Gaunt - this cool, collected Commissar - suddenly develops a drinking problem for some unfathomable reason, then loses it when it's convenient. This happens again and again with various characters - sometimes very overtly - but most of the time it just happens in the background. Of character development, there is literally none. Despite entering hell and exiting it over and over, none of these character really ever change. Every once in a while, we're told that "so and so" once thought differently, but usually it's just words. For example, towards the end, it is implied that Gaunt has "gone soft" because he backs down from executing a trooper in cold blood... but given that this is the 7th book, and this is the first time he is actually at the point of wanting/needing to do so, this is not character development as he has never been shown as capable of doing so in the first place (unlike most of the other Commissars in the books). And this is one of the very few episodes in 7 books where characters show something resembling a character arc. Personally, I find this makes the protagonists (and the many deaths in the regiment) fairly uninteresting.
Abnett tries every trick in the book to make us care, though. He tries to pull at people's heart strings - and when he succeeds, it often because he offs one or more of the long-standing characters. But you'll also constantly find the some previously unnamed grunt lovingly detailed backstory about their lovely daughter, grandchild, and puppies that they truly miss ... a few paragraphs before the grunt gets his brains blown out. There's also near constant death fake-outs, to the point that if you don't explicitly read that a character is dead, you should pretty much expect they're alive. It's easy to understand why some people feel moved by parts of these books (that's the point, after all), but I find it cynical, melodramatic and ham-fisted.
It doesn't help that the antagonists are weak. The chaos antagonists are not memorable at all, and unlike the first trilogy, where General Sturm and Gilbear made for a relatively interesting pair of antagonists (because there was some "grey" to them), there is nothing particularly interesting about the enemies in this book.
There is one "antagonist" who it is very clear we are intended to hate (and you'll find plenty of hate online, if you search for it) but who seems mostly like a missed opportunity. If the character had been written with some moral nuance and/or cunning, he could have been great. Unfortunately, that is not what we get; instead we get a cardboard evil caricature, doing stupid things, and wearing the most blatant plot armor imaginable. All the rest are just cookie-cutter evil guys and incompetents.
The weak antagonists basically sap the tension of the story. It is made up for - in part - by placing the Ghosts up against "insurmountable" odds. In a Sharpe novel, this is where the Rifles would usually win through on the qualities of Sharpe and the chosen men. That is unfortunately never in evidence in these books. We are occasionally _told_ what a good leader Gaunt is and how well he organizes his forces, but we are never shown it. In every single book, the Ghosts succeed through some Deus Ex Machina, frequently through some prophecy that they (naturally) discern the true meaning off at the right time, or some other unlikely coincidence.
The Emperor protects... and that may be very true to the setting, but I expect more from good military Scifi than battle descriptions and soldiers winning through blind luck and faith in God. If you're in the mood for some grimdark W40K world-building and pages upon pages of slaughter, this will undoubtedly slake that thirst. Just don't expect much more than that.
August 23, 2022
I assume that if you have found yourself here, and you have not already read this series, it is because you are interested in the Warhammer: 40k setting. No matter what your level of knowledge, I would say congratulations! you have found likely the best WH40k novels yet written (which is saying something, with as many books as have been published by the Black Library), and you will be happy to read them. You would be doing yourself a disservice to start here, though, so please start with The Founding omnibus instead.
However, if you aren't already predisposed to enjoy these books by virtue of familiarity with the setting, it's fairly simple: these are great action booksthat are, admittedly, perhaps a little pulpy. The four star rating is for you. Again, though, you really need to start with The Founding.
For the Warhammer reader, seasoned or novice, I have this: a tier list of the Gaunt's Ghost series up to and including The Victory: Part One omnibus. Ratings are therefore relative to each other; suffice to say that even the worst GG is better than a lot of other WH40k. The bolded below are the novels featured in this omnibus, each having their own short write-up after the list.
S Tier - Traitor General, Only In Death
A Tier - Necropolis, Blood Pact
B Tier - First and Only (I do need a reread tbh), Straight Silver, His Last Command, Salvation's Reach
C Tier - Honour Guard, Guns of Tanith, Armour of Contempt
D Tier - Sabbat Martyr, The Iron Star
F Tier - Ghostmaker
Honour Guard (C Tier) is a somewhat dull addition for me - though again, this is by the standards the series set for itself. It's kind of run-of-the-mill, even though it manages to hit many of the positive notes that GG thrives on.
Guns of Tanith (C Tier) was a book I expected to enjoy more than I did. I always enjoy the concept of air dropping troops. There are great moments, to be sure, but the many perspectives it bounces between hinders the comprehensibility at times (although honestly it is impressively comprehensible for what it is) - primarily because there are four(+!) separate groups operating simultaneously.
Straight Silver (C Tier) seemed at its outset like it might become an unenjoyable slog, but proved to be intense and depressing to an entirely appropriate degree. It is rather straightforward, but that does nothing to diminish its merits.
Sabbat Martyr (D Tier) is a book I feel I should have enjoyed more than I did. It's a classic end-of-arc storyline, considerably more climactic than the others in The Martyr omnibus. We see beloved characters die, leave, and struggle on. A long-awaited revenge is wrought. An esoteric and mystic element runs through the novel as a whole, surrounding a couple characters in particular. I don't know. It should be more highly rated, and maybe I'd move it after a reread, but my first read was disappointing.
As a whole, The Saint is a true average for the series - it sets your minimum expectations going forward, and it remains a good read(it definitely beats Ghostmaker...). Whether or not you were able to sink your teeth into this one, I have good news! It only gets better from here.
However, if you aren't already predisposed to enjoy these books by virtue of familiarity with the setting, it's fairly simple: these are great action books
For the Warhammer reader, seasoned or novice, I have this: a tier list of the Gaunt's Ghost series up to and including The Victory: Part One omnibus. Ratings are therefore relative to each other; suffice to say that even the worst GG is better than a lot of other WH40k. The bolded below are the novels featured in this omnibus, each having their own short write-up after the list.
S Tier - Traitor General, Only In Death
A Tier - Necropolis, Blood Pact
B Tier - First and Only (I do need a reread tbh), Straight Silver, His Last Command, Salvation's Reach
C Tier - Honour Guard, Guns of Tanith, Armour of Contempt
D Tier - Sabbat Martyr, The Iron Star
F Tier - Ghostmaker
Honour Guard (C Tier) is a somewhat dull addition for me - though again, this is by the standards the series set for itself. It's kind of run-of-the-mill, even though it manages to hit many of the positive notes that GG thrives on.
Guns of Tanith (C Tier) was a book I expected to enjoy more than I did. I always enjoy the concept of air dropping troops. There are great moments, to be sure, but the many perspectives it bounces between hinders the comprehensibility at times (although honestly it is impressively comprehensible for what it is) - primarily because there are four(+!) separate groups operating simultaneously.
Straight Silver (C Tier) seemed at its outset like it might become an unenjoyable slog, but proved to be intense and depressing to an entirely appropriate degree. It is rather straightforward, but that does nothing to diminish its merits.
Sabbat Martyr (D Tier) is a book I feel I should have enjoyed more than I did. It's a classic end-of-arc storyline, considerably more climactic than the others in The Martyr omnibus. We see beloved characters die, leave, and struggle on. A long-awaited revenge is wrought. An esoteric and mystic element runs through the novel as a whole, surrounding a couple characters in particular. I don't know. It should be more highly rated, and maybe I'd move it after a reread, but my first read was disappointing.
As a whole, The Saint is a true average for the series - it sets your minimum expectations going forward, and it remains a good read
September 25, 2017
The second Omnibus covering the campaigns of the 1st Tanith Regiment of the Imperial Guard. Orphans from a dead world, they are the Tanith Only, First and Last. Led by the imposing Colonel-Commissar Ibrahm Gaunt, they serve in the Empire's endless wars against the alien, the mutant, and Chaos.
This is ripping good military fiction with great characters that make me think of some of the people I served with. Each new battlefield is fully realized, with new challenges and complications. The thrust of this trilogy is the concept that the long-dead Saint Sabbat has returned to lead Imperial forces to victory. The truth of this claim takes several twists, and Gaunt and his Ghosts are nearly torn apart in the process.
This is ripping good military fiction with great characters that make me think of some of the people I served with. Each new battlefield is fully realized, with new challenges and complications. The thrust of this trilogy is the concept that the long-dead Saint Sabbat has returned to lead Imperial forces to victory. The truth of this claim takes several twists, and Gaunt and his Ghosts are nearly torn apart in the process.
May 11, 2022
The nostalgia trip continutes. Unlike the first GG Omnibus, this doesn't have any little extra short stories, and unfortunately what's here doesn't represent Abnett's best work.
Honour Guard and Sabbat Martyr form a nice tight duology, with the second of these being one of the series' highlights. But Straight Silver in particular is a relentless slog that finishes almost arbitrarily - to the point that even the characters are surprised we've run out of book.
If you enjoyed the first Omnibus as an intro to the series, this is a good place to continue. But really, other than a few character beats that are genuinely shocking, you'd be able to very easily just pick up Honour Guard and Sabbat Martyr.
Honour Guard and Sabbat Martyr form a nice tight duology, with the second of these being one of the series' highlights. But Straight Silver in particular is a relentless slog that finishes almost arbitrarily - to the point that even the characters are surprised we've run out of book.
If you enjoyed the first Omnibus as an intro to the series, this is a good place to continue. But really, other than a few character beats that are genuinely shocking, you'd be able to very easily just pick up Honour Guard and Sabbat Martyr.
December 30, 2024
I loved all these books, as much as the contents really pained me.
Sabbat Martyr was the biggest gut punch. I loved it, but by golly, it pained me deeply. Gonna need to take a break before I read the next set.
Lijah Cuu deserved so much worse of a fate though. For all the death and misery he caused, he should have been made to suffer far longer. It just being a few brief paragraphs and then a shot to the head was such a disservice to all the people he killed. Him being briefly corrupted by chaos, and us (the readers) barely seeing any of it, him being absent for most of the novel. Felt unfair and I am mad about it.
Also fuck Hark. New least favourite character. I know it's his job or something but he's the next death I'm rooting for.
10/10.
Sabbat Martyr was the biggest gut punch. I loved it, but by golly, it pained me deeply. Gonna need to take a break before I read the next set.
Lijah Cuu deserved so much worse of a fate though. For all the death and misery he caused, he should have been made to suffer far longer. It just being a few brief paragraphs and then a shot to the head was such a disservice to all the people he killed. Him being briefly corrupted by chaos, and us (the readers) barely seeing any of it, him being absent for most of the novel. Felt unfair and I am mad about it.
Also fuck Hark. New least favourite character. I know it's his job or something but he's the next death I'm rooting for.
10/10.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 18, 2020
Warhammer and Warhammer 40k fluff has always been a guilty pleasure of mine. None more so than Dan Abnett’s novels concerning Gaunt’s Ghosts. To my dismay my original copies went missing following a couple house moves, I sought these stories out and found them contained in these very convenient omnibuses. Needless to say I was more than happy that these stories lost none of their enjoyment over the intervening years. If you’re a fan of 40k I don’t see how you cannot be entertained by the Ghost’s. Non-stop action from start to finish with characters that have fully developed personalities that you care about. Can’t wait to pick up and start the next one!
January 14, 2022
I have not yelled at a book so many times for being so good and for playing with my emotions so much.
For what I consider my "junk food" reads, Gaunt's Ghosts finds ways tug at way too many heartstrings. And as always, the last novel in the omnibus puts a damper on my mood, no matter how victorious or great the win is, for the Sabbat Crusade or the Imperium of Man. Because no matter how great the victory, some sacrifices hit harder than most.
For what I consider my "junk food" reads, Gaunt's Ghosts finds ways tug at way too many heartstrings. And as always, the last novel in the omnibus puts a damper on my mood, no matter how victorious or great the win is, for the Sabbat Crusade or the Imperium of Man. Because no matter how great the victory, some sacrifices hit harder than most.
April 8, 2022
A fantastic series of novels, but that jump around a little to try to build to the finale which can be irritating frankly as characters act, well, out of character. With that said it is one that has numerous poignant and sad moments, and that will fill you with a hate that truth be told the ending doesn't quite quench. A fantastic work and one I'd recommend readily. With this one Abnett continues the form he found with Vervunhive.
October 26, 2019
Saintly Ghosts
Dan Abnett continues with another excellent omnibus of Ghost novels.
The Tanith have new blood added to the regiment fresh from their pyrrhic victory at Verghast. The disillusioned verghast ghosts bring new heroes and new discord to the senior staff as the Ghosts arrive in new deadly battlezones and begin to face the archenemies elite soldiers, The Blood Pact.
Dan Abnett continues with another excellent omnibus of Ghost novels.
The Tanith have new blood added to the regiment fresh from their pyrrhic victory at Verghast. The disillusioned verghast ghosts bring new heroes and new discord to the senior staff as the Ghosts arrive in new deadly battlezones and begin to face the archenemies elite soldiers, The Blood Pact.
December 13, 2021
The Gaunt's Ghosts books are my right up the list of my favourite guilty pleasures.
I've long had an interest in the "fluff" of 40k mainly because it's ridiculous and am aware of Dan Abnett's work primarily from his comics partnership with Andy Lanning.
These books are the fething gak, there are few other words for it.
Rip roaring yarns with stakes that feel horrendous, an unrelenting grimness and heroes who front up and get on with it.
Yes it's basically Sharpe in space but when it's done this well, who cares!
I've long had an interest in the "fluff" of 40k mainly because it's ridiculous and am aware of Dan Abnett's work primarily from his comics partnership with Andy Lanning.
These books are the fething gak, there are few other words for it.
Rip roaring yarns with stakes that feel horrendous, an unrelenting grimness and heroes who front up and get on with it.
Yes it's basically Sharpe in space but when it's done this well, who cares!
November 3, 2025
This set of novels in one omnibus has been a wild ride.
Brilliant picture of war in the 41st millennium, and from the viewpoint of regular humanity which makes everything seem that much more awful.
I wasn’t sure how these novels were particularly linked whilst reading but the final segment pulls them all together.
Brilliant picture of war in the 41st millennium, and from the viewpoint of regular humanity which makes everything seem that much more awful.
I wasn’t sure how these novels were particularly linked whilst reading but the final segment pulls them all together.
August 21, 2022
Fantastic action and pacing. I'm going to take a little break from this series but only because each of these monster omnibuses (omnibi?) takes me so long to go through it's killing my reading count for the year lol.
February 16, 2024
Dan Abnett may be the greatest sci fi writer producing stories for Black Library. This did not disappoint. Gaunt and his ghosts are some of the most entertaining and realistic characters in the 40k universe. Great read.
May 28, 2024
Brilliant
Never has a certain character in a book enraged me as much....
Can't believe I avoided reading these for years because it's an imperial guard unit. I was wrong. Probably the best 40k book I've read.
Never has a certain character in a book enraged me as much....
Can't believe I avoided reading these for years because it's an imperial guard unit. I was wrong. Probably the best 40k book I've read.
February 10, 2019
Great read. Abnett really gets you involved and invested in his character's. Almost like losing a close friend when one inevitably dies ..... Final 100 pages are gut wrenching and nail-biting.
April 26, 2019
WOW fantastic , very hard to put down all the way thru!!!
January 2, 2020
keep em' coming
December 16, 2020
Favourite Gaunt's Ghosts novel? Well that's hard, but definitely this one... I think!
February 22, 2021
Possibly the best of the Gaunt's Ghosts Omnnibus that are available.
September 21, 2021
Fething Lujah Cuu
May 9, 2022
Может быть это не совсем Warhammer 40,000, тут в основном обычные люди против обычных людей и нет того уровня гротеска. который отличает Вархаммер. Но это именно классная солдатская проза.
August 5, 2022
Compiles what is probably the most satisfying plot arc of the long-running series. Full review: https://fakegeekboy.wordpress.com/200...
August 31, 2022
One of my favourite Ghost books, Honour Guard, was a great opening, but Sabbat Martyr was a massive tone change to the point where it felt like a different author.
October 7, 2022
A fun read. Highly recommended.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews