Cadias Ehre

Cadia #2

by Justin D. Hill, Ralph Hummel (Translator)

Band 2 der Cadia-Reihe

Minka Lesk und das 101. Cadia-Regiment werden auf die Welt Potencia entsendet und stellen dort fest, dass Cadia zwar gefallen ist, ihre Aufgabe aber noch nicht beendet ist.

WARUM DU DIESES BUCH LESEN SOLLTEST
Es ist die Fortsetzung von ›Cadias Vermächtnis‹ und führt die Geschichte von Minka Lesk und ihren Kameraden weiter, während diese für den Verlust ihrer Heimatwelt Vergeltung an den Feinden des Imperiums üben.

DIE GESCHICHTE
Zehntausend Jahre lang war Cadia ein Bollwerk gegen die dämonische Flut, die aus dem Auge des Schreckens strömte. Doch jetzt liegt die Festungswelt in Trümmern und ihre Armeen wurden von Abaddon dem Vernichter und seinem Dreizehnten Schwarzen Kreuzzug zerschlagen. Die Überlebenden trauern um ihre geliebte Heimat, doch sie kämpfen ungebrochen weiter im Namen des Imperiums.

Zu ihnen gehört die unbeugsame Minka Lesk. Zusammen mit dem cadianischen 101. Regiment wird sie zum Planeten Potencia geschickt, einer scheinbar friedvollen Welt, in deren Herzen jedoch die Fäulnis schwärt. Lesk weiß, dass sie den Makel des Chaos tilgen muss, denn es steht nicht nur ihr Leben und das ihrer Kompanie auf dem Spiel, sondern Cadias Ehre selbst.

Geschrieben von Justin D Hill
Übersetzt von Ralph Hummel

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

426 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 26, 2018

About the author

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

Reviews

[Swords & Spectres · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

I decided to pick up a copy of Cadian Honour because the Cadians were always a faction of the Imperial Guard I had an interest in. Stoic defenders, situated right in line of where every Chaos incursion passes. They have pushed back numerous Black Crusades … but no more.

Now the Guardsmen and women of Cadia find themselves without a world to call their own. With no home, no way to re-populate their regiment when they inevitably take losses, they are, quite literally, the last of a dying breed.

The whole premise of Cadia’s fall seemed horribly beautiful and appealing to me as a fan of Warhammer 40,000. Unfortunately, I can’t say that my interest was in any way sated after reading Cadian Honour. The book starts relatively well, but then it settles into what I can only describe as mind-numbing tedium for the first 65% or so. That’s not to say that there isn’t some good old-fashioned grim-style violence, but it just felt like it all was more ‘for the sake of putting it in’ rather than for furthering the story.

The novel is billed as a ‘Minka Lesk’ novel. This is borderline false advertisement. Minka Lesk is in the novel, but to say it is a novel based around her is about as honest as saying that the Lord of the Rings was a ‘Samwell Tarly’ novel because he featured in it for parts. The point I am driving at is that Minka Lesk appears in less than a third of the novel. Most of it is spent focusing on incredibly slow world-building that features around the religious and political factions of the world they are on. The parts with Minka mostly feel like her babysitting a bunch of guardsmen that have little to no depth of character and it just felt dull. I was expecting something a bit punchier than I got.

The book wasn’t all slow tedium. After you get that out of the way it really does pick up and gets quite interesting for the remainder of the novel. I don’t feel the incredibly slow-burn was warranted considering the fact that the vast majority of it didn’t feel like it impacted the end at all. The parts that did could have been explained far quicker and still had the same high-octane, adrenaline-filled ending that we had.

I am guilty of not having read the first in this series. I hadn’t been aware there was a book that came before it when I picked it up. That being said, I don’t feel as though I needed the first one to get enough out of this one. I know I moaned about lack of character depth and those characters could have been expanded on in the first book, yes? Nah, they couldn’t. Those guardsmen Minka was babysitting were brand new squad members to her. I only really feel like I remember a couple (the ones Minka had issues with) as the rest were just names that were mentioned in passing. So I don’t feel I sold myself too short by not picking the first book up, but just in case, I will be giving this book a 3 rather than a 2 that I was flirting with.

The ending did make me curious as to where things go from here and, admittedly, I’d e interested in finding out. I just don’t want to put myself through two-thirds tedium to get to one-third excitement again. Nor do I want to spend any more time reading a book that I feel an attachment to the characters is near-impossible.

[Jakub Sládek · Rating 3 out of 5]

"This is not a test of merit or virtue. This is a matter of doctrinal belief and divine truth. And I condemn you, Xereum, as a heretic."

[Jack Neighbour · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant book another great read and can’t wait to read traitor rock next!

[Dustin Hurst · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read, couldn’t put it down. Full of action, deception, and intrigue. It didn’t get itself lost in the bog of over explaining lore, back stories, or detail of their environment. The author basically trusted the reader is familiar with 40k lore or at least will trust the reader will take the time to go back and read up on any lore if they want to fill in the gaps.

[Liam Strom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cadian Honour written by Justin D. Hill is a Grimdark Science Fiction novel. The book is set in Warhammer 40k universe which was created by Games Workshop in 1987 as a tabletop game played with army’s consisted of miniatures. The quote that all 40k media starts with this “it is the 41st millennium. For more than a hundred years the Emperor has sat immobile on the Golden Throne of Earth. He is the Master of Mankind by the will of the gods, and master of a million worlds by the might of His inexhaustible armies. He is a rotting carcass writhing invisibly with power from the Dark Age of Technology. He is the Carrion Lord of the Imperium for whom a thousand souls are sacrificed every day so that He may never truly die.” That quote explains the basic understanding of the Emperor of mankind who is basically a corpse of a golden throne that powers interstellar travel. But this quote is the summary of this universe. “To be a Man in such times is to be one amongst untold billions. It is to live in the cruelest and most bloody regime imaginable. These are the tales of those times. Forget the power of technology and science, for so much has been forgotten, never to be re-learned. Forget the promise of progress and understanding, for in the grim dark future there is only war. There is no peace amongst the stars, only an eternity of carnage and slaughter, and the laughter of thirsting gods.” this means that to live in this universe is to basically the most horrible thing imaginable. Anyway the book is about Sergeant Minka Lesk and the Cadian 101st company as they fight through hordes of Chaos demons on the Capital world of Potence. One thing I like about the book is the insane amount of detail that the author goes into about the mechanics of the vehicles and ships that the Imperium of Man uses. One thing I don’s like about the book is that there are some things the book expects you to now about and you half to stop and google what the book is talking about, but I guess that’s what you get when you pick a random book from a series that’s over 30 years old. I would recommend this book to people who are somewhat familiar with the lore of Warhammer 40k and want to start reading some of the books, I would also recommend it to people who are looking for a good Grim dark science fiction story. I’ll rate this book four out of 5 stars on myspace.

[Heather Cawte · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Cadian 101st live again

After the terror and carnage on Cadia, the remnants of the 101st travel to Potence to rest and regroup. But their recuperation is short lived...

Yet again, Justin D Hill takes us into the very heart of events, showing us politics, religious fervour and sheer bloody battling with an unflinching eye for detail, and a knack for bringing events vividly to life. A fantastic sequel to Cadia Stands.

[Matthew · Rating 2 out of 5]

A rather boring main character, its a blessing when the focus is moved elsewhere. Minka has no real depth to deserve a book series like this. She needs fleshed out, and if that needs to be done by eliminating some of the other brief viewpoints of other characters, it should be done.

All told a bit of a throwaway imitation of the Gaunt's Ghosts series, but far inferior

[Matt Tyrrell-Byrne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite enjoyed this, more of a cohesive narrative with character development compared to Cadia Stands. Was nice to have the tale being told from good and evil sides, a few twists kept it fresh.
Regimental politics was an interesting part of the book for me, especially the inclusion of fearsome commissars.
Built up nicely to book 3.

[Dawie · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you sell a book with a character’s name on the cover, give that character some form of personality. Also give her page time to try grow on the reader. This was not a good book for me.

[Michael Dodd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Burdened by the loss of Cadia and the disapproval of other Imperial forces, the remnants of the Cadian 101st are posted to Potence, capital world of the Gallows Cluster. As Chaos forces make worrying inroads into the system and peace on Potence is threatened, what should be an easy posting turns into a desperate defence against enemies within and without.

Hill does a great job of building on his work in Cadia Stands, continuing to illustrate the character of the Cadians and demonstrating why they deserve their standing within the Imperium’s military. There’s lots to enjoy for Guard fans here, even if the use of multiple viewpoints means the expected protagonists aren’t quite as well developed as you’d expect, and the pace occasionally slows down while new characters are introduced into the mix. Overall it’s a valuable, engaging addition to the ever-growing body of Imperial Guard stories, with a tone and feel that’s distinct to Hill’s style and sets it nicely apart from the rest.

Read the full review at https://www.trackofwords.com/2019/04/...

[Christian · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid second outing for Mr. Hill in this novel. The reader experiences the new normal for Cadians and the Imperium. It is so refreshing to read about change and consequences. Newly promoted Sergeant Lesk is no Mary Sue for the Social Injustice Warriors to get worked up about. She’s a relatable character who is thrust into difficult social and battle situations. She makes a lot of mistakes, takes her lumps but, nevertheless, persists. The chief antagonist in this book is a force I can’t remember ever reading about and is very refreshing. More of these characters and more from Mr. Hill. Only MORE dry, please.

[irv Russell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good book to get and read

The book is well done keeping you on edge and wondering what will happens next. He keeps interested in the book , it is well done.

[Jack Creagh-Flynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy stories like this where I get to appreciate the Imperial Guard, but there were several points where I thought the Cadians to be a bit full of themselves. It's almost like they think little of any other guard forces that don't come from Cadia, and that irks me a little. Other forces have lost their worlds. Other forces have accomplished as much as them. I still liked the characters for the most part and how they struggled to get past their nightmarish memories of previous battles to continue their fight against the Archenemy.

[Callum Shephard · Rating 3 out of 5]

While fandoms end up demanding the change of a status quo sooner or later, few tend to be prepared to deal with the consequences. It's usually the demand for some huge change, or shift to keep things interesting, but without a deeper understanding of how this might impact the world at large. This was the case with Warhammer 40,000, where the fandom had long been demanding for the timeline to move forward, but few people seemed to ask "So what now?"

Most of the books tackling subjects of "How has this changed the setting?" have thus far focused upon the Adeptus Astartes or Craftworld Eldar (Well, Ynnari with some Craftworlders, anyway). This time a novel has taken the time to examine this on a much more human level, with the impact brought about by Cadia's fall. When the Gate fell, the Imperium didn't simply lose its main bulwark against the Traitor Legions; the Imperial Guard lost one of their greatest bastions and recruiting worlds. With Cadia gone, the question now is "How will this impact the Cadians? Do they even have a future?"

It's an interesting question, and the book thankfully delves into it in great detail.


The Synopsis

Even in the wake of their homeworld's destruction, the Cadian Shock Troops continue to wage war in the Emperor's name. Fighting across one battlefield after the next, they push to solidify and stabilize the Imperium following the emergence of the Great Rift. Yet none can deny that the Cadians have seen better days. With their system destroyed, every casualty can no longer be replaced, and their dying nature is slowly sapping morale among troops.

The Cadian 101st is among those left in the wider galaxy. Now largely delegated to assisting more numerous groups with their ongoing wars, they continue to campaign in the Emperor's name in spite of growing indignities. The latest among these is assisting the religious fanatics known as the Brotherhood on the world of Potence, a seemingly peaceful world which does not require their presence. Yet the methods used by Chaos to corrupt others are often subtle, and soon Sergeant Minka Lesk is leading her unit into a warzone which is far more hostile than anyone could have imagined.

The Good

Let's get the obvious one out of the way first - This isn't Gaunt's Ghosts. Don't deny it, just about all of you thought of them at least briefly during that introduction due to the direction and style of Cadian Honour. While there are some general comparisons which can be drawn up between the two series, they more or less begin and end with "Regiments who have lost their homeworld and are dying out".

The Ghosts had barely been established at the time Tanith was put to the torch, and the world itself was fairly remote. By comparison, Cadia was known across the Imperium as a fortress, supplying multiple renowned regiments and millions if not billions of troops across various battlefields. That loss carries substantially more weight, and Hill does not ignore that. For one thing, the opening of the story reflects upon this by establishing how the loss of Cadia has influenced Imperial Guard (and yes, I am going to keep calling them that) politics among the more famous forces. Other Commanders are jostling to push the Cadians out of the limelight even as a new Gate is being established; some even go so far as to depict the Thirteenth Black Crusade as an outright failure which can be blamed purely upon the Cadians.

The entire narrative is aware of just how massive an impact the loss of a homeworld would be on a major Imperial army, and it does not let up on this point. Better yet, it shows this both in major and minor ways, and the nature of this influence varies from character to character. One of the more notable ones which quickly highlights this is how the aforementioned Brotherhood is deployed to a world ahead of the Cadians, breaking the tradition of the Cadians being the spearhead of most attacks. It's seemingly not due to their limited numbers in this case so much as political pressure, regulating the Cadians to a secondary role. Better yet, this is conveyed without spelling it out word by word.

Furthermore, this isn't a "woe is me" story which keeps beating you over the head with this point. Hill could have very easily overplayed this element given how prominent it is, but the delivery is careful to avoid becoming utterly tedious. It is constantly present - and it is certainly less than subtle - but we have seen far, far worse than this in many sources of media over the years. The very fact that it is used as a character building point and a means to introduce various soldiers quickly establish it as being treated as important but not overwhelming. It's more akin to the pre-Perturabo Iron Warriors having to endure indignities than, well, the Blood Angels in some of their worst stories.

So, what of the characters themselves? With an Imperial Guard novel authors are typically given the chance to offer a more varied number of figures than other races. The unenhanced human element certainly works in their favour, and Cadian Honour features an ensemble of varied and engaging characters throughout the ranks.

Minka Lesk herself is the most obvious among these, and it's easy to see why she was highlighted on the cover. Her role and general actions throughout the story leaves her at the forefront of the fighting, but it keeps her presence to a surprisingly realistic level. Yes, I am using that word with a Warhammer 40,000 novel, and it is deserved here. Even the best series have a habit of pushing their characters over into areas of near invulnerability when it comes to battles, but with Lesk it's much more evident that she truly could die at any moment. This makes her character arc in the book far more engaging, and it helps to offer a more human face to the Imperial Guard as a whole. General Bendikt - the very first character the book introduces - is another among these, and arguably the deuteragonist alongside Lesk. He offers a depiction of life at command level for the Cadians now and a broader view of the problems they face, but it veers away from the expected outcome to something more engaging in the final pages. That and it highlights the stupidity of a character trope which will not die, which is a definite bonus in its favour.

The combat is solidly written across the board, but it avoids the out-and-out murderfest and meatgrinder that you might expect. It takes some time to get into an outright firefight, and the first segments with any action are an honour duel and then an accident. It helps to set the tone for the book and is closer, in many regards, to what you would get from a Ciaphas Cain story than a typical Imperial Guard book. This makes it all the more interesting when it shifts gears and gets into outright firefights, and Hill's manner of writing makes for excellent skirmishes. He has a talent for conveying an extremely vast amount of information with implication or cutting away at the "fat" of certain descriptions. This works in various fights, and squad level battles, in particular, are something that Hill handles well.

Unfortunately, given how much praise is leveled at smaller scale combat, you can imagine what we're going to delve into with the next bit.

The Bad

The single greatest flaw of Cadian Honour lies in its structure more than anything else. No, not its plot, nor even its prose, but how it divided up its chapters. Each one is incredibly short, which means you can be just getting into a scene when it draws to a close. This is only further highlighted by the way in which each segment of the book is further divided up into individual parts, and it means that each "chapter" in question can be as short as five pages long. In fact, most of them are about five pages long.

While Hill doesn't repeat the mistake of certain authors by having the narrative leap about so fast you can't keep track of it - and you can probably guess which exact one I am thinking of if you've been with us for a few years now - this is still a problem. It divides up the tale in a way which makes you feel as if you're constantly starting over, and doesn't hold on a scene long enough for it to fully stay in your mind. It will stick with certain characters for chapters at a time, but it is never given the room to breathe. There's never a scene long enough to build up the atmosphere found in other books like Talos meeting Abaddon or Eisenhorn rushing through an Imperial parade turned into a historic disaster.

Because of its short length, the book also abandons many of the descriptive strengths which can further help work toward the strengths of Warhammer as a setting. There are few descriptions of barren wastes, hives or gothic architecture, or elements which fully convey age. It starts promisingly enough with a moment featuring a star fortress being towed into orbit, but it never manages to successfully repeat that moment. This leaves it very reliant upon its characters to keep the story engaging. While it certainly gets that right, it doesn't get it completely on point. Oh, the core cast is fine, but it drops the ball with the villains.

While it would be a spoiler to delve into who the book's antagonists are, you might be able to guess who they will be very early on. The story tries to partially disguise it as a secret, but it doesn't quite work. In fact, the book seems to half reveal and half disguise who they are at the start, while also trying to establish their presence as a surprise. It never fully works because of this muddled state, in spite of a few genuinely good scenes which makes it look as if this will all come together in the final few chapters. However, even with this considered, they never appeared to be all that engaging. There's a definite logic as to why they were chosen, but even in chapters intended to flesh them out, I never regarded them as more than an obstacle. Unless they are a force of nature like the Tyranids or (in some cases) the Necrons, this rarely works. The few times it does offer their primary characters a chance to speak also doesn't do much to raise them beyond being a general archetype.

Furthermore, the enemy in question is one of those creations which is interesting in of itself, but doesn't quite work in a story. Were this a tale written in a codex format or basic segment written as a synopsis, it would be an interesting and very engaging creation. The problem is, as it is described here, it lacks the innate punch or more curious angles to help them stand out. As a result, their best moments come from small segments which impact the heroes, but they fail to be fully engaging in of themselves.


The Verdict

Cadian Honour is a solid book on the whole, with some very good ideas and it handles its core themes fairly well. However, there's no denying that I personally thought that the ideas it brought up were more enjoyable than the book itself, and it was lacking in a few key areas. The overall narrative structure is ultimately its greatest weakness, and with lengthier chunks between each chapter heading, this might be substantially more positive. As it is, it seemed to hold back a few fairly engaging and very interesting core concepts, and limit time spent delving into the minds of the core characters.

This is going to vary heavily from person to person and, as such, I do suggest giving this one look for yourself before making your mind up. If you're an Imperial Guard fan or someone who is hungering for something with a more human perspective following the fall of Cadia, add a few more points onto the final score. Even if you're not, it's still worth a look, but don't expect to read through it more than once or twice.

[Ridel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not My Cadia

Cadian Honour is the literary equivalent of a generic action film. There’s a planet under assault, hordes of nameless mooks getting killed, and a feel-good ending. As the third novel I’ve read from this author, I’ve noticed a pattern in the writing style that I consider a weakness: the introduction of new POVs in the middle of the novel. They’re supposed to add diversity to battle scenes but slow down the pacing with the life struggles of unengaging caricatures.

The novel does have a strong core cast. It continues the stories of Bendikt and Lesk while introducing a refugee who loses his humanity trying to survive. Bendikt struggles with Cadia’s place in the Imperium after they lose their world and prestige. The concept is excellent and deserves a thorough examination, but is forgotten by the time lasguns started firing in the second act. It’s a bitter disappointment, as in the hands of a more talented author, Lesk’s promotion might have explored that conceit. Instead, her ineffective leadership proves that even Cadians require Commissars.

I wonder if this novel wasn’t originally about a different regiment at a different time. Cadian Honour concerns Potence: an alleged sector capital that protects a warp route to Terra. Yet it’s incredibly small-minded: a single city and a few thousand guardsmen. It’s the 13th Black Crusade and all the Imperial Guard scrounge up is a single regiment and a disgraced general. Combined arms tactics are conspicuously absent. The Cadians are the finest troops in the Imperium but act like a corrupt garrison. They have no situational awareness, lack contingency plans, and at one point, are partying while an insurrection is taking place. It’s very much a WH40K story, but the players and stakes are inappropriate.

The worst part is that Cadian Honour has many interesting ideas that are woefully undeveloped. The struggle on Potence explores an esoteric bit of historical lore. Lesk is new to squad command and needs to find her place amongst fellow sergeants and the commissariat. Bendikt needs to inspire people who have lost their world. But it’s all reduced to a lengthy, mind-numbing set of uninspired fights where unnamed enemies magically appear wherever they’re needed. It’s entertaining enough, but there’s a hint of greatness that suggests the author’s best is still to come.

Not Recommended, with Reservations.

[James Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

With their homeworld destroyed just who are the Cadians? What is their worth to the Imperium of man? Should they just be left to die out?

For the Cadian 101st they will have a chance to prove themselves when they are sent to the capital world of Potence ahead of a predicted attack by the traitor forces called the Scourged.

A really solid 40K Guard novel that is relatively low on action (until the end) so spends a lot of time investing in the characters and relationships.

[Jacob Stevenson · Rating 4 out of 5]

An incredible leap in quality over the previous book in the series. There is an interesting subversion of the story part way through revealing double crosses and religious betrayals and overall has a great plot.
Its not without it's faults, the main character has to spend the first part of the book being developed due to barely getting any page time in the previous book, meaning that the pacing struggles in the earlier chapters as we have to spend what should have been established in the first book getting to know the main character. Still a good read, and the sense of scale and world building is much better in this entry.

[Nils Krebber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very nice Warhammer novel, showcasing again the limitless facets of troubles a world spanning Imperium with 40k years of history brings.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this twisting tale of Cadian survival and rebuilding after the fall of Cadia. Excited to read more from the series.

[Yiannis Nousios · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5 stars. A very good read. Mr. Hill knows the 40k universe and travels it with ease. I just felt something was missing. Maybe its because his 1st Novel "Cadia stands" was exquisite!

[Alan Hodge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good

Worth it's money, would make a good film.
Cool asthetic, grim dark, death, despair, all the typical Warhammer troupes.

Have I got the word count yet, my God.

[Craiggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm really enjoying the Minka Lesk series. They don't quite have the level of complexity and interplay between characters that you get with, say, the Gaunt's Ghosts series. But what they do give is a proper feel of the Imperial Guard meat grinder and the all encompassing bleakness of the 40k universe, but with the brief glimmers of hope and humanity within.

Cadia stands!

[Declan Waters · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of Cadia's soldiers continues despite the destruction of Cadia. Cadian Honour follows Minka Lesk and the world of Potence.

This is more of the same from the warhammer 40k universe, but there's is nothing wrong in knowing that the story is mostly the same as it's like a new coat in the same design as the old one! What makes this stand out is having a female lead for the story - which is great - and many of the Cadian Astra Militarum being females as well. It does look like Black Library is trying to get a broader range of characters (as opposed to white male) into their books and this is a good example of it working.

[Maciek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cadians regroup and are sent to next planet in path of the Archenemy, while considering their loss and reduced faith in their troops.
We're in a world with old royalty and their founders faith, but zealots are easily blinded and used.

[Gary Laporte · Rating 3 out of 5]

After being disappointed by Cadia Stands (lack of relatable protagonists and heavy emphasis on battles with no character development), I was hoping things would be different with Cadian Honour, and... they indeed were!

We follow some of the characters we've met in Cadia Stands (mainly general Benedickt and Sergeant Minka Lesk) to see what happens of a Cadian regiment after the fall of Cadia. As Cadians have been humiliated by the destruction of their planet, will they be able to regain their honour on a planet threatened by a heretic invasion?

There are several things I really liked about the book, one of them being both a quality and a bit of a flaw: it's the fact that we follow several characters at the same time (nothing really new here), with some nice surprises with some of the characters. I wouldn't want to spoil it too much but one of these characters has a very interesting arc, which I wasn't expecting. Others were more or less interesting but it allows to explore several layers of the imperial society of this planet, which was a cool idea.

The drawback from this is that we don't see Minka too much in the novel, although she still is a solid character, she disappears for whole chapters, and I have the feeling her character arc suffers from it, as it is not as impactful as it could have been.

Overall, the description of the imperial society and of the life of the regiment were well executed, and the battles were ok, although I did have trouble sometime following who was who in Minka's squad, as they don't have a lot of character development.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book, I would have liked more character development, notably for Minka, but things were not too predictable. I have the feeling that some things were maybe not clear enough some times (for instance, I didn't really get where the author wanted to go with the commissar character), but the overall tone and structure of the story were enjoyable.

I'm looking forward to the next one in the "Cadia" series to see if I keep liking more and more Justin D. Hill's novels. :)

[Hemorrhagician · Rating 1 out of 5]

I think this is honestly the worst 40k audiobook I've ever "read." That's compounded by the fact that it's read by Colleen Prendergast, the worst narrator I've ever had the displeasure of listening to. She reads the dialog like it's a children's book. Narration aside, Minka is simultaneously uninteresting, and unbelievable. A borderline Mary Sue, and Justin Hill goes out of his way to tell you that she's doing things that she shouldn't be able to do. Far from making things epic and interesting, it only serves to strain my willful suspension of disbelief. That's not to say he's a bad author, I really enjoyed his first installment in the Cadia trilogy, wherein Minka features prominently, and in no way comes off ridiculous or overpitched. As far as the wider intrigue going on on Potence, I did appreciate it. I just wish Minka was dialed back in some ways, and more fleshed out in others.

[Gregory · Rating 4 out of 5]

Far superior than Cadia Stands, with a more coherent and singular plot that wraps together nicely.

[sean luehmann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid meh

Hope the next book in this series is better. Kinda felt like a weak filler book to me. Took me a while to want to finish this one .

[LuisJ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Could have been halfway decent for a wh40k book but the plot was bang-your-head-against-the-wall stupid.

[CrumbleMcLumble · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first third of this book is great, but it’s let down by the second half and the one dimensional characters. Hill does some great worldbuilding, and sets a stage for an interesting little corner of the imperium that’s got its own unique history and culture which I really loved. The nature of the antagonists is also interesting - at least for a while - as it’s more of a religious schism than Guys Who Want To Open Space Hell, at least for a while. Honestly until the guns start firing it’s a much more interesting book about how people can convince themselves to be cruel in the name of a higher power, and the writing is evocative. Unfortunately the characters walking through those beautiful scenes are often interchangeable, thinly drawn, or dead before too long. I know it’s supposed to be Minka Lesk’s novel but I couldn’t tell you too much about her beyond her trauma, and not much gets done with that past the halfway point. I really want to explore that more and see how she can heal from it and grow, or see how it affects her going forward.

I still enjoyed this book and found it to be a brisk and well paced read, but the first third-half definitely set a high standard that the rest of the book couldn’t quite match. I’m hoping to read more from Hill and this series in particular - there’s a lot of promise here.