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Warhammer Crime
Grim Repast
A Warhammer Crime NovelTormented by his past, Probator Quillon Drask’s reputation as the go-to detective for strange crimes has led him to the Polaris district of Varangantua. Warring families, corrupt officials, and a monstrous hunger stalk these streets, and Drask must overcome his own inner agonies to bring justice to the tormented city.READ IT BECAUSESee the world of the 41st Millennium from street level in this grisly crime drama that shines a light on what life is like in the Imperium's rancid underbelly.THE STORY“This city eats men…”Quillon Drask is a haunted man, wrestling with the daemons of his past. With a reputation that draws only the strangest cases, he is intimately familiar with the malevolent underbelly of Varangantua. Yet nothing that has gone before could have prepared the probator for the horrors which now blight the district of Polaris.Faced with a savage crime with frightening implications, Drask is thrust into a game of corruption and conspiracy, warring families, and blasphemous revelations. Only by mastering the bitter lessons of his career and his own tortured insight can Drask hope to bring the perpetrators to justice, and curb the monstrous hunger which stalks the city.Written by Marc Collins.
320 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 25, 2021
36 people are currently reading
354 people want to read
About the author
Marc Collins
30 books73 followersMarc Collins is a speculative fiction writer from Glasgow, Scotland, covering diverse topics from Norse werewolves to the grim darkness of the far future. When not working in Pathology, he enjoys a dram and pondering our transhuman future, inspired by writers such as Iain M Banks.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
September 26, 2021
If the earlier novels in the series set the tone for Warhammer Crime and the broad brushstrokes of life in Varangantua, the later stories go in for the granular. Grim Repast is no exception- case in point, where Bloodlines etc used the dataveil as a plot element, this book opens with surgery to maintain it’s required implant. All of these factors combine to add a plausibility and real ness to the setting. Alecto has a long history but it’s becoming increasingly clear that it is very much like the Imperium itself, a contradictory mix of stagnation and momentum, doomed but carried forward by necessity. The decline of Varangantua is a thread that runs through this novel; past glories are alluded to but the everyday reality is of a city left behind full of people striving to restore them or at least hold back the decline as best they can.
In terms of structure, Grim Repast hits the traditional genre narrative beats perfectly- PoV from victim, detective visits the crime scene, scopes the neighbourhood, and autopsy are all ticked off in the first quarter, and it’s really satisfying reading these mainstays transposed to the grim darkness of the far future; it almost feels as if Collins is easing the reader into the strangeness of Varangantua, because once these conventions have been ticked off the 40k-ness gets turned up to 11.
There has been some debate as to what makes the imprint ‘Warhammer’ beyond the bare bones of the setting. As well as the aforementioned societal decline, this story is very much influenced by the looming presence of the Imperial Cult and perhaps more than anything is shot through with the ridiculous scale that 40k occupies. A million deaths remain a statistic, but Drake treats each individual one as a tragedy against a backdrop of many such statistics. It’s beautifully dark featuring some of the grimmest and most unpleasant details I’ve read within or outside the confines of BL.
Drask is an interesting character; already an outsider in his profession and haunted by the trauma of his debut story but every inch the hard boiled investigator. Humourless, driven and far beyond contemporary morality, minor acts of chivalry aside, Drask is unpleasant company. Unlike Wraight’s Zidarov or Hayley’s Noctis though, for all his flaws he doesn’t seem to have any redeeming characteristics or, to be honest, much by way of charisma- but why should he? Wholly devoted to the Lex and shaped by his unorthodox mentor, Drask doesn’t need to wisecrack or have interests beyond work to be interesting.
More than anything, Grim Repast recalls the work of Dan Abnett- and in terms of 40k fiction, I’m not sure if there’s a higher compliment. Collins is finding his own authorial voice, but this book has the feel of Abnett’s Inquisition novels, from the way Polaris is portrayed to to the subversion of expectations and the structure of the book. A glorious full debut.
In terms of structure, Grim Repast hits the traditional genre narrative beats perfectly- PoV from victim, detective visits the crime scene, scopes the neighbourhood, and autopsy are all ticked off in the first quarter, and it’s really satisfying reading these mainstays transposed to the grim darkness of the far future; it almost feels as if Collins is easing the reader into the strangeness of Varangantua, because once these conventions have been ticked off the 40k-ness gets turned up to 11.
There has been some debate as to what makes the imprint ‘Warhammer’ beyond the bare bones of the setting. As well as the aforementioned societal decline, this story is very much influenced by the looming presence of the Imperial Cult and perhaps more than anything is shot through with the ridiculous scale that 40k occupies. A million deaths remain a statistic, but Drake treats each individual one as a tragedy against a backdrop of many such statistics. It’s beautifully dark featuring some of the grimmest and most unpleasant details I’ve read within or outside the confines of BL.
Drask is an interesting character; already an outsider in his profession and haunted by the trauma of his debut story but every inch the hard boiled investigator. Humourless, driven and far beyond contemporary morality, minor acts of chivalry aside, Drask is unpleasant company. Unlike Wraight’s Zidarov or Hayley’s Noctis though, for all his flaws he doesn’t seem to have any redeeming characteristics or, to be honest, much by way of charisma- but why should he? Wholly devoted to the Lex and shaped by his unorthodox mentor, Drask doesn’t need to wisecrack or have interests beyond work to be interesting.
More than anything, Grim Repast recalls the work of Dan Abnett- and in terms of 40k fiction, I’m not sure if there’s a higher compliment. Collins is finding his own authorial voice, but this book has the feel of Abnett’s Inquisition novels, from the way Polaris is portrayed to to the subversion of expectations and the structure of the book. A glorious full debut.
October 14, 2021
Top work from Marc here.
Warhammer Crime is unique as an imprint because all of the stories are set in the single world-spanning city of Varangantua. Marc has managed to find even more shadows in a city that only operates in shades of grey, and Grim Repast manages to tread a line between telling us new things about the setting, whilst retaining the characteristic flavours of Varangantua (aka gross and gritty!).
I was so excited that Marc's book both drives forward the Varagantua story and also fills in the deep past with some really cool revelations. I won't say any more but it definitely kept me turning those pages!
All in all, a stylish debut that brings much to an already interesting setting - very hoping we hear more about the characters and ideas Marc introduces here!
Warhammer Crime is unique as an imprint because all of the stories are set in the single world-spanning city of Varangantua. Marc has managed to find even more shadows in a city that only operates in shades of grey, and Grim Repast manages to tread a line between telling us new things about the setting, whilst retaining the characteristic flavours of Varangantua (aka gross and gritty!).
I was so excited that Marc's book both drives forward the Varagantua story and also fills in the deep past with some really cool revelations. I won't say any more but it definitely kept me turning those pages!
All in all, a stylish debut that brings much to an already interesting setting - very hoping we hear more about the characters and ideas Marc introduces here!
October 5, 2021
Grim Repast is an excellent addition to the Warhammer 40k crime series. It does a fantastic job of painting a gritty and uncompromising picture of Polaris (a southern district in the hive city Varangantua) as it follows the troubled probator Quillon Drask through a horrific murder case. The cast of characters are beautifully written, giving us a grim and brutal understanding of what its like living on an imperial hive world ( which I absolutely love). The plot twists and turns, peppered with that classic gothic imagery (that the author does brilliantly) and all the suspense of True Crime, and ends with an amazing finale. It hit all the key notes for me and I could not put it down, once I started. Highly recommend if you are a fan of 40k or even True Crime. Can't wait for more from this author.
December 31, 2022
3.5*
Düster und atmosphärisch mit einem grausigen Mordfall, welcher sich zu einer Monströsitat entwickelt wie man es von W40k erwartet.
Die Prosa ist sehr schön blumig, aber im dunklen, verregneten und verkommenen Sinne und zeichnet ein authentisches Bild von dieser Stadt die einen frisst.
Die Charaktere sind etwas chlichee und bekommen abseits vom Protagonisten auch nicht allzu viel Tiefe, aber darauf kommt es mir bei diesem Buch auch nicht an.
Passend zum Herbst und Winter bekommt man hier eine schaurig schöne und dreckige Ermittlergeschichte mit allem was dazu gehört. Klare Empfehlung!
Düster und atmosphärisch mit einem grausigen Mordfall, welcher sich zu einer Monströsitat entwickelt wie man es von W40k erwartet.
Die Prosa ist sehr schön blumig, aber im dunklen, verregneten und verkommenen Sinne und zeichnet ein authentisches Bild von dieser Stadt die einen frisst.
Die Charaktere sind etwas chlichee und bekommen abseits vom Protagonisten auch nicht allzu viel Tiefe, aber darauf kommt es mir bei diesem Buch auch nicht an.
Passend zum Herbst und Winter bekommt man hier eine schaurig schöne und dreckige Ermittlergeschichte mit allem was dazu gehört. Klare Empfehlung!
January 24, 2023
Rating of 4.5.
Prepare for a gruesome and dark murder mystery novel in the gritty Warhammer 40,000 universe with the incredible and awesome Warhammer Crime novel, Grim Repast by Marc Collins.
“This city eats men….”
Veteran probator Quillon Drask thinks that he has seen all the dangers, depravities and villains that Varangantua has to offer, but he is about to discover a whole new level of horror. Already traumatised and ostracised after his last lethal case and the betrayal that accompanied it, Drask’s first new investigation is not the simple job he was hoping for, as a body has been found in the dying district of Polaris. The victim, a businessman on the wrong side of town, has been gruesomely mutilated, the implications of his injuries have frightening implications.
As more bodies are discovered, Drask finds himself chasing after a deadly killer who murders and dismembers without compunction and who has a sudden obsession with tormenting Drask. Forced to play a deadly game that uncovers the corruption of his own organisation and sets him against the city’s elite, Drask finds himself alone and afraid against an enemy he doesn’t understand. Only his twisted insights into the criminal mind, as well as the lessons of his career and devious dead mentor, offer the answers that he needs to solve the case and stop the killer. However, not even Drask’s dark mind can comprehend the true horrors that lie beneath his city, one that connects to Varangantua’s past and a dangerous hunger that has always controlled people like him.
Wow, Marc Collins really came out swinging with this epic and outstanding Warhammer Crime entry. Grim Repast is probably one of the best pure mystery novels set in the Warhammer universe that I have so far read, and I loved how seamlessly Collins was able to blend a dark, psychological crime fiction narrative with the grim and repressive atmosphere of a Warhammer 40,000 city.
To see the full review, click on the link below:
https://unseenlibrary.com/2023/01/24/...
For other exciting reviews and content, check out my blog at:
https://unseenlibrary.com/
Prepare for a gruesome and dark murder mystery novel in the gritty Warhammer 40,000 universe with the incredible and awesome Warhammer Crime novel, Grim Repast by Marc Collins.
“This city eats men….”
Veteran probator Quillon Drask thinks that he has seen all the dangers, depravities and villains that Varangantua has to offer, but he is about to discover a whole new level of horror. Already traumatised and ostracised after his last lethal case and the betrayal that accompanied it, Drask’s first new investigation is not the simple job he was hoping for, as a body has been found in the dying district of Polaris. The victim, a businessman on the wrong side of town, has been gruesomely mutilated, the implications of his injuries have frightening implications.
As more bodies are discovered, Drask finds himself chasing after a deadly killer who murders and dismembers without compunction and who has a sudden obsession with tormenting Drask. Forced to play a deadly game that uncovers the corruption of his own organisation and sets him against the city’s elite, Drask finds himself alone and afraid against an enemy he doesn’t understand. Only his twisted insights into the criminal mind, as well as the lessons of his career and devious dead mentor, offer the answers that he needs to solve the case and stop the killer. However, not even Drask’s dark mind can comprehend the true horrors that lie beneath his city, one that connects to Varangantua’s past and a dangerous hunger that has always controlled people like him.
Wow, Marc Collins really came out swinging with this epic and outstanding Warhammer Crime entry. Grim Repast is probably one of the best pure mystery novels set in the Warhammer universe that I have so far read, and I loved how seamlessly Collins was able to blend a dark, psychological crime fiction narrative with the grim and repressive atmosphere of a Warhammer 40,000 city.
To see the full review, click on the link below:
https://unseenlibrary.com/2023/01/24/...
For other exciting reviews and content, check out my blog at:
https://unseenlibrary.com/
November 4, 2022
An interesting addition to the steadily growing Warhammer Crime imprint, this is a horror novel framed in the conventions of a hardboiled detective story, deeply interwoven with the fabric of the setting's lore.
It's solid on all those fronts. It meshes seamlessly with the worldbuilding of the other Warhammer Crime books to add another grimy layer of detail to their shared setting of the city of Varangantua and the world of Alecto, and while the detective elements of the story lean heavily on tropes of the genre, they're largely there to support and steer the small cast of well-realised characters and to keep the gates open for the horror to flow.
There's a lot of horror going on here. There's plenty of blood and viscera and horrible murders, but much more than that, there's a deeper look at fear, isolation, paranoia and the nightmarish realities of social inequality and exploitation -these writ as large and gruesome as possible in the very old Warhammer tradition. Here the rich quite literally eat the working class.
Drask is a great protagonist. Haunted by betrayal and tragedy, he is a tough man who is nonetheless vulnerable to basic human doubt and fear, as we see vividly when the book's horror takes highly effective turns toward the psychological.
Among his tragedies are that he is a genuinely good cop, devoted to an honourable (perhaps mythical) ideal of law enforcement which simply doesn't exist in Varangantua, a city where policing means catering to the whims of the nobility by keeping a boot on the neck of the populace.
This contradiction puts him in danger and places further strain on his already burdened psyche, and it offers an alternative to the common "loose cannon" detective trope when he inevitably has to hand in his gun and badge and pursue his investigation alone. Instead of breaking ranks with effete out-of-touch brass in order to do what has to be done on the mean streets, Drask is forced off the case because he refuses to accept that his complicit silence about the horrors taking place in the city is an expected part of his role, that his job is to sweep the depravities of his social betters under the rug instead of dragging them into the light as he is hellbent on doing.
As for the elements unique to Warhammer - I'm trying to avoid spoilers here, but this is very much a WH40k novel and not simply a horror/crime tale with extra skulls. Its links to the wider universe are subtle, but they're significant, and they go right down to the marrow of the story, so to speak.
I'd recommend this if you liked the other Warhammer Crime books, but also don't miss this if you're a fan of the Warhammer Horror line. This could sit very comfortably next to anything on offer there.
It's solid on all those fronts. It meshes seamlessly with the worldbuilding of the other Warhammer Crime books to add another grimy layer of detail to their shared setting of the city of Varangantua and the world of Alecto, and while the detective elements of the story lean heavily on tropes of the genre, they're largely there to support and steer the small cast of well-realised characters and to keep the gates open for the horror to flow.
There's a lot of horror going on here. There's plenty of blood and viscera and horrible murders, but much more than that, there's a deeper look at fear, isolation, paranoia and the nightmarish realities of social inequality and exploitation -these writ as large and gruesome as possible in the very old Warhammer tradition. Here the rich quite literally eat the working class.
Drask is a great protagonist. Haunted by betrayal and tragedy, he is a tough man who is nonetheless vulnerable to basic human doubt and fear, as we see vividly when the book's horror takes highly effective turns toward the psychological.
Among his tragedies are that he is a genuinely good cop, devoted to an honourable (perhaps mythical) ideal of law enforcement which simply doesn't exist in Varangantua, a city where policing means catering to the whims of the nobility by keeping a boot on the neck of the populace.
This contradiction puts him in danger and places further strain on his already burdened psyche, and it offers an alternative to the common "loose cannon" detective trope when he inevitably has to hand in his gun and badge and pursue his investigation alone. Instead of breaking ranks with effete out-of-touch brass in order to do what has to be done on the mean streets, Drask is forced off the case because he refuses to accept that his complicit silence about the horrors taking place in the city is an expected part of his role, that his job is to sweep the depravities of his social betters under the rug instead of dragging them into the light as he is hellbent on doing.
As for the elements unique to Warhammer - I'm trying to avoid spoilers here, but this is very much a WH40k novel and not simply a horror/crime tale with extra skulls. Its links to the wider universe are subtle, but they're significant, and they go right down to the marrow of the story, so to speak.
I'd recommend this if you liked the other Warhammer Crime books, but also don't miss this if you're a fan of the Warhammer Horror line. This could sit very comfortably next to anything on offer there.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 21, 2022
Warhammer 40k is no stranger to investigation type stories, long before Warhammer Crime we've had the might of Inquisitors and not those at the bottom. Marc Collins more then the other Warhammer Crime authors truly captures crime/investigation right at the bottom and the impossible nature of pushing upwards for a Probator in the Imperium.
October 23, 2023
#DNF. I got to roughly the one-third mark, and had yet to be all that captivated or intrigued enough to carry on further.
Less of a crime story and more along the lines of a horror novel, I never found myself to be all that interested in Trask or his motivations. He's got baggage. Lots of baggage. Soooo much damned baggage. I get it, really. We all get it. He's got baggage on top of baggage. Fine. But all of that psychological damage by itself doesn't make him relatable or especially interesting IMO.
An opaque and frankly boring one-note hero/narrator, coupled with uneven pacing, means this is a "pass" for me, tks.
Less of a crime story and more along the lines of a horror novel, I never found myself to be all that interested in Trask or his motivations. He's got baggage. Lots of baggage. Soooo much damned baggage. I get it, really. We all get it. He's got baggage on top of baggage. Fine. But all of that psychological damage by itself doesn't make him relatable or especially interesting IMO.
An opaque and frankly boring one-note hero/narrator, coupled with uneven pacing, means this is a "pass" for me, tks.
July 25, 2022
Well it took me 3months to finish. Not that it’s a bad book. It’s not. It’s just overawing.
Very very descriptive book. Almost over descriptive. Almost. But you do get a good picture of every scene and the overall picture of the world it’s set.
Then it reaches the end and it kind of feels rushed. Almost like the author has spend 9/10ths of the book for the set up and it a rush to finish it.
It is a good book hence my rating. All the crime books are.
Very very descriptive book. Almost over descriptive. Almost. But you do get a good picture of every scene and the overall picture of the world it’s set.
Then it reaches the end and it kind of feels rushed. Almost like the author has spend 9/10ths of the book for the set up and it a rush to finish it.
It is a good book hence my rating. All the crime books are.
January 6, 2022
I think this is a great book even for people that don’t have a deep understanding of the 40K universe. The main character is written perfectly, as well as the cast that the author surrounded him with to help or hurt the search for answers. I am genuinely excited just thinking about the adventures Drask could go on if another book was written for him!
Read
August 25, 2022I have enjoyed every book in the Warhammer Crime series that I have listened to and this was no exception - another great read. The hero was flawed but relentless and not to be put off, and the mystery kept you going throughout. The city that it was staged in was so well described you felt you were there. Recommend this read
October 14, 2022
A great novel.
It was a really good read. If you like war hammer and crime and you're a bit curious about life in a hive city and not always the battlefield in the dark millennium the I would highly recommend this book!
It was a really good read. If you like war hammer and crime and you're a bit curious about life in a hive city and not always the battlefield in the dark millennium the I would highly recommend this book!
April 9, 2022
Warhammer 40k noir
Enjoyable read were the taint of chaos and endless war is more a distant threat than the center piece to the main action
Enjoyable read were the taint of chaos and endless war is more a distant threat than the center piece to the main action
February 4, 2024
They are as meat and drink
This is a continuation of a short story in the No Good Men anthology. The short story introduces Quillon Drask, a damaged, hardboiled detective in the dreary, dark hive world of Varangantua in the 41st millennium. Obviously both that story and this one require a surface awareness of Warhammer 40k lore. If you like 40k and you like lone wolf detectives, I'd fully recommend this story.
In this novel, our protagonist finds himself punching upward and fighting against the founding nobles families to solve a series of gruesome crimes. Please be advised that this novel in unflinching in its graphic descriptions of death, torture, and mutilation. Twists abound and are well seeded in the story. My only complaint is that the author never met a simile or metaphor he didn't want to put on the page.
This is a continuation of a short story in the No Good Men anthology. The short story introduces Quillon Drask, a damaged, hardboiled detective in the dreary, dark hive world of Varangantua in the 41st millennium. Obviously both that story and this one require a surface awareness of Warhammer 40k lore. If you like 40k and you like lone wolf detectives, I'd fully recommend this story.
In this novel, our protagonist finds himself punching upward and fighting against the founding nobles families to solve a series of gruesome crimes. Please be advised that this novel in unflinching in its graphic descriptions of death, torture, and mutilation. Twists abound and are well seeded in the story. My only complaint is that the author never met a simile or metaphor he didn't want to put on the page.
February 12, 2023
This was an audiobook but that edition doesn't seem to be on goodreads for some reason, which is of no interest to any one but me. All these Warhammer Crime books are quite good, the universe is a lot more interesting at the margins than the adolscent power fantasies, but all work by bolting on one crime genre to the Warhammer universe. My trouble with this one is I don't really like the style of crime being aped, all that 1990s stuff after Silence of Lambs where the insane but brilliant serial killer leaves artful clues in his murder tableus and plays a dangerous cat and mouse game with the troubled detective isn't for me. That's more my problem than the books but still - three stars.
December 26, 2022
The story is an interesting experiment in making a “noir” style crime thriller in the 40k universe. The setting is well described and feels like a living, breathing, eating city. On the flip side the main protagonists does an awful lot of talking to himself and generally vocalising things in a way that makes sense in the noir story, but less in the Grimdark.
I do like that the story draws attention to the horrors of the imperium and the people that dwell within it (and carry its dogmatic , totalitarian, colonial values)
I do like that the story draws attention to the horrors of the imperium and the people that dwell within it (and carry its dogmatic , totalitarian, colonial values)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 17, 2023
Solides Ding, mein erster Einblick ins Warhammer Universum der tiefer geht als nur ein Warhammer Videospiel anspielen.
Finde der Vibe der Stadt die in diesem Buch dargestellt wird wird sehr gut vermittelt, es geht um korruption Intrigen und Verbrechen. Ein bisschen Kapitalismuskritik kann man auch raus lesen, wenn man will.
Hat spaß gemacht. Empfehlung für alle die Warhammer 40k/Science Fiction und oder blutige Krimis mögen.
Finde der Vibe der Stadt die in diesem Buch dargestellt wird wird sehr gut vermittelt, es geht um korruption Intrigen und Verbrechen. Ein bisschen Kapitalismuskritik kann man auch raus lesen, wenn man will.
Hat spaß gemacht. Empfehlung für alle die Warhammer 40k/Science Fiction und oder blutige Krimis mögen.
March 2, 2022
"consider then that the history of the Imperium is the twinned histories of the movement of meat and the movement of people"
September 19, 2023
Excellent read Particularly liked the tidbits on how ordinary people view things like the inquisition and other higher powers
November 26, 2022
The Warhammer Crime series is definitely a gem for 40k. Marc Collins does not disappoint with this book. We didn't really break too much new lore ground with this book but that doesn't really matter. It was a fun book that continued the narrative of enforcers trying to their best inside of the worst system imaginable. A recommended read if you enjoyed the previous Crime novels.
November 27, 2021
Grim Repast is a very worthy addition to the Warhammer Crime collection of novels. The reader follows tormented protagonist Quillon Drask's journey into the depths of Varangantua. Like many of the other novels and short stories set in the 41st Millennium, the story serves to highlight the harsh, dismal living conditions of the imperium. The average citizen ekes out a miserable existence in the depths of the hive, subservient to the will of the so-called "gilded" that rule Varangantua with an iron fist. The power and reach of such dynasties is enough to keep them more-or-less above the law, as Drask quickly discovers throughout the course of his investigations.
Grim Repast does an excellent job of exploring the realities of day-to-day life in the hive, setting a fast pace filled with gritty action and some well-written surprises. Although Drask doesn't have much of a personality beyond "detective that rigorously upholds the Lex," his mentor's legacy and almost-fanatical devotion to his work are enough to carry the story.
I do wish that the story provided more information regarding the "first settlers" that arrived on the Fortitude of Terra, particularly .
Sidenote: If you've already read & enjoyed Grim Repast or you're looking to get a feel for the main character before purchasing the full-length novel, Drask is also featured in the short story "Cold Cases" in the No Good Men anthology.
Grim Repast does an excellent job of exploring the realities of day-to-day life in the hive, setting a fast pace filled with gritty action and some well-written surprises. Although Drask doesn't have much of a personality beyond "detective that rigorously upholds the Lex," his mentor's legacy and almost-fanatical devotion to his work are enough to carry the story.
I do wish that the story provided more information regarding the "first settlers" that arrived on the Fortitude of Terra, particularly .
Sidenote: If you've already read & enjoyed Grim Repast or you're looking to get a feel for the main character before purchasing the full-length novel, Drask is also featured in the short story "Cold Cases" in the No Good Men anthology.
December 30, 2021
This is hands down one of the best Warhammer books I have read. I am amazed that it is a debut novel. It really gave me the gritty detective novel vibe with good amount of 'Blade runner' with a bit ' Court of owls' thrown in for good measure all set in the sprawling cesspit that is Varangantua. Interestingly I read this around the same time as 'Bloodlines' and loved the contrasting styles/personality of the respective probators. Both authors gave there protagonists real depth which made you just as interested in there internal battles than the actual plot. Only giving it 4 stars as I wouldn't want Marc Collins to rest on this laureals as I'm expected a 5 out of 5 for the next Quillion Trask misadventure!
November 1, 2021
Another book in the Warhammer Crime sub genre and another excellent tale from Marc Collins, the story as good as it only reinforces my desire not to live in the grim dark future and especially not on this planet! My only complaint is it’s not available yet as Audio, when it is I will but that as well!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 5, 2022
This was great. It had the central mystery and intrigue of a crime novel whilst incorporating it into the 40k universe where the story was far more believable. The world building was interesting throughout and there were some truly unnerving and tense sections of the story. So far there hasn’t been a miss with the Warhammer Crime imprint and I look forward to reading more.
October 22, 2021
The Dark
It has been a long time since I enjoyed a Warhammer novel as much as this one.The setting of Varangantua is true to the WH40K ethos, while allowing the diversity of the imperium's many different worlds to shine through.Read this immediately.
It has been a long time since I enjoyed a Warhammer novel as much as this one.The setting of Varangantua is true to the WH40K ethos, while allowing the diversity of the imperium's many different worlds to shine through.Read this immediately.
December 15, 2021
Have I mentioned how much I love these Warhammer Crime books before? This was a particularly good one.
August 8, 2022
Rad. Would read again
April 24, 2025
Lex officer Quillon Drask (introduced in the short story 'Cold Cases') here gets his own Warhammer Crime novel. A hideously mutilated murder victim is found to be missing some of his organs in Polaris, Drask's particular district of Varangantua. Drask has to butt heads with the underworld, arrogant local industrialist cabals and his own colleagues to unravel the mystery. All while dealing with the fallout of his genius mentor being exposed as a serial killer (see 'Cold Cases' - some WHCrime stuff is standalone, but you really need to read the preceding short story here). What's the nature of this shadowy predator? Well, if the sort-of-punning title doesn't clue you in, you might clock it the fifth or sixth time Drask muses darkly that this city eats men. Subtlety isn't what we seek in Warhammer fiction, anyway, but... even with that in mind...
'Grim Repast' starts well, with a grim and desperate tone even for a 40K novel. And the action-heavy ending brings it back home with some efficient sci-fi pulp. But the middle loses its way a little, and some of Drask's Dark Detective pondering felt like an attempt to run up a word-count - I wonder if this could have worked better getting to its conclusion a little faster, and been a novella.
The Warhammer Crime imprint really appeals to me on paper but it just doesn't seem that any of the authors could land a slam-dunk and write anything particularly attention-grabbing for it.
6/10
'Grim Repast' starts well, with a grim and desperate tone even for a 40K novel. And the action-heavy ending brings it back home with some efficient sci-fi pulp. But the middle loses its way a little, and some of Drask's Dark Detective pondering felt like an attempt to run up a word-count - I wonder if this could have worked better getting to its conclusion a little faster, and been a novella.
The Warhammer Crime imprint really appeals to me on paper but it just doesn't seem that any of the authors could land a slam-dunk and write anything particularly attention-grabbing for it.
6/10
June 7, 2023
An addition to the Warhammer Crime tag that leans into multiple crime genres but mainly procedural and noir. It's a relatively straightforward story that's written in such a way that it's easy to get lost unless it draws all of your attention. Lots of characters are introduced but they weren't exactly memorable for me and they tended to fulfil archetypical roles (think the friendly coroner, the unfriendly police chief, the helpful gangland boss, etc).
The world building through description was solid, but is not something I care for. This could be a big sell for some reader, just not to my taste. Similarly, whilst it is 40k themed, there isn't a lot of metaphysical or other hallmarks of 40k. it's grounded and gritty, which many will appreciate; just not me. Without spoilers, the plot doesn't really twist. There is a lot unrevealed at the beginning, but it's not a mystery. I wasn't invested in the direction of the story as I was waiting for some twist. Again, me more than the story.
What did I like? The main character had potential. There is a background event that is referenced but not fleshed out that hinted at something interested. The protagonist has a plot and character arc. The last 10% is quite good, albeit a lead in to future stories.
The world building through description was solid, but is not something I care for. This could be a big sell for some reader, just not to my taste. Similarly, whilst it is 40k themed, there isn't a lot of metaphysical or other hallmarks of 40k. it's grounded and gritty, which many will appreciate; just not me. Without spoilers, the plot doesn't really twist. There is a lot unrevealed at the beginning, but it's not a mystery. I wasn't invested in the direction of the story as I was waiting for some twist. Again, me more than the story.
What did I like? The main character had potential. There is a background event that is referenced but not fleshed out that hinted at something interested. The protagonist has a plot and character arc. The last 10% is quite good, albeit a lead in to future stories.
June 9, 2024
Solid book following the story of Agusto Zidarov as he unravels the mysteries surrounding a series of murders facing Vargantua on Polaris. I felt it was a little lacking in terms of the fulfilling unraveling and secrets behind the mystery but provide a decent story into why they occured. A high ranking noble is behind them, in order to fulfill a twisted traditional feast of human parts. Turning more tainted with each generation, a cult to the blood god, Khorne, has arisen and needs to be dealt with despite the insurmountable odds.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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