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Gaunt's Ghosts
Double Eagle
The war on Enothis is almost lost. Chaos forces harry the defenders on land and in the skies. Can the ace pilots of the Phantine XX turn the tide and bring the Imperium victory?
When the elite fighter pilots of the Phantine XX arrive on the beleaguered world of Enothis, they know it is a desperate hour. The forces of Chaos are closing in, and their final push could well wipe out all human life on the planet. Thousands of refugees flee the dark armies, and the infamous Chaos fighter pilot Khrel Kas Obarkon is always hunting the skies for more prey….
So it falls to the brave men and women of the Phantine fighter corps. Can they hold off the Chaos advance until reinforcements arrive? In the high-speed, white-knuckle terror of aerial combat, can they defeat an enemy possessed by daemons?
When the elite fighter pilots of the Phantine XX arrive on the beleaguered world of Enothis, they know it is a desperate hour. The forces of Chaos are closing in, and their final push could well wipe out all human life on the planet. Thousands of refugees flee the dark armies, and the infamous Chaos fighter pilot Khrel Kas Obarkon is always hunting the skies for more prey….
So it falls to the brave men and women of the Phantine fighter corps. Can they hold off the Chaos advance until reinforcements arrive? In the high-speed, white-knuckle terror of aerial combat, can they defeat an enemy possessed by daemons?
346 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 114 reviews
January 9, 2011
I've been a fan of Games Workshop's Warhammer universes for at least twenty-five years, and for most of those years there was no Black Library, the publishing wing of Games Workshop. When Games Workshop first began looking around for a stable of authors to write their stories, they early came upon Dan Abnet, a fixture and award winner in the realm of comics. Dan has a degree from Oxford in English and he knows his way around a dictionary. But he has (don't start a sentence with "but".) surpassed himself in Double Eagle.
Most Warhammer novels are of the "short character development and then lots of red mist from exploding bodies" sort. Not that Abnet doesn't know a good bit about "red mist", but he also knows character development, setting, and plotting too. He even surpasses himself in these regards with Double Eagle, the first and to my knowledge the only Black Library title featuring the setting of Forge World's Air Wing game, Aeronautica Imperialis.
Double Eagle reads less like a novel and more like an authentic World War II chronicle of an aerial campaign over Europe or in the Pacific. the characters seem real, the machines real, the setting real. I have not been this immersed in a novel for a very long time. Double Eagle is a rich book; I recommend it heartily.
Most Warhammer novels are of the "short character development and then lots of red mist from exploding bodies" sort. Not that Abnet doesn't know a good bit about "red mist", but he also knows character development, setting, and plotting too. He even surpasses himself in these regards with Double Eagle, the first and to my knowledge the only Black Library title featuring the setting of Forge World's Air Wing game, Aeronautica Imperialis.
Double Eagle reads less like a novel and more like an authentic World War II chronicle of an aerial campaign over Europe or in the Pacific. the characters seem real, the machines real, the setting real. I have not been this immersed in a novel for a very long time. Double Eagle is a rich book; I recommend it heartily.
May 27, 2018
This book is what an action story should be, and Dan Abnett is a master of action. I do not ordinarily start moving and shifting in my seat, but the dogfight scenes did just that. I would enjoy more of the Phantine XX in stories, but Abnett is not afraid to kill off characters, and some good ones actually lived! This battle is a side battle mentioned in Gaunt's Ghosts, and there are a few mentions of scenes one of the Ghost's books. If you want some solid action, check it out.
February 22, 2013
Dan Abnett has a gift for drawing parallels between Warhammer 40,000 and recent history, and 'Double Eagle' is no different. The Chaos air forces (Luftwaffe) battle it out with the Phantine Fighter Corps (RAF) in this sci-fi take on the Battle of Britain.
Abnett's other gift comes to the fore, which is to tell the very human stories in his battles; and reading makes an almost traumatic experience as lives and stories unfold and abruptly end (I shan't tell you which!). As with any Abnett book I would avoid getting attached to any of the characters.
The world of Enothis, one of the many Abnett has brought to life in his Sabbat Crusade books, is richly described and reading gives you the feeling that you are there to the point where it is hard not have an emotional response to the events that unfold. Some of the scenery is breathtaking and the despite the imminent war coming to this world you will find yourself wanting to have a cup of your favourite beverage in the wind and sea swept cafe on the bombed out pier that some of the story focuses on.
9/10, some of Abnett's best work.
Abnett's other gift comes to the fore, which is to tell the very human stories in his battles; and reading makes an almost traumatic experience as lives and stories unfold and abruptly end (I shan't tell you which!). As with any Abnett book I would avoid getting attached to any of the characters.
The world of Enothis, one of the many Abnett has brought to life in his Sabbat Crusade books, is richly described and reading gives you the feeling that you are there to the point where it is hard not have an emotional response to the events that unfold. Some of the scenery is breathtaking and the despite the imminent war coming to this world you will find yourself wanting to have a cup of your favourite beverage in the wind and sea swept cafe on the bombed out pier that some of the story focuses on.
9/10, some of Abnett's best work.
June 10, 2023
Double Eagle sees the focus put on the pilots of the Imperium, specifically a group of fighter- and bomber-pilots who were first seen in one of the Gaunt's Ghosts novels. As per usual, Abnett has superior character development. This book, as with all his others, is truly a page-turner. Something of an aside to the Ghosts storyline, this novel takes place on a planet suffering from a Chaos invasion in the Sabbat Campaign that Abnett has written so much about. (In fact, there are some references to the Ghosts storyline, but not so that the reader is left confused.)
As with Abnett's other works, we see comparatively little of the enemy in terms of internal thoughts, only getting that before they interact with the heroes. There is only one such villain, actually, an ace of aces who seems unstoppable. He makes several appearances, always defeating those he faces, or driving them to extreme measures to flee. One of the primary characters is the flight commander of the Phantine XX fighter wing. She is a great character, mixing in-combat skill with concern for her wingmates. Others in the unit also provide great characters, the old nice guy, the new kid trying to prove himself. The planes are also like characters, given their jinxes and idiosyncrasies. The unit really is a whole, from machine, to tech, to pilots. Another arc of the story deals with a bomber pilot who is in another unit. He was saved by one of the Ghosts in another novel, and feels he is on borrowed time, that he should be dead. He meets a woman who has lost pretty well everything, and they find in each other that which they were missing. This is really my favorite part of the book. The human side. There is a great deal of air combat, which Abnett delivers with exquisite skill. I could feel all the losses and exult in the victories as though I were there. There are a number of close calls, tight squeezes, near-misses. All those things that make such situations interesting to read. This novel shows again that Abnett is the best of the WH40k authors, at least in my opinion. Despite the lack of a well-determined enemy, this book is a great read. After all, the reader is supposed to feel for the Imperium, not those who hate all life. In that respect, the lack of depth in the enemy is perfect.
In other way, if you want to point a fault to the book, it's that the chaos invaders are presented as a faceless, nameless horde with little character or individuality. Abnett wasted an excellent opportunity to create a small, elite cadre of enemy pilots who might have shed some much welcome light and understanding on the chaos psyche. Instead, the reader is treated to only the briefest of glimpses of the one enemy ace who is given a name. This character had a great deal of potential but sadly, that potential was never really realized. It's a shame that Abnett did not see fit to create antagonists as nuanced as the other main characters in the book.
I have read several books from Dan Abnett, Double Eagle, two books of Malus Darkblade, Riders of the Dead and several others small stories. I am now reading Fell Cargo.
In every story by him you see it all... and you feel it all as well.. in double eagle you feel you are in the air and fell cargo you see yourself in the waters... riders of the dead you change your attitude on the main characters.. you move from loving one character and hate another and in the end the inverse.
Dan Abnett is a good writer... I am glad he likes fantasy and science fiction... he makes great books.. Hope he never change..
As with Abnett's other works, we see comparatively little of the enemy in terms of internal thoughts, only getting that before they interact with the heroes. There is only one such villain, actually, an ace of aces who seems unstoppable. He makes several appearances, always defeating those he faces, or driving them to extreme measures to flee. One of the primary characters is the flight commander of the Phantine XX fighter wing. She is a great character, mixing in-combat skill with concern for her wingmates. Others in the unit also provide great characters, the old nice guy, the new kid trying to prove himself. The planes are also like characters, given their jinxes and idiosyncrasies. The unit really is a whole, from machine, to tech, to pilots. Another arc of the story deals with a bomber pilot who is in another unit. He was saved by one of the Ghosts in another novel, and feels he is on borrowed time, that he should be dead. He meets a woman who has lost pretty well everything, and they find in each other that which they were missing. This is really my favorite part of the book. The human side. There is a great deal of air combat, which Abnett delivers with exquisite skill. I could feel all the losses and exult in the victories as though I were there. There are a number of close calls, tight squeezes, near-misses. All those things that make such situations interesting to read. This novel shows again that Abnett is the best of the WH40k authors, at least in my opinion. Despite the lack of a well-determined enemy, this book is a great read. After all, the reader is supposed to feel for the Imperium, not those who hate all life. In that respect, the lack of depth in the enemy is perfect.
In other way, if you want to point a fault to the book, it's that the chaos invaders are presented as a faceless, nameless horde with little character or individuality. Abnett wasted an excellent opportunity to create a small, elite cadre of enemy pilots who might have shed some much welcome light and understanding on the chaos psyche. Instead, the reader is treated to only the briefest of glimpses of the one enemy ace who is given a name. This character had a great deal of potential but sadly, that potential was never really realized. It's a shame that Abnett did not see fit to create antagonists as nuanced as the other main characters in the book.
I have read several books from Dan Abnett, Double Eagle, two books of Malus Darkblade, Riders of the Dead and several others small stories. I am now reading Fell Cargo.
In every story by him you see it all... and you feel it all as well.. in double eagle you feel you are in the air and fell cargo you see yourself in the waters... riders of the dead you change your attitude on the main characters.. you move from loving one character and hate another and in the end the inverse.
Dan Abnett is a good writer... I am glad he likes fantasy and science fiction... he makes great books.. Hope he never change..
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 7, 2013
what can i say... another masterpiece.
Grand air battles described to the merest turn and invert and to the simplest actions in a easy flowing scenes with very memorable characters to say the least, compelling story and a steady flow of interesting " side stories " of the pilots if you may call them that.
combined with a pinch of romance and a tale of fate's cruelty and that is double eagle for you.
incredible, solid peace of a book. 5/5
Grand air battles described to the merest turn and invert and to the simplest actions in a easy flowing scenes with very memorable characters to say the least, compelling story and a steady flow of interesting " side stories " of the pilots if you may call them that.
combined with a pinch of romance and a tale of fate's cruelty and that is double eagle for you.
incredible, solid peace of a book. 5/5
March 24, 2011
Double Eagle follows a squadron of fighter pilots assigned to an aerial war.
November 24, 2019
Such a difficult book to read. The fault is my own because of my lack of knowledge about the Warhammer 40k universe. Maybe once I read a few more of these books, things will make more sense to me.
This was difficult to read because of the story threads that seemingly go nowhere. You can never tell who the protagonist(s) really are. My usual caveat with many novels, there is no Big Bad Guy to fight against. In the first few chapters, we get a glimpse of something evil that doesn't make appearance for quite some time from there on.
I felt confused and uninterested while reading this. I should have quit it while I was in the middle.
Oh well. How is your day going random stranger?
This was difficult to read because of the story threads that seemingly go nowhere. You can never tell who the protagonist(s) really are. My usual caveat with many novels, there is no Big Bad Guy to fight against. In the first few chapters, we get a glimpse of something evil that doesn't make appearance for quite some time from there on.
I felt confused and uninterested while reading this. I should have quit it while I was in the middle.
Oh well. How is your day going random stranger?
September 11, 2014
Outstanding book! Knowledge of flight, military lingo and mechanics aside, again the author knocks this one way outta the park. The story is solid and doesn't let you go. I always find that the small, side characters he adds end up involved in ways that just make plain good sense and are a surprise when the story unfolds. Always a pleasure to read Mr. Abnett's works. FOR THE EMPEROR !!! Hehehe!
April 9, 2013
Starts off pretty slow and introduces A LOT of characters, which was fairly confusing. I stuck with it though, and it paid off! Lots of fun air-combat, with enough other things going on to keep it fresh. Enjoyable :)
February 1, 2020
Very boring and repetitive. No actual plot. Abnett is a great writer but this one seems to be one of his weak ones.
December 14, 2024
An unsatisfying listen unfortunately. Toby continues to be a wonder to listen to, and I was chuffed to hear the return of secondary characters the Tanith has interacted with.
However the ending is very flat, some characters never have any real development (or much personality at all) and the description of air to air combat was dull. Also, a lack of 40k Chaos air craft knowledge on my part and no attempt at description or explanation meant the 'baddies' were just minions to be shot down.
There was drama and tension at part 4 of the book, but by then it was too late for me to consider this a good read/listen, and then the ending just happened.
Nothing like a one page epilogue to quite literally wrap up the entire story.
However the ending is very flat, some characters never have any real development (or much personality at all) and the description of air to air combat was dull. Also, a lack of 40k Chaos air craft knowledge on my part and no attempt at description or explanation meant the 'baddies' were just minions to be shot down.
There was drama and tension at part 4 of the book, but by then it was too late for me to consider this a good read/listen, and then the ending just happened.
Nothing like a one page epilogue to quite literally wrap up the entire story.
October 2, 2025
excellent exciting book
Dan Annett
Is just an awesome author. Exciting air combat and characters you care about. I read a good portion of it on a commercial flight and kinda was hoping the pilot would do a spontaneous barrel roll..
Dan Annett
Is just an awesome author. Exciting air combat and characters you care about. I read a good portion of it on a commercial flight and kinda was hoping the pilot would do a spontaneous barrel roll..
April 28, 2025
Battle of Britain but IN SPACE. Quality book!
September 21, 2024
A must read not just for Warhammer fans. Outstanding characters and engaging plot throughout the story. And gripping action only how Abnett can write it!
October 13, 2020
Das erste Buch, das ich von Dan Abnett gelesen habe, konnte mich damals nicht so wirklich überzeugen. Umso erstaunter war ich, dass er mit "Der Doppelte Adler" etwas Ganz anderes abliefert.
Überhaupt war für mich dieser Titel etwas Spezielles im Warhammer 40K-Universum. Es kommen sehr wenig spezielle Wesen, Berufe etc. zur Geltung. Eigentlich sogar nur am Rande. Das ganze Buch strahlt eine Art "Zweiter Weltkrieg"-Atmosphäre aus und tatsächlich fühlte ich mich teilweise an Hemingway erinnert!
Die Schlachten in der Luft sind auch mal etwas Anderes als die Kämpfe mit Panzern, Rüstungen und Raumschiffen.
Mein einziges Mako ist, dass die Figuren viel zu rasch eingeführt werden. Ausserdem hopst man ständig zwischen ihnen hin und her. Bald hatte ich den Überblick verloren, wer nun wirklich wer ist.
Ansonsten eine angenehm neue und erfrischende Entdeckung im Warhammer-Kreis.
Überhaupt war für mich dieser Titel etwas Spezielles im Warhammer 40K-Universum. Es kommen sehr wenig spezielle Wesen, Berufe etc. zur Geltung. Eigentlich sogar nur am Rande. Das ganze Buch strahlt eine Art "Zweiter Weltkrieg"-Atmosphäre aus und tatsächlich fühlte ich mich teilweise an Hemingway erinnert!
Die Schlachten in der Luft sind auch mal etwas Anderes als die Kämpfe mit Panzern, Rüstungen und Raumschiffen.
Mein einziges Mako ist, dass die Figuren viel zu rasch eingeführt werden. Ausserdem hopst man ständig zwischen ihnen hin und her. Bald hatte ich den Überblick verloren, wer nun wirklich wer ist.
Ansonsten eine angenehm neue und erfrischende Entdeckung im Warhammer-Kreis.
February 21, 2024
Surprisingly good.
The Warhammer 40k version of the Battle of Britain.
The Warhammer 40k version of the Battle of Britain.
February 22, 2025
It's a book about planes. Flying high
December 8, 2018
This was a really fantastic read - like something out of a WWII mass air combat war story, but with vector-thrust aircraft and the enemy are evil cultists instead of evil racists. Great characterization of an ensemble cast, excellent portrayal of the cost war exacts even on the survivors. Loved this one.
September 7, 2022
I started reading this because I couldn't get Aces High by Iron Maiden out of my head. It's a great read, and Abnett avoids the clunkiness that sometimes comes when people try to add sci-fi details to dogfights or naval combat.
September 22, 2021
Not my cup of tea. Due to my unfamiliarity with the various aircraft mentioned the visuals did not grip me, and the whole Dogfights were uninteresting. Maybe for absolute cracks in the Sabbat Crusade stuff. All the characters were meaningless for me, and there were so many!
Did not finish.
Did not finish.
September 9, 2020
For me, this was a slog. Other folks may love it. It’s a good book, just not my cup of tea.
October 23, 2024
Easily the best IG novel I’ve read to date. It’s basically the WWII Battle of Britain in the 40K setting. Highly recommend as a gateway book into WH40K
June 9, 2020
The liberation of the Sabbat Worlds is in full swing. The overextended Crusade invasion front is now under flank attacks, with the world of Enothis proving a pivotal flashpoint. With the war raging over a vast continent, the battles hinge on the forces of the Aeronautica Imperialis, the atmospheric fighter and bomber wings flown by the Imperial Navy and the Imperial Guard. The Phantine XX, fresh from their victory on their homeworld, are deployed to Enothis to help mount a last stand against the Archenemy.
Double Eagle is a spinoff from Dan Abnett's signature Gaunt's Ghosts series of science fantasy military adventures, in particular the fifth novel in the series, The Guns of Tanith. Fortunately, references to the events of that novel are slight and familiarity with that book, the Gaunt's Ghosts series in general or even the wider Warhammer 40,000 universe is not required to enjoy this novel.
Double Eagle is, basically, the Battle of Britain But With Lasers. Previous Warhammer 40,000 books largely focused on the ground war involving the human Imperial Guard and the genetically-engineered, superhuman Space Marines, with occasional nods to the armoured divisions and the space fleets, but this is the first book to really delve deep into the air force. Influences from World War II movies and books about the air war over Europe and the Pacific are clear, although (as is often the case with WH40K) there are sacrifices to realism in pursuit of the rule of cool. Despite being set an unfathomable 39,000 years in the future, the aircraft in use by both sides are far slower than, say an F-15 Strike Eagle and they seem to have less fuel than a Hurricane (given how curtailed dogfights are before someone has to bug out).
Once you accept that - and you have to if you want any hope of enjoying the many excellent stories in this setting - then you can kick back and enjoy the book. This is Dan Abnett doing what he does best: assembling a collection of flawed, relatable characters, putting them through the grinder of war and telling a great-action-packed page-turner in the process. Double Eagle starts a bit slower than many of his books - the result of a need to introduce a dozen or so major new characters (and reintroduce a couple of characters from The Guns of Tanith, which most readers may have forgotten about) rather than being able to pick up with a well-established cast from an ongoing series - but soon kicks into gear as we witness the air war for Enothis unfolding in its full glory.
In fact, I wondered if Abnett had made a bit of a mistake by having such a large cast and the need for each main character to have their own story arc, given the need to also depict the war in its full scope and explain the intricacies of air combat, all in a very tight page count. However, Abnett, as usual, delivers with aplomb. The widely-scattered characters and storylines converge satisfyingly at the end of the book for a major battle and most of the storylines are wrapped up quite satisfyingly
Double Eagle (****) won't be winning awards for originality, but it is Abnett delivering another perfectly-executed barrel roll of action, strong characters and addictive writing. In fact, Double Eagle scores more highly than much of his work because, being so independent of other series, it works very well as a stand-alone novel that can be used to sample his writing style and skill. The novel is available now in the UK and USA.
A sequel, Interceptor City, has been promised for fifteen years but is still a fair bit down on Abnett's schedule (as he is currently working on the Horus Heresy's concluding arc and on his third Inquisitor trilogy). However, Double Eagle does not end on a cliffhanger and can be enjoyed on its own merits.
Double Eagle is a spinoff from Dan Abnett's signature Gaunt's Ghosts series of science fantasy military adventures, in particular the fifth novel in the series, The Guns of Tanith. Fortunately, references to the events of that novel are slight and familiarity with that book, the Gaunt's Ghosts series in general or even the wider Warhammer 40,000 universe is not required to enjoy this novel.
Double Eagle is, basically, the Battle of Britain But With Lasers. Previous Warhammer 40,000 books largely focused on the ground war involving the human Imperial Guard and the genetically-engineered, superhuman Space Marines, with occasional nods to the armoured divisions and the space fleets, but this is the first book to really delve deep into the air force. Influences from World War II movies and books about the air war over Europe and the Pacific are clear, although (as is often the case with WH40K) there are sacrifices to realism in pursuit of the rule of cool. Despite being set an unfathomable 39,000 years in the future, the aircraft in use by both sides are far slower than, say an F-15 Strike Eagle and they seem to have less fuel than a Hurricane (given how curtailed dogfights are before someone has to bug out).
Once you accept that - and you have to if you want any hope of enjoying the many excellent stories in this setting - then you can kick back and enjoy the book. This is Dan Abnett doing what he does best: assembling a collection of flawed, relatable characters, putting them through the grinder of war and telling a great-action-packed page-turner in the process. Double Eagle starts a bit slower than many of his books - the result of a need to introduce a dozen or so major new characters (and reintroduce a couple of characters from The Guns of Tanith, which most readers may have forgotten about) rather than being able to pick up with a well-established cast from an ongoing series - but soon kicks into gear as we witness the air war for Enothis unfolding in its full glory.
In fact, I wondered if Abnett had made a bit of a mistake by having such a large cast and the need for each main character to have their own story arc, given the need to also depict the war in its full scope and explain the intricacies of air combat, all in a very tight page count. However, Abnett, as usual, delivers with aplomb. The widely-scattered characters and storylines converge satisfyingly at the end of the book for a major battle and most of the storylines are wrapped up quite satisfyingly
Double Eagle (****) won't be winning awards for originality, but it is Abnett delivering another perfectly-executed barrel roll of action, strong characters and addictive writing. In fact, Double Eagle scores more highly than much of his work because, being so independent of other series, it works very well as a stand-alone novel that can be used to sample his writing style and skill. The novel is available now in the UK and USA.
A sequel, Interceptor City, has been promised for fifteen years but is still a fair bit down on Abnett's schedule (as he is currently working on the Horus Heresy's concluding arc and on his third Inquisitor trilogy). However, Double Eagle does not end on a cliffhanger and can be enjoyed on its own merits.
April 21, 2021
Wow! I was really glued to this book. I'm not new to either 40k or Dan Abnett's work, but this still really had me gripped in a way I didn't expect. For those of the same background, Double Eagle is definitely worth reading unless you have an aversion to aerial warfare: it's set midway through the Gaunt's Ghosts series on another world involved in the Sabbat Worlds crusade, but the list of characters are new and the combat quite radically different in nature to that of lasguns and chainswords.
Abnett weaves a few subplots through the book until they all come together quite a distance in. Though a little predictable, it's definitely satisfying, and it serves as a means to introduce the reader to a varying mix of sub-settings. The main focus lies on the principle fighter squadron - of course - but you are also introduced to other squadrons, staff in the command centre and support crews and an assortment of regular soldiers and civilians. They all felt like good, real characters to me - no caricatures among them - even the allies who occasionally butt-heads. A good few of them (especially those involved in the subplots, but no spoilers even if it becomes obvious reading) go through their own character development, too, and if you're anything like me you'll find yourself rooting for them.
Of course, it's a book about aircraft, so I must talk about the aircraft. They're handled excellently with a very Second World War spin that gives much of the book's combat a very up close and fast dynamic. He's accounted for formation flying, manoeuvres, speed/energy, altitude, reconnaissance, the different types of armaments, how the various aircraft handle when shot at, even the procedures for refuelling. You get it pretty quick - Abnett knows what he talks about, and that's always good for the immersion. Focus is particularly paid to the heavier Thunderbolt fighters the main characters employ, but frequent attention is also given to the Lightning fighters and Marauder bombers of the other Imperial wings and the Hell Razor, Hell Talon and Locust fighters, as well as a smattering of other local airframes.
Like always, Abnett's worldbuilding is on point. The region's Mediterranean-esque continent with a southern mountain belt and hot and dry equatorial climates holds significance to the various parts of the story, despite it being focused on aircraft. Equally, the various civil settings are detailed quite pleasantly. I must also say that in particular, and without spoiling any details, the section from page 129 to page 162 had my eyes glued to the pages. As it escalated it felt very viscerally real, tense and chaotic and lent the entire novel an air of urgency that felt difficult to satisfy even with what victories do come.
My only complaint is that the book felt like it ended rather abruptly. It makes sense from a box-ticking perspective: big battle concluded, character arcs concluded, overall narrative arc concluded. Yet it still felt very sudden, with the only reprieve from being torn from my enjoyment being a page long epilogue. It gives you a very blunt finality to the world's conflict with reference to the greater context of the Sabbat Worlds crusade again - as well as a pleasant hinting at one character arc - with the cast of surviving characters beaten and bruised yet victorious. That being said, I'm not really sure how it could be done better. Equally, it leaves Abnett flexibility in eventually returning to his planned sequel for this book, Interceptor City.
And I really do hope he writes that sequel.
Abnett weaves a few subplots through the book until they all come together quite a distance in. Though a little predictable, it's definitely satisfying, and it serves as a means to introduce the reader to a varying mix of sub-settings. The main focus lies on the principle fighter squadron - of course - but you are also introduced to other squadrons, staff in the command centre and support crews and an assortment of regular soldiers and civilians. They all felt like good, real characters to me - no caricatures among them - even the allies who occasionally butt-heads. A good few of them (especially those involved in the subplots, but no spoilers even if it becomes obvious reading) go through their own character development, too, and if you're anything like me you'll find yourself rooting for them.
Of course, it's a book about aircraft, so I must talk about the aircraft. They're handled excellently with a very Second World War spin that gives much of the book's combat a very up close and fast dynamic. He's accounted for formation flying, manoeuvres, speed/energy, altitude, reconnaissance, the different types of armaments, how the various aircraft handle when shot at, even the procedures for refuelling. You get it pretty quick - Abnett knows what he talks about, and that's always good for the immersion. Focus is particularly paid to the heavier Thunderbolt fighters the main characters employ, but frequent attention is also given to the Lightning fighters and Marauder bombers of the other Imperial wings and the Hell Razor, Hell Talon and Locust fighters, as well as a smattering of other local airframes.
Like always, Abnett's worldbuilding is on point. The region's Mediterranean-esque continent with a southern mountain belt and hot and dry equatorial climates holds significance to the various parts of the story, despite it being focused on aircraft. Equally, the various civil settings are detailed quite pleasantly. I must also say that in particular, and without spoiling any details, the section from page 129 to page 162 had my eyes glued to the pages. As it escalated it felt very viscerally real, tense and chaotic and lent the entire novel an air of urgency that felt difficult to satisfy even with what victories do come.
My only complaint is that the book felt like it ended rather abruptly. It makes sense from a box-ticking perspective: big battle concluded, character arcs concluded, overall narrative arc concluded. Yet it still felt very sudden, with the only reprieve from being torn from my enjoyment being a page long epilogue. It gives you a very blunt finality to the world's conflict with reference to the greater context of the Sabbat Worlds crusade again - as well as a pleasant hinting at one character arc - with the cast of surviving characters beaten and bruised yet victorious. That being said, I'm not really sure how it could be done better. Equally, it leaves Abnett flexibility in eventually returning to his planned sequel for this book, Interceptor City.
And I really do hope he writes that sequel.
October 18, 2024
The master of Warhammer fiction, Dan Abnett, takes to the skies with the deeply addictive and ultra epic fighter pilot novel Double Eagle.
War has engulfed the Sabbat World system as the forces of the Imperium of Man attempt to reclaim multiple worlds invaded by the forces of Chaos. After years of fighting, the Imperium’s crusade has reached a tipping point, with victory or defeat for the entire campaign hanging on the results of a few key battles. While the fighting is fierce throughout the system, nowhere is it more desperate than the beleaguered world of Enothis.
After failing to conquer the Chaos footholds on Enothis, the infantry and armoured forces of the Imperium are in full retreat, attempting to traverse miles of hostile terrain to return to safe territory, all while being harassed by relentless enemy aircraft. With the fate of the planet in the balance, the commanders of the crusade deploy multiple squadrons of Imperial fighters and bombers to Enothis to turn the entire conflict into an air war. If the Imperial pilots can hold back the advancing tides of Chaos and allow the ground forces to regroup the war for Enothis may be won. But if the airmen fail, then Enothis and the entire Sabbat Worlds campaign is doomed.
Amongst the pilots sent to Enothis are the elite flyers of the Phantine Air Corps. Veterans from the recent war to liberate their home planet of Phantine, the pilots of the Phantine Air Corps are determined to do their bit in this new conflict. But the battle for Enothis will be unlike anything seen before, as thousands of Chaos aircraft descend on the planet, hoping to obliterate the defenders. Severely outnumbered, can even the dogged Phantine pilots hold back the approaching tide of dark air machines before the planet is conquered, especially with an unnaturally skilled Chaos ace stalking the skies, determined to bring every opposing pilot down in flames?
Just when I think that Dan Abnett couldn’t impress me even more, I go and read Double Eagle. A brilliant, intense, and exceptionally well-written novel that focuses on a particularly cool aspect of the Warhammer universe, Double Eagle blew me away with its great characters and elaborate air combat sequences. I had an incredible time with Double Eagle, and it gets an easy five-star rating from me.
To see the full review, click on the link below:
https://unseenlibrary.com/2024/10/18/...
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War has engulfed the Sabbat World system as the forces of the Imperium of Man attempt to reclaim multiple worlds invaded by the forces of Chaos. After years of fighting, the Imperium’s crusade has reached a tipping point, with victory or defeat for the entire campaign hanging on the results of a few key battles. While the fighting is fierce throughout the system, nowhere is it more desperate than the beleaguered world of Enothis.
After failing to conquer the Chaos footholds on Enothis, the infantry and armoured forces of the Imperium are in full retreat, attempting to traverse miles of hostile terrain to return to safe territory, all while being harassed by relentless enemy aircraft. With the fate of the planet in the balance, the commanders of the crusade deploy multiple squadrons of Imperial fighters and bombers to Enothis to turn the entire conflict into an air war. If the Imperial pilots can hold back the advancing tides of Chaos and allow the ground forces to regroup the war for Enothis may be won. But if the airmen fail, then Enothis and the entire Sabbat Worlds campaign is doomed.
Amongst the pilots sent to Enothis are the elite flyers of the Phantine Air Corps. Veterans from the recent war to liberate their home planet of Phantine, the pilots of the Phantine Air Corps are determined to do their bit in this new conflict. But the battle for Enothis will be unlike anything seen before, as thousands of Chaos aircraft descend on the planet, hoping to obliterate the defenders. Severely outnumbered, can even the dogged Phantine pilots hold back the approaching tide of dark air machines before the planet is conquered, especially with an unnaturally skilled Chaos ace stalking the skies, determined to bring every opposing pilot down in flames?
Just when I think that Dan Abnett couldn’t impress me even more, I go and read Double Eagle. A brilliant, intense, and exceptionally well-written novel that focuses on a particularly cool aspect of the Warhammer universe, Double Eagle blew me away with its great characters and elaborate air combat sequences. I had an incredible time with Double Eagle, and it gets an easy five-star rating from me.
To see the full review, click on the link below:
https://unseenlibrary.com/2024/10/18/...
For other exciting reviews and content, check out my blog at:
https://unseenlibrary.com/
August 29, 2019
I simply loved the book, though I had one qualm, which I'll express first:
The same big-picture, impersonal approach used to render the many characters in this story seemed to work against me relating to the book at the end, as it ends with a short exposition epilogue, rather than a real, narrated chapter.
Characters are just shy of fully realizing their stories and purposes outside of being pawns in a (fantastic) historical document. The short epilogue could have been an entire chapter, in which stories resolve and closure is had. Instead, I was left lingering on the phantom pages at the end of the book which didn't exist, as if my copy had been misprinted, or those pages torn out before i got it.
But the abrupt end aside, the book was fantastic. The action and tension of the dogfighting was superbly described, the world rich and livable, and the technical workings of the military and its soldiers precise and believable.
Short chapters divided by day and hour kept me on the edge of my seat as I watched events progress in an extremely clear timeline. Many a time I would begin a chapter, noting the day and time, with an utterance like "it's been 12 hours, so-and-so's fighter will still be getting repaired; they won't be going on any sorties this chapter".
Though I bemoan the ending of the book, it is the care in writing of the characters that makes the end so jarring. Every one was a single real person, without hyperbole or stereotype. I could predict what an individual in the book would say or do, so true was their character throughout the writing.
I can't stress enough, the hyperbolic grimdark of the 41st millennium is impossible, in the way that Games Workshop presents that fantasy setting of its intellectual property.
But Dan Abnett creates a real, functioning world in which real people with real lives exist. He has rekindled my love of the Warhammer 40k universe more than once with his humanising descriptions and characters.
You can't go wrong with this book, and I think if you are left wanting even more, like I was, Dan Abnett did his job.
The same big-picture, impersonal approach used to render the many characters in this story seemed to work against me relating to the book at the end, as it ends with a short exposition epilogue, rather than a real, narrated chapter.
Characters are just shy of fully realizing their stories and purposes outside of being pawns in a (fantastic) historical document. The short epilogue could have been an entire chapter, in which stories resolve and closure is had. Instead, I was left lingering on the phantom pages at the end of the book which didn't exist, as if my copy had been misprinted, or those pages torn out before i got it.
But the abrupt end aside, the book was fantastic. The action and tension of the dogfighting was superbly described, the world rich and livable, and the technical workings of the military and its soldiers precise and believable.
Short chapters divided by day and hour kept me on the edge of my seat as I watched events progress in an extremely clear timeline. Many a time I would begin a chapter, noting the day and time, with an utterance like "it's been 12 hours, so-and-so's fighter will still be getting repaired; they won't be going on any sorties this chapter".
Though I bemoan the ending of the book, it is the care in writing of the characters that makes the end so jarring. Every one was a single real person, without hyperbole or stereotype. I could predict what an individual in the book would say or do, so true was their character throughout the writing.
I can't stress enough, the hyperbolic grimdark of the 41st millennium is impossible, in the way that Games Workshop presents that fantasy setting of its intellectual property.
But Dan Abnett creates a real, functioning world in which real people with real lives exist. He has rekindled my love of the Warhammer 40k universe more than once with his humanising descriptions and characters.
You can't go wrong with this book, and I think if you are left wanting even more, like I was, Dan Abnett did his job.
November 3, 2021
Вот так надо писать про Вархаммер 40000. Мне пока только непонятно: откуда у хаосни столько классных игрушек? Тысячи самолётов, многие на уровне, а то и лучше машин Аронафтика Империалис. Ездучие базы-авианосцы на колёсиках! Где у Империума такие штуки. Хаоситов там что во всю снабжают Тёмные Механикум c десятка миров-кузнец? Похоже парням из Ока Ужаса вовсе ничего не достаётся.
Но это не те замечания, которые вредят книге. Книга отличная. Понятно, что Абнетт тянет с военной прозы до-ракетной эпохи, когда воздушные бои это дуэли самолётов и их пушек, а не конкуренция автоматических систем поражения и уклонения. Временами можно вообще забыть, что это Тьма Далёкого Будущего 41-го тысячелетия. Кажется зайдёшь в кафешку на берегу, скушаешь лорикса, выпьешь амасека, посмотришь на Средиземное море и небо Франции. Стоп, мы же в далёком космосе и хаоситское отродье космическими кораблями (кстати, где они?) перебросило на планету тысячи единиц наземной и воздушной техники и аэродромы на колёсиках. Ну, Воитель Макарот сказал как-то справляться, надо справляться.
Абнетт не такой писатель чтобы там была тьма и превозмогание. В смысле превозмогание есть, но это превозмогание человеческие. Не то что там 10 гвардейцев перебил миллионы орд хаоса и освободил планету, забив прикладами демон-принца. Вполне ясная стратегическая ситуация, когда победа достижима вполне конкретными методами: остановить вражеское наступление, перегруппировать силы, стянуть подкрепления, перейти в наступление. И персонажи у Дэна выходят живыми и трёхмерными, а не плоскими поделками. Видимо некоторые считают описывать внутренний мир излишне и отвлекает от крови, взрывов и черепов. Скорее всего такие просто не могут.
Пяти звёзд не поставлю - тут всё таки здоровое ремесло, а не искусство. Но хороший ремесленник лучше бездарного художника, а таких подавляющее большинство.
Но это не те замечания, которые вредят книге. Книга отличная. Понятно, что Абнетт тянет с военной прозы до-ракетной эпохи, когда воздушные бои это дуэли самолётов и их пушек, а не конкуренция автоматических систем поражения и уклонения. Временами можно вообще забыть, что это Тьма Далёкого Будущего 41-го тысячелетия. Кажется зайдёшь в кафешку на берегу, скушаешь лорикса, выпьешь амасека, посмотришь на Средиземное море и небо Франции. Стоп, мы же в далёком космосе и хаоситское отродье космическими кораблями (кстати, где они?) перебросило на планету тысячи единиц наземной и воздушной техники и аэродромы на колёсиках. Ну, Воитель Макарот сказал как-то справляться, надо справляться.
Абнетт не такой писатель чтобы там была тьма и превозмогание. В смысле превозмогание есть, но это превозмогание человеческие. Не то что там 10 гвардейцев перебил миллионы орд хаоса и освободил планету, забив прикладами демон-принца. Вполне ясная стратегическая ситуация, когда победа достижима вполне конкретными методами: остановить вражеское наступление, перегруппировать силы, стянуть подкрепления, перейти в наступление. И персонажи у Дэна выходят живыми и трёхмерными, а не плоскими поделками. Видимо некоторые считают описывать внутренний мир излишне и отвлекает от крови, взрывов и черепов. Скорее всего такие просто не могут.
Пяти звёзд не поставлю - тут всё таки здоровое ремесло, а не искусство. Но хороший ремесленник лучше бездарного художника, а таких подавляющее большинство.
October 7, 2024
“War claimed men. They died. Machines crashed. Leaders, like Viltry, felt guilt and remorse. It would ever be the way, for in the galaxy of man, there is only war.”
I’m sure there are a number of “Warhammer Does ” sort of books. Half the good things I’ve heard about Cain and Gaunt’s Ghosts are exactly that pitch. But I’m very glad I started with Warhammer Does The Battle of Britain because boy, oh, boy, did I love it a lot and now everything else is gonna be compared to this, especially when it comes to further ventures into the Sabbat Worlds.
Also too glad I read this after a big Space Marine thing because it really shows the malleability of this franchise. While the Blood Angels are fighting these epic, massively staked and scaled battles, the poor mad bastards of this novel are simply trying to survive. Zooming in on the micro details of the Imperium of Man and showing just how actively miserable just normal people’s existences are on these besieged worlds amidst a constant churn of war.
But there are still scant moments of heroism, death-defying moments of gallantry, harrowing action, thuddingly amazing reveals and turns from a guy who really knows how to make you care about people (and also further knows just how much to put them through the wringer).
This was a great time. Just a solid, hopelessly charged slice of 40k. Extremely happy to have finally gotten around to it (and remembering that I had checked it out in the first place, natch)
I’m sure there are a number of “Warhammer Does ” sort of books. Half the good things I’ve heard about Cain and Gaunt’s Ghosts are exactly that pitch. But I’m very glad I started with Warhammer Does The Battle of Britain because boy, oh, boy, did I love it a lot and now everything else is gonna be compared to this, especially when it comes to further ventures into the Sabbat Worlds.
Also too glad I read this after a big Space Marine thing because it really shows the malleability of this franchise. While the Blood Angels are fighting these epic, massively staked and scaled battles, the poor mad bastards of this novel are simply trying to survive. Zooming in on the micro details of the Imperium of Man and showing just how actively miserable just normal people’s existences are on these besieged worlds amidst a constant churn of war.
But there are still scant moments of heroism, death-defying moments of gallantry, harrowing action, thuddingly amazing reveals and turns from a guy who really knows how to make you care about people (and also further knows just how much to put them through the wringer).
This was a great time. Just a solid, hopelessly charged slice of 40k. Extremely happy to have finally gotten around to it (and remembering that I had checked it out in the first place, natch)
October 31, 2016
A Birodalmi Gárdáról és/vagy az Űrgárdistákról szóló „földhözragadt” regényfolyamok után a Kétfejű Sas az első olyan regény, amiben a csaták sora, és így Enothis világának a sorsa az égben dől el. Viharmadarak, Ciklonok, Pokolborotvák, elfogó-vadászokon és bombázókon repülő pilóták esnek egymásnak olyan intenzitással a könyvben, hogy hamarosan azon kezdünk el gondolkozni, hogy életben marad-e egyáltalán valaki a harcok csendesültével, aki a romokon majd eléldegélhetne akár a Császár, akár valamelyik Káosz Isten dicsőségét hirdetve. A tempó iszonyú, a pörgés, a harc szinte egy oldal erejéig sem szünetel! Még véletlenül sem hibaként emelném ki (sőt!) – főleg, hogy az előző Abnett könyv olvasása után pont az akciórészeket hiányoltam –, de ezt a non-stop akciót tessék szó szerint venni. Bevetés követ bevetést, utána, ha van egy perc szusszanásra idő – általában nincs –, akkor az elesetteket egy üveg amasec fölött meggyászolják a bajtársak, majd indul a következő menet. A regényben nincs csavar, nincs meglepetés, nincs rejtett konfliktus, nincs párbeszéd (na jó, az azért van: Umbra vezér! Umbra Nyolcas jelentkezik, vétel!), nincs főgonosz, nincs igazi világos cél, nincs semmi. Csak a Túlélés és maga a Háború.
Bővebben a blogon:
http://profunduslibrum.blogspot.hu/20...
Bővebben a blogon:
http://profunduslibrum.blogspot.hu/20...
August 12, 2023
I rate 3.5/5. It's definitely not bad for a book entirely about fighter pilots, but the enemy is basically just 1000 generic-small-enemy-fighters that blow up in one shot, 1000 generic-bombers that blow up in one shot, and 1 enemy pilot who is allowed to actually be kinda dangerous.
The enemy pilot only shows up maybe 5% of the time (which is sorta good because otherwise he'd just kill every single rookie pilot before they had an arc), but that leaves it pretty light on character opposition.
It also has a large cast, like Ocean's Thirteen or something, but since it's book 1 that came off as confusing rather than exciting. It's trying to be a gritty realistic-ish war book so I guess they needed like 16 characters so that 8-10 could quickly get killed (not spoiling which), but it's hard to get attached to characters with that many weird names added.
Nice that it ties in with setting and events of other non-airplane 40k novels, but someone who hasn't read 50 other 40k novels will not get all the obscure callouts and cross-references. Author doesn't really describe how things look, like even the vehicles that they fly the entire book, so your only way of knowing what they look like is having seen pictures from other games.
The enemy pilot only shows up maybe 5% of the time (which is sorta good because otherwise he'd just kill every single rookie pilot before they had an arc), but that leaves it pretty light on character opposition.
It also has a large cast, like Ocean's Thirteen or something, but since it's book 1 that came off as confusing rather than exciting. It's trying to be a gritty realistic-ish war book so I guess they needed like 16 characters so that 8-10 could quickly get killed (not spoiling which), but it's hard to get attached to characters with that many weird names added.
Nice that it ties in with setting and events of other non-airplane 40k novels, but someone who hasn't read 50 other 40k novels will not get all the obscure callouts and cross-references. Author doesn't really describe how things look, like even the vehicles that they fly the entire book, so your only way of knowing what they look like is having seen pictures from other games.
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