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Warhammer 40,000
Silent Hunters
A Carcharodons novel
With a millennia-long hunt close to its end, Carcharodons Chaplain Manu must redouble his efforts as he ventures into the nightmare city of Commorragh.
READ IT BECAUSE
This is your chance to learn more about the secretive savages of the Carcharodons Astra as they tangle with some of the most terrifying predators in the galaxy… almost as terrifying as themselves.
THE STORY
In the darkness beyond the galaxy, there are monsters. Some swim closer to the light, drawn by the beacon that is the Astronomican, while others stalk the Void, predators in the dark. The Carcharodons have hunted for millennia, but now they are drawn into a new blackness… the Dark City of the drukhari itself. Commorragh.
For a thousand years, Chaplain Tangata Manu has searched for a relic lost under his watch – an ancient thing, once charged into the keeping of the Forgotten One himself. But at the brink of seeing his hunt fulfilled and the relic returned, it is stolen from under him. Now, if Tangata would see his honour restored, he must lead his hunt against some of the vilest predators the galaxy has ever seen, before they can turn the artefact to their own purposes…
With a millennia-long hunt close to its end, Carcharodons Chaplain Manu must redouble his efforts as he ventures into the nightmare city of Commorragh.
READ IT BECAUSE
This is your chance to learn more about the secretive savages of the Carcharodons Astra as they tangle with some of the most terrifying predators in the galaxy… almost as terrifying as themselves.
THE STORY
In the darkness beyond the galaxy, there are monsters. Some swim closer to the light, drawn by the beacon that is the Astronomican, while others stalk the Void, predators in the dark. The Carcharodons have hunted for millennia, but now they are drawn into a new blackness… the Dark City of the drukhari itself. Commorragh.
For a thousand years, Chaplain Tangata Manu has searched for a relic lost under his watch – an ancient thing, once charged into the keeping of the Forgotten One himself. But at the brink of seeing his hunt fulfilled and the relic returned, it is stolen from under him. Now, if Tangata would see his honour restored, he must lead his hunt against some of the vilest predators the galaxy has ever seen, before they can turn the artefact to their own purposes…
352 pages, Paperback
First published March 27, 2021
45 people are currently reading
133 people want to read
About the author
Edoardo Albert
55 books157 followersEdoardo Albert is a writer of Sri Lankan and Italian extraction based in London. He writes about history and archaeology, particularly of the early Medieval period, as well as writing historical and speculative fiction.
Find out more about him and his work at www.edoardoalbert.com. Follow him on Twitter @EdoardoAlbert or like him on Facebook.
Find out more about him and his work at www.edoardoalbert.com. Follow him on Twitter @EdoardoAlbert or like him on Facebook.
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
April 11, 2021
Before I begin we must first acknowledge the position of this book. It comes after the previous two novels and two short stories by Robbie Macniven. Some of the same characters from Macniven's books appear in Silent Hunters. Macniven built upon the foundational work from the Badab War series, which popularized the Carcharadon Astra (space sharks). At time of writing, 36% of the reviews for this book are five stars. 39% are one stars, mine included. The other ~30% are two through four stars. The dividing line between the reviews is how the reader treats this novel departing from the space shark lore. Now onto the review. I will spoil parts of the bizarre plot.
Edoardo Albert the author favors "abstract" description over "concrete" description. I estimate 70-90% of this novel's descriptive text is abstract. Concrete would describe the marine's armor as gray. Abstract text may describe a character's face reveal as "face of death." The little concrete description we get is either inaccurate or lacks necessary specificity. The abstract text frequently reads like an LSD trip, focusing on pretty sounding text. It is very pretty, but by the end you have consumed 300 pages of fortune cookies. Shallow good sounding maxims leaving you hungry a couple hours later.
Regarding descriptive details, it feels as though the author only read a bare bones Lexicanum wiki summary or the Carcharadons. I highly doubt he read any of Macniven's stories or Badab War background. His descriptions rarely fit the enigmatic space sharks. For example, Chaplain Manu and his marines (referred to as "the hunt") are all referred to as gray giants. This caught my attention since chaplains wear black armor. My hardcover novel shows him wearing black armor. The book is filled with these minor inconsistencies. "The hunt" marines weapon choices also seem odd. One uses a power sword. The space sharks use chain melee weapons near exclusively. It doesn't fit them to randomly use a power sword. Then the space sharks terminators have no descriptive text beyond they wear terminator armor. We learn in Macniven's books that 1st company are called the "Red Brethren." Their armor is painted an offwhite shade. Their armor becomes red with the blood of their foes.
Building on the Red Brethren oddity, this brings us to the characters in the novel. The Red Brethren report directly to the chaptermaster. Red Brethren squads accompany battle companies to ensure compliance of the chaptermaster's will. They are feared/disliked by the rest of the chapter. None of this gets mentioned or alluded to. Or the Chief Librarian Te Kahurangi, twin brother of Chaplain acts very oddly compared to his Macniven appearances. He also is only described as a generic librarian, rather than the head psyker bookkeeper. Macniven depicted Te Kahurangi as wise and foresightful. He also knew how to treat "mortal humans" to get them to do what he wanted, even without psyker mind tricks. In the book he shows no wisdom, foresight or general intelligence.
Most dammingly, Tyberos the Red Wake exerts very minimal influence on his chapter in this story. At the very end of the story, Chaplain Manu recovers the magic mcguffin. In a fit of tired tropes, he and Te Kahurangi think it is too powerful for their chapter to possess. They dump it on an ocean world. Chaplain Manu spent 1500 years just looking for this magic mcguffin. This is both disappointing narratively and inconsistent. The chaplain and Chief Librarian defy Tyberos the Red Wake by doing this. Te Kahurangi was established as loyal and trusts Tyberos. Why would he randomly disobey orders to bring back the mcguffin, even if his twin brother thought otherwise? If Tyberos could not trust his Chief Librarian, then he would have sent some Red Brethren along.
Lastly, we see the a chapter slave, a mother. She has an unpermitted pregnancy (single mother character insert), which she somehow had in secret, on a frigate class ship. Her delivery the author handwaves by saying she used a strap of leather to bite down on. He eludes to mention how none of her fellow serfs noted the obviously pregnant woman. A frigate isn't that large a vessel. She somehow charms a council of 1000+ year old marines to spare her and her son because "she reminded them of their mom." Incidentally, Te Kahurangi wants to space her, while Chaplain Manu wants to use her son's mcguffin webway finding skill to find the magic mcguffin. The wise Chief Librarian shows none of the wisdom he's supposed to possess.
In short, spare yourself the purchase as a 40k fan. This is not a proper 40k novel. It is a graphic novel purely in text format. Furthermore between the inconsistent descriptive and character details the chapter in this novel might as well be a generic ultramarine successor.
Edoardo Albert the author favors "abstract" description over "concrete" description. I estimate 70-90% of this novel's descriptive text is abstract. Concrete would describe the marine's armor as gray. Abstract text may describe a character's face reveal as "face of death." The little concrete description we get is either inaccurate or lacks necessary specificity. The abstract text frequently reads like an LSD trip, focusing on pretty sounding text. It is very pretty, but by the end you have consumed 300 pages of fortune cookies. Shallow good sounding maxims leaving you hungry a couple hours later.
Regarding descriptive details, it feels as though the author only read a bare bones Lexicanum wiki summary or the Carcharadons. I highly doubt he read any of Macniven's stories or Badab War background. His descriptions rarely fit the enigmatic space sharks. For example, Chaplain Manu and his marines (referred to as "the hunt") are all referred to as gray giants. This caught my attention since chaplains wear black armor. My hardcover novel shows him wearing black armor. The book is filled with these minor inconsistencies. "The hunt" marines weapon choices also seem odd. One uses a power sword. The space sharks use chain melee weapons near exclusively. It doesn't fit them to randomly use a power sword. Then the space sharks terminators have no descriptive text beyond they wear terminator armor. We learn in Macniven's books that 1st company are called the "Red Brethren." Their armor is painted an offwhite shade. Their armor becomes red with the blood of their foes.
Building on the Red Brethren oddity, this brings us to the characters in the novel. The Red Brethren report directly to the chaptermaster. Red Brethren squads accompany battle companies to ensure compliance of the chaptermaster's will. They are feared/disliked by the rest of the chapter. None of this gets mentioned or alluded to. Or the Chief Librarian Te Kahurangi, twin brother of Chaplain acts very oddly compared to his Macniven appearances. He also is only described as a generic librarian, rather than the head psyker bookkeeper. Macniven depicted Te Kahurangi as wise and foresightful. He also knew how to treat "mortal humans" to get them to do what he wanted, even without psyker mind tricks. In the book he shows no wisdom, foresight or general intelligence.
Most dammingly, Tyberos the Red Wake exerts very minimal influence on his chapter in this story. At the very end of the story, Chaplain Manu recovers the magic mcguffin. In a fit of tired tropes, he and Te Kahurangi think it is too powerful for their chapter to possess. They dump it on an ocean world. Chaplain Manu spent 1500 years just looking for this magic mcguffin. This is both disappointing narratively and inconsistent. The chaplain and Chief Librarian defy Tyberos the Red Wake by doing this. Te Kahurangi was established as loyal and trusts Tyberos. Why would he randomly disobey orders to bring back the mcguffin, even if his twin brother thought otherwise? If Tyberos could not trust his Chief Librarian, then he would have sent some Red Brethren along.
Lastly, we see the a chapter slave, a mother. She has an unpermitted pregnancy (single mother character insert), which she somehow had in secret, on a frigate class ship. Her delivery the author handwaves by saying she used a strap of leather to bite down on. He eludes to mention how none of her fellow serfs noted the obviously pregnant woman. A frigate isn't that large a vessel. She somehow charms a council of 1000+ year old marines to spare her and her son because "she reminded them of their mom." Incidentally, Te Kahurangi wants to space her, while Chaplain Manu wants to use her son's mcguffin webway finding skill to find the magic mcguffin. The wise Chief Librarian shows none of the wisdom he's supposed to possess.
In short, spare yourself the purchase as a 40k fan. This is not a proper 40k novel. It is a graphic novel purely in text format. Furthermore between the inconsistent descriptive and character details the chapter in this novel might as well be a generic ultramarine successor.
March 31, 2021
This book destroyed everything I knew about Carcharodons. It does not take into account everything that has been written before. This book ignores all the rules of the world.
October 19, 2021
Edoardo Albert’s debut Black Library novel, Silent Hunters is a tale of sinister predators, familial bonds, the consequences of extreme age and relentless, single-minded dedication to duty, set amidst the horror and wonder of the Warhammer 40,000 setting. On the face of things it sounds like a fairly standard Space Marine-heavy 40k adventure story, but for all of its familiar elements – the Imperial POV, the quest, the human characters to provide contrast with the Space Marines, the inevitable boltguns-blazing action – it is in fact an inventive, unconventional novel that feels very 40k but at the same time very different to anything else in the canon.
Albert’s prose style, characters and narrative choices consistently subvert expectations when considered against most other Black Library stories, offering up insight and philosophy where you might expect bombast and finding unexpected angles on familiar tropes. It’s very much a development of the Carcharadons, rather than a slavish recreation of their previous depictions, but that’s the joy of 40k as a shared setting – in isolation this is a bold, wildly imaginative story, but when taken in context of what’s gone before it adds depth, nuance and another perspective on the characters and setting. Original, thoughtful and occasionally even playful, in the end this proves as bleak and powerful as any 40k story, and is tailor-made for fans interested in a fresh new perspective on life on the fringes of the 41st millennium.
Read the full review at https://www.trackofwords.com/2021/10/...
Albert’s prose style, characters and narrative choices consistently subvert expectations when considered against most other Black Library stories, offering up insight and philosophy where you might expect bombast and finding unexpected angles on familiar tropes. It’s very much a development of the Carcharadons, rather than a slavish recreation of their previous depictions, but that’s the joy of 40k as a shared setting – in isolation this is a bold, wildly imaginative story, but when taken in context of what’s gone before it adds depth, nuance and another perspective on the characters and setting. Original, thoughtful and occasionally even playful, in the end this proves as bleak and powerful as any 40k story, and is tailor-made for fans interested in a fresh new perspective on life on the fringes of the 41st millennium.
Read the full review at https://www.trackofwords.com/2021/10/...
March 30, 2021
Perhaps I will start with the fact that the book and the events contained in it are not worth anything in monetary terms. I sincerely regretted after buying this book, because I supported the author, who completely ignored the story of the order-the hero of the book. All the efforts to create the lore outlined in imperial armour and 4 of McNiven's works are simply crossed out for the sake of the symbolism of Ala Peter Fehervari. Very much at first there was a naked calculation on meeting the book as a pleasant offshoot from the main plot, which was built around the company of Bale Sharr. However, we are faced with the feverish delirium of one writer who has composed a simply high-quality graphomaniac fan fiction, in which "the power of love and castration" surpasses everything in the world.
March 31, 2021
worst book on warhammer.One must be able to ruin a good series of books. I hope GW will be noticed? From a distinctive order of the Space Marines, turning into "another order". Those who had read the previous books about sharks, badly vomited, and those who are familiar with the universe were horrified. even fan stories look better. Yes, the author can write, but he does not fully understand how the world of warhammer works.
take recruiter in 16 years???
power of love???
Lilith scared????
marines have memory's?????????
carharadons speak in to battle??????????
recruiting like another order???? srsly????
all we love about carharadons been destroyed!!!
GW and BL plz stop this author!!!!!!
take recruiter in 16 years???
power of love???
Lilith scared????
marines have memory's?????????
carharadons speak in to battle??????????
recruiting like another order???? srsly????
all we love about carharadons been destroyed!!!
GW and BL plz stop this author!!!!!!
March 31, 2021
Complete disregard for previous books about sharks.
Disgusting work of editors ... hope this is not what the author originally intended ...
Burn all copies!
I don't even recommend looking at this book.
It seems that the editors and the author himself have some kind of sexual disorder ...
Disgusting work of editors ... hope this is not what the author originally intended ...
Burn all copies!
I don't even recommend looking at this book.
It seems that the editors and the author himself have some kind of sexual disorder ...
February 20, 2022
As a huge fan of Macniven and his Carcharodons series, this book was underwhelming at best.
While not great, it isn't terrible. It just wasn't a Carcharodons book.
It ignored established lore about the chapter and their history whilst changing bits and pieces about characters that contradicts and retcons already established information.
The story was quite interesting and characters were okay, it still came across as underwhelming and lacked the same level of world building and character progression as the other books.
This could have been much better if it wasn't about the Carcharodons. They just don't feel right.
While not great, it isn't terrible. It just wasn't a Carcharodons book.
It ignored established lore about the chapter and their history whilst changing bits and pieces about characters that contradicts and retcons already established information.
The story was quite interesting and characters were okay, it still came across as underwhelming and lacked the same level of world building and character progression as the other books.
This could have been much better if it wasn't about the Carcharodons. They just don't feel right.
April 25, 2021
I enjoyed this book. But some other people seem to hate it so much they created multiple sockpuppet accounts to give it a one-star review. Fuck those people.
April 8, 2021
I absolutely loved this novel.
As someone who has over two hundred warhammer novels and slavishly follows the lore, i can say that i find the quality to have been in decline recent years.
seems that the authors are spitting out new novels and not worrying if it makes an interesting read or not.
Silent Hunters was the first book in years that i couldn't stop reading. Naturally i have read and re-read both Red tithe and Outer dark which feature the Carcharodons and allthough i liked them both. I must say that Silent hunters was better than both of them. BY FAR!
Edoardo Albert paints the Charcharodons in the perfect "light". Silent, terrible but noble at heart.
But the correct portrayal wouldn't be good enough. this had so much more. An epic story, and alot more than just endless combat narrative. That Lelith Hesperax is involved is just icing on the cake :)
I really cant understand how people haven't enjoyed this. Really, compare this with recent 40k novels (first 3 siege of terra novels comes to mind, swords of calth ecs) and tell me its bad..
This novel is not just an endless series of battles where 70% is just how they fight. This is deeper and the bad guys get what's coming. And any 40k fan who doesn't enjoy Dark eldar getting whats coming to them, you are not a 40k fan or you are a terrible person. :)
I've never posted a review before but seeing the negative feedback this has gotten i feel like i have to. I REALLY CANT UNDERSTAND YOU! did you even read it? or did you find one little detail that bothered you so much you stopped reading after 10 pages?
5 out of 5. I recommend it to all.
As someone who has over two hundred warhammer novels and slavishly follows the lore, i can say that i find the quality to have been in decline recent years.
seems that the authors are spitting out new novels and not worrying if it makes an interesting read or not.
Silent Hunters was the first book in years that i couldn't stop reading. Naturally i have read and re-read both Red tithe and Outer dark which feature the Carcharodons and allthough i liked them both. I must say that Silent hunters was better than both of them. BY FAR!
Edoardo Albert paints the Charcharodons in the perfect "light". Silent, terrible but noble at heart.
But the correct portrayal wouldn't be good enough. this had so much more. An epic story, and alot more than just endless combat narrative. That Lelith Hesperax is involved is just icing on the cake :)
I really cant understand how people haven't enjoyed this. Really, compare this with recent 40k novels (first 3 siege of terra novels comes to mind, swords of calth ecs) and tell me its bad..
This novel is not just an endless series of battles where 70% is just how they fight. This is deeper and the bad guys get what's coming. And any 40k fan who doesn't enjoy Dark eldar getting whats coming to them, you are not a 40k fan or you are a terrible person. :)
I've never posted a review before but seeing the negative feedback this has gotten i feel like i have to. I REALLY CANT UNDERSTAND YOU! did you even read it? or did you find one little detail that bothered you so much you stopped reading after 10 pages?
5 out of 5. I recommend it to all.
March 31, 2021
This is a new and interesting take on the Carcharadons examining them in relation to the Void in which they live and hunt. The characters, in particular Chaplain Tangata Manu, dig deeper into the ethos of the Chapter and the fractured relationship between Tangata Manu and his brother, Te Kahurangi, a brother in the flesh as well as in battle, shows the tensions inherent in the Chapter's isolation. I found the inclusion of the Chapter serfs, Iraia and her son, Jona, a welcome insight into the faceless underclass and, as the story progressed, their importance grew - turns out that winning battles is not always about who has the bigger bolters. Something of a tonic in the 40k universe.
The journey into Commorragh was suitably nightmareish; the dream architecture of the palace of the Kabal of the Pierced Rose - a mile-high rose - lending a surreal edge to the setting. To set alongside Iraia and Jona, the chapter serfs, we meet Marek Krayt, a low-life Drukhari, a junkie, a renegade and quite possibly my favourite new 40k character. It's 'Trainspotting' in the 40k universe, with just as much energy and invention as the original. The archon, Ilu Limnu, is drawn to show the ennui of millennia of excess where all that is left is an ending.
Loved the book.
The journey into Commorragh was suitably nightmareish; the dream architecture of the palace of the Kabal of the Pierced Rose - a mile-high rose - lending a surreal edge to the setting. To set alongside Iraia and Jona, the chapter serfs, we meet Marek Krayt, a low-life Drukhari, a junkie, a renegade and quite possibly my favourite new 40k character. It's 'Trainspotting' in the 40k universe, with just as much energy and invention as the original. The archon, Ilu Limnu, is drawn to show the ennui of millennia of excess where all that is left is an ending.
Loved the book.
April 11, 2021
This is definitely a good read. I couldn't put it down and I have already read it twice. I believe that lorewise the book is ok and I find it strange that some reviews are that negative. The only thing I didn't like in the book is that a certain character has many similarities to... Hodor from GoT.
April 7, 2021
My favorite 40K read of 2021 (so far). Carcharodons vs the Drukhari in Commorragh.
March 29, 2021
I’ve been a fan of the Carcharodons for a long time and this novel does so much for this mysterious Chapter. We get to dive into the mindset of Chaplain Manu and the deeper beliefs and culture of the Chapter and their reverence of the dark and pitiless void. The drukhari are suitable depraved, vicious sadist artists and Commorragh as creepy and evil as expected. I read this in a matter of days and cannot recommend it enough!
July 9, 2021
5 stars to make up for the pissbabies reviewbombing
June 21, 2022
Reading previous reviews, it’s apparent that many people were upset with Albert’s treatment of the source material. Seeing as how I am not too familiar with the particular space marine chapter this story focuses on, I am writing this review as such.
Firstly, Albert’s writing style is very good. He is detailed but not overly so, and he creates good pictures of the characters and environments. He’s very good at immersing the reader in the world he is creating. The action and battle scenes are well written, but very gory. (Normal for a 40k novel) The characters are much more human than I’m used to in a 40k book, but I ended up liking this aspect.
The story itself is also very well done. There’s plenty of twists and turns during the characters journeys. It honestly feels like a space faring adventure. The characters journey through multiple locales, and the journey changes all of them in different ways. There is a surprising amount of character development in such few pages.
The story follows a small group of space marines belonging to the Carcharadons chapter. The marines are on a “hunt” for a long lost object of special importance to the chapter. During the course of the hunt they find themselves helped by unlikely Allies and in ever more dangerous situations. The climax of the book is excellently done, in a final battle kind of way, but the way events end up being resolved still feels right.
If you are a huge fan of the carcharadons space marines chapter, you may want to skip it, but read the other reviews first. If your’e not a huge lore guy and just want a good, fast paced story in a warhammer setting, it’s worth it. It definitely stands out from other novels in the universe in the way it’s characters are portrayed. I honestly hope to see more warhammer novels from this author, and am tempted to pick up his other writing as well.
Firstly, Albert’s writing style is very good. He is detailed but not overly so, and he creates good pictures of the characters and environments. He’s very good at immersing the reader in the world he is creating. The action and battle scenes are well written, but very gory. (Normal for a 40k novel) The characters are much more human than I’m used to in a 40k book, but I ended up liking this aspect.
The story itself is also very well done. There’s plenty of twists and turns during the characters journeys. It honestly feels like a space faring adventure. The characters journey through multiple locales, and the journey changes all of them in different ways. There is a surprising amount of character development in such few pages.
The story follows a small group of space marines belonging to the Carcharadons chapter. The marines are on a “hunt” for a long lost object of special importance to the chapter. During the course of the hunt they find themselves helped by unlikely Allies and in ever more dangerous situations. The climax of the book is excellently done, in a final battle kind of way, but the way events end up being resolved still feels right.
If you are a huge fan of the carcharadons space marines chapter, you may want to skip it, but read the other reviews first. If your’e not a huge lore guy and just want a good, fast paced story in a warhammer setting, it’s worth it. It definitely stands out from other novels in the universe in the way it’s characters are portrayed. I honestly hope to see more warhammer novels from this author, and am tempted to pick up his other writing as well.
July 4, 2021
I really enjoyed the book - the first third of the book was a bit slow from the pacing but from then on the patience paid off. The character building was quite good and once the Space Sharks got on the trail of the Drukhari I had a blast. The breaking of Utakk was funny as well as the scene were Tangatu challenged the Wych to throw her off-guard was amazing. I do not share the sentiment that the book portrayed the chapter in a wrong light. Actually the book did a great job on expanding on existing lore and showing a small kernel of remaining humanity in a chapter which was outcast by Corax for being monsters :)!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 5, 2021
This is a great first start for the author in the Black library catalogue. This book does a lot to continue fleshing out the Carcharadons in conjunction with the MacNiven books to help establish who this chapter of space marines are. I’ve always been a big fan of the more abstract, character study books in the range, though I know those can be the most controversial. It was also great character study of the dark eldar, especially those who aren’t only defined their edgelord pain-junky status. My suggestions for a future work would be to maybe flesh out more of the supporting characters such as the other Carcharadons in the squad, I would have loved their perspective on the hunt as well.
July 3, 2021
This was a stunningly mature and elegiac read of cold duty and family love. Two space marine brothers embark on a quest to recover a chapter relic accompanied by a mother and son. They journey to Commoragh. That’s not the draw. The draw is the stoic space marines and the family that are economically characterized. The draw is the soulful, tragic, and bittersweet ending. That was a good read. I’d love to read this writer on my Space Wolves; from the Judges to the Executioners.
May 24, 2021
This being my third Carcharodon story I have noticed a pattern. The first book I read compared the void hunters to the nightlords, the second pared the nomadfleet with the hive fleet rising from deep space and this book sets these killers against the dark eldar. I am going to go on a limb here but I am making a bet that the next one will feature the necrons. Each of stories was unique, focusing on different aspects of this unique space marine chapter that stalks the darkness beyond the light of waning stars.
Each of the books has used the setting and plot to delve deeper into their mythos and culture of silence and self image of predators from the deep aka the sharks that adorn their pauldrons. As quint in Jaws said "The thing about a shark, it's got lifeless eyes, black eyes, like a doll's eyes. ... until he bites you, and those black eyes roll over white." ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUuH4...) I knew I would like it as a gimmick but I genuinely love it. Like sharks, they aren't twisted killers like the night lords or sadists like the dark eldar nor are they mindless devourers like the tyranids. Sharks kill to survive as do these space marines. Each of their enemies in these stories have been unnearved by these silent ferocious killers, seemingly emotionless drones the one moment and then blood mad animals a moment after. The carcharodons are by far one of my favorite space marine chapters and that is for a large part due to the high quality stories that have been written about them that explore this unique space marine chapter culture.
Having said that, although I liked a lot of this book, the particular plot of the story, the quest for the lost piece of the void,entrusted to the forgotten one by the void father, it wasn't really my thing. Space marines as a concept combine elements of more modern soldiery with feudal knights and these kinds of pilgrim, penance and quest plot are a hit or miss thing for me. Perhaps because this story had all three of these knight stories elements to them with a bit of dante's divinia commedia thrown in for good measure that to me the scifi aspect of this warhammer 40K was a bit to diluted for my taste.
Likewise I did not quite like the main character Tangata Manu that much but as a rule I am not that into chaplains so he was ok but his and his fellow space marine's spotlight was stolen by the various dark eldar characters. A deacon poet, an archeon of kabal tired off life, a dark eldar junkie? For the first time we really get a look at the lower half of the dark eldar society and it was surprisingly fun to read and follow these characters. I don't know if it was intentional but I had genuinely hard time to humanize the carcharodons, I could far easier sympathize with the dark eldar characters then I did the space marines, to an extent that for a while I did not know for sure whether the junkie was an eldar at all! Which is a bit of down side in it's own right when you think about it. Finally there was Jona and his mother; having a human in their care is classic way to humanize spacemarines, and a "you made me remember why we fight for humanity" moment was to be expected. Almost a cliché at this point when it comes to spacemarine lore and stories.
If I made it seem as if I disliked the story, that is not quite true. I did like the story but it had aspects to it that I wasn't fully on board for. I tend to love the space marines as chapters and how they function in the imperium, for that alone I find the carcharodons so intriguing with their whole existence on the literal fringe of the galaxy. Their struggle for survival is a strong story that I love to delve into as much as their silent ferocity in combat. But I like my space marine story a bit more straightforward with more grounded goals as plotpoint such as defense of the imperium/recruiting/ acquisition of resources for the chapter rather then focusing on a spiritual penance pilgrimage plot as was the case in this book. People who do like those kinds of plot will have much to like as will those who want to delve deeper into this peculiar space marine chapter and the dark eldar fans have much to appreciate in this slightly different take on space marine stories.
Each of the books has used the setting and plot to delve deeper into their mythos and culture of silence and self image of predators from the deep aka the sharks that adorn their pauldrons. As quint in Jaws said "The thing about a shark, it's got lifeless eyes, black eyes, like a doll's eyes. ... until he bites you, and those black eyes roll over white." ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUuH4...) I knew I would like it as a gimmick but I genuinely love it. Like sharks, they aren't twisted killers like the night lords or sadists like the dark eldar nor are they mindless devourers like the tyranids. Sharks kill to survive as do these space marines. Each of their enemies in these stories have been unnearved by these silent ferocious killers, seemingly emotionless drones the one moment and then blood mad animals a moment after. The carcharodons are by far one of my favorite space marine chapters and that is for a large part due to the high quality stories that have been written about them that explore this unique space marine chapter culture.
Having said that, although I liked a lot of this book, the particular plot of the story, the quest for the lost piece of the void,entrusted to the forgotten one by the void father, it wasn't really my thing. Space marines as a concept combine elements of more modern soldiery with feudal knights and these kinds of pilgrim, penance and quest plot are a hit or miss thing for me. Perhaps because this story had all three of these knight stories elements to them with a bit of dante's divinia commedia thrown in for good measure that to me the scifi aspect of this warhammer 40K was a bit to diluted for my taste.
Likewise I did not quite like the main character Tangata Manu that much but as a rule I am not that into chaplains so he was ok but his and his fellow space marine's spotlight was stolen by the various dark eldar characters. A deacon poet, an archeon of kabal tired off life, a dark eldar junkie? For the first time we really get a look at the lower half of the dark eldar society and it was surprisingly fun to read and follow these characters. I don't know if it was intentional but I had genuinely hard time to humanize the carcharodons, I could far easier sympathize with the dark eldar characters then I did the space marines, to an extent that for a while I did not know for sure whether the junkie was an eldar at all! Which is a bit of down side in it's own right when you think about it. Finally there was Jona and his mother; having a human in their care is classic way to humanize spacemarines, and a "you made me remember why we fight for humanity" moment was to be expected. Almost a cliché at this point when it comes to spacemarine lore and stories.
If I made it seem as if I disliked the story, that is not quite true. I did like the story but it had aspects to it that I wasn't fully on board for. I tend to love the space marines as chapters and how they function in the imperium, for that alone I find the carcharodons so intriguing with their whole existence on the literal fringe of the galaxy. Their struggle for survival is a strong story that I love to delve into as much as their silent ferocity in combat. But I like my space marine story a bit more straightforward with more grounded goals as plotpoint such as defense of the imperium/recruiting/ acquisition of resources for the chapter rather then focusing on a spiritual penance pilgrimage plot as was the case in this book. People who do like those kinds of plot will have much to like as will those who want to delve deeper into this peculiar space marine chapter and the dark eldar fans have much to appreciate in this slightly different take on space marine stories.
November 27, 2021
As a debut Black Library novel, Silent Hunters wasn't bad by any means. At the same time, it didn't quite manage to stand out amongst the countless other books set in the far future of the 40k universe. The Carcharodons come across as generic copies of the early Games Workshop Space Marines. There are some minor inconsistencies with the greater 40k lore that definitely stand out as well. A drukhari Master of Ceremony speaks exactly like a human (down to using the word "grox"), the Space Marines are described repeatedly as "grey giants" despite one of their number being a Chaplain (wearing black armor on the novel's cover, no less), and there are clashes with the Carcharodon culture established in Robbie MacNiven's Red Tithe and Outer Dark.
There are moments in the novel that are memorable and that truly stand out amongst the trope "retrieve an artifact or die trying" plot. The simmering conflict between Te Kahurangi and Tangata Manu, the drukhari raid upon the At the Emperor's Pleasure, and the many delightfully twisted drukhari characters woven throughout the story all come to mind. Such moments serve to propel the plot along and add excitement to the story.
As others have already pointed out in previous reviews, the ending is very rushed.
In conclusion, Silent Hunters seemed to me to be a mixed bag of a novel. Elements of the story were captivating and offered an exciting new perspective on the 40k universe, while the rather generic plot and bland descriptions of the Carcharodons weighed down the story at times. For a debut novel, I think Mr. Albert shows incredible potential to build upon in future 40k works.
There are moments in the novel that are memorable and that truly stand out amongst the trope "retrieve an artifact or die trying" plot. The simmering conflict between Te Kahurangi and Tangata Manu, the drukhari raid upon the At the Emperor's Pleasure, and the many delightfully twisted drukhari characters woven throughout the story all come to mind. Such moments serve to propel the plot along and add excitement to the story.
As others have already pointed out in previous reviews, the ending is very rushed.
In conclusion, Silent Hunters seemed to me to be a mixed bag of a novel. Elements of the story were captivating and offered an exciting new perspective on the 40k universe, while the rather generic plot and bland descriptions of the Carcharodons weighed down the story at times. For a debut novel, I think Mr. Albert shows incredible potential to build upon in future 40k works.
October 21, 2021
I can see a lot of 1 star reviews for this mainly comparing this book to previous novels of the Carcharodons. I haven't read any of those so this review is from someone experiencing them for the first time.
Despite that, I found the Sharks pretty boring. They go hard for the being overly mysterious warrior type, I think only two of the Sharks ever really speak throughout this because the rest are sworn to silence. Despite that I think there are only 6 sharks in total which admittedly does make everything they do quite unbelievable.
Space Marines are meant to be super human and incredibly. Some books forget this and go the wrong way, making them cannon fodders. This definitely goes the other way making them all unkillable until their plot armour very suddenly falls off at one point in the story to ramp up the drama.
I don't like the Dark Eldar as a villain race. I usually dislike any novel with them as the villains but this surprised me, at the start it was very cliché Dark Eldar writing but the few Dark Eldar characters really grew on me and became the most likeable characters.
The entire novel is based on a quest to find "something". It's meant to be mysterious and the set up for it is pretty weak but I did find myself wondering what would happen the entire time once they finally got it. I was incredibly underwhelmed when they got it and the power that was revealed is just bizarre and nearly comical in the end.
The book suffers the same as most Warhammer books, the ending is incredibly weak. It is very rushed, characters just suddenly start dying for closure and you're just left wondering how it could take a few hundred pages for them to get to this point then try to wrap it up in 5 pages.
I started the book and had about a 2 in my head, then it climbed to a 4 then it went down to a 3, very close to a 2 though.
Despite that, I found the Sharks pretty boring. They go hard for the being overly mysterious warrior type, I think only two of the Sharks ever really speak throughout this because the rest are sworn to silence. Despite that I think there are only 6 sharks in total which admittedly does make everything they do quite unbelievable.
Space Marines are meant to be super human and incredibly. Some books forget this and go the wrong way, making them cannon fodders. This definitely goes the other way making them all unkillable until their plot armour very suddenly falls off at one point in the story to ramp up the drama.
I don't like the Dark Eldar as a villain race. I usually dislike any novel with them as the villains but this surprised me, at the start it was very cliché Dark Eldar writing but the few Dark Eldar characters really grew on me and became the most likeable characters.
The entire novel is based on a quest to find "something". It's meant to be mysterious and the set up for it is pretty weak but I did find myself wondering what would happen the entire time once they finally got it. I was incredibly underwhelmed when they got it and the power that was revealed is just bizarre and nearly comical in the end.
The book suffers the same as most Warhammer books, the ending is incredibly weak. It is very rushed, characters just suddenly start dying for closure and you're just left wondering how it could take a few hundred pages for them to get to this point then try to wrap it up in 5 pages.
I started the book and had about a 2 in my head, then it climbed to a 4 then it went down to a 3, very close to a 2 though.
May 25, 2021
This book is more a chore than a good read. The lore might be unusual but the constant mix metaphor, clash of style and prose. It actually feels like the author had rehashed another work at times, or another book and spliced into this one. In many way it's reads like a poorly translated copy of a foreign language book which might have been good, but fails due to poor communication. Ones problem is that it reads as a book of two parts and unfortunately at the same time. It's like the author and editor were rewriting the book, and both at the same time. Or working poetic writing that feels like another source or style into the story, again slips back to mixed metaphor
It also reads like the author had only a basic fundamental understanding of the wh40k universe and the lore. Like someone who asked a friend about a subject then writes treaties about that subject without understanding the actual nuances of it and sadly that shows. A bit more reading of the cultures in question and less on the stylish prose would have made this book far better. It's also not helped by the sloppy attempt to suggest lost Primarch origin, maybe, maybe not moment, and cut and paste a Polynesian/Maui culture on to a Space marine chapter in such a poor way.
The style is sloppy, the writing more so. Like any series you will have some books that are not upto the usual standards and that is ok, and the GW series has seen some over the years. However this book feels like it badly slipped through the net and a real shame as could have been great.
It also reads like the author had only a basic fundamental understanding of the wh40k universe and the lore. Like someone who asked a friend about a subject then writes treaties about that subject without understanding the actual nuances of it and sadly that shows. A bit more reading of the cultures in question and less on the stylish prose would have made this book far better. It's also not helped by the sloppy attempt to suggest lost Primarch origin, maybe, maybe not moment, and cut and paste a Polynesian/Maui culture on to a Space marine chapter in such a poor way.
The style is sloppy, the writing more so. Like any series you will have some books that are not upto the usual standards and that is ok, and the GW series has seen some over the years. However this book feels like it badly slipped through the net and a real shame as could have been great.
February 22, 2024
I went into this one not overly sure what to expect. It didn't sound like it was going to be the typical Space Marine shooty extravaganza that readers of the Warhammer universes expect when they pick up a book with an Adeptus Astartes emblazoned on the cover.
Was it a typical shooter for bibliophiles? No.
Was that a bad or a good thing? A bloody amazing thing!
It feels like the folk at Black Library have tried to break the mould with this one by making it a more character-driven novel than your usual Space Marine experience. It's incredibly rare that, outside of the Horus Heresy (which has over 50 books in it, so I'd expect that to get a mention in this category) a Space Marine novel has me thinking how deep the characters are and how in-depth the world-building is.
We get the chapter's background, some seriously cool, non-Space Marine characters and some incredible looks into not only the society of the Dark Eldar, but their psychology as well.
The writing is paced excellently and had me not wanting to stop when my brain was really insisting that I do other things. All in all, this was a breath of fresh air that I wasn't expecting and I feel it hits a little harder because of having so little expectation of what I was going to get.
Hopefully more of my random Black Library pick ups are as enjoyable.
The narration was as close to perfect as you could get and the characters felt more alive because of Gareth's work in this.
Was it a typical shooter for bibliophiles? No.
Was that a bad or a good thing? A bloody amazing thing!
It feels like the folk at Black Library have tried to break the mould with this one by making it a more character-driven novel than your usual Space Marine experience. It's incredibly rare that, outside of the Horus Heresy (which has over 50 books in it, so I'd expect that to get a mention in this category) a Space Marine novel has me thinking how deep the characters are and how in-depth the world-building is.
We get the chapter's background, some seriously cool, non-Space Marine characters and some incredible looks into not only the society of the Dark Eldar, but their psychology as well.
The writing is paced excellently and had me not wanting to stop when my brain was really insisting that I do other things. All in all, this was a breath of fresh air that I wasn't expecting and I feel it hits a little harder because of having so little expectation of what I was going to get.
Hopefully more of my random Black Library pick ups are as enjoyable.
The narration was as close to perfect as you could get and the characters felt more alive because of Gareth's work in this.
May 28, 2024
3.5 stars. Generally a consistent and smooth read. There were occasionally repetitive sentences nearly back to back. Hard to give examples as I wasn't keeping track, but things like 'he looked out from the station...' then 2 sentences later 'as he looked out from the station'.
The book is split into 4 uneven acts. The plot is good enough but the antagonists outshine the protagonists. They're just more interesting and the tension between the main protagonist and the librarian and the underlying reason for it just didn't hit for me, nevermind their unlikely history. The 4th act is one big fight but it worked because of how interesting the antagonists were.
Finally, I thought the Carcharodons were supposed to be brutal. At times they mentally detached themselves from the violence they committed but they generally came across no more dark than the average mainstream Chapter. I think the novel would have struggled to carry merciless detached protagonists but still.
I'd give it a read if you like Drukhari and less focus on Primaris era threads (the great tear is mentioned once to set the story towards the end of the current timeline). If you're a hardcore Carcharodons fan you'll find some lore hooks, a little bit of nuance, and little facts here and there.
Not an author I've read before but would read again
The book is split into 4 uneven acts. The plot is good enough but the antagonists outshine the protagonists. They're just more interesting and the tension between the main protagonist and the librarian and the underlying reason for it just didn't hit for me, nevermind their unlikely history. The 4th act is one big fight but it worked because of how interesting the antagonists were.
Finally, I thought the Carcharodons were supposed to be brutal. At times they mentally detached themselves from the violence they committed but they generally came across no more dark than the average mainstream Chapter. I think the novel would have struggled to carry merciless detached protagonists but still.
I'd give it a read if you like Drukhari and less focus on Primaris era threads (the great tear is mentioned once to set the story towards the end of the current timeline). If you're a hardcore Carcharodons fan you'll find some lore hooks, a little bit of nuance, and little facts here and there.
Not an author I've read before but would read again
June 29, 2021
If you've read any previous lore on the Space Sharks, please skip this book. If you're new to Warhammer or aren't familiar with this chapter, this will be a better read. As it is, Silent Hunters ignores most, if not all of previous lore, focusing more on purple prose and metaphors than solid action and dialogue. Give that this is Space Sharks verses Dark Eldar, the style severely out of context and borderline insulting. Very little is given to characterization and plot, replacing them with concepts and metaphor. There are still interesting elements that make this piece pretty readable, but it still manages to fail to live up to any potential. Reads more like a fanfiction than an actual Warhammer novel.
Please do read the author's previous books for the Fulminators, a completely new chapter of Primaris space marines instead. Seems like the author writes better when he gets to play around with new lore instead of trying to follow anything already established. Overall not terrible, but certainly awkward.
Please do read the author's previous books for the Fulminators, a completely new chapter of Primaris space marines instead. Seems like the author writes better when he gets to play around with new lore instead of trying to follow anything already established. Overall not terrible, but certainly awkward.
January 5, 2022
I think this book falls off a bit towards the end, and it’s at its strongest when the Carcharadons get to be the creepy shark marines they were born to be. The good is that those scenes really shine, the relationship between the chaplain and librarian brothers is a compelling one and the reveal explains the antagonism, and the main three drukhari characters are enjoyable to spend time with. The bad for me was that the drukhari foes of the protagonists tend to die like chumps in a way that lessens the tension of the combat scenes, and I didn’t really understand why the Void Glass was so dangerous that it had to be lost and the protagonist had to submit to execution after all that. That said, the description of the wyches and Hesperax, the horror movie prologue with the fog and the Carcharadons coming up out of the sea, and the fact that the drukhari torture people by playing them like a piano were all standout 40k stuff.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 12, 2024
5/5 Starcharadons™
So I had heard that the Carcharadons are weird, but that does them a disservice. They aren't Ultramarines for sure, but they are absolutely cool
I really dug the character work and the plotting. It feels crazy to say this, but most Black Library books are straightforward with little to no development for the characters. Edoardo Albert brings character to the Astartes, which always brings me joy, and brought some depth to the plot. This book isn't going to change your life, but you'll have a lot of fun with it
The narration was of a high caliber that led me to look at more of the narrators catalogue. It helps when there are a variety of characters to show off some range and there surely are
Not a good entry to 40k, but primarily because you'll expect the same quality and variety from your more bog standard "Space marine shoot and kill and win with no stakes"
Check this one out
So I had heard that the Carcharadons are weird, but that does them a disservice. They aren't Ultramarines for sure, but they are absolutely cool
I really dug the character work and the plotting. It feels crazy to say this, but most Black Library books are straightforward with little to no development for the characters. Edoardo Albert brings character to the Astartes, which always brings me joy, and brought some depth to the plot. This book isn't going to change your life, but you'll have a lot of fun with it
The narration was of a high caliber that led me to look at more of the narrators catalogue. It helps when there are a variety of characters to show off some range and there surely are
Not a good entry to 40k, but primarily because you'll expect the same quality and variety from your more bog standard "Space marine shoot and kill and win with no stakes"
Check this one out
May 19, 2021
First of, I haven't read any previous books about Carcharodons so I can't comment on the continuity of stories about the chapter and as such I rate this merely on its own merit.
Based on that, I did like the book. I like the way Carcharodons are different from your usual Space Marine chapter. They are trying to control themselves, control their urges, whole chapter is about that - silence, tradition and service to the Void, and Void Father. Author sets them against their polar opposite, Drukhari. Story of how being obsessed about something and ignoring everything else and pushing for that one thing can lead you to change into what you originally fought against.
Overall it was a really interesting read and I must say I went through it really fast. Read it as a standalone book and not a part of the series and it is an enjoyable read.
Based on that, I did like the book. I like the way Carcharodons are different from your usual Space Marine chapter. They are trying to control themselves, control their urges, whole chapter is about that - silence, tradition and service to the Void, and Void Father. Author sets them against their polar opposite, Drukhari. Story of how being obsessed about something and ignoring everything else and pushing for that one thing can lead you to change into what you originally fought against.
Overall it was a really interesting read and I must say I went through it really fast. Read it as a standalone book and not a part of the series and it is an enjoyable read.
July 2, 2021
I’m of the opinion that it was serviceable book, but it didn’t build on the Carcharodons from Imperial Armour & Robbie MaNiven’s books, but in fact contradicted them at certain points. A shame as this chapter has the potential to further carve it’s own niche in the 40K lore with its traditions & codes, and this just didn’t do that.
I thought the human element of this book paled when compared to Rannik from Red Tithe & Outer Dark - and if we had to follow a chapter serf then the Rogue Trader from Death Warrant would have been better to explore more - which hopefully Robbie will get to do in another book - as these just felt like a deus-ex. I don’t think I’ll revisit this book, whereas the MacNiven Carcharodons books will continue to get an re-read every year or so.
I thought the human element of this book paled when compared to Rannik from Red Tithe & Outer Dark - and if we had to follow a chapter serf then the Rogue Trader from Death Warrant would have been better to explore more - which hopefully Robbie will get to do in another book - as these just felt like a deus-ex. I don’t think I’ll revisit this book, whereas the MacNiven Carcharodons books will continue to get an re-read every year or so.
June 4, 2024
I'll be frank. This is not a very good Carcharadons novel. Everything that a Carcharadons fan might have enjoyed from the Badab War lore or Robbie MacNiven's novels is missing. The Space Marine characters are very flat, which is unfortunate as we spend a lot of time with the Chaplain pictured on the cover.
However, Edoardo Albert does a good job of bringing his newly created characters and locations to life. I enjoyed the characterization of Iraia, Utakk, Marek Krayt, and the chaos cult ("The Named"). Many of the locations like the yacht, the Hall of Doors, and Valley of Hinnom are interesting, lore-friendly additions.
However, Edoardo Albert does a good job of bringing his newly created characters and locations to life. I enjoyed the characterization of Iraia, Utakk, Marek Krayt, and the chaos cult ("The Named"). Many of the locations like the yacht, the Hall of Doors, and Valley of Hinnom are interesting, lore-friendly additions.
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