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Awakenings
Sabbathiel returns! Now, facing mistrust wherever she turns, she must prove her worth once more.
Inquisitor Astor Sabbathiel has a she’s been dead for nearly a hundred years… or so everyone believes.
The last thing she remembers is being shot at point-blank range just as a roiling warp storm engulfed the Calaphrax Cluster. Now, she finds herself awakening on a distant Ecclesiarchy stronghold and indebted to a magos called Metik, who has brought her back from the brink of death.
Shortly after her resurrection, Sabbathiel is called to an audience on the planet Hulth by a high-ranking inquisitor of the Ordo Hereticus, Heldren, who informs her that after being lost for so long, the members of her former conclave no longer trust her. Forced to undertake a mission to prove herself worthy and true, Sabbathiel soon discovers a secret agenda beginning to unfold – one that contains a burgeoning threat to the Imperium that only she can avert. Trying to assemble the fragments of the past to make sense of the mysteries of the present, Sabbathiel will need to act fast and decide who to trust quickly, or else risk the fate of the future.
Inquisitor Astor Sabbathiel has a she’s been dead for nearly a hundred years… or so everyone believes.
The last thing she remembers is being shot at point-blank range just as a roiling warp storm engulfed the Calaphrax Cluster. Now, she finds herself awakening on a distant Ecclesiarchy stronghold and indebted to a magos called Metik, who has brought her back from the brink of death.
Shortly after her resurrection, Sabbathiel is called to an audience on the planet Hulth by a high-ranking inquisitor of the Ordo Hereticus, Heldren, who informs her that after being lost for so long, the members of her former conclave no longer trust her. Forced to undertake a mission to prove herself worthy and true, Sabbathiel soon discovers a secret agenda beginning to unfold – one that contains a burgeoning threat to the Imperium that only she can avert. Trying to assemble the fragments of the past to make sense of the mysteries of the present, Sabbathiel will need to act fast and decide who to trust quickly, or else risk the fate of the future.
368 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2022
24 people are currently reading
114 people want to read
About the author
George Mann
360 books676 followersGeorge Mann is an author and editor, primarily in genre fiction. He was born in Darlington, County Durham in 1978.
A former editor of Outland, Mann is the author of The Human Abstract, and more recently The Affinity Bridge and The Osiris Ritual in his Newbury and Hobbes detective series, set in an alternate Britain, and Ghosts of Manhattan, set in the same universe some decades later.
He wrote the Time Hunter novella "The Severed Man", and co-wrote the series finale, Child of Time.
He has also written numerous short stories, plus Doctor Who and Sherlock Holmes audiobooks for Big Finish Productions. He has edited a number of anthologies including The Solaris Book of New Science Fiction, The Solaris Book of New Fantasy and a retrospective collection of Sexton Blake stories, Sexton Blake, Detective, with an introduction by Michael Moorcock.
A former editor of Outland, Mann is the author of The Human Abstract, and more recently The Affinity Bridge and The Osiris Ritual in his Newbury and Hobbes detective series, set in an alternate Britain, and Ghosts of Manhattan, set in the same universe some decades later.
He wrote the Time Hunter novella "The Severed Man", and co-wrote the series finale, Child of Time.
He has also written numerous short stories, plus Doctor Who and Sherlock Holmes audiobooks for Big Finish Productions. He has edited a number of anthologies including The Solaris Book of New Science Fiction, The Solaris Book of New Fantasy and a retrospective collection of Sexton Blake stories, Sexton Blake, Detective, with an introduction by Michael Moorcock.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
November 15, 2022
Good read
I love 40k, and I have to admit I really enjoyed this book, the character really stood out, and the story was interesting.
I love 40k, and I have to admit I really enjoyed this book, the character really stood out, and the story was interesting.
May 24, 2024
Really interesting plot, astor sabbathiel is a really interesting character that I would love to read more about.
March 11, 2025
This book continues the really great Inquisition book series by BL.
Astor Sabbathiel, is well known Inquisitor who disappeared while investigating the potential heretics within the ranks of Adaptes Astartes almost hundred of years ago on a war torn planet that became place engulfed in the enormous Chaos infused warp storm.
Suddenly she awakes, a century later, reborn by the mysterious Mechanicum priest Metik on the request of the even more mysterious member of the Inquisition. She gets contacted by the cut-off from her old Inquisition conclave - order is simple, Sabbathiel is tasked with investigation of Chaos taint on planet of Hulth.
Inquisition books being spy books are full of subterfuge, plots within the plots, private armies clashing in the night and cloak-and-dagger action where no-one can be trusted and treason is something to always take into account.
Prose is very clear, to the point, and world building is very interesting. I mean it is still W40K universe, with all its grim details, but then we have the world Astor is recuperating on as striking opposite, something more from what you might call more optimistic :) SF universes. Descriptions of monumental buildings (private and governmental) on Hulth have aesthetics and the light in them (I mean description of Bleeth estate is magnificent, you can just feel the sheer epic size of the estate), it is not just darkness and oppression that just reeks from the lower levels of the hive city. And depiction of the source of the corruption ..... man, pure Lovecraftian horror. Even the visit to crypts where the rich are buried was so vivid, amazing. I have to admit I truly like the author's writing style.
Characters are also very good, from Astor's retinue (Bledheim and Metik being the most interesting, at least to me) to various Inquisitors Astor crosses the path with (from Handrel, Mandreth to Sinjan) and to special appearance (won't spoil it but this was oh-boy moment for me :)).
Book ticked all the boxes for me, I truly enjoyed it. I like how BL novels have become solid SF works, and not just in the line of main story arcs (like Horus Heresy). Yes there are action oriented works, some depicting hardships of war in interesting details, but days of pure bolter porn seem to be done (and I have to admit I like these a lot, pulp action stories, but in smaller dosages over time because they tend to overwhelm if consumed en masse) and we get books with lots of interesting characters and settings.
I am warming up to the Inquisition stories. I started with Dark City and Watchers of the Throne series (we need more from these series), then moved to the Horusian wars arc (more action oriented but pretty solid, I liked it a lot), and then got to this book (I truly hope we get more Astor's adventures). I know what people might say - do try Eisenhorn and Ravenor series, these are the pinnacle of Inquisition stories and my answer is, I will :) it is just I tend to start from the middle so I usually visit the established lore books last :) But I do not doubt for a second I will enjoy these too.
Inquisition stories remind me so much of the spy thrillers and even techno-thrillers, where small troubleshooting groups work on solving complex issues and fighting the vile enemy working behind the veil. You have that same tension that is common in all of the W40K story-lines but here you have actual possibility of the life loss because, enhanced or not, Inquisitors and their retinue are what you might call standard-issue humans, and not super-human beings like Astartes or even Imperial Talons. For them very contact against the shadowy enemy of Chaos might be the last one.
Excellent story, highly recommended to fans of action adventure SF, and W40K in particular.
Astor Sabbathiel, is well known Inquisitor who disappeared while investigating the potential heretics within the ranks of Adaptes Astartes almost hundred of years ago on a war torn planet that became place engulfed in the enormous Chaos infused warp storm.
Suddenly she awakes, a century later, reborn by the mysterious Mechanicum priest Metik on the request of the even more mysterious member of the Inquisition. She gets contacted by the cut-off from her old Inquisition conclave - order is simple, Sabbathiel is tasked with investigation of Chaos taint on planet of Hulth.
Inquisition books being spy books are full of subterfuge, plots within the plots, private armies clashing in the night and cloak-and-dagger action where no-one can be trusted and treason is something to always take into account.
Prose is very clear, to the point, and world building is very interesting. I mean it is still W40K universe, with all its grim details, but then we have the world Astor is recuperating on as striking opposite, something more from what you might call more optimistic :) SF universes. Descriptions of monumental buildings (private and governmental) on Hulth have aesthetics and the light in them (I mean description of Bleeth estate is magnificent, you can just feel the sheer epic size of the estate), it is not just darkness and oppression that just reeks from the lower levels of the hive city. And depiction of the source of the corruption ..... man, pure Lovecraftian horror. Even the visit to crypts where the rich are buried was so vivid, amazing. I have to admit I truly like the author's writing style.
Characters are also very good, from Astor's retinue (Bledheim and Metik being the most interesting, at least to me) to various Inquisitors Astor crosses the path with (from Handrel, Mandreth to Sinjan) and to special appearance (won't spoil it but this was oh-boy moment for me :)).
Book ticked all the boxes for me, I truly enjoyed it. I like how BL novels have become solid SF works, and not just in the line of main story arcs (like Horus Heresy). Yes there are action oriented works, some depicting hardships of war in interesting details, but days of pure bolter porn seem to be done (and I have to admit I like these a lot, pulp action stories, but in smaller dosages over time because they tend to overwhelm if consumed en masse) and we get books with lots of interesting characters and settings.
I am warming up to the Inquisition stories. I started with Dark City and Watchers of the Throne series (we need more from these series), then moved to the Horusian wars arc (more action oriented but pretty solid, I liked it a lot), and then got to this book (I truly hope we get more Astor's adventures). I know what people might say - do try Eisenhorn and Ravenor series, these are the pinnacle of Inquisition stories and my answer is, I will :) it is just I tend to start from the middle so I usually visit the established lore books last :) But I do not doubt for a second I will enjoy these too.
Inquisition stories remind me so much of the spy thrillers and even techno-thrillers, where small troubleshooting groups work on solving complex issues and fighting the vile enemy working behind the veil. You have that same tension that is common in all of the W40K story-lines but here you have actual possibility of the life loss because, enhanced or not, Inquisitors and their retinue are what you might call standard-issue humans, and not super-human beings like Astartes or even Imperial Talons. For them very contact against the shadowy enemy of Chaos might be the last one.
Excellent story, highly recommended to fans of action adventure SF, and W40K in particular.
June 18, 2025
I enjoyed it decently enough, since im going through all 40k books. The overall story is fine.
What bothered me however were all the inconsistencies. For instance a powersword attack got caught by someone with their metal hand without issue, where power weapons are usually armor penetrating. The Squats plasma pistol was always fired extremely rapidly without overheating. One page its described that Sabbatiel is wearing light armor, in the next page its described as heavy armor. Its as if the writer doesnt fully visualize the scene in his head or something?
Another good example of this was that at some point I believe someone was down on the ground looking up, but attacked downwards or something like that. Just physically impossible which makes you question yourself if you even read it right.
Oh yeah, an Ogryn with reading goggles. Who at some point got made even smarter, after which you never notice anything of that so called enhanced smartness. And that Ogryn threw a Squat (dwarf). To LOTR that scene will sound familiar. So yeah that felt out of place too.
The book overall was enjoyable enough that I could overlook the above for the most part and would only mildly frown whenever those things happened. Another thing was the remarkable amount of female characters. At some point it just became a bit weird that there were so many female characters in a male dominated field: Sabathiel had a guy, a tech priest and 2 women in her team. Then whenever they were fighting enforcers, the inforcers were also very often women (again, in a male dominated field). It felt like every time someone of note was introduced it were disproportionately women. Its like some weird preference that just doesnt feel lore accurate.
Btw this didnt bother me in Eisenhorn for instance, where Eisenhorn also has a lot of female team members; there it didnt feel so forced/unnatural as it feels here).
Add to that there really was no depth to this. No real research. Vague hunches turn out to be true immediately even when in reality they would just remain vague hunches. Even though there were 3 inquisitors starred in this book it felt like none of them were overly intelligent. In my head inquisitors are mostly like detectives. The 'detective work' in this book was super shoddy and far too convenient. It was just go from objective A to B to C to D to E. The only exception in my mind is that they were in a safehouse for a little bit to reorient themselves.
Oh I almost forgot; the book ends with a squat detonating a grenade that is somehow strong enough to explode a daemon (normally grenades hardly faze them) and blow up a church, but weak enough that the squat holding the grenade survives it? I mean its a cool enough scene but makes absolutely no sense. Same as the inquisitor that helped the entire book look eventually turned out to be a possesed by a daemon. Which might be a setup for another book of course, but he helped so much that it feels like some odd plottwist that got added later on to give it some faked depth.
So yeah inconsistent writing with an overly strong female role presence, but overall an intriguing enough story. Fairly entertaining.
In my opinion this book would have greatly benefitted from:
- Some more adherence to the 40k lore
- Some more consistent writing/spatial awareness
- Women are perfectly fine, even if its majority women, but at least make it feel less forced/more natural
- Base the detective work on an actual case or the methods that were used to solve an actual case, rather than the hunches here that seemed to lead to conclusions without any real investigating.
What bothered me however were all the inconsistencies. For instance a powersword attack got caught by someone with their metal hand without issue, where power weapons are usually armor penetrating. The Squats plasma pistol was always fired extremely rapidly without overheating. One page its described that Sabbatiel is wearing light armor, in the next page its described as heavy armor. Its as if the writer doesnt fully visualize the scene in his head or something?
Another good example of this was that at some point I believe someone was down on the ground looking up, but attacked downwards or something like that. Just physically impossible which makes you question yourself if you even read it right.
Oh yeah, an Ogryn with reading goggles. Who at some point got made even smarter, after which you never notice anything of that so called enhanced smartness. And that Ogryn threw a Squat (dwarf). To LOTR that scene will sound familiar. So yeah that felt out of place too.
The book overall was enjoyable enough that I could overlook the above for the most part and would only mildly frown whenever those things happened. Another thing was the remarkable amount of female characters. At some point it just became a bit weird that there were so many female characters in a male dominated field: Sabathiel had a guy, a tech priest and 2 women in her team. Then whenever they were fighting enforcers, the inforcers were also very often women (again, in a male dominated field). It felt like every time someone of note was introduced it were disproportionately women. Its like some weird preference that just doesnt feel lore accurate.
Btw this didnt bother me in Eisenhorn for instance, where Eisenhorn also has a lot of female team members; there it didnt feel so forced/unnatural as it feels here).
Add to that there really was no depth to this. No real research. Vague hunches turn out to be true immediately even when in reality they would just remain vague hunches. Even though there were 3 inquisitors starred in this book it felt like none of them were overly intelligent. In my head inquisitors are mostly like detectives. The 'detective work' in this book was super shoddy and far too convenient. It was just go from objective A to B to C to D to E. The only exception in my mind is that they were in a safehouse for a little bit to reorient themselves.
Oh I almost forgot; the book ends with a squat detonating a grenade that is somehow strong enough to explode a daemon (normally grenades hardly faze them) and blow up a church, but weak enough that the squat holding the grenade survives it? I mean its a cool enough scene but makes absolutely no sense. Same as the inquisitor that helped the entire book look eventually turned out to be a possesed by a daemon. Which might be a setup for another book of course, but he helped so much that it feels like some odd plottwist that got added later on to give it some faked depth.
So yeah inconsistent writing with an overly strong female role presence, but overall an intriguing enough story. Fairly entertaining.
In my opinion this book would have greatly benefitted from:
- Some more adherence to the 40k lore
- Some more consistent writing/spatial awareness
- Women are perfectly fine, even if its majority women, but at least make it feel less forced/more natural
- Base the detective work on an actual case or the methods that were used to solve an actual case, rather than the hunches here that seemed to lead to conclusions without any real investigating.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 27, 2023
George Mann does a good job showcasing the grimdarkness of the setting, but I feel like he didn't commit to it enough given how ridiculously some of the characters survive against all odds. The action scenes are described quite well and were a treat to read through, but I wasn't really sold on the character interactions or their thoughts and motivations. There's nothing about these characters that made me want to root for them or care about them.
It's obvious that this book was supposed to be the first in a series exploring these characters (or something else entirely?), since there are some big plot points that weren't followed up on, the foremost of which being the fact that Sabbathiel was literally resurrected by a daemon in the graphic novel, as well as the revelation that the Grey Knight Leofric is alive. There's also a Callidus Assassin who was handled quite weirdly, but I don't feel like rambling on this any further.
The characterisation left much to be desired, but the plot and the writing style has earned it a solid 3/5 from my end.
It's obvious that this book was supposed to be the first in a series exploring these characters (or something else entirely?), since there are some big plot points that weren't followed up on, the foremost of which being the fact that Sabbathiel was literally resurrected by a daemon in the graphic novel, as well as the revelation that the Grey Knight Leofric is alive. There's also a Callidus Assassin who was handled quite weirdly, but I don't feel like rambling on this any further.
The characterisation left much to be desired, but the plot and the writing style has earned it a solid 3/5 from my end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 17, 2025
While serving as the continuation of a comicbook that was cancelled several years before publication, one might think that this novel would be confusing to someone unfamiliar with the backstory. Not so. I, for one, have not read that previous material, and yet had no trouble catching up.
This is helped by the main character recovering from a bout of amnesia, leaving her in much the same situation. All but alone in the galaxy, she must re-recruit a team of acolytes to fight beside her against a dark conspiracy.
In the main, this is standard-enough 40k Inquisition storytelling, perfectly serviceable. What stands out for me is the recruitment of the Inquisitor's companions - they are all newly introduced characters, yet only one of them gets a big introduction. It makes me wonder if there were one or more chapters left on the cutting room floor, as it leaves certain characters acting with a familiarity that they haven't earned to the reader's eye.
This is helped by the main character recovering from a bout of amnesia, leaving her in much the same situation. All but alone in the galaxy, she must re-recruit a team of acolytes to fight beside her against a dark conspiracy.
In the main, this is standard-enough 40k Inquisition storytelling, perfectly serviceable. What stands out for me is the recruitment of the Inquisitor's companions - they are all newly introduced characters, yet only one of them gets a big introduction. It makes me wonder if there were one or more chapters left on the cutting room floor, as it leaves certain characters acting with a familiarity that they haven't earned to the reader's eye.
June 20, 2025
Astor Sabbathiel is an interesting character. An Inquisitor, so she is violent, ruthless and unwavering. Paradoxically, she allows her companions to use Xenos tech and tolerates less than orthodox behavior from same allies. Her backstory is complex but all is self contained in the novel.
Some of the supporting cast was stronger than others. Silq seemed tacked on, same with Mandreth's companion. Bledheim, her Interrogator was the most fleshed out, and many chapters were told from his perspective. I liked his point of view, but really wanted more of Sabbathiel. Some of his thoughts were kind of silly, and it took me out.
The descriptions are fantastic. I enjoyed the scenery and the prose is fitting. A few things overstated but I think the tone hit perfectly.
The short story at the end was fantastic. Really hoping for more of this character.
Some of the supporting cast was stronger than others. Silq seemed tacked on, same with Mandreth's companion. Bledheim, her Interrogator was the most fleshed out, and many chapters were told from his perspective. I liked his point of view, but really wanted more of Sabbathiel. Some of his thoughts were kind of silly, and it took me out.
The descriptions are fantastic. I enjoyed the scenery and the prose is fitting. A few things overstated but I think the tone hit perfectly.
The short story at the end was fantastic. Really hoping for more of this character.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 6, 2023
A surprisingly enjoyable tale of inquisitorial intrigue despite a pretty glacial narrative and some cartoon villainy. Astor and her team were fun to be around, with enough vulnerabilities and nuances to make me care about what happened to them.
I especially enjoyed the dream/vision sequences and how events, such as the nature of her death and rebirth, impress upon Astor’s clearly unsettled psyche. Her interrogator, Bledheim, is a real standout though, with an agreeably relatable set of personality quirks. More humorous than I was expecting and some nice reflective moments as well.
Not the most imaginative of stories to be sure, and a bit silly at times, but I liked the characters and being in their company so really hoping to see more and have things develop from here.
I especially enjoyed the dream/vision sequences and how events, such as the nature of her death and rebirth, impress upon Astor’s clearly unsettled psyche. Her interrogator, Bledheim, is a real standout though, with an agreeably relatable set of personality quirks. More humorous than I was expecting and some nice reflective moments as well.
Not the most imaginative of stories to be sure, and a bit silly at times, but I liked the characters and being in their company so really hoping to see more and have things develop from here.
November 5, 2023
It's a cool mystery, and a quick read. I loved the theme about moving on from the past to create a new identity for yourself.
I wish the book followed Sabbathiel a little more. I felt like it meandered whenever it followed other characters who just weren't as memorable. Overall I'm looking forward to seeing where this story goes because I think this could be the start of a great series in the 40k setting.
I wish the book followed Sabbathiel a little more. I felt like it meandered whenever it followed other characters who just weren't as memorable. Overall I'm looking forward to seeing where this story goes because I think this could be the start of a great series in the 40k setting.
November 15, 2023
This was an ABSOLUTE blast. I love the cast of characters and despite not liking the comic this character first appeared in, the Astor Sabbathiel is a great lead character. This really understands how much of a bastard the Inquisitors are and manages to find the humanity in the monstrous.
I am a sucker for a weird cast of characters getting into adventures, so this was right up my alley.
I am a sucker for a weird cast of characters getting into adventures, so this was right up my alley.
February 6, 2023
‘When all other options have been eliminated, sometimes even a lie might come to be accepted as the unassailable truth.’
– Prefect Kamil Khara, On the Wisdom of Lies, Vol. IX
(from "Awakenings" by George Mann)
– Prefect Kamil Khara, On the Wisdom of Lies, Vol. IX
(from "Awakenings" by George Mann)
March 9, 2023
Muy buena historia. Algunos personajes parecen estar de más y algunas acciones son demasiado precipitadas para realmente poder darles importancia. Pero en realidad vale la pena leer, y estoy más que dispuesto a leer cualquier futura entrega de la historia de Astor Sabbathiel.
May 10, 2023
An interesting situation
It was a great puzzle to work out what was going on axrwal inquisitorial who done it. Look forward to more revelation.
It was a great puzzle to work out what was going on axrwal inquisitorial who done it. Look forward to more revelation.
May 19, 2023
Highly recommend passing on this one. It tries so hard to be something special but even calling it mediocre seems generous.
May 24, 2023
It was an enjoyable read, my only gripe with the whole of it was how exactly does a Sister of Silence fall to a wound inflicted by a daemon... Otherwise, a decent book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 21, 2023
Such a fun read and that cliffhanger…! We need more Astor Sabbathiel stories, sir! The action was so epic!
August 26, 2023
I enjoyed this book from beginning to end. It had intriguing characters and an awesome story. It's one of my personal favorite books in 40K that I have read thus far. I hope there is a sequel!
December 31, 2023
A very interesting and good, mystery filled story.
I hope there are/will be more novels about Astor Sabathiel.
I hope there are/will be more novels about Astor Sabathiel.
February 18, 2024
A mi me a gustado mucho, sus personajes divertidos y poderosos, espero que salga una segunda parte pues ya le tengo ganas.
March 6, 2024
A great new story
A quick read, and a tale of a new face to the novels. A good story with an interesting mystery to solve.
A quick read, and a tale of a new face to the novels. A good story with an interesting mystery to solve.
October 25, 2025
This was a dnf for me at 50%. Story did not engage me unfortunately.
June 10, 2024
Action scenes were exceptionally written and the wide array of characters were expanded upon well enough to avoid them coming off as shallow and boring.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews