Grey Knights

Grey Knights #1

by Ben Counter

There are times when the scale of a daemonic infestation is such that even the most formidable and righteous Inquisitors need to call upon aid to triumph.
High speed action and adventure with the elite Grey Knights as they struggle to banish the powerful daemon Ghargatuloth before time runs out and the creature is free to rampage around the universe!
Ben Counter's latest foray into the war-torn far future is packed with white hot action featuring the superhuman daemon-hunters - the Grey Knights. From the epic clash between man and infernal daemon to the dark horrors of Chaos, Ben Counter hits the target on every level!

Genres: Science Fiction, 40k, Fantasy, Fiction, Novels, Science Fiction Fantasy, Space Opera

416 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published June 1, 2004

About the author

Ben Counter, as well as making several contributions to Inferno magazine, has written the Soul Drinkers and Grey Knights series and two Horus Heresy novels for the Black Library. He is an ancient history graduate and avid miniature painter with a bronze demon under his belt.

Reviews

[Gianfranco Mancini · Rating 4 out of 5]

They said the screams could be heard from orbit. They were right.
At an unheard signal, the ground began to seethe. The crucified of Khorion IX began to wail even louder, their agony supplanted by fear, as the sodden earth burst into fountains of bloodstained soil and a hideous gibbering rose up from beneath.

Look for Aaron Dembski-Bowen's The Emperor's Gift if you are looking for a less out of date and better take about demon-hunter Grey Knights, but If you are in the mood of reading a classic, cheesy and silly, old school Warhammer 40000 read, this novel, filled with ultra-violence and all the iconic gothic/medieval imagery trademark of the setting is just the right choice.



He was not afraid. The Emperor himself had decreed that a Space Marine shall know no fear. But Grand Master Mandulis's soul still recoiled at the sheer magnitude of evil.
'I am the hammer,' he intoned as the landing jets pushed even harder against the drop-pod's descent. 'I am the right hand of my Emperor, the instrument of His will, the gauntlet about His fist, the tip of His spear, the
edge of His sword...'

Almost no characters development, but I totally loved this action-packed storyline about Justicar Alaric and his battle-brothers hunting for a cunning lovecraftian abomination returning after its centuries banishment, with great moments like the main villain using Ordo Malleus and Astartes secrecy against themselves ending with Grey Knights alone in an insane assault against a whole planet and its garrison of Adepta Sororitas, Imperial Guards Astra Militarum and orbital defences.



One thousand years passed. The Imperium endured - men and women died in uncountable numbers to ensure that. Armageddon was lost to the orks. The Damocles Gulf was conquered and strange new species were encountered. The Sabbat Worlds were overrun by Chaos and an immense crusade launched to reclaim them.

Some parts were very verbose ones and a few informations like the Emperor divinely worshipped in the last years of the Great Crusade are now apocryphal (or heretical...) ones, but author Ben Counter really made a so good job here describing the setting and its factions that this book is a good starting point if you are new to Warhammer 40000 universe and wanna try it.



'Wish me luck, justicar.' said Ligeia cheerfully over the bridge's vox-casters.
'You don't need it, inquisitor.' replied Alaric. 'Just find out what they're hiding down there.'
An inset image showed the faint orange streak as the shuttle entered the atmosphere, and then it was gone.
It was time, thought Alaric, for Ligeia to do with words what the Grey Knights could not do with strength.

Far better than expected.

[Batsap · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm already a fan of the Warhammer novels, but this was my first Warhammer 40,000. I was pleased to find that it was just as full of ancient deamons, sorcery and battle as the Fantasy novels.

For a novel that was almost entirely plot-driven - the first time you learnt the majority of the characters' names was when they were killed in battle and there was no character development at all - it didn't seem to suffer for it. As gaming fiction, the characters don't matter as much as the action, so the roots of the novel are obvious, but don't detract from the story itself. Personally, I found it refreshing to read almost pure plot.

What I found most fascinating was the relationship between religion, violence and technology. Although set in the 41st millenium, there is a religious atmosphere so strong that it is highly reminiscent of the Middle Ages. The Grey Knights say prayers before going into battle, go to Confession afterwards and they even command their battleships from pulpits. I thought this was a very interesting concept, especially since the prayers said were prayers of hate. Could this be a warning about the sometimes dangerous nature of religion? Or, it could just be a neat concept.

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not as good as I remember but still has great moments

[Ark Aeus · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like it. Just finished all of Eisenhorn and Ravenor, and this was my next series into the 40K universe. The choice of words and phrasing, repetition, and weak characters made this feel boring, and I stopped halfway through it.

[Owen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Grey Knights is a low three-star read for me. The book was incredibly inconsistent, going from awesome action sequences one moment to long, drawn-out descriptions the next. This constant shift made for a jarring and uneven reading experience.
The descriptive writing wasn't even a positive for me. Despite all the author's efforts, I really struggled to picture what he was trying to describe on the page.
The characters were also largely forgettable. Aside from the main character, Alaric, the only other Grey Knight I really took notice of was Dvorn, purely because he carried a giant hammer.
I absolutely adore the Grey Knights, so I found some enjoyment in these pages, and there were some genuinely interesting stretches. Ultimately, though, this just feels like a poor man's The Emperor’s Gift.
While the ending was pretty good, it wasn't enough to save the book from its numerous flaws.

[Sam Pittman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am glad they gave some insight on the human elements of the space marines rather than having them as hulking unfeeling brutes. I feel like this book perfectly encapsulates what the grey knights are as a astartes chapter; the solemn demon hunters of the imperium. I would have liked to see a better end for the Inquisitor that worked alongside the knights since she was the main reason they were able to banish the demon but other than that I thought this book was fantastic.

[Brian Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Grey Knights are a Space Marine chapter trusted by the Inquisition to be the last stand against all that is unholy. Their faith is as important as the armour they wear.

As a daemon prince attempts to re-enter the material plane, Justicar Alaric finds himself in command of a few squadrons that have to attempt to stop it.

The secrecy of the Inquisition works against them as planets are duped into thinking they are the enemy.

Some good twists as they have to find out where the trail is leading them, and plenty of action.

[Kamal Sawyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book made my hair stand on end! One of Ben Counters better books.

[Victor · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I am the hammer, I am the right hand of the Emperor, the instrument of His will, the gauntlet about His fist, the tip of His spear, the edge of His sword."

Best battle-prayer ever. <3

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Warhammer 40,000 novel.
The Grey Knights are the Space Marine warriors whose work for the Imperial Inquisition is focused on the destruction of daemons. When it is discovered that an immensely powerful daemon, banished for a thousand years, may be about to be summoned once more, the Grey Knights have to travel to the worlds of the Trail of St. Evisser to root out the heresy.

The opening chapter of this book had me worried, being the confusing daemon-infested gore-fest that other Games Workshop stories I've read never rise above. I was afraid that this would be an all-action novel with no subtlety, where the author devotes most of their time either to trying to creatively describe Chaos mutants or to just reeling off fan-service to players of the tabletop game. I've seen it before.

Thankfully, that's not how the rest of the novel goes at all. Although there are occasional elements of what I describe above, the core of this book is about how a small under-supported team can possibly hope to either root out their targets among millions or face an evil so powerful that it has been planning its moves millennia in advance. Counter brilliantly manages to convey the feeling of needle-in-a-haystack hopelessness that the task facing Justicar Alaric and Inquisitor Ligeia engenders. This comes to a head in the latter half of the book, where the handful of Grey Knights have to confront an entire world of opposition to win through to their goal.

I was also impressed with the subtlety the author employs in regard to the corruption of Chaos. In other GW works I've read it tends to boil down to 'this person is very intelligent and/or curious and therefore must turn evil'. You can almost always spot the character who's going to be corrupted straight away (and there is always at least one) and so the big reveal at the end has no impact at all. Here, however, Counter plays with that expectation and has the reveal about halfway through but then takes the character's corruption in an interesting new direction revealed much later. It was a twist that really worked for me.

It has to be said that this book is probably a bit longer than it needed to be and occasionally the author's dense prose and in-universe terminology makes it a bit of a slog to get through. Nevertheless, I enjoyed it overall.

* More reviews here: https://fsfh-book-review2.webnode.com/ *

[Michael T Bradley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ben Counter is so hit-or-miss with me. The Soul Drinkers books (the one and a half I read) were SO hideous, I honestly never thought I'd enjoy anything from him. Then I read Galaxy in Flames, and honestly really enjoyed it. I've since read a couple of short stories that worked for me. I assumed he'd gotten better over the years, and this would be terrible. But it's really a pretty 'by the numbers' 40K novel. Which, since I enjoy 40K enough that I'm trying to read them in chronological order, is a really good thing, as glibly as that might have seem to have written the novel off.

This book is strangely parallel to the first Ultramarines novel, Nightbringer - Tancred is Pasanius, Alaric is Ulric, etc., etc. Except that this book jaunts around the galaxy a lot more, and the genie out of the bottle at the end is a daemon (they ARE Grey Knights) rather than ... the titular nightbringer (I don't think that's a spoiler for either book). And according to the intro by Counter, it sounds like the sequel might match up to the Ultramarines sequel (our hero/es are dropped off on a dark world on their own). Honestly, you could do a lot worse than Graham McNeill when it comes to picking someone to crib from in the 40K universe, so I'm bully for it.

Overall, the book's weakness is it doesn't really carve any new ground, but it also delivers a solid, decent tale with a "deserved" ending and some fun set-pieces. I wish any of the characters really stood out - that's probably Counter's greatest weakness - but Alaric feels pretty three dimensional by the end, and that's what's mostly needed.

[Calvin Turton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first WH:40k that I've read (ignoring The Horus Heresy Audiobooks) and I have to say it has left a great first impression.

The author is very good at writing daemons. Honestly, the best part is the descriptions of the villains, he really makes a good show of displaying how truly malevolent and horrific the warp spawn and physical realms of chaos are. I got exactly what I wanted from this book in this regard.

I hope we get some closure as to what happens to Justicar Alaric and Dvorn. Even a short story would be a nice end for one of the Emperor's finest.

I keep seeing a lot of people comment on how it's difficult to grasp the different institutions, factions, races Etc in Black Library book reviews. Before taking it out on the author, or WH itself, I would say this; the best way to get into warhammer is to delve into the Lexicanum Online and just read random articles and points of interest for a good while before picking up any books. I've been into warhammer for most of my life and have only just started reading/listening to the novels. It's a big universe and there's probably not many books that do the whole setting justice, it really is up to you to teach yourself the ins and outs of this universe.

[Christian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome read. The Grey Knights go where other Space Marines cannot... into the very heart of Chaos. The action in this book is Apocalypse level, at least, and the characterizations are in line with expectations. It's interesting to see how well kept a secret the Grey Knights are to the point that Chaos can use that against the Imperium. This book had three very memorable lines: 1) When the spaceship is falling apart, the main character asks a human crewman his name to remember him and the human responds, 'None of us have names'. That was chilling. 2) The villain's moment on stage, 'Chaos exists in a state of permanent victory over you. You dance to our tune, mortal one, you butcher and torture and repress one another because the gods of the warp require you to. The Imperium is FOUNDED on Chaos. 3) Perhaps the best line in all of literature: Space had killed more men than women had, and that was saying something.

[75338 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thoroughly average. Superhuman superhero power fantasy done rather ...okay, I guess. So-so writing. Mary Sue subject.

Creating drama out of not much. Turn it up to 11. Make up some bad guys. Collect a paycheck. - Ben Counter, I'd imagine. He did an okay job. But then again, maybe I'm the wrong target demographic, so if schlocky superhuman superheroic super-everything edgy high-fantasy high concept military scifi bolter porn is your thing then by all means, enjoy.

Meh. To each their own, I guess. The writing was meh.

[Phil · Rating 4 out of 5]

As Warhammer novels go this is one of the best outside the horus heresy and gaunts ghost series. The action scenes are top notch and you actually feel sadness at the deaths of several characters. A great read

[ElGoblinVolador · Rating 2 out of 5]

Me ha costado terminarlo mas de lo que pensaba.
He llegado a coger tirria a los personajes principales por parecerme aburridos
Muy pesada y enrevesada con algún giro de guión que te hace ganar el interés por continuar leyendo, pero que se pierde a los pocos capítulos.

[Scooter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a bad read, I usually like Ben Counter's books and this one is right up there.

[Craig Tyler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Greay Knights, Sisters of Battle and Imperial Guard collide at the nexus of a Choas demon reappearing after a thousand years of dormancy...pretty good stuff.

[Sarah Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

All in all a good book, enjoyable story and all that but the ego of Grey Knights will never cease to amaze me.

[Christopher · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bought a Grey Knights strike team so thought I’d go back and read an older GK series that had previously escaped my attention. Enjoyable, with some nice twists but repetitive writing held it back.

[Bogdan Balostin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm ashamed to admit I judged this book too harshly at first. It was probably a symptom of burnout reading about the same universe and the same type of battles. And don't get me wrong, this novel starts indeed with more than 20 pages of battles involving characters you don't care about with too many names to remember.

It's a lesson in how not to write a prologue. A lesson I'll remember well. A bad prologue almost made me drop reading a book that was surprisingly good. And grimdark, in a way few books manage to be.

The novel deals with Grey Knights of the Warhammer 40K, so if you're curious about Grey Knights read this book. Just skip the prologue. Better yet, let me summarise it for you. A thousand years ago, a grandmaster of the Grey Knights give his life banishing a demon lord. That demon lord is bound to return nowadays, and Alaric, a justicar of the Grey Knights is sent to investigate alongside inquisitor Ligeia.

Sounds like a straightforward plot and for it mostly is. But it's that type of plot that makes you wonder what's the next piece of the puzzle, almost like an action movie with not too much brain, but enough twists to let you enjoy the ride. All the while, finding new lore about the mysterious Grey Knights.

I'm surprised to say, that in the end, one character's death touched me, even though that character didn't have too much development. Speaking of character development, it's very little but it is done well (for a very limited cast). I was surprised to see that Grey Knights are portrayed as really inhuman compared to other chapters of the Space Marines, and by that I mean they are the types of soldiers willing to do everything to win against the enemy forces, especially when the enemy is a demonic force willing to enslave the whole galaxy.

Needless to say, I find it hard to like Alaric, but I understand him. And that makes him more than just a name on a page.

[Lucas Carlier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chevalier Gris

Bien que l'univers de Warhammer 40K ne soit pas tout à fait nouveau pour moi, Chevalier Gris reste mon premier plongeon véritable dans cet univers fascinant. Ce roman nous plonge dans les aventures croisées de différents ordres de l'Imperium, avec un focus particulier sur l'ordre des Chevaliers Gris. Le livre se distingue avant tout par ses descriptions détaillées du complexe monde du 42e millénaire. Les grades, les planètes et les divers ordres s'entrelacent au début comme un enchevêtrement complexe, mais à mesure que l'on s'enfonce dans la lecture, on saisit progressivement les intrigues politico-militaires qui sous-tendent l'histoire.

Comme le titre le suggère, c'est bien l'ordre des Chevaliers Gris qui occupe une place centrale, et plus précisément le chevalier Alaric, qui, aux côtés de son escouade et de l'Inquisition, lutte contre la résurgence d'un démon du Dieu du Changement, autrefois banni par son ordre. Le roman est assez long pour offrir plusieurs arcs narratifs entremêlés, nous faisant voyager sur des planètes aux environnements radicalement différents, avec pour enjeu central de découvrir où ce démon pourrait revenir.

Pour une première lecture, Chevalier Gris a été une expérience agréable et une bonne porte d'entrée dans l'univers de Warhammer 40K, notamment grâce à cet ordre des Astartes que j'appréciais déjà. Cependant, pour ceux qui ne sont pas familiers avec Warhammer 40K, le jargon spécifique utilisé dans le livre pourrait en rebuter plus d'un. De plus, le choix de l'auteur de consacrer peu de place au développement des personnages peut également poser problème, car les personnages ne sont souvent nommés qu'à leur mort, ce qui réduit l'impact émotionnel de ces événements, faute d'attachement préalable.

Malgré ces quelques défauts, la fin du roman est une véritable apothéose, mêlant plusieurs factions dans un affrontement épique qui marque la conclusion de cette aventure.

[UnforgottenRealms · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow.
After the first few chapters, I was dubious. Lots of telling, lots of lengthy descriptions, and while this is not a sin in and of itself, the direction of the story and the pacing were not for me. At least, that's what I thought.
Then, somewhere along the line, it got interesting. Where I had once been skeptical and generally uninterested, gradually I started to be invested. The plot thickened. The story amped up. The characters - who had once been throw-away, two dimensional husks - became, at the very least, decent. And the ending... the ending... it was incredible.
This is my first Ben Counter BL book, and after that ending, it will definitely not be my last. I would highly recommend this book to anyone new to the Warhammer universe. If you like plot-driven stories and passable characters (with the noticeable exception of Valinov, inarguably the best character in this book :D) I'd highly recommend at least trying this one out. If you'd rather read more character-driven narratives, perhaps give this one a pass. Or, maybe give it a go regardless.
Can't wait to read the next book in the series, "Dark Adeptus"

[Станислав · Rating 3 out of 5]

Неплохо, но чего-то не хватает. Серые рыцари всё-таки исключение из рядов Астартес. Начиная с того, что у них нет примарха или скорее их примарх - Император. И многое другое. Потом лор на Серых Рыцарей не ясен: в одних книгах (старше) они стоят и охраняют здание Инквизиции: "здравствуйте, ваши документы", в других (новее) простого смертного, который видел Рыцаря - уничтожают или стирают память. Но это скорее от ГВ. Здесь как-то не видно их уникальности. Довольно смешно когда в бою Сестра Битвы валит рыцаря ударом в челюсть. Конечно сёстры битвы тренированы, верят в Императора, мотивированы, скорее всего медикаментозно-улучшены, в силовых доспехах. Но Серые Рыцари это реально истребители демонов, элита среди элиты воинов Империума. По сравнению с их уровнем отбора (все псайкеры!), тренированности, вооружения - другие астартес кажутся массовкой. Валить демонов и выхватить от сестры. Вол�� императора.
Здесь много хитро-ходовочного тзинчизма, немного напоминает тягучие книги про Аримана. Автору здесь как-то не хватает художественных средств выражения, его описания не горячат кровь и не берут за душу.

[Blaise Birchem · Rating 5 out of 5]

A top notch entry into the Warhammer 40k universe. This tells the story of a specially trained and secret unit of space marines that are created for one purpose: to seek out and destroy sources of chaos and the ancient daemons behind it.

This first Grey Knights novel explains and further explores what lengths the Inquisitors and Grey Knights are willing to go, to root out evil at it's source.

The story in this book sets up the main characters rather well, as expected of Ben Counter. He is honestly one of my favorite writers for the Warhammer 40k universe. The way he sets up the scene that characters walk into is wonderful.

Battles are engaging and feel imersive, while the serious moments and personal dialogur are well rounded for a complete narrative throughout.

If you are looking for a great first novel in a trilogy from the Warhammer 40k universe, this just might be for you.

[Lanfear · Rating 5 out of 5]

ESTE ES EL MEJOR LIBRO DE WARHAMMER QUE HE LEÍDO EN MI VIDA.
Alaric, Ligeia, Valinov, Tancred, Santoro, LAS HERMANAS DE LA BATALLA... el príncipe de las mil caras.
No se como han podido meter tanta epicidad en el mismo libro, Alaric como protagonista es uno de mis favoritos y Valinov es el peor villano del universo Warhammer, ni Horus ni Magnus ni Erebus ni Fulgrim, este tío es el peor villano de todos. Valinov enfrentó a las hermanas de batalla a los caballeros grises convenciéndoles de que eran del caos cuando era el en realidad un esclavo de los dioses oscuros. Durante la ejecución de Valinov no entendí porque Ligeia envió sus asesinos para salvarlo, estaba convencido de que sería la ultima aliada de Alaric al final del libro. Muy dolorosa su muerte.

[Alexander Whillas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although this was a trashy war/sci-fi with a twist of demons thrown in it was climactic and did pull me in until the end. My main criticism would be that it lacked details. It spams many scenes and organisations and doesn't go into any of it much. It does flesh out the demon most of all but we don't get much insight into the thinking or feeling of the characters. These WH40k books fetishise the war equipment and the fighting but this stuff is boring to the uninitiated (or uninterested). The characters didn't undergo nay kind of personal journey and that would be the biggest disappointment.

[Lucas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Grey Knights was a novel of almost. It almost had a great mid novel twist. Almost had a great surprise finale. Almost had some iconic characters. But frankly it felt like Mr. Counter had a deadline and wasn't able to take an extra month to add some foreshadowing. There was several story lines that could've made Ligeia's fall and Xiangs 'betrayal' fantastic plot lines. But instead they were jarring half explained plot points that were rushed past. The book is held together by the interesting Inquisitor Ligeia and the allure of the Grey Knights. Not a bad novel, but could've been great.

[Erik Sapp · Rating 4 out of 5]

The GK's are my favorite Space Marine Chapter, and I will read anything I can about them. This was the first book I found (as part of the anthology) and I think it gives a good perspective on who the GK's are. It isn't a happy book. (This is 40K, so of course it isn't!) It is a good, fun read about horrible things.

[Manuel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Novela de proporciones más épicas que la de los Primeros Nacidos de Tanith, pero con una trama y personajes quizá algo menos interesantes. Aún así, es una lectura disfrutable sin grandes pretensiones que permite conocer más el universo 40k.