Death World

Imperial Guard

by Steve Lyons

An Astra Militarum novel

A Catachan Jungle FIghters unit sent to the death world of Rogar III feel right at home… right down the the ork invaders and the mysterious threats from within the jungles.

There are few Imperial Guardsmen more iconic than Catachan Jungle Fighters, and seeing them in action on a world almost as deadly as Catachan (but not quite, of course) is a treat indeed.

The Catachan jungle fighters of the Imperial Guard are an elite regiment that specializes in destroying the Emperor's foes on the most dangerous worlds of the Imperium. Their training is really put to the test when a squad is sent to the death world of Rogar III in response to an ork incursion. But as well as dealing with the green-skinned orks they must do battle with the planet itself and the mysterious figures that stalk them across the deadly terrain. Deathworld is an action-packed tale of survival in the grim, far-future!

Genres: Science Fiction, 40k, Fiction, Fantasy, War, Military Science Fiction

256 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published December 26, 2006

About the author

Steve Lyons is a science fiction writer, best known for writing television tie-ins of Doctor Who for BBC Books, and previously, Virgin. The earliest of these was Conundrum in 1994, and his most recent was 2005's The Stealers of Dreams. He has also written material for Star Trek tie-ins, as well as original work.

Reviews

[Nadienne Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like Warhammer 40K and you like stories about the Imperial Guard, this is the book for you. I also think it's a nice look into those from Catachan.

I like the take on the antagonist as well. The entire planet is trying to kill them...and reflexively, at that - no maleficent intelligence here. I don't think I've encountered that in very many stories, if at all. Killer worlds, yes. Killer worlds that are just doing their thing unconsciously, no.

[Tarl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lyons did a good job conveying what it means to be a Catachan in this book. Throughout the story, you get to watch the squad interactions and learn a good feel for these jungle warfare experts. However, it's in the opening chapters that you get the best view of them as a whole and their interactions with other Imperial Guard regiments. It's also the only time you really get to see them on a large scale deployment.

The entire book is centered around a single squad, which for the most part works fairly well for this type of story. It allows for a tightening on interpersonal interactions and allows for more character development. With the inclusion of two outsiders, one of which has been played up as a wrench in the cogs of the team, it creates some nice conflict. And this is where Lyons did really well, the interactions between the team mates, be they outsiders, old vets, or the newbie obsessed with getting his name. At times Lyons ratchets up the tension and it works really well in a situation where not only are the characters are already on edge, but where they are supposed to be stealthy as well.

Then there's the fact that the world around them is changing, growing more and more dangerous as the story continues and the fighting develops. Lyons does a good job conveying what a Deathworld is and what it can do to a person. Yet, one thing he leaves open ended is why the planet is doing what it is doing. We never really learn why or how the planet is changing itself to fight off the invaders and this left me a bit frustrated. I'm all for leaving a bit of mystery in a novel, and given that the squad pretty much has no ability to actually find out the whys to this question, it's understandable that it goes unanswered. However, when you use something as reality pushing as a planet able to change its form to combat invaders, that's a pretty large WHY to leave unanswered.

Another element that bothered me was the Catachans fighting the orks. Catachans are tough folk, this we know from pretty much any piece of fiction about them. They are not your average guardsman and know their way around a lasgun or blade. Given those in the squad are mostly veterans, this is increased with experience and sheer stubbornness not to lay down and die. Yet throughout the story, they go toe to toe with overwhelming numbers of orks, creatures that are tougher than your normal person. Yet the Catachans slay them with apparent ease, reaping them like wheat before them. Now, this is not to say that they can't do it through explosions, lasgun fire, etc, because they can and do and that's fine. But when it comes to hand to hand combat and they are holding their own against four or more of the beasts? I don't believe it.

Still, Lyons has told a good story here, and one that any Catachan player will love to read. I admit, I have always had a passing fancy with these jungle warriors and it's books like this that only serve to amplify that feeling. Lyons captures Deathworlds and the people who live on them well and all, something that I think many would find difficult to pull off.

[Paulo "paper books only" · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Catachan jungle fighters of the Imperial Guard are an elite regiment, that specializes in destroying the Emperor’s foes on the most dangerous worlds of the Imperium. Their training is really put to the test when a squad is sent to the death world of Rogar III in response to an ork incursion. But as well as dealing with the green-skinned orks they must do battle with the planet itself and the mysterious figures that stalk them across the deadly terrain.
When I received this book on december I had to read it immediately. I had read Fifteen Hours and love it and read it in less than 2 days. I was not mistaken and again I read it swiftly enjoeyed every bit. (Now I know that I love the Imperial Guard more than Space Marines).

I sympathised with almost all the characters and I loved to read about Sly Marbo (changing the words makes Rambo, didn't thought about it until reading the book)
It begins with a platoon of Catachan that are in a mission that has nothing out of extraordinary. They just want to kill some orcs. If the main phrase in the book is "What you call hell, they call home!" then they got what they wanted.
The planet around them it remind them of home but it was different in several ways. It changed and attacked them. It evolved defending itself from outsiders (orcs and IG). The group itself was eleven catachans plus the commisar and his retinue of one man. Then there was Marbo. As soon as they start the voyage they knew this was not an ordinary mission. There was something wrong. The main character is called Lorenzo. And Lorenzo is beggining is career and as all of Catachan soldiers wants to prove is valour and make a name of his own. If he can't do it he will never be remember in Catachan and will die in shame. So in every oppurtonity he tries to do it but in vain. I like the book because of the enviroment and the evolution of nature. The various attacks and the dead of several Catachan soldiers. I like that. (In my personal feelings I hope our Mother Nature one days rise and kills the vampires that suck her blood, well I mean humans). In the end was a very interesting book and it draws a person into the world and mind of the Catachans.
In the end there are one question remaining (the question about what happened to Baxtree and Lorenzo "Long Run" doesn't count) is why that particular enviroment needed the evolution step. And what happened to the world?

Well I am waiting for the next book IG , Rebel Winter by Steve Parker and Desert Raiders by Lucien Soulban.

Well I hope they continue with other Regiments.

- Armageddon Steel Legion
- Attilan Rough Riders
- Death Korps of Krieg
- Mordian Iron Guard
and others...

[JD · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had heard of this book years ago but only now got a chance to read it. It was a surprise to find this book at a discount book store in Phoenix. The cashier was impressed with my choice.

Some before reading thoughts:

I thought this book was going to be about a campaign on the Rogar III planet. Filled with stories of the catachan's brave herorics of survival and combat with the orks.

After Reading:

However, Steven Lyon's book focuses on a squad of Jungle Fighters being sent on a single mission to hunt a warboss. 75% of the book is about the squad fighting the planet itself. The struggle is well described and you can clearly imagine what each trooper is facing.

Overall, i enjoyed this book and found it an interesting story about an interesting regiment of the Imperium.

I gave it 4 stars because i felt the ending could have had a little more to it.

[Matthew Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's full cheese ahead at first as this novel takes a stab at 'humanising' a human military faction in the Warhammer 40,000 game-setting that can be best summed up as "an army of Rambos" (plus other big tough guys fighting in jungles stories, Predator, Apocalypse Now, Platoon... etc) where nearly everyone rejoices in a tough guy nickname (Hotshot, Sharkbait) and they're just not at home with outside authority or outsiders, but they love the outside (especially when it's green & humid). How you feel this humanising went all comes down to how much you are convinced by the nature of the threat thrown at them in a pretty pacey and at times quite sinister tale.

[Gabriel Tubec · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading the first part, I was sure I was not going to like it, with the over-the-top descriptions of the Catachan troopers, so cliche that it was almost funny.
However, and this is 100% the merit of the author, I found myself caring for them, being totally immersed in their adventure.
This is not only a great Warhammer novel, but a great SF novel as well, you don't need to be familiar with the 40K universe to enjoy it.

[Michael Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy going read.

A very short easy going read. There is nothing really new then other 40k books and I would only recommend it to 40k enthusiasts. There is a lot of context that requires some knowledge of the Imperium.

[Vaughan Higgins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ridiculous but fun

A great gaurdsman tale and a riot of action throughout. Gets a bit meta when the author spends time explaining how stories become exaggerated and then the story itself becomes more unbelievably heroic and insane.

[Kaspars Zalāns · Rating 4 out of 5]

Arī labi saprotams darbs ne Warhammer fanātiem.

Savā būtībā izklaides gaļinieks (elites vienība uz planētas, kurā pat sūnas un taurenīši tevi cenšas nomušīt), taču ar gana krutu āķi beigās un gana izdomas bagātām cīņas ainām, lai divsimts lapaspuses ļoti raiti paskrietu.

[Adrian Dumitru · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good,solid book! It defines how Catachan Jungle fighters think , what hopes they have , what they value.

I would love to read more about them .

And what happen to this world and how it became like this

[Interflecha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book, let me tell you that this book took a little time to gain strength but once gone It grab me and did not let me go. Amazing book, Full of Freaking badass people. 8/10 Great book.

[Andrew Alvis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit of a slow burner to begin with but finishes up a decent spotlight on the Catachans and their well-earned reputation.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent story, fighting the Orcs and the very planet itself.

[Ulzeta · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun read.

[Robert Edwards · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty decent adventure book but it's nowhere near the calibre of other 40k books that I've read. It's worth a read for the experience of hearing about Sly Marbo

[miremnao · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, that was surprisingly a really good 40K read.

[Jack Neighbour · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read. Liked following a catachans point of view. Think it’s showing its age in terms of lore now in terms of fights with the orks though.

[Vigneswara Prabhu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imagine a group of soldiers, facing the predator.

Now imagine, that every person in that group, is an 80s action movie protagonist, dripping with manliness, swag and regularly give one another, epic handshake like Dutch and Dillon from predator.

Now Imagine, instead of a single predator, it's a planet full of predators.

Now Imagine, if the entire fracking planet is the predator, and is trying to deal with these pesky creatures on it, like you would deal with mosquitoes irritating your skin.

That would give you a near idea as to what you can expect from the novel Death World, by Steve Lyons. If features a mission embarked upon by the legendary members of the Catachan Jungle fighters. As they come across a planet designated as a 'death world'. In case anyone was wondering what that designation meant, it's quite literal and mentioned at the beginning.

A little context on these guys. These soldiers, hail from the mother of all death worlds 'Catachan', hence their name. Which is a place where every single thing is out to kill you. From apex predators to venomous critters, to poisonous plants, to parasites that turn you into the human version those zombie deer you can find online. Those are just a few of the things that can and will kill you.

Understandably, for those born in this planet, notice how I say born, the mortality rates are quite high. In fact, on could say that the children born here need to learn to kill before they even learn to walk. If you manage to survive childhood, then you've run through the gauntlet of one of the galaxy's most formidable crucibles. One that is so hyper lethal, that the inhabitants actively choose to go off planet to other active war zones, to face all manner of Xenos monstrosities, as an overseas vacation.

Yeah, your planet is so dangerous, that fighting an actual war, is more relaxing.

Needless to say, in the countless diverse legions that make up the Imperial Guard, these guys are a riot to read. They lie on the opposite spectrum of someone like the Death Corps of Krieg, who are interesting to read, for a different kind of survival and lore. Also, personally, my top three guard regiments go in the order of Krieg, Cadians and Catachans; there's that.

The story is nothing fancy. You won't find galaxy spanning space battles, the treacherous debauchery of chaos, or the intricate machinations of the Xenos or heretic in the reading. It's quite simply, a bunch of Rambo looking dudes, fighting and surviving all manner of things trying to kill them. Simple as that.

Ironically enough, these space Rambos themselves, have a figure they admire and adulate as their Rambo, who makes an extended cameo across the story. If you don't know about the legend of Syl Rambo, ahem, I mean Sly Marbo, they you are indeed missing out on quite a treat my friend.

If you want to turn off your brain and want to read something with a healthy amount of meta satire, and a well told survival story, Death world would be to your liking.

[Christian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Death World by Steve Lyons is an action packed book about a squad of Catachan Imperial Gaurdsmen. The Catachan jungle fighters are well known throughout the Imperium for their unique approach to hand-to-hand combat and jungle warfare. In the story, a group of Catachan jungle fighters are dropped off on a jungle world that the Imperium is desperatly trying to get back from the alien Orks. They are sent to kill an important Ork Warboss that is hidden deep within an Ork stronghold. However, they not only have to battle Orks during their mision, but also the jungle itself, and the mysterious shadows that seem to follow their trail. I loved this book because of the fact that not only is it an action book, but it is also a psycological thriller as well. Not only do these men have to fight against the enemies in front of them, but they also have to fight against their fear of this new world. All around them, it seems as if the jungle is silently watching them, waiting for one of them to slip up so that it could move in for the kill. What makes this book espeacially intresting is that the jungle is devolped like another character. It acts in weird ways that a normal jungle wouldn't and it seems to have an alien-like presence. The enemies too are fasinating because they too seem nervous about the jungle. ven the simple minded Orks tread with caution, and that is not a good sign. The setting, enemies, and action were all great in this story, but the protagonists could have been made a little better. When i was done reading it, i just didn't feel like they weren't as memorable as they should have been. All-in-all it was a solid story and one i'd recommend to everyone that likes a good, faced-paced action story.

[Tjalli Óðins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Catachan jungle fighters are something else, bred for deathworlds and jungle warfare.
I imagine them looking like the cast of the film Predator (1987) personally.

Lorenzo and his company have landed on a world to sort out some Orcs. The planet has been marked a Deathworld, which is his companies bread and butter, this is set up to be another walk in the park.

Soon after arriving, fighting and setting out to finish an important mission, they start to suspect this world isn't an ordernary deathworlds...

While reading this novel, I was on edge the whole time. Constantly thinking what could happen and what was going on (in a good way). Filled with heartache and gut-wrenching moments, I got invested in each member in the band (except Mackenzie) and their stories.

Great read, great characters and enough grimness to go around. A true 40K novel.

[Matias · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is very good. Its kind of a telled story, from a soldier. It has mistery, action and much more. This book is based on a board game. It's really interesting. Youll see evry thing from a wird point of view. It has some non sense words. I do recommen it to warhammer 40k fans and other people.

[Darkcharade · Rating 4 out of 5]

another satisfying light action novel about a somewhat new member of a catachan squad sent out on a suicide mission that takes place on a death world. no real large negatives besides the light twist that is introduced as the story goes on. it simply felt out of place for the universe but then again this really isn't a current novel at my time of reading. otherwise enjoyable and simple.

[Nicholas Mastrodicasa · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Catachan jungle fighters, a look into their ranks and you won't be disappointed. Great read, enjoyed the change of scenery. Their ideology on life and combat was refreshingly different. I'd suggest reading it if you like action, combat and jungle warfare.

[Adam Tomlinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good. Very different feel from other 40k books I've read, but I love reading about the Catachan jungle fighters. It has an alien/predator feel about it where you never know what is coming next. I thoroughly enjoyed this and would love to add it to my own library.

[Christian · Rating 3 out of 5]

A squad of Catachan Jungle Fighters make their way through Rogar III's jungles to assassinate an Ork Boss. The novel succeeds in conveying how tough the Catachans are as they overcome the deathworld's obstacles and a commissar's meddling.

[Jon · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Bolter slop with expendable characters" characterises two out of three of the novels in Soldiers of the Imperium, which is a crying shame. There's honestly just nothing really unique about this one, and I know Steve Lyons has better in him because I've seen it in Krieg. Oh well.

[Kjirsten · Rating 2 out of 5]

Space marines dropped on a planet that adapts to kill them. My son loved this book.

[Jakec. · Rating 5 out of 5]

cool.

[Beau Johnston · Rating 4 out of 5]

A squad of soldiers are deployed on a planet where not only the enemy wants them dead, but so does the planet itself.

[Karl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Always happy to see Imperial Guard books.