review { (book) "Ravenor: Rogue"

Ravenor Rogue
author: Dan Abnett
publisher: Black Library (Games Workshop)

synopsis: Third book in the Inquisitor Ravenor series. The book picks up where 'Ravenor: Returned' leaves off, except now the Inquisitor has been on 'special condition' for too long and the Ordos wants him to return to duty. But Ravenor refuses and continues to hunt his arch-nemesis Zygmunt Molotch, someone he has been hunting for over 70 years. Add into this the threat of the emergence of the daemon Slyte. Who was supposed to manifest before 403.M41, its now 404.M41, has it happened? Has the timeline been changed enough so it won't? Or will someone close to Ravenor betray him and bring ruin upon the Imperium.

review: Its hard to write a book review, so much I want to say, yet I don't want to create a spoiler, which sadly means these reviews are rarely helpful I guess, but oh well. Another excellent book by Dan Abnett. This book is not due out in the States until April, but I purchased a copy from across the pond because I couldn't wait. I thoroughly enjoy the Inquisitor Ravenor series. I find it actually better than the Inquisitor Eisnehorn series, but its ok because the two dove-tail with each other. Ravenor was a student of Eisenhorn, who sponsored him to become a full Imperial Inquisitor. Abnett once again manages to capture the gritty, meat-grinder of life that is the Imperium of Man in the Warhammer 40k universe. He manages to set the mood and the tensions such that I was actually creeped out in parts, especially those involving the emergence of the daemon Slyte. His characters, much like I've mentioned in my reviews of the 'Tanith First and Only' series are 3-dimensional and real. The book's ending, which could be misconstrued as a fizzle is actually genius. I hesitate to mention it here because I don't want to give it away, but if you had read carefully through the other two books and this one, it is brilliant and fits. Once again the locations where the Inquisitor and his warband travel feel real. The hardships they encounter are painful. And the ambiguity of who are the good guys, and who are the bad guys is both obvious and smeared in places. Dan Abnett does an excellent job of not only developing the protagonists well, but puts as much effort, and in some case more into the antagonists. His villains range from the anti-hero to the outright malevolent. Molotch is perfectly developed, a Dr. Moriarty to Ravenor's Holmes.

I am sad because this book closes the trilogy. Of the trilogy, currently 'Ravenor: Returned' is my favorite, but this book stands strong.

The end of the book leaves a taste of a new book Dan Abnett is working on involving the 'Iron Snakes' Chapter of the Adeptus Astartes. The teaser chapters they put at the back of this book were enough to whet my appetite for more.

overall: solid A