Sabbat Martyr
I just read Sabbat Martyr by Dan Abnett and it looks like the Gaunt’s Ghosts novels are coming to an end.
Read no further if you’re ever intending on reading it. Ahoy! There be spoilers.
So why do I think the Ghost series is over? Well let’s see: Brin Milo is off to play adjunct to Sabbat, Colm Corbec is deader than a door nail and Cuu is as well. All three a fairly significant events. While Cuu wasn’t brought into the picture until the fourth book, he represented an internal antagonist that probably can’t be replaced without a considerable change in direction. Corbec’s death in such an ignomous way was kind of a surprise but it represents the end of the old Tanith, something I don’t think the series will be able to recover from. Milo’s departure spells the end of the series in the most concrete way though. However, I think that Abnett could probably spin off Milo’s adventures without too much trouble. In fact, I would guess that is what he’s going to try and do.
So, with my Dark Eldar bent I was quite pleased to see a DE character in an IG story - if only as a quickly dispatched foil. What I thought was cool was that the Mandrake was able to cause more destruction than the Chaos Dreadnaught. As it should be in my far from humble opinion. I was actually kind of surprised that the Nine were so easy to dispatch. Granted, they did cause an awful lot of carnage but I kind of figured that the forces of Chaos would be able to call on considerably more kitted out baddies if they were trying to destroy a reborn Saint.
6 Comments so far
The Gaunt’s Ghost series isn’t over. It is simply apparent that:
A) Dan Abnett realized after seven books that without drastic changes, he was basically rewriting the same story. And …
B) If in the grim darkness of the far future there is only war, some priniciple characters have to die.
More important than what seems to be ending in this story, look at what is NOT. The principle antagonist, Gaur, is still alive. The primary hero, Gaunt, is as well. Further, significant characters like Rawne, Larkin, Mkoll, Mkvenner, Feygor, Nessa, Daur, Hark, Curth, Criid, Caff, Varl, Kolea, Brostin and even Soric are still alive. Dorden probably is as well. And the Sabbat Crusade is not over. I’m sorry, I don’t see the series is over. I just think, rightly, it is bending in new directions.
Plus, it’s the most popular of the Black Library series, by the most popular author in their stable. And lets not forget the parent operation here is Games Workshop. If the Gaunt stories are still making money, there is no end to the number of said yarns they will commission.
Hello! He is rewriting the same story. Here’s the formula (more or less):
1. Ghosts sent to new warzone.
2. Gaunt gets bent about orders and alienates his superior officer
3. Internal strife amongst the Ghosts.
4. Lots of people die.
5. Gaunt is proved right and wins the grudging respect of his superiors
6. Internal strife amongst Ghosts resolved (one way or another).
So, Cuu is dead - the true nemesis of the Ghosts and Brin is gone. It’s really Brin’s departure that leads me to believe the series is over. Unless Abnett brings him back then it is highly unlikely to continue.
Now as for Abnett himself: He is the BEST writer The Black Library has. Period. Just about everyone else doesn’t have what it takes to pump out novels - short fiction? Maybe. Although most of ‘em can’t pull of short stories either. They ought to stick to writing short little fluff bits for White Dork and Codexes.
I like William King better.
I think I’ve only read one of King’s books. It was Space Wolf. It wasn’t bad. It wasn’t as good as the Eisenhorn Trilogy though.
I’ve never gotten around to reading the Eisenhorn books, either.
I really liked Space Wolf, Ragnar’s Claw, and Grey Hunter, as well as his relatively recent one involving the Eldar, the name of which escapes me at the moment (and it must be out of print, since it’s not listed in the online store). King is also the author of the Felix and Gotrek novels, which are being re-released. They’re good stuff.
Oh, you should read the Eisenhorn books. They’re actually quite good.
I’ve only read “Space Wolf” and it wasn’t (in my far from humble opinion) not particularly engaging. Another tale of a warrior going through the process of becoming a Space Marine isn’t terribly interesting to me.
Of course, I don’t tend to cling to Space Marine fluff (which is unfortunate since there’s so much of it).