SCIENCE FICTION REVIEW: Warhammer 40k: Gaunt's Ghosts: Blood Pact - Dan Abnett

BOOK BLURB:

Following the disastrous events on the fortress world of Jago, where the Imperial troops are nearly defeated by Chaos, the Tanith First are pulled back from the front line for rest and recuperation. After two years' garrison duty on Balhaut, however, lack of action is sending the Ghosts stir crazy. Against a backdrop of increasing bad behaviour and insubordination, Gaunt is secretly summoned by Guard Intelligence. They have captured a high-level Chaos officer, but their interrogation is getting nowhere; the man is refusing to speak to anyone except Gaunt. The information the prisoner holds is crucial to Imperial war effort, but will he survive to ever tell it? As a crack force of Chaos insurgents closes in for the kill, Gaunt finds himself trapped in deadly game of intrigue and murder, where no one can be trusted, and the fate of the Sabbat Worlds Crusade hangs in the balance.


REVIEW:

When the Common Man is out there fighting for the Emperor and Planet you know that things are going to go one way. It’s going to be tough, the body count high and that targets are going to be paid for inch by bloody inch. Add Abnett to the mix along with whats thought of as the cream of the Emperors Imperial Guard Units (The Tanith First and Only) and you know that its going to be all that much tougher.

What you get as usual is high octane, or rather promethium in this case, the First and Only whilst having lost firm friends (character wise) in the previous instalments is still wending their way in the service of the Emperor doing what comes naturally pulling the proverbial target out of the ground inch by inch as friends alongside enemies fall. Abnett really is a cracker of an author and whilst I’m still wanting the next novel in his Titanicus series (its an absolute corker, so if you haven’t tried it yet trust me, its something really special) this title is a great offering to keep you sated in your Khorne worthy bloodlust. Add to the mix the back catalogue of the series (with most in compendium format now) and you’ve got something that’s going to keep you happy over the forthcoming busy period.