I tend to buy most of the titles produced by the Black Library, it feeds two inner daemons, the first is a near insatiable desire to read more about the rich tapestry that is both Warhammer and in this case the Warhammer 40k background. Other games lack this even if the mechanics and figures stack up, they often don't. I digress. The other daemon is literature, I still marvel at how words can conjure up so much, like a miniature film studio in my head.
Last week I received Salamanders by Nick Kyme This week I received Cadian Blood Aaron Dembski-Bowden
The second is about the 88th Cadian Shock Battalion (Kasrkin attached) removed from their home world (during the 13th Black Crusade) to reclaim a shrine world from the taint of Chaos and are seconded to an Inquisitor from the Ordos Sepulturum.
I was going to title this '100 page book review' but I can't as although I have reached 100 pages of Salamanders I have finished Cadian Blood despite it arriving a week later.
In short Cadian Blood Good, Salamanders Bad. Well maybe not bad but a bit also ran.
Now Salamanders isn't terrible and I will probably finish it but I think it needs more 'creative stones' to make the best out of the marines, they are iconic for the 40 universe but without some real talent on the end of the pen are often boiled down to "For the Emperor", "Duty and Honour" and "Dakka, Dakka, Dakka". What worries me is that it's the start of a series. Unfinished a likely 2 out of 5
Cadian Blood, as I often find, it's easier to identify with the Guard and the writer comes up with some clever shit too, the result is much more enjoyable read with nicely shaped characters. There are some obvious plot devices but these are smashed with some nice twists, which is always nice. 4 out of 5
So once again the Adeptus Astartes are beaten by the most Imperial of Guard.
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