Gaunts' Ghosts

I was actually planning on picking up my Deathwatch novel today, but things ended late so I couldn't get to my local gaming store in time. Oh well. Next week then.

Anyway, I'm reading Gaunt's Ghosts - the first omnibus, to be exact, which is about their Founding. And it is awesome. Yeah, really. Maybe I'll write a book review, but I doubt I will. There are already so many book reviews about Gaunt's Ghosts, and they write about it far better than I do, so there's no point in me writing one. As of now I'm through the third novel, Necropolis, but I really like First and Only and Ghostmaker. I thoroughly enjoyed both stories, and especially appreciated the touch Dan Abnett brought by not just making it a tale about Colonel-Commissar Ibram Gaunt, but also about the individual troopers under his command.

I mean, Corbec is really awesome, and Mkoll is also very cool. Dorden is noble, Larkin is quite the amusing and likeable character, and I even warm to new characters such as Captain Daur in Necropolis and Soric. I also like a lot of the guys who fought bravely and passed on, such as Sergeant Blane and his Seventh Platoon and even the brave but reckless Lerod. Ouch. The ones I really dig are Caffran and Milo Brin, both young 'uns that I can really relate to, sometimes feeling out of place yet can be absolutely resourceful in times of crisis. I can't say I like Rawne, though, or Feygor. But Bragg, Varl and all the rest are awesome. Gaunt is also quite the remarkable leader who can politically maneuver with the best of them, and his exploits are legendary - though not quite up there with Ciaphas Cain - with Ciaphas, I like it when he narrates his tales in first-person, and his adventures are awesome and mind-blowing. On the other hand, what makes Gaunt's Ghosts shine is not Gaunt himself but the sum of many parts consisting of all the troopers, from the young Caffram all the way to Gaunt's second officer Colonel Corbec.

Of course, Colonel-Commissar Gaunt and his aide Milo are also indispensable. Milo's ways of worming out of trouble are hilarious and I couldn't help but grin and laugh when he outwitted Inquisitor Lilith in Ghostmaker. Now that was quite a scene on par with Ciaphas's amazing getaways and outwitting of his foes such as Commissar Tomas Bejie. The humor is scarce, but the human element and the way Dan Abnett individualizes each trooper is nothing short of amazing.

I really look forward to reading more of these classic works. Though it must be said that some of the lines are cheesy, particularly the quotes from Sturm, Slaydo and other characters as the beginning of chapters. I know they are meant to be inspiring but sometimes they come across as...well, cheesy.

Anyway, I'll look forward to picking up the Deathwatch novel and reading it after I finish The Founding omnibus.