Now it was well and truly part of the Crusade. Very minor, though-it only really jumped out at me in the climactic melee at the end of Sabbat Martyr. as they occur is probably intended to offset that back-of-the-mind fact, it only serves to call unneeded attention to it. One minor annoyance: I understand that Gaunt is basically invulnerable-no more novels without him, after all-and while Abnett's insistence on noting every MINOR WOUND, NEAR MISS, etc. Still, mixing gritty, footslogging, uber-rational military fiction with non-weaponized psychic powers-that is, miracles-without crossing the thin line into deus ex machinae doesn't strike me as an easy task.

True, the WH40k universe gives him a lot of leeway on this front. Time to see if Abnett has anything on the Imperial Navy!Īnother point: Abnett handles Soric's 'gift' and the general uptick in miraculous events in this saga quite well. The space battle before the ground assault also stands out as particularly enthralling, though all too brief. The ending is appropriately epic and satisfying, and, of course, bittersweet-this is a Gaunt's Ghosts novel, after all.

It makes the book feel rather shorter than the previous three, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, and only fitting for the climax of the Saint saga, really. Sabbat Martyr is literally one long cityfight, with a small break between a skirmish at the beginning and the real battle about a third of the way in. The Guns of Tanith as a whole and bits of Straight Silver really stood out, and the pitched armor battles in Honour Guard are also very well done. Not as good as its predecessor, The Founding, but still enjoyable.

Gaunt's ghosts the saint omnibus