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ArbitorIan
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BOOK CLUB: March 2023 Poll!

Ok, back to the KLUB! It's been ages because we had to read all those bloody Inquisitor books last year, but we're BACK and as promised, here's a vote. I've gone for 'authors who aren't Dan Abnett but I reckon we might be able to persuadeto talk to us' as my theme!

Comments

AND WE'RE CLOSED! It's BRUTAL KUNNIN!

ArbitorIan

Ok, I'll close the poll at the end of the week. Looks like brutal kunning is out in front but everything else is close behind!

ArbitorIan

I liked, but but didn't love Honorbound. It was a good book, but not a home run. Also I want to read a new book for book club, so I'm voting for assassins. 🥷

Pål Røtnes

James Larner, WTF?! Um, might I point out the accessibility and convenience of ebooks and audiobooks? :^/

Scavvon

Laurence M, I absolutely agree. The supporting characters and their flaws are the best and most compelling part of the book.

Scavvon

ArbitorIan, thanks for sharing that info. When I was reading the book I was conscious of how the commissar was portrayed. What kind of balance would the author strike between the typically male protagonist in 40K/action/military fiction, and the unique perspective of a female commissar. I felt that Commissar Severina Raine came across as a complex and nuanced character. Though in retrospect, I didn't note an especially high body count of battlefield executions. Now I want to revisit the book. The thing that I like the most about the book is that the author presents us with a number of deeply flawed and broken characters. And she doesn't let them off easy, each character must continually confront their own issues in engaging and compelling ways. Also, maybe more than any Black Library book I can think of, Harrison tells her story from the perspective of all of these varied characters. We are privy to their motivations, worldview, personal history, and most crucially their fears. Now, more than ever, I'd love for yourself and Mira to review the book. Honourbound clearly owes a debt to Abnett's Gaunt's Ghosts novels. I think that it would also be interesting to hear your thoughts regarding a bit of comparing and contrasting of these two fictional military units (both led by commissars).

Scavvon

I enjoyed Honourbound as a look into the Guard, combat and PTSD. The troopers were great the commissar was so so.

laurence m

The fact that the only physical copy for sale on Amazon is listed for over £100 doesn’t help either :P

James Larner

Ok. Maybe best 40K book of 2022.

David Ray

I haven't read it, but from what I've heard, one of the issues people have with Honourbound is that, while every other Commissar in the fiction is a lot more reasonable and believable than the tabletop would have you think, the one in that book is just really horrible in the most trigger-happy tabletop game sort of way, which makes a difficult protagonist. But happy to be proven wrong!

ArbitorIan

The fact that so few people have voted for Honourbond by Rachel Harrison just proves how urgently this fantastic book needs to be promoted. If one didn't know better, you might think that 40K fans cannot handle a strong female protagonist.

Scavvon

Better than Echoes of Eternity? 😯

James Larner

Kingmaker the best book of 2022.

David Ray

I'm looking forward to whichever author gets chosen. I've really enjoyed the Abnett stuff I've read but I've picked books at random from other authors who weren't really to my taste. However, the next time book club is ready for another Abnett I wanted to mention Titanicus--giant stompy robots with a bit of Name of the Rose. From watching earlier videos I suspect Mira is very much on Team Stompy Robot.

Kurtz

I had to vote for Honourbound - I loved the book, loved having a female lead character, and Rachel Harrison was one of the first female Black Library authors I could find. I keep hoping she'll write a sequel!

Erik Gustafson

Lets do them all.

Jonathan Davis

Ooh, great choices. But I have to side with Brutal Kunnin'.

Ampersen

I have only 1 response, that is WAAAAAAAGH! Although on reflection Honour Bound is a really interesting look at a more extreme commissar.

laurence m

Biased as I loved getting to talk to RR last time! Wanna read that one too ❤️

Mira Manga


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