Karsa Orlong Posted August 18, 2015 Author Share Posted August 18, 2015 First and Only (Gaunt's Ghosts Book 1) by Dan Abnett 1999 - The Black Library ebook - 416 pages In the nightmare future of Warhammer 40,000, the galaxy-spanning Imperium is riven with dangers. In the Chaos-infested Sabbat system, Imperial Commissar Gaunt must lead his men through as much in-fighting amongst rival regiments as against the forces of Chaos. First and Only is an epic saga of planetary conquest, grand ambition, treachery and honour. Colonel-Commissar Ibram Gaunt of the Imperial Guard is tasked with founding a regiment on the planet Tanith, only for their homeworld to be annihilated just as they escape into space. These few, then, are the last of the Tanith, its first and only regiment. As the years pass they gain a new name: Gaunt's Ghosts. Now deep into the Sabbat Worlds Crusade, Gaunt has made some powerful enemies and his Ghosts are inevitably given the most difficult and dangerous missions. When a mysterious encrypted data crystal comes into Gaunt's hands, he and his men are dragged into a race against time to unlock its secrets and prevent a coup that could tear apart the Imperium of Man. I was led here by the usually sound recommendations I pick up from the Malazan forums. I'd seen the 'Gaunt's Ghosts' series mentioned many times over there, usually in glowing and enthusiastic terms. I've never really paid any attention to the Warhammer 40k universe, apart from briefly playing Dawn of War II, a real-time strategy game (which was actually pretty decent) but, as far as knowing anything about the backstory (which is HUGE - just try googling it) or what the difference between a Space Marine and an Imperial Guard is, I'm completely in the dark. I've certainly not been anywhere near the table-top war game which began it all. Come to that, I've never really been interested in books based on pre-existing game worlds and commissioned by that game's makers (in this case, Games Workshop). It implies mass-produced pulp, and that the author is working within a tightly controlled framework, forced to fit in with the established canon, with little freedom for new ideas and creativity. Kind of ironic, then, that this is the second such book I've read in the space of a few weeks (the other being Salvatore's Homeland). So it's something of a surprise to report that I enjoyed First and Only a lot. Whilst the above synopsis might sound bland and by-the-numbers, in reality this is a fast, flowing read with a decent plot and a cleverly designed structure. It's got some neat surprises that turn some of the tropes on their heads, and a brilliant ending. What I also liked is that the title takes on several meanings as the novel progresses, as does 'Gaunt's Ghosts' - are they his men, or are they the ghosts of his past that still haunt him, linked to a prophecy he was told when he was young? 'Seven stones of power. Cut them and you will be free. Do not kill them. But first you must find your ghosts. Ibram, there will come a day… far off, far away, when something coloured in vermilion will be the most valuable thing you have ever known. Chase it. Find it. Others will seek it, and you will defend it in blood.' What's most surprising is that it's full of good characters, meaning that as they fall - which some inevitably do - it is often a cause for a moment's pause. It's kind of like Band of Brothers relocated to outer space. I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with Gaunt, Corbec, Rawne and Mkoll, amongst others. In this regard, Abnett's writing reminded me muchly of David Gemmell. His character development is pleasingly subtle and makes you genuinely care about these people, and the action scenes - of which there are many - have a visceral punch that had me ducking for cover along with them. The 'Gaunt's Ghosts' series has been likened to a science fiction equivalent of Bernard Cornwell's work, and I can see that comparison, too. For a first novel, and a few rough edges aside, I thought this was surprisingly accomplished and entertaining novel. 'I left my homeworld the night it died, and I've been fighting for its memory ever since. We Tanith are a dying breed. There are only about twenty hundred of us left. Gaunt only got away with enough for one regiment. The Tanith First. The First-and-Only. That's what makes us 'Ghosts', you see. The last few unquiet souls of a dead world. And I suppose we'll keep going until we're all done.' Until recently, these books had been difficult to get hold of. The omnibus editions published just a few years ago had been out of print for some time, and second-hand copies are going on Amazon and other sites for £20 or more (for a new copy think more like £70 upwards). It's all a Black Library ploy, of course, as they are now starting to re-issue the novels individually, bagging themselves three times the money they would've got for each omnibus edition in the process. Also, they're not available for Kindle. Not via Amazon, anyway. I recently found out that you can get MOBI versions directly from the Black Library website. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timstar Posted August 18, 2015 Share Posted August 18, 2015 Can't say I have ever paid any attention to Warhammer 40,000 or anything similar. It's a slippery slope until you find yourself painting model figurines in a dingy basement on a Saturday afternoon ... though I may be stereotyping a bit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted August 18, 2015 Share Posted August 18, 2015 I've played Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War and some of its expansions, and a little bit of the second game. That's about my experience with it. I was unable to complete the first game or some of the expansions, due to a bug that made me unable to progress to the next level in a few of the campaigns. I was able to play one of the two campaigns of the first game completely and I played the Dark Crusade expansion quite a bit (there's no campaign story there, but instead you have a huge map). That's about all I know about the universe. I'm glad the book was good, it's a shame it's so hard to get ahold of them (particularly for reasonable prices). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted August 18, 2015 Author Share Posted August 18, 2015 I didn't feel I needed any foreknowledge to be able to enjoy it, or that I was missing anything by not having that info. Abnett did a good job of giving the reader enough background without resorting pages and pages of info dumps. He walked that tightrope very well, I think. The good thing is that, if one wanted more info, it's freely available. I took a quick glance at the wiki page but couldn't be bothered reading through it. I'll stick with the novels. From everything I've seen, the series is a winner. A bit of a come-down after Peter Watts but, as far as Military SF goes, one of the best I've read so far. Interesting that Abnett's sales are up there with Hamilton, Banks and Reynolds. Did not know that until a few days ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted August 18, 2015 Share Posted August 18, 2015 Steve, I didn `t bother to watch The Flash when it started, but am catching up with S1 on SKY One after you said how good it was - I`m really enjoying it, thanks for the heads up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted August 18, 2015 Share Posted August 18, 2015 FIrst and Only definitely sounds like it's worth a read. Gaunt's Ghosts sound very Bridgeburner-esque. Would you recommend it to a SF amateur like myself? I've never read any Warhammer books before, but I've read a couple of WoW ones, which I found rather bland. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted August 19, 2015 Author Share Posted August 19, 2015 Steve, I didn `t bother to watch The Flash when it started, but am catching up with S1 on SKY One after you said how good it was - I`m really enjoying it, thanks for the heads up. Oh goody, someone else watching it at last Glad you're enjoying it - I thought it was great, and consistently good throughout the season. Where are you up to? FIrst and Only definitely sounds like it's worth a read. Gaunt's Ghosts sound very Bridgeburner-esque. Would you recommend it to a SF amateur like myself? Hmm, good question. Is there any science in it that you need to understand? No. Is it a book I'd recommend to someone new to the genre? No. Not sure where that leaves it Funny you should mention the Bridgeburners because I thought as much as I was reading it - it does have that feel about it. Just with less words I've never read any Warhammer books before, but I've read a couple of WoW ones, which I found rather bland. That's what always put me off up until now. I'm not saying this is the greatest thing ever, but it was a damn sight more entertaining than I was expecting it to be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted August 19, 2015 Share Posted August 19, 2015 ]Oh goody, someone else watching it at last Glad you're enjoying it - I thought it was great, and consistently good throughout the season. Where are you up to? 1 x 13 ( Sky are showing 5 eps a week ) - I especially liked the one where Wentworth Miller guest starred for the second time and Dominic Purcell turned up , and they were in a prison van at the end.- I watched Arrow for a while, but didn`t really get into it, so didn`t bother giving The Flash a go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted August 19, 2015 Share Posted August 19, 2015 1 x 13 ( Sky are showing 5 eps a week ) - I especially liked the one where Wentworth Miller guest starred for the second time and Dominic Purcell turned up , and they were in a prison van at the end.- Have you seen the fourth(?) Resident Evil film where Wentworth Miller's character is in a prison cell when you first meet him? Steve, have you seen the TV adaptation of The Strain? I remember you read the book a couple of years ago. They're showing series one again at the moment and I wondered whether it was worth a watch . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted August 19, 2015 Author Share Posted August 19, 2015 (edited) 1 x 13 ( Sky are showing 5 eps a week ) - I especially liked the one where Wentworth Miller guest starred for the second time and Dominic Purcell turned up , and they were in a prison van at the end.- Ah right. You've got some crackers to look forward to, then. I think it really, really takes flight around ep 15 or 16 And yeah, I did laugh at that I think they must've loved hamming it up as Captain Cold and Heat Wave Loved seeing Brandon Routh in it, too although he was a crossover from Arrow . . . Now, repeat after me: Cisco rules. Cisco rules. Cisco rules. Obviously, stop it at episode 13 to avoid spoilerisation Still can't believe I got to see Grant Gustin and Jesse L Martin in the flash - er, flesh I watched Arrow for a while, but didn`t really get into it, so didn`t bother giving The Flash a go. I think the makers have learned a lot from the mistakes they made in season 1 of Arrow, for sure. The Flash is altogether lighter on its feet and much more fun. I do think Arrow improved markedly in season 2. Still not as good as The Flash though. You've probably missed out on a lot of the fun of the crossover episodes as a result, which is a shame Steve, have you seen the TV adaptation of The Strain? I remember you read the book a couple of years ago. They're showing series one again at the moment and I wondered whether it was worth a watch . . . Yeah, I watched it religiously. It's hilarious. It's not meant to be, but it is. Highly recommended Edited August 19, 2015 by Karsa Orlong Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted August 19, 2015 Share Posted August 19, 2015 Yeah, I watched it religiously. It's hilarious. It's not meant to be, but it is. Highly recommended Awesome. Will record them all and then have a mad binge at some point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted August 19, 2015 Author Share Posted August 19, 2015 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 I didn't feel I needed any foreknowledge to be able to enjoy it, or that I was missing anything by not having that info. Abnett did a good job of giving the reader enough background without resorting pages and pages of info dumps. He walked that tightrope very well, I think. The good thing is that, if one wanted more info, it's freely available. I took a quick glance at the wiki page but couldn't be bothered reading through it. I'll stick with the novels. From everything I've seen, the series is a winner. A bit of a come-down after Peter Watts but, as far as Military SF goes, one of the best I've read so far. Interesting that Abnett's sales are up there with Hamilton, Banks and Reynolds. Did not know that until a few days ago. Thanks for this ! Good to know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 I thought of you whilst out shopping today. Echopraxia was all over the tables in Waterstones. Blindsight was nowhere to be seen though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 Ah right. You've got some crackers to look forward to, then. I think it really, really takes flight around ep 15 or 16 Still can't believe I got to see Grant Gustin and Jesse L Martin in the flash - er, flesh Up to 1 x 19 now. Do you know which ep they were filming in Vancouver ? I think the makers have learned a lot from the mistakes they made in season 1 of Arrow, for sure. The Flash is altogether lighter on its feet and much more fun. I do think Arrow improved markedly in season 2. Still not as good as The Flash though. You've probably missed out on a lot of the fun of the crossover episodes as a result, which is a shame Yes, but it`s been easy to cope with - some crossovers leave you completely flummoxed. I`m wondering if I should watch The Arrow again. Hmm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted August 28, 2015 Author Share Posted August 28, 2015 I thought of you whilst out shopping today. Echopraxia was all over the tables in Waterstones. Blindsight was nowhere to be seen though. Yeah, it's daft. The only way to get Blindsight over here - other than ordering online - is to get the omnibus, Firefall. Up to 1 x 19 now. Do you know which ep they were filming in Vancouver ? No, unfortunately not. It was a season 2 episode (obviously!) but I'm staying spoiler free at the moment Yes, but it`s been easy to cope with - some crossovers leave you completely flummoxed. I`m wondering if I should watch The Arrow again. Hmm. *cough* There's no 'The' in Arrow *cough* I thought season 2 was great fun. Probably worth picking it up four or five eps from the end of season 1 and then watching it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted August 28, 2015 Author Share Posted August 28, 2015 So this week has been my first week of jury service. Here's a brief summary of my experience so far: Monday: 8:40am - Arrive at court. Sign in. Five new trials due to start today. Sit at end of sofa. No-one's talking to each other. Watch video about jurors' responsibilities. Wait. Play game on Nintendo 3DS. Try to listen to digital radio bought specially for the occasion. No reception! And wait. Two stand-by juries are called. I'm not on them. More waiting. Lunch. Too uptight to eat much. Another jury is called. I'm not on it. More waiting. 4pm, told the other two trials have been cancelled. Sent home. Tuesday: 9:40am - Arrive at court. Sign in. Four new trials to start today. Start chatting to some people I recognised from the day before. Wait. Time goes a bit quicker (not much!) due to company. 11am, jury is called. One of my new 'friends' has to go. Nooo! More waiting. 12:45pm, jury is called - my name comes out of the hat! Go to desk. Told the trial will start in the afternoon so go to lunch and be back for 2pm. Too nervous to eat. Wait. 3pm, called to front desk, told defendant has changed plea to guilty and trial is cancelled. Sent home. Wednesday: 9:40am - Arrive at court. Sign in. Four new trials to start today. Seek out friends from day before. Have a chat. Read book for an hour. Can't concentrate. Someone changes the tv channel to the athletics. Watch athletics. With subtitles. Play 'The Chase' on my tablet with fellow jurors. Win £25,000. 11:45am, jury is called - my name comes out of the hat! Told the court room is not quite ready so to sit and wait. 12:30pm, told the trial will now start in the afternoon, so go to lunch and be back for 2pm. Go to lunch. Too nervous to eat much. Watch athletics. Chat a bit. 2pm comes and goes. 2:45pm, called to front desk, told defendant has changed plea to guilty and trial is cancelled. Sent home. Thursday: 9:40am - Arrive at court. Sign in. Three new trials to start today. Seek out friends. Yay, some other people who've been on a jury have returned. Nice people, fun chat. Time passes gradually. 1045:am, jury is called - my name comes out of the hat! Told that we're on stand-by for court 5 and to wait until the usher comes to get us. Yay, maybe I'll now be able to get in a court room and take the oath (the bit i was nervous about). 11:30am, usher comes to get us, takes us up to the jury waiting room for court 5. Gives us a little speech. Apparently the defendant has refused to get out of the van, so the trial will proceed in his absence. I say I thought they'd drag him in kicking and screaming. Usher tells me if it happens again she'll send me down to deal with it I liked her - she knew I was nervous and tried to put me at my ease 11:45am, she takes us into the court room. There are only four people in there: the judge, the court clerk, and the two barristers. There are 15 of us jurors in waiting. The court clerk randomly selects 12. I was the last one called - thought after all that that I wasn't going to be selected! I go and take the final seat. I take the oath. Yay, sigh of relief, over and done with, know I can handle it now. Judge says 'sorry to keep you waiting, the trial is now not going ahead today, please come back at 10am tomorrow'. Go back to jury area. Sent home. Friday, today: 9:35am - Arrive at court. Don't need to sign in cos I'm on a sitting jury! No new trials due to start today. Only people who are already on trials have come in. Deficit of friends as a result. Sit down, chat, wait. 10:45am, message that the usher will be down to get us at 11am. 11am comes and goes. All the other juries have gone to their court rooms. Just the 12 of us left. 11:30am, lovely usher comes to get us, takes us up to the court room. I walk in last cos we have to sit in the same seat as yesterday. Judge tells us not to worry too much - because we won't be there long. Between the time Anne-Marie, the usher, had left the court room, come to get us, and taken us back up there, the defendant had changed his plea to guilty, so there will be no trial. Judge thanks us and apologises for the wait. Anne-Marie takes us back to the jury area. 11:40am, sent home. It's got to the point now where I just have to laugh, cos it's all so ridiculous. Five days, selected for three juries, and not one of the trials has gone ahead, so I've yet to see anything actually happen On the plus side, I've taken the oath once in front of 20 people, so I hope next week I won't be so nervous about it. On Tuesday there'll be a new bunch of jurors turning up, so lots of new people. In theory, I have four days left to go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrissy Posted August 28, 2015 Share Posted August 28, 2015 It's good to hear about justice in action! £25,000 on The Chase - excellent stuff. I guess it is good that so many didn't carry on mucking around, and plead guilty. Saves the time, money and hassle of a trial but doesn't give you an insight into the system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted August 28, 2015 Share Posted August 28, 2015 Yeah, it sucks that they've kept you waiting around so much, but at least you've been sent home earlier and earlier every day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted August 28, 2015 Share Posted August 28, 2015 Good Grief !! It`s not exactly LA Law, is it. Fingers crossed that you get to go home in a week and don`t get stuck on some tortuous case. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted August 28, 2015 Share Posted August 28, 2015 *cough* There's no 'The' in Arrow *cough* I thought season 2 was great fun. Probably worth picking it up four or five eps from the end of season 1 and then watching it. I`m sure the `The` is implied. Darn it, looks like I gave up on Arrow ( ahem ) too soon then. Shall keep an eye out for repeats. Just watched 1 x 20 of The Flash - wow ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted August 28, 2015 Author Share Posted August 28, 2015 Fingers crossed that you get to go home in a week and don`t get stuck on some tortuous case. Hope so. They've made a note that work want me back on 7th September, so we'll see. Just watched 1 x 20 of The Flash - wow ! Must re-watch the last few before the new season starts Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted August 28, 2015 Share Posted August 28, 2015 Must re-watch the last few before the new season starts I`ve really liked how they`ve jumped wildly ahead, dealing with all the secrets, instead of drawing things out for e-v-a-h. And how everyone knows who The Flash is. And the lack of self-reverence. And the whole `naming of the villain` shtick... . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted August 28, 2015 Author Share Posted August 28, 2015 Yeah, it sucks that they've kept you waiting around so much, but at least you've been sent home earlier and earlier every day. It's a week of my life I'm never getting back, that's for sure. I`ve really liked how they`ve jumped wildly ahead, dealing with all the secrets, instead of drawing things out for e-v-a-h. And how everyone knows who The Flash is. And the lack of self-reverence. And the whole `naming of the villain` shtick... . Yeah, all of that. It's very light on its feet. Quite apt I suppose! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted August 29, 2015 Share Posted August 29, 2015 Yeah, all of that. It's very light on its feet. Quite apt I suppose! Boom boom ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.