Path of the Renegade Book review spoiler free...ish

 

Path of the Renegade by Andy Chambers.

Asdrubael Vect rules the dark city with an, iron fist, the Kabals of the Dark Eldar politick between themselves endlessly, but occasionally one Archon thinks he can take control from him. This book deals with one of those events and what unfolds because of it. Path of the Renegade is the first book of the Path of the Dark Eldar trilogy and focuses heavily on the power games within the city of Commorragh. it includes multiple factions such as the Wych cults, Haemonculus convens and the Kabals. There is also a productive yet not so pleasant side trip to a Sub-realm that shows the varied nature of the Dark Kin. If your reading has been a bit too much Bolter heavy and you fancy a bit of variation, then this can be an interesting diversion. Showing some of the variation possible in the 40k universe, Andy Chambers brings a notable addition to his catalogue of great reads. With this novel he shows exactly what the remainder of the inhabitants of the universe can expect should they become caught up in the power plays at hand.

I've not really read a great deal of the books available from the Dark Eldar perspective, but I found this one a great point to start because there is a good amount of detail on the various factions without it just being a book about the differences. The storyline is strong and stays strong throughout. At multiple junctions within the plot, it reinforces the cruel and sadistic nature of them but manages to keep it fresh enough not to sound like a lecture on it. The characters are all interesting and fleshed out, so it doesn't feel like anyone is just filling space and pages. They are defined and expanded upon so you can actually see they are different fully formed characters rather than a simple pallet swap, which I found refreshing as it sometimes seems like some people are just interchangeable and easily forgettable. For a look deeper into Commorragh and its society you need to look no further, you will enjoy this book if you're looking for a change.

Top image used under Creative Commons Warhammer wiki

bottom image book cover of the version used in the review