The Emperor's Gift by Aaron Dembski-Bowden.
The Grey Knights, mankind's last line of defense against the ever hungry forces of Chaos, these paladins of purity protect the breadth of the imperium from the forces they cannot even comprehend. A central point of this novel is the edict of secrecy that surrounds them and just how far they need to go to ensure they remain hidden. With the appearance of the universe's kindest and fluffiest Primarch Angron, and the often berserker-like approaches of the Space Wolf chapter, we have the combination of all-time classic, and Aaron Dembski-Bowden doesn't disappoint. What I enjoyed about this novel at the beginning was a brief look into the initial training and testing that the Grey Knights are subject to, it's not a subject that I have come across in any of the other Grey Knight books I've been able to read.
All the way through the plot, there is action and intense moments of drama that keep your interest going strong. There are twists and turns and moments of genuine shock to be had, but it is not a storyline that restricts itself to a one dimensional telling. There is squad sized combat against a Warp Corrupted Navigator and large scale planetary sized warfare to keep the narrative flowing. At some points, the combat isn't present, but the pressure is still on the characters in the form of political pressure and pressure from the ever watchful Inquisition. You truly get a feel for the stakes involved in these situations, and the knowledge that in this world, everyday men are just a number and are seen as extremely expendable, because the fate of trillions is at stake. If you are like me, a big fan of not only the Grey Knights but also Dembski-Bowden's work itself, then you will love this book and will really enjoy everything about this novel, and won't regret taking the opportunity to read it.
Top image used under Creative Commons Warhammer wiki
bottom image book cover of the version used in the review
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