I Am Slaughter Book review spoiler free... ish

 

I Am Slaughter by Dan Abnett. 

The next book I’m diving into is from the Beast Arises series, in which the Imperium gets a very loud wake‑up call that the galaxy hasn’t magically become safe just because the Heresy is in the rear‑view mirror. Things start off looking almost routine: a nearby world is getting swarmed by these chrome‑skinned insectoid xenos, so the Imperial Fists are told to go clear them out. Simple enough, A classic bug hunt. Except… it isn’t. With half the Chapter locked into eternal watch over the Imperial Palace, every other available Fist is shipped out to deal with the Chromes. They’ve got the Magos Biologis tagging along, poking at specimens, and trying to figure out what makes these things tick. But even early on, there’s this sense that something about the whole situation is not quite right, the mission is just off. The first tremor before something much bigger hits. Meanwhile, back on Terra, the political side of the story starts tightening like a noose. The High Lords are scrambling to understand what’s happening, but the real power in the room isn’t any of them. It’s Draken Vangorich, the Grand Master of Assassins, a man who never steps into the light unless he chooses to. While everyone else argues and dithers, Vangorich is already moving pieces across the board. Through his assassins, through his allies in the Inquisition, he quietly pushes the other High Lords exactly where he wants them. By the time they realise they’re being played, he’s already orchestrated the next act.

Although I enjoyed this book, it took a lot of time to build up to something really interesting for most of it. It's more focused on building the plot for the next installment in the series. It wasn't the best I've read from my recent reading list, but it wasn't the worst. If you do choose to start the series, you will have to wait a while for it to build up to the good parts. On to the good aspects of the storyline, though, Vangorich is a very good character; his political games and manipulation are a real bright point to the book. He is a character who carries a lot of the momentum in the dramatic points, and you look forward to his next part to play as you read further. I would say that if you want to start this series, don't judge based on this book; its main focus is to familiarise yourself with the main players in the political games.