Tomb World book review spoiler free...ish

 

Tomb World by Jonathon D Beer. 

My latest read follows Khemet, a Necron Praetorian sworn to the Silent King. Her duty is absolute: to uphold his laws and act as judge, jury, and executioner — a metal-skinned arbiter reminiscent of Judge Dredd. Unlike most of her kind, the Praetorians never entered the Great Sleep. They remained awake through the long ages, waiting for the Necrons to reclaim their place among the stars. Over the 65 million years that passed, the memory engrams of many Necron lords decayed, fracturing into flaws that still plague their people. Khemet’s task has been to travel from Tomb World to Tomb World, purging corrupted nobility and handing command to Nemesors fit to rule. For countless millennia, she carried out this grim duty until fate bound her to a Necron overlord known as the Traveler. At first, their alliance seemed promising. But when Khemet was ordered to defend a world against the Imperium of Man, she failed to stem the tide. The Silent King held her responsible, condemning her to a high-tech purgatory, a punishment as eternal as the Necrons themselves.

I really enjoyed this book because it focused on the power games of the Necrons and showed that, no matter how superior they hold themselves, they can fall prey to petty power games just as easily as any other race. I've not read anything by Beer before, so I was very, very surprised he handled a lore fill subject like the Necrons and their past so well, and will in the future keep a lookout for any more books from him. The first part of the book stutters slightly as far as pacing is concerned, as we meet the characters involved, and it is a while until we get to the conflict part of the plot. There are some very good moments where we see that Necrons don't have to just operate as a giant phalanx of Gauss blasters and Necrodermis when in combat; they have very effective infiltration and sabotage skills. If you want a new Necron to enjoy as a new fan or a returning fan, you will really enjoy this. I highly recommend this to any fan.