The Man who Never was

For the Emperor by Sandy Mitchell My rating: 5 of 5 stars Caiphas Cain, Commissar and hero of the Imperium, is basically the 40k version of Tanya Degurechaff from The Saga of Tanya the Evil, Vol. 1: Deus lo Vult . if you haven't read that book yet, why haven't you? Go and read that right now. A simple descriptor of that story is a middle-aged man reincarnated as a young girl, becomes a conscripted child soldier in an alternate history pre-WWI era Imperial Prussia, with mages acting like aerial weapons. Where she uses her knowledge of real-world military history, as well as her considerable intellect, to commit war crimes which technically are compliant to the Geneva convention. Intrigued? Go read it. Caiphas Cain is much like Tanya, in the sense that, the last thing he wants to do, is to be in the frontlines fighting a war. Or facing down heretics, Xenos or chaos. Unfortunately for him, he happened to be form in the world of 40k, where according to ...

The Gospel According to Artyom by Dmitry Glukhovsky My rating: 5 of 5 stars Note: This really should've been a review that comes after writing about the main story. But there is much for me to ponder over in regard to Metro 2033 , which requires a detailed discourse. So, here goes. // Spoilers for the main story // This short excerpt, more of an epilogue, is a companion piece to the main story of Metro 2033, added during a later edition, to provide more context as to the mental state of our protagonist Artyom. Following the destruction of the Botanical Gardens, and the Dark Ones' nest that was located in it, the whole metro rose in celebration, at the elimination of a dangerous threat to their existence. Artyom, who played an instrumental role in bringing about this victory, was hailed as a hero. Little do they know that their hero is a broken man, plagued with remorse and guilt. For only he knew, in the literal last minutes before their dem...

At the Gates of Hell by Richard D. Nolane My rating: 3 of 5 stars Rating 3 out of 5 | Grade: C+; This man almost died; you wouldn't believe what happened to him after As hoped, Chapter 2 of Richard D. Nolane seems to have rectified the jarring shortcomings of the opening issue. I’m glad to find that the dialogue, which was a major sore point of the first chapter, is markedly better this time. It’s cohesive, reads like a proper dialogue and maintains the pace of the story quite well. On the other hand, it seems that our protagonist, the devil’s pilot, is developing some manner of precog predictive ability following his near-death experience. Which allows him to get out of unexpected jams and stay ahead of his opponents. Though already piloting a jet, that’d mean he’s 2-3 steps ahead at this point. In typical Nazi fashion, the biggest threat to their regime are not the allies, but their own politics, a neurotic dictator and personal interests u...

The Devil's Pilot by Richard D. Nolane My rating: 3 of 5 stars Rating 3 out of 5 | Grade: B; WWII dogfights with Nazi Jets Here we are back again, indulging in the junk food of Alternate history fiction; what if the Nazis won the war. Only this time around they didn't. As what happened in the real world, WWII happened, and the allies defeated Imperial Japan by dropping the nukes on Hiroshima & Nagasaki. Everything is quiet on the eastern front. Only, the western front is still very much a contested battlefield. Downright catastrophic weather conditions saw the Landings at Normandy, as well as D-day, turn into a devastating failure. Much like the Persian fleet on the Greek shores, the allied naval offensive was blunted, and the Axis powers got a brief respite, allowing them to stay in the war late into 1946. The coinciding launch of the Lippisch .13a , the German ramjet prototype, swung the scale more in favor of the Germans, especially wh...

Operation Rebalance by Jean-Luc Sala My rating: 2 of 5 stars Rating 2 out of 5 | Grade: D+ ; It all goes downhill pretty fast The concluding volume of Iron Squad, by Jean-Luc Sala, seems the most rushed and least interesting of the whole 6 Issue series. One which doesn't live up to the promise set in Vol.1 , either in terms of story, or artwork. The plot of this volume, where a bunch of OSS agents try and infiltrate the Nazi science facility that produces Neptunium, the super fuel that allows them to power their advanced armor, is lack luster, in terms of action & stakes. Which is a shame, as some of the characters had a halfway decent backstory to explore. Plus, some of the interesting characters from Vol. 1, the Russian campaigns had also made a comeback. The way in which these characters behave is completely random, and basically they do whatever it takes to make the plot 'edgy'. Unnecessary friendly fire, misunderstandings, sh...

Daemonifuge by Kev Walker My rating: 4 of 5 stars Rating 4 out of 5| Grade: B+; Nuns with guns, in Space! The Adepta Sororitas, or the Sisters of Battle always had a special place in my cold dead mechanical necron heart. There is something so mesmerizing about Nuns in space unloading a truck load of lead onto the heretic, mutant & xenos in one hand, and on the other hand preach the holy word of the Emperor so that you may reach salvation that only his divine grace may bring forth. Plus there are a slap in the face of anyone who says that nerds only like female characters in scantily clad 'boob armor'. The Sororitas are an insult to such comments. I mean, look at them, clad in armament & swagger. They are the freaking emperor's favorite daughters. Plus, plus, there are much needed inclusion in the sausage fest that is the Imperial roster, filled with Astartes, Mechanicus & the Imperial guard. I mean, the Aeldari & Drukh...

Damnation Crusade by Dan Abnett My rating: 5 of 5 stars Rating 5 out of 5 |Grade: A; For the Emperuh, Hell Yeah! After reading a slew of sub-par 40K graphic novels, with at best, passable art style and story, Damnation Crusade was a much needed breath of fresh air. Then again, what else can you expect from the mind that penned, Horus Rising & Eisenhorn . Damnation Crusade, follows the centuries old journey of a Black templar Space marine Raclaw, from the time he was first recruited from his war torn home world (which world isn't in 40K), to being a prospective aspirant, to a rookie neophyte, a war hardened battle brother, to the highest honor in the chapter, being entombed in an Imperial dreadnaught christened Tankred, called to serve in times of dire need. Now here's the thing you need to know about Imperial Dreadnought. They are perhaps the single most important, valuable and venerated war resource for their respective chapters. Not on...

Uber, Volume 3 by Kieron Gillen My rating: 3 of 5 stars Rating 3 out of 5| Grade C-; Interlude Mature content warning. Graphic Violence & Nudity The book Uber, Volume 2 , ended at a highpoint for the Nazis, who, thanks to the solo assault of Battleship Sieglinde, managed to destroy the heartland of London, as well as assassinate Winston Churchill. This action, while holding little value strategically, nevertheless send eaves across the lines, earning a highly anticipated Symbolic victory for the Germans. And we all know how much the Nazis put emphasis on looks. The Allies, reeling from this humiliating defeat, not to mention the loss of one of the pillars of democracy, throw their entire naval might to try and annihilate the weakened retreating Sieglinde. Only to be thwarted by the sudden arrival of the newly introduced Blitzmensch who can serve as one man long distance artillery units, shooting devastating halo energy from afar, and destroying a good part of the British hom...

New York 1947 by Vincent Brugeas My rating: 3 of 5 stars Rating 3 out of 5 |Grade: C+; Atmospheric New York 1947 is a prequel side story to the main story of Block 109 . In an alternate timeline, following the assassination of Hitler in 1942, Heinrich Himmler assumes power and turns Germany into a more efficient war machine. Renamed as Germania, Himmler & the newly established Teutonic Order led by Hochmeister Zytek develop automatons, advanced aircraft & the crown jewel, successfully completed a thermonuclear weapon by 1945. Having no qualms about human life, Germanian high command dropped a nuclear arsenal onto Great Britain & North America, utterly annihilating majority of the allies. The Island of Manhattan, initially left untouched due to its isolation, is used as testing ground for the new viral bioweapon developed by the Nazis, which can turn men into raging, mindless berserkers thirsting for human flesh. It is the year 1947, and a small group of elite Naz...