A. Rivera reviewed Eisenhorn by Dan Abnett
Review of 'Eisenhorn' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
It took me a while to get through this book, but it was well worth it. Though it is three separate novels, the stories are very intertwined, so this really reads like on big epic novel. The story of inquisitor Gregor Eisenhorn is as much an epic story of a man fighting dark forces of evil and the bane of bureaucrats who are supposed to be on his side (think of other heroes who have to put up with their colleagues who are often too tied down by rules. Dirty Harry comes to mind, but I am sure there are other examples) as it is the story of a man who changes and grows over time. His mindset changes as he comes to see that there is a price to getting to know your enemy in order to fight him better. Unlike the Ciaphas Cain novels, which I read earlier …
It took me a while to get through this book, but it was well worth it. Though it is three separate novels, the stories are very intertwined, so this really reads like on big epic novel. The story of inquisitor Gregor Eisenhorn is as much an epic story of a man fighting dark forces of evil and the bane of bureaucrats who are supposed to be on his side (think of other heroes who have to put up with their colleagues who are often too tied down by rules. Dirty Harry comes to mind, but I am sure there are other examples) as it is the story of a man who changes and grows over time. His mindset changes as he comes to see that there is a price to getting to know your enemy in order to fight him better. Unlike the Ciaphas Cain novels, which I read earlier (and enjoyed as well), there is not as much humor here, but there is a blend of adventure and detective/investigator story that is entertaining and engaging. Abnett does take his characters through various twists and turns, which keep the stories interesting. Just when you think something will turn out one way, there is a twist. The pace of the books is pretty quick once it catches on, and it does not let you go. I think fans of the WH40K novels will certainly like it. If a reader is considering this series, this omnibus is a good entry point. The character of Gideon Ravenor, who is a pupil of Eisenhorn and eventually becomes an inquisitor on his own right, gets some action in the novels, and we get to see him grow as well. I noticed the Black Library just put out an omnibus collection of the Ravenor novels, which can be sort of a sequel to this book, and given how much I liked this, I will certainly seek that out at some point.
