Honourbound (Warhammer 40,000)

I confess I wasn't really looking to buy this book, but thanks to the wonders of One-Click Purchasing I ended up getting it as I was browsing for things to read during the COVID lockdown. Thankfully I ended up with a great first full-length novel from Rachel Harrison, a mix of adrenaline-fueled battles and old-fashioned detective work as the main character Commissar Severina Raine unravels the mystery behind the Bale Stars Crusade. While the plot moves along at a good pace, I think the real strength of this novel is the character development. This is the first Astra Militarum novel I've read in 40k, and I think Harrison does a fantastic job of fleshing out the normal human soldiers that make up the POV characters for the Eleventh Antari Rifles, Raine's regiment. My favorite was the Wyldfolk Sergeant Daven Wyck, which reminds me of the combat-damaged veterans that come out of our modern conflicts. The Antari themselves feel fully fleshed out, with their own myths, practices and rituals rooted in an almost shamanistic appreciation of nature from their homeworld Antar. I highly recommend this book for anyone looking to explore the world of 40k from the eyes of a normal human regiment of the Imperial Guard, and can't wait for the next installment in the series. I also hope they publish an anthology of Harrison's short stories which have some of the character back stories at some point too.

A solid novel from the Warhammer 40k universe that could, from the strength of its writing, stand alone on its own merits. Nice battle scenes, and surprisingly strong characterisation of secondary characters. The protagonist starts off as the least interesting person in the book, but is more nuanced than she appears at first glance and can easily stand shoulder to shoulder with the likes of other Black Library greats, and by the end of the book I was eagerly checking to see when the next in the series would be out.

A good WH40k novel from a new to me author. Good characters with my main caveat that there is one death that actually should have happened near the end (it was perfect for the character) and the unrequited love I could have done without.

This book (along with the other short stories by the author) may be my favorite WH40K stories to date. The author has developed a great set of characters, well fleshed out and fully embedded in this imagined future of WH40K; one is left with the desire to hear more about these people. I would love to see these stories on screen - it's all there, the characters and great story lines. Thank you to the author for her great contribution to the WH40K universe!

One of the better reads to come out of the Black Library lately. Very well paced and the primary characters are fleshed out and interesting. Looking forward to more writing from this author.

It is rare to be so pleasantly surprised by a Warhammer book. The author has created a lot of compelling characters, interesting scenarios and very well written action and drama. Highly recommend!

This is a solid story set in the 40K universe. It combines not only the military sci fi action expected in 40K, but also some excellent imperfect characters who develop (for better or worse) over the course of the story. The characters are fallible and thus believable. Lest anyone think, "Oh, this is just to shoehorn a female commissar into the setting", nothing could be further from the truth. Frankly, in a setting with such techno-sorcery, the gender of a character is mostly irrelevant to the story, anyway. Much more important are the character's cunning and capabilities (and in 40K laz-pistols). I normally prefer 40k books from the Ciaphus Caine series, but Severia Raine is a sufficiently interesting character to have me wanting to know more. For the Emperor.

See above. A great 40k story that does a great job summoning the grim and the dark, and the heroic. Well worth reading.

This was one of the best written and compelling 40k novels I've read. The story was gripping, and Rachel Harrison's action scenes are on a par with the best of Abnett and Dembski-Bowden. Her main character, Severina Raine, was the best part of this story though. Harrison manages to create a tough, duty-bound commissar, but one with depth, vulnerability and an interesting backstory. It can't be easy to create a humane commissar, but Harrison has done it, and I look forward to reading more Raine stories (I've just bought the short stories now, but hopefully more novels are on the way). The side characters are a great compliment too, and they really help to flesh out the Antari regiment. Daven Wyck is broken, horrifying, but you end up willing for him, and the end... well, I won't spoil anything... but it was superb.

I don’t know... the characters and their motivations all seems rather simplistic / coarse. It’s a 40k story, I know. But there simply are better warhammer books out there.

Great book and the first time that I think an author has injected humanity into their characters. Still lots of great action and over coming the horrors of the 40k universe but because the characters are so well written you care and worry about them. First time I have ever been hesitant to turn a page because I was worried about what was going to happen. Great read and couldn’t recommend it more. Also the fact that you can buy a miniature of the main character is a bonus as well!

Wonderful character development! The story is a little shallow,and briefly feels disjointed, as opposed to suspenseful (which I think was the intended effect in the section in question.) Nevertheless, a great read. Enjoy!

Comparisons to Gaunts Ghosts could be made, but personality loved this. Great characters, brilliant writing, real gritty lore knowledge. Fantastic book. Amazing female characters, a real breath of fresh air.