The Blades of Damocles (Warhammer 40K: Tau) 2.5Stars

 

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Title: The Blades of Damocles
Series: Warhammer 40K: Tau
Author: Phil Kelly
Rating: 2.5 of 5 Stars
Genre: SF
Pages: 292
Words: 104K
Publish: 2016

When I read Farsight: Crisis of Faith back in August of last year, I noted how some big events had happened between Farsight and Farsight: Crisis of Faith. It bewildered me and I was convinced that Black Library (the company, I think, that produces the Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000 books) were a bunch of jackasses who deliberately messed with their readers. Well, this novel is the missing link! It explains everything hinted at in Crisis and explains all the background.

But it is listed as an Astartes novels (the Astartes are the Space Marines, the boys in blue, the gigantic freaks who rule earth as absolute tyrants and are as evil as Chaos itself in my opinion. I HATE the Astartes, hatehatehatehatehate them!) and hence I never would have read this book, not touched it with a 10foot pole, not even glanced at it, if it weren’t for Dave suggesting it as a buddy read, since he knew both Mark and I were interested in Tau stories. I am extremely thankful for that suggestion.

I still hate Black Library though. They are as disorganized as you can possible get. I shouldn’t have to rely on another fan’s information to be able to find out what books are related. That is just fething wrong. So that was my mind set when I started this. Happy that I was finding out what I had missed (in Calibre I am calling this WH40K: Tau 1.5) but pretty angry at Black Library.

Then I find out WHY it was listed as an Astartes novel, because over half the story revolves those fething tyrants. Not just generic ultimate fighters on super steroids, but Named Characters. Who banter and quip while still being ultimate dumb meatheads. I hated them with a passion and I raised a victory cry every time one of the boyz in bloo died. Sadly, the named characters didn’t die, but I can’t have everything. On the Tau side, it was almost as much politics as it was action. Commander Farsight didn’t have nearly enough page time and when he does appear, like I said, politics. It really got under my skin.

The thing that saved this book from being a total loss was the incredible action. When things get going, they REALLY get going. I enjoyed that aspect a lot and if this book had just been about that, probably would have gotten close to 4stars. But, Astartes. That just sank this ship before it even took off.

This was a buddy-read with Dave and Mark, and you can find their reviews here:

Dave’s Review

Mark’s Review

★★✬☆☆

From WH40K.Lexicanum.com

The Imperium of Man takes its bloody revenge upon the expansionist Tau in a war of dizzying spectacle. Chainsword and jump pack is pitted against cutting edge battlesuit technology, whilst the Codex Astartes is matched against the tau Code of Fire. For the first time, the daredevil warriors of the Ultramarines Assault Company go to war en masse, fighting in the skies, in the streets, and even in the prototype testing facilities of the Earth caste. Sergeants Sicarius and Numitor must overcome their hunger for glory as the brightest stars of the Tau Empire, Commanders Farsight and Shadowsun, hunt them to the brink of disaster. As a white-knuckle ride of conflict sees the Space Marines fight through one lethal ambush after another, they must deal with conflicts from within the ranks as well as from without. Tempers run short as battle-brothers fall, ammunition runs out and the course of the war takes ever-darker twists and turns. With two warrior cultures struggling for a vital edge and the body count spiralling towards a terrible conclusion, can notions of honour and duty survive at all?

Only with the advent of a tyranid swarm fleet approaching the Blue Bro’s sector planet do the Astartes retreat.