Deathwatch Short Review

Warning: Contains spoilers.

This review is some-what different from the norm as I am looking at a book that was released last year. So why then? Well, it's because of a book I read that was released this year, Deathwatch: Xenos Hunters.

Deathwatch: Xenos Hunter is a book that contains a number of short stories about Deathwatch Kill-teams. Two such stories are about one such team, known as Talon team and their mysterious Inquisitor Lord master known only as Sigma. The two stories are actually really good and while I didn't need to know the back story of these characters to enjoy the story, it did make me curious about the deal between Inquisitors and Deathwatch space marines. On the back pages I saw the advert for a previously released book about Talon Squad, so thanks to Booktopia, I  managed to get a copy.

Deathwatch itself is the story of the forming of Talon Squad and their first mission against a mysterious Xenos threat. Yeah spoilers, it's a Genestealer cult. I sort of knew that from the adverts I saw, though the introduction just screams Tyranid. On the plus side, Genestealer cults are creepy and disturbing as you get further into the book, which is great because anything new on Genestealer  cults is few and far between.

It's really broken up into two main parts. The first is the introduction to our main character, the Death Spectres Librarian Lyandro Karras and his introduction and time spent in the Deathwatch training (and his own mysterious destiny) and the introduction to the other various Space Marines who will eventually become part of Talon Squad. At the same time we are introduced to the plot on the planet Chiaro, a mining world in which unusual things are happening. The Inquisition has sent in one operative to uncover what's going on, with the second sent in to deal with it. Things go wrong and that brings us to the second part.

With all the setting up done, the story now turns to Talon Squad and their mission to the planet on a rescue mission. I wont spoil it, but it's an enjoyable tail with a guessable twist involved in the plot. The book itself leaves itself well open to sequels. which is obviously where the two short stories in Deathwatch: Xenos Hunters come in. Still, there is much that needs to be explained, particularly with those additional questions that were thrown in so close to the end.

I must admit that I haven't read many 40K novels and really don't have much interest in reading many more, but I do admit that overall, this was an enjoyable read. I felt that the characters were well done (Zeed has to be my favourite) and the story itself was interesting. If your interested in Space Marines, Deathwatch or even Genestealer cults, then give this book (and Deathwatch: Xenos Hunters) a go.