Sabbat Worlds: Of Their Lives in the Ruins of Their Cities

Gaunt's Ghosts

by Dan Abnett

Dan Abnett takes the Tanith First back to the beginning. On Voltemand, long before they gain fame and glory as Gaunt's Ghosts, the Tanith are a broken unit. Crippled by doubt and hating their commander for his part in the death of their world, they are fractious and undisciplined. Leading a patrol into no-man's-land, Gaunt is ambushed. The Tanith must rally around and protect their new leader, or be consigned to history.

Read it because
It's a beautiful and elegiac tale, looking back at Ghosts long gone and providing a epitaph to many of your favourite characters from the long running series.

Genres: 40k, Science Fiction, Fiction, Dystopia, Short Stories

71 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 1, 2011

Reviews

[Calyx · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mister Dan did splendid yet again, you can feel things still forming amongst the Ghosts, you see that Gaunt is a man, a man who has consequences to live with, and it weighs on him.

Great again.

[Fiona · Rating 5 out of 5]

An entertaining "slice of life" at a neglected war front somewhere in the 40k universe, where Gaunt is still new to the role of colonel-comissiar and his men still process the loss of their home world, blaming it all on Ibram Gaunt personally.

The story itself is about the ruins of a city post-victory, where Gaunt and his Ghosts get to encounter a horrific surprise or two. Don't wanna say too much, the story is a short one as it is, but giving you an idea where it's going.

[Space Dragon · Rating 2 out of 5]

I reed this in the omni The Founding.

There is something i find conducting about the timeline. It is established that it is before the novel First and only, but Milo is 17, in the novel he is 16. Another thing is Dorden mention how all the soldiers are having problem after Voltis, but is it not the planet they are on the the second novel? So how can this short story takes place before?

So when in the timeline does this takes place?

Btw the character interactions are okay.

[Takezo · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.1 ⭐

[Jack Neighbour · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great retrospective look at the start of one of Gaunt’s first engagements with the Tanith. Solid character development.

[Heinz Reinhardt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although it was written several years after the debut of the series, this is the beginning of the tale.
Dan has, as usual, written an excellent story, showcasing in this one Colonel Commissar Ibram Gaunt as a man with a past that haunts him. We are introduced to several Ghosts who will be prominent throughout the series, a d we see Gaunt struggle to earn their trust.
Despite the superb quality of the Horus Heresy, I still think that Gaunt's Ghosts is the best series Black Library has ever published. If you can find the Sabbat World's anthology this one is in, do so as this story is a great primer for the whole series.

[Griffin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great retrospective short story Dan Abnett wrote years after introducing everyone to Gaunt and his Ghosts in First and Only. You see them here in a very up close and personal way, as they’re in one of their first engagements with each other and still working on how they feel about Gaunt.

The pacing kept up well throughout the story and the use of present tense kept things personal and well done I thought. You honestly feel more attached to the characters after this story than First and Only since this takes a more up-close view and spends more time developing them.

Great addition to read after re-reading First and Only. It contradicts itself with some of the later telling of the first missions of the Ghosts (like in the next full novel “Ghostmaker”) but I enjoyed it as a more realistic take of a man doubting his place and men who would rather be with anyone else than Gaunt at that time.

[Gareth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good short story by Dan Abnett here, would have been nice to be even longer :) Always nice to go to the earlier days of the Tanith First and Only, where everyone is still around (*sniff*), though a bit confusing placement in the Founding Omnibus in some respects, as does refer to at least one story in Ghostmaker, which comes after this, but otherwise is a good highlight on how the Tanith is going soon after forming.
Most of our favourite Tanith soldiers in here, but shown in quite a different light given the early nature, which was cool.

[Richie Howle · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short story about one of the Tanith First and Only's first missions. Shows a lack of trust between Gaunt and those who'd become his ghosts but doesn't really close a bridge from this point to the first official novel. It shows the distrust but doesn't show how it ends. The fights were decent but nothing on what was showcased in First and Only. Nothing established here is then re-established in the first book so it's not a necessary read but still a good one.

[Alex Van De Wiele · Rating 4 out of 5]

A decent short story that gives some more insight into characters like corbec and rawne, as well as an explanation as to why a decorated hero stays with a regiment clearly not long for the world. Only a singke event really happens: gaunt foolishly leads his men into enemy territory, where they are ambushed. Still, it hits all the notes anyone hungry for more Gaunt's Ghosts in a short story could want, so 4 stars.

[Anthony O'Connor · Rating 4 out of 5]

You can see Abnett finding his voice with this short story, switching the action to present tense, spending more time developing the characters. Thus enthused I'm going straight into Ghostmaker next...

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great little novella. It gives a fair amount of background to the overall series. Well done.

[Станислав · Rating 4 out of 5]

Интересная история из времени притирки комиссар-полковника и танитцев. Опять же бонус за быт, просто захотелось скушать питательный брикет и порошком из жестянки.

[Bartek Maciej · Rating 5 out of 5]

Świetne opowiadanie o Tanith Pierwszy i Jedyny zanim zostali Dychami Gaunta.

[Ulzeta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite fun.

[Jim Pickone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Man, Gaunts Ghosts sure were a mess.

[Nate Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well-paced and entertaining, this story provides interesting context to established characters.

[Robert Whelan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too short with a sudden finish. Not bad though.