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Gaunt's Ghosts #2
Ghostmaker
On Monthax, Colonel-Commissar Ibram Gaunt and his Tanith First-and-Only await the order to advance into the sweltering jungle and drive the alien eldar from the world. As battle approaches, Gaunt walks the lines, raising his men's spirits and remembering their most heroic deeds and the tragedies that have dogged Gaunt's Ghosts from the day of their founding on lost Tanith. The day that Gaunt became known as the Ghostmaker.
Read By: Toby Longworth
Read By: Toby Longworth
320 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2000
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1538 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 246 reviews
July 8, 2019
After the great start to the series in First and Only, Abnett makes what feels like a clumsy mis-step in Ghostmaker. The novel is an awkward mis-mash of two things: a collection of short stories and a standalone story that fills out the last section of the novel. Unfortunately it doesn't quite manage to be either of these convincingly. There are some nice character moments - Larkin's chapter in particular is one of my favourite mini-stories in the Black Library - but the short stories would have worked much better if they were simply unconnected in an anthology. The intermediary text linking them to the main story feels like a stretch, and the overarching plot is pretty weak fare. The idea of linking short story episodes via flashback can be executed well, and I think Abnett is one of the only people in the Black Library capable of doing so, but this is a misfire. If reading the series for the first time you can safely skip this one.
April 1, 2019
-Trabajar sobre los personajes principales, más allá del protagonistas, para dotarlos de vida si es que sobreviven.-
Género. Ciencia ficción.
Lo que nos cuenta. El libro El hacedor de fantasmas (publicación original: Ghostmaker, 2000) nos lleva a Monthax, un planeta de jungla y barro que es el nuevo destino de los Primeros de Tanith (y los últimos y los únicos, ya que el planeta Tanith se perdió tras un ataque de fuerzas del Caos), más conocidos como Los Fantasmas de Gaunt. Mientras esta unidad de la Guardia Imperial, parte de la enorme fuerza del Imperio que lucha en la Cruzada de los Mundos de Sabbat, se despliega, ocupa posiciones y fortifica sus emplazamientos, el coronel-comisario Ibram Gaunt recuerda cómo se convirtió en su oficial en jefe justo durante la tragedia del planeta Tanith y recuerda también diferentes misiones en las que fueron protagonistas distintos miembros de su unidad. Segundo libro de la serie Los Fantasmas de Gaunt.
¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
https://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com...
Género. Ciencia ficción.
Lo que nos cuenta. El libro El hacedor de fantasmas (publicación original: Ghostmaker, 2000) nos lleva a Monthax, un planeta de jungla y barro que es el nuevo destino de los Primeros de Tanith (y los últimos y los únicos, ya que el planeta Tanith se perdió tras un ataque de fuerzas del Caos), más conocidos como Los Fantasmas de Gaunt. Mientras esta unidad de la Guardia Imperial, parte de la enorme fuerza del Imperio que lucha en la Cruzada de los Mundos de Sabbat, se despliega, ocupa posiciones y fortifica sus emplazamientos, el coronel-comisario Ibram Gaunt recuerda cómo se convirtió en su oficial en jefe justo durante la tragedia del planeta Tanith y recuerda también diferentes misiones en las que fueron protagonistas distintos miembros de su unidad. Segundo libro de la serie Los Fantasmas de Gaunt.
¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
https://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com...
August 12, 2023
"When six become one - a story from many stories sums up Ghostmaker"
Ghostmaker by Dan Abnett is a prime example of both brilliance and direness that comes from Black Library, the Games Workshop publishing arm of the company. It has some of the best Gaunt stories in the series and in my opinion, also the worst. Mainly due to the format used by the author. I know, critical of the great Dan Abnett, heresy I hear you cry.
What’s book two in the Gaunts Ghost’s series about; it really a collection of short stories. It helps the reader understand the actual soldiers in the Tanith First and Only, setting the tone for the future of the series. There are some great stories here; Bragg, Cafferyn, Milo, Dordon, Rawne and Corbe all get some advancement towards their characters. Chief Medic Dordon’s springs to mind and also, we get a glimpse into Major Rawne and Commissar-Colonel Gaunt’s tenuous relationship – I mean blood feud. Rawne hates Gaunt to his core, he forced the Ghost’s to abandon their world without putting up a fight. Gaunt does really take a backseat in Ghostmaker he is more on the proliferay (I may have just made that word up; I mean on the side, as a side thought), in the thoughts of the Ghost’s as their stories are told.
Dordon’s story is one of compassion and really does throw the viral belief that everyone is expandable in the Imperial Guard. Some sixty odd injured Volphene BlueBloods get left behind as the Imperial Guard retreat. He decides to stay and a rip-roaring last man standing story ensues. I enjoyed it as it was a different take on the standard take of Warhammer 40,000. There’s another in the same vein. It’s in the Horus Heresy in the anthology Tales of Heresy called The Last Church brilliant, read it! Rawne I’ve mentioned, a glorious bastard, one who does the right thing but riles at the thought of it benefiting Gaunt. He is rather delicious in that bastardised way any anti-hero is. In literacy terms, he is the false protagonist, but boy he would be the pinnacle of them all if he only followed though.
Brin Milo, a young lad, around seventeen years old was a butler (of sorts) on Tanith. He found himself helping Gaunt escape the planet tearing conflict on Tanith – Gaunt repaid him by helping him survive that conflict. He is now Gaunt’s aide. The Ghosts have never taken to him as they remind him of home, of those they have lost. Many of them dislike the boy as they question his survival over those they love. Milo’s story shows us this side of the Ghosts and also helps to evaluate the lad to one of the most popular in the series, for both the reader of those of the Tanith First and Only.
His story brings into question his uncanny trick of guessing – he is considered a latent pskyer, which is a really crap thing to be in the Warhammer 40,000 universe. They are classed as heretics (on the whole) and executed there and then if found wanting. Inquisitor Lilith (from Ravenor fame) interrogates Brin and questions Gaunt’s motives for having such an anomaly under his remit. The story was interesting, but it just turned into one of guile by Milo and I personally found it wanting.
Cafferyn gets a shove into the limelight at some nameless conflict. A naval beach incursion begins with Cafferyn partially drowned and deep in thought – an instant goes by, a flash of the past, He finds himself on Tanith their home planet, surrounded by the conflict occurring around, of those drowning with him. It’s a very real and at the same time surreal moment. A well-used bit of stylistic device plays out. The real meat of the story is to prepare Cafferyn for leadership in the possibly future – a hint, a push there and here. For me it was a rather nothing incident and completely out of place with the narrative previously.
As I writing this, I just realised I’ve missed out ‘Mad’ Larkin’s story – now I know I mentioned that I didn’t like some of the stories, this one was hit and miss for me. He is a flippin’ loon in very LOOSE psychological terms – who wouldn’t be in a universe where there’s only war to look forward to. It’s breakfast, lunch and dinner, every day and all day! Larkin finds himself in an abandoned church during a push to remove Chaos cultists from a series of aqueduct – he ran, or did he. The answers are found when he finds himself talking to an omnipotent (well in his mind) angel, who questions Larkin’s motives for running. Dialogue is had, we’re shown just how close Larkin is to losing it. Didactic comes into play, so often when writers are using a moment of psychosis to show a character’s true nature. Larkin’s real moments are shown when he picks up his sniper rifle. As I’ve said, it was OK, I felt the story was rushed, like many others’ in Ghostmaker.
The real problem with Ghostmaker is the number of stories going on, which caused me a lot of confusion when trying to base what is actually occurring. There are a multitude of conflicts happening, from the planets; Caligula, Monthax, some nameless beach, some nameless battle, some nameless person, somewhere, everywhere. The narrative jumps back and forth, sideways and up and down. I rather felt like I was at the axis watching the stories unfold in a rather unintelligent way. Head spinning, it was my Clockwork Orange moment; being stuck in front of those monitors, sheez.
The second book in the series is a mix bag, it’s certainly controversial with those who read the on-going series. A love/dislike relationship. I personally am on that fence per se. I’m in the middle ground, which leaves me feeling like I’m not committing an opinion. Oh, I’ve got one, don’t try to fit so many sub-narratives into a three-hundred-page novel. There.
Ghostmaker by Dan Abnett is a prime example of both brilliance and direness that comes from Black Library, the Games Workshop publishing arm of the company. It has some of the best Gaunt stories in the series and in my opinion, also the worst. Mainly due to the format used by the author. I know, critical of the great Dan Abnett, heresy I hear you cry.
What’s book two in the Gaunts Ghost’s series about; it really a collection of short stories. It helps the reader understand the actual soldiers in the Tanith First and Only, setting the tone for the future of the series. There are some great stories here; Bragg, Cafferyn, Milo, Dordon, Rawne and Corbe all get some advancement towards their characters. Chief Medic Dordon’s springs to mind and also, we get a glimpse into Major Rawne and Commissar-Colonel Gaunt’s tenuous relationship – I mean blood feud. Rawne hates Gaunt to his core, he forced the Ghost’s to abandon their world without putting up a fight. Gaunt does really take a backseat in Ghostmaker he is more on the proliferay (I may have just made that word up; I mean on the side, as a side thought), in the thoughts of the Ghost’s as their stories are told.
Dordon’s story is one of compassion and really does throw the viral belief that everyone is expandable in the Imperial Guard. Some sixty odd injured Volphene BlueBloods get left behind as the Imperial Guard retreat. He decides to stay and a rip-roaring last man standing story ensues. I enjoyed it as it was a different take on the standard take of Warhammer 40,000. There’s another in the same vein. It’s in the Horus Heresy in the anthology Tales of Heresy called The Last Church brilliant, read it! Rawne I’ve mentioned, a glorious bastard, one who does the right thing but riles at the thought of it benefiting Gaunt. He is rather delicious in that bastardised way any anti-hero is. In literacy terms, he is the false protagonist, but boy he would be the pinnacle of them all if he only followed though.
Brin Milo, a young lad, around seventeen years old was a butler (of sorts) on Tanith. He found himself helping Gaunt escape the planet tearing conflict on Tanith – Gaunt repaid him by helping him survive that conflict. He is now Gaunt’s aide. The Ghosts have never taken to him as they remind him of home, of those they have lost. Many of them dislike the boy as they question his survival over those they love. Milo’s story shows us this side of the Ghosts and also helps to evaluate the lad to one of the most popular in the series, for both the reader of those of the Tanith First and Only.
His story brings into question his uncanny trick of guessing – he is considered a latent pskyer, which is a really crap thing to be in the Warhammer 40,000 universe. They are classed as heretics (on the whole) and executed there and then if found wanting. Inquisitor Lilith (from Ravenor fame) interrogates Brin and questions Gaunt’s motives for having such an anomaly under his remit. The story was interesting, but it just turned into one of guile by Milo and I personally found it wanting.
Cafferyn gets a shove into the limelight at some nameless conflict. A naval beach incursion begins with Cafferyn partially drowned and deep in thought – an instant goes by, a flash of the past, He finds himself on Tanith their home planet, surrounded by the conflict occurring around, of those drowning with him. It’s a very real and at the same time surreal moment. A well-used bit of stylistic device plays out. The real meat of the story is to prepare Cafferyn for leadership in the possibly future – a hint, a push there and here. For me it was a rather nothing incident and completely out of place with the narrative previously.
As I writing this, I just realised I’ve missed out ‘Mad’ Larkin’s story – now I know I mentioned that I didn’t like some of the stories, this one was hit and miss for me. He is a flippin’ loon in very LOOSE psychological terms – who wouldn’t be in a universe where there’s only war to look forward to. It’s breakfast, lunch and dinner, every day and all day! Larkin finds himself in an abandoned church during a push to remove Chaos cultists from a series of aqueduct – he ran, or did he. The answers are found when he finds himself talking to an omnipotent (well in his mind) angel, who questions Larkin’s motives for running. Dialogue is had, we’re shown just how close Larkin is to losing it. Didactic comes into play, so often when writers are using a moment of psychosis to show a character’s true nature. Larkin’s real moments are shown when he picks up his sniper rifle. As I’ve said, it was OK, I felt the story was rushed, like many others’ in Ghostmaker.
The real problem with Ghostmaker is the number of stories going on, which caused me a lot of confusion when trying to base what is actually occurring. There are a multitude of conflicts happening, from the planets; Caligula, Monthax, some nameless beach, some nameless battle, some nameless person, somewhere, everywhere. The narrative jumps back and forth, sideways and up and down. I rather felt like I was at the axis watching the stories unfold in a rather unintelligent way. Head spinning, it was my Clockwork Orange moment; being stuck in front of those monitors, sheez.
The second book in the series is a mix bag, it’s certainly controversial with those who read the on-going series. A love/dislike relationship. I personally am on that fence per se. I’m in the middle ground, which leaves me feeling like I’m not committing an opinion. Oh, I’ve got one, don’t try to fit so many sub-narratives into a three-hundred-page novel. There.
December 29, 2010
Dan Abnett's Warhammer 40K novels certainly deliver. This is the second Gaunt's Ghosts novel, and I enjoyed it even more than the first (First and Only (Warhammer 40,000)). I'm not an expert on the Warhammer 40K universe. I read the books because they come highly recommended by my brother in law. With good cause, I might add. I guess it all comes down to specific taste, but these novels do exactly what they set out to do, and there is no pretension to anything else. What we have here is military Sci-Fi from a front-line perspective. The closest you'll likely get to a comparison, outside of science fiction, are infantry memoirs from a total war perspective. Something like If You Survive: From Normandy to the Battle of the Bulge to the End of World War II, One American Officer's Riveting True Story. The locales are exotic and the action takes place on desert worlds, ice worlds, water worlds, swamp worlds and any kind of other world you can quickly call to mind (no gas giants so far). A veritable testosterone fest, with cool world building as foundation. Oh, and did I mention the atmospheric Gothic vibe of the whole setting? Mr Abnett is probably one of the most important writers in the W40K stable. His action scenes are visceral, economic and riveting. The cast of characters, from the Tanith First and Only to Commissar Gaunt himself, are truly entertaining. The reader often finds himself caring when they die, which is probably not the norm in this kind of fiction. This is 'The Expendables' of military science fiction. Now - on to Necropolis (Warhammer 40,000).
Note: According to goodreads, this is book #3 in the series, with Necropolis being book #2. According to The Founding (Warhammer 40,000), it is the other way round. Anybody care to comment on that?
Note: According to goodreads, this is book #3 in the series, with Necropolis being book #2. According to The Founding (Warhammer 40,000), it is the other way round. Anybody care to comment on that?
October 13, 2025
While this installment of the Gaunt's Ghosts saga takes place on the planet Monthax, where a heated battle with Chaos shapes up, most of the tale consists of flashbacks, each highlighting a member of Gaunt's Ghosts. Hence, Abnett fills in some backstory here, with prior engagements featuring different members of the unit. It also provides a deeper character study of the members of the team. All deftly woven together seamlessly. Kudos!
I really enjoyed this and it reminded me quite a bit of Drake's Hammer's Slammers, both in style and content. Drake's tales of the Slammers largely comprises a series of linked stories, featuring different engagements. Ghostmaker reads almost like a series of short stories, but all designed to further flesh out the troops who constitute the Ghosts. The Ghosts left Tanith at the Founding with only about 3500 troops total; by the time of Ghostmaker, there numbers have been winnowed down to around 2000. We get some details of some of the harrowing battles that thinned their numbers...
Besides the action, Abnett also builds on the intrigue. There is some bad blood between some of the 'elite' legions and the Tanith Ghosts, who, for the most part led pretty simple lives on Tanith before enlisting. The 'Bluebloods', for example, are comprised largely of aristocrats, albeit a few siblings down from inheritance, and they see the Tanith as barbarians. We also here get some glimpses of some of the other planetary Founding legions-- a very diverse lot to be sure. Be still my military science fiction loving heart. 4.5 Ghosts!!
I really enjoyed this and it reminded me quite a bit of Drake's Hammer's Slammers, both in style and content. Drake's tales of the Slammers largely comprises a series of linked stories, featuring different engagements. Ghostmaker reads almost like a series of short stories, but all designed to further flesh out the troops who constitute the Ghosts. The Ghosts left Tanith at the Founding with only about 3500 troops total; by the time of Ghostmaker, there numbers have been winnowed down to around 2000. We get some details of some of the harrowing battles that thinned their numbers...
Besides the action, Abnett also builds on the intrigue. There is some bad blood between some of the 'elite' legions and the Tanith Ghosts, who, for the most part led pretty simple lives on Tanith before enlisting. The 'Bluebloods', for example, are comprised largely of aristocrats, albeit a few siblings down from inheritance, and they see the Tanith as barbarians. We also here get some glimpses of some of the other planetary Founding legions-- a very diverse lot to be sure. Be still my military science fiction loving heart. 4.5 Ghosts!!
September 13, 2024
93 out 100. Probably , not probably. Better than the first.
Ghostmaker is the second novel in the Gaunt’s Ghost series and is really good. At that time, there was only one book and we got introduced to Gaunt and his troops. Here, I bet Abnett had a contract to write several more books so he wrote a short story/novelette for each “important�� character then combine them in one big overachieving storyline getting a couple of pages inbetween each short story to make it cohesive. It’s a very good and well achieved approach to be quite frank since it gave me feedback on each individually as I hope for next books he will put them into dire situations and even killing them. That way I’m invested on those characters, even If I didn’t enjoy one or something like that. Also there are some plotlines that I have no doubt will reach for later novels. We’ve got Milo stories, Dordon (Medic), Rawne or Corboe stories. I believe the best ones are M’Koll, Dordon (different from all other stories that focus on action) and finally Milo which was a very good story since it has some humour to it. And we get the hint that there are more things that meet the high with the aide. Advisable, and you can easily start here instead of First and Only, to be fair now that I write this, I would say please do.
Ghostmaker is the second novel in the Gaunt’s Ghost series and is really good. At that time, there was only one book and we got introduced to Gaunt and his troops. Here, I bet Abnett had a contract to write several more books so he wrote a short story/novelette for each “important�� character then combine them in one big overachieving storyline getting a couple of pages inbetween each short story to make it cohesive. It’s a very good and well achieved approach to be quite frank since it gave me feedback on each individually as I hope for next books he will put them into dire situations and even killing them. That way I’m invested on those characters, even If I didn’t enjoy one or something like that. Also there are some plotlines that I have no doubt will reach for later novels. We’ve got Milo stories, Dordon (Medic), Rawne or Corboe stories. I believe the best ones are M’Koll, Dordon (different from all other stories that focus on action) and finally Milo which was a very good story since it has some humour to it. And we get the hint that there are more things that meet the high with the aide. Advisable, and you can easily start here instead of First and Only, to be fair now that I write this, I would say please do.
December 29, 2023
3,5*
Half a dozen stories focused on a particular Gaunt’s ghost leading to a bigger chapter with bigger forces at play.
We get to know some ghosts and Abnett makes us care for them just like this type of stories are supposed to. He obviously knows his craft and does it well with a pleasant writing style.
Half a dozen stories focused on a particular Gaunt’s ghost leading to a bigger chapter with bigger forces at play.
We get to know some ghosts and Abnett makes us care for them just like this type of stories are supposed to. He obviously knows his craft and does it well with a pleasant writing style.
August 31, 2020
Nope not for me. Couldn’t even finish it.
January 30, 2025
На одному диханні. Абнетт як завжди вміє тримати в напрузі, хоч у цій книзі зібрано кілька історій різних побратимів Гонта.
November 23, 2024
Seguimos la historia del Comisario Gaunt, acción, tiros e intrigas de la Inquisición. No decepciona, ágil y rápida de leer.
February 10, 2024
i wish the story focused more on Monthax and what was happening there rather than the short stories focusing on each of the main Ghosts but alas
true rating around 2.5 stars
true rating around 2.5 stars
November 15, 2017
Segunda entrega de los Fantasmas en la que se intenta solucionar uno de los problemas de la anterior entrega, que no es otro que los personajes eran demasiado arquetipicos: El forzudo, el solitario, el criminal,... Así que en esta se nos presentan retazos del pasado de los personajes para que podamos conocerlos mejor y poder diferenciarlos un poco, y de paso Abnett enlaza alguno de estos flashbacks con el tiempo presente.
En resumen: Entretenido y correcto en su intención de darle un poco de profundidad a la saga.
En resumen: Entretenido y correcto en su intención de darle un poco de profundidad a la saga.
June 5, 2019
This short story version worked well to get to know a lot of the characters much more, but I lost interest in going back to it numerous times. It just isn’t as well put together as First and Only. Still a solid read, but it wasn’t a page turner for me. I finished it so that I could move on to Necropolis, which I’ve been told is the best book in the series by several Warhammer/40K super fans. On we go!!
March 5, 2021
I’ll admit this book was unique in style compared to the other two Books in the series I’ve read (First and Only & Honour Guard). It delves into character backstories with flashbacks but each one feels real and gives insight to characters I’ve been wanting to know better, especially Larkin and Corbec. Milo’s story is the final 20 something page segment and it leads right into the present day action fighting chaos which I enjoyed just as much as I did the others.
November 8, 2023
In a series of independent chapters, we learn more about the beginnings of Gaunt's Ghosts, each one focusing on a specific character and their defining moments. These flashbacks occur while Gaunt inspects the camp at their newest frontier, and slowly, stealthily the events of the flashbacks creep closer to the present, giving context and building tension. Until ultimately we get to enjoy a rather epic battle with typical Abnett weirdness, full of twists and drama, heroism and inexplicable occurrences that make an awful lot of sense.
Personally I don't feel as much at home with the Ghosts as I did with Abnett's Inquisitor trilogies and Horus Heresy novels. It is true that the tale makes your mouth water for Dark Tide - if you're into gaming anyway - and I do get an appetite for this particularly peculiar lot of soldiers. But not enough to fully immerse myself with them, sadly.
It is a very good novel, rest assured, but perhaps plain old Imperial Soldiery isn't my cup of tea.
Personally I don't feel as much at home with the Ghosts as I did with Abnett's Inquisitor trilogies and Horus Heresy novels. It is true that the tale makes your mouth water for Dark Tide - if you're into gaming anyway - and I do get an appetite for this particularly peculiar lot of soldiers. But not enough to fully immerse myself with them, sadly.
It is a very good novel, rest assured, but perhaps plain old Imperial Soldiery isn't my cup of tea.
September 19, 2025
8,5/10 El Fàbricant de Fantasmes consolida l’estil d’Abnett: acció militar intensa combinada amb un profund desenvolupament de personatges, és la segona novel·la de la sèrie Gaunt’s Ghosts. El llibre continua la història del Primer de Tanith, coneguts com els Fantasmes de Gaunt, format pels últims supervivents del seu planeta destruït.
A diferència de la primera novel·la (Primer i únic), aquesta obra té una estructura més coral i està dividida en relats que aprofundeixen en els passats dels personatges principals. Les històries són àgils, plenes d'acció, cada història mostra les experiències, les pèrdues i les motivacions dels soldats, donant una dimensió més humana aprofundint en l’ànima dels personatges
A diferència de la primera novel·la (Primer i únic), aquesta obra té una estructura més coral i està dividida en relats que aprofundeixen en els passats dels personatges principals. Les històries són àgils, plenes d'acció, cada història mostra les experiències, les pèrdues i les motivacions dels soldats, donant una dimensió més humana aprofundint en l’ànima dels personatges
April 7, 2022
The second book in the gaunts ghosts trilogy. Introduces you to a lot of characters in the first novel in detail. Enjoyed it but felt a bit disjointed at times.
February 2, 2024
I was really confused until I read some reviews. Made tons of sense that this book is full of short stories and fillers, nice but.
July 31, 2025
Думав це буде пряме продовження першої частини, однак це було просто набір флешбеків про ключових персонажів першої книги. Проте написано дуже добре і важко було відірватися
August 8, 2025
Some of the stories are great, some are meh. Wasn't as good as First and Only, but was enjoyable overall.
July 24, 2025
Gebundelde korte verhalen die pew pew doen. Soms doen ze stiekeme pew pew, soms doen ze onploffende pew pew, soms doen ze iets anders en wordt het verbale pew pew. Maar nooit erg lang en altijd erg heldhalftig. Het was prima en wat ik verwachtte. Blijkbaar zijn mensen erg enthousiast over deel 3 dus ben benieuwd.
March 10, 2019
Changing the review to 5 stars. I really like this book. It's the second book of the Gaunt's Ghosts series, about a regiment in the imperial guard in the warhammer 40k universe. This book has an overarching story about a particular battle, but before it starts, you're given a backstory-short-story for about 6-8 of the main characters, which fleshes it all out a lot. Larkin's story really sticks in my head and it's why I'm changing my review to 5 stars.
October 26, 2020
Whereas the first book in this series was all Gaunt all the time, this novel focuses almost completely on the Ghosts who make up Gaunt’s regiment. It does this through a series of flashback stories, starting with the “founding” of the regiment and then highlighting specific ghosts so that the reader can get to know each of them better. The least successful of these stories for me was the first one, Ghostmaker, which tells how Gaunt pulled the Tanith First off their home world in the face of an unexpected attack by a Chaos fleet. This is the critical moment in explaining the complex relationship between Gaunt and his men. All through the first book they blamed Gaunt for not letting them fight for Tanith. Unfortunately, this story doesn’t satisfy. The fleet sneaks into the system, lands some chaos troops who are killing people, and Gaunt runs. Supposedly the whole world is lost (i.e. destroyed) and Gaunt decided that his regiment wasn’t enough to protect it. I had expected the planet to be destroyed by some sort of nuclear bombardment from orbit, but the enemy soldiers are on the planet and it just doesn’t make any sense that the wholly militarized Empire couldn’t get some relief forces to help save the day before an entire planet was destroyed by troops on the ground. I won’t say this often about Abnett, but I wish he had simply not written this story because to my mind, it makes the founding myth of the regiment ridiculous.
The other stories are much stronger. I won’t mention them all, but I would like to highlight a few. Mad Larkin the sniper gets his day in the sun in “The Angel of Bucephalon” where we find him high in a church spire after having apparently abandoned his fellow soldiers. The whole story is a conversation he has with a stone statue. In it we learn that he needs pills to keep from hallucinating, but even with the pills, the only time he sees the world as it really is, is when he looks at it through his sniper scope. He comes off as a strangely timid soldier who is a simply brilliant marksman. And as the angel, playing the role of commissar, demands he defend himself against her charge of desertion and the punishment of death, he slowly gathers himself together, waits his opportunity, and assassinates the head of the chaos resistance force which the Ghosts had been sent to kill. It’s a very effective tale which will leave you loving Mad Larkin.
“That Hideous Strength” tells the story of dull-whitted “Try Again” Bragg, the strongest and mentally weakest of the Ghosts whom Gaunt puts in charge of a supply convoy that no one thinks can make it to its destination. Bragg is simply awesome—not only as a soldier who won’t quit and remains steadfast in his loyalty to Gaunt—but because we learn that “slow” is very different than “stupid”. It’s just a great story all around.
And finally in “Blood Oath”, Ghost Physician Dorden, oldest man in the regiment, and the only one who is unwilling to carry a gun, finds his values pushed to the limit when he’s told to abandon scores of injured men from a rival regiment because the whole army is retreating. War is an especially terrible place for doctors and we learn a lot about the physician that the whole regiment depends so heavily on. It’s a moving tale.
As a way to quickly introduce the Ghosts who will be the mainstay of this series, this novel is effective. But as a story on its own, it’s weak, probably because it’s not truly a novel, just a collection of loosely braided together short stories.
If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews
The other stories are much stronger. I won’t mention them all, but I would like to highlight a few. Mad Larkin the sniper gets his day in the sun in “The Angel of Bucephalon” where we find him high in a church spire after having apparently abandoned his fellow soldiers. The whole story is a conversation he has with a stone statue. In it we learn that he needs pills to keep from hallucinating, but even with the pills, the only time he sees the world as it really is, is when he looks at it through his sniper scope. He comes off as a strangely timid soldier who is a simply brilliant marksman. And as the angel, playing the role of commissar, demands he defend himself against her charge of desertion and the punishment of death, he slowly gathers himself together, waits his opportunity, and assassinates the head of the chaos resistance force which the Ghosts had been sent to kill. It’s a very effective tale which will leave you loving Mad Larkin.
“That Hideous Strength” tells the story of dull-whitted “Try Again” Bragg, the strongest and mentally weakest of the Ghosts whom Gaunt puts in charge of a supply convoy that no one thinks can make it to its destination. Bragg is simply awesome—not only as a soldier who won’t quit and remains steadfast in his loyalty to Gaunt—but because we learn that “slow” is very different than “stupid”. It’s just a great story all around.
And finally in “Blood Oath”, Ghost Physician Dorden, oldest man in the regiment, and the only one who is unwilling to carry a gun, finds his values pushed to the limit when he’s told to abandon scores of injured men from a rival regiment because the whole army is retreating. War is an especially terrible place for doctors and we learn a lot about the physician that the whole regiment depends so heavily on. It’s a moving tale.
As a way to quickly introduce the Ghosts who will be the mainstay of this series, this novel is effective. But as a story on its own, it’s weak, probably because it’s not truly a novel, just a collection of loosely braided together short stories.
If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews
February 1, 2025
Це було неймовірно і... мене вразила не стільки сама історія, скільки майстерність, з якою Ден Абнетт використав свій унікальний прийом оповіді. Він не лише розповів абсолютно нову історію, а й дозволив ще глибше зануритися у світ "Привидів" комісара Гонта.
Вся книга неквапливо й детально розкриває поточний стан справ Гонта та його "Привидів" після подій першої частини. Однак, цей повільний темп реально виправданий, адже автор занурюється в особисте минуле самого Гонта та окремих солдатів полку: божевільного снайпера Ларкіна, принципового медика Домора, найкращого розвідника М’ккола, грізного та доброго полковника Корбека, надзвичайно сильного, але недооціненого солдата Брагга, а також небезпечного майора Роуна, який мріє помститися Гонту за те, що той позбавив їх можливості померти, захищаючи рідну планету Таніт і т.д.
І це зроблено неймовірно захопливо! Розповідь починається з того, як Гонт обходить позиції своїх бійців, відзначаючи подумки цікаві деталі про кожного з них. І кожного разу після цього починається окрема глава, яка не лише заглиблює в їхню особисту історію, а й проливає світло на минуле всього полку. Ну а ближче під кінець цієї книги, коли було пригадано різні цікаві історії — відбувається надзвичайне "сюжетне заворушення" і я просто ну не міг випустити книгу з рук, настільки мене застали зненацька.
І як же пробрало до мурашок, коли під кінець в певний момент невеличкому відділенню на чолі з Гонтом все ж дали, в якомусь сенсі, можливість помститися за Таніт 😭
Що тут ще сказати) Я охоче жадаю, щоб і надалі локалізовували українською цикл "Привидів Гонта". Ну бо це дійсно бажаєш і хочеш читати далі!🥸
P.S.
"Привиди" — це особлива назва полку, залишки тих, кого комісар Гонт врятував у день його заснування. Тоді їхню рідну планету Таніт безжально атакували й знищили. Однак за цей порятунок більшість солдатів ненавидить Гонта, адже він позбавив їх можливості загинути славетною смертю з тими, кого воно любили.
Вся книга неквапливо й детально розкриває поточний стан справ Гонта та його "Привидів" після подій першої частини. Однак, цей повільний темп реально виправданий, адже автор занурюється в особисте минуле самого Гонта та окремих солдатів полку: божевільного снайпера Ларкіна, принципового медика Домора, найкращого розвідника М’ккола, грізного та доброго полковника Корбека, надзвичайно сильного, але недооціненого солдата Брагга, а також небезпечного майора Роуна, який мріє помститися Гонту за те, що той позбавив їх можливості померти, захищаючи рідну планету Таніт і т.д.
І це зроблено неймовірно захопливо! Розповідь починається з того, як Гонт обходить позиції своїх бійців, відзначаючи подумки цікаві деталі про кожного з них. І кожного разу після цього починається окрема глава, яка не лише заглиблює в їхню особисту історію, а й проливає світло на минуле всього полку. Ну а ближче під кінець цієї книги, коли було пригадано різні цікаві історії — відбувається надзвичайне "сюжетне заворушення" і я просто ну не міг випустити книгу з рук, настільки мене застали зненацька.
І як же пробрало до мурашок, коли під кінець в певний момент невеличкому відділенню на чолі з Гонтом все ж дали, в якомусь сенсі, можливість помститися за Таніт 😭
Що тут ще сказати) Я охоче жадаю, щоб і надалі локалізовували українською цикл "Привидів Гонта". Ну бо це дійсно бажаєш і хочеш читати далі!🥸
P.S.
"Привиди" — це особлива назва полку, залишки тих, кого комісар Гонт врятував у день його заснування. Тоді їхню рідну планету Таніт безжально атакували й знищили. Однак за цей порятунок більшість солдатів ненавидить Гонта, адже він позбавив їх можливості загинути славетною смертю з тими, кого воно любили.
April 30, 2025
Sometimes characterised as a misstep, this sequel/collection of short stories was definitely at least slightly less engrossing BUT I still listened to this from start to end in one day, and it gave me a far clearer picture of the main characters which I know I’ll appreciate in the long run. Very good and I enjoyed immensely. Keen to get to the third book which I’ve heard people say to just jump right to and skip the first two! (Too late for that)
August 4, 2011
Second book in the Gaunt's Ghosts series. And where the first one dropped you in the middle of the campaign with the Ghost's this book does not have a long running narrative. Sure there is a story that we visit on every other chapter, and it is the tale that gets you from point A to point B. However, the real story is every chapter is about one of the main characters in the Tanith 1st Regiment. You get one action packed vignette about all the big names. Gaunt, Brin, Bragg, Corbec, Rawne, Mkoll, Larkin, Dorden, and Caffran. The main tale takes place after the first book, the vignettes arc all the way back to the Founding, to the events of book 1, and beyond up the present day theater the Ghosts are fighting in. If you liked the first book, and really want to dig into the nature and background of the troopers and officers then you will love Ghostmaker. I think it was far superior to book 1.
December 17, 2025
This was an interesting one. Basically a collection of stories of all the team members and the origins of the ghosts. I liked it a lot. The first one had a better plot but it had very little character development. This second book didn't have as good of a plot but it had TONS of character backstory of the ghosts which I loved and needed. All the characters are great and amazing and I'm so glad I got to have a better understanding of them for the following books. If every Gaunt book was like this, I'd lose interest I think over time but I think I've heard this format isn't standard for the rest of the series. The ending I liked but it was a bit abrupt. So overall, it was enjoyable and it was a necessary and crucial addition to the overall series for me, although individually it wouldn't be the best on it's own, and I'm so excited for the next one.
September 15, 2008
The second book in the Gaunt's Ghosts series is as good as the first one. More intensely violent military conflict in space against the horrifying forces of chaos, and it is again pulled off as well as any book of this type that I have read.
This story is a series of shorter events that each describe one of the main characters in more detail. This is a very cool way to tackle a complex group of individuals like this and really helps you learn more about their motivations and goals.
If you liked the first one, you will like this one.
This story is a series of shorter events that each describe one of the main characters in more detail. This is a very cool way to tackle a complex group of individuals like this and really helps you learn more about their motivations and goals.
If you liked the first one, you will like this one.
June 20, 2010
This is the second Gaunt's Ghosts book by Dan Abnett. This book was formed from a bunch of short stories that appeared in Inferno! magazine and I believe they were actually written before the first book.
This book deals with the back story of a lot of the main characters, we learn their thoughts and emotions and what makes them human, and what makes them "real" in a sea of billions of Imperial Guardsmen.
This book deals with the back story of a lot of the main characters, we learn their thoughts and emotions and what makes them human, and what makes them "real" in a sea of billions of Imperial Guardsmen.
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