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Warped Galaxies #3
Secrets of the Tau
The third book in the Warped Galaxies series. An exciting new series of sci-fi books for middle-grade reeaders from Black Library. Brave champions and the forces of the Imperium battle alien beasts and mechanical tyrants accross the gulf of space.
Journeying to the bustling spaceport of Hinterland after being saved from certain death by a dubious Rogue Trader, Zelia, Talen and Mekki continue their quest to reach the Emperor’s Seat. But much here is not what it seems. Alone in a strange place and surrounded by aliens, who can they really trust and what are the secrets of the Tau?
Journeying to the bustling spaceport of Hinterland after being saved from certain death by a dubious Rogue Trader, Zelia, Talen and Mekki continue their quest to reach the Emperor’s Seat. But much here is not what it seems. Alone in a strange place and surrounded by aliens, who can they really trust and what are the secrets of the Tau?
224 pages, Paperback
First published August 6, 2019
9 people are currently reading
73 people want to read
About the author
Cavan Scott
855 books439 followersis a freelance comic writer and author. He is best known for his work on a variety of spin-offs from both Doctor Who and Star Wars, as well as comics and novels for Vikings, Pacific Rim, Sherlock Holmes, and Penguins of Madagascar.
Cavan Scott, along with Justina Ireland, Claudia Gray, Daniel Jose Older, and Charles Soule are crafting a new era in the Star Wars publishing world called Star Wars: The High Republic. Cavan's contribution to the era is a comic book series released through Marvel Comics titled Star Wars: The High Republic.
Cavan Scott, along with Justina Ireland, Claudia Gray, Daniel Jose Older, and Charles Soule are crafting a new era in the Star Wars publishing world called Star Wars: The High Republic. Cavan's contribution to the era is a comic book series released through Marvel Comics titled Star Wars: The High Republic.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
October 12, 2019
No longer being chased by implacable, force-of-nature villains or trapped with their backs against the wall, in book 3 the gang get a little time to breathe, experience a bit more of the galaxy and properly interact with new characters and members of another species. The frontier station they find themselves on is a bit like Precipice from Blackstone Fortress, offering all sorts of interesting opportunities to explore the wild variety of 40k life, and allows Scott to touch on a key 40k theme of Imperial xenophobia. Interactions with the Tau inevitably bring up the Imperial anti-xenos philosophy, but the children have already developed strong bonds with the Jokaero Fleapit and naturally question what they see. It might be a tricky topic for youngsters to grasp (or parents, for that matter), but it’s appropriate to the setting and handled sensitively, and adds an interesting new element to the characters and the narrative. That notwithstanding, this sees the characters continuing to variously clash and bond, and nicely kicks off the next stage of their adventure.
Read the full review at https://www.trackofwords.com/2019/10/...
Read the full review at https://www.trackofwords.com/2019/10/...
March 21, 2021
Rescued but were they really? Meet the Captain and end up on a space-station where everything and everyone is against them. Can they stop fighting long enough to realise when things have gone wrong and save the ones that they actually care about. Whilst there was less about the Tau it shows the effect of The Greater Good! Technology can really be bought and sold but it was nice seeing the effect of the 'good deeds' or the darker sides of survival in business. Was highly grateful for the necrodex this time around.
February 5, 2021
The Warhammer 40,000 universe is one where there aren't really any good guys. I've seen people come to the hobby and assume that the Imperium must be the heroes of the universe because they're the humans out in a galaxy filled with scary aliens and literal daemons. A rookie mistake, as it doesn't take much scratching of the surface to discover that the humanity of the future is an absolute nightmare state, one that none of us would really want to live in if we gave it any real thought.
These kind of stories, where people have to try and fund the less of the evils, or the horrible regimes that they're able to live with, can be difficult for adults to connect with, and I don't think that I've ever really seen it done in media for children. As such, setting a kids series in the Warhammer 40,000 universe feels like a bold move, and one that has worked out pretty well so far in the Warped Galaxies series. This, I think, is mainly because there have been pretty clear villains up to now. The Necron in the first book destroy an entire world, and are merciless killing machines. The Genestealers in the second book a monsters, ones who want to rip the kids apart, or worse.
The ambiguity of this setting hasn't really been called into question, until now. The third book in the series, The Secrets of the Tau, takes our teen heroes to a colony on the edges of human space and presents a much more realistic view of this universe, one where everyone is out for themselves, and there are no good guys.
Upon arriving at this space station, after being saved from the Genestealers by the Rogue Trader Harleen Amity, the kids see a dirty, run down, and depressing place, filled with humans, aliens, and abhumans. This is the first time that the reader really sees the level of hatred and xenophobia that exists in this setting, especially as Talen reacts badly to Beastmen and Tau, treating them like disgusting creatures rather than thinking and feeling beings.
This is something that disgusts Zelia, and drives something of a wedge within the group. It shows that Talen is largely a product of his upbringing, especially as his father was in the Imperial Guard. He's been raised to see anything that's not human as an enemy, something to be distrusted, and destroyed. This does seem to come a little out of nowhere, especially as it's pointed out that he's been around Flea-Pit for a long time, and shows the struggle that Talen is going through. He's been through a lot with his Jokaero companion, and has come to see him as a friend despite him being an alien; but being surrounded by so many different peoples seems to have brought those prejudices back out it him.
Because of this, and because of the less sanitised version of the Warhammer 40,000 setting this particular volume is giving us, I think it might be the best one in the series. It doesn't try to hide the way this future is from its audience, and shows that even characters they've come to care for, like Talen, are capable of prejudice. I think it has an important message for children, that even if you've been taught something since you were young, told something over and over by a figure of authority, it doesn't make that thing true. Prejudice's and hates are learnt, they're drilled into people, and it's only by realising how wrong those arguments are, by seeing that being different doesn't make you a monster, that kids can realise that they have the power to stand up against that kind of hate, and can be better kinds of people.
As well as dealing with some pretty heavy themes, the book furthers the children's adventure, giving them information that can help to track down Zelia's mother; though they're given a number of possibilities as to where the Emperors Seat is, so the journey isn't exactly guaranteed to be smooth sailing for them.
They also get a new ally in the form of Harleen, who despite being an adult doesn't begin to try and take over the kids journey. Over the course of the narrative she learns that these kids are very capable, and have the ability to not just survive, but to do incredibly well in a very dangerous universe. It sets up for a potentially interesting dynamic going forward, where I can see her listening to her young friends, valuing their input, and treating them more like adults than children.
This volume also sheds some light onto the mysterious figure that has been trailing the group, and we learn that he is Inquisitor Jeremias, a member of the Ordo Xenos. This makes him potentially a very dangerous person, depending on what he wants from the children, at it seems like he's going to be one step behind the kids as they continue on their journey to find Zelia's mother.
Secrets of the Tau is definitely my favourite book in the series (and not just because I'm a Tau player either!) mainly because it begins to show the moral greys within the setting, it puts the characters in conflict with each other for real, moral reasons, and sets up for some exciting new things to come. I'm certainly looking forward to seeing how the series goes on from here.
These kind of stories, where people have to try and fund the less of the evils, or the horrible regimes that they're able to live with, can be difficult for adults to connect with, and I don't think that I've ever really seen it done in media for children. As such, setting a kids series in the Warhammer 40,000 universe feels like a bold move, and one that has worked out pretty well so far in the Warped Galaxies series. This, I think, is mainly because there have been pretty clear villains up to now. The Necron in the first book destroy an entire world, and are merciless killing machines. The Genestealers in the second book a monsters, ones who want to rip the kids apart, or worse.
The ambiguity of this setting hasn't really been called into question, until now. The third book in the series, The Secrets of the Tau, takes our teen heroes to a colony on the edges of human space and presents a much more realistic view of this universe, one where everyone is out for themselves, and there are no good guys.
Upon arriving at this space station, after being saved from the Genestealers by the Rogue Trader Harleen Amity, the kids see a dirty, run down, and depressing place, filled with humans, aliens, and abhumans. This is the first time that the reader really sees the level of hatred and xenophobia that exists in this setting, especially as Talen reacts badly to Beastmen and Tau, treating them like disgusting creatures rather than thinking and feeling beings.
This is something that disgusts Zelia, and drives something of a wedge within the group. It shows that Talen is largely a product of his upbringing, especially as his father was in the Imperial Guard. He's been raised to see anything that's not human as an enemy, something to be distrusted, and destroyed. This does seem to come a little out of nowhere, especially as it's pointed out that he's been around Flea-Pit for a long time, and shows the struggle that Talen is going through. He's been through a lot with his Jokaero companion, and has come to see him as a friend despite him being an alien; but being surrounded by so many different peoples seems to have brought those prejudices back out it him.
Because of this, and because of the less sanitised version of the Warhammer 40,000 setting this particular volume is giving us, I think it might be the best one in the series. It doesn't try to hide the way this future is from its audience, and shows that even characters they've come to care for, like Talen, are capable of prejudice. I think it has an important message for children, that even if you've been taught something since you were young, told something over and over by a figure of authority, it doesn't make that thing true. Prejudice's and hates are learnt, they're drilled into people, and it's only by realising how wrong those arguments are, by seeing that being different doesn't make you a monster, that kids can realise that they have the power to stand up against that kind of hate, and can be better kinds of people.
As well as dealing with some pretty heavy themes, the book furthers the children's adventure, giving them information that can help to track down Zelia's mother; though they're given a number of possibilities as to where the Emperors Seat is, so the journey isn't exactly guaranteed to be smooth sailing for them.
They also get a new ally in the form of Harleen, who despite being an adult doesn't begin to try and take over the kids journey. Over the course of the narrative she learns that these kids are very capable, and have the ability to not just survive, but to do incredibly well in a very dangerous universe. It sets up for a potentially interesting dynamic going forward, where I can see her listening to her young friends, valuing their input, and treating them more like adults than children.
This volume also sheds some light onto the mysterious figure that has been trailing the group, and we learn that he is Inquisitor Jeremias, a member of the Ordo Xenos. This makes him potentially a very dangerous person, depending on what he wants from the children, at it seems like he's going to be one step behind the kids as they continue on their journey to find Zelia's mother.
Secrets of the Tau is definitely my favourite book in the series (and not just because I'm a Tau player either!) mainly because it begins to show the moral greys within the setting, it puts the characters in conflict with each other for real, moral reasons, and sets up for some exciting new things to come. I'm certainly looking forward to seeing how the series goes on from here.
December 20, 2024
Warhammer Adventures: Stories from the Far Future
By Cavan Scott
What?! A Warhammer series for kids?!
If you’re familiar with Warhammer you may be just as surprised as I am because of the fictional series’ “grim dark” setting in their hundreds of novels. If you aren’t familiar, be prepared, Amazon and Henry Cavil have teamed up to bring Warhammer 40,000 to the big screen, and it’s not long before the franchise becomes mainstream.
Full disclosure- I am a big Warhammer nerd. I was ecstatic to read these, and I have to say, the quality is just as high as the other novels in their catalogue.
This series follows a group of kids as they are thrown into a race for their lives, trying to get a mysterious alien device into the right hands. I was happy to see that this is a 6 part series, rather than 6 individual stories. The archetype themes are all there: a loner that learns to appreciate those around him, a tech genius that becomes appreciated, and kid holding onto hope against all odds while searching for her mother.
As far as the Warhammer lore goes, I was surprised how much they were able to fit in. And they don’t hold back. It’s all there as a fantastic introduction to this universe. Which is where Christian families may start to take issue. It is the grim dark far future, in 40,000th millennium, and things are not good. There is a worshipped emperor referred to as the “God-Emperor”, there are labotamized slaves, mass planetary executions, bloodthirsty aliens, psychic powers, and war. Lots of war. And these books do not shy away from it, it’s all there, even if toned down a bit. In general there is some violence, some scares, and use of psychic powers.
Each book also includes illustrations, a glossary, and the audiobooks are narrated by David Tenet of Dr. Who fame.
Still interested? I’ll bring up the themes and ⚠️ Parental Warning ⚠️ content of each book individually below.
1. Attack of the Necron-
-A thug “cursed”
-A young protagonist “Swore” beneath his breath.
-Explains that the Mechanicus worship a spirit they believe lives in all machines: “Communicate with the machine spirits that dwell inside vehicles and cogitators”
-Someone is “a pain in the nether regions”—To speak against the emperor is “heresy”, shows faith in emperor and explains that the “emperor protects”,“Prayers” answered and guided by the emperor.
-Surprisingly lots of Warhammer lore
-some violence as planets are destroyed and lives lost in alien attacks.
-Meditating at an alter.
2. Claws of the Genestealer
-Galactic Compendium in back talks about psykers, while giving great info on Wahammer lore and world building.
3. Secrets of the Tau
-Addresses mankind’s hatred for xenos races. And hypocrisy of another race’s “greater good” philosophy.
-Adult character says “get the damn thing back myself”
-Heard “Drunken” singing in a marketplace
-Good teamwork theme.
4. War of the Orks
-explores unfolding story of the characters’ histories
-More good pointing out irony of war
-Ork says, “They don’t give a fig for” nature.
-Ork slang like, “Zogging amazing”
-a little Violent as the Orks try and sometimes succeed in killing each other.
5. Plague of the Nurglings
-Psyker has ability to track people by touching an object that someone has touched.
-Violent
-learn about the demons that live in the warp as they come into reality and attack.
6. Tomb of the Necron
-kids have to deal with a witchy old Psyker that can take youth of another and control spiders,
-Kids actually put into dangerous situations.
By Cavan Scott
What?! A Warhammer series for kids?!
If you’re familiar with Warhammer you may be just as surprised as I am because of the fictional series’ “grim dark” setting in their hundreds of novels. If you aren’t familiar, be prepared, Amazon and Henry Cavil have teamed up to bring Warhammer 40,000 to the big screen, and it’s not long before the franchise becomes mainstream.
Full disclosure- I am a big Warhammer nerd. I was ecstatic to read these, and I have to say, the quality is just as high as the other novels in their catalogue.
This series follows a group of kids as they are thrown into a race for their lives, trying to get a mysterious alien device into the right hands. I was happy to see that this is a 6 part series, rather than 6 individual stories. The archetype themes are all there: a loner that learns to appreciate those around him, a tech genius that becomes appreciated, and kid holding onto hope against all odds while searching for her mother.
As far as the Warhammer lore goes, I was surprised how much they were able to fit in. And they don’t hold back. It’s all there as a fantastic introduction to this universe. Which is where Christian families may start to take issue. It is the grim dark far future, in 40,000th millennium, and things are not good. There is a worshipped emperor referred to as the “God-Emperor”, there are labotamized slaves, mass planetary executions, bloodthirsty aliens, psychic powers, and war. Lots of war. And these books do not shy away from it, it’s all there, even if toned down a bit. In general there is some violence, some scares, and use of psychic powers.
Each book also includes illustrations, a glossary, and the audiobooks are narrated by David Tenet of Dr. Who fame.
Still interested? I’ll bring up the themes and ⚠️ Parental Warning ⚠️ content of each book individually below.
1. Attack of the Necron-
-A thug “cursed”
-A young protagonist “Swore” beneath his breath.
-Explains that the Mechanicus worship a spirit they believe lives in all machines: “Communicate with the machine spirits that dwell inside vehicles and cogitators”
-Someone is “a pain in the nether regions”—To speak against the emperor is “heresy”, shows faith in emperor and explains that the “emperor protects”,“Prayers” answered and guided by the emperor.
-Surprisingly lots of Warhammer lore
-some violence as planets are destroyed and lives lost in alien attacks.
-Meditating at an alter.
2. Claws of the Genestealer
-Galactic Compendium in back talks about psykers, while giving great info on Wahammer lore and world building.
3. Secrets of the Tau
-Addresses mankind’s hatred for xenos races. And hypocrisy of another race’s “greater good” philosophy.
-Adult character says “get the damn thing back myself”
-Heard “Drunken” singing in a marketplace
-Good teamwork theme.
4. War of the Orks
-explores unfolding story of the characters’ histories
-More good pointing out irony of war
-Ork says, “They don’t give a fig for” nature.
-Ork slang like, “Zogging amazing”
-a little Violent as the Orks try and sometimes succeed in killing each other.
5. Plague of the Nurglings
-Psyker has ability to track people by touching an object that someone has touched.
-Violent
-learn about the demons that live in the warp as they come into reality and attack.
6. Tomb of the Necron
-kids have to deal with a witchy old Psyker that can take youth of another and control spiders,
-Kids actually put into dangerous situations.
September 30, 2019
After two novels set on a remote icy planet inhabited by hordes of Genestealers and a relentless Necron Hunter, “Secrets of the Tau” takes our plucky young heroes off-world to a exotic spaceport on their search for Zelia's mother. This change in scenery is a welcome change for the series, transitioning the plot from an isolated fight for survival to a eye-opening visit through a Mos Eisley-style marketplace of different xenos. Writer Cavan Scott develops the tense relationships between the team, using xenophobia as a means for conflict between Talen and Zelia. While their newest locale might be more densely populated, it is no less dangerous and our heroes fight themselves making new enemies and discovering new dangers.
This novel introduces a new primary character in the form of dashing female space pirate, Captain Harleen Amity, who seems to harbour a tragic past relating to her former crew. Reluctantly helping out Zelia and her friends, Amity adopts a maternal role for our heroes and prances across the spaceport with all the confidence of a female Han Solo. In fact, this installment of the Warped Galaxies series certainly feels reminiscent of the Star Wars franchise and those outer rim spaceports populated with a colourful cast of aliens. Scott's writing certainly captures that “fish out of water” vibe with our inexperienced travellers quickly causing chaos upon their arrival at the spaceport – not unlike a certain farmboy in a certain cantina.
One strong element of the Warped Galaxies series has been the development of the cast, and how the three humanoid protagonists have formed an unexpected friendship despite their different personalities. Here we see more of that as Talen, Zelia and Mekki attempt their own individual plans to rescue Fleapit from a corrupt trader, only to find that they succeed much better when working together. Despite their brief time together, the trio have formed strong bonds – even if they won't admit it to themselves. Scott excels at making these characters believable and likeable, bouncing their personalities and idiosyncrasies off each other to develop conflict and humour. Even Fleapit, despite his silly name and odd appearance, fits into the bigger picture nicely to complete the set.
Artists Cole Marchetti & Magnus Norën continue to bring Cavan Scott's prose to life on the page with some simple, yet effective illustrations. Each one works perfectly to help visualise the hustle and bustle of the Hinterland Outpost and the variety of alien creatures that buy and sell merchandise there. Despite the title of “Secrets of the Tau”, the Tau only really feature in the final act – however, they are presented as a morally ambiguous race. While they might not be as outwardly vicious as the Necron and Genestealers encountered thus far, they prove themselves to be just as deadly and ruthless. Scott's writing style is great fun, and he manages to strike a youthful energy and exuberance that is infectious. I'm really enjoying the way the plot is developing and how each novel seems to highlight and showcase a specific faction within the game. The serialised nature of the novel works extremely well, with the use of ongoing plot threads across books such as the mysterious inquisitor that now pursues our motley crew.
While this is clearly written for young adults and offers a slightly more sanitised view of the Warhammer 40K universe, it is extremely enjoyable and a strong introduction to the fantasy world. This is a great move for the Games Workshop brand, making its tabletop miniature games even more accessible to a younger audience. Obviously, I am not the target demographic for these novels – but I know I would have gobbled these up when I was in my pre-teens and it would have created a lovely backdrop to the games themselves. Both Cavan Scott and Tom Huddleston have done a tremendous job at translating a dense, and somewhat intimidating, mythology into exciting child-friendly novels that engage and entertain without losing what makes the series so special. I can't wait for the second half of the series to be released next year, beginning with a spotlight on my favourite faction in “War of the Orks”.
This novel introduces a new primary character in the form of dashing female space pirate, Captain Harleen Amity, who seems to harbour a tragic past relating to her former crew. Reluctantly helping out Zelia and her friends, Amity adopts a maternal role for our heroes and prances across the spaceport with all the confidence of a female Han Solo. In fact, this installment of the Warped Galaxies series certainly feels reminiscent of the Star Wars franchise and those outer rim spaceports populated with a colourful cast of aliens. Scott's writing certainly captures that “fish out of water” vibe with our inexperienced travellers quickly causing chaos upon their arrival at the spaceport – not unlike a certain farmboy in a certain cantina.
One strong element of the Warped Galaxies series has been the development of the cast, and how the three humanoid protagonists have formed an unexpected friendship despite their different personalities. Here we see more of that as Talen, Zelia and Mekki attempt their own individual plans to rescue Fleapit from a corrupt trader, only to find that they succeed much better when working together. Despite their brief time together, the trio have formed strong bonds – even if they won't admit it to themselves. Scott excels at making these characters believable and likeable, bouncing their personalities and idiosyncrasies off each other to develop conflict and humour. Even Fleapit, despite his silly name and odd appearance, fits into the bigger picture nicely to complete the set.
Artists Cole Marchetti & Magnus Norën continue to bring Cavan Scott's prose to life on the page with some simple, yet effective illustrations. Each one works perfectly to help visualise the hustle and bustle of the Hinterland Outpost and the variety of alien creatures that buy and sell merchandise there. Despite the title of “Secrets of the Tau”, the Tau only really feature in the final act – however, they are presented as a morally ambiguous race. While they might not be as outwardly vicious as the Necron and Genestealers encountered thus far, they prove themselves to be just as deadly and ruthless. Scott's writing style is great fun, and he manages to strike a youthful energy and exuberance that is infectious. I'm really enjoying the way the plot is developing and how each novel seems to highlight and showcase a specific faction within the game. The serialised nature of the novel works extremely well, with the use of ongoing plot threads across books such as the mysterious inquisitor that now pursues our motley crew.
While this is clearly written for young adults and offers a slightly more sanitised view of the Warhammer 40K universe, it is extremely enjoyable and a strong introduction to the fantasy world. This is a great move for the Games Workshop brand, making its tabletop miniature games even more accessible to a younger audience. Obviously, I am not the target demographic for these novels – but I know I would have gobbled these up when I was in my pre-teens and it would have created a lovely backdrop to the games themselves. Both Cavan Scott and Tom Huddleston have done a tremendous job at translating a dense, and somewhat intimidating, mythology into exciting child-friendly novels that engage and entertain without losing what makes the series so special. I can't wait for the second half of the series to be released next year, beginning with a spotlight on my favourite faction in “War of the Orks”.
November 20, 2024
Decent book overall. My interest was waning a bit, I think, even though the contents of the story were by far more interesting. Or at least should've been. Especially in comparison to the 2nd. It had a lot going for it, with a ominous rogue trader, a shady space station, abhumans, kroot, tau and their tech, mystery, and overall way more characters. That might have made the whole story a bit less convincing with kids remaining at the forefront, but the author pulled it off well enough.
SPOILERS
On the ship of the rogue trader they discover how far they are from their initial planet, which is weird and an overall mystery. But this story doesn't go into more detail on that. First, they need to figure out what "The Emperors Seat" might be, or rather where. For that they go to a space station, which is far distant from any imperial regulation. Xenos and humans live next to each other, and apparently the station is run for the most part by a rogue Tau, Lightbringer.
Another main character is Carter, who has a store of stuff and antiquities, but is certainly not accomodating. Unless they sell the Jocaro to him, which they dont want, obviously. Later, Talon does so anyway, but with a secret plan devised by Fleapit to get him back out. Why they couldn't do that together with with the other two kids, I don't know. That would've potentially omitted major problems later on. But obviously, that made for a potentially more exciting story. Dumb, but ok.
The Tau at the end were a bit weird, especially with the cringy performance by David Tennent, but I guess these nasal voices were viable for Xenos. I liked how they were portrayed less stellar, than the "For the Greater Good" mantra might suggest. I was surprised on how the general who was working with the rogue trader to uncover the rogue Tau went back on his word and wanted to enforce his will on them, potentially even killing them. But I guess, there is no "good" force in this setting, which is fine.
So, overall, there is still the Inquisitor, which got a short chapter trying to find them. I suppose he'll catch up to them eventually.
I'll continue with the series, but at this point I want to take a break.
SPOILERS
On the ship of the rogue trader they discover how far they are from their initial planet, which is weird and an overall mystery. But this story doesn't go into more detail on that. First, they need to figure out what "The Emperors Seat" might be, or rather where. For that they go to a space station, which is far distant from any imperial regulation. Xenos and humans live next to each other, and apparently the station is run for the most part by a rogue Tau, Lightbringer.
Another main character is Carter, who has a store of stuff and antiquities, but is certainly not accomodating. Unless they sell the Jocaro to him, which they dont want, obviously. Later, Talon does so anyway, but with a secret plan devised by Fleapit to get him back out. Why they couldn't do that together with with the other two kids, I don't know. That would've potentially omitted major problems later on. But obviously, that made for a potentially more exciting story. Dumb, but ok.
The Tau at the end were a bit weird, especially with the cringy performance by David Tennent, but I guess these nasal voices were viable for Xenos. I liked how they were portrayed less stellar, than the "For the Greater Good" mantra might suggest. I was surprised on how the general who was working with the rogue trader to uncover the rogue Tau went back on his word and wanted to enforce his will on them, potentially even killing them. But I guess, there is no "good" force in this setting, which is fine.
So, overall, there is still the Inquisitor, which got a short chapter trying to find them. I suppose he'll catch up to them eventually.
I'll continue with the series, but at this point I want to take a break.
December 15, 2019
Zelia Lor, Talen, Mekki and Fleapit have been rescued from the ice planet and the claws of a horde of genestealers by a woman claiming to be a rogue trader. She agrees to take them to the frontier port-spacestation on the edge of Imperial/Tau space there to find clues as to where the 'Emperor's Seat' is. This is where Zelia's mother told her she'd meet her but none of the kids know where this is.
For the first time we get a real look at some of Imperial space in this series all be it on the edges and so a little 'looser' than the rest. Talen in particular has his prejudices about xenos (that all aliens want to kill humans) both challenged and confirmed while Zelia finds her policy of non aggression pushed to it's limits. And just who is Mekki even Zelia doesn't know much about him.
For the first time we get a real look at some of Imperial space in this series all be it on the edges and so a little 'looser' than the rest. Talen in particular has his prejudices about xenos (that all aliens want to kill humans) both challenged and confirmed while Zelia finds her policy of non aggression pushed to it's limits. And just who is Mekki even Zelia doesn't know much about him.
September 4, 2019
While the author creates a opportunity to give young readers a chance talk about topics that normally wouldn't be brought up until a child is much older the author tries the best to make open conversations.
The story doesn't seem to follow a flow for young readers to follow but the story is entertainment enough
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of Cavan Scott Secrets of the Tau
The story doesn't seem to follow a flow for young readers to follow but the story is entertainment enough
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of Cavan Scott Secrets of the Tau
June 15, 2020
This was a lively and very fast paced adventure in the Warhammer setting with young characters trying to find a missing mother figure. In many ways the writing unironically presents the unpalatable politics and social structure of Warhammer whether it is life in the Imperium or the Tau Empire. More characters join the cast and there are many interesting story seeds that I look forward to reading about.
August 28, 2019
Another fun chapter in this ongoing saga. Some serious discussion of xenophobia which is rampant the 40k universe. I like where the author took the story in the end. It maybe could have been stronger, but I still thought it got the point across well.
September 12, 2022
One of the better entries in the series, particularly since it has the characters' pro-Imperium views seriously challenged. Full review: https://fakegeekboy.wordpress.com/201...
September 13, 2019
Not sure what the message this is giving to kids - we should kill all Xeno’s
October 4, 2019
You do not learn the secrets of the tau.
June 20, 2023
This series started off so well but descended into the same tired sci-fi fantasy.
May 23, 2025
More world building. The hubris of the Tau. Kracken in a barrel. New allies.
October 21, 2024
Another fun addition to the series.
This might seem like a strange criticism to make, but the covers in this series should all have Flegan-Pala on them as part of the crew, especially considering the point this book is trying to make about discrimination and prejudice against those who are alien to you. And they also need to stop calling him 'Fleapit'.
This might seem like a strange criticism to make, but the covers in this series should all have Flegan-Pala on them as part of the crew, especially considering the point this book is trying to make about discrimination and prejudice against those who are alien to you. And they also need to stop calling him 'Fleapit'.
July 22, 2023
This series just keeps getting better and better. I have loved adventuring and exploring the 40k universe with them.
A well written story is truly a gift and readers will not be disappointed with this at all.
A well written story is truly a gift and readers will not be disappointed with this at all.
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