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Gaunt's Ghosts #Dossier 1
The Vincula Insurgency: Ghost Dossier 1
A Gaunt's Ghosts Novel: Ghost Dossier 1
In a brief respite between wars, Gaunt's Ghosts find themselves facing a hidden killer on a newly liberated world.
READ IT BECAUSE
Witness a never-before-seen tale from the confidential Ghost dossier, following one of the earliest deployments for the Tanith First and Only.
THE STORY
In the ruined border town of Vincula, the newly formed Tanith First and Only and their commander, Colonel-Commissar Ibram Gaunt, are assigned to enforce a permanent peace. However, this thankless police action will prove as dangerous as any frontline – something is stalking the Ghosts through the streets, and soon the Tanith First will learn dark secrets about themselves that will echo through their history.
In a brief respite between wars, Gaunt's Ghosts find themselves facing a hidden killer on a newly liberated world.
READ IT BECAUSE
Witness a never-before-seen tale from the confidential Ghost dossier, following one of the earliest deployments for the Tanith First and Only.
THE STORY
In the ruined border town of Vincula, the newly formed Tanith First and Only and their commander, Colonel-Commissar Ibram Gaunt, are assigned to enforce a permanent peace. However, this thankless police action will prove as dangerous as any frontline – something is stalking the Ghosts through the streets, and soon the Tanith First will learn dark secrets about themselves that will echo through their history.
240 pages, Hardcover
Published May 21, 2022
60 people are currently reading
319 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
June 26, 2021
I really enjoyed this! Firstly my favourite character, Rawne was one of the main characters and how he a bit of an arc to his character, a step towards his better self which culminates in my favourite novel Traitor General, which his arc is one of the best things about that novel, but I digress. Second, I really felt I was in the city, in Vincula Province itself; the dust the atmosphere kinda made me think of India. The terror, guerilla tactics of the enemy feel real, and the mystery running through it made me keep turning pages; I wish it were longer. But I also feel that Dan likely will expand on a huge hanging plot thread in this in the next Gaunt's Ghosts arc because he has to; it's too interesting not to. It's also not too subtle that he intends to, especially with an interesting twist with one character at the end I will not spoil.
A couple of nitpicks with one complaint. First, Baffels is shown as a sergeant in this, but I'm pretty sure he wasn't promoted until midway through Necropolis. It's also funny with prequels like this that they never mention this occurrence due to the books being after this, especially in scenarios similar to this, which happens in Warmaster and Anarch. I find this in my own writing, too. But it was great to see so many lost characters come back in a new story. But it's also strange having characters in a story that's a prequel that didn't appear until later retroactively placed in, such as Mkvenner, Bonin, Baffels, Piet Gutes, etc. I think if Dan writes another prequel, he should explore the relationship between Doc Dorden and his son Mikal.
Lastly, the ending feels rushed; it could've used another dozen or so pages that would've made a huge difference. I hear a lot of people complain about DA's pacing at the end of his novels being rushed, which I agree with, but a big contributing factor is that he writes these big, sweeping war stories with fething a lot of plot lines to wrap up in the end and that's hard to do with 300 pages. That's another reason why Traitor General is my favourite; the pacing is much better than most of his other novels due to it being so small scale that he didn't have a huge war to write over (also, it has a few more pages than normal)
Again, the Vincula Insurgency is great and makes me look forward to more Gaunt's Ghosts novels in the future!
A couple of nitpicks with one complaint. First, Baffels is shown as a sergeant in this, but I'm pretty sure he wasn't promoted until midway through Necropolis. It's also funny with prequels like this that they never mention this occurrence due to the books being after this, especially in scenarios similar to this, which happens in Warmaster and Anarch. I find this in my own writing, too. But it was great to see so many lost characters come back in a new story. But it's also strange having characters in a story that's a prequel that didn't appear until later retroactively placed in, such as Mkvenner, Bonin, Baffels, Piet Gutes, etc. I think if Dan writes another prequel, he should explore the relationship between Doc Dorden and his son Mikal.
Lastly, the ending feels rushed; it could've used another dozen or so pages that would've made a huge difference. I hear a lot of people complain about DA's pacing at the end of his novels being rushed, which I agree with, but a big contributing factor is that he writes these big, sweeping war stories with fething a lot of plot lines to wrap up in the end and that's hard to do with 300 pages. That's another reason why Traitor General is my favourite; the pacing is much better than most of his other novels due to it being so small scale that he didn't have a huge war to write over (also, it has a few more pages than normal)
Again, the Vincula Insurgency is great and makes me look forward to more Gaunt's Ghosts novels in the future!
October 3, 2025
It's a flashback story. We've come too far ahead in timeline, things have swollen up too much, stakes are too high, the Ghosts are the elite unit of the literal second-in-command of the whole crusade. The whole initial premise, of a single scrappy bunch of woodland warriors in a war much too great for any of them, has been long forgotten. So it only makes sense we might want to dial it back a notch - bring in some stuff from the past they'd gotten involved in.
And see some long-lost friends while there, that's all just a bonus.
Started out well. The usual good Abnett prose - albeit in present-tense, which took a while to get used to - with good fights and tension and gripping mystery. I was invested.
But then, it went and pulled the rug up from under my feet by the lamest twist of all time:
Up until that point this could've been a four-star book, easily, a fine enough addition to the series and just as expected from Abnett. But then came the twist, and I was left with a sour taste in my mouth. Best I can do is two and a half.
And see some long-lost friends while there, that's all just a bonus.
Started out well. The usual good Abnett prose - albeit in present-tense, which took a while to get used to - with good fights and tension and gripping mystery. I was invested.
But then, it went and pulled the rug up from under my feet by the lamest twist of all time:
Up until that point this could've been a four-star book, easily, a fine enough addition to the series and just as expected from Abnett. But then came the twist, and I was left with a sour taste in my mouth. Best I can do is two and a half.
July 18, 2022
Rating of 4.5.
One of the leading authors of Warhammer fiction, Dan Abnett, returns to his iconic Gaunt’s Ghosts franchise in a big way with the compelling military thriller, The Vincula Insurgency.
Before the battles that would make them famous throughout the Sabbat Worlds Crusades, the Tanith First and Only, under the command of Colonel-Commissar Ibram Gaunt, are still coming together as a unit. After fighting a gruelling campaign on the planet of Voltemand, politics has forced the Tanith to remain and take over security for a backwater agricultural province and its capital, Vincula City. Determined to get off-world and back to the frontlines, Gaunt and his regiment grudgingly prepare for the arrival of a new provincial governor and his administrators. However, life is about to get very interesting for the Tanith forces.
A highly skilled and deadly insurgency movement has emerged within Vincular City, determined to cripple the Imperial forces within and disrupt their ability to assist the rest of the crusade. After a series of brutal bombings, Gaunt and his troops attempt to keep the peace within the province. However, their actions are countered at an impressive rate by the local insurgency elements, who are receiving outside help and training from a dangerous opponent who knows all the Tanith’s tricks. Can Gaunt and his unit pull together to defeat this deadly foe? And what happens when they discover that their mysterious opponent is linked to the Ghost’s long-dead planet?
To see the full review, click on the link below:
https://unseenlibrary.com/2022/06/27/...
An abridged version of this review ran in the Canberra Weekly on 30 June 2022:
https://unseenlibrary.com/2022/07/18/...
For other exciting reviews and content, check out my blog at:
https://unseenlibrary.com/
One of the leading authors of Warhammer fiction, Dan Abnett, returns to his iconic Gaunt’s Ghosts franchise in a big way with the compelling military thriller, The Vincula Insurgency.
Before the battles that would make them famous throughout the Sabbat Worlds Crusades, the Tanith First and Only, under the command of Colonel-Commissar Ibram Gaunt, are still coming together as a unit. After fighting a gruelling campaign on the planet of Voltemand, politics has forced the Tanith to remain and take over security for a backwater agricultural province and its capital, Vincula City. Determined to get off-world and back to the frontlines, Gaunt and his regiment grudgingly prepare for the arrival of a new provincial governor and his administrators. However, life is about to get very interesting for the Tanith forces.
A highly skilled and deadly insurgency movement has emerged within Vincular City, determined to cripple the Imperial forces within and disrupt their ability to assist the rest of the crusade. After a series of brutal bombings, Gaunt and his troops attempt to keep the peace within the province. However, their actions are countered at an impressive rate by the local insurgency elements, who are receiving outside help and training from a dangerous opponent who knows all the Tanith’s tricks. Can Gaunt and his unit pull together to defeat this deadly foe? And what happens when they discover that their mysterious opponent is linked to the Ghost’s long-dead planet?
To see the full review, click on the link below:
https://unseenlibrary.com/2022/06/27/...
An abridged version of this review ran in the Canberra Weekly on 30 June 2022:
https://unseenlibrary.com/2022/07/18/...
For other exciting reviews and content, check out my blog at:
https://unseenlibrary.com/
March 6, 2023
First, but certainly not the last, WH40K book of the year!
Gaunt’s Ghosts series is one of my favorite military sci-fi series ever. I actually think it’s a really good starting point for entering the Warhammer 40K universe. It has well-written characters, can be enjoyed without knowing anything about the wider lore, and has my favorite sci-fi combat and action scenes full-stop. The Vincula Insurgency is chronologically set near the founding of the Tanith First and the start of Gaunt’s career as their commanding officer. They’re tasked with garrisoning a recently reconquered world, pacifying the region and squashing the last remnants of insurgent Chaos forces.
A relatively short book, it was a little nostalgic seeing Gaunt’s Ghosts at full strength in this flashback story. Not really much of a spoiler (cuz they’re soldiers fighting a war where dying in the line of duty is just an occupational hazard), but it was touching getting to spend time with characters who are long gone from the current story. Seeing how rough around the edges all of them are, how new they all are at their jobs, is a stark comparison with how grizzled and scarily-efficient they are by the latter books in the series. Don’t have much else to say about this one really, would recommend if you’re looking to scratch the Gaunt’s Ghosts itch while waiting for the series to continue!
Gaunt’s Ghosts series is one of my favorite military sci-fi series ever. I actually think it’s a really good starting point for entering the Warhammer 40K universe. It has well-written characters, can be enjoyed without knowing anything about the wider lore, and has my favorite sci-fi combat and action scenes full-stop. The Vincula Insurgency is chronologically set near the founding of the Tanith First and the start of Gaunt’s career as their commanding officer. They’re tasked with garrisoning a recently reconquered world, pacifying the region and squashing the last remnants of insurgent Chaos forces.
A relatively short book, it was a little nostalgic seeing Gaunt’s Ghosts at full strength in this flashback story. Not really much of a spoiler (cuz they’re soldiers fighting a war where dying in the line of duty is just an occupational hazard), but it was touching getting to spend time with characters who are long gone from the current story. Seeing how rough around the edges all of them are, how new they all are at their jobs, is a stark comparison with how grizzled and scarily-efficient they are by the latter books in the series. Don’t have much else to say about this one really, would recommend if you’re looking to scratch the Gaunt’s Ghosts itch while waiting for the series to continue!
May 9, 2023
Another great GG story from Dan Abnett. When i started reading this i was a bit disappointed as i felt it didnt have the same tension and intensity as other GG works. I thought GW were just trying to cash on on schmucks like me who they knew would fork out for a new story however good or bad it was. However, the book finally kicked into gear and then i was hooked, finishing the rest in just a day. Whereas other GG books are quite sweeping in scope, Abnett shows his versatility here, zooming on a few characters in a disarmingly real setting, a recently conquered city district where insurgents are running amok. Great characters as always and tense, page turning action, as well as a premise set for an intriguing story i hope will be expanded upon.
My only crticisms are, at less than 250 pages, this barely counts as a novel, especially as you can read 80 before you ve even realised that you ve started it. Still a great GG story and well worth a read.
My only crticisms are, at less than 250 pages, this barely counts as a novel, especially as you can read 80 before you ve even realised that you ve started it. Still a great GG story and well worth a read.
December 5, 2024
While some people have comfort-shows or comfort-movies, I have comfort-Gaunt's Ghosts narrated by Toby Longworth.
This was a great addition to the Gaunt's Ghosts lore, expanding on some of the tensions between Gaunt and the Tanith just after the founding, while also managing to add meaningful new information and backstory to many of the important characters in the entire series.
I hope Abnett continues with the "Dossiers" and gives us more adventures set between the mainline books, because I can never get enough Gaunt's Ghosts.
This was a great addition to the Gaunt's Ghosts lore, expanding on some of the tensions between Gaunt and the Tanith just after the founding, while also managing to add meaningful new information and backstory to many of the important characters in the entire series.
I hope Abnett continues with the "Dossiers" and gives us more adventures set between the mainline books, because I can never get enough Gaunt's Ghosts.
August 22, 2023
I don't remember a Feth about Voltemand nor other fething places, but it is always the highest pleasure to read about Ghosts, no matter if the new lore corresponds to old or not.
And of course, there is never enough of Elim Fething Rawne, because Eli is a bae ❤️
And of course, there is never enough of Elim Fething Rawne, because Eli is a bae ❤️
June 13, 2022
Stepping back into the Dan-iverse is like putting on a comfy old jacket. Prepare to fall in love with your favourite characters all over again and then get your heart stomped on, AGAIN.
July 30, 2025
Not a full blown book by any means; but not a short story either, Vincula Insurgency fills all the gaps that I suspect were created by First and Only’s original short stories, which were crushed into a book. It’s nice to see old characters again, which may or may not have managed to survive the almost 20 year crunch the ghosts have been under since the founding on Tanith.
Most of the Ghosts at this point have barely cut their teeth on much more than cultists, and haven’t even seen action against the Blood Pact, the Sabbat verse’s significant chaos alliances military presence. Gaunt himself, barely out of his legendary campaign at Balhaut, is struggling to acclimatise to his new company, whipping them into shape, and hasn’t yet formed the familiar bonds he makes in the mainline books, frequently forgetting or botching main stay Ghost’s names as he just doesn’t know them yet.
The main baddie is a hint to where to where the next ghost arch may go next. I’m up for where ever Abnett takes us.
Most of the Ghosts at this point have barely cut their teeth on much more than cultists, and haven’t even seen action against the Blood Pact, the Sabbat verse’s significant chaos alliances military presence. Gaunt himself, barely out of his legendary campaign at Balhaut, is struggling to acclimatise to his new company, whipping them into shape, and hasn’t yet formed the familiar bonds he makes in the mainline books, frequently forgetting or botching main stay Ghost’s names as he just doesn’t know them yet.
The main baddie is a hint to where to where the next ghost arch may go next. I’m up for where ever Abnett takes us.
October 15, 2023
**spoiler free review**
The Vincula Insurgency is the first entry of the new ‘Dossier’ series, a supplementary series of shorter length and scope titles to the main Gaunt’s Ghosts books. The story takes place early on in the overall campaign (appears to take place between the first and second books) and thus sees the return of some much-loved characters. Whilst enjoyable, the book has numerous problems.
Part of what makes the Gaunt’s Ghosts novels of the primary series so great is the unexpected deaths of primary characters; characters are built up to the point the reader is heavily invested only for them be killed off in some tumultuous ‘wow’ moments. By taking a retrospective look at the Gaunt’s Ghosts between known events, the featured characters all essentially have plot armour which ultimately causes the reader to be less invested.
Another ingredient in the success of the primary novels is the uniqueness of each novel. Each one brings something new whether that be a shift in the theatre of war, highly interesting enemies, a perspective change, new allies or the previously mentioned ‘wow’ moments. This book has none of these things.
Moreover, the almost non-existent plot is overly simplistic and at this point in time, inconsequential. What we do get is an ominous introduction to some kind of plot which may or may not serve as a foundation to future Dossier titles.
Despite lacking in multiple areas, there’s some welcome character development or perhaps more aptly put -‘slightly different angles’ on known characters. Even if this was achieved by abandoning any effort to focus on a plot, the title does essentially improve the Gaunt’s Ghosts series in character development alone.
There are no glaringly obvious continuity errors to destroy the immersion. As other reviewers have pointed out, minor continuity errors may exist although these are unlikely to affect your reading experience.
The Vincula Insurgency is the first entry of the new ‘Dossier’ series, a supplementary series of shorter length and scope titles to the main Gaunt’s Ghosts books. The story takes place early on in the overall campaign (appears to take place between the first and second books) and thus sees the return of some much-loved characters. Whilst enjoyable, the book has numerous problems.
Part of what makes the Gaunt’s Ghosts novels of the primary series so great is the unexpected deaths of primary characters; characters are built up to the point the reader is heavily invested only for them be killed off in some tumultuous ‘wow’ moments. By taking a retrospective look at the Gaunt’s Ghosts between known events, the featured characters all essentially have plot armour which ultimately causes the reader to be less invested.
Another ingredient in the success of the primary novels is the uniqueness of each novel. Each one brings something new whether that be a shift in the theatre of war, highly interesting enemies, a perspective change, new allies or the previously mentioned ‘wow’ moments. This book has none of these things.
Moreover, the almost non-existent plot is overly simplistic and at this point in time, inconsequential. What we do get is an ominous introduction to some kind of plot which may or may not serve as a foundation to future Dossier titles.
Despite lacking in multiple areas, there’s some welcome character development or perhaps more aptly put -‘slightly different angles’ on known characters. Even if this was achieved by abandoning any effort to focus on a plot, the title does essentially improve the Gaunt’s Ghosts series in character development alone.
There are no glaringly obvious continuity errors to destroy the immersion. As other reviewers have pointed out, minor continuity errors may exist although these are unlikely to affect your reading experience.
May 8, 2023
Abnett does it again.
Without effort he transports us back to a time early in the Gaunt‘s Ghosts series. The Ghosts are doing mind- numbing occupancy work and have to deal with insurgents. The novella starts out slow. The daily drudge is made plain. But slowly, the threat and tension built up and the end is as exciting as ever.
I especially liked the character work- the new characters introduced for this story, as well as the Ghosts. So we also learn some more background details of some of the regulars as well as about the myth and legends of Tanith.
Great work.
Without effort he transports us back to a time early in the Gaunt‘s Ghosts series. The Ghosts are doing mind- numbing occupancy work and have to deal with insurgents. The novella starts out slow. The daily drudge is made plain. But slowly, the threat and tension built up and the end is as exciting as ever.
I especially liked the character work- the new characters introduced for this story, as well as the Ghosts. So we also learn some more background details of some of the regulars as well as about the myth and legends of Tanith.
Great work.
October 30, 2023
There's sound Gaunt's Ghosts action here but it feels a bit lacking compared to other installments. It's an interquel, which diminishes the stakes because we know characters survive to future stories. There are also plot strands set up here that are presumably only to pay off in later "Ghost Dossiers" (read: additional interquels). That's all well and good in principle but I would have liked a bit more resolution here than I was given.
Nonetheless, Gaunt's Ghosts remains my favourite series of easy-to-read sci-fi action and I will always be glad for more output from Dan Abnett.
Nonetheless, Gaunt's Ghosts remains my favourite series of easy-to-read sci-fi action and I will always be glad for more output from Dan Abnett.
May 22, 2022
Me ha gustado bastante. Es el primer libro de los Fantasmas que leo, y aún así no he tenido problemas para simpatizar con los personajes. Unos más que otros.
Hay buen desarrollo de personajes y es el abrebocas de un misterio que va a estallar pronto. La forma en como se desarrolla me agrada, aunque a veces sentí el paso de los acontecimientos un poco tiesos... Y no me termino de acostumbrar a algunas palabras propias de Dan Abnett a las que no les encuentro traducción.
Hay buen desarrollo de personajes y es el abrebocas de un misterio que va a estallar pronto. La forma en como se desarrolla me agrada, aunque a veces sentí el paso de los acontecimientos un poco tiesos... Y no me termino de acostumbrar a algunas palabras propias de Dan Abnett a las que no les encuentro traducción.
December 22, 2022
This is a short and snappy dive back into the early Ghosts history but with the added perks of the advancement of Abnetts writing abilities.
It was great fun seeing some old faces again as well as seeing other elements and personalities rounded out more. Saying anymore may give away spoilers but I do hope the threads started here are woven into a later story.
First and Only!
It was great fun seeing some old faces again as well as seeing other elements and personalities rounded out more. Saying anymore may give away spoilers but I do hope the threads started here are woven into a later story.
First and Only!
May 9, 2024
Absolutely brilliant. All of our favorite characters, dead or alive from the Gaunt’s Ghosts series, return in this prequel.
It gives a deeper insight into the world, history and culture of Tanith, a long with many of the mysterious worlds within the Sanguinary tribes.
Strongly suggest reading after finishing all 16 of the main Gaunt’s Ghosts book.
It gives a deeper insight into the world, history and culture of Tanith, a long with many of the mysterious worlds within the Sanguinary tribes.
Strongly suggest reading after finishing all 16 of the main Gaunt’s Ghosts book.
February 10, 2023
This was absolutely outstanding as I'm coming to learn all Gaunt's Ghosts tales are.
This one slid in between books two and three, but sets up a series that will most likely serve as interquels for future novels.
Great character work with some truly outstanding action set pieces.
This one slid in between books two and three, but sets up a series that will most likely serve as interquels for future novels.
Great character work with some truly outstanding action set pieces.
January 21, 2024
Very good book, read late 2023. Didn't add much to overall story of the Gaunts Ghosts series but did add little things that make it more enjoyable. Along with that it did help to flesh out the characters even more.
December 30, 2024
Really, really, really, enjoyed this one. I loved the post invasion setting! It brings an interesting dynamic to flesh the Ghosts’ out and see what badass things they can accomplish with some fun dialogue thrown in to add some layers to the characters.
June 10, 2022
Back to Basics and all the better for it.
September 24, 2022
The Ghosts took on the role of an occupation force.
January 26, 2023
Excellent. Better than I thought it would be.
April 11, 2023
Quite fun.
July 1, 2023
The Ghosts do an occupation and see into a dark mirror. Good character stuff and interesting lore drop.
August 9, 2024
Great book, love the returning characters, makes me want to re read the series again, this story seems unfinished to me hopefully a follow on book will happen
September 23, 2024
Solid entry / prequel ish with the familiar faces of the first few books, hopefully see another of these with them labeling it as dossier 1.
January 1, 2026
this is a man's book
November 10, 2022
I haven't read all of the Ghosts novels, but I've at least read the first few and I must say, this felt...awkward. Almost a little sloppy. There's some good background and lore, particularly about Tanith and Tanith culture, but the story felt light, and introduced several plot points that could have been developed but simply weren't. The other thing that bothered me was that, if I recall correctly, there was some character development in this book which runs counter to the timelines and narrative from the earlier books, considering where this this story fits on the overall timeline. I'm not reading these for their canonical or literary value, though; I'm reading them because they're fun and enjoyable, which this book absolutely is.
May 30, 2023
Seems like Abnett is regretting killing off most of his favorite characters. It was good to see the gang back together and there is some time around Ghostmaker that needs fleshing out. This one has a weirdly anti-climatic finish though that seems to be setting up for a sequel.
December 17, 2022
A return to the early days of the Sabbat Worlds Crusade was perhaps not the thing I expected from Dan Abnett’s busy schedule, but I’m glad he made the choice to revisit them.
Like the best Gaunts Ghosts books, this is follows the formula of (relatively contemporary military operation)+40k= greatness. In this case, it has echoes of the occupations of Vietnam and Afghanistan, but transcends the limitations of the scenario. Abnett introduces some really interesting concepts, especially looking at the culture of the archenemy forces and what effects they may be for the populations of occupy worlds; it’s one of the more nuanced takes on Chaos that I’ve encountered.
Like the best Gaunts Ghosts books, this is follows the formula of (relatively contemporary military operation)+40k= greatness. In this case, it has echoes of the occupations of Vietnam and Afghanistan, but transcends the limitations of the scenario. Abnett introduces some really interesting concepts, especially looking at the culture of the archenemy forces and what effects they may be for the populations of occupy worlds; it’s one of the more nuanced takes on Chaos that I’ve encountered.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews