Customer Reviews

Chapter War : Soul Drinkers, Bk. 4 (Warhammer 40,000)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Well I hate to admit this but what happened?? The first 3 books I read were compiled into the Omnibus which was a great bargin at under $9 then I went ahead and got this for $8.49 to see where Sarpedon and Eumnes were headed with the Soul Drinkers chapter. Im not going to say it was a big mistake but I will say it isnt worth spening full price on! Now before you go and start bashing me please take a look at my other reviews and you will see that I am a big Black Library fan but I was very disappointed in the amount of fluff was in this book and still selling for full price. I have learned a vaulable lesson from this and want to ensure that i pass it along so someone else doesn't make the same error as I did.

The book Chapter War by Ben Counter is the 4th book in the Soul Drinkers saga. It takes place shortly after the ending of the 3rd book and continues the story line where Emunes a scout who has risen to Adeptus status battles Sarpedon for control of the Soul Drinkers. But before you even get that far you have to understand that there are 5 other stories that are also taking place during the "Chapter War" which doesnt even really surface until the mid-point of the book!

First, you have the Vanqualis part of the story. Vanqualis is a remote planet that was conquered from the orks centuries before and has also parted from the traditional thinking of the Imperium of Man. So you get the character build up of the Vanqualis nobeliety and also a sprinkling of some of the lower serfs to keep track of. Second, the orks attack the planet for control that they had lost centuries ago. So now you have to the character build up of the Warboss and why he is attacking in the first place and what his goals are and why. Third, you have the Howling Griffons part of the story. The Griffs are an Ultramarines 2nd founding Chapter who recieve the call for aid on Vanqualis, which changes in midwarp flight to destroying the "Black Chalice". Fourth, is the reemergance of an Inquistor who has been hunting the Soul Drinkers since book 2. And laslty, the entire war that develops between the Soul Drinkers as they are assisting the Vanqualis army during the ork invasion. But thats not it folks! You also have the under-story about the Soul Drinkers Chaplain who finds a centuries old library of "original" Soul Drinkers history and that is what sets up the next book.

The story line is fast paced and entertaining. It does have way too many angles and side stories to keep track of and I think detracted from the real story of the Chapter War. The actual Chapter War only takes about 3 full chapters to rectify and the amount of time it took to kill off one of my favorite characters is sadly not reciprocated at the end of the "War" when the antagonist is laid flat. The ork and Griffon details added extra pages to the book but really didnt bring anything to help this book.

What would have been more entertaining would have been the setup of the Sould Drinkers on the planet of Vanqualis where they could have setup a more traditional chapter with the Vanqualis already seperated from the tradtional thinking of the Imperial of Man.

If you are really needing a 40K fix than go out and grab this from a discount bookstore, I wouldnt pay full price. In fact if the next 2 books are along the same style I would suggest ultimately waiting for the next Omnibus! Hope this helps and also sad to only give it a 3; in fact it would have only gotten a 2.5!

Well, it was fun while it lasted. In the SOUL DRINKERS OMNIBUS, which collected the first three books in this series, I was thoroughly entertained by Ben Counter's three novels about the rogue Space Marine Chapter that throws off the yoke of the Imperium in order to do what they feel is the Emperor's will. The first book thanks to the fresh idea of an Emperor-loyal but outcast Chapter, and Sarpedon and his marines were well fleshed out. There are no doubt some people that believe that Space Marines should be wooden heroes. I believe there's a happy medium between the characters being human and wooden. Thus, the adventures chronicled in the second book continued to be interesting. The Bleeding Chalice, the third volume, had its quirks, but was nonetheless an entertaining brawl with some excellent scenes.

Now we have Chapter War, the fourth book of the series, and if you're like me you'll probably buy this book anyway despite the mediocre reviews. You'll want to know how Sarpedon and Eumenes and Luko and Graevus press on in the harsh WH40k universe out to get them. I won't discourage that.

Just know that this book isn't really much more but "pressing forward." The storyline is sketchy at best, as it's really hard to figure out the motivation of the Soul Drinkers for heading to the planet of Vanqualis. The theme of being honor-bound to defend the emperor's ideals yet not now to the Imperium was fresh once, and now it seems blind and dogmatic. Furthermore, the title is deceptive as the actual "Chapter War" is not the main conflict for much the time. Couple this all with the fact that Counter introduces some interesting human characters and then proceeds to pointlessly kill them off, and you're left wondering why spent so much time away from the Soul Drinkers themselves. As mentioned in another review, I could care less about reading about Orks.

And one last thing. One of my favorite characters in this series dies, and it does absolutely no justice to the depth and resourcefulness of his character up until then. I just don't get it: it's almost as if Counter got tired of having him around.

This book is fine, really, but absolutely nothing special. It's very hard to see this series continuing, unless we can move on to another theme very soon.

This book typifies a trend in the Black Library fiction ... cram as many plot elements into the story as you can, tune up the gunfire, and let the reader slog through it to get to the good stuff. The result, as the other two reviewers point out, is a confused story arc that has a good 75 pages of distractions in it -- this is a book about Space Marines and loyalty ... so why throw page after page of ork psychology at me? Just write a book on the orcs instead ...

The really strong book in this series was the second one, where the Inquistor's pursuit made sense. But in many ways Counter is himself a victim of his own plot: Why do the Soul Drinkers keep hopping from needless battle to needless battle?

To sell more books, of course.

I've read all of the Soul Drinkers novels and have been a big fan. However, after reading the first two, this series has gone nowhere but down-hill. This newest edition, "Chapter War," has a VERY weak plot, and filled with too many gaps. Mr. Counter must have been in a real hurry when writing this, or really didn't put ANY thought into the plot/story structure do to indifference or lack of care. Too many twists, turns, ups and downs, that did not add-up, or make any sense. I found Sarpedon, the Chapter Master, though very caring, determined, and protective of his men to be quite dim-witted. At one point in the book, I was actually rooting for the poor-dumb-b&*#@&d to die. What aggravates me so much was that there was so much potential for this book/series. I was really excited at the prospect that the Soul Drinkers might incorporate a Penal Legion into their family, and do something meaningful. But, again, it was a let-down, and I regret the three hours of my life, lost, and wasted to reading this book....

This is the fourth novel of the ongoing Soul Drinkers series by Ben Counter, who has penned almost a dozen novels set in Games Workshop's grim, dark, and gothic Warhammer 40,000 (W40K) universe. The book continues the tale of the Soul Drinkers, a Space Marine chapter that has rebelled against the stagnant institutions of the Imperium while remaining true to the ideals of the Emperor. Sarpedon, the Chapter Master, leads a continuing cast from the former novels: Iktinos the mysterious Chaplain, Lygris the Techmarine, Assault Sergeant Luko, Scout Eumenes, and a host of others.

On the positive side, there's plenty of action, no shortage of combat, and all the elements you'd expect from the rich W40K background, including an Imperial Inquisitor, another Space Marine chapter, an Ork horde led by a fearsome Warlord, Penal Legions, and more. The pacing is good, keeping even a jaded reader turning the pages.

The weaknesses, however, outweigh the strengths. Plot devices are applied with all the subtlety of a hammer. It's tough to see the battle scenes through explicit gore and sprays of viscera. Character motivation conveniently diverges from reason whenever necessary for the plot. The established background also takes a back seat to convenience, with Orks acting more like a Chaos force than their established character for the first half of the work. The ending will disappoint, simply setting up the next book rather than finding any meaningful resolution.

While the central message of the Soul Drinkers' independence and free will triumphing over the dark, oppressive, stagnant institutions of the Imperium is worthwhile (I found it quite fresh in the first book, Soul Drinker), it has grown old after its retelling for the fourth time. Those expecting a new theme from this novel will be disappointed.

In short: if you've enjoyed the series thus far, you'll most likely enjoy this as well, but if you've noticed the series going slowly downhill since the first novel, you'll see it fall further in this installment.

The decline begins for both the Soul Drinkers chapter and for the series.

Ben Counter plants the seeds of destruction for the Soul Drinkers in this novel.

We find out a bit more about the conspiracy that the chaplain is harboring, but only a bit more.

The chaplain engineers a raid into a hostile star system. We find out over the course of the book that the Soul Drinkers might have a darker past than was revealed in the Omnibus. In the star system is an ancient Soul Drinker installation that the chaplain raids to recover lost, dark information.

Sarepdon faces a serious challenge and is betrayed by a cadre of his young, new Space Marines.

The book builds to a final mortal combat between Sarepdon and his challenger.

Sarepdon wins, and we are led to believe that he is wiser for the experience.

The chaplain's foul plans are still fomenting.

There are a number of open plot threads at the end of the novel: the chaplain's secret plans, the role that a non-aligned chapter might play in bringing peace to a war-torn galaxy, and potential discovery and consolidation of non-Imperium humans.

I did not enjoy this book as much as the Omnibus.

After the events in the Omnibus, it feels unlikely that any of the original Soul Drinkers would side with the mutiny, but several key members did.

The chaplain's evil plot just simmers in the background without any type of significant, satisfying revelation.

The book ends with a bit of unresolved dramatic tension and without a clear path forward.

The characters begin to feel a bit stiff and two-dimensional by the end of the novel.

It is an interesting read, and I recommend this as a read from the library or as a discount buy.

Ben Counter is one of my favorite writers in the Warhammer 40k Universe for his Grey Knight series. Unfortunately the Soul Drinkers series is not at the same level of entertainment. The plot has the renegade Soul Drinkers divided between the original Space Marines fighting against the new recruits for control of their command hulk and the their Chapter (unit).

The Soul Drinkers initially take battle against Orks to help defend an Imperial Planet under attack. Meanwhile an Inquisitor and the Howling Griffins Chapter also respond to help and in turn attack the traitorous Soul Drinkers, who have shunned the Emperor and previously fallen to Chaos.

What doesn't make sense is the Howling Griffins with fire greater firepower, armored vehicle support, and numerical superiority would simply charge straight into close combat where the fewer numbers of Soul Drinkers could fight on equal footing. The Griffins should have stayed at range and simply pounded the Soul Drinkers down with greater firepower and then overwhelmed them, as they were already split into two factions, especially with Sarpedon's faction which had no way to resupply ammunition.

This is where the book doesn't make sense. With the Soul Drinker Chapter already at reduced numbers, and split into half, there is no way that Sarpedon's forces could have had enough troops and ammunition to have lasted through both battles. Plus the climatic battle between Sarpedon and the Howling Griffins Company Commander was good until the obvious demise of the Howling Griffin.

It didn't make sense that Eumenes, the leader of the other Soul Drinker faction, was able to sneak into the fight without having to battle his way through any of the other Howling Griffins or that he would not have attacked Sarpedon first. The death of Sarpedon guaranteed his control of the Soul Drinkers. Another point, if Howling Griffins Company Commander is fighting a battle, his subordinates tend to rush in support their leader and not leave him alone.

Alas, this series is about the Soul Drinkers and the main characters will obviously survive, predictable and unfulfilling.

A number of reviews mention how happy people were with the original Soul Drinkers novels. Personally after reading the clunky battle scenes, incosistent fluff and the outrageous behaviour of nearly every character ( the =][= in book two was fairly well developed however).

The only reason I picked up this novel is I cant leave a series half finished and the emotive front cover and recent editions to the Horus Heresy Saga made me feel that Counter may rate a little higher.

If you were a fan of the previous novels I believe that this has not fallen far under the pace of the last novels nor those who enjoy a "good yarn". It does however leave open a number of questions with the Ork Warolrd appearing to be more easy to relate to on a HUMAN level than the Marines. If new to the W40K world i suggest the Eisenhorn trilogy followed by Gaunts Ghosts and Brothers of the Snake for a more fluff driven story.

Book was awesome great suspense. twists and turns are very sneaky an overall a terrific book.