Customer Reviews

Savage Scars. Andy Hoare (Warhammer 40000)

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

 

 

So full disclosure I am a pretty big Tau fan, and in fact the only reason I purchased this particular 40k novel was because it featured them (they are woefully under represented in the black library aspect of Games Workshop in my opinion). I also know little about the White Scars chapter of Space Marines. Anyway on to the review.

I came into this book hesitant because I had not read anything by Andy Hoare before, and I know that some authors can stray pretty far from the codexes in their representation of non-human races. However unlike one of the other reviewers, I felt the Tau were represented very well throughout most of the story, only at the very end did I feel they were shoe-horned into a situation that they would have handled differently. Their strong use of very particular tactics and use of advanced technology really came off strong. As for the representation of the White Scars, I felt they were distinct from other chapters I had read, and were overall very likeable. I also actually enjoyed and was intrigued by their "battle cant" which some of the other reviewers weren't so found of.

As for the story itself this is where I feel things started to fall apart. I came into this book thinking it was a stand along story (mostly because this is how they market it) but this is only half true. The book follows two distinct characters, Sarik a sergeant of the White Scars in charge of all Space Marine forces on the planet, and Lucian Gerrit a rogue trader hoping to bring his clan wealth and prestige during the campaign. The Lucian Gerrit sections are actually continuations of the Rogue Star series, and a couple times while reading I was slightly confused as to what was happening as it assumed you had knowledge of previous events. This didn't "break" the book for me, I just would have preferred to have known that going in and might have tracked down and read the other stories first (which I now intend to). Another problem I see is that I feel both characters stories/actions could have been expanded into full books in their own right. All this being said, I still felt that overall it was a good story and during several sections could not tear myself away from it.

I would probably give it a 3 1/2 star review but rounded up because I do feel like there is more to like than dislike here (and also to counter balance the other angrier Tau fan).

As I began reading and discovered that this book was set in the Damocles Gulf Campaign, I was happy that I would learn more about this Imperial Crusade. Unfortunately, I discovered that this novel is set at the end of the campaign to set up (I assume) a conflict with the Tyranids in future novels. Certain plotlines which dragged on throughout the book are abruptly resolved with little reasoning given behind the actions of a major antagonist. Half of the time, the protagonist Veteran Sargeant runs around with marines from chapters other than his own. For me, it was just another or many 40K novels that had promise but ended up a mediocre read.

While I appreciate the Scars finally getting some love I would prefer it wasn't with Andy Hoare. This is the second White Scar novel he's written and in each case he can't help but include other chapters. And in each case, especially in Hunt for Voldorius, I found the other chapters more interesting.
This was a cookie cutter Space Marine novel. I hope somebody else takes up the mantle and can deliver a great book about the White Scars. Not the White Scars teaming up with (fill in the blank here).
Oh. And I still hate the "battle speak." At least that was downplayed in theis book. That alone actually gained a star.

I really expected Andy to do better. This whole book is about the Dalyth campaing abainst the Tau, you know, the techno experts at combined arms? All the Tau manage to do in this story is throw one type of weapon at a time at the marines, only to be slaughtered like dogs. But I guess GW totally controls its writers and couldn't let their precious Space Marines get their butts handed to them by a bunch of four-fingered fisters.