Customer Reviews

Straight Silver (Gaunt's Ghosts: Warhammer)

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

 

 

Straight Silver is my favorite book out of the Gaunt's Ghost's series. The book starts off with the Ghost's arriving at a world which as be engulfed in a 40 year tench war, wow. Straight Silver, like all the other Gaunt's ghosts books has wonderful detailed battle scenes, but that is not the reason why this is my favorite. I felt this book had wonderful character development and emotion. Unlike the other books in the series, Straight Silver was the only one almost to bring me to tears. Rawne, Larkin, Caffran, Criid, Soric, Gaunt, and all the ghost seemed to get a upgrade in this book. The writing and descriptions of the characters and the settings were Abnett at his best.

Some fans of the Gaunt's Ghosts don't really like this book, other like myself,absolutey love this book. So give it a try, but read all the other first.

As other reviewers have said, Straight Silver seems more like a continuation and a set-up, than a full and worthy instalment in the Gaunt's Ghosts series.

Which isn't to say that it's a bad book - not the case at all. The Ghosts are sent to a world of trench warfare, to reinforce the burned-out Imperial forces there; but Chaos has also sent reinforcements, and they're preparing for a breakthrough... which is pretty much the sum of the plot.

There IS some good setup, and Abnett again proves that he can write first-rate combat... but we KNEW he could, and the context of this combat isn't much better. Several of the character subplots continue, there's character development... et cetera.

If you're a reader of the series, you'll want this sixth book - if only because it DOES set a few things up for the vastly superior seventh. If you're not, this is probably the worst place you could possibly start. Worth the purchase price, but Abnett could have done much better.

I first read this because Im a fan of warhammer. I played chaos so i was looking for a chaos book. my choices were limited so this was the closest I could get. I thought t was going to be a bore at the beginning. But once the fighting started i couldnt put it down. This was my first warhammer book wich is to bad because Dan Abnitt probably writes the limit of enjoyment warhammer 40k books can go. so I was looking forword to the other four I bought but they just couldnt add up. But if you play warhammer 40k then you will probably like this book.

I found Straight Silver to be an enjoyable read and faithful continuation of the series. That being said, it did not have as many stunning or visceral moments as some of the others but it is still very good. If you like WH40k or Dan Abnett this book will not disapoint.

A little bit of humor there in the title, if you know the WH 40k universe. Straight Silver is another great example of how Dan Abnett can write a book on just about any field of battle. We've seen city fights, air drops, forest battles, and ship brawls, and yet he adds another to the list: trench warfare. Another great read by Dan Abnett.

Excellent book for anyone who likes scifi, military fiction or Warhammer. This is not the first book in this series, it is however, the first that I read in the series. I was hooked immediately and have read all the Gaunt's Ghosts books and look forward to every new release. I have NEVER been disappointed in any of this series, especially this book.

Another book were they put Gaunt and his Ghosts into a meat grinder,almost impossible mission,but through his leadership,and other NCO from past books experience they of course help turn the tide on this planet,good reader.

Bad thing,ive been buying the books out of order *used here on amazon,makes me go back and read a post book once in a while lol.

Pete

Like Necropolis, Dan Abnett introduces us to the society of the host planet where the story takes place. We meet a worn veteran of the planet's decades-long war traveling to the local capitol. Through personal observations and reflections of this character, we learn about the history and mind set of the locals, which we know will play prevalently in the unfolding of the plot. Once again, the story truly begins once Imperial Forces arrive from orbit. From there it's an ongoing illustration of the entrenchment of military doctrine going against all attempts to evolve, resulting in stalemate upon the battlefield and nearly contributing to the victory of Chaos forces secretly bolstering the strength and tactics of the local enemies. Once again, Dan Abnett weaves a tale composed of numerous individual experiences where human beings overcome or are overwhelmed by adverse circumstances, emerging from the receding tide as heroes (martyred or surviving as the case may be) or tragic examples of human failings. There is little mention or description of Chaos in this story, rather it's solely about individuals and how they deal with the futility of their situations. It is a collective account of perserverence. There is a segment in the story where Gaunt is able to get half of his regiment taken off the brutal front lines and assigned to some "lighter" duty geared more towards their light infantry skills. In his mind, it is a glass half full - to be able to save at least half of his troops from the mindless butchery of the trenches. There are numerous other character-driven episodes in the book that will add to your appreciation of the story. I could go on, but I will complete this review by saying, that no matter what kind of subject matter you prefer in a novel, you will not be disappointed by this.

Now this book really sucked compared to any other of the Gaunts Ghosts novels. Personally, the every persistant death threats from Cuu haven't driven my favorite character insane-er and done some serious damage to Mr. Abnetts greatest characters (If you read Guns of Tanith you'll understand, If not hop to it.)
Anywho, it was bad, but read it so you can advance the story-plot, and get ready for a much needed relief of Sabbat Mytr.

Larks.Signing off. (By the way its kinda cool that some of my friends call me Larks. I'm not just writting it down because I think it sounds cool

Hmm, I nearly fell into the trap of comparing this book with the others in the series, which are easily superior to this one. That is not the issue, though, what matters is: how good is THIS book considered on its own? Again, we find the Tanith First embroiled in a conflict in which they are forced to follow asinine orders which do not use their abilities appropriately. In this manner, Abnett subjects them to one of the more antiquated forms of combat, that being trench warfare as in World War I, with chemical weapons in use. While antiquated with respect to their usual mode of combat (something mentioned explicitly several times), it is occurring on a planet for which that is the level of development. Also, they are constrained to follow the orders of the planetery officials in prosecuting the war. More of that hell that is war, it seems.

Little progress is made in advancing the characters from the state they occupied at the end of the previous novel. It seems almost like Abnett hit a length limit and simply stopped the book, making this novel almost a brief transition in the series. There is more mysticism like that used in Honor Guard, which seems basically to foreshadow something in the next book. The really likable characters do well, though as before a lot of them get shot up. There is one REALLY unlikable character who again comes through (in Guns of Tanith he murdered one of the major characters in the regiment), it seems to me, simply to have a villain in the ranks (nevermind that there are already several who hate the commander, Gaunt; I guess we needed someone for the regular ranks to battle).

All in all, this is the weakest book yet in the series. It does serve well, though, in introducing new readers to the present state of the characters and the setting. Given that this is the sixth in the series, perhaps he and the editors felt such a book was called for. The ending is pretty unsatisfying, since, as I mentioned, this book seems to be simply a setup for the next book. The writing, though, is very well done, in terms of describing the atmosphere and emotions of those in the trenches or in the no-man's-land. Mixing conflict, humor, suspense, sacrifice, triumph and tragedy, Abnett still delivers a great read.