The Carrion Throne: Warhammer 40,000

Vaults of Terra, Book 1

By: Chris Wraight

Narrated by: John Banks

Length: 10 hrs and 24 mins

Publisher's summary

In the hellish sprawl of Imperial Terra, Ordo Hereticus Inquisitor Erasmus Crowl serves as a stalwart and vigilant protector, for even the Throneworld is not immune to the predations of its enemies. In the course of his Emperor-sworn duty, Crowl becomes embroiled in a dark conspiracy, one that leads all the way to the halls of the Imperial Palace.

As he plunges deeper into the shadowy underbelly of the many palace districts, his investigation attracts the attention of hidden forces, and soon he and his acolyte Spinoza are being hunted - by heretics, xenos, servants of the Dark Powers, or perhaps even rival elements of the Inquisition itself. Soon they discover a terrible truth, one that if allowed to get out could undermine the very fabric of the Imperium itself.

©2017 Games Workshop Limited (P)2017 Games Workshop Limited

Very compelling depiction of Earth in Warhammer

While the plot isn’t the most innovative—a cynical old detective(inquisitor) and an idealistic young one discover a conspiracy that goes all the way to the top—it’s exactly that type of story that allows the setting to really shine. Terra is monstrous, inhuman, and brutal, and our characters do what little they can to keep it from getting worse

I'm parsley hear because of a YouTube

iv ben wanting to read a wh40k book and chose this one because of the castoden

Another hit by Chris

Every single publication by Wraight edges him higher and higher up my favorite Black Library authors. This was a great introduction to the inquisition on Terra and its relationship with the Palace.

Good overview of life on Terra

Good listen but not as gripping as The Emperor's Legion. I like these new books exploring life on Terra and additional time spent with the Inquisition.

great performance

the performance is great but the storyline is weak, i had a difficult time paying attention to this story.

One of the better 40k stories

Chris Wraight is one of the best authors in the Black Library’s frequent stable, and this story shows off his strengths well. Terra is given a rich amount of life and detail through his descriptions, and more than any other author he nails the dystopian feel of the Imperium. This is a place where those with power dominate those without, where widespread poverty writhes under opulent extravagance, where ignorance is considered strength, where tradition has strangled creativity. Every time a new location on the Throne World is introduced, Wraight puts many words into fleshing it out, from the architecture to the unfortunate denizens.

Wraight also deftly handles the satirical nature of the Imperium, viciously skewering the authoritarian tendencies other authors sometimes accidentally celebrate. The two primary POV characters are an Inquisitor and Interrogator, those with the most power arbitrarily given to them, and one of them (Interrogator Spinoza) has been trained her entire life to be the worst type of jackboot thug. What’s refreshing is that the book allows you to get in her head, but never approves of her ideas. Inquisitor Crowl provides a contrast, a more principled person by the low standards of the Inqusition who has learned the world is not just good and evil.

There is also an interesting mystery set up here, one that has some satisfying conclusions while still leaving loose ends for the sequels. If you’re interested in a book with wider implications for the 40k universe, The Carrion Throne definitely has some.

The action scenes are probably the low point for me, as is usual for 40k. It’s hard to write good action, and Wraight struggles to make these scenes tense and readable.

Still, this is a great story, and I am excited to check out the rest of the series.

A very good story well read.

I enjoyed this novel. The characters were well fleshed out and the setting really came to life.

I finally feel like a menial hive scrub

It was good, the day to day description of life was disturbing and the characters were charming enough.

Soooo good!

This book was amazing!! Great characters and a great story. Read this book right now!

overall quite good

the performance was excellent but the story got a little convoluted and hard to follow. I had to listen to the last 45 minutes again to understand what was happening with so many new characters re/introduced at the end.