The Warmaster

By: Dan Abnett

Narrated by: James Cameron Stewart

Length: 14 hrs and 17 mins

Publisher's Summary

After the success of their desperate mission to Salvation's Reach, Colonel Commissar Gaunt and the Tanith First race to the strategically vital forge world of Urdesh, besieged by the brutal armies of Anarch Sek. However, there may be more at stake than just a planet. The Imperial forces have made an attempt to divide and conquer their enemy, but with Warmaster Macaroth himself commanding the Urdesh campaign, it is possible that the Archenemy assault has a different purpose to decapitate the Imperial command structure with a single blow. Has the Warmaster allowed himself to become an unwitting target? And can Gaunt's Ghosts possibly defend him against the assembled killers and war machines of Chaos?

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

Outstanding

The ghosts series is amazing. This is another example of how good the novels from the 40k universe can be. I really hope that convert the other books in the series so I can buy them all.

9 of 9 people found this review helpful

Some character voices are unbearable, good overall

Some characters voiced by the narrator are absolutely unbearable. Specifically the child Yoncy Criid when she is crying or whining the narrators voice gets so high pitched and shrill I cannot stand it. I still to this day do not know what happened during any scene where he uses this voice as I had to skip through them.

Outside of that the performance is well done. The voice acting is emotional and there is a vast variety of voices and the inflection and tone changes based on content which is very nice.

I had to deduct some points for the story as it feels incomplete. I cant go as far as to say its a short story as it is plenty long enough but it feels like there was a lot of padding added in some places to make it long enough and this book is just being used to set up the coming ones.

Worth the time and credit for sure, but beware the shrilling voice of the crying little girl.

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

Great story, terrible voice acting

the story is excellent however the voice acting is bad enough to make you cringe and ruin any sense of immersion

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

what the feth!

I have read all of the ghosts books. Multiple times. I love the story and the characters. This is my first audio book of the series and it was excellently performed. I have waited 2 years for this...I am thoroughly disappointed. I will read it when my paper copy comes in, however, it feels like half a book.

6 of 8 people found this review helpful

meh.

this breaks my heart. I love Dan Abnett and never read a book of his that I didn't like until now. I found this installment of Gaunts Ghosts to be dull, uninspiring and predictable.

things are not helped by a poor narrator. the characterizations by the narrator fall short. all the men sound the same as do the women. and his characterization of a child's voice is insufferably ear piercing. it's painfully bad. a narrator like John Keeble would have salvaged this mediocre entry at least. if I see this narrator again on a listing I'll more than likely skip it altogether.

I finished this book more out of obligation than out if enjoyment.

Good story, good narrator, bad voice for character

The narrator is good overall, but the voice he does for the Yoncee (sp) character makes me want to stab my ears out. it was bad enough to make me want to skip those sections.

a political intrigue full of twists and turns.

a story of loyalty in the face of the unknown as two great powers clash once more with the ghosts caught in the middle.

Terrible narration

The story seems solid enough as you would expect from Dan Abnett (although in the 4 hours I've endured I've thought he's been reaching for plot a few times) but the narrator is terrible. Don't get me wrong, the narrator has a good voice but he does terrible voices. Gaunt and other worthies have the same English accent, all of the Tanith have the same Scottish accent and all of the Verghast and Beladon have the same Russian accent, many of which are performed laughably. While all the voices are pretty poor and left me dreading any passages of extended dialogue there are two that stand out as particularly bad, any member of the Adeptus Mechanicus "I AM A ROBOT!" and any female character, all of which (and especially Yoncy Criid) were utterly cringeworthy. In short, the narration was so bad that it has ruined any enjoyment I could take from the story and I will be returning it for a refund after posting this review. I'm also a huge fan of the Alien franchise and, to put it into context, James Cameron Stewart's performance left me with the same feeling as watching Alien: Covenant. :-(

New to the series, and now I'm hooked

This is only the second Astra Militarum-focused novel in the Warhammer 40000 franchise that I've read or listened to. It's a very intriguing look into both the daily life of an average Guardsman and into the political machinations of high command. The action scenes are quite well-written, and the narration is top notch. I highly recommend this book to anyone, though be warned: you'll want to go back and start the whole series from the beginning.

did anything happen?

I haven't read any other book in this series. And I believe they're probably required for this book seeing that it has no beginning or end all just middle. I never had any idea what was going on

Amazing as always

great stuff as always. Action and characters you love and hate. And love to hate.
big surprises and some real shifts that keep the ongoing series feeling fresh.
please don't make us wait so long for the next one.
I'm getting old. I might die soon. I want to read the end of the story

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Only half a story...

A short story was cut out of the main novel and the main novel is really just a set up for the next novel. Some twists and reveals but little conclusion.

7 of 10 people found this review helpful

Worst book in the series

This book is pure filler. It's an obvious setup for the next book and lacks a lot of the story that makes the other novels such an enjoyable read. There's little action and what there is, has been done before. I could almost believe that this wasn't written by Dan Abnett, which is a shame because after 2 decades of reading his novels this one is the only bad book I've come across and it just so happens to be in my favourite series.

4 of 6 people found this review helpful

Great Story hindered by a poor performance

I enjoyed the story thoroughly in book for and audio however the Narrator ruined it slightly for me. Very stilted delivery, dodgy voice choices for some characters as well as the pronunciation of some names. Would have benefited if James McPherson was able to reprise is narration role for this audiobook

FOR TANITH! FOR THE WARMASTER!

Brilliant, I loved every second, Some fantastic twists and turns and really highlights certain characters in a way not done before! Cridd quickly became a favorite of mine and the gut wrenching twists in the tale pay off years of waiting

Good story but needs 2nd part

Decent story but ends just as it gets going.
Good narration but voice acting of women grates a little

Stilted reading, great story

A stop start performance but once you get used to it it's easy to enjoy a story that throws the Ghosts straight back into the thick of the action and raising the stakes for the régiment. A great return to form.

Fething brilliant

A nett has done it again. This far in to the series he still manages to give us something new with the Ghosts. The evolved conflict of the Crusade, the politicking of High Command, the character development - it's exactly what you want and more.

My only drawback is that the performer cannot, for the fething life of him, do a decent female voice. Ruined the otherwise fascinating character of Yoncy for me. But he makes up for it in part with other great voices.

Bloody Brilliant

This book was absolutely brilliant it really helped ke understand and engross myself in the plight and confusion of the guard.

More losses for the ghosts

It's been awhile since I last read a gaunts ghosts novel but was very enjoyable. Dan Abnett doesn't pull the punches but without jeapody there is no excitement. Narration was good.