Monday, May 10, 2010

Redemption Corps - Book Review

Redemtion Corps - Rob Sanders
Led by the fearsome Captain Mortensen, the Redemption Corps is a regiment of ultra-tough storm troopers sent to the deadliest warzones on missions of mercy and destruction. But when Mortensen comes to the attention of the deadly sorority of the Battle Sisters, he not only has an ork invasion to contend with but these fearsome warrioress-fanatics too. Caught between the xenos and the fury of the Imperium, can the Redemption Corps fulfil their mission and survive into the bargain?
This is the first novel by Rob Sanders, though not his first foray in to Warhammer 40,000 fiction after writing for inferno, and this novel is a good start in the world of novels.

The story centres around the Redemption Corps, a Storm Trooper Regiment in the Imperial Guard. There are a number of main characters but the two the book concentrates on the most are Mortensen and Krieg.

The story covers a lot of ground very quickly, flitting from future events (used as prologues to each section of the book) to the present before catching up with itself at the end of the novel. In one or two places this makes it a little confusing but things clear up and make more sense towards the end of the novel. It also moves along at a rapid pace with each section seeming to take place at a completely different location, be that a planet or a ship, and this rapid change really moves the novel along.

The imagery is very nice but some of the novel does feel in places like it’s taken wholesale from other works and events, for example one section is basically a reimagining of Black Hawk down, whilst to me this is slightly unoriginal I guess there are no new stories anymore and it does fit in well with the feel of the book. The introduction of new worlds and new equipment (another Valkryie variant – awesome) worked well but some of the treatment of the older equipment, races and other back story from the universe seemed a little odd. I can’t really say much more without giving away major spoilers.

Overall a good first attempt, no Dan Abnett or Sandy Mitchell, but a good first novel and a great place to start from. A must have book for any Imperial Guard fan and worth reading just if you like the 40k universe.

3 out of 5 from me but a great start!


Availible from:
http://www.blacklibrary.com
Redemption Corps - Rob Sanders
softback, 416pp • ISBN 9781844163601

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