Non-Spoiler Review of Only in Death

Picked up the latest of the Gaunt's Ghosts series and finished it last
night around 10:30pm

Only in Death
(Gaunt's Ghosts)

By Dan Abnett
This Edition: Mass Market Paperback
Publication Date: December, 2007

The Summary:

For those of you who aren't regular readers of the Gaunt's Ghosts
series...it's a war story akin to Band of Brothers but set in the
gritty, war-torn future of the Warhammer 40,000 universe. The
protagonists are Imperial Guardsmen. Not super-soldiers like Space
Marines, or having any god-like powers like Inquisitors (see
Eisenhorn, Ravenor, etc). Nope these are down home folks serving out
their tour of duty as The Hammer of the Emperor, guardsmen,
essentially...fodder for the never-ending battles of the 41st
millennium.

Like Band of Brothers, you get to know the interesting personalities
of the Regiment through hard times; see what they are really like in
adversity, grow to love them...and some...many die along the way. I've
seen some of my favorite characters die in this series over the years.
Still others survive, and every page you hope they make it to the end.

Only in Death is a fine example of this.
The book keeps a creepy, almost haunted feel throughout which adds an
additional element of stress for the dear reader as they turn the
page.

The Review:

While I have enjoyed the Gaunt's Ghosts series immensely, and have
recommended it to everyone I've met, some books are better than
others. You can tell when the writer hits the mother lode, and when
he's panning in the river, and Dan is much the same. Thankfully his
standard of writing has never in my opinion dropped to the point where
a book was unenjoyable; every book has been good. Just some are more
inspired, or maybe just reach me differently.

THIS book, Only in Death, as in the old proverb "Only in Death does
duty end" is one of my top 3 of the series. My favorite being Sabbat
Martyr BTW.

I was left a little flat after Armor of Contempt, but Only in Death
made up for any shortcoming I may have felt. This is one hell of a
good read!

My Rating:

Of all the Gaunts Ghosts series, I'm grading this one of the BEST so
far. That being said, on a scale of One to Five Stars, One meaning it
Truly Sucked and Five being an All-Time Classic....I'm giving Only in
Death Five Stars. (*****)