Bookshelf: Black Library- Star of Damocles by Andy Hoare

John speaking and today I have a book review that isn't about Dredd! Yes sometimes I expand my reading beyond the 2000ad verse, not often mind. If you haven't realised by now, I'm a bit of a 40k fan and the best part of 40k in my opinion is all the fluff and lore. Games Workshop also came to this conclusion a while back and opened a sister company called Black Library. Named after the secret Eldar location where they store all the knowledge on chaos and protected by the Harliequins. This wing of the company produces so many books a year it's crazy. It is about one of these books that I will write about today.
Star of Damocles

Author: Andy Hoare
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Black Library
Published: 2007
Commercial:

"Rogue trader patriarch Lucian Gerrit and his family get swept up in an Imperial Crusade to track down and exterminate the alien tau. Having crossed the desolate area of space known as the Damocles Gulf, the fleet arrives on the borders of the tau empire. Can Gerrit's resourcefulness save the day when the Imperial forces find themselves outnumbered and outgunned, thousands of light years from home?"

Review

Star of Damocles, is the second tale of Lucian Gerrit written by Hoare. I sadly didn't realise this when I started reading this book. I thought it was a stand alone book, but it turns out it follows directly on from Rogue Star. Sadly for what ever reason Black Library have discontinued this books, so you either need to be lucky like me and find one in a thrift store or hunt them down on flea-bay.

The story begins with Lucian and his Rogue Trader family on the edge of the Damocles Gulf, ready to join in with a Crusade force that has been sent after the Tau. Due to Lucian's more
opened minded view of the Galaxy, he repeatedly challenges the views and opinions of an Imperial Cardinal called Gurney and an Inquisitor by the name of Grand, who believes that all the Tau should be exterminated. Lucian strongly believes instead that the Imperium could exploit the knowledge and technology of the Tau for the betterment of everyone. Leading to political intrigue and power plays throughout the book.

As already mentioned, Hoare has made a story with a lot of stereo typical 40k characters with a heavy pinch of politics thrown in. Huge parts of book take place within the Crusade Council chambers, consisting of Lucian, Grand, Gurney, military characters and techpriests arguing their next move. There are even two Space Marines involved too. The first an emotionally cold Iron Hands captain and the second a hot headed White Scar, who seem to have been designed to play off each other. Tho there maybe no outward violence in these scenes, you do get to feel the tension that builds from these encounters. As alliances are formed between like minded characters and that at any moment you could be betrayed by any of them.

But never fear there is some violence in the book (after all it is 40k). There are some great Naval sections in this book, that Hoare describes in a way that truly helps you to imagine the scene. Hoare also has a great understanding of how these incredibly heavy ships would lumber through space, which helps to immerse you within the action. We also get a quick paced boarding action from the White Scars, though not a lengthy piece in the book it does help to show the raw power of the Space Marines and is a quick brutal affair.

For me the book ends abruptly. I'm guessing it was to set-up for the third book. As for a stand alone read, it left me with too many holes so I need to go and find the other books to work out what is happening. Overall it was a good break time read and was fun to read a politically focused 40k book.

Good points for me include:

• Great, well thought out characters and social interactions.
• Political Intrigue
• Quick punchy combat scenes that didn't drag on.