Ravenor: The Omnibus Paperback – 28 July 2009

Ravenor is a great read for fans of Eisenhorn (which I would definitely read first, and highly recommended). A fantastic universe, great characters, and a well paced, detailed plot. I’m sad I finished it in a way, but looking forward to the Bequin trilogy.

I find the contrast between this trilogy and the Eisenhorn trilogy to be one of its strongest points. Comparing the similarities and differences between the methods and personalities of the two inquisitors is fascinating. It's obvious that Ravenor has been trained by Eisenhorn, that shows through immediately, but also that he's his own man.Anyhow, the book itself is what you'd expect from Abnett - well written, fast-paced, full of characterisation and ingenuity, with a remarkable grasp of the 40K world. There's some really cool action scenes in this, but mostly what gets me every time with his books is the sheer imagination in them when it comes to creating new worlds and new people to put in them.Very, very good. Different from the first trilogy, but nonetheless an excellent read. I'd strongly recommend reading Eisenhorn first however.

The second best series in 40k?I find Ravenor a bit less interesting and far less nuanced than Eisonhorn, and he does seem to make some rather odd decisions for an annoyingly perfect super genius.However, these are still cracking books that I loved as an adult and as a teen.

Headline says it all. The book itself is good, but it feels overall weaker than Abnett's other books somehow. Its deep lore, and yet feels very shallow at the same time. Story is good, explores and deep dives into a lot of aspects of Inquisition work and is more oriented as a Noir-style, sci-fi thriller but it lacks, in my opinion, a certain spike that the Eisenhorn trilogy did.

This is a great read, it isn't up there with gaunts ghosts or Eisenhorn, but it nearly is. I recently went back and re read this in preparation for the new beaquinn trilogy, and I haven't been disappointed.Ravenor is a great protagonist, I only wish we had more of him and his thoughts. Orfeo and molotoch are great villains and offer a very different take on the heretic in imperial society. Also the secretist enforcer rickens (rickens?) stands out as a great character.The only problem I had with the trilogy was one of pace. Not to say that it felt drawn out or slow, but it takes a long while for anything to happen. In no way is this boring, quite the opposite we have a lot of settings and worlds on offer. And none of these feel over contrived or ridicules (okay maybe the whole door thing). But in a setting with deamons, aliens, psychics and copious amounts of death and destruction Ill let him off with the whole door thing, it's a nice device and isn't over over used. It's just that some sequences lasted longer than they had too.All in all mr abnett I salute you, keep the sci fi madness coming, Or nick kyme will... Boo!!!

Perfectly written (as always from Dan Abnett) and has you gripped the entire time. I never wanted to put the book down.

This is a sequel trilogy to Dan Abnett's Eisenhorn. It follows a former protege called Ravenor. Dan does a great job of making it feel still like a great, compelling Inquisotor-style story but making Ravenor a very different personality to Eisenhorn. I've only read the first of the three books in the trilogy so far but it feels more polished and the supporting characters are much more developed then the previous trilogy due a very interesting concept regarding the way their team operates.

I've been a fan of the Games Workshop 40k Universe for around 30 years and enjoyed everything of Dan's that I have ever read, from Gaunt's Ghosts to Eisenhorn. I'm pleased to say that the Ravenor omnibus lives up to my expectations, taking us on a journey in the life of Inquisitor Ravenor and his band of agents as the fight the enemies of mankind whilst struggling to not become the very thing they strive to stop.

I read  Eisenhorn (A Warhammer 40,000 Omnibus)  a long time ago and then proceeded to read all kinds of Warhammer 40k books but I never got around to Ravenor.I have to say that I missed out. Ravenor is definitely fantastic. I will tell you that the book is considerably darker, grittier, and more gothic dystopian than Eisenhorn. It's not for the faint of heart.I still think that Eisenhorn is probably the best starter novel for anyone looking at dabbling with Warhammer 40k but I think it's Ravenor where Dan Abnett truly delves into the dystopian aspects of society in the Imperium of Man. This is a dark and opressing book.By now I've read a lot of Warhammer 40k books. I have to say that Eisenhorn is still my #1 book but Ravenor has immediately eclipsed all other works and taken it's place as the solid #2. Both Eisenhorn and Ravenor are not just my two favorites, they're my favorites by a very long long way.This book is set in the Warhammer 40K Universe -- it's vast, rich, dystopian and on a scale as big as Star Wars, Star Trek, LOTR. I've been throwing a generic Warhammer40k Universe overview into my WH40K reviews for new reader. Here it is if you're interested:GENERIC WARHAMMER 40K OVERVIEWI'm adding a Warhammer 40K overview to this review to help newcomers get a sense for the Universe. (Warhammer 40K pros, go easy on me - I'm also somewhat of a newcomer to the Universe, hope I got the broad brushstrokes right). Review for book at bottom.HOW I GOT HOOKEDI got this through vine and put it directly on my nightstand. Although I've never gamed Warhammer (Warhammer 40k Space Marines Combat Squad) or any of their many other games, I became a fan of Warhammer 40,000 after a friend in college introduced me to the Warhammer 40k universe back in 1990 I want to say. While browsing through Amazon, I came across Eisenhorn probably the best "starter" novel to get anyone started into the Warhammer Universe. I have to admit, I've gotten hooked on the stories.THE BLACK LIBRARYFrom a company standpoint there is a British company called the Black Library that owns and manages Warhammer 40K. They have some great writers on staff like Dan Abnett and Graham McNiell who write many of the stories. The common thread of the writers is that in my opinion they are very literary people who manage the capture the dark, dystopian, almost opressing vision of this far future. Many of their stories have foundations and parallels in real world history...for example The Flight of the Eisenstein (Horus Heresy) is very similar in my opinion to The Battleship Potemkin. I think the company was founded in 1989 to provide advanced hobbyist game pieces (Games Workshop Space Marine Devastator Squad Box Set) that gamers could paint and decorate and then play in competition based on some rule books called codexes (Warhammer 40K (40,000) Codex Space Marines) very similar to dungeons and dragons.THE SERIESWarhammer 40K takes place about 40,000 years in the future in a neogothic dystopian Universe where the entire galaxy has been colonized. During the 40,000 year history humanity discovers that hyperspace (the mechanism they use to travel faster than light) is filled with ghostly demons and other lifeforms that will not hesitate to invade and infest the real universe. Add to that alien Elves, Orks, intergalactic insectoid invaders, parasites and every other conceivable menace, this makes for a tormented universe that only knows War and suffering for its untold trillions or quadrillions of denizens.In this Universe there is an Empire based on Earth with an Emperor and and a gigantic bureaucracy that manages the Imperium. I'll outline some of the story lines to help you make sense of this (if you're not a pro already):SPACE MARINES - Genetically and Cybernetically augmented warrior monks that form the front line of defense for the Empire. Space Marine novels generally build on the mythology of the space marines and generally describe a chapter of space marines (a monastery) and tell some story of how they fight for the Empire or how they fell from grace. Space Marines are almost not human, they've been augmented genetically stand at 8 to 12 feet tall and wear giant powered armour. They fight in space and in some horrible conditions. For this reason, you don't get much of a feel for the denizens of the Empire (generally) in these novels. Space Marines are Monks and celibate (I think) so you don't get any flavor for interpersonal relationships. Although in a few stories you do get some political intrigue and in one space wolf novel, you even get to see Earth. Expect lots of fighting with these novels in very novel settings.The Ultramarines Omnibus (Warhammer 40,000 Omnibus)TITANS - The giant Mechwarriors (giant walking two legged tanks) that form the heaviest of assault machines of the empire. Titanicus is the only Warhammer 40K novel that I know of that is based on Titans. Because Titans stand at 40 stories and are crewed by a very select group of very religious people, you don't get much of the flavor for the citizens of the Empire although you do get dazzling descriptions of the cities, planets, and how the war machines fight. Expect lots of fighting with these novels.Titanicus (Warhammer 40,000)IMPERIAL GUARD - The Army of the Empire (untold billions serve and die regularly) -- CADIAN BLOOD is an Imperial guard novel. Expect down and dirty grunt fighting and warfare in these novels with a healthy does of intrigue and plot machinations. Because Imperial Guard are human, you get more of a sense for the Empire than you do with Titan or Space Marine novels.Cadian Blood (Imperial Guard)INQUISITORS - The Emperor's inquisition carries the Empire's complete support as they go out and seek out evil in any form (Einsenhorn, Ravenor, and Innocence Proves Nothing are Inquisition novels). Expect more intrigue and deceipt in these novels and expect to see some of the more opulent aspects of the Empire because many times Inquisitors walk among the citizens of the Empire. I find that I get a better flavor for the Warhammer Universe from Inquisitor Novels. They are my personal favorites.Eisenhorn (A Warhammer 40,000 Omnibus)Ravenor: The Omnibus (Warhammer 40000)Innocence Proves Nothing (Warhammer 40000)MECHANICUM - The Mechanicum is almost like a pseudoreligion based on Mars who has a very close alliance with the Emperor (although sometimes you wonder). The Mechanicum makes most of the technology for the Empire. So many things have been invented and forgotten in the 40K universe that technology is more of technomagic and technology use is almost ritual-like.Mechanicum (Horus Heresy)HORUS HERESY NOVELS - When the Warhammer 40K Universe was invented (mostly for gaming purposes), a backstory was developed that tells how the Galaxy was brought under the Emperor. It used to be a fairly short story but has been expanded broadly now that Warhammer 40K is so popular. Here are some Heresy books in no particular order but there is an order (there are too many of them for me to track and I haven't read them all).Horus Rising (The Horus Heresy)The Flight of the Eisenstein (Horus Heresy)False Gods: The Heresy Takes Root (The Horus Heresy)This is a Warhammer 40K book so it takes place in the 41st millenium, just FYI. Eisenhorn (A Warhammer 40,000 Omnibus)

Für potentielle Käufer, die mit Abnetts Protagonisten Gregor Eisenhorn und Gideon Ravenor nicht vertraut sind, folgende Kurzinformation:Die Romanfigur Gregor Eisenhorn ist Mitglied der Inquisition und damit im Warhammer-Universum mit den höchsten Machtbefugnissen - nahezu gleich dem God-Emperor - ausgestattet. Eisenhorn dürfte unter den Brett-/Rollenspielern von Warhammer 40k eine legendäre Figur sein, so dass die Romane um Eisenhorn mit Spannung erwartet wurden und seit einiger Zeit als Omnibus vorliegen.Eisenhorn war der Mentor Ravenors, der seinen Schützling als außergewöhnlich begabten jungen Mann beschrieb, der als Inquisitor noch Karriere machen würde. In Eisenhorns Omnibus kann man nachlesen, wie Ravenors steiler Aufstieg durch einen Angriff des Chaos je gebremst wird. Ravenor kommt durch diesen Anschlag fast ums Leben und bleibt schwerst behindert. Gideon Ravenor ist aber kein normaler Sterblicher. Dan Abnett verleht im ein unheimlich großes Potential als Psyker. Diese mentalen Kräfte werden durch/nach dem Unfall bzw. Ravenors Behinderung freigesetzt, und Ravenor wird zu einem der besten Inquisitoren des Warhammer-Universums.Der vorliegende Omnibus beginnt Jahre nach dem Unfall und der letzten Begegnung Ravenors mit Eisenhorn, der seit damals verschollen ist. Es wird vermutet, dass Eisenhorn den dunklen Kräften Warps verfallen ist (Stichwort: Eisenhorns Beziehung zu dem Dämonenwesen Cherubael). Genaueres weiss man (=wir) nicht, und so warten wir gespannt, ob uns Abnett noch mit weiteren Eisenhorn Romanen überraschen wird.Zurück zu unserem Helden Ravenor - in drei Romanen und zwei Kurzgeschichten haben wir es mit einem konkreten Kriminalfall zu tun, in dem es um illegale Beschaffung von Warp-verseuchten Artefakten und Technologieteilen geht. Da scheinbar die Regierungsspitzen eines Planeten/Sektors involviert sind. Durch Zufall schaltet sich die Inquisition ein. Ravenor und sein eingespieltes Team kämpfen gegen hartgesottene, raffinierte Kriminelle, gegen eine Warpsekte und mit der eigenen menschlichen Schwäche. Abnett schenkt seinen Helden nichts, so dass diese einiges einstecken müssen, Verluste erleiden und ganz in der dystopischen Tradition des Warhammer-Universums nicht die strahlenden, unfehlbaren Helden von 08/15-Romanschnulzen sind.Abnett versteht es, wie immer, dem Warhammer-Universum eine Detailfühle zu verleihen, die ziemlich gruselig ist. Wer will schon auf einem überbevölkerten Planeten dahinvegetieren, auf dem die Wirtschaft am Boden ist, der extrem saure Regen Hautkrebs verursacht und nur auf 500.000 Menschen ein Arzt kommt!?Neben der eigentlichen, äußerst spannenden Handlung lernen wir wieder einmal durch Abnett, wie verrottet das Imperium der Menschheit eigentlich ist - düster, dunkel, depressiv....! Herrlich!Zum Abschluss eine Anmerkung:Im Gegensatz zu einigen Bekannten habe ich zuerst den Omnibus Eisenhorn gelesen und danach erst Ravenor. Während Dan Abnett bei Ravenor die Handlung in den Vordergrund stellt, zeichnen sich die Romane um Eisenhorn durch eine Charakterstudie des Protagonisten aus. Wir erleben, wie Eisenhorn älter wird, und wie sich dessen Einstellungen und Denkweisen im Laufe der Jahre ändern. Die Geschichte der Person Eisenhorn hat etwas von Goethes Faust an sich, so dass sich Abnett spätestens mit Eisenhorn ein literarisches Denkmal gesetzt hat.Bei Ravenor erleben wir dagegen im vorliegenden Omnibus nicht die Entwicklung seines Charakters, sondern wir sehen Ravenor in seiner vollen Inquisitoren-Blüte der mit seinen menmtalen Kräften und einem hervorragenden Team aktiv einen Fall "bearbeitet".Die Omnibuse von Eisenhorn und Ravenor lassen sich somit schwer vergleichen. Eines haben die Geschichten von Eisenhorn und Ravenor aber gemeinsam - Dan Abnett beweist, dass er der Meister des Warhammer-Universums ist! Fünf Sterne!

Action, mystery, deceit, and a daemon! What else do you want from a Warhammer book? Abnett knows what he's doing, despite the handful of typos in this edition.

A true Abnett novel and a worthy successor to the Eisenhorn Storys

While I can see how Dan improved his writing style if I compare Ravenor to Gaunts Ghosts stories, this is still a brilliant, gripping story, well written, well researched, for the adult audience.It combines the three parts of the Ravenor cycle.