Honourbound: Severina Raine

I bought this book due to the rave reviews and the comparisons to Dan Abnett's Gaunt's Ghosts. I was utterly disappointed by how the book turned out. Partly it's due to the fact that I may have been comparing it to Abnett's work, however due to the multitude of reviewers claiming that it is on par with Abnett or Dembski-Bowden, I don't believe that viewing Honourbound in the light of those authors is unfair.Pros:Honourbound's secondary characters are excellent. Zane is by far my favorite character in the book, she exemplifies the true grim darkness for the 40k universe, wanting to be accepted, while simultaneously being hated by those she wishes to join. (Similar to Seth in Aaron Dembski-Bowden's Cadian Blood). She's the epitome of self sacrifice (like Agun Soric in Gaunt's Ghosts). Wyck is well written and a twisted mess, a true delight to read. Fel is the trope of puppy love. He'll do anything for his love (Raine), even if it means breaking Storm-Trooper bonds. He's not great but seeing as most storm-troopers are mindless gungho yes men, it's not a bad take on Fel. (Ban Jevrian in Cadian Blood is a good example of humanizing storm-troopers).The battles are decent, but they do not rise to the visceral gripping levels found in Gaunt's Ghosts, Cadian Blood, or some of the great Space Marine Battles books (Ben Counter's World Engine, Steve Parker's Rynn's World, and, obviously, Aaron Dembski-Bowden's Helsreach). As a whole, the battles are satisfactory.Cons:The main issue is with Raine herself. Her biggest obstacle is "her blood". However, her blood does nothing to inconvenience her. Only two named characters openly take issue with her blood. The rest are unnamed background characters, never to be heard or seen again after a glare or two. The first, Vander can't inconvenience her beyond sneering, and even when he does sneer Raine punches him. The second, Sylar sneers, orders her to do something then disappears until he dies. In the end, "her blood" doesn't even turn out to be an obstacle, as her sister is redeemed.Beyond that she is a perfect character. Vander basically calls her the epitome of a commissar. She can will herself not to tire. She actually can refuse pain and exhaustion. She fires quicker and more accurately than one of the most deadly human character in the book who was on combat stimulants (which made them even faster than the normal human). She moves faster than an inhuman psyker who was moving quicker than the human eye can follow. She isn't particularly inspiring or intimidating, which creates confusion as to why her soldiers are so loyal/terrified of her. (Commissar Novobazky's Fury of Belladon Speech in Gaunt's Ghosts as well as Champlain Grimaldus' Wall speech in Helsreach are rousing examples of motivation).Comparisons' to Abnett or Dembski-Bowden's commissars:Abnett's Gaunt deals with (at least initially) the hatred of his own regiment who view him as abandoning their world to Chaos. He eventually loses this obstacle due to his actions throughout the series, but it is a burden that has visible impact, characters chafe under his command and a few openly plot to kill him. Even beyond that he still carries the weight of the dead, in fact he's been seen as sloppy and drunk through portions of the series due to the psychological impact of his career. Raine is rarely outwardly affected by anything, making her less relatable.Dembski-Bowden's Commissar Adjatay Tionenji (in Cadian Blood) has to deal with the fact that he is an off-worlder in a racist regiment (Cadians don't respect anyone who isn't Cadian, for the most part). He's ultimately killed by the Cadians in the end despite his honorable and gallant service. Not only does Raine successfully convince a regiment who holds bonds and kin in the highest regard to follow her without question, she also manages to make a storm-trooper captain to break his bonds. There's no explanation as to why he does this, beyond the fact that he finds her heart "fierce".I very much wanted this book and series to be my next favorite series, however I can not see how people are comparing this to Dan Abnett or Aaron Dembski-Bowden. It is an average book with decent battles and strong supporting characters. However, it contains a perfect main character that can actively refuse the effects of pain or fatigue, inspires fanatical devotion without doing anything, and is faster than humans hopped up on combat stimulants (steroids) or supernatural chaos pskyers (moving faster than the human eye). Honestly, I'd report Raine to the nearest commissar, as no ordinary human should be able to achieve those feats. She's either a living saint or possessed by a daemon.

I confess I wasn't really looking to buy this book, but thanks to the wonders of One-Click Purchasing I ended up getting it as I was browsing for things to read during the COVID lockdown.Thankfully I ended up with a great first full-length novel from Rachel Harrison, a mix of adrenaline-fueled battles and old-fashioned detective work as the main character Commissar Severina Raine unravels the mystery behind the Bale Stars Crusade.While the plot moves along at a good pace, I think the real strength of this novel is the character development. This is the first Astra Militarum novel I've read in 40k, and I think Harrison does a fantastic job of fleshing out the normal human soldiers that make up the POV characters for the Eleventh Antari Rifles, Raine's regiment. My favorite was the Wyldfolk Sergeant Daven Wyck, which reminds me of the combat-damaged veterans that come out of our modern conflicts. The Antari themselves feel fully fleshed out, with their own myths, practices and rituals rooted in an almost shamanistic appreciation of nature from their homeworld Antar.I highly recommend this book for anyone looking to explore the world of 40k from the eyes of a normal human regiment of the Imperial Guard, and can't wait for the next installment in the series. I also hope they publish an anthology of Harrison's short stories which have some of the character back stories at some point too.

This is a solid story set in the 40K universe. It combines not only the military sci fi action expected in 40K, but also some excellent imperfect characters who develop (for better or worse) over the course of the story. The characters are fallible and thus believable.Lest anyone think, "Oh, this is just to shoehorn a female commissar into the setting", nothing could be further from the truth. Frankly, in a setting with such techno-sorcery, the gender of a character is mostly irrelevant to the story, anyway. Much more important are the character's cunning and capabilities (and in 40K laz-pistols).I normally prefer 40k books from the Ciaphus Caine series, but Severia Raine is a sufficiently interesting character to have me wanting to know more. For the Emperor.

A solid addition to the 40K universe. It humanizes the commissariat and adds a good layer of depth to an otherwise black and white, good vs evil world.

Propulsive. Propelled not just by expert pacing, but by crystal-clear human bonds hurled into Las-fire and the horrors of heresy. A clever nod to, or even re-telling, of the story central to the 40k saga. And her fight scenes! Brutal, nasty, heartless. Poor Wyck...If you love the grim dark future, read this novel, and everything else she writes for it.

A solid novel from the Warhammer 40k universe that could, from the strength of its writing, stand alone on its own merits. Nice battle scenes, and surprisingly strong characterisation of secondary characters. The protagonist starts off as the least interesting person in the book, but is more nuanced than she appears at first glance and can easily stand shoulder to shoulder with the likes of other Black Library greats, and by the end of the book I was eagerly checking to see when the next in the series would be out.

A good WH40k novel from a new to me author. Good characters with my main caveat that there is one death that actually should have happened near the end (it was perfect for the character) and the unrequited love I could have done without.

This book (along with the other short stories by the author) may be my favorite WH40K stories to date. The author has developed a great set of characters, well fleshed out and fully embedded in this imagined future of WH40K; one is left with the desire to hear more about these people. I would love to see these stories on screen - it's all there, the characters and great story lines. Thank you to the author for her great contribution to the WH40K universe!

This was one of the best written and compelling 40k novels I've read.The story was gripping, and Rachel Harrison's action scenes are on a par with the best of Abnett and Dembski-Bowden.Her main character, Severina Raine, was the best part of this story though. Harrison manages to create a tough, duty-bound commissar, but one with depth, vulnerability and an interesting backstory. It can't be easy to create a humane commissar, but Harrison has done it, and I look forward to reading more Raine stories (I've just bought the short stories now, but hopefully more novels are on the way).The side characters are a great compliment too, and they really help to flesh out the Antari regiment. Daven Wyck is broken, horrifying, but you end up willing for him, and the end... well, I won't spoil anything... but it was superb.

I read a lot of Black Library books and this is one of the best. Severina Raine is a fantastic character and the novel is well written and offers a great take on the WH40k universe that moves it away from the standard "An Ork! Shoot it!" approach. Not just a great WH40k novel but a great novel all round for anyone who's a fan of SF. Looking forward to reading more books from Rachel Harrison.

This is the first book by Rachel Harrison that I've read and I m thoroughly impressed. The world(s) Harrison has built and the characters she introduces the reader are depicted in a concise manner laden with meaning, making characters believable, and environs lived in. Honourbound stands head and shoulders above the lazy tropes that abound in modern scifi.

Honourbound is great. A very well written, fast paced & very human story and Severina Raine and her guardsman. The twists and turns along the way, the friendships, trust and betrayals. Honourbound is a wonderful book and you should read it if you like 40K at all, Severina Raine rocks

Was a touch worried with a new author, but really liked the new reg and characters. Heartily recommend to all.