Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

I read a review of Prospero Burns last night on CNC. In the review the author talks about how he was disappointed Abnett was the author because most of his HH novels end up in the used book sections thus implying he isn't a good author. I always thought Abnett was a well liked, often praised Black Library Author. In fact his HH novels are some of my favorites! Was I mistaken in thinking this?

Here is a link to the article if you are interested in reading it.
Capture and Control: Prospero Burns Review (with Minor spoilers)

I like his books. I like all of them. I haven't yet read Prospero burns but i am gonna pick it up sometime soon.

bryan40kman2000 wrote:I read a review of Prospero Burns last night on CNC. In the review the author talks about how he was disappointed Abnett was the author because most of his HH novels end up in the used book sections thus implying he isn't a good author.

I believe you will find that he is saying that he returns DA's books not that a large number of other readers do.

Just one guy's opinion on his blog.

I love the way that man sets out a background or stage. Much easier to visualize than many other authors for me. Though I also understand he's not for everyone.

I just got through Horus Rising and I liked his writing, don't let some guy tell you what you should think is good or bad. Besides a bunch of his books being in a used book section doesn't mean he sucks, it simply means lots of people read the books. I don't know about you but when I finish a book that I like I get rid of it, by giving it to other people to read.

I think Dan Abnett writes the best HH novels. Although my favorite was definitely Fulgrim, not written by Abnett, I think Horus Rising was a perfect book to help start out the HH series.

The article was on our blog and something to remember is that blog articles/book reviews are just the opinion of the one person. I personally like DA and his books a lot. Pyth obviously has a different opinion which is fine, he still liked the book though! Someone made a few good observations about DA in the comment section of the article. Basically he pointed out that DA has been one of the primary architects of the BL's 31st Millenium and the entire HH world.

In some of books characters just drop with no word of what happened to them. I point to Titanicus, what ever happened to Jenny? No word was mentioned of her death along with several others in the teritary. Another one of his flaws is glaring plot holes and how sudden they end. Again at Titanicus once those 62 arch-enemy titans where found no word of the battle was mentioned it jumped right to the end of the book.

Another of his works that is glaring is "Titan: God Machine" now that has plot holes so big you could fit a warlord titan through them.

LegacyOfBaal wrote:In some of books characters just drop with no word of what happened to them. I point to Titanicus, what ever happened to Jenny? No word was mentioned of her death along with several others in the teritary. Another one of his flaws is glaring plot holes and how sudden they end. Again at Titanicus once those 62 arch-enemy titans where found no word of the battle was mentioned it jumped right to the end of the book.

Another of his works that is glaring is "Titan: God Machine" now that has plot holes so big you could fit a warlord titan through them.

Read the book again.

The first one is never specifically mentioned that they all do. Just a few of them, only the ones the book followed. But its helpful to know the fate of the supporting characters such as Jenny.

And also I am aware at the end. But the battle itself is not mentioned. Something as pivotal as that should have had some mention of what happened.

Not that I am saying Titanicus is a bad book just there are holes in it. No where near as bad as "Eldar Prophecy". But if he worked on those few points in some of his work he would be much better.

Nothing will ever touch Eisenhorn in my opinion. And if what they say about "The Bequin Trilogy" is true then he would be my favorite ever.

LegacyOfBaal wrote:The first one is never specifically mentioned that they all do. Just a few of them, only the ones the book followed. But its helpful to know the fate of the supporting characters such as Jenny.

And also I am aware at the end. But the battle itself is not mentioned. Something as pivotal as that should have had some mention of what happened.

Not that I am saying Titanicus is a bad book just there are holes in it. No where near as bad as "Eldar Prophecy". But if he worked on those few points in some of his work he would be much better.

Nothing will ever touch Eisenhorn in my opinion. And if what they say about "The Bequin Trilogy" is true then he would be my favorite ever.

The battle is mentioned but the point is at the time there are other things happening. I.E the main plot

Legacy, I think you need to go back and re-read Titanicus, as purplefood said, there are really very few holes in the story, everything is wrapped up rather nicely.

bryan40kman2000 wrote:I read a review of Prospero Burns last night on CNC. In the review the author talks about how he was disappointed Abnett was the author because most of his HH novels end up in the used book sections thus implying he isn't a good author. I always thought Abnett was a well liked, often praised Black Library Author. In fact his HH novels are some of my favorites! Was I mistaken in thinking this?

Here is a link to the article if you are interested in reading it.
Capture and Control: Prospero Burns Review (with Minor spoilers)

Well, if there is an abundance of his novels in the "used" section this implies that they where bought and read. So in my opinion his logic is completely flawed.

I will never get rid of Eisenhorn or Ravenor.

I think he's a good author, probably one of the best writing for Black Library. However, I have certainly read books by far better authors. This does not detract from Dan Abnett's ability, but there are a plethora of authors out there that really outdo him, though few of them are to be find dabbling in the realms of 40k.

Emperors Faithful wrote:I think he's a good author, probably one of the best writing for Black Library. However, I have certainly read books by far better authors. This does not detract from Dan Abnett's ability, but there are a plethora of authors out there that really outdo him, though few of them are to be find dabbling in the realms of 40k.

Completely agree but I believe this was in referance to BL and other GW related material.

Abnett, McNeill and Reynolds are the only BL writers with any substance to them

Mcneill really stretches my vocabulary. Every page of "The killing ground" had some sort of advanced word in it. I loved it!

Th3ee Legged Dog wrote:

Emperors Faithful wrote:I think he's a good author, probably one of the best writing for Black Library. However, I have certainly read books by far better authors. This does not detract from Dan Abnett's ability, but there are a plethora of authors out there that really outdo him, though few of them are to be find dabbling in the realms of 40k.

Completely agree but I believe this was in referance to BL and other GW related material.

I'd agree, but after reading so many 'great' books it's impossible not to be disapointed by a 'good' book. That said, I've always enjoyed Sandy Mitchell's work with Ciaphas Cain, given the humour and common sense so often lacking in BL books.

He's a great author. He just likes making his characters die just as you start to like them.

Dan Abnett is a great BL author.

The pool of authors that the Black Library has to pull from is a sad lot.

Being great amongst poor authors doesn't make you a great author.

LegacyOfBaal wrote:I will never get rid of Eisenhorn or Ravenor.

These are the two most incredible books I've read in the BL collection. Abnett is a true writer, not just a writer of 40k. That being said, everyone writes crap sometimes. Hell, Robert Jordan wrote so much crap he choked on it and died, then his son tried to ressurect the crap into a crap zombie.

2 pages of crap about a bush

I like his work. Double Eagle is one of my favorites. As others have said, don't get too caught up in one guy's opinion.

I think Ravenor is his only work I haven't liked (was good up until the 3rd book).

He's done alot for Marvel lately. Nova, Guardians of the Galaxy. good stuff

I have enjoyed his book's and look forward to more. I guess some people just don't hold onto books after they have read them... though I am a pack rat when it comes to books!

Halfway through prospero burns and I'm loving it. Abnett seems to be one of the few writers that get away from glorified fan fiction in BL.

Prospero Burns is a surprisingly insightful novel. Even if it starts really "wyrdly".

McNeil is another good author even if some of his latest books (not read chapter's due yet though) boil down to "Iraq was bad and you should feel bad".

I havent read any of Abnett's HH/BL books, but I have read some of the 40k comics he's (co-)wrote - Damnation Crusade and Blood and Thunder. Great work. He seems to really get it, both fluff-wise and storytelling-wise. At least in the comics.

Abnett is arguably the best of the common Black Library authors (Although Grahm McNeill, and the new Aaron guy who wrote "the First Heretic" are also pretty popular from the various fora I frequent) and is really good at world building (check out his inquisitor books for that, each of the worlds feels distinct and has cultures and customs that mark them as individual while still fitting in with the general milieu of 40k), but he can't write an ending to save his life. they all come across as far too rushed, almost as if he's realized the page count is rapidly diminishing and he needs to wrap everything up now.

He's certainly a better author than many in the BL stable (and he's certainly better than me, which is why I'm not a published author!) but there are many, many mainstream authors who are much better.

Dan Abnett is by far and away the best BL writer, and they are lucky to have him.

It's a shame they have him writing HH novels instead of further developing the Sabbat Worlds Crusade, or doing more work with the Inquisition. The HH series as a concept is silly.

shealyr wrote:Dan Abnett is by far and away the best BL writer, and they are lucky to have him.

It's a shame they have him writing HH novels instead of further developing the Sabbat Worlds Crusade, or doing more work with the Inquisition. The HH series as a concept is silly.

Agreed upon your statement of Dan Abnett, him and graham McNeil are easily the two most talented aouthers in the black library. And yes he should probably be given more time to continue the sabbat worlds crusade as well as some more inquisition stuff, but the HH isn't silly at all, it is something that was never really expanded upon by Gw and is possibly the most interesting thing in all of the 40k universe, it also helps establish thr traits of the original chapters. You can never really can advance until you've cleared up the past...as they say....Or something like it :p

If you want a review of a movie or book, find more then one. If I want a movie review Ill look up 3-5 reviews.

Personally I dont like most of the HH books. If I was to wright a review it wouldn't be a good one. So, yeah, read a few.

Dan is one of the best BL authors, next to William King and McNeil(he makes the Smurfs seem awsome)


i think the main problem with Titanicus(which was good) was that he had 1 too many stories going on paralell to each other. it was complicated, but other then that it was very good.