I'm wondering if anyone else thinks that the yoncy switch was originally a mistake that Dan just rolled with? If it was intentional, my god that was a slow burn!

I seriously didn't expect Gaunt to accept the rank after everything he's been through trying to look after the Ghosts. How times change!

Fething Meryn! Wasn't expecting that bloodbath, especially not for him to get the drop on Ezra. And I kinda thought Ezra would get a more poetic death than that.

If Mkoll is actually gone, then the astartes have lost all their ghost buddies. Real shame. I quite possibly burst into applause when I read the campfire scene in Salvation's Reach, and I'm no great fan of astartes in general.

I enjoyed the humour of course. Lots of it, which really helped give the Ghosts a real feeling, as ever.

Maddalena dying straight away was a real surprise - I didn't really feel that the whole "family vs regiment" thing had much of a chance to play out and create tension.

So, the beginning was... unexpected but in my eyes showed one of Dan's strengths: You read something, have little to no idea what the fething hell is going on, but you just have a massive grin on your face and just think: AWESOME!!
I am really interested in who the hell sits upon the Tormaggedon Monstrus Rex (I probably butchered that name wildly, apologies for that). I don't think it is anyone we "know", as in not Sek's or Gaur's ship, but with the bow to the Horus Heresy with the Eagle Stones actually being Kinebrach tech, I can definitely see that monster belonging to the Black Legion. Either way, I am rather excited for more (common theme).

I really enjoyed the boarding action. I think Dan really managed to tell how Space Marines are supposed to be: A fething unstoppable force definitely to be reckoned with. I should really pick up Brothers of the Snake at this point. Oh well, so much to read, so little time.
Also, I think Spika deserved something better than what came to him. I know he survived for the time being, but I really liked his descending-star-yet-still-brilliant-mind that he showed in the previous novel Salvation's Reach. Though I also enjoyed Gaunt's interactions with the Navy personel. Really showed that even though he is a brilliant mind when it comes down to ground warfare, he has a lot to learn when it comes to void combat.

The landing on Urdesh was... odd, so to speak. After the mission on Gereon, I would have thought that the Inquisition would not have slipped a ten-year absence so easily. Even with the Warmaster potenially covering. Not that I am complaining, though. The Inquisitors in the Gaunt's Ghosts-series do not tend to be the Ravenor/Eisenhorn-types we know and love. Hell, with the exception of Defay in the first book and Lilith in the second, the ordos don't do their best to show their best side... Looking at you, Heldane and Welt (not counting the chaos-dude Rime...).

Maddalena's death was also unexpected. Also, I was kind of disappointed as I secretly thought that she was in fact Merity Chass. I certainly did not expect Felyx to be a girl. Really, my brain did not make that connection, even after the warp-leave-accident when Ludd did find out. And if there does not happen something romance-like between Dalin and Felyx/Meritous/Merity or whatever you want to call her, well, let's just say I would be really surprised.

What the hell is going on with Yoncy? Did I really always overread her being a boy in Necropolis? Or did I not pay it enough importance? Either way, I think the incident with Gol at that resupplying station should have been a ragular part of the book. Hearing all that in a flashback is just odd for Dan's level. That whole story feels like a bit rushed. Still, I am really curious how that story arc is going to develop. Is Yoncy really some kind of warp mumbo-jumbo, maybe even set in piece by Asphodel oh so many years ago? Could explain why she was spared by the Sek-strike team at the end of the book. But then, why has no one noticed? I mean, the First and Only has been with the Saint, numerous Inquisitors and other psykers (looking at you, Soric!) and nobody noticed? Or is she infact something like an Anathema (to take up the connection with Dan's Horus Heresy books once more)? But what is the connection to these eagle stones then? And why would chaos dudes spare her then? I don't know, I am pretty much at my wit's end here. No idea how this will progress.
While we are at it, how the feth is Gol? Seriously, if something happens to Gol... I would be mad. Fething Inquisition.

Ok, back on track: All that crusade-politics-stuff. I remember Gaunt joking about becoming Warmaster himself in First and Only. Well, I honestly did not expect him being the nominee for the successor after Macaroth's deduction. But I never believed that this would a) go through and especially b) Gaunt would not choose to be Van Voytz' puppet. Damn ambitions, they always lead to feth.
Oh, and I enjoyed that all the Generals and what not were just focussing on politics while Gaunt was all: "So, where are the bad guys at?". Made me chuckle a few times. Also, I LOVED seeing (reading?) Grizmund again. Hope we will see some Narmenian tank action again. Generally, it was nice to hear about some of the old superiors of the Ghosts. Loved that.

What's next... Oh, Meryn's a fether for sure. He is even reaching Lijia fethin Cuu-levels of fethery. Did not expecting it, but using the long-dead wife of the revered doctor of the regiment for his money-making schemes? Man, that's somehting else. I am just glad that Gendler and also Wilder are dead and I oh do so hope that Blenner will get what he deserves, too. But I guess Luna Fazekiel (can I just say that I love her being part of the regiment? With Her, Hark, Ludd and the bossman Gaunt, there are some serious cool commisars) will rat him out. And when she does, Meryn will hopefully get what he deserves.
I HATED that Ezra died. Seriously, why did he let Meryn get the drop on him? He survived Gereon, Ancreon Fethhole Secxtus, Gereon again, Jago, Balhaut and Salvation's Reach only to die from Meryn. Oh dear. Corbec knows how that feels, Ezra. Sure as sure.

The fighting against the Sons of Sek near the end was nice as well. Verghasts showing their irregular's skills, some feth-treading action, Rawne being a bloody tactical genius as well, Oan Mkoll defeating a whole invading chaos army... Dan is an amazing author of combat scenes. I just hope that Mkoll isn't dead. That would be a shame. But I honestly doubt it. Even though the first chapter could be seen as foreshadowing, I just think that the murderer of Oan Mkoll is jet to be born.

And Macaroth... I loved his description. Appearing as an old codger (I hope that is no foul language. If it is, I apologize, I am no native speaker. Looked up that word!) and entering a philosophical battle with Gaunt all the while the entire city is being overrun. Seriously, loved it. He is not as I would have imagined him, but I sure do like my new picture of him.
Also, him entering the tactical center did show why he is the Warmaster. Enjoyed that very much.

The ending of the assault was a bit... strange. I mean, Dan did pull several deus ex machina in his books (Vervunhive, Hagia, Herodor, Jago to an extent) and now this. But it all seemed kind of... plausible (for 40k!). Even this one. I am just unsure what to think of it, Yoncy being a key figure of chaos. Especially when thinking about the beginning, when Gaunt said that they would defend her, pretty much no matter what. Man, I don't even want to imagine hte regiment's pain if it turned out that Yoncy is some kind of warp... thing, or whatever.

That leads me to the end. Gaunt becoming First Lord Executor (I like the sound of that, if nothing). Though I fear that this could hinder him in participating in some skirmishes. But I am am excited for the next book.
Especially when you count all the cliffhangers:
- What the hell is going on with Gol?
- What the hell is going on with Yoncy? Is she evil?
- Did Mkoll really die?
- What are the eagle stones really?
- Will Van Voytz turn traitor or at least try to take revenge on Gaunt?
- Will Meryn finally get what he deserves?
- Will Blenner get what he deserves?
- Will Rawne remain Colonel or will he pass the title to Gol, should he come back?
- How will the regiment react to Felyx being a girl? Because I am sure it won't remain a secret. Will Meryn try to blackmail her?
- Will we see the Saint again? And, maybe even more importantly, will Milo be with her? Would be really nice to see him again. I am a tad bit disappointed that we did not meet him yet, even though we will probably stay on Urdesh from now (what would be a novum in the series!).

1: The section on the Armaduke was very interesting, if a bit rushed towards the end. While it was odd to see the Tormageddon arrive, repel the boarders and disappear, I felt Abnett's depiction of the Armaduke's crew and the Ghosts accepting their fate was very well done.

2: Gol's supply run that ended in failure would have been much better released as a short story alongside the main book. As a result, it felt very shoehorned in, I had to ask another reader wherever Abnett had released anything else recently I had missed.

3: Wasn't expecting Ezrah to be killed off at all. One note is that the limited edition comes with Mkoll's dog-tags, a small detail which I assumed would mean he would be killed off in this one, ruined the surprise by a small degree.

4: Interesting to see Felyx's secret, maybe a love story somewhere in the future with Dalin, unless Meryn gets his scheme back on track.

5: Speaking of Meryn, holy feth that was bad, like Lijah Cuu bad. My friend and I agreed that we'd rather have Cuu back in series than Meryn.

6: Killzone (short story included in the limited run) was very good and quite humorous at the end.