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Anyone else read this book? It's a relatively new novel (2024) and my expectations were low as I disagree firmly with Phil Kelly's work (and he is the most prolific Tau author), but Noah van Nguyen's Elemental Council utterly surprised me. It's long but doesn't feel dragging, and the way it depicts the moral balance and ambiguity within the Tau Empire is absolutely wonderful. It's striking a balance between being pragmatic and repressive that the Imperium merely believes it could!

I have it, but haven't started it yet! I'm glad you thought it was better than Kelly's work. Every Xenos faction deserves one good novel, and these days we are slowly getting there I feel!

Phil Kelly is a pretty low bar, I know, but still. This was a good one.

Noah knows how to write, God Eaters Son was also a banger. Really enjoyed Elemental Council, all the characters felt really rounded.