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trackofwords's review
3.0
3.5
Does what it says on the tin. It’s not subtle but then it’s not supposed to be. Instead it’s a pacy, action-packed reintroduction to the Soul Drinkers, bringing them back into the current 40k timeline, with a protagonist who’s not content just to fight but questions his place in the galaxy, and the role the Soul Drinkers once played.
It’s everything I’d expect from a Ben Counter story - won’t change anyone’s opinion, but should go down well with fans of his earlier Soul Drinkers stories.
Does what it says on the tin. It’s not subtle but then it’s not supposed to be. Instead it’s a pacy, action-packed reintroduction to the Soul Drinkers, bringing them back into the current 40k timeline, with a protagonist who’s not content just to fight but questions his place in the galaxy, and the role the Soul Drinkers once played.
It’s everything I’d expect from a Ben Counter story - won’t change anyone’s opinion, but should go down well with fans of his earlier Soul Drinkers stories.
majorrawne's review
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
melniksuzuki's review
3.0
The Soul Drinkers, long lost to the annals of time, are reborn. Revived as a Primaris chapter, the Soul Drinkers' third company descend upon the planet of Kepris to cleanse it of the heretical taint that has lay siege to it.
Like the Primaris who have donned the colors and heraldry of the Soul Drinkers, so too does Traitor by Deed serve as a reboot for the author's previous Soul Drinkers series. Other than some cryptic words from an Inquisitor, there aren't any references to the previous novels. This can be a pro or con, depending on whether you have a connection to the previous series, especially since there were questions raised at the end that had yet to be clarified. So if you are coming into this novella for those answers, it isn't there.
Now that preamble is done, let's discuss what's actually in the novella.
The majority of the story focuses on reclaiming Kepris, thus it flows from fight-to-fight, with scenes in-between to get characters from A-to-B. However, nothing about these scenes stands out. Also, for characters who claim to specialize in hitting enemies hard and fast, the prose doesn't really reflect this. More drawn out than they should be.
However, the highlight of the novella for me was the main character, Cyvon. He serves as an outlier to his brothers, being inquisitive compared to their indifference. His mind is full of thoughts about how and why the enemy cult rose to power and who exactly their namesakes were. Honestly, I wished there was more focus on Cyvon and his thoughts than was allotted to the fighting. However, it seems Cyvon and his questions will be the focus of any future stories.
Overall, I found Traitor by Deed to be okay. Very boltery, but has bits of character that help season it. Standard story for a potential new series.
Like the Primaris who have donned the colors and heraldry of the Soul Drinkers, so too does Traitor by Deed serve as a reboot for the author's previous Soul Drinkers series. Other than some cryptic words from an Inquisitor, there aren't any references to the previous novels. This can be a pro or con, depending on whether you have a connection to the previous series, especially since there were questions raised at the end that had yet to be clarified. So if you are coming into this novella for those answers, it isn't there.
Now that preamble is done, let's discuss what's actually in the novella.
The majority of the story focuses on reclaiming Kepris, thus it flows from fight-to-fight, with scenes in-between to get characters from A-to-B. However, nothing about these scenes stands out. Also, for characters who claim to specialize in hitting enemies hard and fast, the prose doesn't really reflect this. More drawn out than they should be.
However, the highlight of the novella for me was the main character, Cyvon. He serves as an outlier to his brothers, being inquisitive compared to their indifference. His mind is full of thoughts about how and why the enemy cult rose to power and who exactly their namesakes were. Honestly, I wished there was more focus on Cyvon and his thoughts than was allotted to the fighting. However, it seems Cyvon and his questions will be the focus of any future stories.
Overall, I found Traitor by Deed to be okay. Very boltery, but has bits of character that help season it. Standard story for a potential new series.
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