Teaser

They call them ‘Hell’s Last,’ but for the Cadian 101st, Hell is never-ending. As the war against Chaos spreads across the Brutal Stars, Minka Lesk of the 101st uncovers evidence that the legendary Ursarkar E. Creed may not have fallen with Cadia. But is this truly the return of a legendary hero, or something more sinister . . ?

Review

Looking back, it’s strange to think I was pretty cool on Cadian Honour when if first read it. A decent enough book, and I was willing to pick up the sequel when it arrived in hardback, largely so my copies matched. That sequel was Traitor Rock, which won a coveted Boundy Award in 2021. Even now, Traitor Rock stands as my favourite Warhammer 40,000 book, and is up there with my all-time favourite novels. Two years on, and the latest Minka Lesk novel has arrived on my doorstep. Going in, I was certain that Justin D Hill would have written something good. The only question was how it would compare to Traitor Rock.

As before, there’s a gap between this novel and the last (a gap that is ideal for exploration through short stories). We open on a battle that has been raging for some time, and is now in its closing stages. Indeed, it initially seems that the war against Chaos in this sector of space is coming to an end. Once again, Hill does a remarkable job of putting the antics of the protagonists into perspective. the battle we see is bloody and brutal, and the death toll is as high as you’d expect in a Warhammer novel. But we soon learn that this is only a sideshow to the real war. Major battles, battles that will shape the future of the Imperium, happen off-page, and the characters only learn about them through reports. Not only is it a refreshing change to not have our heroes at the centre of every conflict, removing the 101st from the bigger battles also gives the Cadians time to reflect on their own diminished reputation.

That reputation is the running theme in these novels. All the way back to Cadia Stands, Hill has really dug into the idea of what makes a Cadian a Cadian. Once, they were the planet that never broke. The first line of defence for the Imperium. Now that planet is gone, who are the Cadians? Minka Lesk herself is one of the last, if not the last, natural-born Cadian soldiers. And she’s no longer the callow youth from those early conflicts, as the ever-impressive cover art depicts nicely. Those who were once Whiteshield recruits are now hardened veterans, and many of the modern-day Cadians are adoptees rather than born that way. Is one less Cadian than the other? That’s an issue that’s ongoing, and I expect will carry on through future books.

The big theme in this one is not only identity, but legacy. For much of the novel’s early stages, there is a threat hanging over the 101st from their own chain of command. With depleted numbers, regiments are being amalgamated. yet each regiment is fiercely proud of their heritage. No one wants to sacrifice the identity they have forged in battle, nor be subsumed by the legacy of another regiment. And then there’s the main plot, which sees Lesk and the 101st tracking down the possibility that Ursarkar E. Creed might perhaps have survived the Fall of Cadia. The possibility that it is a trap is clear, but such is the significance Cadians place on their heritage that it is deemed a risk worth taking. Even as they lead the fight for the future, it seems the Cadians will never relinquish their grip on the past.

I would not put Shadow of the Eighth on the same pedestal as Traitor Rock, but it is a close-fought competition. Once again, Minka Lesk proves herself the equal of any other 41st millennium hero, and I’m keeping my fingers crossed that Hill will keep this series running for a few more volumes yet.

Book Stats

• Minka Lesk #3
• Focuses on the Astra Militarum
• First published in 2023
• Published by Black Library
• Military SF
• 299 Pages