Teaser

Few Inquisitors can boast so long a career as Torquemada Coteaz, but a lifetime of service is not without cost. For the threats against Coteaz are not limited to those he knows are his enemies . . .

Review

The Inquisition has spawned some of Black Library’s most memorable characters, chief among which are Dan Abnett’s Eisenhorn and Ravenor, each with a series to their name. Inquisitors lend themselves easily to accessibly grimdark storytelling, with the potential for crime fiction, science fiction, and a dash or two of cosmic horror to all mingle in a single story. Inquisitors are the special agents of the forty-first millennium, each with their own unique set of skills, and perhaps a gimmick or two.

What sets Torquemada Coteaz apart from his fellow servants of the Imperium? Well, aside from a whopping great hammer (hence the name of the book), Coteaz is largely distinguished by the length of his service. There is a tendency to portray older heroes as seeking retirement, or growing weary. Weariness definitely plays a part of Coteaz’ story, but more so is the sense of duty that propels him onwards. Coteaz is not a man to retire while there is still evil to be faced. However, this is not merely a case of heroic dedication to the cause, but also a matter of sheer stubbornness. Coteaz is a man who lets nothing stand in his way, even as he stands in the way of his underlings. After all, it’s fairly hard to get a promotion when your boss has been in the job for decades. This internal clash within the Inquisitorial hierarchy is the key source of drama within the events of Daemonhammer.

If Coteaz is a singular figure, then the rest of the book is fairly standard. There’s a small colony. A mysterious artefact. Heretics lurking in the shadows, and Imperials with agendas of their own. Just as Coteaz has been around for a while, I’ve been reading Black Library for quite some time now. That means that the old, well-worn paths no longer thrill me as they might a new reader. I don’t expect every book to reinvent the wheel, of course. The tropes and patterns of Warhammer 40,000 are the reason I keep coming back. If this was suddenly a romantic comedy, I’d be rather put out. Nevertheless, this is not a book which offers any ground-breaking ideas.

What it does offer is an adventure. Characters wear their hearts on their sleeves, their upcoming betrayals signalled to the reader, if not to their intended victims. It’s a grimdark James Bond, full of action and intrigue, but ultimately delivering these things in a manner that is almost comforting. Don’t worry, the monsters are still real, the book tells us. The heroes are still deeply flawed. Not everyone makes it out alive, and victories are as hard-earned as they are ambiguous. If you want a Warhammer book, you’ll get one out of Daemonhammer. It fulfils every promise it makes.

Book Stats

• A Standalone Novel
• Focuses on the Inqisition
• First Published 2024
• 250 Pages