Kasrkin: Dune meets WH40K

Featuring the Cadian Kasrkin Imperial Guard and a Kroot Kin Band, Kasrkin mixes eclectic corners of the WH40K ‘verse. Par for the black-library-course, the story is forgettable enough: a squad of Imperial Guard must recover a general before the Tau do.

World-building-wise, the search takes place on a desert world that seems to be unashamedly drawing from Dune. You got your “wise natives” (surprisingly not murdered as xenos scum in 40K) who know the secret of the Aqua Vitae, i.e. Spice. And, get this, Aqua Vitae is even a key bit of 40K’s life prolonging rejuve treatments.

While I poke fun at cut/paste-ness of the world, I found the lore most compelling. It’s an epic world where sand flows like water, life bursts, and aliens tangle. The Kasrkin aren’t particularly interesting, but they serve well enough to shine light on the planet’s mysteries. They are a bit redeemed by a driving obsession with vehicles.

Weak points: characters are boring (brave soldier, commissar who just needs some sarge love, and ), writing is plain (neither epic nor elegant), and the story itself is a bit mundane.

Returning after book 2 Annd the story explodes. More mind bending, but not necessarily better. Edoardo jammed the kitchen sink into this one.

Rating: 3 / 5