I've been a little absent from the blog-o-sphere for a while, but you know there is this thing called a pandemic going on, so I'm going to cut myself some slack. I technically finished this audio-book with husband back in like Feb or March and and just now realized I should probably post about it before the next book club book is done and I need to post about that as well.
The second book in the Eisenhorn Trilogy is called Malleus and takes place about 100 years after the events of the first book. Just like the first one it is very detective novel-esque, and that's why I love these books. (Again, not that I thought I'd ever like a Warhammer novel.) Many new and different things are happening during the events of this book and it took me a bit to wrap my head around it. I can say, with much pride, that I didn't ask nearly as many questions this time! Yay me!
It will depend on the start of the third book, but I have noticed a bit of trend in this series so far... Each opening has a really strong bad-ass chick and I'm like "Yeah! She sounds awesome, I'm going to like her!" and then she dies. This happened in the first and second book with two female characters. Granted, each death spurred a certain plot in each book, and its not like there aren't other strong female characters (I'm looking at you Alizebeth Bequin) but it is something interesting to note.
As this story takes place 100 years after the events of Xenos I was bummed to learn that one of my favourite characters had died in that time frame. His daughter is in this story though and she's pretty freaking awesome. She actually features in one of the funniest scenes in this book and also in some of the most bad-ass parts as well. In fact, I found this book quite a bit more witty and funnier than the first. We usually listen to these on long road trips and we were completely losing it in the car during that one scene; I was actually crying.
In my post for Xenos I focused on Eisenhorn, the audio book style, the narrator and the background of Warhammer 40K, so with Malleus I decided to look at other things. Eisenhorn was in his late forties, early fifties in the first novel, so 100 years on, he's quite a bit older and so are many of his compatriots, especially Aemos. Dude is probably in his 250s by this time. Considering Warhammer 40K takes place in the far "future", it would make sense that human life has be significantly prolonged. This is not an uncommon trope in science fiction (I would call these science fiction novels) and for the world and lore of WH40k it adds a really intriguing dynamic to the atmosphere. Alizebeth keeps herself looking young with 'augments' and even though Eisenhorn would be a decrepit old man by our standards, he remains sprightly and even mastered new skills with a blade in the last 100 years; which he uses to expert effect in this novel.
Each novel in the trilogy focus on a different order of the Inquisition. Xenos focused on that order which deals with aliens and alien artifacts. In Warhammer, these aliens -- or Xenos as they're referred to -- exist[ed] all over the galaxies inhabited by the Imperium of Man and their artifacts are considered heretical and not to be seen, studied or handled by regular humans. In the second book, Malleus, it deals with that order which is basically like internal affairs for the Imperial Inquisition. The third book is titled Hereticus and will likely deal with that order and its duty to hunt down and kill heretics that worship or are in league with Chaos. With NO SPOILERS, I am reeeealllly excited to see what Eisenhorn gets up to and where he ends up in the third book.
Malleus obviously deals with an internal affairs situation that involves Eisenhorn. It took me a bit to grasp what the bigger issue was in the story, and how the Chaos demon fit into the whole thing, but as I hoped Eisenhorn came out on top (as he ought to)! However, the epilogue threw me for a loop and has me SUPER curious about the finale in Hereticus. I have thoughts, guesses and expectations, but as each of these books has proved to me, it will very likely be something I don't expect or will come out partially true to what I'm thinking. Can't wait to find out!
No comments:
Post a Comment