Book Review: The Flight of the Eisenstein by James Swallow

We are about to be introduced to one of my all-time favourite characters of the 30k series. But to add to this excitement is the fact that we get one of the most thrilling reads at the same time, allow me to introduce the Flight of the Eisenstein.

Book Details

Title: The Flight of the Eisenstein

Author: James Swallow

Publisher: Black Library

Type: Paperback

Page Count: 416

Buy on Amazon (Kindle Edition)

Fluff: Having witnessed the events on Istvaan III, Deathguard Captain Garro seizes a ship and heads to Terra to warn the Emperor of Horus's treachery. But the fleeing Eisenstein is damaged by enemy fire and becomes stranded in the warp. Can Garro and his men survive the depredations of Chaos and get his warning to Terra in time?

Review

Now, if you are riding the wave of Horus Heresy, this title can have the bad habit of feeling like a dip. The pacing changes and focuses more on the “little guys” of 30K, not the Primarchs. But it is a much-needed resetting of pacing from the opening trilogy. It will feel slow to start as we get our first view of the Deathguard and what is happening with them in the broader galaxy. This is a great insight that starts setting the tone for the novel and Deathguard. We get to watch the action as they take on an alien race with the help of the Sisters of Silence. We also get to see Typho's arrogance and the loner/stand-off of the Deathguard Primarch. This is, for the most part, viewed through the eyes of Garro, a Terran-born Deathguard Captain who sees something amiss in his Legion and ultimately decides between loyalty to a Blood Brother or Duty to the Legion.

This then leads us nicely into the Flight of the Eisenstein. Here, the story really hits the ground running! We get some epic space battle action happening, with great descriptions and an absorbing plot as we follow every shot fired, every movement and each deck tearing damaged report, with the ultimate flight of the ship into the warp, risking the entire crew. The scenes throughout this section of the book are some of my favourites and start to introduce the readers to the lifeforms in that realm and how little interest they view the human race with. I can't say too much without giving away the plot, so I will hold my tongue and head over to my final thoughts.

How do you review this tale? It is a slow burner. Once it picks up, the momentum causes you to not let go, and you will find yourself devouring the book quite rapidly. Garro as a character is interesting, involving a hero stuck between a rock and a hard place; how do you choose what is right, and how do you live with that choice? Do you follow your leaders and be a good soldier, or do you blindly trust in your friends?

I am excited to see where the Garro character goes next; a quick look on Black Library reveals he has many more tales to go, so maybe I will have to invest some time into listening to the audio dramas.

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