Cadia Stands – Justin D Hill

Published: 23 September 2017
Publisher: Black Library
Pages: 318
Series: Cadia Book 1
Format Read: Physical

Blurp:

Under almost constant besiegement by the daemonic hosts pouring from the Eye of Terror, Cadia stands as a bulwark against tyranny and death. Its fortresses and armies have held back the hordes of Chaos for centuries, but that grim defiance is about to reach its end. As Abaddon’s Thirteenth Black Crusade batters Cadia’s defences and the armies of the Imperium flock to reinforce this crucial world, a terrible ritual long in the making comes to fruition, and the delicate balance of this brutal war shifts… From the darkness, a hero rises to lead the beleaguered defenders, Lord Castellan Ursarkar Creed, but even with the armoured might of the Astra Militarum and the strength of the Adeptus Astartes at his side, it may not be enough to avert disaster and prevent the fall of Cadia. While Creed lives, there is hope. While there is breath in the body of a single defender, Cadia Stands… but for how much longer?

Thoughts:

My initial review on GR stated that this was a hard book to rate. I’ll start my review today by giving the initial score and stating why or just rambling my thoughts on the book. Cadia Stands got a 3 out of 5 from me. I do not know if I read it differently as to what other people that reviewed it on GR cause half of the reviews I scanned through after finishing this gave it 5’s and 4’s with raving reviews. How? Did I miss something? I guess I did.

Look, I have read my fair bit of WH where the Cadian troops were also featured. I know them to be a stout, hardy bunch that can take every thing the Warp throws at them and face it with stoic bravery. They are the best part of the Astra Militarum, as in they will be the first pick in who will accompany a delegation in times of war, before a different army is even considered. That is the Cadian I have in my mind, that is how I have come to know them. This is a book or series that deals with them dealing with the invasion of their home world, one would think that the forces of Chaos should have learned long ago that to fuck with Cadia was idiotic, yet it is written in the lore somewhere that the fall of Cadia was going to happen at some stage. How easy it would be for the Black Legion is just a bit shocking. If you know nothing of the 13th Crusade led by Abbadon and his Black Legion, it is safe to say that this novel should not be read yet or it could seeing as there is no show of the mighty Abbadon himself, just talks of his fleet.

Having said all I have, I feel that there might have been a little bit of an injustice done to the Cadians. Cadia Stands is in no way a bad book it was just written in a bizar way, like some one was giving a battle report in the form of a history lesson. I’ll admit that the start of this book had me interested in what was going to happen. People were called back from across the galaxy to come battle for the survival of their home world. The scale of the warfare in this book is immense and covers a wide variety of skirmishes. Having the knowledge of the Cadian regiment in my head I thought this was going to be a “boots on the ground” military romp, but it quickly escalated into galactic battles involving battleships in space and tanks and all kinds of machinery. Very much like the first Seige of Terra and Dark Imperium books that worked not so well in my favor. I know it is probably my own opinion. If you know what the miniature models of Games Workshop look like the more power to you. I just had a bit of trouble reading more about machinery than the actual Cadian soldier…

This book shone at times but the brightness was overshadowed by something I just could not put my finger on. Like I said it was written like some history lesson and there was no real character development, but what can one expect from a history lesson? Furthermore, this novel is also being promoted as a Minka Lesch novel, but Minka only featured a total of 5 full pages if it was even that much, what are the people at BL trying to do here? Minka just tried to survive all the shitty things she was thrown in, two krak grenades in the space of 3 sentences? Did a good job of it, but if you sell me a book and I have to root for a certain person, make an effort at least to write something that will make me feel anything for said person.

I would have liked to have been given a little bit more insight into the Cadian culture, I know I did get it, but it was delivered in the form of how they got their asses kicked by the forces they have been fighting for millennia, it could have been explained a little better. I understand now that this novel covers an event that I was unfamiliar with so I can be forgiving because of it. It is also a good thing that I could have read it before a person new to the franchise did as I can totally understand if they would be forever put of by it. Never fear, Dave is here to give a fair warning… Do not pick this up unless you are very familiar with the 40K setting.

All ranting aside, I admit that the book was an easy read, I did not feel like it was a chore and at times I was surprised as to how quick I got through a chapter. I therefore have given it the score I did right at the start. I hope that it does not put any one off from trying out other WH novels as I am very sure of the fact that there are way better novels out there, the problem is sifting through them. I read Cadia Stands in preparation for the second novel that I have on Net Galley and knowing how the first book turned out, I will be more reserved in my expectations for the second one. Heres me holding thumbs that book two can redeem itself…

Hope you are all safe.