Eye of Terror

Rating:
Summary: Wow! Gritty, original, grab-you-in-the-guts story-telling!
Review: The great thing about Warhammer (40k or otherwise) is its rich history - so rich it's almost painfully real. It's so hard to find originality these days, but Eye of Terror succeeds on many aspects. Although the different plot threads could be knitted together a little closer, Bayley's story remains a wonderfully spectacular read. Spectacular in the sense that the scale of Eye of Terror's world (i.e Warhammer 40K) is so microscopically imaginative (that drink comes to mind), yet so macroscopically shattering (that drink's essence! Or the scale of the daemons! the wars!). I must confess I only have passing knowledge into the Warhammer 40k world, so perhaps I'm gawking - but hey, I gawked! That's worth at least four stars!

Rating:
Summary: Something Very Original!
Review: This is a great read. The story doesn't follow the Warhammer universe perfectly BUT it is Warhammer that is very original and very fun to read. It has more subtle depth then most Warhammer stories. If you aren't careful you'll miss the point that different people living their own lives totally seperate from each other can still effect each other and events around them through what seems like totally random action-with little nudges from Chaos and the Emperor that is. That gives it a random feel as though it is a bunch of short stories tossed together. However it all makes sense in the end if you are paying attention. Manipulations within manipulations. The author does a great job of living up to that.

Rating:
Summary: Exuberant adventure fiction!
Review: This is exciting & energetic stuff as only Bayley can do; the colorful textures of a Vance hyped up to delicious & exuberant extremes with strange & wondersoaked worlds that Bayley seems to just snap his fingers to appear: the water-world sequence and those dream jewels, just like the Rose cluster (which must be a nod to Charles Harness!) were marvelous moments of freewheeling imagination. Though I find it sad that he has to do just "franchise" stuff these days instead of getting his original work published, it is an exciting thing to have a new book in my hands once again, showing he has lost none of his considerable powers even when doing 'harnessed' work. Enjoy!

Rating:
Summary: Just not WH40Kish
Review: This story somehow doesn't feel like Warhammer portrayed in the GW games. In essence, it details the misadventures of a trader and his companion stumbling around lost for most of the book in the area of Imperial Space known as the Eye of Terror. The writing is functional and the characters are well done, but that's about it. Feels like a so-so episode of Star Trek - take away the Warhammer-specific names and you could make this book fit into any science fiction series. For WH40K I expected epic battles, space marines and intense warfare on a planetary scale. Guess I have to look elsewhere.

Rating:
Summary: Slated for Inquistional Purge
Review: While the author is able to present a somewhat cohesive story, he falls quite short of producing anything memorable. In most cases, science fiction writers have free reign to create or describe anything in thier imagination. Books written about established paradigm's, however must be written with care so that readers are not left with a bad taste in thier mouths. Unfortunately, other than using 40k familiar terms and names (locations, space marine legions etc) the author failed to do so in this book. Many of the key plot elements directly contradict the "Official" background and history as provided by Games Workshop. This wouldn't be so bad except that the reader finds himself saying "they would never do that." or "there's no way that could happen." the fact that the reader is talking to himself and not reading is always a bad sign. The plot itself is loose and you find yourself asking why the characters are doing what they are and why you continue to read about them. I found myself unable to support any of the characters or even realy care. I finished the novel only to see if it would ever turn around. Sadly, i was not suprised when it did not.