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This review may contain spoilers for those wishing a spoiler-free read of this novel.

Soul Drinker kicks off the book with action set in the bleak future of Warhammer 40,000 and follows the actions of Commander Sarpedon and his brothers in the Soul Drinkers Chapter.

The main thrust of the story is that an ancient relic is found on a drifting space station and the Soul Drinkers set out to recover it. The Soulspear is near and dear to the Chapter’s heart and founder, and as a squad of Soul Drinkers are about to claim it, it is ripped from their grasp—sending the Chapter into madness as they destroy several gathering vessels in retaliation to the theft.

With their leader slain in the assault on the space station, the leadership mantle is passed onto Commander Sarpedon. He orders a withdrawal and ends up taking his Chapter to the wrong side of the Imperium—excommunication. As events unfold, the Chapter begins to fall under the sway of chaos and mutations, leading to a Chapter War, in which Sarpedon’s faction is victorious.

The plot then shifts to the Chapter coming to grips with their place in the universe. As Space Marines, their place is to fight, so they choose to take on a small segment of the universe by assaulting an unknown planet inhabited by daemons. They learn their roles as the pawns of Chaos, and then rebel against that, maintaining that the Chapter is the only Free Chapter in the universe.

This novel was very difficult for me to follow as the language usage was more geared for fans of the Warhammer 40K games, and was hard to access as strictly a sci-fi story. The setting slang heavily peppers the text, making it hard to follow for those not indoctrinated in the miniature game’s books.

The British English, coupled with the heavy use of setting slang, did take me aback, but shouldn’t be a concern for those more familiar with the setting. I did enjoy the story despite this, but it would be hard for me to recommend this book beyond those who play or understand Warhammer 40K.

The level of detail did give me a good insight into the Warhammer 40K world, but the slang usage keeps me leery. Understanding how the world is comes through in the story, and could serve as an introduction to Warhammer 40K to those wishing to get a better handle on what that miniatures game’s world.

Soul Drinker
Soul Drinker Capsule Review by Alex deMorris on 21/12/02 Style: 3 (Average) Substance: 4 (Meaty) With the future at constant war, this novel features the Soul Drinkers Chapter at its best—brutal combats and hard-hitting action. Set in the Warhammer 40,000 miniature game world, this novel would be best read by those more familiar with that world. Product: Soul Drinker Author: Ben Counter Category: Novel Company/Publisher: Black Library/Games Workshop Ltd. Line: Warhammer 40,000 Cost: 6.95 Page count: 288 Year published: 2002 ISBN: 0-7434-4323-3 SKU: Comp copy?: yes Capsule Review by Alex deMorris on 21/12/02 Genre tags: Science Fiction Far Future Space	This review may contain spoilers for those wishing a spoiler-free read of this novel. Soul Drinker kicks off the book with action set in the bleak future of Warhammer 40,000 and follows the actions of Commander Sarpedon and his brothers in the Soul Drinkers Chapter. The main thrust of the story is that an ancient relic is found on a drifting space station and the Soul Drinkers set out to recover it. The Soulspear is near and dear to the Chapter’s heart and founder, and as a squad of Soul Drinkers are about to claim it, it is ripped from their grasp—sending the Chapter into madness as they destroy several gathering vessels in retaliation to the theft. With their leader slain in the assault on the space station, the leadership mantle is passed onto Commander Sarpedon. He orders a withdrawal and ends up taking his Chapter to the wrong side of the Imperium—excommunication. As events unfold, the Chapter begins to fall under the sway of chaos and mutations, leading to a Chapter War, in which Sarpedon’s faction is victorious. The plot then shifts to the Chapter coming to grips with their place in the universe. As Space Marines, their place is to fight, so they choose to take on a small segment of the universe by assaulting an unknown planet inhabited by daemons. They learn their roles as the pawns of Chaos, and then rebel against that, maintaining that the Chapter is the only Free Chapter in the universe. This novel was very difficult for me to follow as the language usage was more geared for fans of the Warhammer 40K games, and was hard to access as strictly a sci-fi story. The setting slang heavily peppers the text, making it hard to follow for those not indoctrinated in the miniature game’s books. The British English, coupled with the heavy use of setting slang, did take me aback, but shouldn’t be a concern for those more familiar with the setting. I did enjoy the story despite this, but it would be hard for me to recommend this book beyond those who play or understand Warhammer 40K. The level of detail did give me a good insight into the Warhammer 40K world, but the slang usage keeps me leery. Understanding how the world is comes through in the story, and could serve as an introduction to Warhammer 40K to those wishing to get a better handle on what that miniatures game’s world.