On the twenty-third day of Christmas, Black Library gave to us…a Gaunt’s Ghosts short story by Dan Abnett. A Gaunt’s Ghosts ghost story, in fact, called Forgotten. As the story unfolds, several of the Ghosts are gathered around a fire in a quiet storeroom somewhere within the Ser Armaduke, telling each other ghost stories. At Gaunt’s prompting, Mkoll begrudgingly tells his tale, of a fiend who moves in the darkness and strikes unseen, forgotten by death but stalked in turn by Mkoll.
Dan Abnett, master of military science fiction…and ghost stories! With Forgotten he’s produced a genuinely creepy ghost story told within a classic character piece featuring some of the best-loved characters in the Ghosts series, managing to be celebratory of the series, with a few little references to previous story arcs to please long-term fans, despite its melancholic tone and subject matter. Mkoll’s story is at the heart of the tale, but it’s the interactions between the Ghosts that makes this such a delight; despite his undeniable skill with action scenes, it’s a reminder that what makes Abnett so good is the depth he gives his characters. A must-read, fantastic stuff.
Click here to go to the main Black Library Advent Calendar post and see the other reviews.
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