Published back in 2013 after two excellent short stories – Headhunted and Exhumed – Steve Parker’s novel Deathwatch winds the clock back and tells the origin story of Talon Squad, and how its various members came to be working together under the burdensome command of the mysterious Sigma. For Lyandro Karras, First Codicier of the Death Spectres, life is about to become unexpectedly complicated as he’s inducted into the Deathwatch – the multi-Chapter force of elite alien hunters – and forced to face up to some uncomfortable truths regarding loyalty, purpose and even fate. Meanwhile beneath the surface of the mining world Chiaro, Inquisitorial agents risk their lives to uncover a sinister cult taking shape in the darkness.
Right from the off it’s clear that this is both an action-packed spec-ops adventure and a powerful depiction of the bleak realities of life in the Imperium. For the first half (or thereabouts) it’s structured into two narratives – one featuring the Inquisitorial agents delving deeper into the mystery on Chiaro, and the other revolving around Karras’ early experiences on Watch Fortress Damaroth. Parker maintains a relatively sedate pace, giving himself time to set up a compelling narrative hook (complete with some genuinely uncomfortable moments of grimdark) while also delving into Karras’ character through some fascinating details of the Death Spectres’ idiosyncrasies and Chapter secrets. Relationships and rivalries are introduced, the processes and rituals of the Deathwatch are explored to great effect, and the stakes are clearly established before Talon Squad itself is even assembled.
If the first half of the book might surprise those expecting nothing but explosive action from the outset, once Talon Squad are up and running against the xenos menace the pacing ramps up and the plot shifts into more conventional Deathwatch territory. Having taken the time to build up the dynamics within the squad, not to mention the incredible training and resources which went into their induction into the Deathwatch, Parker pits them against appalling odds in the sort of mission that only the best of the best could possibly hope to complete. It’s as exciting and bombastic as you’d expect, but it’s not just action-by-numbers – as the mission progresses and the individual members of Talon Squad are forced to find ways of working together, their bond begins to grow (or at least take shape, in some cases) even while their perspective on the Inquisition and its methods is gradually adjusted.
For anyone who’s read the two short stories it’s satisfying to look back to how Talon Squad was formed and learn more about Karras’ history and motivations, but it’s not essential to have done so. Parker does a great job of putting together an engaging group of characters with a strong dynamic, and while Karras is the main viewpoint character there’s a great balance between the temperaments and attitudes of the different squad members. There’s more than enough here to enjoy purely at face value, as a straight-up ‘best of the best’ military action story, especially as the characters are so strong, but despite the bland title there’s much more depth to this for those who like to get under the skin of 40k a little.
It goes way beyond the basic Deathwatch conventions, challenging preconceptions of what it takes to be worthy of donning the black and what’s expected of those who are chosen (both physically and emotionally), as well as the contrast between the Deathwatch and the Ordo Xenos – two organisations usually shown to be working together in harmony. The fact that it also sheds a little light on an intriguing, lesser-known Chapter, tying both the Death Spectres as a whole and Karras himself into hints of a deeper and decidedly sinister mystery, is just the icing on the cake. If you’re at all interested in the black-clad xenos hunters, this is an essential read.
