A richly detailed and beautifully produced 220-page hardback, Dan Abnett’s The Sabbat Worlds Crusade makes for a fantastic companion to his epic, 15-novel Gaunt’s Ghosts series. Written from an in-universe perspective as a historical account of the Sabbat Crusade from its outset up to the liberation of Urdesh, it covers everything from the macro-level – the original context of the crusade, and Warmaster Slaydo’s (and later, Macaroth’s) overarching strategies – down to the micro-level – individual character portraits, vignettes, even vehicles, wargear and regimental awards. With gorgeous maps, graphics and artwork complementing the meticulous text, every page highlights new details and serves to expand both the setting and the series as a whole.
It’s a new and improved edition of the original 2005 background book, updated to include new content (based on the events of the five or six novels which have been published since) and masses of specially-commissioned artwork, and presented in a genuinely beautiful hardback format. The incredibly high standard of presentation is apparent from the moment you first hold it in your hands – the soft touch cover and gold page edges set the tone, which the layout, balance of text to images, and choice of visuals only reinforce as you turn the pages. In particular, Francesca Baerald’s stunning Sabbat Worlds map, presented early on in its full, fold-out glory before being reproduced in sections throughout the book to complement the text, is an absolute masterpiece which really brings the narrative to life.
There’s a great mixture of newly commissioned artwork (some of which is truly stunning) and classic 40k pieces, all cleverly contextualised by in-universe commentary and notes so that even familiar images feel relevant and appropriate to the Sabbat Crusade. Even from a purely visual perspective there’s tremendous value in the book as a way to bring characters and key moments from the series to vivid life, but happily the text is every bit as compelling. Written in a deliberately dry fashion, aping the tone, structure and approach of real-world historical texts, it offers a new perspective on events and draws together intriguing details which the stories only hint at or touch upon. That factual, scholarly tone suits the subject matter but avoids becoming too dry or academic, always keeping the overarching narrative in mind while adding depth and texture to what’s being discussed.
It’s unquestionably a valuable companion piece, appealing to an interesting cross-section of series completists, military history fans and readers looking for ever-deeper immersion in this fascinating corner of the Warhammer 40,000 setting. It might not be something to binge-read in a single sitting, but there’s a huge amount of information available and enjoyment to be had, along with considerable re-read appeal. In-universe items can run the risk of feeling like gimmicks, but there’s no chance of that here, with the phenomenal standard of writing, artwork and design ensuring that this is worth every penny of the (admittedly quite steep) asking price.
It really deserves a wider release than the relatively small print run it looks to have received thus far, and while the tactility of this hardback edition might be hard to replicate in other physical formats, it would work beautifully as an ebook to be read on a tablet, showing off all the beautiful artwork and that incredible map. However you get your hands on it, if you’ve enjoyed the Gaunt’s Ghosts series, or just want to immerse yourself in the military history of 40k, this is an absolutely indispensable addition to your collection.
