With 2021 almost at an end I thought it might be fun to take a look back at which reviews have been the most popular this year on Track of Words. I originally started this site purely as a reviews site, long before I started writing blog posts or publishing author interviews, and I’m always happy when visitors enjoy reading my reviews. In 2021 to date I’ve published 73 new reviews (55 book reviews, 18 short story reviews), which puts the total number of reviews at a whopping 1,119 – of which just three (so far) have been guest reviews, the remaining 1,116 written by me. To be honest that number came as a bit of a shock when I looked it up, as I hadn’t realised quite how many I’d written!
For the purposes of this article I’m going to look at the most popular reviews based purely off the total number of times they’ve been read this year, regardless of when they were published. Some of them were in fact published in 2021, but not all of them! I’ll talk a little bit about each book before linking out to the relevant review – I’m going to focus on just the top 5 reviews in detail, but I’ll also include a quick rundown of numbers 6-10 with a little note as to what makes those particular reviews interesting. You’ll note that all but one of the reviews I’m going to talk about are for Black Library stories – not a surprise, all things considered, although I’m delighted to see at least one non-BL book on the list (and what a book it is!).
Without further ado then, here are the most popular Track of Words reviews of 2021, beginning with…
1. The Magos by Dan Abnett
Posted in February 2021, this comfortably takes the top spot with more than twice the number of views as the second on the list. It’s also one of my somewhat rare ‘A Few Thoughts On’ reviews where I throw objectivity to the wind (well, only a little in this case) and talk a bit less formally than usual. In a sense I’m surprised that this should be the most popular review of the year, given that it’s for an unusual combination of short novel and short story collection that was originally published back in 2018. But then it’s also a Dan Abnett book, and part of his much-loved Inquisition Cycle at that, and there’s no doubting Abnett’s (deserved) popularity amongst Black Library fans.
All that aside, I’m actually quite pleased that this has been so popular. I first read The Magos when it originally came out, but never quite got round to reviewing it until I took the opportunity to reread it in preparation for the release of Abnett’s 2021 novel Penitent. As both the unexpected fourth part of the Eisenhorn trilogy and a pretty (although technically not entirely) comprehensive collection of relevant short stories it’s a fairly unconventional book, but having revisited it (in audio – highly recommended) alongside rereads of the whole Ravenor trilogy and Pariah, followed by Penitent, I personally think it’s something of a gem within Abnett’s wider Inquisition Cycle. It’s not necessarily an absolutely essential read, but that’s part of the charm – at times it’s quite a slow, gentle book, full of classic Abnett touches, and I’m just so glad it exists!
Read my full review of The Magos by Dan Abnett.
2. Space Marine by Ian Watson
Now this is an interesting one, and another surprise! Part of my Forgotten Texts series from 2017, in which I was looking back at classic Warhammer fiction from before the days of Black Library, it’s a slightly odd review in that as well as looking at the book in its own right I also talk about it in relation to more modern 40k fiction, discussing how it holds up given the fact that it’s definitely not canon any more. I’m delighted to see a review from four and a half years ago continue to be popular, and for all that Space Marine is an utterly bizarre novel it holds a special place in my heart as one of the earliest 40k novels I ever read. It’s totally strange, but I still kinda love it! Especially the bit with the Warlord Titan and the power fist (which, yes, sounds very strange out of context).
I can’t say for certain why this review has been popular, but I think at least part of the reason that Space Marine continues to be of interest to 40k fans – apart from the fact that it’s one of the earliest ever novels – is that it harks back to old-school 40k, when the setting was still in its infancy. There’s a real fascination in reading about a familiar setting and set of character archetypes which are portrayed in a different way to what you’re used to, and all of Ian Watson’s novels definitely tap into that. I think it’s a similar feeling to reading 40k novels from the perspective of non-human characters, something that BL is finally exploring again with the recent spate of ork and necron POV stories. If you haven’t yet read Space Marine, it’s worth a look – it’ll certainly be an experience!
Read my full review of Space Marine by Ian Watson.
3. XX by Rian Hughes
I published this review back in September 2020 so it’s really satisfying to know that people are still coming to the site to read it, especially as I picked XX last year as my favourite book of 2020! It’s a phenomenal book that I absolutely loved, but it’s also really quite unconventional with the way it blends modern and vintage science fiction, and combines its traditional narrative with all sorts of wild, wonderful and unexpected elements from epistolary sources and an intertextual additional novella (honestly, it does make sense in context) to all manner of visually stunning graphic design elements. I wonder if this book’s idiosyncratic nature is the reason why the review continues to be popular, as readers look to understand what XX is all about?
Whatever the reason, I’m very happy that it does continue to be popular – and I think that its popularity is also testament to just how good this book is! Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t the sort of easy read I would recommend you take on holiday to read by the swimming pool…far from it. It’s a book that rewards patience, that poses a lot of questions and deliberately withholds answers until the reader is fully committed. It definitely isn’t going to be for everyone, and some readers may well bounce straight off it. For those who want a bit of a challenge though, and who are excited about the idea of an author experimenting with what a science fiction novel can look like and what it can do, this is the perfect mind-expanding novel! It’s a stunning achievement, and I absolutely love it!
Read my full review of XX by Rian Hughes.
4. Ghazghkull Thraka: Prophet of the Waaagh! by Nate Crowley
The first review on this list for a book published in 2021, this is yet another review I’m delighted that people have been enjoying. Comfortably my favourite Black Library book of the year, Nate’s Ghazghkull novel was an absolute joy to read, which makes it so frustrating that Black Library are making most readers wait months before getting hold of this book. It was first published as a Limited Edition hardback in May 2021 (which my amazing friends bought me as a birthday present), and the regular hardback isn’t due out until about March 2022 (according to Simon & Schuster) – that 10 month wait is crazy, and it’s such a shame as this book is amazing! Hopefully the interest in this review is reflective of the demand for the book, as it deserves to sell like hot cakes when the main body of Black Library readers can get their hands on it!
I raved about this book in my review, named it my top pick in my Best of Black Library 2021 article, and – while I haven’t published the article yet – it’s 100% going to be in my top 10 SFF books (overall, not just BL) for 2021 when I get round to publishing that. Yes, this book is that good! I’ve loved every single thing of Nate’s that I’ve read, but even by his high standards I think this is something special – it captures the characters of Ghazghkull and Makari perfectly, but it goes further than that too. More than an encapsulation of what 40k orks are all about, this is just a precious gem of a book that shines a light on 40k as a setting and illustrates so much about why so many of us love the IP. This one is definitely not just for ork fans – if you enjoy 40k fiction, I would suggest you bump this straight to the top of your list when it’s finally available to read.
Read my full review of Ghazghkull Thraka: Prophet of the Waaagh! by Nate Crowley.
5. Avenging Son by Guy Haley
This was the first book I reviewed in 2021, all the way back in January, and in a sense it’s the review that I’m the least surprised to see on this list. Avenging Son is the first book in the new Dawn of Fire series, which is being billed by Black Library as the major 40k series of the moment, so in theory you’d expect it (and the other books in this series so far) to be really popular. Strangely though, BL seem to have done very little to promote Dawn of Fire as a whole, or (besides a couple of hard to find video interviews with Guy Haley) to help readers understand what to expect from the series or how it fits in with the wider range of 40k fiction. I think that lack of information is a big part of why BL fans continue to check out my review though, as they’re trying to work out what to make of this series! If that’s you, I’d also recommend my ‘New 40k’ reading list!
Putting all that aside though, Avenging Son is a damn fine 40k novel – as you’d expect from the ever-reliable Guy Haley. It’s a fitting beginning to what will hopefully turn out to be a genuinely great series, covering a surprising amount of ground (hence its chunky 500+ page count) and introducing a range of cool new characters from high-ranking Space Marines to a lowly Administratum clerk. Of course it also continues Haley’s fine form of portraying Ultramarines primarch Roboute Guilliman as a complex, compelling character, and fans of his Dark Imperium series will find a lot to enjoy here. It’s hard to see from this just what Dawn of Fire is going to become as a series, but as the starting point – and as a novel in its own right – this is genuinely satisfying.
Read my full review of Avenging Son by Guy Haley.
Reviews numbers 6 to 10
So those are the five most popular reviews on Track of Words in 2021. I’m not going to go into anything like as much detail about reviews six to ten on the list, but I think it’s worth pointing out what they are and talking a little bit about what makes them an interesting selection. First, let’s take a look at the next 5 (click on the images or titles below to read the reviews):
6. Requiem Infernal by Peter Fehervari
Peter Fehervari’s third novel, Reqiuem Infernal is arguably the key central point of his Dark Coil series. While it isn’t part of the Warhammer Horror range it is most definitely a horror story, and it really puts its cast of Adepta Sororitas, Imperial Guard and other Coil Travellers through the wringer!
7. QUICK REVIEW: Nightbleed by Peter Fehervari
Originally released as an e-short before being included in the anthology The Accursed, this was the first Fehervari story to be officially published as part of the Warhammer Horror range. It works as an intriguing horror story in its own right, but is best read in context of the Dark Coil as a whole.
8. QUICK REVIEW: Pestilence by Dan Abnett
This must surely be one of the oldest Abnett stories included in the broad sweep of his Inquisition Cycle, and while it doesn’t actually feature any of the main characters from the Eisenhorn or Ravenor books, it does cleverly tie in to the series as a whole – especially if you read The Magos.
9. The Reverie by Peter Fehervari
This is Fehervari’s fourth BL novel, and the only one (so far, at least) that’s been released under the Warhammer Horror label (alongside short story Nightbleed). It somehow manages to be a proper horror story AND a rich, wide-ranging exploration of a unique Space Marine chapter – the Angels Resplendent.
10. FORGOTTEN TEXTS: Ancient History by Andy Chambers
Part of the same Forgotten Texts series as my Space Marine review, this short story is a total blast from the past, originally published in Inferno! Magazine way back in 2000. It’s a great little story set down in the depths of an Imperial Navy battleship, and I think it still stands up really well even 20+ years later.
And that takes us up to the 10th most popular review on Track of Words in 2021!
To my absolute lack of surprise, all five of these reviews are for Black Library stories. The vast majority of the reviews on Track of Words have been for BL books, short stories and audio dramas, so I think that’s to be expected. What is surprising, however, is that no fewer than three of the five are for Peter Fehervari stories – surprising, but also delightful given that Fehervari is one of my all-time favourite BL authors…if not possibly my actual favourite! I’ve talked a lot on Track of Words about Fehervari’s Dark Coil series, and reviewed every one of them, so to see three of these reviews continuing to prove so popular is just very satisfying.
Now, for all that I personally adore Peter Fehervari’s writing, there’s no question that he’s not exactly a conventional Black Library author. To those of us who love the Dark Coil, his dark and complex writing style and the interlocking nature of all of his stories is a constant source of fascinating and enjoyment, as we try to unpick the connections between stories, characters and locations, and revel in the sinister stylings of every tale. To some people though, it’s all just a bit bizarre and difficult to get their head around – which is fair enough, to be honest! I think Fehervari himself would be the first to say that his stories aren’t for everyone. Clearly they do continue to be popular though, and I couldn’t be happier to see so many of them on this list!
To finish off, I think it’s also interesting that three of these five reviews are for short stories rather than full-length novels. My short story reviews are usually (although actually not in the case of Ancient History) very short and to the point, deliberately aimed at giving just a quick overview of each story rather than going into too many details. I tend to assume that they’re not going to be as popular as the full novel reviews, so I’m delighted to see several of them near the top of this list! Hopefully there’s still enough depth to them that you can read one of them and get a feel for the story, without risking spoilers…as I really do hate spoilers!
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Anyway, there you go. Those are the 10 most popular reviews on Track of Words in 2021 (I know there are still a couple of weeks left to go (as of when I’m writing this), but I don’t imagine anything is going to change much with that list)! I’d love to know what you think of these reviews, and also what your favourite Track of Words reviews have been in 2021, so do let me know either in the comments below or over on Twitter!
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