Blood Pact (Gaunt's Ghosts)

by Dan Abnett

Book Overview

When an enemy prisoner is brought in for interrogation, Commissar Ibram Gaunt is drawn into a murderous web of intrigue. The fate of the Sabbat Worlds Crusade rests upon his shoulders, in this 12th... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1844168239
• Release Date: September 2010
• Publisher: Games Workshop
• Length: 416 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 6.8" x 1.3" x 4.3"

Customer Reviews

A view into Gaunt's Enemies

Dan Abnett provides insight into Gaunt's Ghosts Archenemies, both the Blood Pact and Archon's forces in the Warhammer 40K universe. The rich splendor of key characters and their traits is artfully done, this time for the Chaos forces who have infiltrated into an Imperial World. Gaunt and his regiment have been idling for two years for refit and rest, with the free time spent in garrison eroding their discipline and increasing their itch for action. A select and well trained platoon from the nemesis of the Tanith infiltrate on a hidden mission, to which the Imperial Guard, Commissars, and Inquisition are trying to solve. Meanwhile, Gaunt is fighting for his survival while protecting a prisoner from not only the physical threats from the Blood Pact soldiers, but also the warpcraft spun used by them. This book provides a good insight into the Chaos forces, their ideology, devotion, and rituals that are counter to the Imperials. A very entertaining addition to the series and the Tanith are again on the move, Straight Silver!

Dan is still the man

There is no need to give you an overview of the book. You ARE going to read this if you are a fan of the Ghosts and you will NOT be disappointed. "Blood Pact" has a little bit of a different feel to it, but is still great and the characters are brought to life in a whole new setting. At first I was worried about the suspense I am so used to in a Ghost novel, but I was not let down and the whole concept really worked for me. In fact the novel's plot made a great scenario for my "Dark Heresy" campaign. all in all it was a great book and really added depth to Gaunt and some of the more popular (and still alive) ghosts.

Book 12. Very well done.

The Tanith First had been pulled back from the front line of the Sabbat Worlds Crusade and eagerly await news of their next deployment. They have been on Balhaut about a year now. The men have gotten bored and that can be a dangerous thing. Colonel-Commissar Ibram Gaunt is called in to Section with no warning. An enemy prisoner is being interrogated, but refuses to speak with anyone except Gaunt. Mabbon has defected from the Blood Pact and is somehow connected with Gaunt's last mission on Gereon. Having been a high ranking enemy soldier, Mabbon has information that can help the Imperium win the war. Before Gaunt can learn the information, they are attacked. Gaunt must flee with the prisoner and go to ground until Mabbon's intelligence can be revealed. The Blood Pact is determined to kill Mabbon before the information is given. The Blood Pact infiltrate the ostensibly secure crown world with enough confidence and ability to stage a frontal assault on the Commissariat's headquarters. They have a highly trained witch, using her warpcraft, to help seek out Gaunt and Mabbon no matter where they flee. Gaunt has no idea how far the Blood Pact's reach and influence extends and must be extremely cautious as to whom he trusts for help. **** FOUR STARS! Though this is the twelfth book in the Gaunt's Ghosts series, new readers will have no trouble fully understanding and enjoying it. This story easily stands on its own. I found this to be a fast paced adventure with bits of humor thrown in to help break the tension at times. Dan Abnett certainly knows his craft! Very well done indeed! **** Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

Abnett continues to weave tapestries

In Blood Pact, Abnett seeks to bridge the conclusion to Only in Death while at the same time setting up a new series of Gaunt's Ghosts novels. He succeeds to excellent effect. Picking up two years after Only in Death, the Ghosts have languished in a rear area of the Crusade in which they had fought for a decade without pause. It is not to their liking. Members of the unit have turned to crime simply to relieve their boredom, while others have found themselves growing too used to creature comforts and are growing fat in their leisure time. Until a special prisoner arrives and disrupts the peace, sending the Ghosts back to what they know best: combat. Abnett delivers something unique in Blood Pact in terms of the many scenes of the Pact cult members working through their planning stages and their pursuit of the traitor who has arrived on Balhaut. The traitor has requested to speak with Gaunt and him only. The disparate groups converge on the place of the traitor's imprisonment and much carnage ensues. Gaunt leads a tiny group in evading the chaos warriors, who in their scenes demonstrate actual compassion for one another, as well as rational plotting and problem-solving. Hardly what readers of 40k books would associate with agents of Chaos. Like the relationships in the Ghosts, the Pact unit has grown into a sort of family, exhibiting pride at the others' accomplishments (even if of a grotesque nature), concern at the loss of their own number, and drive to accomplish their mission at any cost. Abnett thus shows us why the Pact are such a good foil for the Ghosts: They are opposite sides of the same coin, simply serving different masters with opposing goals. There is really only character development of Gaunt's character, as he has the most to work through. Not only was he the most damaged survivor of the combat in Only in Death, he has succumbed to the sloth of the posting to Balhaut. He must overcome the sluggardness that has overtaken him while also puzzling out the many different plots against the traitor he takes under his protection. He must deal with disturbing new abilities granted by his replacement eyes, seeing ghastly future events in time to avert them. He faces his own past ghosts and confronts his mortality in a strange way when he learns that the historians on Balhaut believe he died while carrying out the heroism of the campaign on that world before he took over the Ghosts. As he states, no one (even Gaunt) remembers anything correctly, but his visions of the future have been accurate. So he moves forward and does not focus on the past which he could not recall clearly anyway. Abnett shows once again why he's such a prolific author: he's just extraordinarily good. From the overall plot to the many subplots, everything drives the story of this book and the overarching plot of the Ghosts series itself, never wasting a word. The characters seem so real in their actions and reactions, their feelings and observations, and their dedic

New Beginnings

Great book well written like all of Dan Abnett's books, however keep in mind when reading that it's the first of a new story arch. New characters, new questions this book was very obviously setting up for things to come. While this story was self contained it felt much like the first quarter of a book. My only real complaint was the Ghosts themselves were not really front and center in this book. While this book is not my favorite in the series it was still an exciting read and a wonderful addition to Gaunts Ghosts.