Bane of Kings writes a short review of Atlas Infernal by Rob Sanders, published by Black Library. It is an Inquisitor Czevak novel.

“Unputdownable. Sanders enters unexplored territory with sucess.” ~The Founding Fields

After reading and enjoying Redemptation Corps, I have been looking forward to Atlas Infernal for quite some time now. So when an advanced review copy arrived on my doorstep, I devoured it as soon as I could; only taking a short break to read Promethean Sun.

As the caption under the title and the blurb on the back suggests, this novel is about Inquisitor Czevak. He is a hunted man, and after escaping from the Eldar’s Black Library of Chaos (Not to be confused with the publishers of this book), with a living map of the webway entitled, surprise, surprise, Atlas Infernal, Czevak foils and escapes the hands of not only enigmatic Eldar Harlequins, but also the ranks of the Inquisition.

However, a greater enemy is after them still – the chosen warrior of Tzneetch, the Changer of Ways and the Architect of Fate – Ahriman, the arch-sorcerer of the Thousand Sons Legion.

If Ahriman learns the location of the Black Library, he will gain knowledge that will exalt him to godhood. With such a dangerous enemy, failure is unconscionable – the very cost to the Imperium unimaginable.

Right, now that we have the rough plot out of the way, let’s talk the characters – as although the blurb makes it out to only be Bronislaw Czevak who tells the story – and it’s not.

There are other characters that get large amounts of the book with them in it as well, a wide variety of them. Not as much in Battle of the Fang by Chris Wraight, but there are a few. We get a Relictor Techmarine, going by the name of Torqhuil who adds some superhuman might to the story despite that, according to this – his chapter has been declared excommunicate traitorous. Also added to the mix is the wise personality of Inquisitor Klute, and the female Rogue Trader Torres, as well as the Warp Seer Epiphani.

It’s not only fans of the Inquisition and Eldar that get will get the most out of this novel, believe it or not. Obviously, you’ll get Ahriman and his Thousand Sons, but also you’ll get the fearsome 666^th Chapter, otherwise known as the Grey Knights.

Yeah – there’s Grey Knights in this novel as well, and there’s not just one of them.

Atlas Infernal has a pretty good pace, with several moments where you can spot the similarities between Inquisitor Czevak himself and the Eleventh Doctor from Doctor Who, at least in my view. Czevak is viewed as mad by Torres, who is more often than not trying to think of a less dangerous tactic than the Inquisitor.

The book comes with plenty of twists thrown in as well – which increases the atmosphere and makes the storyline more interesting.

Verdict: 3.5/5