Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Short Story Review - Yarrick: The Gallows Saint

Short Story - Yarrick: The Gallows Saint
Writer - David Annandale
Series - Warhammer 40,000
Published By - Black Library


David Annandale yet again delivers a short but quite entertaining Yarrick story. This time he focuses a bit less time on action but makes up for it with strong grasp of his titular character and a little mystery to boot. 

This short story tells of a time in Yarrick's life after his victory against traitors on Mistral, when he travels to Abydos watch a great triumph in honor of the forces who liberated the world from the grip of the alien tau. But when the planet’s governor is assassinated, Yarrick is drawn into a political game with deadly consequences in which he tries to identify the true traitors.

While the plot is quite simplistic in nature with its simple mystery and predictable plot twists Annandale once again does a remarkable job at execution. The whole story (while quite lacking in action this time) flows through perfectly to its end while delivering a message and once again showcasing some unique philosophy and characteristics of the titular character.

Yarrick is a character who shines through the narrative as readers get amazed by Annandale's grasp of this troubled hero. I think the other characters could have been equally interesting if not for the short length which didn't leave much room for the author to explore them. 

Although I thoroughly enjoyed this story I can not but acknowledge its few shortcomings. This gets 3.5 out of 5 stars from me.

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