Bloody Books Review: Blackstone Fortress: Ascension

Between the first BSF novel, the short stories and this final entry, it feels like a sad goodbye to what has become a favourite part of 40k to me. It feels like Rogue Trader through modern day eyes, strange grimdark corners that call to me. I'm sad to see it leave. 

Once more, Hink's lays the plot down in a fairly straightforward manner. Something bad is happening on the Fortress and Draik needs to find out what is happening. The investigations lead to jaw-dropping violence. With it being far from the ever-war of 40k, it has the time and weight to propel itself forward with gusto and momentum rarely seen in BL books, with an ending that leaves a lot in the air for us all to talk about and examine in detail.

Ascension is Rogue Trader levels of weird. Precipice is basically the Babylon 5 of 40k as a "port of call for refugees, smugglers, businessman, diplomats, and travellers from a hundred worlds". Whilst yes, Xenophobia is very much a thing in Precipice, there is no burning of the alien, no hunting of the xenos. This comes through in how we see things from the eyes of a pair of Ratlings and a Kroot, with Rein and Raus being stand outs throughout.  A difficult book to review as it takes the setting of the game and jumps, wrapping those threads together to make a new whole that is very much recommended