Book Review - Cadia Stands

By Justin D Hill

This week our book review returns to the world of Warhammer 40k and the cutting edge of the ongoing story – the Fall of Cadia!

The problem with Galaxy defining novels, which include a major change in the story, is that they are difficult to write. There are so many characters to include, so many people who are very likely to die, and a bad guy – Abaddon – throwing a space station at a planet…

Hill makes a good stab at bringing together the story of the Fall of Cadia and the attack of Abaddon, but it is too much for one book… starting on the planet with Cadian regiments returning, it takes the reader through the initial attacks, the orbital fights, the invasion of the Black Legion, the fall of Cadia, the flight and start of New Cadia… phew.

A good attempt, but ultimately the scope was just too grand, I struggled to follow the story (and I’ve read the crib-notes from other Warhammer 40k publications), and I’m a fan of the setting. Definitely not one that casual readers will be wanting to pick up.