Some spoilers ahead.... nothing major but... be warned:
When I received this novel I thought that this would go on top of my to be read list because I wanted to know what 40K had in store due to covid and Alas I was not dissapointed. This is a 200 page novel (almost a novella) and it deals with the rise and fall of Arch Deacon.
So basically this is set in Theotokos where this world is getting destroyed by famine and lack of rain. It's never really told to us about rivers and so so on but lets think it's doesn't have any. They tell us there is a ocean so, why not use it by means of reduce of salinizing (?). But we are getting out of topic. So this guy is someone who really cares about the people whereas the ecclesiarch in power does not.
After the death of the Cardinal - Ambrose (the arch deacon) takes over and start making changes to help the city but of course things don't go as expected and famine free - comes a plague - Covid Grey Tears.
The second half of this quick novel it deals with Ambrose dealings and how his views change when adversity strikes. There aren't that many characters - to be true the story focus on Ambrose and other appears from time to time but they are really never flesh out. I didn't understood the purpose of the love interest Bethia. Okay so although as a priest he must not commit flesh sin but mental sins it's another story. Would love to see this story more developed but with 200 pages that couldn't happen.
The ending, it was as we all expected unless you know nothing of 40K. When Covid arrived I knew Nurgle had something to do it - and I knew Games Workshop would love to see these stories turn into papers. If the previous novel Sepulturum (Nick Kyme) had some issues with Black Lives Matter and rebel against the police which I hated; this one had to do it covid - or I am mistaking but alas this is the world I am so I associate things in fiction with reality. If this novel had been released 2 years ago, I would think ok - lets sell Plague Marines fiction (although there aren't any here).
Read 100 pages in one day and 102 in the second and that's it. 15€ for a novella lenght novel it's a bit too much. because the chapters started only on the right page and some pages were blank. I hate this kind of thing. Why hardback when others are not? To a collectionist it's boring to have some novels from Warhammer Horror be hardback and others paperback.
Oh well... overall I enjoy it. 5 stars. So far my favorite horror novel, although it's not horror at all. It's not scary - compared with other black library novels. There are more horrific novels from 40K genre out there
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