THE FOUNDING, by Dan Abnett
The Fouding is an Omnibus containing the first three novels in the "Gaunts Ghosts" series of novels, which are called "First and Only", "Ghostmaker" and "Necropolis", respectively. The books are set in the Warhammer 40000 universe and follow the exploits of Commisar-Colonel Ibram Gaunt and his regiment, the Tanith First. The series is comparable to the likes of the "Sharpe" books, both are basically military fiction focusing on the individual battles and difficulties of a military unit and their leader against the backdrop of a larger conflict, in this case the huge Sabbat Worlds Crusade.
The members of the Tanith First are the sole survivors of their world, which was obliterated by the strike of a Chaos fleet just as the Planet mustered its first ever regimental foundings for the Imperial Guard. Gaunt, the new-founded units recently assigned commander ordered them to evacuate, thus saving the soldiers but also laying the foundation for some resentment and hate among his troopers, many of whom would rather have stayed to defend their homeworld, however hopeless.
The regiment is nicknamed Gaunts Ghosts for two reasons: because they are "from nowhere" and are also stealth and recon specialists. What can be said about pretty much all the books in the series is that Abnett has a real knack for depicting battle scenes, in my opinon he's on par with Bernard Cornwell in that regard. The stories are mostly straightforward, with plenty of likable characters and tension resulting from the fact that Abnett is absolutely ruthless in his treatment of them, regularly killing off favourites while gently establishing others to step into the limelight. Even Characters that have been around for the whole series might just be offed, no one is safe. Well, except Gaunt I suppose. So far.
In the first part, "First and Only", many of the recurring characters are introduced and fleshed out for the first time. This is done rather well, considering this was Abnetts first published novel. The scenario is a huge trench battle for an Imperial Forgeworld which has been taken by the forces of Chaos. A nice kickoff for the series, but not the best book in it by a long shot.
The second part, "Ghostmaker", is set on the jungle planet Monthax, although large parts of the books are flashbacks to establish the backstory, and many chapters which are basically stand-alone short stories focusing on events in the lives of some of the individual Ghosts. This is a great idea, as it is a chance to get to know, understand and like some of the individual Troopers a whole lot better. We get to meet master sniper "Mad" Larkin in a dream-like episode in which he talks to the statue of an angel during an assassination mission. We accompany the heavy weapon specialist "Try again" Bragg who is big, but not neccessarily dumb. We get to understand the mean and capable Major Elim Rawne and his complicated relationship with Gaunt better. Chief scout Oan Mkoll is shown to be a sneak of almost supernatural capabilities. And Gaunt himself has some chapters about his past as well.
This book is already a fair bit better than the debut, and does a good job of entertaining the reader and strengthening the foundation of the series.
The third book, "Necropolis", is the part where the series really lifts off and flies. Vervunhive, a huge city-state on the planet Verghast, comes under attack from another hive city called Ferrozoica. The odds of Vervunhive surviving are appalingly bad, and Warmaster Macaroth, commander of the Crusade, dispatches some Imperial Guard regiments that are in transit through nearby space to assist the imperiled city. The Tanith First is one of those regiments. They enter an apocalyptic conflict that shapes the future of the regiment profoundly.
A great read, Necropolis is the first of the "Gaunts Ghosts" series that really stands out, doing a great job of depicting the bleak, hopeless and utterly brutal war to defend the stricken city from extinction.
This Omnibus is, as already stated, the starting point of a great series. The first two parts aren't bad, but they do not yet reach the level of quality of the later installments. That said, I'd nevertheless recommend reading them as they add considerably to the enjoyment of the series as a whole.
I'd rate "First and Only" with a 3/5, "Ghostmaker" somewhere between 3-4/5 (the variation is due to the format of lots of loosely connected short stories) and "Necropolis" with a 4,5/5. Contrary to the Eisenhorn series these books cater rather pointedly to an audience of gamers and connoisseurs of military fiction, although I do not consider that to be a drawback. They are still well written (getting progressively better) and a highly enjoyable and gripping read.