Rating: 
Summary: Abnett's progress
Review: Dan Abnett is coming along in this his third "Gaunt's Ghosts" Warhammer 40K novel. I'd give him a "much improved" on the path to writing for adults in the military science fiction genre. His theme of an "Orphan Brigade," (Gaunt's Ghosts, an infantry unit) tackling one dirty operation after another in the service of the Emperor (in the Warhammer 40000 universe), now benefits from a gradual rounding of main characters and a richer canvas of the theater of operations. He still hasn't quite reached the same plane as Haldeman/Sterling/Drake but I hope he'll get there in a novel or two.
Rating: 
Summary: Abnett is the Best!!
Review: Dan Abnett just keeps getting better and better. His first two books in the Gaunt's Ghosts series, while being mainly straight-up war novels (something I usually don't read), where so well-written, so rich in character and detail, they made up for the often predictable action plot lines. Necropolis keeps, and even trumps, the writing chops (and intense action) of the first two books, and adds complex political intrigues and a fascinating portrait of life in a hive at war ("hives" are the gigantic vertical cities common in the Warhammer 40,000 universe). This book will not only appeal to players of Warhammer 40,000 proper, but also players of Nercomunda (the hive skirmish game that also takes place in the 40K world). But you don't have to play either of these tabletop wargames to enjoy Necropolis. All you have to be is a lover of good sci-fi and truly impressive story-telling.
Rating:
Summary: Abnett's Gaunt's Ghost saga hits its stride
Review: It is in Dan Abnett's third installment of his well-done Gaunt's Ghosts Saga that he finally hits his stride. In Necropolis, Colonel-Commissar Ibrahim Gaunt and his Tanith First and Only Regiment are thrown into the meat-grinder type of warfare seen when fought within a city. The hive city in question is Vervunhive and Gaunt and his men must help protect and save the city from a rival hive-city that has fallen under the sway of Chaos. This massive civil war takes a large toll on the men of Tanith. The political backstabbing seen in Ghostmaker is continued in Necropolis, some of the jealousy and scheming of rival Imperial Guard commanders having a detrimental and deadly effect on the outcome of certain battles for Vervunhive.
One reviewer has compared Necropolis as a fictional and scifi account of the Battle of Stalingrad. I must agree with this comparison, but I must also point out that it also share some similarities with the siege of Moscow during World War Two. In fact, any battle fought in the Eastern Front could substitute for what occurs within the pages of Necropolis.
Abnett's writing style has improved with this installment and part of this may be that he has become comfortable with the characters and their motivations. Abnett's becoming one of the premiere writers thats come out of the Black Library branch of Games Workshop. Here's to hoping he continues writing more books about Gaunt and his Ghosts.
Rating:
Summary: Another good Warhammer novel
Review: Necropolis is the third book in the Gaunts Ghost's series and it's the best one up til this point. The book starts off with a hive world, Verghast, besieged by their neighboring world, Ferrozoica, which is infested by Chaos. The Ghosts along with other Imperial guard regiments are sent to the battle zone to repulse the invaders. Can they do it? One of the things I love about Abnetts writing is his characters and their development. The first 50 pages in Necropolis he introduces several new characters, which are extremely important to the story and later books. The first time I read this book and got a lost with all the different characters and subplots. But if you just take your time it's not confusing, I guess I read it to fast. Other thing Abnett is wonderful at is his descriptions with action and painting a picture with words of sheer dread. At times I was in absolute awe, other times it almost brought me to tears. Necropolis is an Action-packed, military sci-fi, balls-out warfest with wonderful character emotion and development. If you didn't like ghostmaker (I still don't know why you wouldn't) don't give up on Abnett and the Ghosts, this novel is Fething Awesome. recommend for fans of Warhammer 40k and military sci-fi.
Rating:
Summary: Necropolis: Awesome.
Review: Necropolis is the third book in the Gaunts Ghost's series and it's the best one up til this point. The book starts off with a hive world, Verghast, besieged by their neighboring world, Ferrozoica, which is infested by Chaos. The Ghosts along with other Imperial guard regiments are sent to the battle zone to repulse the invaders. Can they do it? One of the things I love about Abnetts writing is his characters and their development. The first 50 pages in Necropolis he introduces several new characters, which are extremely important to the story and later books. The first time I read this book and got a lost with all the different characters and subplots. But if you just take your time it's not confusing, I guess I read it to fast. Other thing Abnett is wonderful at is his descriptions with action and painting a picture with words of sheer dread. At times I was in absolute awe, other times it almost brought me to tears. Necropolis is an Action-packed, military sci-fi, balls-out warfest with wonderful character emotion and development. If you didn't like ghostmaker (I still don't know why you wouldn't) don't give up on Abnett and the Ghosts, this novel is Fething Awesome. recommend for fans of Warhammer 40k and military sci-fi.
Rating: 
Summary: The best ghost novel so far
Review: Necropolus is the third Gaunt's Ghosts novel, set in the nightmare science fantacy universe of Warhammer 40K. The series chronicals the exploits of Commissar Ibram Gaunt and his regiment of Imperial Guard soldiers known as the Ghosts. It might be helpful to read the books in order, but it is not really necessary. In fact, since this is the best book in the series by far, reading it first might set you up for a let down. The first two books in the series are good, but they center mostly around one combat story after another. Necropolus goes far beyond that. It gives a very imaginative and in depth description of Vervunhive, "a mighty hive-city besieged by an unrelenting foe". The book is rich with characters and situations which yield a complete picture of the hive-city from it's feuding noble houses to it's sturdy workers, to it's seedy underground. The enemy is also imaginative and well developed. The seige of the hive-city is descibed in the style of a well written history book, complete with a map of the hive. This is a refreshing change from the other books in this series which tend toward the heroic "against all odds" vignettes. Only until towards the end of the book do we get the obligatory death defying exploits. The ending becomes predictable, but is still enjoyable. I enjoyed this book, it is a good shoot'em up with alot of background and action. I think any reader would agree, and I think 40K fanatics will find this the best of the latest generation of Games Workshop novels.
Rating:
Summary: Great book
Review: OK, lets face it, this book is not a literary masterpiece. But, if you want a good sci-fi "junk food" book, this just about fits the bill. Oh, and if you really want to blow your mind away, read the first half of this book, put it down, read up on the battle of Stalingrad, and then finish the book. Gives the thing a whole new perspective. A definate must if you enjoy any WH40K products.
Rating:
Summary: Great book
Review: OK, lets face it, this book is not a literary masterpiece. But, if you want a good sci-fi "junk food" book, this just about fits the bill. Oh, and if you really want to blow your mind away, read the first half of this book, put it down, read up on the battle of Stalingrad, and then finish the book. Gives the thing a whole new perspective. A definate must if you enjoy any WH40K products.
Rating:
Summary: A truly wonderful book
Review: Out of all the gaunts novels, this was without a question, the best to come.
Rating:
Summary: Not the best military sci-fi I've read, but not bad.
Review: The third of Abnett's <i>Gaunt's Ghosts</i> series, Necropolis is set in a hive-world. Unlike the first, second, and fourth books, plot here takes second place to battle: Necropolis reads more like "a history of the Vervunhive siege with focus on Commissar Gaunt and his men", than "a story about Gaunt and his men during the Vervunhive siege." This isn't inherently bad. Abnett knows how to write combat, and his large-scale ("under Colonel X, the second regiment moved west to reinforce the gates") descriptions are as good as those of any military historian. The action scenes are good, and there's enough of them. And yes, there's at least a token semblance of plot. One reason I like the Ghosts series is the number of recurring characters. Perhaps fifteen or twenty 'named' characters who show up again and again; I like the familiarity, and the occasional character developments (some characters don't change - Larkin and Corbec are basically the same at the end of this book as they were at the start of the first - but others get promoted, learn things, or whatever.) Overall, excellent multithreaded military sci-fi. The quality of the action and Abnett's excellent writing more than makes up for the plot deficiencies.
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