This is another non-40k novel by Dan Abnett - though this one feels a lot more like his usual wheelhouse than the prior. That said, it's still sparklingly original, and doesn't feel like it's drawing on his typical IP-universe at all: the politics and culture of the future setting, the general vibes of the characters, the technologies used and how - it all seems very fresh.
In a nutshell, veteran war correspondent Lex Falk is finding it hard to get close enough to a current war to cover it to his satisfaction. So he gets his consciousness embedded in the brain of a soldier on frontline duty. When said soldier is nearly killed in combat - it falls to Falk to steer them both, and the troops with them, back to safety. Bonkers premise, right? It is chock-full of extremely intense action, interspersed with moments of nail-biting suspense, several brilliantly clever tactical workarounds, more funny bits than you'd expect, and a completely unexpectable ending that throws an epic light back on the story as a whole.
As with Triumff I had read this back when I was a teenager but had forgotten just how gripping of a tale it is. With Abnett being as good of a war writer he is, it's really refreshing to see him doing what he does best with complete freedom of world-building (not that he isn't still great when beholden to Games Workshop, but you know what I mean). Strongly recommended for any fans of science-fiction action thrillers.
