Path of the Outcast

Gav Thorpe

2012

Set in his Eldar Path series, this book follows Aradryan of the craftworld Alaitoc who had been a Dreamer until one day he woke and realised that he had to escape the cloying confines of the craftworld and the stifling Paths of his kind. At first he took on the post of Steersman on one of the graceful eldar starships but this provided only a temporary relief as he searched for his way. Eventually returned to his home, only to find his former lover and best friend had moved on themselves, Aradryan finds his home even less welcoming than previously and he finds himself aboard the Outcast vessel Irdiris only to find that the outcasts had their own web of responsibilities that quickly grew cloying in his search so he finds himself travelling with the Dark Eldar corsairs. Even here, though, he finds himself beholden to other and he schemes his way up the command structure until it comes to a showdown between himself and the second in command. Aradryan finds the way he has chosen still has consequences, though until he finds himself back on his home world with its doom bearing down on it.
I quite like most of the Warhammer 40K books I have read even if these have mainly been the Tanith First-and-Only series from Dan Abnett. This look at one of the more enigmatic races in that universe is fantastically handled by Thorpe.

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