Book Club Book #137: Above and Beyond by Denny Flowers

Every two weeks we read a new book in the WH40k universe and discuss it on our podcast. We invite you to read along with us and join in on our conversation via comments, Twitter, Discord, email, or vox cast.

For this episode, we’re reading Above and Beyond by Denny Flowers. You can purchase it at Amazon, Black Library, or Audible.

From the back of the book:

Flight Commander Lucille von Shard: Hero of Bacchus, fighter ace, and a living legend heralded for her valour and piety. Propagandist Kile Simlex, responsible for her fame, shares none of this renown. Condemned to the ignominy of a scribe’s cubicle cell, his chance at liberation comes as a cryptic vid message claiming to be from Shard herself, requesting his aid.

Under the von Shard family’s patronage, Simlex journeys to Deighton, a world in open rebellion from the Imperium, where he finds the commander a shadow of her former self. Near broken by eternal war, her confidence and reputation crumbling, Shard must somehow steel herself for her deadliest battle yet, against a xenos mercenary of unparalleled skill. Can Simlex help her overcome this near-invincible enemy, or merely watch as she is finally defeated?

Discussion guide for Above and Beyond

• Did you like the book?
• Which parts stood out to you?
• Simlex has quite the journey between these two books. Are you invested in his story? Is he a good protagonist?
• Lucille is in a different place than the previous book. Do you like her more as a character in this book? Is she a hero?
• The Van Shard clan has their fingers in everything. Are they the poster children for the problems with Imperial Bureaucracy? Or proof it can work smoothly?
• Esec is quite the character. Is he a bad guy? A naive cog? Did he deserve his fate?
• Was Cesh a good antagonist? What was his end game?
• This whole Deighton campaign was a debacle. Was it compelling? Interesting?
• Theory time: Will the “cargo” come into play in the inevitable third book?