Commissar (2013) by Andy Hoare takes war to a new level in Games Workshop’s Warhammer 40,000 Universe. Most stories set in the Warhammer 40K world deal with surviving the war torn hell that is their universe. Commissar is not different in that aspect but questions the role, meaning, and characteristics of leadership in such a world. In this respect, Andy Hoare has added a layer of depth perhaps not found in other such books.

Assigned to the newly reformed 77th Vostroyan Firstborn Regiment, Commissar Flint must assess, and if need be break it. However, first he must see them in action and the 77th faces their first trial. They must take back the penal world of Furia Penitens from the rebellious prisoners.

Flint has much to contend with. He is an outsider, an unknown, and a commissar. That is enough for his new regiment to hate him. And the officers of the 77th are scornful, holding onto traditions that could see them reeling in defeat. Flint must make sure that doesn’t happens. At any cost.

When the assault on Furia Penitens begins, Flint must find a way to weld the 77th into the fighting force the Emperor, and he, needs. Relying on all his experience and all his training, Flint faces the task the only way he knows how. Completely and unreservedly as a man of war.

Commissar, at first blush, is an un apologetic adventure story of epic proportions. It’s the kind of story that more literary readers dismiss without a second glance. But they would be missing out on something hidden within the pages.

While there is plenty of action in Commissar, Hoare also weaves a commentary on what it takes to be a military leader. Especially one in an active war situation. Commissar Flint is the primary point of interest. He is technically a subordinate but also has ultimate power over the lives of every person in the regiment. This sets up situations where Flint must act perhaps against his instincts to see further into the future of the regiment.

It would be easy to make Flint a psychopathic maniac who kills for the slightest infraction. Instead, Hoare does his best to make him a thoughtful and reasoning character that balances his duty with his morals. However, even if Flint questions his, or others, actions, once he makes a decision he follows it through.

Yet Flint isn’t the only leader Hoare uses. There is the 77th’s regiment commander, Graf Aleksis, a man torn between his duty to his clan and his regiment. Aleksis walks a fine line trying to do the best for his men and his mission but forced to acquiesce to his social superiors when necessary. Hoare calls into question the fitness of such leadership.

And among the prisoners there are leaders. Prisoner Vahn wants to escape the bloodbath of the prison rebellion but can’t just run. He knows that alone he will die but within a cadre of prisoners he, and they, can hope to outrun the butchery. Vahn takes to leadership naturally. But it’s a leadership of brutal necessity born out of survival instinct.

Commissar is not without its flaws, however. Flint is continually remembering his past exploits and comparing them to his current situation. I don’t know if Flint has been part of other stories but it does become a bit of grind to read this over and over. Eliminating most of these passages would serve the story better.

Regardless of what you think of Warhammer 40,000, Games Workshop, or fiction set in such universes, Commissar is an entertaining and, at times, thoughtful story. Hoare combines SF, war, action, and at times fantasy and horror into a punch-you-in-the-face rollicking story. It’s the perfect kind of book for when you just want a fun story to relax with.

I would happily recommend Commissar to all Warhammer 40,000 fans and players. Fans of military SF in general, and to readers who are looking for interesting ideas in unexpected places. Commissar will surprise a great many readers unfamiliar with the setting it portrays.