The Tau Empire (Farsight)

Brilliant book all of the separate stories were so engaging,just wish there was more about farsight! Really good book, you can Bob in and out of the stories and not forget what's going on. And as usual with 40k the descriptive is brutal, I really enjoyed it

This volume is a collection of twelve stories from five different authors about the Tau Empire at war, three of which are novellas of between a hundred and a hundred and fifty pages long with the shorter stories being around thirty pages.The stories present a range of situations. Some are about the main Tau heroes and commanders (two of the longer stories about one male and one female commander) and how they rose to fame. Others are about ordinary warriors, their ideals and beliefs, whether upheld or not, and their sense of sacrifice for “the common good” (four stories, two for each warrior, one male and one female).The respective stories also see the Tau warriors pitted against various enemies, with two stories against the Orks, several against humans and one against a mysterious plague in a long abandoned facility lost in a jungle that turns out to be another kind of enemy.Two stories tend to stand out. One is about a Tau warrior captured by the Dark Eldars and fighting for survival in one of Commoragh’s circuses. While good, this story was hardly original since a similar published not very long ago featured Space Wolves captured and forced to fight in similar conditions.Another (Fire and Ice) sees subversion reach a Forge world made up of cities built on floating platforms above the ice. This was perhaps the one that I appreciated the less. I very much like the world building, but the plot was somewhat strange and I simply “did not get” what the mysterious plotters (an unidentified Tau who seems to be in exile and only plays a minor role and a Space Marine who remains just as mysterious) were really after. Besides, the main character was not a Tau but a rather pathetic human.Four stars for the whole collection which I can definitely recommend.

One story is found in a stand alone book I already had which was disappointing. The Shadowsun story showed her as an incompetent soldier and general and as such seemed contrary to the legend she is meant to be. Other stories are pretty good but would need to be on sale to recommend.

The book is a combination of stories with varying length some short, others longer. Each one explores an aspect of the Tau & introduces you to their perspective on the galaxy, in its turbulent time.A refreshing perspective if you want to see 40k from another faction's point of view. A very optimistic ideology compared to the Imperium; Yet somehow just as dedicated to their over-all cause.Even if it is heresy.

Although the collection of stories in the book seem unrelated to each other, when taken as a whole they do explain a lot about the Tau Empire; their heroes, leaders, and people of different castes. When I first started reading it, I thought I can pick and choose from the different stories. But while playing the Tau Campaigns (thru STEAM) in between reading the book, I found that the sequence of the short stories make sense. So, when you get this book & I recommend that you do, please read them in sequence.The first story; FARSIGHT; is one of my favorites. It tells of the beginnings of one of Tau's most famous heroes; Commander Farsight. You will marvel at his tactics and success. The next story (Fire & Ice) is a slow moving narrative of human revolt and an interrogation of a mysterious Tau prisoner. If you take the time to read Fire & Ice you'll realize it is related to the first story. (Spoiler?) The rest of the short stories are intertwined in much the same way and they effectively show the Tau's strengths weaknesses. "A Sanctuary of Wyrms" is a good example of life in the Tau Empire. "Shadowsun: The Last of Kiru's Line" and "The Patient Hunter" also offer excellent light readings.Again, five stars if you take the time to read them in sequence. You'll understand why the Greater Good is not always such a good thing.

Great collection of stories about the Tau, especially the commanders. However, Campbell's Shadowsun the last of kiru's line is either an early work or written while watching netflix because the jarring switches in perspective from one paragraph to the next is not becoming of a published author. It was like taking cough medicine: worth it, but still leaves a bad taste in the mouth. Otherwise, a grand anthology that is a must for fans of the Greater Good.

This book is for the T'au player. It gives good insight a broadens the race. My only regret was the minimal coverage any of their playable vehicles received.

This book is an omnibus of the following stories, if you like the T'au buy this book and not the individual stories on their own.Aun'ShiCommander ShadowShadowsun: The Last of Kiru's LineA Sanctuary of WyrmsOut CasteFire and IceFarsightThe Patient HunterThe KauyonThe Tau'va

Overall a good collection of stories. I was hoping for more variety in the main characters, but the focus was well balanced over all.