This book took me a full 3 weeks to read. For myself that is an extremely long time even for a 500 page book. The book really took you along two different story lines for most of the book and it felt like they were written separately.
The first two hundred pages were about a pair of investigators on an imperium world that I cared so little for, I was hoping they would hurry up and die and the story would move on. While the murder scenes they were investigating were interesting, their background and story was extremely dull, and did not require being that involved for 200 pages. I felt that the two characters in this part of the story could of have been condensed, and the story would of been better.
The second story line went into the depth of the recruitment of the assassins, which I really enjoyed. This is what kept me moving through the book. The assassins themselves were interesting, and their background worked. I had wished more time was spent with each one in the beginning, which is a good sign if you are the author.
As predicted the two stories do come together later in the book. The events that fall the team of assassins is a good read. I had never before the book, really thought of Imperial assassins as people, but just as a tool without emotion or thoughts. That's how it is though when you play on the tabletop with them.
In the beginning of the book, another over-lying plot is also ran, and that is Regal Dorn, and his dealing with the master of assassins. This is by far the best part of the book, and having an appearance by the Emperor was handled extremely well. This was the parts of the book I would even re-read, however it is brief with some of it near the very beginning of the book, and the conclusion near the end. The same is done with Horus and his traitors.
Overall I enjoyed the book. I almost sat it down in the first 200 pages and said I am done because of the two detectives. However there was always enough interest to get me farther into the book, and the last several hundred pages were an excellent read. This is not a must read book, but definetly one to put on your list when you have the time. It took me a little longer to get through Nemesis than I had hoped, some of that was due to family issues and not the book, but I factored in some family time, and the book still took 3 weeks. I would give it a 7 out of 10.
Prospero Burns is next. I started it last night, and am already 150 pages into it.