Kuja Reviews: Some 40K

[Kuja]

Okay, it's been a little slow for my bookshelves lately, however it appears that a glut of Warhammer has arrived in Arizona and things have picked up again. So just for you guys, here's four book reviews for the price of one. Cause I like ya.

First on our hit list -

Sons of Dorn, by Chris Robinson

This is the first in a series of Imperial Fists novels, starring three young scouts recruited by the Imperial Fists chapter. Look, I can't help but compare this book to William King's Space Wolf, the similarites are just too glaring:

In Space Wolf, two members of warring tribes are snatched up during a bloody battle by people they initially think are gods but soon realize are soldiers of the Emperor. They maintain a rivalry but it starts to die as they are trained as space marines and indoctinated by the chapter. Abruptly, they are forced to come together in a fight against an agent of Chaos.

In Sons of Dorn, THREE members of warring tribes are snatched up during a bloody battle by people they initially think are gods but soon realize are soldiers of the Emperor. They maintain a rivalry but it starts to die as they are trained as space marines and indoctinated by the chapter. Abruptly, they are forced to come together in a fight against an ARMY of Chaos.

This book really feels like a weaker, less rounded version of Space Wolf. Where Space Wolf focused on one character - Ragnar - Sons of Dorn tries to split time equally between the three recruits and additionally giving attention to the captain who recruited them. As a result the book feels faster and less sculpted, characters are less interesting, and the portrayal of the Imperial Fists chapter is overall less epic and less touching than the feel of the Space Wolves in the earlier book. It's okay, but it largely feels like someone decided to remake an 80s movie with less character and more flashbang - competent, but not heartfelt.

6/10

Next up-

Salamander, by Nick Kyme

Much like Sons of Dorn, this is the first in a trilogy depicting the heroic but never quite as famous Salamander space marines. (Also like Sons of Dorn, this book was preceded by a short story in the Heroes of the Space Marines anthology).

Up til now, there's mostly been four things known about the Salamanders: first, they're superior armor- and weapon-crafters, good with their own tech rather than relying on the Mechanicus. Second, they hail from a tremendously volcanically active planet named Nocturne. Third, they're about as close to carebears as space marines get: dedicated protectors of humanity, deeply empatheic and moral. Fouth, they're black.

So, are those characteristics displayed here?

......eeeeeeeeeeeeehhhhhhhhhhhkinda.

Of the main characters of the book, some embody the familiar qualities we expect of the Salamanders, while a couple are...well...douchbags.

The basic plot of the book is not all that dissimilar to the book Iron Hands, byt Jonathen Green: the Salamanders come across an unexpected clue that hints at the possible location of their long-lost primarch and they go tearing after it. Surprisingly, we get an unexpected plot twist when the Marines Malevolant show up on the scene for some development. We also get the return of the villains from the previous short story, and soon it's all tied together as the Salamanders race to prevent his nefarious plot.

Salamander isn't a fantastic book, but it's fun and competent and we get to see quite a bit of a chapter that's recieved almsot no time in the sun up til now. Bro-Sarge Dak'ir, the hero of the book, is believeable and solid as a main character.

A point of trivia: as it turns out, Salamanders aren't just black because of their recruiting pool - the process of administering Vulkan's geneseed and the adaptation into an astartes actually ebonises their skin. Holy fuck, Vulkan must have been, like, an avatar of soul power or something. Like, if you took Richard Roundtree, James Brown, Samuel L. Jackson, Keith David, and Michael Clarke Duncan and put them into a vat together, the result still wouldn't have been as black as Vulkan.

8/10

And now that I've put that image in your head-

Black Tide, by James Swallow

This is the fourth book in the Blood Angels series and to be frank, it's the weakest. After the galaxy-shaking plot of the first duology and the tremendous developments of Red Fury, this feels like a massive step down in terms of scope and daring.

The basic plot involves Rafen, the hero of the series thus far, and his oath to bring the traitor Fabius Bile to justice for his heinous acts in the previous book. Along the way, he's joined by Noxx and a squad of Flesh Tearers, who supplement his own Blood Angels warriors.

This is mostly a "space marines move from A to B to C and smash stuff along the way" book. It's entertaining, but it doesn't really feel like it builds on the previous books very much. There's a lot of predictability but we do get some presents like an underwater fight scene and the storming of a giant Mechanicus craft. We also get a surprising callback to an old short story of James Swallow's that I never expected would tie into the series. The Flesh Tearers are fun but not quite as edgy as in the previous book. (Techmarine Mohl, you are a fucking badass. All I wanna say.)

The epic feel of the series is regained somewhat by the end, and I hope the fifth book proves to continue that trend.

8/10

Now let's step into the 40K time machine and zip back ten millenia for-

Fallen Angels, by Mike Lee

This is the 11th book in the Horus Heresy series, and a direct sequel to book 6: Descent of Angels by Michael Scanlon. It continues the story of Zahariel, Nemiel, Luther and the Lion, and also ties into the works of Gav Thorpe by bringing in Chapter Master Astelan.

The book picks up immediately where the previous one left off, with Luther and Zahariel sent home to Caliban by Lion El'Jonson ostensibly to train new recruits for the Dark Angels, but really because they are disgraced and their primach doesn't trust them any more.

The story then takes a fifty-three year jump. Nemiel is now a chaplain and is called to assist the Lion as the Dark Angels race to secure a forge world as the Heresy erupts around them. Meanwhile on Caliban, riots and rebellions erupt as the native people begin to lose faith in the Imperium. A wedge is driven between Zahariel and Luther as both slowly seem to be losing their trust in both each other and their companions.

The book is both action-packed and intruiging, but it doesn't quite seem to pull off the same panache that the previous book did. Maybe it's because of the pace, or perhaps because of the change in tone, but Mike Lee doesn't seem to quite grasp the characters the way Thorpe and Scanlon did. It's still good though, and the ending is one of the most ball-tighteningly awesome twists we've seen in the series to date.

8/10


So, that's all I've got for now. Coming soon (I hope): Dark Creed and the Word Bearers series as a whole, Soul Hunter, and A Thousand Sons.

[Imperial Overlord]

I quite liked Salamanders. It's a flawed book but it has a lot of interesting characters, which is the biggest challenge when writing Space Marines. The breaking point between the two characters and their friends, the death of a respected and beloved captain and their belief that the other failed in their duty and helped cause it, was believable and an excellent source of internal tension. The decency and heroism of the Salamanders comes through well, with the actions of a certain character and the Marines Malevolent an excellent foil. Unfortunately the main plot is weak.

[Lupercal]

I thought Fallen Angels was pretty decent. I wish Mike Lee had written Descent of Angels too. That book was awful.

[Imperial Overlord]

I really don't understand the dislike for Descent of Angels. It wasn't a typical 40K novel nor was it great, but actually did a good job of setting up the eventual fracture of the Dark Angels and Luther's betrayal.

[Lupercal]

I really don't understand the dislike for Descent of Angels. It wasn't a typical 40K novel nor was it great, but actually did a good job of setting up the eventual fracture of the Dark Angels and Luther's betrayal.

It was so boring, which is not something you would expect from a 40k book. Battle for the Abyss was hilariously bad, but Descent of Angels bored me to tears.

[Imperial Overlord]

Okay, that I can understand. Not agree with, but understand. It wasn't the wall to wall violence typical of 40k.

[PainRack]

I really don't understand the dislike for Descent of Angels. It wasn't a typical 40K novel nor was it great, but actually did a good job of setting up the eventual fracture of the Dark Angels and Luther's betrayal.

Because it had no actual plot other than the storyline of Luther and Lion are no longer friends. And people will know this........ only if they're WH40k fans for the Dark Angels.

[Imperial Overlord]

Because it had no actual plot other than the storyline of Luther and Lion are no longer friends. And people will know this........ only if they're WH40k fans for the Dark Angels.

Now that's not true at all. Disliking it because its centered mostly around Caliban before joining the Imperium is fine, but the unification of the world and the relationship between Luther and the Lion are big parts of the novel. You could go in knowing nothing about the Dark Angels and still understand that the break between them at the end is bad, bad news and unlike half the Heresy novels, the betrayal is actually believable (unlike that shit we're handed regarding Horus and the Alpha Legion).

[PainRack]

Because it had no actual plot other than the storyline of Luther and Lion are no longer friends. And people will know this........ only if they're WH40k fans for the Dark Angels.

Now that's not true at all. Disliking it because its centered mostly around Caliban before joining the Imperium is fine, but the unification of the world and the relationship between Luther and the Lion are big parts of the novel. You could go in knowing nothing about the Dark Angels and still understand that the break between them at the end is bad, bad news and unlike half the Heresy novels, the betrayal is actually believable (unlike that shit we're handed regarding Horus and the Alpha Legion).

That's the whole point. The whole novel had no plot OTHER than Luther and Lion are not friends.

As it is, the whole relationship goes wrong is STILL shrouded in mystery, because what we were exposed to was the sideline of another Space Marine.

The plot actually had no resolution whatsoever and stuff. It was just... Luther and Lion are no longer friends and Luther is sent home after rescuing the Barge from a bomb. For a short story, the exposition and stuff would have been fantastic. As a novel....... it sucked. The entire front half of the novel had no thematic purpose other than a very, short glimpse into the Lion and Luther relationship. Ditto to everything else. Despite there being no plot other than Luther and Lion, the actual content was miminal.

[Imperial Overlord]

It's not a stand alone novel. Of course it didn't resolve anything. It's hole purpose was to show Caliban and the fractures of the Luther/Lion relationship, which it did. As for how the relationship soured, that's quite clear in the book. Luther would have been the greatest man in Caliban's history if the Lion hadn't shown up. Luther may love him, but every he looks at the Lion he sees the glory that should have been his. The destruction of Caliban and the fracture between Luther and the Lion are defining moments of Dark Angels early history and the novel does a good job of laying the groundwork for those events.

As I said before, if the complaint was "I want more Space Marine action" that I understand. My biggest complaint with the Heresy series is that for a series centered around betrayal and choosing of sides, the betrayals mostly suck. Horus's corruption is a colossal let down ("hey let me totally trust a guy that's been caught lying who my brother warned me against in a realm where my perceptions can be altered"). Descent of Angels actually manages to a do a good job of setting that up.

On a side note, apparently Thousand Sons hit the New York Times best seller list, the first Black Library book to do so.

[Kuja]

On a side note, apparently Thousand Sons hit the New York Times best seller list, the first Black Library book to do so.

It deserves it. Yes, it's Kuja again, with the review of A Thousand Sons, book 12 of the Horus Heresy series, by Graham McNeill.

The first time I tried to read this book, I spooged so hard the whole last third got glued together. As a result I had to make a pilgrimage to Prospero, the planet of psychics. There, before the Great Pyramid of Photep I swore an oath of the moment to learn the ways of the Great Ocean, drawing upon the aether so that the remainder of this tome might not go unread. For nine times nine days I labored until finally the understanding was bestowed upon me. As knowledge is power, so I share my knowledge with my fellows in the hopes that they too will be enlightened by the tale of Magnus and the Thousand Sons.

"The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance."
- Ahzek Ahriman


The book starts off slow, and even a little bit boring, but like a snowball rolling downhill it slowly gathers speed and momentum until finally it becomes a massive boulder of glinting ice, smashing through expectations and rolling on without pause.

The vast majority of us know the story of Magnus and the Thousand Sons: they represented the psychic power of humanity, but they went untrusted and unliked by those who thought they were pushing their powers too far and delving into dark sorcery. At the Council of Nikea, the Emperor ordered them to cease and desist, but Magnus ignored him and happily went on his way. His connection to the warp warned him of Horus' impending betrayal, but when he tried to warn the Emperor Magnus found himself censured, and the Emperor sent the combined forces of the Adeptus Custodes, the Sisters of Silence, and the Space Wolves to bring the rogue primarch back to Terra for punishment. As a result, Prospero burned, Leman bitchslapped Magnus, and the Thousand Sons went completely rogue, falling under the banner of the chaos god of change, Tzeentch.

A Thousand Sons is that story, displayed now in great detail through the eyes of those who witnessed it. The book is primarily shown through two perspectives: the first that of a Remembrancer named Lemuel Gaumon, and the second that of the infamous Chief Librarian Ahriman himself. The amount of insight we gain into the life and fate of Magnus, Ahriman, and the Thousand Sons as a whole is astounding.

In my opinion, this is the best novel of the Heresy series since Flight of the Eisenstein and Fulgrim. We're back to the grand stage of history - no less than six primarchs appear in this book, along with Malcador the Sigilite and Constantin Valdor of the Custodes - and yes, even the Emperor Himself is present and accounted for. FINALLY. (That cameo in Descent of Angels just didn't cut it.)

As 9 is the sacred number, it is with great pleasure I give a 9/10 to A Thousand Sons. If you're a fan of the heresy series, or if you've been away for awhile, this is the book to pick up.


Now, because I can't resist, I'm going to release some spoilers for the book. BE WARNED - these are some pretty fucking heavy spoilers, DON'T read this part if you want to be surprised when you read.


The Thousand Sons-
Spoiler

As has been speculated, the name of the Thousand Sons legion comes from the day they found Magnus on Prospero - there were only a thousand of them. Rampant mutation had decimated their numbers up to that point and only after their unification with the primarch was a cure found that allowed them to expand their numbers into 9 large fellowships (rather than companies). The various fellowships followed the abilities of different schools of psykers - pyrokines, telekines, telepaths, and future-readers, for example. Ironically, or perhaps by design, just over a thousand of them survive the massacre of Prospero, once more making them a thousand sons.

Magnus sent various members of the Thousand Sons away from his Legion at times, seconding them to other Legions like the Ultramarines or the Space Wolves so that his men would learn the methods of the other space marines and not only grow closer to them, but also improve their own.

The Thousand Sons referred to the warp as the Great Ocean, and called familiar spirits from it, naming them Tutelaries, thinking they were essentially tame spirits - they learned otherwise when the spirits turn on them during the battle of Prospero.

Magnus-
Spoiler

We learn that Magnus did not always have one eye - he sacrificed the other in a bargain (implied with Tzeentch) to save his Legion from the debilitating mutations wrecking it. He hated Lorgar and Leman Russ for their cheerful destruction of the libraries and repositories of xeno cultures, but praised Guilliman for his wisdom. At the Council of Nikea, he was struck by the vision of Horus' betrayal, but rather than dare apporach the Emperor with it, he ran back to Prospero when the council had concluded to research a way he might stop it. When that failed he projected himself into the warp and broke into the Webway (again implied with the assistance of Tzeentch) to warn the Emperor - this is what caused the massive outbreak of daemonic energy in the budding Imperial webway.

Magnus believed it was the destiny of humanity to become a psychic race, and believed it was his destiny and duty, as well as the Thousand Sons, to guide them through that process. To this end he carefully vetted the Remembrancers who applied to the Thousand Sons and only accepted those with psychic potiential - 42 of them.

Magnus, we learn, accepted the rebuke of the Emperor and aside from his duel with Leman Russ, did nothing to prevent the sack of Prospero, even going so far as to disperse the fleet in the belief that he alone would pay for his crimes rather than his people. He took virtually no action, and the battle was essentially led by Ahriman.

Ahriman-
Spoiler

We learn that Ahriman's first name is Ahzek, and suprisingly he is not Prospero-born, but Terran, and even hailed from Egypt, or thereabouts. He was one of the Thousand Sons whose specialization related to reading possible futures from the warp - called the Corvidae school.

Surprisngly, Ahriman was something of a minimalist, preferring to use his hands and body for mundane tasks and only resorting to his powers when they were needed, even going so far as to rebuke his brother captains for employing their gifts for tasks as simple as cleaning a bolt gun.

Ahriman had a twin brother, Ohrmuzd, who shared his power and likewise became a space marine, but he succumbed to the flesh change and died before the Legion found Prospero.

The Council of Nikea-
Spoiler

We've always thought it was largely Leman Russ who spearheaded the anti-psyker movement, but surprisingly, we don't see him speak here. Instead it's Mortarion who brings the case against Magnus. The Emperor remains largely silent through the trial as Mortarion and Magnus present their sides - Mortarion declaring that psykers should be as used as little as possible and kept tightly controlled while Magnus believes in uplifting humanity. A number of librarians from various Legions speak in support of Magnus (only one Space Wolf dissents), but the Emperor sides with Mortarion and declares that the space marines must stop training psykers and further, must stop using the powers they have and dismantle their Librarian forces completely, returning them to standard battle companies.

Interestingly, despite the Emperor's firm stance, within months of the Edict of Nikea "dissenting voices already wondered how many of the Astartes Legions would actually obey the ruling."

Aftermath of Prospero-
Spoiler

When Magnus fought Leman Russ, we learn that it was not an honest duel - Magnus threw the fight, and when Leman Russ broke his back, the psychic energy released was what catapulted the surviving astartes away from the clutches of the Wolves, destroying Prospero in the process. The Sons were thus the first Legion to take a home in the Eye of Terror, claiming the Planet of Sorcerors. We do not see what happened to those who may have remained with the fleet.

Immediately upon arrival a tower erupts from the ground, growing until it is implied to be more than twice the height of Olympus Mons. We learn that Magnus is no longer bound by a body - instead he has become a creature of pure aetheric energy, one that can exist outside the warp.

There remain some questions left over in the aftermath of A Thousand Sons, however, it's possible that the companion piece coming soon may answer them. It will be the other side of the story, told from the viewpoint of Leman Russ and the Space Wolves: Prospero Burns.

[Imperial Overlord]

Thousand Sons was indeed awesome. I felt it was the first book to really do justice to might of the Primarchs. Leman Russ (as an example) is mainly the antagonist in the book, but there is no doubt at all he is an awesome force to be reckoned with, hiding a canny mind behind the facade of a savage warlord and possessing nearly limitless power. We see flashes in the earlier books, but in this one they take center stage. The Thousands Sons themselves are presented as quite formidable. A comparatively tiny legion, their psychic might makes up for their lack of numbers.

"There are no wolves on Fenris."

As a side note, older fluff states that once they joined up with Horus, the Thousand Sons were one of the most effective traitor legions. Does anyone know if that has been superseded?

[Falkenhayn]

On A Thousand Suns
Spoiler

-The Space Wolves attack with the aid of the Sisters of Silence and the Adeptus Custodes. The Custodes are Blanks to a man, the Sisters are Untouchables. The Thousand Sons utilize their full power (aided by their tutelaries), and kill thousands of this combined force. Phokis T'kar (?) is possessed, and strongly implied, elevated to Demonhood in the midst of the battle, but allows himself to be killed upon recognizing that he shouldn't be able to rip Custodes apart with his bare hands.
-Even on the Planet of the Sorcerors, there is still no indication that the Sons intend to fight the Emperor. Ahriman's stated intent for researching and casting the Rubric is to purify the Legion from the Flesh Change, so that they may begin redeeming themselves in the Emperor's sight. (p. 557)
-The other chief accuser besides Mortarion was a high ranking Space Wolves Rune Priest. The wolves insist that their power is derived from "the natural cycle of life an death on Fenris", when in fact they are Sorcerers. Thus, the condemnation takes on the associated play of a power grab by Leman against Magnus, which the Emperor is wise to in that he disbands all Librarians in all legions, but not so wise in his guess of how far his writ will run, like Kuja points out.
-Magnus' intrusion into the Imperial Palace, to warn the Emperor (which "broke His heart") destroyed the original Golden Throne, a machine which maintained the integrity of the Imperial Webway beyond repair. Magnus aided the Emperor previously in pacifying warp entities, and was the original target of the Chaos god's schemes.

It will probably come up in "Prospero Burns", IO.

But I read the last 200 pages of this book in a marathon, and have never had a lower opinion of the space puppies and their tool shed of a Primarch.

Magnus' cryptic references to the Canis Helix are still irritating me, as I can't decipher them. But the sheer power of the Thousand Sons was frightening...and there's lots of juicy stuff for Connor to work with.

[Imperial Overlord]

Minor correction: The Custodes aren't blanks. They get sorcerously bitch slapped pretty hard when they're aren't any Sisters of Silence to shield them.

And Prospero Burns had better paint Russ in a glowing light if he doesn't want to be splitting the "biggest tool shed of all time" award with Lorgar.

[Falkenhayn]

Indeed. I went back and checked, and the book describes them as weaker level Untouchables. Even so, they are able to sneak up on Uthizzar and Phokis, which is...impressive, but are still slaughtered as you describe. I guess Wystan Frauka wasn't the only person to suffer from not being Untouchable enough.
Spoiler

The high ranking rune priest is Amlodhi Skarssen Skarnessen. He learns the Son's secrets by weaseling his way into Ahriman's trust. In the final battle on Prospero, Ahriman psychically download's Magnus' knowledge of the Horus Heresy into Amlodhi's brain, lets him put 2+2 together, then pulls his soul into the warp and throws it to a mob of demons.

[PainRack]

By the way, anyone here read Scourge the Heretic and the second Dark heresy novel by Sandy Mitchell yet?

I just completed Scourge the Heretic and its AWESOME.

Sure, it still has the pulp fiction depiction of characters, but unlike Cain, the reluctant hero of the Imperium, the novel isn't written for campiness.

It really shows the author ability to write an engrossing story set in the Wh40k universe using different styles/modes. The novel is inspired by the Dark Heresy sourcebook but it doesn't read like a simple gamebook, campaign story or stuff. Sandy retains the humour of the Cain novels, but just as Cain was written in a tongue in cheek/campy manner, the humour reads more like the camaderie and tension relieving stuff in a team.

[Imperial Overlord]

Scourge the Heretic and Innocence Proves Nothing are both good.

[Shroom Man 777]

I have them, and I liked them. I very much like how it details the diverse and detailed society in the Imperium, and the cast of character is pretty cool. Sexy Keira! Badass Drake! The only problem though, is that the story's kind of slow.

Also, what was the name of that artifact the bad guys are using to enhance psykers and, accidentally, release grotesque Slaver things? The only problem is that the artifact is a bit too similar to the shadowlight thing in the Cain books.

[Lost Soal]

I have them, and I liked them. I very much like how it details the diverse and detailed society in the Imperium, and the cast of character is pretty cool. Sexy Keira! Badass Drake! The only problem though, is that the story's kind of slow.

Also, what was the name of that artifact the bad guys are using to enhance psykers and, accidentally, release grotesque Slaver things? The only problem is that the artifact is a bit too similar to the shadowlight thing in the Cain books.

Spoiler

It's Eldar Wraithbone

[Sidewinder]

On A Thousand Suns
Spoiler

The other chief accuser besides Mortarion was a high ranking Space Wolves Rune Priest. The wolves insist that their power is derived from "the natural cycle of life an death on Fenris", when in fact they are Sorcerers. Thus, the condemnation takes on the associated play of a power grab by Leman against Magnus, which the Emperor is wise to in that he disbands all Librarians in all legions, but not so wise in his guess of how far his writ will run, like Kuja points out.

And Prospero Burns had better paint Russ in a glowing light if he doesn't want to be splitting the "biggest tool shed of all time" award with Lorgar.

I share this concern (the Space Wolves remain my favorite Legion). As for the power grab that Falkenhayn implied, it may have been Amlodhi's idea, and the Rune Priest managed to convince Leman it's a good idea. If Prospero Burns proves Leman did act on good intentions, it also proves a Space Marine is still human, still capable of deceit and betrayal, even against his own Primarch!

[Connor MacLeod]

Sons of Dorn is actually alot more like a modern revision of Space Marine without the toilet humor and bizarrity and Ian Waton's peculiar style of prose. In Space Marine you had three friends from dramatically different backgrounds (including one being a snobby arisocrat) caught up in a battle, having a rivalry, and becoming Space MArines together.. etc. etc. Its even baout the Fists for crying out loud. Space Wolf had some similarities too, but they were alot looser and more (I think) conceptual as fitting witht hat time (I suspect Space Marine and Space Wolf were meant to be "glimpses into the lift and creation of Astartes of a particular Chapter).

Salamander wasn't too bad. I thought it captured the nature of the Chapter pretty well, and Tsugan's inherent assholishness does not bug me - I'd be more annoyed if the Salamanders didn't have some variation of attitude in their ranks (I hate the RAR we all think alike mentality of some writers.) I can't wait to see the next book.

I thought Black Tide was better than the first three books, but to be honest this isn't saying a ton. Red Fury was pretty much "set up" for this book, and because of that it was mostly showcasing the other chapters, politics and.. drama. It was kinda dull, but it beats the first duology in many respects. I'll agree that Black Tide did have some huge letdowns - the middle part of the book after taking the AdMech base/ship was fucking dull but it does pick up towards the end some.

I havne't read Fallen Angels in any detail yet but it looks intereting from a "we get to see the Dark Angels in action" kind of POV. As far as its comparison to Descent of Angels goes.. I think its worth noting that the book seems to be taking its path from the Gav Thorpe approach on Dark Angels started in "Angels of Darkness" long ago which tends to paint the Fallen in a more sympathetic light and make the Lion out to be more than a bit of an insecure asshole. DoA is a prequel in the same way Thousand Sons is, but to really grasp the "scope" (or at least the one they intend) you need a bit of background into pre-Imperium Caliban. Was there a bit too much there? Maybe. I think it could have focused on that for half the book, then the other hafl being the Imperium, but since this was clearly meant to only be the starting off point of the "Lion El'Jonson being a dick to his allies and friends" trend it is a bit approrpiate how it was handled. It reminds me a bit of "Daemon World" in that respect. Whether you like it or not is of course going to depend entirely on how you feel about the approach.

Oh and speaking of Thousand Sons.. I havent read that one yet either, but from what bits I have read it does a good job of showing the Sons in a more sympathetic light, and this makes them more likable. It also serves as a bit of a contrast from the Space Wolf novels, where they are total assholes later on. As far as the Wolves being assholes in the Heresy, this isnt the first novel to indicate that so I think it may be deliberate (Battle for the Abyss is a good example.) It remains to be seen if this trend follows.

I'll be curious to see how Soul Hunter goes over. Its a fantastic novel, and most I've checked with have told me so before I got it. Its far better than Lord of the Night and is perhaps one of the best-written novels from the Chaos perspective, though the word Bearers trilogy is close (and dark Creed proved to be a worthy conclusion. It has everything and makes Storm of Iron look like a brushfire conflict.)

[Imperial Overlord]

To say the Thousand Sons are presented sympathetically in Thousand Sons is an understatement. They're presented as tragic heroes, damned by circumstance and hubris despite the best intentions and the most admirable of goals. The destruction of Prospero is a monstrous act. The Space Wolves do a good job of earning every bit of payback the Thousand Sons will throw at them over the next ten thousand years.

[Lost Soal]

The one bit about Thousand Sons which annoyed me was Mcneill throwing out the Space Wolf novels by having Russ fight with a Frostblade

[white_rabbit]

Mcneil has said in interviews that he writes what he thinks should be the way things are, and that he is out to stamp 40k with "his ideas".

Hence the occasional "fuck you" to other authors, and the case of the Amazing Shrinking Imperators.


Its a 40k thread, so I'll throw it here, has anyone else been brushing through the background sections in the BA codex?

Its pretty hilarious, Mephiston tears a Carnifex apart bare-handed, then takes out a Hive Brood and the tyrant leading it, and after he wakes up from the rubble and is reborn as Mephiston, he kills half a dozen orks in as many seconds, again with his bare hands, he gets trapped by a Daemon Prince and throttles it to death....with his bare hands.

One wonders why this bloke even bothers to carry his sword around ?

Ka'bandha the Bloodthirster dies about 4 times in various scenarios, the most hilarious and ironic being when the Sanguinor cripples his wings, then drops him from low orbit. (possibly a slight case of deja vu)

The Blood Angels have over forty occupied dreadnaughts, including super-furioso Psyker dreadies, giant dread scale shotguns, and can launch magnetic/gravitic "magna clamp" harpoon fists to snare enemy vehicles.

We've even got an "impromptu alliance" between the Silent King, a high level Necron lord, and Dante led Blood Angels, after a Nid swarm attacks the planet they are battling over.

Last days of M41, Ka'bandha arrives with a Daemonic legion, besieges the Baal system, coincidentally, a Hive Fleet splinter of Leviathan is also attacking. Dante forms an alliance of local Imperial worlds, Non-humans and forces from every Blood Angel successor chapter except the Lamenters, and even the renegade Knights of Blood turn up to fight.

Not quite as "metal" as the Space Wolves, but funny.

[Bob the Gunslinger]

I have heard much outrage over the BA codex. Apparently it is the fifth codex in a row to kill an Eldar Avatar, and the war god Khaine is the new Worf. "How do we let our customers know that this Calgar Carnifex Baneblade Tau marker drone Sanguinor new character is serious business? I know! He can kill an Avatar!"