Book Review - Master of Mankind

The Master of Mankind Book Review - Aaron Dembski-Bowden

The Master of Mankind - Aaron Dembski-Bowden

Well I've just finished this and it was everything I hoped it would be, top marks Aaron Demski-Bowden! Beware SPOILERS ahead...

Since the beginning of Games Workshops lore we have seen little of the mystical being, the Emperor. Rightly so I think. I always felt like getting a huge insight into the Big E himself would be like meeting your hero - something you shouldn't do we are told!

Praetorian of Dorn - Horus Heresy Preview (revisited)

Hi folks, I am just re-visiting this preview after listening to the awesome Gav Thorpe talking on the very excellent Eye of Horus podcast (well worth a listen). Gav got to talking about Praetorian of Dorn which he describes as Alpharius versus Dorn and the book sees the Alpha Legion testing Dorn's defences ahead of Horus' advance. So cool!

I think this is really exciting so thought I'd share it with any other Heresy addicts out there.
Although we've seen the Heresy brought to Sol through the civil war on Mars, this is the first incursion against the system in earnest.

Gav also reminded me that whilst Horus has been working on Heresy for around seven years before reaching Terra, the Alpha Legion have known this was the end game for at least a decade before Horus was turned so this is all part of their grand scheme - sneaky fellows! The interview doesn't really give much away, but kind of confirms what we have guessed from the book art, namely Alpharius and Dorn trying to kill each other up close!

Anyway, thats it folks, just getting excited again for this next step in the Heresy, book due out next month apparently...

Horus Heresy Book Review - Scars by Chris Wraight (No spoilers)

I am slowly getting through the Black Library Horus Heresy series and thoroughly enjoying my trip through Warhammer history. I find it incredibly interesting to read each author's interpretation of the legions and the events that have taken place in the Warhammer universe. In truth some of the books have been brilliant - Horus Rising, Flight of the Eisenstein, Outcast Dead, Deliverance Lost & Fear to Tread to name just a couple - and some have been pretty boring - Descent of Angels, Battle for the Abyss, Nemesis, Mechanicum, Legion. I would say that on average though you can't go too wrong with this series of books as there is always something in these novels that is enjoyable and worth finding out about.

When it came to reading Scars I have to say that I was definitely NOT looking forward to this book. I generally have no interest in the White Scars and before the book had no idea about the chapter, their Primarch or their history in the Horus Heresy. Also I hadn't read a lot of Chris Wraight's novels previously although the one I had read (Battle for the fang) I thoroughly enjoyed. So with this slightly negative view off I went to join the Khan...

In the novel we are treated to many different legionsof Space Marines - From the White Scars & Space Wolves to the Alpha Legion, Word Bearers and Death Guard. We also get to meet 4 Primarchs - Khan & Mortarian in the main and Russ and Magnus chipping in with bit parts. With the meeting of these primarchs and legions we are treated to some interesting reveals and backstory of the Horus Heresy that has not been covered before and the characters in the book are extremely compelling which made me want to keep reading to find out more.

The story has a number of sub-plots and distinctly follows two storylines which can be a little disjointed but are both important to the story and the Horus Heresy as a whole with a great reveal about the workings of the Word Bearers and how they are controlling things.

The most enjoyable parts of the story for me were the interactions between the primarchs which just make me want to know what would happen if.....(once you've read it you'll understand!) and the decision that the Khan must make whether to be loyal to the Emperor or Horus. Chris Wraight did a magnificent job of getting the feeling of confusion across to the reader as bits of information, messages and rumours about the wider galaxy reached the White Scars creating division and corruption amongst the legion.

The poorer parts of the book in my opinion were the pace - I thought that at times it slowed down when things had just started to get going - which is probably due to this book being originally released as a series ebook in parts. Also I thought that some of the fighting and battle scenes weren't as engaging as they should have been. I'm not sure why but it just didn't feel like I was in the battle with shells and swords clattering around me.

As a whole I really enjoyed the book and I think it is well worth a read. It compliments and extends the Horus Heresy background, tells the story of the White Scars chapter of which little has been written before and is an interesting standalone story with some great characters.

I give this book an 8/10

Let me know what you think

James

Book Review – Horus Heresy Book Anthology – Blades of the Traitor – No spoilers

Ok so a quick disclaimer here. I know these anthologies can feel like another attempt to drain us of out cash without moving the Heresy forward but I have long since stopped being impatient and worrying about that. I am reading them for what I think they are – an opportunity for the authors to explore bits that were cut out of their longer stories, or to explore the beginnings of characters that they didn’t get chance to without impacting on the pace or focus of their novels. This collection doesn’t disappoint.

Daemonology - Chris Wraight.

This short story shows Mortarion being manipulated by the warp and being drawn ever closer to the fate we know awaits him. It’s a very short story depicting the destruction of a ‘library world’ by Mortarion’s Legionaries. It also shows his hated for witchcraft and his near murder of the Sigillite whilst he is waiting to take control of the Death Guard. It is a reminder that some of the Primarchs started with good intention but that the compromises of the Crusaded worked upon their misgivings to turn them traitor. A brief, but formative essay on the aspects of the 31^st Millennia that worked to turn Mortarion ‘bad’. 6/10

Black Oculus – John French.

This is just a few pages long – it is a stream of conscience from the mind of a Navigator aboard an Iron Warrior ship arriving at Tallarn (John was author of Tallarn Executioner). This adds a little colour to an as yet unheard voice in the 31^st Millenia – that of the all-knowing Navigators. 6/10

Chirurgeon - Nick Kyme.

Basically, if you ever end up in the 31^st Millennia, get sick, decide to report to the doc and see the name Dr F.Bile above the apothecarion, immediately turn around and take a couple of aspirin! This guy is your worst surgical nightmares rolled into one. Here we get a glimpse of early influences that made Bile into the obsessed butcher he became.

The story flicks between an ongoing surgery and the period after the Proxima Betrayal (at which they defended the wounded Emperor). This period pre-dates Fulgrim and after much of their gene-seed was mysteriously lost leading them to be one of the smallest legions. Bile describes the IIIrd as ‘an endangered species’ and his early work in trying to harvest gene-seed from the battlefield leaves him ‘dehumanised’ in is own words. We learn about the blight affecting the legion and what Bile finds himself forced to do to save his brothers. The piece ends with him revealing his own infection and the lengths he is prepared to go to hide it. I really liked this one, I think it gives real insight into the making of one of the 31^st millennium’s greatest villains. 7/10

Twisted, Guy Hayley.

This story centres around Maloghurst (the Twisted) and his relationship with the warp and Horus. It’s a tense, creepy setting amidst the changing atmosphere of the Warmasters flagship. Maloghurst is given the chance to reach for great power thanks to his fathers alliance with the warp and we see how he takes that on for himself. I found the imminent threat and temptations of the warp made this short story into a great page turner, I would really recommend it. A great insight into the Twisted and events unfolding as Horus marches on Terra. Great stuff 8/10.

Wolf Mother - Graham McNeil.

Ever wondered what happened next to Alivia from the Molech story? Well you can see the next step on her journey from Molech in this short story. Wonder what Severian did next after the failed assassination of Horus? Well, Alivia is joined by the Knight Errant Severian in an attempt to rescue her peril-prone daughter again - think Taken on a space ship during the heresy! I wont say anymore for fear of spoiling the story, its action-packed and the relationship between the two heroes is great to observe, my favourite of the collection. 8/10

The verdict

If like me you are a sucker for all things Horus Heresy, get it on your shopping list. Overall 7/10.

Book Review: Horus Heresy Pharos

Ok so I am gonna start with the warning that this is 'hands down' my favourite Horus Heresy book in a while so expect a gushing review here....

This is Guy Haley's first full Horus Heresy book and he takes us to the beginning of the end for the Imperium Secundus. By the end of the book the cracks have been well and truly pried open by a Konrad Curze shaped crowbar! Although to be fair to him it's as much the relationship between the Lion, Guilliman and Sanguinius as anything he does. 

And really this galactic-shaping event is just the back story to the gripping attack on the world of Sotha and the Pharos by the best (or worst) baddies in 30k...The Nightlords. 

The book has some great characters that I was really into and Guy Haley does a great job of making the Nightlords relatable and 'human' whilst remaining the biggest psychos around.
Dantioch and Pollux are there and have always been favourites of mine, and there are also major appearances from Curze, Sanguinius and Roboute. Pollux kicks power-armoured arse as always and even elicits the comment "someone in there knows what they are doing" from a thwarted Night Lord captain which I loved.

For the Nightlords we get the two rivals Skraivok (Clawmaster) and Krukresh Lord of Kyroptera. 

These two are great characters, being as back stabbing, scheming and generally evil as you can be and also showing us the Nightlords are not so impervious to the temptations of the warp. 

But by far the most interesting NL characters are the brothers Kellendvar and Kellenkir, who along with their gene-father explore the question of pre-determinism and Haley confronts the idea that the NL leapt 'from their mothers arms intent on torture and death'. Along with the Primarch, Haley injects some sympathy into us for these characters who are reaching for redemption (Curze to a degree) at times only to fall short. 

The best character in the book though is Sgt Mericus Giraldus - a human joker turned hero who cracks jokes with and at the expense of the stoney faced Ultramarines and Pollux throughout the story in a way we haven't seen before. He does not suffer from the awe of trans-humans and his wit is always walking a line of insubordination only to be saved from rebuke by his great martial prowess and leadership. Without doing Haley any discredit, he reminds me of some of the great characters from the Gaunt's Ghosts series and if I ever build a Solar Auxilia army you can bet there will be a squad lead by Giraldus. 

There is plenty of action in the book without feeling like the tired bolter porn that this can become. It's got so many kinds of combat; sneak attacks by the filthy nightlords, Primarchs fighting each other, ship combat, assault on a fortified location, guerilla warfare, humans v Astartes, Astartes v humans, Astartes v Astartes v humans! As you can tell I love the battle scenes, partly because I was so invested in the heroes but also because they are so well paced and great fun to read. 

The verdict: great action, we learn some more about the fall of Imperium Secundus, engaging characters - it's got it all. Well done Guy Haley. Now stop reading this and go buy it 10/10. 

Book Review: The Underworld War - Aaron Demski-Bowden

Book Review: The Underworld War by Aaron Demski-Bowden



You might not recognise the title, but this is my favourite short story within The Mark Of Calth collection (edited by Laurie Goulding).

The book is light on combat but explores the effect of the change from human to Astartes and more specifically the change from Astartes to one of the Gal Vorbak; I thought this was a nice little study. ADB describes successful humans who become Astartes as 'once human' and defines their ability to leave former lives behind as critical in this accepting fully the duties of the Legion without question or fear. He takes this further by looking at the make-up of a Gal Vorbak.

The Ultramarines are absent as ADB focuses on one Word Bearer Sergeant Jerudai Kaurtal. He is a likeable character (for a filthy traitor!) who displays honour and the ability to think for himself aside from the dogma of his Legion.

This independence of thought leads him to consider himself abandoned on Calth and he vows to collect icons of all the fallen Chapters and return them to his Legion so their sacrifice is never forgotten.

I love how ADB give a sense of a pointless war of attrition and he tells us that Kaurtal lost his first boltgun 6years 246 days ago and that he has scavenged 13 since then! He paints a picture of a pointless war which the Ultramarines are winning.

We get to see the Word Bearer wrestle for control with the daemon inside him, and see him retain his Astartes-ness within his own mind, never giving in fully to the daemon.

The book ends with a great plot twist that I never saw coming and we understand what is special about the Gal Vorbak and other Word Bearers sent to the war on Calth.

The verdict: Overall I really enjoyed this story and finding out a bit more about the inner workings of the Gal Vorbak. It's well written, paced and gives us another morsel of info on one of the coolest units in The Horus Heresy! 8/10.

Now go read Betrayal at Calth! This is my favourite story but there are 5 other great ones!

The Spartan Challenge - for Sparta!!!

Dave and I have challenged ourselves to complete one new unit for our next game set for 19th March.
Looking through our workbenches we both had a Spartan that needed to be brought into battle readiness so the game is afoot!

The challenge is to complete a Spartan tank each in the next 61 days - easy eh? Well these things are never easy when kids and work are involved and in my case a house move in February! Nevertheless the challenge is set, keep checking back on our progress. We will post up our work with a description of the techniques or approaches we are using.

We have both already built our tanks and primed them. Dave's has started with a chaos black base and mine is airbrushed with Vallejo Primer and based with Vallejo Yellow Gold. Our first posts will include some thoughts on the build job for a spartan and why we chose our respective primers as a base.

The clock is ticking...61 days to see who is Leonidis and who is swimming at the bottom of a well!

Book Review: Cybernetica

This Horus Heresy novella was published in July 2015 by long time Black Library contributor Rob Sanders who has written fairly broadly across 40k and 30k in his time. Interestingly Rob is an English Teacher at a secondary school in addition to writing for the Black Library - very cool to have as your teacher!

The book is set around the issue of what Dorn, Malcador and the Fabricator General of Terra think should be done about Mars. As you would expect the lead character convinces Dorn ("just give me 48hours chief") to let him try a clandestine mission to bring about victory over the traitors on Mars and the bulk of the story tracks his progress.

The lead character is a very cool Raven Guard known as the 'Carrion' who was badly injured, 'repaired' with extensive cybernetics and as a result began training to be a Techmarine on Mars prior to the outbreak of the civil war. He is an appealing character who takes us along the way in an engaging way starting off as a tortured soul following his extensive injuries which prevent him returning to the ranks of stealthy Ravens. He has some very cool in-built weaponry which uses power drained from enemies and friends alike. His main weapon is a grav-gun that he wields like a shotgun - very cool. He would make a great model with some awesome rules.

There are some interesting insights into Dorns thinking, Malcadors' relationship with the Primarch and the state of civil war on Mars but to be honest it's not revealing a great deal more than we already know. As a VIIth Legion fan I was happy just to see a bit more of Dorn and in some ways that's what these peripheral stories can offer most of.

If you like fight scenes you won't be disappointed - there are plenty of epic battles with leaps from collapsing buildings to conveyor belt fights against swarming Skitari.

I think you have to read these novellas knowing that they probably won't make a big impact on the overall story line but they can give you a look 'behind the scenes' of the bigger stuff or even develop a Heresy character further by filling in the blanks. Rob Sanders goes some way to doing this but this book is more about filling in the backstory than revealing much about any of our favourite characters.

The verdict: 6/10

I enjoyed the read but at times found the fights scenes to be a little repetitive. The character of the Carrion was interesting in the first half but became a little static thereafter. I think if you are interested in the war on Mars and Mechanicus related stuff then it's worth a read, if you love a good fight scene and like the sound of some cool weaponry not used much elsewhere you'll also not be disappointed.

If you are like me, and simply have to know what's going on in the Heresy then just get it!