Aaron Dembski-BowdenRecensioni

+1 for Bjorn having a dreadnaught viagra moment

I had not read any of the other books in this series prior to this one -- do not recommend doing that. I did this because I wanted specifically to read some Dembski-Bowden. Initially there were too many plot lines in play, although they narrowed down a bit as the book progressed. Other then that pretty much what I expected -- pulpy grimdark nonsense. Maybe a bit more gross-out moments than I expected.

Why'd you have to go and do me like that?

Despite www.heresyomnibus.com suggesting this come between False Gods and Flight of the Eisenstein, this was a new one on me, despite my coveting The Imperial Truth Limited Edition anthology exclusive Black Library events in 2013, which I didn't realise they actually made available online in 2015, and I am so very glad I didn't wait until the War Without End anthology that is Horus Heresy Book 33. Anthologies really should have been kept out of the numbered novel line.

Another story about the Red Angel and his Eaters of Worlds and another time I find myself crying over the non-stop abuse, misunderstanding, and tragedy that make up the life of my dear, sweet angry boy and his grumpy guys.

The story follows the Primarch of the VII Legion on Isstvan III in the thick of the fighting as the Traitors Extremis expunge the Loyalists from their ranks. We are given an insight into where his head is with the Blood God and his motivations for refusing to follow Horus' orders ahead of the virus bombs, as well as the would-be saviour of Desh'ea's perspective on the Emperor and Horus that informed his stance.

Everything about my big read boy his sons is heartbreaking and tragic and I love them so much. I feel the feels coming over me, it is a good pain! I started crying in 2009 when I first read After Desh'ea by Matthew Farrer, one of my favourite short stories of all time without qualifier, and I have been sobbing for nearly fifteen years about the Lord of the Red Sands and his Equerry, Khârn, the best boy.

Incredibly short story filled with ludicrous amounts of emotional gore and gory emotion.

Bloody marvellous!

This is one my absolute favourite books from this series and was such a wonderful bolstering of the first touch of Heresy Burnout I was feeling after Battle for the Abyss (BFTA). I'm using a combination of the Shadow Crusade I: Only the Faithful and Shadow Crusade II: Underworld War omnibussies from www.heresyomnibus.com to follow the Word Bearers vs Ultramarines storyline, as well as going onto Lorgar: Bearer of the Word (Primarchs) next. I say it's one of the best Horus Heresy, but I haven't given it full marks for reasons I'll get more into later.

From the shameful wreckage of Monarchia, through the Eye of Terror, to the Dropsite Massacre, A D-B tells the story of how Lorgar was disregarded, broken, and manipulated by everyone around him. This is the heartbreaking backstory of what was less a fall, but a damning push and pull to seeking answers and discovering darker truths.

We're so back baybee!

That's the feeling I was instantly hit by when picking this up. Honestly, I'm not sure why this wasn't released after Flight of the Eisenstein instead of Fulgrim, or included first in the Shadow Crusade Omnibus because it fully establishes the apotheosis of the Red vs Blue rivalry. I partly understand BFTA being before this, despite none of the Legions or context being established (I talked about this more in my BFTA review), because this is the introduction of the Ultramarines and an incredibly ignoble one at that. Honestly, it's a testament to the writing of Dan Abnett and co that they can elicit any sympathy for the XIII after this book.

I did not recall Monarchia being as brutal as it was. This is at least the third time I've read this and I was just as, if not more, shocked this time. There are aspects of seeing the Sons of Guilliman's interactions with the Monarchians that tragically resonate with atrocities we see in the real world. The entire tale of Monarchia from the Word Bearers' perspective is harrowing; there is shame, of course, but their is a cruelty of very real physical, emotional, and psychic abuse that Lorgar and the XVII suffer, along with what we come to learn about previous understandings the Urizen had, are beyond heartbreaking.

In previous novels the merits of brutal and punishing Compliances and/ or dealing with rebellion against the Imperial Truth have been discussed by Astartes with one pointing out that they ferment resentment that leads to further opposition. You have to question whether the Emperor could be so incredibly ignorant in the handling of his sons from Monarchia, to the Emperor's Children's Aquila, his actions upon meeting the Red Angel on Nuceria and Night Haunter on Nostromo, etc., or his indifference and cruelty are part of his grand plan.

I have long talked about my love and sympathy for the Primarchs of the VIII and XII, but I always forget how Lorgar's life is also a tragedy of epic proportions. The outcast brother and devoted son, desperate to venerate his father, traumatised by the abuse he received in response. The way his adopted father and son then use this grief and vulnerability to manipulate and compel him is truly painful to see. I think how genuine and humble he was, and the suffering he experienced gets forgotten and he becomes such an easy target for contempt due to the ego, confidence, and zealotry that come to fill the husk his life leaves him, makes him such an unbelievably smarmy and unlikable prick.

Through tantalising discussion of the Lost Legions it seems that only Lorgar and his sons who feel the heartbreaking familial fear of being cut out and purged hanging over them, along with the pain of losing two brothers and countless cousins that his is sworn to never speak of. It's always exciting to see how the Lost Legions are included and discussed--those familiar with Warhammer 40K will be aware that these were wiped from all records to enable players to create their own First Founding Legions--they can never be detailed, but the little we glean is fascinating, but, more than that, in this deeper story this is an absolute nightmare to live with the knowledge of.

This is a book of a great deal of unknown and forbidden knowledge. In fact, it's an amazing masterclass in turning a colossal info and lore dump into an engaging narrative. I am a self-admitted lore nerd so my perspective is going to be biased compared to someone reading this series without prior knowledge and/ or interest, but I do think it does a brilliant job of making it fun to read and parseable for the majority of readers.

There are so many huge drops and reveals, so many that I had forgotten, that I won't spoil here, but I definitely was gagged a bunch of times. One thing that has been clear throughout the series is the way it plays with dramatic irony for those with knowledge of the Dark Millennium, without being impenetrable for those without. Something I particular enjoy, which we see in here, is the way both 'Loyalist' and 'Traitor' forces plant seeds that will eventually bloom to benefit their opponents. Watching elements of each other's doom and difficulty being sewn brings me a wonderful schadenfreude.

Let's talk about one of my favourite characters in the Horus Heresy, my sweet prince, the Last Angel, the Crimson Lord of the Gal Vorbak, Argel Tal. His depth of character is easily comparable to Loken and Garro, though he is shaped by different experiences that make him in various ways courser and party to dark deeds. Nevertheless, he has that rare humanity in him so many Astartes lose after ascension. His relationship with Cyrene actually mirrors that of Loken's with Mersadie Oliton, enabling a confessional and for tales of the Legion to be told. In the way she becomes revered, there is also a dark reflection of Euphrati Keeler in Cyrene--again, we see the importance of humans in affecting the galaxy and the Heresy. Argel Tal is an echo of Lorgar himself, with the personal tragedies and experiences being closely aligned, but with the Gal Vorbak actually going further and being the canary in the Warp for Lorgar and suffering for it; another devoted son, mistreated. I did year up when he said, "I'm sorry."

I don't want to go on for too much longer or into more florid detail, so I will try to cover things more briefly.

A D-B's descriptions and discussions of the Immaterium are gorgeous and riveting! The sheer weight of reveals and context are staggering! This series does so well to justify within context the ridiculous events and make me care for individuals, and this book has that in spades!

Ferrus Mannus is given such a raw deal in Horus Heresy and I do wonder if it's because ole Durus Renatus has such a silly name for a 'Loyalist' (The Red Angel was given the slave name, Angron-Thal'kr, literally Child of the Mountain [House], and Night Haunter is the VIII Primarch's chosen name & incredibly apropos).

As much criticism as I had for BFTA, one thing it did, along with all other novels so far, including this one with how it described the Gal Vorbak as standing 'together, but alone', is the echoing leitmotifs of Astartes brotherhood and its dichotomy of the perilously fragile assumed/ told bonds and the individually established/ cemented true connections, while everything happening around them and just being individual weapons/ expendible, they are all alone or at least threatened by it.

The story of Lorgar, the Horus Heresy, The Emperor and the Imperium of Man at its heart is a story of withheld truths, lies, manipulations (genetic, mental, and psychic), neglect, abuse, and trauma that make the possibility of informed consent impossible. It's a tragedy of destiny and being trapped by circumstance and I love it! Never is it more on display, at least in the books so far, that in The First Heretic.

This book is so nearly perfect with some of the most wonderful descriptions, excellent storytelling, and mastercrafted dialogue, so when it isn't hitting those highs the lows feel lower and I do have some criticisms to discuss.

I'm sure I've read A D-B books that had good battles in them, but the general action of the Compliances in this book are compently described, but lack any real energy or interest, which is almost certainly exacerbated by everything else being so bloody good
(*shhh* Don't tell anymore, but I'm not really into the Heresy for the battles as much as the pain and the drama)

The rather bizarre organisation and weighting of parts of this book are really effective when they work, but it does lead to parts almost feeling vastly different in terms of interest and quality, almost tacked on. This makes sense in the way different parts are being told by different people as we see them play out, but there are whole sections that might have been better as separate stories to keep the story more focused and balanced.

My only other complaint is if the writing is that it seems A D-B has She Who Must Be A Bigoted Fuck levels of fatphobia. I don't know how purposeful it is, but any kind of fat or overweight aspect to a character is portrayed as gross and bad, as well as being a reflection of their negative character. This is something that comes up in so many books, genre fiction particularly, and it's always noticeable, but often ignorable as it only comes up once or twice, but it comes up a LOT over the course of this book. This really isn't OK and I hate it. I don't compare an author or their writing to that virulent hatemonger lightly, especially not books and authors I genuinely have the highest respect for, but on this one issue, it's warranted.

One thing about the otherwise brilliant audio book narrated by Gareth Armstrong is the voice he uses for the Remembrancer, Ishaq Kadeen, which seems to be a questionable, vague South Asian accent. I assume this is in an attempt to be explicit about diversity and the character, but white British folx doing accents in books is weird and uncomfortable, unless the accent is flawless. But even then it is a a question.

This book is so gods damned good and I'm so excited to get into more Imperial Herlads-Word Bearers shenanigans starting with Lorgar's Primarchs backstory, and following the Shadow Crusade storyline at least through the extended Calth storyline, but I'm so enamoured with Lorgar and Argel Tal that I might follow it all the way to the Shadow Crusade III: Chosen of Chaos to really get my fix, as well as getting into my sweet, sad, angry bois, and the big [Roommates] energy between Argel Tal and Khârn.

You can find the omnibussies referenced in this review here: www.heresyomnibus.com

I am not that much into the bad-guy novels. What I like to read about is redemption, person going from complete baddie to someone who is fighting for a good cause.

Here.... there is no way Iskandar will ever become good guy. But what captures reader from start is perspective of this bloodthirsty bunch - they are right example of the hell-bound creatures that do despicable and twisted things as a routine, Emperor's Children champion especially (duh!), destroying their opponents while trying to survive in the Eye of Terror. So from perspective of psychopaths they live life of normal, outside the usual laws of physics. Think natural-born-killers perspective - for them all atrocities are normal things.

So when they bleed into real space ...... oh man what a twist, because for majority of them they are entering the crazy world because the ultimate looney-world is the normality. I especially liked this part of story and their coming to terms that while they fought eternal Legion Wars in the Eye, in real world ..... well things changed significantly.

From the perspective of mad warriors that have nothing to lose and everything to gain by aiming very high under the charismatic Abaddon they are on a crusade high, screaming Vengeance as a rally motto, and in perspective trying and gambling everything to gain glory for themselves. Aim is not brotherhood but bloodshed for the bloodshed sake, revenge for getting their butt kicked thousands years ago, ascending while saying that does not matter. Warriors with full coffers of apologies and justifications for their behavior, while they are all aware of their faults that make them what they are. And they embrace it, no shame about it.

Are they true to themselves? Definitely. But are they warped beyond recognition - oh, boy, definitely.

Lunatics have escaped the ultimate asylum, defeated the main opposition from asylum, met some even more Lovecraftian people outside (Ghosts are ...... brrrrr) and even clashed and had luck when encountering the Black Templars, first ever battle outside the Eye.

I can only say, I truly hope we get book 3 sometime in near future. This is epic story, told by Iskandar, the herald from the Mouth of Madness.

For fans of W40K, Chaos Marines and stories of tough, eternally bad, very bad guys, highly recommended.

Works about chaos Space Marines were never my forte. They would almost always be presented as total maniac wizards or blood soaked butchers.
This book portrays the Chaos Space Marines in a way that gives them more depth - they are portrayed as warriors disappointed in their Primarchs (now foul Chaos Daemon Princes using their genetic sons as cannon fodder in internal squabbles) and forces of Chaos in general.

United by hatred towards Emperor and Human Empire, small party of Chaos Marine warbands will become a crucial element in creation of Black Legion, Chaos Legion to be led by Abaddon, unique force that will raise from the ashes and destruction of Legion Wars and present unique danger to the Imperium because they will march with a single goal in mind - destruction of Imperium.

Entire story is told by Iskandar Khayon, Thousand Son's warrior who surrendered to Inquisition in order to tell them that Black Legion is coming, force that might have more things in common with human warriors of old than with suspected half crazed, demonically possessed Space Marines, drooling and mindlessly hurtling themselves against the enemy. He comes to tell the story of his own involvement with the Black Legion, as a herald o horrors to come, as a herald of Imperium's doom.

Khayon is a warrior with unique skills recognized by Abaddon. What Abaddon offers is purpose, start of formation that will unite all Chaos Marines and remade them into weapon with a single goal - finishing what Horus started. To achieve this he needs command cadre and Khayon is identified as one of them, warrior, soldier, able to lead and inspire his troops.

Portrayal of this selected few, Warp beasts, nightmarish aliens and cyberpunk settings of the Dark Mechanicum and dark AI used to control fantastic space battleships in battle, together with image of Chaos Marines as self destructing warriors left roaming the region of utter madness, without any goal, killing each other in name of this or that Chaos force and serving as mercenaries, while looking for what they are all missing - feeling of belonging, of warrior brotherhood as provided by Legions of old, and most importantly full scale warfare they crave against worthy opponent ...... all of this and more is shown so vividly in this book. Even what might be considered civilian governors in the madness of the Eye, various fixers, all of this breaths life into the setting and shows that, no matter how far they have fallen, heretics still need some structure in their life, and, although mental stability is not something they can be associated with, they do try to keep some degree of order to be able to live and prosper (if someone sees anything prosperous in binding with Warp entities). And when this focus is used for war, Imperium truly has reasons to be afraid of what might come its way.

Wont go into any more details but .... let me just say Fabius Bile also shows up here, and what a cameo.

Highly recommended, excellent W40K novel, I am now on lookout for the sequel.

This is one of the best Horus Heresy novels I read so far. It is as bleak as anything linked to W40K (even 10K years before :) )but gives good overview of Emperor, perhaps one of the least spoken characters in the lore.

Especially well is given his connection to his bodyguards, formidable Legio Custodes and Sisters of Silence (who are perhaps only members of Imperium that see Emperor as what he truly is - when stripped of his powers that is).

I will end with a note that Legio Custodes are very much aware of what they are, tools and weapons for achieving the Emperors goals and they are not fighting it but accepting it - and he is free to share his goals with them. One then has to wonder what was he thinking when Primarchs were created because they weren't as bind to his goals as Ten Thousand. But again how do you even begin to understand the ancient being as Emperor.

Highly recommended.

CW: Horrifc Violence and Injury to a Child (Referenced)

Okay. This is very weird and different and rather sweet by grimdark standards. I absolutely loved it!

At some point in the ongoing war between the Night Lords and Dark Angels that I haven't come across yet, the Sons of the Lions have got their hands on Jago 'Prince of Saying Death to the False Emperor Before It Was Cool' Sevatar(ion). He is being kept on the Invincible Reason and treated to the Knights of Caliban's finest hospitality.

During his stay he makes an unlikely acquaintance and goes for a little wander to stretch his legs.

Look, this is absolutely my jam. Gimme one of the sympathic 'baddies', especially one whose life and abilities only ever allowed him to be tormented, much like his Primarch and I'll be happy. Make it one of those brutal Wolverine being sweet to a young mutant type stories that always make me cry, and I'm yours!

This really shows how unbelievably fucked the Dark Angels and the Imperium are. Oh, the Night Lords are so evil when they skin those who refuse to bend the knee to the Emperor (well...yes, actually), but the Imperium are the good guys and they do what happens in this story.

Creepy, cool, genuinely sweet, harrowing; everything I want from a story of one of Nighthaunter's sons.

Let me start by saying that I have enjoyed a lot of A D-B's work. I remember absolutely loving the Night Lords trilogy and accompanying audio drama. They are clearly a talented and successful writer and I am a mere ratgirl whose chronic pain is singing like Butcher's Nails right now, so I might be less mind than I might otherwise be.

Savage Weapons is a Thramas Crusade short story/ audio drama that presents itself as a novella with way too many chapters that hardly make sense in what is almost entirely one contiguous short story with barely a paragraph break (and sometimes not even an entire word) between chapters. This is a petty grievance and not a big deal. It does seem odd though.

It's the Eastern Fringe dark armour with winged helms bro off between the Lion's cubs who haven't been grounded and Night Haunter turbo goths. In the midst of the interminable conflict (I've only read a handful of short stories and audio dramas, but the Thramas Crusade continues to be a absolute snorefest), Johnson and Curze take a break from their Chuckle Brothers routine (to me, to you) to have a chinwag and give Sevatar and Shang/ Sheng to be the Hot Topic bullies to their Ren Fayre cousins, giving Corswain the opportunity to be cool, calm, and stoic, while remembering the time he killed one of the Great Beasts of Caliban and how it has haunted his nightmares ever since.

On the positive side, the description of the Great Beast hunt is pretty great (and maybe should have been more of the focus of a much shorter story) and the 'laddy bants' between the legions is rather amusing. The prose isn't A D-B's best, but it's pretty good and Gareth Armstrong always does a great job as narrator.

Ultimately, I just found it incredibly dull, doing nothing to further the story, explore the characters (beyond Corswain is cool under pressure), or anything interesting or entertaining enough to warrant a Horus Heresy story and an hour and a half of my time.

Again, I'm very grumpy and in a lot of pain, and frankly, I have come to expect a much higher standard from Horus Heresy stories and A D-B in general. I'm critical because I care and I'm a bitch because I'm tired and sore.

Review Part One (Apparently I have a lot to say and limited capacity right now)

"Angron staggered to his brother’s side, drooling and dizzy – a flawed statue of the perfect warrior, ruined by mistreatment. As bloodstained as they both were, they could almost have been twins."
- Aaron Dembski-Bowden, Butcher's Nails

Once you get past the ridiculous name that, while I do find it very silly, harkens back to a time when Warhammer 40K had a sense of humour and satire about it, Angron might be the most heartbreaking character in any Warhammer lore. Only Curze was anywhere near as abused and ignored by the planets that became their homes and their gaslight, gatekeep, empress father. Angron was designed to be a fearless, bloodthirsty warrior demi-gods by a distant father, but on Nuceria he was forged into a a creature of rage and pain, long before Khorne embraced him as their bloody berserker. Fitted with the Butcher's Nails by his High-Rider slave masters as a punishment for refusing to kill his surrogate father, Angron would live for slaughter and never know peace. In spite of this he still lead his people against their oppressors, only for the Emperor to teleport him out at the pivotal moment. The last thing he saw as he was taken from his abusive home was the crushing of the rebellion with the deaths of everyone that put their faith in him. Everyone he cared for. His creator never acknowledged how it would have been nothing to him to aid the effort or addressed the fact that his son was a heartbreaking statue chiseled from trauma.

"You do like your broken toys."
- My mother, A Sample of My Childhood Trauma

I sure hope no one else disregards Angron's feelings and agency, gleefully leading them into ever more trauma and agony, app for their own nefarious ends...

Review Part Two (OK, I'm back. ACAB)

Butcher's Nails follows the unlikely buddy (demi-god scions of a fascist galaxu-sprawling empire turned traitor champions of the Primordial Annihilator) cop duo, starring Lorgar Aurelian as the crooked detective in the pocket of shadiest powers in town looking for a bloody patsy, and introducing Angronius 'Angron' Nuceria as the hotheaded rookie who used to be an enforcer for the High-Riders MC, as they shake down the Drukhari Droogs for selling pirate wraithbone watches they bring in through the Webway Docks.

The grand schemer is essentially feeling out and putting the Red Angels' temper to good use for the Warmaster and his own nefarious plans, playing the dutiful brother, seeming to give Angron some of that familial connection he is sorely lacking. Sure, Angron considers killing Lorgar and his sons from time to time. Who doesn't? But they work together and we actually see Angron open up and show some vulnerability about his trauma and neurodivergences.

Hopefully no Eldar prophecy will lead to the former Lord of the Red Sand getting literally gaslit into eternal damnation...

This audio drama shows us how multifaceted these brothers actually are, telling a compelling tale that fits neatly within the events surrounding it, providing colour and shade for the big players, as well as leading into the next big events.

Seán Barrett and co do a fantastic job of bringing the story to life with their performances. Shout out to the Kharn voice work that reminds me that while I am most certainly a dyke, I am a panbi one.

Irs actually been so long since I actually listened to an audio drama that was given the full special effects treatment, which is a pretty impressive production, though the las and projectile weapons sound effects might work fine for most sci-fi, but they do sound utterly ridiculous when you consider the weapons Primarchs, Astartes, and their strike cruisers bring to bare.

We even get a little of the greatest couple/ thruple in the galaxy Khargal Tal (and Daemon).

This might not be the best audio drama of tale of Heresy, but it is a bloody good one, pun and Britishness intended.

Initial thoughts straight after finishing this time:

Will do more of a review when I've actually had some sleep, but listening to this again for the first time in years and after having heard a while lot of Black Library audio dramas in between, especially Horus Heresy ones recently, I definitely felt this deserved bumping up to five for just how much it actually explores the characters through the narrative, is a perfect accompaniment to the novel Betrayer, and is beautifully situated in time with connections to other events and media around it, as well as natural references to those who will go on to play a bigger part in the the overarching story, becoming significant figures in the 41st Millennium.

Also, I had a night of insomnia with excruciating chronic pain, tension and contortions from my C-PTSD conversion symptoms, which really seemed apropos for listening to Butcher's Nails.

This is the first Horus Heresy (or in fact, first WH40K) novel that I've read in a couple of years. I just got tired of all the grimdarkness after a couple dozen in the series. However, this one is a proposition I can make an exception for: a story that focuses on the Emperor of Mankind, his motivation, ambitions and his Great Work beneath the Imperial palace.

Hats off to the author for taking on what I imagine was the most intimidating of 40K canon. I think that he struck the right balance of detail and vagueness about the Emperor himself. He is a force of nature with no need to explain or defend his action. All of humanity are his tools, and his absolute tyranny is unapologetic. We get to learn the full details of his plan for the future of humanity. The ambition is colossal, and the cost is breathtaking.

I also appreciated the limits of his Godlike foresight and intelligence being explained in a very well-written scene that also serves to provide more context about some of his more egregious mistakes (not immediately euthanising Angron when he was found, for example). I thought that the ending was spot-on also; without any spoilers, it sets up the grim foundation for the 40K setting.

Ultimately, this book was written for the fans of 40K lore. Without a solid knowledge and appreciation of that background, it would be a pointless read. For the fans, this is a fantastic addition to the HH tragedy and highly recommended.

Just about the best of the HH books, thus far.

Fantastic! This was my first Warhammer 40k novel and, although very chunky in names and jargon, I was able to follow along due in large part to the wonderful writing of [a: Aaron Dembski-Bowden|172152|Aaron Dembski-Bowden|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1332318340p2/172152.jpg] and this great story.

Aaron's words were almost poetic in nature but still easy to digest as they painted a clear picture of what was happening at every twist and turn this novel took, and there were many. I didn't know what to expect from this story, and I'm glad nothing was spoiled because it only made what was unveiled even more shocking and disturbing. The pacing was handled really well with such a huge cast to work with, though there were some characters with diminished storylines later on that I felt took away from the story. Other introductory moments felt like they slowed the pace a bit.

Overall, a superb novel that I will definitely read again when I get a bit more of the 40k lore under my belt!

+1 for "...they killed my friend. And my monkey."
+30k for "Eat sh!t traitor" x 2

En medio de la guerra galáctica que supone la Gran Cruzada, el Emperador desaprueba el culto que le rinden los Portadores de la Palabra. Angustiados por semejante reproche, Lorgar y su legión emprenden un nuevo camino y arrasan un planeta tras otro.Aunque lo que realmente buscan es iluminar el Imperio, la corrupción del Caos se apodera de ellos y comienza su camino hacia la maldición. Sin que los Portadores de la Palabra lo sepan, su búsqueda de la verdad alberga las mismísimas raíces de la herejía…

Pretty straight forward 40k fluff, but well-written and whets the appetite for more Talos in the The Night Lords trilogy.

I was just really unclear on the whacked out terminator? Was he play-acting?

The Emperor is a bit of a dick.

Custodians and mechanicus make up the majority of this book. A few rare close up dialogues with the Emperor are pretty cool--but they leave you with a sense of him as a complete utilitarian monster.

A good book. I feel it's weighed down a bit with having resolve a lot of connective tissue before getting on with the Black Legion proper. For example, the first four chapters might have been better as a short story, or maybe the entire series could have been a true anthology from more than just Khayon's perspective.

Still, the payoff is there with Sigismund. Dembski-Bowden seems to have a knack for really exposing the loyalist Astartes as twits.

Good but weird short story. Read it, didn't listen to the audio book. Curze/Night Haunter is just such a weirdo that it's hard to really make sense of him.

This is a nearly perfect space marine novel. First Claw and the Night Lords are profoundly interesting compared to their thin-blooded loyalist brethren. The Blood Reaver himself is the Tyrant of Badab (which is such a love-lettter to old geeks like me who still have their 40k Compendiums). Much comes to a head but even more seeds are sown for the final book in the trilogy.

It sounds dumb, but stuff happens and characters develop! This is actually quite rare in much franchise fiction and especially when dealing with the bad guys. Dembski-Bowden has you ending up empathizing with monsters.

GW should have used this story for their animated project instead of Ultramarines.

Up till now, Dan Abnett's Prospero Burns was my high-water mark for 30k/40k ficiton. Soul Hunter is really good. It may even better than Prospero Burns and I'm a Space Wolves fan.

In a sense, Dembski-Bowden pulls of a Soprano's maneuver with Talos and the Night Lords. You know they're the bad guys, but inch by inch you get pulled into seeing the Imperium and the long war through their crimson lenses. It's not just Octavia who's on their side by the final chapter.

It's a really clever bit of writing. Especially in regards to CSM politics. They could easily be slavering morons, but even Abaddon is depicted with more nuance than you'd expect. The Exalted in particular--well I really didn't see his arc coming to be honest.

A "Sopranos" turn.

For several books and short stories, Dembski-Bowden has had you empathizing with monsters. This book quickly reverses that exposes all the despair and depravity that the Night Lords and Talos himself suffer.

A fantastic ending that brings us full-circle... with an epilogue that I anticipated from the last short story and found immensely satisfying.

A fantastic read; a great story from the early days of the Imperium showing what happened after the Horus Heresy and the rise of Abaddon. Exciting, satisfying, and with multi-dimensional characters. Inspired me to want to kitbash or convert some minis to create these characters on the tabletop!½