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Eidolon: The Auric Hammer - Marc Collins This is definitely my favourite work by Collins since Grim Repast. I wouldn't say it's quite on equal footing, but the Crime range had few equals in Black Library. This didn't overstay it's welcome, it wasn't too big a story for this page count, and while it is bolter-porn, it's the good stuff. When I actually like a book with this much fighting, I'm always impressed. I don't want to downplay Collins' strengths, because he has written tolerable bolter porn before, but I think the Emperor's Children are the secret sauce for this kind of book. They're all so murderously self-centred that their combat sequences are intrinsically tied to their motivation and character movement. The III Legion has this great built-in feature where if a scene would be boring, the EC find it boring also and don't give it time or attention. I observed the same phenomenon in the very entertaining Lucius: The Faultless Blade. As for the man on the cover: who doesn't love to hate Eidolon at this point? The guy has come far from Abnett's bumbling III legion caricature. Who would have thought he'd become such a complex bastard? I'd be disappointed if he were anything but fascinating at this point, and Collins does a good job with him. Would I have preferred a wider look at his career instead of a new battle on the eve of the Siege? Yes, but I would prefer WARhammer books to relegate most of their battles to something of-screen. Does this book further illuminate an incredibly unique man to my satisfaction? Also yes. Collins uses references to past works, and new tidbits of Eidolon's history, very well when they come up. There's no extended flashbacks, but at the same time every revelation and reflection feels organic. As a point of comparison: this book is like Roboute's Primarchs book, except good. Lots of action, intriguing self-reflection, but it's always entertaining and doesn't leave you frustrated at the paths not taken by the end. Speaking of the ending, the last chapter of this book is perfect. It is ~15 pages of peak character writing, and probably one of the best renditions of I've ever read. As much as Collins does this action book well, that conversation is the perfect dessert to an already satisfying meal. Collins in general has an excellent voice for primarchs; the Helbrecht book's best chapter was the titular templar's chat with Guilliman, if I recall correctly. Collins has become divisive since Grim Repast, so I must in fairness say this is To Taste. If, like me, you've found his talent a bit squandered on his last few books, I think this is a return to form. So too will a book with this much fighting annoy some, but as mentioned I think it's a cut above in that field. It's a satisfying portrait of Eidolon, and a surprisingly good action book!