Veteran Sgt. Valour Posted May 16, 2009 Share Posted May 16, 2009 Guys - I am a huge fan of the Horus Heresy series, and have read them all up till now. For some reason, I cannot get into Mechanicum though. It seems every time I read a few pages I lose interest... Does the book get better (I am at page 76 or so)? Is there any action? I read in another post that the Emperor appears in the book - is that just in the opening pages or is there more of him? Ack, I need encouragement on this... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Logain the Ranger Posted May 16, 2009 Share Posted May 16, 2009 Guys - I am a huge fan of the Horus Heresy series, and have read them all up till now. For some reason, I cannot get into Mechanicum though. It seems every time I read a few pages I lose interest... Does the book get better (I am at page 76 or so)? Is there any action? I read in another post that the Emperor appears in the book - is that just in the opening pages or is there more of him? Ack, I need encouragement on this... The big E does appear again, and the action increases. It's pretty much all story building for the climax. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamsight Posted May 16, 2009 Share Posted May 16, 2009 Don't worry if the book isn't to your tastes it doesn't matter I bought Battle for the Abssy and while I am a fan of Ben Counter I couldn't get into. It didn't stop me enjoying Macaium at all so I doudt you will miss anything. I will say that Mach was an enjoyable read as it expalains all about how the machanicum are orgaised etc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brother-chaplain Astador Posted May 16, 2009 Share Posted May 16, 2009 I was pleasantly surprised by this book, I bought it very late due to the fact I'm not really into non-space marine stuff But I ended up finding it very very interesting Try and get more into the book, its worth it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inquisitor Engel Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 Whoopsies, posted in the wrong thread somehow? I thought Mechanicum was awesome. It was such a brilliant change of pace. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malika666 Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 Hmm, it has been getting really hard for me to get into any 40k related novel lately. I try to skip the battle scenes which take forever and try to find some sort of story, but most books are kind of...well a series of battles scenes and a story sort of created around that. Quite dull in my humble opinion... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prathios Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 I found mechanicum a pleasant surprise. I hesitated to read it and kept putting it off in favor of other books but when I finally read it I was actually very surprised at how entertaining it was. It really must not be your cup of tea or else I think you would know you liked it by now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marek Grimfang Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 Try reading Fire Warrior then go back to this book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheDarkApostle Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 Personally, my deep analytic self found Mechanicum a very pleasant read as I could see references to alot of different things throughout the book. :D TDA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakiwis Posted May 19, 2009 Share Posted May 19, 2009 It has a different pace specially the 1st part. Also because it deals with purely the mechanicum, it really is a stretch to read and it's one of the books that took me the longest to read. But I'll tell you something, after reading it, I gained alot of new things about the 40k world and the mysteries within it. It's really worth it, yuou just have to hang in there :wallbash: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senseilord Ashahara Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 I enjoyed it but it didnt inspire me like the earlier HH books. What I especially enjoyed was the little insights in to the huge potential the Imperium had and what could have been if greed and ambition hadn't errupted into the tragidy for mankind that the Heresy is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deus lo volt Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 It's a pretty good read. The Imperial Fists show up. Titan wars. Unfortunately the ending is so obnoxious that I tore the book to pieces, shredded it, and burned what was left. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senseilord Ashahara Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 yeah I did have a " where's the last chapter gone?" moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emperor's Instrument Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 I read all the books in order but while waiting for Mechanicum to be released I picked up a copy of Dan Abnett's 'Titanicus'. Despite what others thought it I found it full of action and could barely put it down. When Mechanicum then hit the shelves it (Mech) made so much more sense to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prathios Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 I read all the books in order but while waiting for Mechanicum to be released I picked up a copy of Dan Abnett's 'Titanicus'. Despite what others thought it I found it full of action and could barely put it down. When Mechanicum then hit the shelves it (Mech) made so much more sense to me. Wait, people didn't like Titanicus??? That book was amazing, I could hardly put it down. In fact I think I read it in 2 sittings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jiri the Corrupted Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 I read all the books in order but while waiting for Mechanicum to be released I picked up a copy of Dan Abnett's 'Titanicus'. Despite what others thought it I found it full of action and could barely put it down. When Mechanicum then hit the shelves it (Mech) made so much more sense to me. Wait, people didn't like Titanicus??? That book was amazing, I could hardly put it down. In fact I think I read it in 2 sittings. What, it took you two sittings? Damn, I finished Titanicus in just under five hours. Started reading at three pm, paused to have dinner and finished in time to catch a movie later that night. Mind you, it only took me a single weekend to finish Lord of the Rings. Awesome book by the way. Mechanicum is a bit though to get into, but if you are interrested in the Mechanicum it grips you eventually. The battles in the end are just like anything you've read from BL but instead of marines there are Titans and Praetorian Battle Servitors. And Knights, lovely ancient Knights. The were the best part of the entire book, a real blast from the past. The book reveals some nice secrets and gives you glimpses of other secrets, but the corruption of Mars and the birth of the Dark Mechanicus was a tad dissapointing. Seriously, Kelbor-Hal was corrupted even easier and more dissapointing than Horus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheDarkApostle Posted May 29, 2009 Share Posted May 29, 2009 Being but a man and not a Primarch as well as already having a deep and unforgiving grudge against the Emperor it's not really that far fetched for Kelbor-Hal to have fallen so easily. TDA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrotherLoki Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 I loved Mechanicum, and I only really have one criticism: The traitors call themselves the 'Dark Mechanicus' as though they know they're the bad guys. Come on! Nobody really consciously sets out to be the villains! They really just want to be free of Terra's yoke and remove superstitious restrictions which are holding back their research. From their point of view they're the illuminated ones! They should have called them selves the 'True Mechanicus' or something. 'Dark Mechanicus' makes them pantomime villains. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deus lo volt Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 I loved Mechanicum, and I only really have one criticism: The traitors call themselves the 'Dark Mechanicus' as though they know they're the bad guys. Come on! Nobody really consciously sets out to be the villains! They really just want to be free of Terra's yoke and remove superstitious restrictions which are holding back their research. From their point of view they're the illuminated ones! They should have called them selves the 'True Mechanicus' or something. 'Dark Mechanicus' makes them pantomime villains. haha, good point! Hadn't thought of that, but you should think about confessing to the nearest Inquisitor. ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chaos Lord Shamrockius Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 I'm not at Mechanicum yet, and am awful for reading ahead in here for spoilers etc. If it helps at all, I found it the same for Eisenstein... it was the first book in the series that sort of doubles back on itself in the whole "bigger picture" and fills in earlier blanks before Horus Rising, then intermingling the story ala Pulp Fiction. I'm still only at Fulgrim, and I'm finding the same thing there, even though i'm way over half way through. I actually find it kind of sad... but i'll save that for a Fulgrim related thread... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sons of Horus Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 it was actually one of the better HH novels in my opinion :) although some parts were boring it's not that bad :tu: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolf2.3 Posted June 11, 2009 Share Posted June 11, 2009 After reading mechanicus i was so inspired by the knights i had to build one. when i saw the epic knights i was crestfallen. they look nothing like the super cool mini-titans i imagined them to be. Anyway the battle at the end is definately the highlight of the book Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vel'Cona Posted June 12, 2009 Share Posted June 12, 2009 Mechanicum is a great book in the Horus Heresy series: for fans of things other than Astartes. It's very well written (duh it's Abnett, right?), nicely paced, and has a lot of impact on the storyline of HH and WH40k in general. The characters are interesting and the Emperor's appearance (no spoilers here) is probably only outdone by The Last Church (Tales of Heresy, McNeill is the king baby). That said, I found it interesting only from an overall view of WH40k. If you're an Astartes fanboy (or a particular chapter follower) there's really not much in it to keep your interest. I liked the book, but found Abnett's other HH entries, like Legion and the masterwork Horus Rising, to be more to my tastes as a fan of Astartes first and 40k second. I would say keep with it if you can, because the climax is definitely worth the immense buildup Abnett puts you through. Oh and the Mechanicum's many engines of war are really very cool, makes you wonder if an Adeptus Mechanicus codex will ever emerge (hint hint GW). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brother Subtle Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff238/SU8TLE/40K/mechanicum_horus_heresy_book_cover.jpg This is my first review, so be gentle... I initially found this book very hard to get into, in retrospect I suppose this came from a distinct link I had made with space marines and in the inner workings of the Astartes over the course of the last 9 or so Horus Heresy novels. Mechanicum is a different book, it throws you head first into the inner workings and politics of the Mechanicum of Mars with little regard for your unfamiliarity with them. One of the hard things I found to pick up was the terminology used by the Mechanicum, from the name and ranks of members (adepts, forge masters, magos) to the very locations within the story area, I found myself referring back to the map page at the front of the book quite often throughout the book, not to mention the cast list until I got the hang of the main characters and where they fit into the Mechanicum hierarchy. The start of the book does introduce and develop characters well, it’s just they are somewhat ‘unfamiliar’ and hard to digest compared to what we are all used to with the space marines. But if you stick with it through the first few chapters (you could even say the first Act) the story really begins to develop and characters being to jump off the page more. The turning point for me was the first time the titan legion ‘Legio Tempestus’ walk the surface of Mars, once the Titan Legion’s enter the storyline it all starts getting exciting and the story accelerates. McNeil does a great job of describing the world through the eyes of a titan princeps, and his description of the ensuring battles are even better. Without wreaking the story for you, the politics and civil war between the Mechanicum and newly formed ‘Dark Mechanicum’ really get you involved as you watch the lines get drawn in the red sands of Mars, and Forge Masters and Titan Legion’s take their sides for the upcoming climax that would change the surface of Mars forever. The climax I have to say left me a bit wanting, well not the final confontation, more the lack of a rounded off ending after it. I checked my book several time to make sure the final chapter had not fallen out on to the floor. But alas, it was never there. Yes, there could have been that last chapter to really finish out the book and answer you last dying questions (such as what happened after pretty much everyone gets pwnd). But if someone asked me to write it, I wouldn’t even attempt to, as I don’t really know how I would want it to end myself... that’s why I guess McNeil left it there as well. The Mechanicum are a mysterious bunch so I suppose so should be the ending to their book. well, that and i guess there would be no perspective to write it from seeing 99% of the characters are dead. Overall, I loved it. The beginning was a bit of a slog, but once you get into it it’s quite hard to put down. And it was a nice change of pace to the space marine story we have had once far. High point: Legio Tempestus Vs Legio Mortis Deathmatch Low point: The Emperor's grand secret... kind a lame 8/10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brother Masariel Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 Guys - I am a huge fan of the Horus Heresy series, and have read them all up till now. For some reason, I cannot get into Mechanicum though. It seems every time I read a few pages I lose interest... Does the book get better (I am at page 76 or so)? Is there any action? I read in another post that the Emperor appears in the book - is that just in the opening pages or is there more of him? Ack, I need encouragement on this... It was exactly the same point for me! In your very same situation I was always falling asleep after few pages.. :lol: I finished it last week and in the end average score is 7/10..to compare..my best was 9/10 for legion.. It slowly grows to a good climax and intersting final coupe de theatre.. On the other side it has been the first book of heresy that led me to building an army around the mechanicum theme and finish it before I've finished the book.. :) that was certainly a good point..since my beloved lealist alpha legion army still lingers between lots of self sculpted pre heresy armour pieces.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.