McNeill's New Website

[Gunslinger87]

http://www.graham-mcneill.com/

 

If anything, check out his comments on False Gods (all the other thoughts and ideas running through his mind as he wrote each novel are wonderful too) just to feel what it must have been like to break that barrier into 30K.

 

PS reading about Nightbringer makes me appreciate the Ultramarines series much more... never knew it was his first novel... by that standard, it was amazing. The rationale behind his decisions is a great read.

[Captain Idaho]

Interesting enough. Perhaps this is better suited to Amicius or the Ultramarines forums though, since there is more Ultramarines/general information here?

 

I like to hear the thought process behind litterary work, even though these are a little short (by neccessity of course).

[Legatus]

It is allways interresting to read about the thoughts of an author or designer. Though that does nothing to redeem the Ultramarines series in my view. If it had been his intention to prove that the Ultramarines were not boring, then chosing a Character that was decidedly un-ultramarine was still the wrong way to do that. That's essentially like trying to prove that the Ultramarines background is not boring by showing how that background is not actually true and the Ultramarines are really totally different.

[increaso]

It is allways interresting to read about the thoughts of an author or designer. Though that does nothing to redeem the Ultramarines series in my view. If it had been his intention to prove that the Ultramarines were not boring, then chosing a Character that was decidedly un-ultramarine was still the wrong way to do that. That's essentially like trying to prove that the Ultramarines background is not boring by showing how that background is not actually true and the Ultramarines are really totally different.

 

The short story in the most recent 'of the space marines' novel made the Ultramarines look like big jerks (especially Sicarius iirc). I haven't read the Ultra novels, but it was a better angle than the perfect goodie two shoes impression i had of them.

[Captain Idaho]

But Legatus has a point though. It's like people who are unhappy with the barbaric and viking like nature of Space Wolves being shown a Space Wolf with the personality of a Dark Angel to try and convince them the Space Wolves aren't all like that and have some depth.

 

I do like McNeill's novels, though as a fan boy there are so many things I would have done with the fluff. But then we can all say that eh.

[Marshal Wilhelm]

I have enjoyed what I have read of McNeill so far.

False Gods

Fulgrim

Mechanicum

A Thousand Sons

 

I think ATS would be the best one so far, subduing my Magnus love, and all of them, whilst not being amazing all the time, do have bits that are amazing, much that are good and indeed some bits that I'd change or trim out.

 

But I'd also recommend them without hesitation.

 

I am making my way through the GW BL stable of books, and so will one day read the UM series. I'll finally see for myself if they are good books and if they are good UM books :D

[Messanger of Death]

In my mind McNeil will always be a Son of Dorn...

 

Messanger

[Lord Tharand]

I've personally steered clear of the Ultramarine books because of the reviews people give. However I've liked all of McNeill's Horus Heresy books so far.

[Pacific81]

Please, you should never, ever do this! :devil:

 

Although this is a discussion board, it stands to reason that the very nature of a book review is subjective. Whatever makes a book stink for someone else might be the very reason that you will love it.

 

Now that McNeil is on about his 18th Ultramarine book, I'm guessing they are selling pretty well - so presumably, a fair number of people must be enjoying them. A small number of very vocal 'Ultramarines' on this and some other boards try and go about shouting how the books portray the chapter in a bad light, how they don't like the story, Ventris' haircut or whatever. I'm guessing that a far larger number of people can ignore some of the perceived inaccuracies of the Ultramarines in the book (which are just that - it's a fantasy world that exists in the minds of the writers, which I think the people who write posts like they are an actual, real-life space marine can tend to forget) and just enjoy McNeil's writing and the entertaining narrative.

 

I read Battle for the Abyss, and actually quite enjoyed certain aspects of it - yet some of the comments I had read (admittedly not on this board) would have had me believe the book had been written by a deranged orangutan with a mashed crayon wedged between it's butt-cheeks, before it was taken directly to printing.

 

So, if you enjoyed the HH books McNeil has given, I would certainly recommend giving them a shot. The omnibus is a great value collection in any case - in a worst case scenario you can do what you would with any other book, give it a 50 pages and if it hasn't grabbed you, take it down to the charity shop and move onto the next one :)

[Gunslinger87]

Good point. However, even though I too actually enjoyed them, every person only has a limited amount of time.

 

While McNeill's HH work was fantastic. I still think there are "better" things to read before the Ultramarines books. I still read all of them, still read each book in a single day, but that doesn't make me think that something like the Eisenhorn series should be read afterwards. ;)

 

Eisenhorn/Ravenor, Gaunt's Ghosts, Horus Heresy. All of those come before the Ultramarines books. However, after that, I think there is a lot to choose from and there is no reason why someone who likes marines shouldnt get the Ultra novels ;)

 

But you are right that probably a small number of people are trying to make some of these books out to be a lot worse than they really are.