Grand Master Neo Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 as the title says purging of kadillus came out a few weeks ago. finally got round to reading it while travelling back and fore to work who else has read it and what do you think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candleshoes Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 I'm about 60 pages into it so far and find it rather hurried along, choosing to not develop characters or situations fully in order to let the audience see more, faster. That being said, it is starting to find its feet. I'm interested to what other people think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isiah Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 I haven't read it yet but fully intend to -- so for others like me, if folks can use the Spoiler Spoiler code please if you're giving detailed content/plot analysis etc that'd be mighty fine. Then we just have try to not be tempted to read what's hidden :cuss. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monkeychunks Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 I found the quality depended entirely on which character it was following at the time. Boreas was bad, being straight up bolter porn. Belial was alright if a bit dull. By far the best scenes were the ones following Naaman. In fact I am now trying to cram a Scout squad or 2 into my army. It was an alright book. Seemed 'realistic' by Marine standards, and as I said Naamans story was actually quite cool. It also did a good job of explaining the way Marines go to war. However it didn't really have any 'wow' moments in in it, beyond "Naaman meets the Deathwing". Not a bad book, I think I've just been spoiled by the recent Heresy novels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frater Uriah Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 straight up bolter porn. And that is the evocative expression of the week! Now, when my wife calls up the stairs to ask what I'm doing, I can tell her I'm reading bolter porn. :P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grand Master Neo Posted February 3, 2011 Author Share Posted February 3, 2011 I'm about 60 pages into it so far and find it rather hurried along, choosing to not develop characters or situations fully in order to let the audience see more, faster. That being said, it is starting to find its feet. I'm interested to what other people think. it's well worth sticking at it. it does take a while to get going but when it does it's really good by BL standards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EPK Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 Saw this thread and decided to check into picking it up at a nearby bookstore. Is there any reason this particular release is priced $3 more than a typical BL book? I just noticed it's not just this one, but all novels that fall under the "Space Marine Battles Series". Or are all the prices on the rise? EDIT: I see on BL website I would be paying even more after exchange rate, shipping aside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grand Master Neo Posted February 3, 2011 Author Share Posted February 3, 2011 Saw this thread and decided to check into picking it up at a nearby bookstore. Is there any reason this particular release is priced $3 more than a typical BL book? I just noticed it's not just this one, but all novels that fall under the "Space Marine Battles Series". Or are all the prices on the rise? EDIT: I see on BL website I would be paying even more after exchange rate, shipping aside. i know in the UK we had a VAT increase so that may have something to do with it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gillyfish Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 The Space Marine battles series are also slightly larger than normal Black Library books and contain a colour campaign map. I suspect that's why they may be more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frater Uriah Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 Just got it today and started reading. Monkeychunks, you are right about the parts with Boreas. Straight up bolter porn. :D I'm hardly anywhere in the book and he's already kick-stomping Orks with moves out of the Matrix. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EPK Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 The Space Marine battles series are also slightly larger than normal Black Library books and contain a colour campaign map. I suspect that's why they may be more. Ah ha! That is what I was hopping to hear. Some sort of added content. Thanks for the info. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mentat Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 Just got it last night and read the prologue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gillyfish Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 EPK - I should point out that the colour content is one or two pages in the centre of the book. In this case, it's a map of Kadillus and a picture of Belial. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EPK Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 EPK - I should point out that the colour content is one or two pages in the centre of the book. In this case, it's a map of Kadillus and a picture of Belial. Thanks. Well, setting aside the argument if it's enough extra content to justify the increase, at least it explains the higher price in general. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brennus Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 I am most of the way through it, and I will probably finish by the end of this weekend. There are some nods to 2nd edition as well as the Storm of Vengeance campaign (of course). Not the greatest thing I've ever read, but I'm enjoying it so far. That's enough to justify the cost of the book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FerociousBeast Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 I'm hardly anywhere in the book and he's already kick-stomping Orks with moves out of the Matrix. Okay, that makes me want to skip the book. I've never been able to read Gav Thorpe's action scenes without trying fruitlessly to stifle yawns. I hope he's not trying to make that up now by turning Space Marines into Space Ninjas. Which, by the way, seems to be a troubling trend in 40k media of late. Apparent BL Author's thought process: 1) Space Marines are awesome. 2) Back flips are awesome. 3) Therefore, Space Marines do back flips. Somewhere in Attica Aristotle is doing back flips in his grave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brennus Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 Finished it over the weekend. A few thoughts - - I like the way it is presented that the Dark Angels do not worship the Emperor, nor do they follow Guilliman's original writings - unsurprisingly, they follow the word of the Lion. Small detail, but it matters, and fits properly with the established background. - I liked playing scout squads back in 2nd edition. After Storm of Vengeance was published, I had to buy a second squad because the scout missions were so fun. This book makes me want to play a greenwing army featuring scout squads. - Some of the fight scenes do go on for a while longer than needed, or get bogged down in the gory details. I already know that a bolt explodes after hitting a target. Saying that an Ork got shot in the head with a bolt gun is enough, I don't need to know how big a mess it makes every time it happens. A minor quibble, but I think it detracts a little from the flow of the story. Overall, I thought it was a decent read. Better than Rynn's World, almost (but not quite) as good as Helsreach. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isiah Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 - Some of the fight scenes do go on for a while longer than needed, or get bogged down in the gory details. I already know that a bolt explodes after hitting a target. Saying that an Ork got shot in the head with a bolt gun is enough, I don't need to know how big a mess it makes every time it happens. A minor quibble, but I think it detracts a little from the flow of the story. This is a general crit of BL books that I have... too bloody and sensationalised... usually a BL book will always contain the obligatory reference to some poor soul holding his guts in. They (BL) don't need to do this kind of thing as you quite rightly say brennus. Anyway thanks for sharing some nice insights overall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EPK Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 Apparent BL Author's thought process: 1) Space Marines are awesome. 2) Back flips are awesome. 3) Therefore, Space Marines do back flips. Somewhere in Attica Aristotle is doing back flips in his grave. Bah, leave backflips to the Space Elves. We aren't circus performers. There may be a bit of elegance in the way a Space Marine fights as it is life and he is a living weapon, but surely we are not so dainty as a Harlequin able to roll out of a cartwheel and deal death. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gillyfish Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 Apparent BL Author's thought process: 1) Space Marines are awesome. 2) Back flips are awesome. 3) Therefore, Space Marines do back flips. Somewhere in Attica Aristotle is doing back flips in his grave. Wait, you're suggesting that Aristotle was a Ninja? ;) I see what you mean, although I have had the feeling in the past that the DA, as portrayed in BL fiction, aren't quite so good at 'prodding buttock' as other Chapters. Fallen Angels where they fight the Sons of Horus is a good example. In some ways that's quite refreshing, but there is a part of me that would like to see the DA portrayed in the same light as other Chapters. I guess I'll see what it's like when I read it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FerociousBeast Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 the DA, as portrayed in BL fiction, aren't quite so good at 'prodding buttock' as other Chapters. Good lord, I should hope not!!! :lol: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ODM Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 I finished it last night, and I have to say, I enjoyed it thoroughly. I'm going to touch on some details of the story, so SPOILERS ahead. Things it was nice to see: Famous Dark Angels such as Namaan and Belial, and even Azrael. While the story necessarily made the DA start off misreading the situation, this was handled pretty well, as they didn't seem to be idiots about it. Namaan was given the leeway to figure out what was going on, and once it was figured out, they handled it. Every thing in the codex was used, the way it is described, and nothing non-codex (or other marine codex) appeared. The Revenwing and Scouts scouted, working together, and in major combat performed harassing roles. The DW were used for surgical stikes. Devastators and predators set up firebases while tactical marines manuevered, and assault squads were well used too. The final offensive, when Belial had a decent balanced 2000pt tabletop force, actually read like a decent combined arms effort. There was some neat detail about the way the marine gadgets and armor work. Nestor's apothecary chapter was pretty cool, describing his tools, surgery, and the way the power armor worked with him. The descriptions of plasma cannons firing was very cool. The detail about Boreas using the firing controls in the thunderhawk was well handled. Some cool geek stuff there. The tie ins to Angels of Darkenss and to Storm of Vengeance were well handled, with plenty of nods and details from both planted in. It was great to see the members of Boreas's command squad (Hephaestus, Nestor and Damas) from AoD performing their battlefield roles, even old Boreas did well. While he does come off as very rigid, the reasoning behind it is decently explained. There's a nod to the secrecy and mistrust Gav Thorpe seems to place in his DA novels there to, with Azrael's Librarian sent there to observe Belial, but it's much more benign than intiially appears. Overall the Inner Circle DA are aware of the dangers of the past, but they act like quite competant marines, not hell bent on self-destruction. I didn't find super ninja Dark Angels, or lone wolves going rogue and saving the day. They acted as an army, within a military structure, and it was refreshing. Anyway, good read. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lion El Jason Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 i know in the UK we had a VAT increase so that may have something to do with it Well, despite GW putting the prices up anyway its worth noting there is no VAT on books. I just finished it last night, I think it was very good. Namaan did have the best chapters and the bits explaining why space marines do what they do were particularly well written. Its funny to see someone say that it was good to see Namaan, Belial and the rest because other than Azrael the piscina campaign was where they first appeared. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phoebus Posted February 12, 2011 Share Posted February 12, 2011 I was rather disappointed by it. Belial comes off rather indecisive and lacking in confidence. You know things are not going well when a Company Master is turning to a Lexicanum for validation/support of his strategies not just once, but a number of times. There is zero character development, and only slightly more character conflict. Combined with the fact that we often don't get really good combat descriptions (more than once, generic detail is dispensed, such as Belial shooting up a building to suppress orks; later we find out, after the battle is over, that one, two, or perhaps even ten Astartes died--with no real, if any, detail given as to how this happened). The story itself is not really that dramatic. "Rynn's World" addresses the destruction of the Chapter's Monastery, and the desperate efforts of a couple hundred Crimson Fists to not just survive... but to help beat back a massive orcish invasion. "Hunt for Voldorius" sees a White Scars Company take on a Daemon Prince responsible for the death of billions and the ravaging of sectors, hoping to take him down before he starts up again. "Helsreach" sees Black Templars fight to the last in defense of a Hive, in the face of a Waaagh. Belial and the Dark Angels, by contrast, fight in what can only be called a skirmish by comparison. You know it's not going to go anywhere, since all protagonists survive (Belial to become Master of the Deathwing, even if "Kadillus" left you feeling he did NOT deserve that promotion*; Ghazgkul to invade Armageddon). Ghazgkul himself reinforces this feeling when he SPELLS OUT at the very end that he didn't care that he lost; this was just a warm-up for Armageddon... Bottom line, it's just a luke-warm premise compared to the other books, and the execution is little better. * Belial himself at one point expresses that, when Azrael arrives, he doesn't expect to be kept as a Company Master. I found myself agreeing with him, and Gav Thorpe--speaking through his Lexicanum character--did nothing to convince me otherwise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chapter Master Ignis Domus Posted February 12, 2011 Share Posted February 12, 2011 A quick couple of questions: How much of the book has Naaman, scout sergeant awesome class, and how well does it follow Storm of Vengeance? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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