Helsreach: The Book. What did you guys think of it?

[ScottishSmurf96]

I loved this book, while I think there are better series of books in the BL, the battles novels are certainly up there! Ryyns World, Hels Reach and Battle for the Fang being my particular favourites... Hels Reach was well paced in my opinion, despite details being missed it was still a good read. I think the speech's that are made by Grimaldus are incredible! I also love that it shoes that Templars are not so ignorant as to completely disregard mortals.. It shows how they value those who show their worth. The whole Nerovar whining didn't bother me a great deal? I mean not everyone in the chapter can be of the same mould or mind set. My 2p...

 

S.Murphy 

[tvih]

Helsreach is actually the only novel I've read so far. I do have "Legion of the Damned" and "Rynn's World" on order, it'll be interesting to compare.

[ScottishSmurf96]

@tvih Rynn's World is certainly a good read, it has a good sense of struggle which is very well told.

[my_face]

loved the  book, hated the ending. why couldn't it have been more like wrath of iron or the last 3/4 of necropolis. i love bowdens writing style, skipping between main characters so you get a feel for what's happening to them at the same time but the ending was far to abrupt and pansy for me..i mean the last bit of action with grimaldus strangling that ork in front of everyone was epic!! but a warlord could of at least charged him so we had three or four pages of bloody action before "oh it collapsed..fast forward..uneasy stalemate..grimaldus a hero"

[-Ares-]

Overall I really liked Helsreach, although it left me unsatisfied. The Last Stand was kind of anti-climatic and skipping the fight with the Ork boss was not helping. When I red the book for the first time, I was quite unsatisfied, but after reading it a second time, I learned to saviour it's worth. It is very subtle in many points and for me Helsreach has the strongest depiction of Astartes Relationships in all the novels I have red. 

 

And yes, Nerovar's reaction was irritating. But it would be odd if every Black Templar would be the same. And I don't feel like Nerovar was 'whining'. He wasn't complaining any more than the rest of them. He was just mourning for all the meaningless deaths. 

[Andhil]

I actually liked Nero. I think, at certain moments, he truly embodied the Templar way, and respected the honor of the individual Knights, and the Chapter itself. I like to think my Crusade has a similar mindset, and they extensively mourn their fallen Brothers, and honor their legacy in battle. We're Templars, not World Eaters, who sacrifice their Brothers for the smallest of gains bloodshed. I actually thought Grimaldus was more whiney and un-Templarish. Any
Templar should be honored to lead a 'doomed Crusade', even if just to
beat the odds, and snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

 

I loved the novel itself. I actually read the book in one go when I bought it. I liked all of the characters, although Andrej does get bonus points for breaking up the tension now and then. I like me a bit of humor.