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Vengful Spirit - Spoiler alert!


Night Runner

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DO NOT READ THIS IF YOU DISLIKE SPOILERS!

 

Has anyone started reading the new HH novel - Vengful Spirit.  Well for those of us who love to read about our SW in other books, you should know that Leman Russ makes and appearance at the beginning.  (It seems the Space Wolves are making more cameo apperances than Wolverine in Marvel comics, but all is good - more SW info to read about).

 

Not only that, he is back on Terra - having returned after the conflict with the Alpha Legion where we left off on Scars and Echoes of Ruin. Apparently he was helped by the Lion and his Dark Angels before they went to Calth in the novel Unremembered Empire.

 

So as the story goes, he is back on Terra to organise a 'pathfinder' team to find a weakness in Horus' forces with which Leman can take advantage and slay Horus - interesting! 

 

Could this mean that there is another SW HH novel in the works dealing with an encounter between the Space Wolves and the Dark Angels in the HH - I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

 

What really made my chest heave with pride is a dialogue between the Emperor and Malcador, where they are discussing which Primarch is loyal or not.  During the conversation, the Emperor dismisses the idea that Russ could ever turn and that he is loyal hearted.  I could not agree more!

 

I am only a quarter of the way through, and enjoying it.  If there is anyone who has read it through and does not  mind talking about the Space Wolf element in the book - please feel free to post.

 

NR

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Could this mean that there is another SW HH novel in the works dealing with an encounter between the Space Wolves and the Dark Angels in the HH - I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

 

... hmmm look here russ, we need to storm this palace, ill lead in from the front and you... russ??? RUSS?????? oh sh..... 

Could this mean that there is another SW HH novel in the works dealing with an encounter between the Space Wolves and the Dark Angels in the HH - I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

 

... hmmm look here russ, we need to storm this palace, ill lead in from the front and you... russ??? RUSS?????? oh sh..... 

LOL - sounds about right!

And yet we get turned on our heads again. Not only is Sanguinus is at Ultramar, or that Corax reached Terra, or that Jagatai was at Prospero, now we here Russ is at Terra. This is flipping our heads on old fluff that in the end, only Sanguinus, Dorn and Jagathai were at Terra in the end. I'm getting a headache.

And yet we get turned on our heads again. Not only is Sanguinus is at Ultramar, or that Corax reached Terra, or that Jagatai was at Prospero, now we here Russ is at Terra. This is flipping our heads on old fluff that in the end, only Sanguinus, Dorn and Jagathai were at Terra in the end. I'm getting a headache.

 

No this isn't flipping anything on it's head, it's just filling in the gaps. Russ and Corax are still not going to be there for the invasion, they'll be elsewhere. It took years for Horus to reach Terra even in the original material, this just answers what happened in the meantime.

The story is somewhat strange but I am satisfied with the appearance of Leman Russ and the Spacewolf pathfinder. Leman Russ is described as the most human of all Primarchs. And the spacewolf pathfinder is really cool. A threat from him to Loken: " If I see that your roots are rotten I will kill you myself" ....

 Furthermore very much doubt that Leman Russ will choose to go thru with his plan at the end of the tale.

A-D-B mentioned a few weeks ago that he was writing about Space Wolves and Dark Angels, so fingers crossed.

that is going to be a good read!

 

It would be awesome if everyone was at Terra.

The Wolf Blades on Terra could also be used as an excuse to have members of the Rout serving on Terra during that time.

 

 

And yet we get turned on our heads again. Not only is Sanguinus is at Ultramar, or that Corax reached Terra, or that Jagatai was at Prospero, now we here Russ is at Terra. This is flipping our heads on old fluff that in the end, only Sanguinus, Dorn and Jagathai were at Terra in the end. I'm getting a headache.

 

No this isn't flipping anything on it's head, it's just filling in the gaps. Russ and Corax are still not going to be there for the invasion, they'll be elsewhere. It took years for Horus to reach Terra even in the original material, this just answers what happened in the meantime.

agreed!

alright, so it isn't so turning on our heads. But now Russ and Corax must have a better excuse for being away from Terra in the final siege other than "being too far away at the time".

 

Why? The final assault could happen at any time, what's to say that Corax or Russ must learn of Horus' primary assault in time to reinforce Terra before it hits? Frequently throughout these new HH novels it's been mentioned that Malcador, Dorn or others have requested Corax and Russ to stay on Terra in preparation for the assault they all know is coming but both have refused, intent instead on striking back. Just because they popped by Terra at some point between Istvaan and the Siege of Terra doesn't mean they would be able to get there in time.

 

As an aside this does help fill in some of the gaps that had existed, such as how Russ and Johnson linked up, some of what they were doing and how Russ escaped the Alpha Legion assault. That had never been even marginally detailed before in the new HH material and I hope we see more on the subject.

The story is somewhat strange but I am satisfied with the appearance of Leman Russ and the Spacewolf pathfinder. Leman Russ is described as the most human of all Primarchs. And the spacewolf pathfinder is really cool. A threat from him to Loken: " If I see that your roots are rotten I will kill you myself" ....

 Furthermore very much doubt that Leman Russ will choose to go thru with his plan at the end of the tale.

One of my favorite scenes/quotes!

 

DO NOT READ THIS IF YOU DISLIKE SPOILERS!

 

Has anyone started reading the new HH novel - Vengful Spirit.  Well for those of us who love to read about our SW in other books, you should know that Leman Russ makes and appearance at the beginning.  (It seems the Space Wolves are making more cameo apperances than Wolverine in Marvel comics, but all is good - more SW info to read about).

 

Not only that, he is back on Terra - having returned after the conflict with the Alpha Legion where we left off on Scars and Echoes of Ruin. Apparently he was helped by the Lion and his Dark Angels before they went to Calth in the novel Unremembered Empire.

 

So as the story goes, he is back on Terra to organise a 'pathfinder' team to find a weakness in Horus' forces with which Leman can take advantage and slay Horus - interesting! 

 

Could this mean that there is another SW HH novel in the works dealing with an encounter between the Space Wolves and the Dark Angels in the HH - I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

 

What really made my chest heave with pride is a dialogue between the Emperor and Malcador, where they are discussing which Primarch is loyal or not.  During the conversation, the Emperor dismisses the idea that Russ could ever turn and that he is loyal hearted.  I could not agree more!

 

I am only a quarter of the way through, and enjoying it.  If there is anyone who has read it through and does not  mind talking about the Space Wolf element in the book - please feel free to post.

 

NR

My favorite bit was the comment by the Emperor, on how Russ axe falls on those deserving its smile. Russ is true hearted, one of the few I know who would never fall.

Well, I'll be buying *that* as soon as it hits paperback!

 

"Most human of the Primarchs"

"his axe falls on those who deserve its smile"

 

It's always been the perception of Russ as an idealist compared to his brothers that has appealed to me.  The joyful warrior, the one with the moral clarity and fewer anger issues, the one who (oddly, perhaps) seems to have the greatest self-knowledge and self-acceptance.

A little off topic I know, but I was thinking. Who is to say that there wasn't a Great Company or two of Space Wolves on Terra during the siege? I mean, we didn't know that there were Wolves during the Council of Nikaea until the books added more depth and fillers into the whole Horus Heresy story.

Thats one reason I LOVE the HH series, adding depth to past stories.

 

As the Wolves were on Terra for months, and many were dispatched by Malcador to babysit Primarchs, I have no doubt that a company could have been left on Terra once Russ departs. 

 

WLK

Thats one reason I LOVE the HH series, adding depth to past stories.

 

As the Wolves were on Terra for months, and many were dispatched by Malcador to babysit Primarchs, I have no doubt that a company could have been left on Terra once Russ departs.

 

WLK

I can't help but think the chess game with Malcador is a metaphor to tactics that will foreshadow Russ actions. Not to mention, having a great company waiting in secret can throw off the traitors a bit.

 

I mean look at it this way, during the Unremembered Empire. While the other astartes got baited and ran off to hunt the intruder. The Rout were smart enough to stay behind, mind you they got beat up good by The Night Haunter but they knew what was up!

I havent read Vengeful Spirit just yet (waiting for paperback), but I do remember in the shudder-worthy Nemesis that each Legion had a small presence on Terra, many of those were imprisoned while the Loyalty of their Legions were determined.

 

So we have evidence of Rout presence pre-Heresy, and evidence with the Wolf Blades post-Heresy. It would make no damn sense to remove them completely during the Heresy. Especially is Dorn is so adamant about reinforcing Terra with everybody possible.

 

WLK

A little off topic I know, but I was thinking. Who is to say that there wasn't a Great Company or two of Space Wolves on Terra during the siege? I mean, we didn't know that there were Wolves during the Council of Nikaea until the books added more depth and fillers into the whole Horus Heresy story.

 

I sincerely doubt we'll get a company worth of Wolves on Terra. After all that would be like 7% of the total legion, around 10-15,000 marines. A few squads? Possibly, a hundred or two? Maaaaaybe. A whole Company? Probably not.

 

I do like the watcher squads, unfortunately one is already wiped out and we can be pretty certain all those sent to the traitor legions are already dead too.

 

Anyway I just finished the book and all told it was... meh. A little interesting, not terrible, ok fight scenes, but ultimately just meh. Yet again the traitors win through treachery and subterfuge and the loyalists are helpless to oppose them... *yawn.* I also think the attempt by the author to make Horus more personal and involved was only marginally effective, if anything the book made him look weak, he nearly gets killed like three times but again there's no tension because we (the readers) know that would be impossible. The finale also left me a bit bored and underwhelmed, the pathfinder mission just seemed like a pointless sideshow that didn't really go anywhere, or accomplish anything, or lead to anything, it would have been better if the book focused on Molech and left out the Pathfinders entirely, that whole story could have been done in it's own dedicated short story and been better for it, without the distraction of a wider book to get lost in. 

 

I'm kinda irked I spent $40 on this, if I didn't vastly prefer paper over digital I'd have gone for the cheaper downloads ages ago and I think I'm going to have to start waiting for more of these to come out in paperback before bothering, too many of the HH novels are just less than spectacular these days. A far cry from Galaxy in Flames or Flight of the Eisenstein.

 

Bror Tryfingr was a good addition but it just made me want an actual space wolf book rather than a book that just happened to have a space wolf in it.

Bror Tryfingr was a good addition but it just made me want an actual space wolf book rather than a book that just happened to have a space wolf in it.

So much this, it's a bit weird they there hasn't really been a 'true' SW book yet, given how they seem to be cropping up all over the place. Even PB, while a book I enjoyed, wasn't really a 'SW' book, it was really Hawser's story, not the VI Legion's.

 

Bror Tryfingr was a good addition but it just made me want an actual space wolf book rather than a book that just happened to have a space wolf in it.

So much this, it's a bit weird they there hasn't really been a 'true' SW book yet, given how they seem to be cropping up all over the place. Even PB, while a book I enjoyed, wasn't really a 'SW' book, it was really Hawser's story, not the VI Legion's.

This is something I have always maintained ad nauseum since PB came out.

 

I do agree with Marverik et al, about a number of Space Wolves on Terra during the siege, but I doubt it would be big enough to have any outcome on the battlefield.  What I do hope for is a pack that makes its presence count by accomplishing something during the siege that throws a wrench in the traitors's plans.  Don't forget that the Siege of Terra was not only about the Palace - there were also the Factory Complexes like Volcanus, the two Space ports like the Lion's Gate,  and other Bastions that were separate from the palace. 

 

These could all be ripe for a story about a Space Wolf team facing terrible odds and facing death just to be a thorn in the Warmaster's  side - as it should be! Fenrys Hjolda!

 

NR

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