Fireborn aka that one story about the daemon engine

[BitsHammer]

Spoilers ahead.

So people have talked about this one a lot but I had to actually sit and listen to it before I could decide how to feel about it.

So what was the story about? A Chaos Warband of Khorne called the Red Rage descends on a Shrine World, intent on capturing a living relic, a Hospitallier named Evangeline of Order of the Ardent Veil. She had been given a vision by the Emperor, and in feeling his touch emitted a supernatural aura of calm and grace around her, and had a gift. If she was near a daemon she could speak it's true name, and with the power it gave her banish it outright from existance. There was a catch though, the Ardent Veil was an order bound to an oath of silence. It's unclear if the oath is enforced in any way (like removing vocal cords or anything) but Evangeline is described as mute at one point.

Anyways, The Red Rage came in force, intent on taking the relic as an offering to their god. The warband forced the order of the Arden Veil into a bastion (with the Celestians protecting it) to protect the landing pad while the rest of the order (in excess of a "conservative estimate" 1,000 members) were fighting the Traitor Marines directly, holding ground so that the civilians, and the Ecclesiarchy relics, could escape. That wasn't all they brought though, as what can only be described as a Possessed Helbrute is unleashed as well, the shell consuming one of the Red Rage's aspiring champions, and using his anger to fuel itself. The daemon engine feeds on the anger of those around it, both friend and foe, which makes it stronger, and bigger the more it feeds.

The a squad of Terminator clad Firedrakes, aka 1st Company Salamanders, arrive to answer the call for help just before the Daemon Engine is unleashed, and later are asked to escort the relic to safety when they encounter it and it's seen that conventional weaponry (meltas, thunder hammers, ect) can't scratch it.

This leads to a final confrontation where Evangeline is left standing in the middle of the chapel as the Daemon Engine approaches, the place being a holy site of peace and calm itself, and it's natural aura empowered by her own, causing the rampaging Engine (which moments before knocked a Terminator out of it's way with ease) to weaken, both slowing and shrinking to it's original size before halting completely. It's then the Marine (who had been in hiding) steps out and seizes the thunderhammer and throws it, cracking open the daemon engine's shell, and letting out the daemon within. Evangeline immediately speaks it's name and it is banished before it's threats of violence can be fulfilled.

Evangeline collaspes, physically and mentally spent, the aura of peace and grace fading (mind you, people have been known to start vomitting blood trying to say true names among other things so she's getting off easy there), but still alive. The engine stopped the remaining defenders are able to push back the Red Rage who begin retreating now that their unstoppable weapon met an immovable force and lost.

Now that I've gotten the basic story out of the way here were my impressions:

First the story was a bit short, which lead to not enough characterization or explination of what was going on, but in time some of it peices together (though a "Let's hope this works" for setting up Evangeline as bait in that chapel was not nearly enough explination going on there, even if the character involved is a Salamander who harbors a lot of hatred and anger at himself that fades when he was near her. I see the peices falling into place there, I just don't see how the character made the connection honestly).

The foreshadowing was pretty good though. The leader of the Red Rage actually feels apprehension around the Daemon Engine and a line is mentioned that he knew that it could wipe out his entire Warband if not handled correctly (very fitting seeing as it's powered by rage, and he follows Khorne, so he and his men are drowing in rage and wouldn't have the ability to stop it), and the explination of Evangeline, while short, did feel like the Emperor was working through her specifically to stop this specific daemon. A kind of "right tool, in the right place, at the right time" sort of deal.

In all honesty I don't hate the story. It's not really a Sisters story for starters (the audio book being a bridge between the first and second Salamanders books), and they don't really serve a large role. And considering that hate and anger are some of the tools that are drilled into them to fight the enemy with it's really understandable that they couldn't stop it. The thing could take a beating and needed to be starved to be taken down, something that only Evangeline, could do.

So a good set up for an legitimate in-setting miracle, a really dangerous threat (which makes how she was able to stop it in mid swing by praying while it charged at her more impressive in my mind) that not even the main characters could handle on their own and while not the most fleshed out story, and many Sisters do die, it wasn't the worst one we've gotten for the Sisters. I mean at least the enemy was the one responsible for killing them during the battle (unlike the Bloodtide which still would have made more sense to kill them after like they normally do instead of during. But that's a different rant on things I'd done differently to make the story flow better).

Though your milegage on how much you do or do not hate the story may vary.

[Duke Danse Macabre]

Not really all sisters but hard to make great character delevopement when everyone can't speak I supose.

I have however read worse and this is not to bad truth be told.

[BitsHammer]

Not really all sisters but hard to make great character delevopement when everyone can't speak I supose.

I have however read worse and this is not to bad truth be told.

 

Even the Marines who could speak don't feel fully fleshed out. I mean all you really know about the main one is he's in Terminator Armor, and he is angry at/hates himself for something (probably from book one). But yeah, I've read worse myself too. Recently finished Space Marine by Ian Watson. It's from around 1st or 2nd edition before they had an idea where the setting was going.