HH 45: Tallarn

[hopkins]

http://www.blacklibrary.com/coming-soon/august/tallarn-ebook.html

 

http://www.blacklibrary.com/Images/Product/DefaultBL/xlarge/BLPROCESSED-Tallarn-cover.jpg

 

 

As the Warmaster's campaign of galactic domination continues, his generals seek out fresh battlefields to conquer. After leaving the Crone World of Iydris behind, Perturabo strikes for Tallarn. A bitter, vengeful primarch, the lord of the Iron Warriors unleashes a deadly bombardment against the world, killing millions but entrenching the survivors. A brutal, all-consuming armoured conflict ensues, the greatest of the war, and one that grinds down all combatants over more than a year of relentless battles. But Perturabo's reasons for the attack are about more than unleashing punitive destruction against the Imperium - he has an entirely darker purpose in mind.

Written by John French

The contents of this novel were previously published separately as the novella Tallarn: Executioner, the novel Tallarn: Ironclad, and the short stories 'Tallarn: Siren' and 'Tallarn: Witness'.

 

[Taliesin]

A nice compilation. I wonder if this means we will really need to wait until October before "Ruinstorm".

There's always 2 months in between Horus Heresy releases.

[hopkins]

ruinstorm in october and old earth in december?

 

edit - in before heritorA moans about this being in the numbered series

Edited May 3, 2017 by hopkins

[R_F_D]

ruinstorm in october and old earth in december?

 

edit - in before heritorA moans about this being in the numbered series

 

However there are now fewer and fewer previously published shorts to be combined and published, which should spare us in future.

 

I mean going on the Coming Soon section it seems likely for a numbered book for every two months. Although each of the other months seems to see a release of an HH audio....which will then be released in prose number format (all in favour of!),  but then we get "no new material in a numbered series yada yada yada" we can't win!

[Izlude]

I have both novellas, for anyone who hasn't read it I think this is a great set of stories. Highly recommend.

 

One thing I really like about Ironclad is that the Vanus assassin is total badass. I really didn't like the vanus assassin in Nemesis...came off like some anime guy always pushing up his glasses as he is on the computer. John French's version is just as lethal as a eversor or vindicare assassin. 

[HeritorA]

ruinstorm in october and old earth in december?

 

edit - in before heritorA moans about this being in the numbered series

You asked for it - here I am. Why it's again in the numbered serie? 2014/2015 all over again - 1 new novel and several months of recycled stuff.

[A D-B]

I love the cover for this. It's an unexpected take on HH covers, but a fresh and welcome one. 

 

I won't bore anyone to tears with yet more "I like John's writing" talk (though this is definitely one of his best), but for some random context, he first told me the plot to these stories while we were outside at dusk, Chaos Black spraying some models in my barn. 

 

The thrills and spills of authorial life.

[HeritorA]

I love the cover for this. It's an unexpected take on HH covers, but a fresh and welcome one. 

 

I won't bore anyone to tears with yet more "I like John's writing" talk (though this is definitely one of his best), but for some random context, he first told me the plot to these stories while we were outside at dusk, Chaos Black spraying some models in my barn. 

 

The thrills and spills of authorial life.

Yes the Malcador looks good. And John story is amazing. Nothing wrong with that. What is wrong - is that we are pitched 'old' stuff again (and that's exactly how it was in 2014/2015).

Plus even through I re-read good book a lot -  I think 5th time is a bit of an undertaking for Tallarn

[DarkChaplain]

Wasn't particularly fond of Ironclad myself, but Executioner was an absolutely stunning novella.

[Iron Hands Fanatic]

I. Love. That. Cover.

 

Makes me wanna design more tanks.

 

Edit: tangentially, I'm really looking froward to FW's Book which covers Tallarn, as it's a conflict unlike any covered in their HH series so far.

 

Also, does anyone know if this mentions the involvement of the Imperial Fists & Iron Hands - I know it centres on Imperial Army vs. Iron Warriors, but oooold background also mentions the first two at Tallarn.

Edited May 3, 2017 by Iron Hands Fanatic

[DukeLeto69]

Well this works for me and is exactly what I asked for... as I simply do not buy the novellas and therefore missed out on Tallarn. Yippee.

[Izlude]

I. Love. That. Cover.

 

Makes me wanna design more tanks.

 

Edit: tangentially, I'm really looking froward to FW's Book which covers Tallarn, as it's a conflict unlike any covered in their HH series so far.

 

Also, does anyone know if this mentions the involvement of the Imperial Fists & Iron Hands - I know it centres on Imperial Army vs. Iron Warriors, but oooold background also mentions the first two at Tallarn.

Yeah cover is pretty deft. The first one (Executioner) is purely "humies" but awesome nonetheless. Ironclad does have an IH tank commander but his role is limited and he is not until the end but has the typical IH personality disorder :@). Atlas no IF in this one. There is a side story involving an IF strike force I think was also done by French that was pretty awesome but is in one of those more recent anthology novels. Forgot the name but it was interesting as it was all in first person and as coded transmission (correct me if I am wrong but I think this was loosely connected to Tallarn.

[Carach]

knew these would get a compilation so held off buying - will grab this when its out

[Knockagh]

Another to make me regret the novellas I bought. I'm lacking some serious heresy passion these last few months. Been sucked back into 40k and haven't even bought the last 3 heresy releases, which after 10 years of buying absolutely everything is bad. I will get round to getting them..... need some inspiration to float the heresy boat again!

[veterannoob]

bitchin' cover!

[Olis]

I gotta say, when I finished Ironclad, I felt unsatisfied. The main event, the whole crux of the Battle of Tallarn, not only came late but it was so underwritten that I'd say it was criminal. There should have been reams and reams of stuff that this million-tank battle needed to flesh it out. We do get a decent lead-up and some fleeting descriptions between where the action-focus lay. The lead-up, I honestly can't fault. It felt like things were going to get heavy. Real heavy. But it didn't happen. We got the decaf, non-fat version. I had expected Kursk-in-space. The mother of all tank battles. 

 

The rest of the book performed well enough and the ideas were fine. It just needed to be a bigger book, if only to give more space for the actual Battle of Tallarn. Don't get me wrong, there was a fair helping of intrigue, which is good. Just... I dunno... if that was supposed to be the main story covering Tallarn, then the main event needed more face-time. Much, much more. While I like the overall writing of Ironclad, and revelled in the tank action that was there, it did hold that one, great disappointment for me. When I had thought that the story and the expected climax would meet up and we would see some truly epic action, they instead stayed separate. I felt kinda robbed.

 

Perhaps Siren and Witness will be good. I know Executioner was the prologue to the story of Tallarn's role in the HH, maybe those two can provide the details I crave...

 

(Oh, and the cover shown in the OP is pretty cool.)

[DarkChaplain]

I'm with you there. Ironclad had amazing build up, but in the end I wasn't satisfied. It brushed over the stuff that was most interesting.

[JH79]

Um, does anyone know why did they decide to omit Black Oculus, The Eagle's Talon & Iron Corpses from this? Even BL's The Battle For Tallarn ebundle has those stories included.

 

That cover is pretty sweet though!

[HeritorA]

Wasn't particularly fond of Ironclad myself, but Executioner was an absolutely stunning novella.

Indeed. To much AL and assassins/Imperial agents of late - instead of mass grinding warfare of epic scale.

 

I. Love. That. Cover.

 

Makes me wanna design more tanks.

 

Edit: tangentially, I'm really looking froward to FW's Book which covers Tallarn, as it's a conflict unlike any covered in their HH series so far.

 

Also, does anyone know if this mentions the involvement of the Imperial Fists & Iron Hands - I know it centres on Imperial Army vs. Iron Warriors, but oooold background also mentions the first two at Tallarn.

The problem is - even with Executioner and Ironclad we haven't seen 'that kind of truly apocalyptic warfare' aftermath of which is described in the last Tallarn short. It's all skipped and does not have a feel of EPIC 10 mil tanks/Hundreds of Titans war

 

 

 

I gotta say, when I finished Ironclad, I felt unsatisfied. The main event, the whole crux of the Battle of Tallarn, not only came late but it was so underwritten that I'd say it was criminal. There should have been reams and reams of stuff that this million-tank battle needed to flesh it out. We do get a decent lead-up and some fleeting descriptions between where the action-focus lay. The lead-up, I honestly can't fault. It felt like things were going to get heavy. Real heavy. But it didn't happen. We got the decaf, non-fat version. I had expected Kursk-in-space. The mother of all tank battles. 

 

The rest of the book performed well enough and the ideas were fine. It just needed to be a bigger book, if only to give more space for the actual Battle of Tallarn. Don't get me wrong, there was a fair helping of intrigue, which is good. Just... I dunno... if that was supposed to be the main story covering Tallarn, then the main event needed more face-time. Much, much more. While I like the overall writing of Ironclad, and revelled in the tank action that was there, it did hold that one, great disappointment for me. When I had thought that the story and the expected climax would meet up and we would see some truly epic action, they instead stayed separate. I felt kinda robbed.

 

Perhaps Siren and Witness will be good. I know Executioner was the prologue to the story of Tallarn's role in the HH, maybe those two can provide the details I crave...

 

(Oh, and the cover shown in the OP is pretty cool.)

 

They go inbetween Executioner and Ironclad - and covers same angles. But you will not get what you want. We didn't saw a real EPIC Tallarn war at all in general - just snippets.

[DarkChaplain]

Um, does anyone know why did they decide to omit Black Oculus, The Eagle's Talon & Iron Corpses from this? Even BL's The Battle For Tallarn ebundle has those stories included.

 

That cover is pretty sweet though!

 

They're already printed in previous anthologies in the numbered series.

[HeritorA]

 

Um, does anyone know why did they decide to omit Black Oculus, The Eagle's Talon & Iron Corpses from this? Even BL's The Battle For Tallarn ebundle has those stories included.

 

That cover is pretty sweet though!

 

They're already printed in previous anthologies in the numbered series.

 

TWICE!

[RedFurioso]

A nice compilation. I wonder if this means we will really need to wait until October before "Ruinstorm".

There's always 2 months in between Horus Heresy releases.

Fulgrim in October, IIRC Black Library alternates Horus Heresy and Primarchs novels. So Ruinstorm in November?

[JH79]

 

Um, does anyone know why did they decide to omit Black Oculus, The Eagle's Talon & Iron Corpses from this? Even BL's The Battle For Tallarn ebundle has those stories included.

 

That cover is pretty sweet though!

 

They're already printed in previous anthologies in the numbered series.

 

Yeah i remember seeing them last year and thinking "why are you here?". Surly they belong with their brothers and sisters in one collection, BL obviously think so due to the ebundle collection. It's kind of like omitting The Eternal Crusader from the Crusaders of Dorn anthology... #reasons

[HeritorA]

 

A nice compilation. I wonder if this means we will really need to wait until October before "Ruinstorm".

There's always 2 months in between Horus Heresy releases.

Fulgrim in October, IIRC Black Library alternates Horus Heresy and Primarchs novels. So Ruinstorm in November?

 

September/October.

 

 

 

Um, does anyone know why did they decide to omit Black Oculus, The Eagle's Talon & Iron Corpses from this? Even BL's The Battle For Tallarn ebundle has those stories included.

 

That cover is pretty sweet though!

 

They're already printed in previous anthologies in the numbered series.

 

Yeah i remember seeing them last year and thinking "why are you here?". Surly they belong with their brothers and sisters in one collection, BL obviously think so due to the ebundle collection. It's kind of like omitting The Eternal Crusader from the Crusaders of Dorn anthology... #reasons

 

Lols

[Tymell]

Like Olis and DC, I too feel like Ironclad was lacking a certain something. I liked all the characters and the writing was solid, but it didn't quite come together right at the end. Still, I'd say it wasn't awful by any means, and Executioner was great. Siren was decent too, and Witness is an inoffensive if ultimately pointless few pages.

 

 

 

Um, does anyone know why did they decide to omit Black Oculus, The Eagle's Talon & Iron Corpses from this? Even BL's The Battle For Tallarn ebundle has those stories included.

 

That cover is pretty sweet though!

 

They're already printed in previous anthologies in the numbered series.

 

TWICE!

 

 

Black Oculus in War Without End, The Eagle's Talon and Iron Corpses in Eye of Terra, I'm not aware of any other printing within the numbered series (bear in mind Blades of the Traitor wasn't part of that).

 

That said, I do agree it's odd not to have Black Oculus here, since it's by French and ties directly into the rest of the main story. Iron Corpses and Eagle's Talon are, at least, by different authors and tell side-stories within the conflict.