Sons of the Emperor - Primarchs Anthology

[Fedor]

I thought the Ancient Awaits a bit ridiculous as a scenario. I appreciate the return to the character and it was entertaining enough, but i think i'd rather have him show back up as a character for the upcoming siege series than this. It wouldn't have needed much to explain his reappearance and would have been an interesting perspective.

[mc warhammer]

i did think it was a stretch that his weapons would be operational after millennia with little to no upkeep

[b1soul]

How did his withered husk of a body survive ten millenia outside stasis?

[mc warhammer]

pure angriness

[mc warhammer]

also with shadow of the past

from what i understand, corax being in the warp put him in touch with his true nature and he was very...warpy...to the point where he could take on an ascended lorgar. so...does that mean that daemon prince ascension isn't necessary for a primarch to power up? if guilliman had fought fulgrim in the warp...would they have been more evenly matched?

Edited November 7, 2018 by mc warhammer

[Carach]

uhm so would this be coming out any time soon for the masses or are some of these likely to be in our beloved christmas calendar next month

 

i've not bought an anthology in ages because i have usually already got the shorts before the anthology goes to print, but these stories are all locked up in this book it seems?

[Tymell]

also with shadow of the past 

from what i understand, corax being in the warp put him in touch with his true nature and he was very...warpy...to the point where he could take on an ascended lorgar. so...does that mean that daemon prince ascension isn't necessary for a primarch to power up? if guilliman had fought fulgrim in the warp...would they have been more evenly matched?

 

I took it as Corax accepting that all the primarchs have some of the warp in them, and now he's trying to use that to his advantage. How well that will work out going forward, I guess we won't know unless he makes future appearances. Personally, I wouldn't get too hung up on "primarch power levels" and the like, I think it more depends on the context and writer.

 

uhm so would this be coming out any time soon for the masses or are some of these likely to be in our beloved christmas calendar next month

 

i've not bought an anthology in ages because i have usually already got the shorts before the anthology goes to print, but these stories are all locked up in this book it seems?

 

My money's on a Primarchs anthology somewhere down the line, including these 8, Grandfather's Gift, A Lesson in Iron, Malcador: First Lord of the Imperium, Konrad Curze: A Lesson in Darkness and Stone & Iron, plus any other Primarchs shorts they put out. But even if that comes to pass, I've no idea when it would be, or if they might release some/all of these individually before then.

Edited November 7, 2018 by Tymell

[carlisimo]

I was able to borrow the collection from someone and, yes, it’s good. Good enough that I’m annoyed that it’s an exclusive. That said, I think it’s ridiculous that any GW products should be geographically limited.

 

The Passing of Angels - 8/10

At first I felt the descriptions were a tad too flowery and long-winded, but this quickly subsided.

I felt the same way. The part at the beginning where Sanguinius notices that one legionnaire’s helmet decoration is a micrometer out of alignment grated on me. It feels like the, “Look how physically awesome this primarch is,” sort of writing that I’d expect from a lesser author.

 

I really like John French but he pushes it with numbers sometimes: 10 million tanks at Tallarn (maybe not so bad), low enough induction efficiency that the Imperial Fists need to churn through 50 million little boys to get 100,000 legionnaires… I can see why authors like to keep the details vague.

 

Though to be fair, I think it’s theoretically possible if a primarch can see light all the way over in the X-ray and gamma ray part of the spectrum, which feels reasonable. Wavelength puts a physical limit on our visual acuity (or Venier acuity in this case), so under what we consider visible light I don’t think you could resolve a 1 micron misalignment at, say, a meter distance.

 

Anyway, after that the story becomes one of Sanguinius’s better depictions, but still in the same vein as what we’ve seen before: he thinks of himself as a tool to be used to pave the wave for humanity, maybe even one that’s disposable. And there’s still no indication that he would make a good candidate for Warmaster. I think we have to accept that Black Library has given us a consistent portrayal of who Sanguinius is, and it just wasn’t what we were expecting.

 

Totally agree with the rest of your reviews!

[SkimaskMohawk]

I think the interesting thing about the whole corax bit is that while he might be "powered up" , he's against an enemy that know how to manipulate and bind warp entities. Could be an interesting plot line

[mc warhammer]

I took it as Corax accepting that all the primarchs have some of the warp in them, and now he's trying to use that to his advantage. How well that will work out going forward, I guess we won't know unless he makes future appearances. Personally, I wouldn't get too hung up on "primarch power levels" and the like, I think it more depends on the context and writer.

yeah i hear ya...my question was less about “ my primarch can beat your primarch” (though with the example i used i can see how it reads that way) and more

how does the warp affect a non daemon primarch and is daemoning up even much of a great thing

Edited November 8, 2018 by mc warhammer

[mc warhammer]

I think the interesting thing about the whole corax bit is that while he might be "powered up" , he's against an enemy that know how to manipulate and bind warp entities. Could be an interesting plot line

not having read it, i like the concept. very nice ellipsis to leave corax on...

[Roomsky]

 

My money's on a Primarchs anthology somewhere down the line, including these 8, Grandfather's Gift, A Lesson in Iron, Malcador: First Lord of the Imperium, Konrad Curze: A Lesson in Darkness and Stone & Iron, plus any other Primarchs shorts they put out. But even if that comes to pass, I've no idea when it would be, or if they might release some/all of these individually before then.

 

 

I'm personally hoping for some themed paperback release. Either an anthology that, for instance, collects Perturabo, Lorgar, and Fulgrim, along with the short stories associated with those primarchs. Either that or a Cult of the Spiral Dawn style paperback that, again for example, includes Hammer of Olympia, Stone and Iron, and The Emperor's Architect.

 

I've never had any problem with visits to the weekender and the like giving people early or signed copies of things, but being left in the dark as to when the rest of us might get a release of what is apparently such a quality collection rubs me the wrong way, I will admit.

[SkimaskMohawk]

I'm also not too sure on the sevetar bit. The obvious read is that he's a sociopath. But in other shorts and the audio novel, he does show empathy towards other people. The human he keeps tabs on, or the astropath girl he takes vengeance for

[mc warhammer]

from what i’ve been told, it seems an argument could be made for curze being the one upholding imperial truth in the face of magnus’ obsession

[m_r_parker]

Whilst Curze is technically right, and upholding the values of the Imperial Truth as laid out by the Emperor, he’s using the situation as an excuse to lash out st one of his brothers. He knows that Magnus and his retinue of Thousand Sons are protecting this tower using Kine shields, and taunts Magnus in the knowledge that whilst the shields will hold against lascannons and battle line tanks some of his Sons will die in the effort. Curze taunts him further, suggesting he could up the bombardment to super heavy tanks like Shadowswords and Falchions, and even pull his own troops away allowing for an Orbital Bombardment. Curze takes great pleasure in seeing Magnus divided in not wanting this tower and all it’s knowledge destroyed, and not wanting his Sons killed in its defence. Magnus also knows it’s far from an empty threat by Curze, and it’s likely something the Night Haunter would enjoy.

The premise of this, and the greater story behind it, is very good. It’s a shame it’s only been available as this limited release.

[Roomsky]

The sheer quality of this collection makes the backflips / induced bankruptcy the rest of the non-Proud British Master Race world must endure to acquire it all the more frustrating. Had I not a vast network of spies and diseased British peasantry under my control, who knows how long it might have taken me to read this excellent anthology.

 

The Passing of Angels

John French back at it again with writing that elevates oft-tropey legions to something far more believable. The traditions in place for the Blood Angels destroyers are very in keeping with the violent but emotional core of the 9th. Sanguinius is melancholy without coming across as mopey, we get a bit more of French's Horus (always a treat), and really, it's everything one might hope for out of a good short. So much character is built in so few pages, and it only adds flourish to the overall tapestry, rather than attempting to be an integral part of it.

 

The Abyssal Edge

Great stuff, unsurprisingly. I think ADB's first choice for Heresy writing was Prospero, and his love for the Thousand Sons comes through here. Magnus' arrogance is perfectly mixed with good intention, as is Curze's loyalty tainted by stubborn rigidity. More Sev is always great, as is, unsurprisingly, the story's human "protagonist." The frustration with the attendant servitor was a personal highlight. 

 

Mercy of the Dragon

Were that Kyme only wrote shorts, they are so much better than his full-length pieces. While I wouldn't call it anything truly outstanding, the pivotal moments of Vulkan's life on display are tactfully intimate, and the piece adds some great texture to Vulkan and Ferrus' crusade-era days. The story moves at a nice pace, and Kyme's prose succeeds in being measured where usually it is frustratingly uneven. Good stuff.

 

Shadow of the Past

A perfectly serviceable tale, nothing offensive, and a few interesting ideas on display. I do struggle a bit to enjoy the story for what it is, as I certainly never wanted to know what Corax was doing in the eye, nor did I want the (potential) motivator for Lorgar locking himself away for 10,000 years to be Corax shoving an armored boot up his ass. Sometimes you gotta role with the punches, and if you do this is fine enough.

 

The Emperor's Architect

Probably my new favorite from Haley, this was absolutely chilling as a companion piece to Hammer of Olympia. The dramatic irony this tale was built on is palpable. Seeing a surprisingly unique human protagonist wander through all the giant red flags for Perturabo's eventual actions is very well done, and Pert's childhood flashbacks are quite interesting, seeing his want to aid common humanity manifesting in ways other than his desire to build. An excellent piece.

 

Prince of Blood

A surprise from Goulding, whose writing I don't normally like. Part of it is certainly just my glee at seeing Lotara again, but the story at large is a very solid continuation of the ideas founded by Farrer, ADB, and Reynolds. I could read a whole book about Angron and Khârn chatting, and the emphasis on ascension being barely a band aid on Angron's problems is wonderfully tragic. All that said, that the Word Bearers just left them behind after dropping out of the warp is kind of hilarious.

 

The Ancient Awaits

Well written enough, and so very Mcneill. Thousand Sons, check. Fulgrim, check. A minor plotline that I don't get the excitement over, check. My issue with this one is that it doesn't really add anything to the legions on display, as everyone dies. It's always nice to see Fulgrim taken down a peg, but I'm sure he'll have forgotten about it before his next bender on warp dust. An easy enough read, but my main thought was "who cares about Rylanor?"

 

Misbegotten

This was great, the usual layering of a story that makes Abnett stand out are on full display. There are a few awkward moments, which I attribute to Abnett getting back into the the swing of Horus' Legion, but he's still the (partially disputed, I see you French) king of the 16th. What I love most is the total lack of extraneous detail, the story is about Horus, Sejanus, and Fo. Beyond what brings them together, no time is wasted on superfluous action scenes. The rough cut between Horus engaging the Misbegot and him speaking to the captured Fo speaks far better to his might than seeing it happen. A great capper to a great collection.

 

 

Read this one, if your means allow. Fingers crossed it becomes more widely available in the near future.

[SkimaskMohawk]

Literally just google sons of the emperor pdf. I would have paid up if I could have, but you know.

[m_r_parker]

So for all of those who haven't had the chance to read this anthology (which is presumably most people), it's getting a general release in the next week.

 

Warhammer Community article

 

Black Library order page

[DarkChaplain]

No indication of it getting audio treatment so far, huh. That'd have been nice, seeing how all other print books in the Primarchs series got them so far. I'm just absolutely dreadful at finishing anthologies from front to back, so having an audiobook edition would go a long way to help.

[Amun Ra]

So for all of those who haven't had the chance to read this anthology (which is presumably most people), it's getting a general release in the next week.

 

Warhammer Community article

 

Black Library order page

Great news. Haven't been able to get to WHW due to a health issue and it was bugging me not having this as a hole in the series.

[m_r_parker]

No indication of it getting audio treatment so far, huh. That'd have been nice, seeing how all other print books in the Primarchs series got them so far. I'm just absolutely dreadful at finishing anthologies from front to back, so having an audiobook edition would go a long way to help.

 

It's not actually that big, in fact the picture in the WHC article is misleadingly large. It's 8 stories at around 20 pages each if I remember correctly.

[Master Ciaphas]

Yay. Great that this is getting a general release. I will certainly be getting it some time next week.

[Allart01]

I must be honest, I am slightly annoyed by the fact that my Limited Edition purchased at Wahamme Fest is going to be perfectly identical to the mass market release.

I don't care for exclusive access to those stories (obviously) but I do care for what was supposed to be an exclusive souvenir... A different cover would have been enough, eh!

[DarkChaplain]

I'm honestly baffled that they didn't at least commission a new cover. The current one is simply taken from the FW books, after all, and doesn't even match the style of the other Primarch books. Might've been a great opportunity to have a group shot of a few Primarchs...

[Izlude]

I agree using the cover is little lazy! Maybe it will change? Although it is too close to release to be a place-holder. Def will get this one. Slightly off topic but anyone know if the LE first book for the siege will be March as advertised before? I wanted to order together to get free shipping. I think anything less than 50 to the US incurs a pretty high shipping charge so I try to lump books together. 

 

I was going to order Buried Dagger, but just got it as a ebook since the response here has been luke warm. About 1/4 way in and I have to agree...sort of a one and done book thus far.