Rate what you Read, or the fight against Necromancy

[Nagashsnee]

“Fire Caste” by Peter Fehervari....but this time on audio. 

 

Ok lets get this out of the way, i loved this book the first time i read it, and loved it more every time i read it again after that. It is one of the VERY few warhammer books i have recommend to non warhammer people as just a book.  It achieves what few books do and totally pulls you into the world it creates. You dont read about a jungle, a swamp, a river, you are there. You feel the heat, the humidity, you hear the droning of the bugs. But it never comes off as some kind of Apocalypse now rip off. It is very much a 40k book and story, the Imperium is just as as you know it, and a assortment of 40k characters, factions and affects are present. But the books make you grow to hate and respect Phaedra in a way only a good book can. The audio book captures this nicely, and while i cannot say it surpasses the written version it does it legacy proud. Its clear that effort went into this audio book and the people behind it held the book in some esteem. 

 

9/10 Worth it for both fans of the book and people new to it. Do not be put off by the title, BL did not know how to handle this book the title is the most obvious of their failures in dealing with early Fehervari. Its not a tau book, its not a faction book, its very very much a pure 40k book. If anything its a book about a world and those caught by it. 

[The Scorpion]

18 hours ago, Nagashsnee said:

“Fire Caste” by Peter Fehervari.

 

9/10 Worth it for both fans of the book and people new to it. Do not be put off by the title, BL did not know how to handle this book the title is the most obvious of their failures in dealing with early Fehervari. Its not a tau book, its not a faction book, its very very much a pure 40k book. If anything its a book about a world and those caught by it. 

It is also a must-read for Farsight fans. Fehervari just made him appear once (is it really him?) and made him the most Based character in the whole galaxy.

 

And this is ignoring all the cool Kroot stuff, and the creole/vodoo themed iwuji sharks regiment, and the Calavera with his "augmetic of rare and resplendent provenance", and the whole Inquisitorial mystery, and... it's all so goddamn Peak.

 

Stuff like that is what makes me think that the Dark Coil is not only peak 40k but also Peak Fiction in general, albeit one that only 40k fans can enjoy.

 

One of the few 40k stories I'd rate 10/10 withou hesitating.

[Jareddm]

Finally continuing a series I've put off for ages, but managed to keep myself pretty spoiler free.

 

Just finished Soul Drinkers 2: The Bleeding Chalice

Pretty heavy on the bolter porn, a couple of middling antagonist (with one exception) and we don't really learn anything new about the Soul Drinkers.

Sarpedon remains the only character with a meaningful line of dialogue. Inquisitor Thaddeus is pretty typical by modern presentations of Inquisitors so nothing too special there.

That said, the one exception is Teturact. He is exactly what modern 40k needs. 

Spoiler

Teturact is an alpha plus mutant psyker who managed to claim god-like status along with a hundred Imperial worlds. He's got a whole sector to himself and is holding his own against border assaults from the Imperium. He's kind of Nurgle-lite in focus but has aspirations to ascend to godhood himself with his own set of domains; servitude through death, purity and corruption made one, the subjugation of souls through suffering and deliverance. And best of all, not a Death Guard in sight

He is what I want to see more of in Imperium Nihilius.
Final book score: 6/10 Teturact is awesome

[Roomsky]

Revisiting The Beast Arises, Part 1 of ?

 

Yes, I do have hobbies beyond reading and re-reading middling 40k books, but I can't post about them here now can I?

 

I think most people read-and-forget The Beast Arises, if they read it at all, so I thought it would be interesting to see how it does when you know all the twists in advance.

 

I am Slaughter

This book is very odd. On one hand, it's Abnett doing what he does best. He creates a cast of living, breathing, and compelling characters in a relatively short amount of time, and he establishes a new setting (sub-setting, in this case) with its own unique feel and idiosyncrasies. Seriously, that we get the most important elements of the High Lords of Terra, multiple astartes, naval officers, Krule, Laurentis, unique orks, the political climate on Terra, the degradation of the Imperium's military, and several doses of dramatic irony is quite impressive for ~200 pages. He set the stage and gave us a strong cast, no notes (though the warning signs that would lead us to characters like Fo are noticeably brewing based on the way Vangorich and Laurentis speak and think.) Yes, I can even forgive a goofy nickname like "Slaughter."

 

The problem is that's basically all the book has going for it. Everything on Ardamantua is in service of a mystery we know the answer to based on the book's cover. You could have swapped the Chromes with Orks and it would have been more surprising that the attack moon was orks. All the Ardamantua sections are Imperial Fists fighting Megarachnids mk. 2 while you yell "get on with it already!" The sections on Terra, as everyone knows by now, are much better but still not terribly gripping. There are interesting elements, sure, but much of the actual intrigue happens between chapters, and some of the better conversations get crowded out by Vangorich explaining how smart he is to the reader.

 

Overall, it made me care about what would happen in the next book, but it largely forgot to make me care about what was happening in this book.

 

Predator, Prey

I haven't had much cause to talk about Sanders' writing in the past, let's do that now. His prose is dense; it doesn't go down easy, rather, you need to chew on it. This works for and against it. On the positive side, Sanders clearly loves the scale and absurdity of 40k, each paragraph is packed with over-the-top character descriptions, references to planets and campaigns we'll never see, and enough cultural background detail to choke a horse. Less positively, this often makes his books a literal struggle to get through, not because they're bad but because they have no flow or momentum to speak of.

 

Predator, Prey is no exception - but I liked it better than I am Slaughter anyway. Abnett's seeds bear fruit, especially on Terra. Vangorich's chapters are so much better now that he's just trying to adapt to an ongoing situation. We get Wienand's new, more interesting, second, and Wienand herself is no less interesting. We get the first hints of what Kubik is up to, and the proper intro to Mesring. I had forgotten how much Vangorich and Wienand tripped over each other but this is where it's properly established.

 

The Mechanicus, clearly a favourite of Sanders', gets good attention here and his writing style is perfect for the faction. Amidst (generally compelling) debates on Martian ethics and religion, we get mired in sub-routines and rituals constantly. We're introduced to Bohemond, to Zerberyn, to Thane (who, yes, is explicitly not a veteran of the Siege.) We get a tragic side-story about the doomed world of Undine, and the rare acknowledgment of the scale of the Imperium - the Black Templars tell a POV-planet that they can't come save them. How often does the decision of which warfront to attend actually let us see what happens to those who don't get support?

 

My only issue with the actual plot is that, while Sanders picks up and sometimes even improves Abnett's set-up very well, he kind of missed the mark on the orks themselves. Despite the painful build-up, once the orks properly revealed themselves in book 1, they were scary in a way your typical orks aren't. They're better equipped, and clearly more intelligent. Their arrival alone doomed Ardamantua. Here, yes, they're a massive threat - but it's more of an informed attribute. It seems like they're winning through sheer numbers, with Sanders almost downplaying the cataclysm of an attack moon or the orks practically being a new breed.

 

Still, I actually thought Predator, Prey was pretty good. Not an easy read, prose that flows organically is very important to me, but the content itself was strong and deserves a lot of credit for the series' strongest elements.

 

-

 

Taking a break to read other things before continuing with book 3. In retrospect, I think the community is way too hard on this series, and not because of the obvious issues like 3 attacks on Ullanor. Sindermann is Veritus? Ullanor is Armageddon? The Deathwatch was founded to fight these orks? Harlequins cutting apart Custodes (I even enjoyed that one)? The Imperial Fists being completely wiped out and then rebuilt from their successors? Yes, much of it is dumb and unnecessary, but I mean… that's the spirit of 40k innit? This isn't fleshing out the legendary Horus Heresy, where everyone's built their own, venerated head-canons about how it should be. This was two offhanded blips on the timeline BL used to tell a story about how the Imperium took one step closer to damnation, even if it often gets... weird.

 

When it comes to the Heresy, I think "this should never have happened" is almost as strong an argument as "the good things we got were worth all the canon defilement." But the War of the Beast? We got (3 dimensional) Drakan Vangorich out of it. We got Maximus Thane out of it (no, not the boring Siege one.) We got the last loyal primarch sacrificing himself for almost nothing, confirming the age of heroes is over (and that's 40k as hell!) We got a lot of good stuff here, and what did we lose? A more compelling Deathwatch origin? Sorry Deathwatch fans, but I'll take that trade.

 

Tune in next time where maybe the later books will frustrate me to the point I take this all back!

[Nagashsnee]

Great review Roomsky. I too have a giant soft spot for the series. And for all its flaw i wish BL would do more of this expeditions into random eras of 40 and just explore the settings history as stand alone works.

[neOh (AV)]

Successor Chapters eShorts 2024 – revisiting what I have missed

 

Tears of Raphaela – Richard Swan
Let's start with the story I liked the most. Lamenters sniper hunts a Tyranid prime in the middle of a destroyed world - with only one bolt in his rifle. Throughout this vignette, Richard Swan manages to mention the unique chips and traditions of the chapter, refer to Badab, and evoke a sincere tear with the last lines. If anyone ever writes a novel about the Lamenters, he is one of the best candidates.

 

The Guns of Enth - R.S. Wilt
Wilt has clearly understood the essence of the Howling Griffons and produced a cool, self-contained, here-and-there even funny action story in which the Griffons try to capture precious macro-guns - with a very, very unexpected ending. And something tells me that we will meet the characters of this end twist again.

 

Tally of the Slaughter - Mark-Anthony Fenech
A small squad of Executioners storms the manufactory where their Badab-old enemies have been holed up. It's time to cut off heads! Perhaps the most important story from the lore perspective. Firstly, that's the first time Vashtorr appears in the BL fiction. Secondly, he has a big surprise to show us. I'd also like to pay tribute to Mark for his choice of characters' names - they all have references and meanings, which he himself has described in much more detail in his reddit comments.

 

The Shot That Kills You - William Crowe
Just six marines and a whole world to save from drukhari. What could possibly go wrong? Good question, because these marines are Raptors! Concentrated tacticool with battles in the fog, smoke grenades, "oh no, it's a trap!" and a pretty memetical ending.

 

Death's Toll - Jon Flindall
Bolter-massacare that it is, the marines of the Iron Lords' chapter accompany an ordinary mortal to help them retake a planet from the T'au – and they do it brutally. Iron Lords' trademark exceptional xenophobia is perfectly shown by Flindall, but there is... A little lack of some additional details about the chapter – which, however, does not detract from the story.

 

Vengeful Dead - Mike Vincent
Decades after his death, the Red Talons Dreadnought takes beautiful revenge on the Night Lords in a desperate battle - and all in the first person. It was fast, bloody, and without a single wasted sentence. Everything in perfect proportion.

 

The Blooded – David McDougall
...Or what the Angels Vermillion do to mortals when no one is looking. Dante, of course, does not appreciate this, but of all the heirs of Sanguinius, the actions of the Vermillion do not seem so terrible. Interestingly, half of the story is taken up by a trench warfare, reminiscent of Vraks or the Battle of Parmenio.

[Ubiquitous1984]

On 11/6/2024 at 12:28 AM, Roomsky said:

Revisiting The Beast Arises, Part 1 of ?

 

Yes, I do have hobbies beyond reading and re-reading middling 40k books, but I can't post about them here now can I?

 

I think most people read-and-forget The Beast Arises, if they read it at all, so I thought it would be interesting to see how it does when you know all the twists in advance.

 

I am Slaughter

This book is very odd. On one hand, it's Abnett doing what he does best. He creates a cast of living, breathing, and compelling characters in a relatively short amount of time, and he establishes a new setting (sub-setting, in this case) with its own unique feel and idiosyncrasies. Seriously, that we get the most important elements of the High Lords of Terra, multiple astartes, naval officers, Krule, Laurentis, unique orks, the political climate on Terra, the degradation of the Imperium's military, and several doses of dramatic irony is quite impressive for ~200 pages. He set the stage and gave us a strong cast, no notes (though the warning signs that would lead us to characters like Fo are noticeably brewing based on the way Vangorich and Laurentis speak and think.) Yes, I can even forgive a goofy nickname like "Slaughter."

 

The problem is that's basically all the book has going for it. Everything on Ardamantua is in service of a mystery we know the answer to based on the book's cover. You could have swapped the Chromes with Orks and it would have been more surprising that the attack moon was orks. All the Ardamantua sections are Imperial Fists fighting Megarachnids mk. 2 while you yell "get on with it already!" The sections on Terra, as everyone knows by now, are much better but still not terribly gripping. There are interesting elements, sure, but much of the actual intrigue happens between chapters, and some of the better conversations get crowded out by Vangorich explaining how smart he is to the reader.

 

Overall, it made me care about what would happen in the next book, but it largely forgot to make me care about what was happening in this book.

 

Predator, Prey

I haven't had much cause to talk about Sanders' writing in the past, let's do that now. His prose is dense; it doesn't go down easy, rather, you need to chew on it. This works for and against it. On the positive side, Sanders clearly loves the scale and absurdity of 40k, each paragraph is packed with over-the-top character descriptions, references to planets and campaigns we'll never see, and enough cultural background detail to choke a horse. Less positively, this often makes his books a literal struggle to get through, not because they're bad but because they have no flow or momentum to speak of.

 

Predator, Prey is no exception - but I liked it better than I am Slaughter anyway. Abnett's seeds bear fruit, especially on Terra. Vangorich's chapters are so much better now that he's just trying to adapt to an ongoing situation. We get Wienand's new, more interesting, second, and Wienand herself is no less interesting. We get the first hints of what Kubik is up to, and the proper intro to Mesring. I had forgotten how much Vangorich and Wienand tripped over each other but this is where it's properly established.

 

The Mechanicus, clearly a favourite of Sanders', gets good attention here and his writing style is perfect for the faction. Amidst (generally compelling) debates on Martian ethics and religion, we get mired in sub-routines and rituals constantly. We're introduced to Bohemond, to Zerberyn, to Thane (who, yes, is explicitly not a veteran of the Siege.) We get a tragic side-story about the doomed world of Undine, and the rare acknowledgment of the scale of the Imperium - the Black Templars tell a POV-planet that they can't come save them. How often does the decision of which warfront to attend actually let us see what happens to those who don't get support?

 

My only issue with the actual plot is that, while Sanders picks up and sometimes even improves Abnett's set-up very well, he kind of missed the mark on the orks themselves. Despite the painful build-up, once the orks properly revealed themselves in book 1, they were scary in a way your typical orks aren't. They're better equipped, and clearly more intelligent. Their arrival alone doomed Ardamantua. Here, yes, they're a massive threat - but it's more of an informed attribute. It seems like they're winning through sheer numbers, with Sanders almost downplaying the cataclysm of an attack moon or the orks practically being a new breed.

 

Still, I actually thought Predator, Prey was pretty good. Not an easy read, prose that flows organically is very important to me, but the content itself was strong and deserves a lot of credit for the series' strongest elements.

 

-

 

Taking a break to read other things before continuing with book 3. In retrospect, I think the community is way too hard on this series, and not because of the obvious issues like 3 attacks on Ullanor. Sindermann is Veritus? Ullanor is Armageddon? The Deathwatch was founded to fight these orks? Harlequins cutting apart Custodes (I even enjoyed that one)? The Imperial Fists being completely wiped out and then rebuilt from their successors? Yes, much of it is dumb and unnecessary, but I mean… that's the spirit of 40k innit? This isn't fleshing out the legendary Horus Heresy, where everyone's built their own, venerated head-canons about how it should be. This was two offhanded blips on the timeline BL used to tell a story about how the Imperium took one step closer to damnation, even if it often gets... weird.

 

When it comes to the Heresy, I think "this should never have happened" is almost as strong an argument as "the good things we got were worth all the canon defilement." But the War of the Beast? We got (3 dimensional) Drakan Vangorich out of it. We got Maximus Thane out of it (no, not the boring Siege one.) We got the last loyal primarch sacrificing himself for almost nothing, confirming the age of heroes is over (and that's 40k as hell!) We got a lot of good stuff here, and what did we lose? A more compelling Deathwatch origin? Sorry Deathwatch fans, but I'll take that trade.

 

Tune in next time where maybe the later books will frustrate me to the point I take this all back!

This was really interesting to read, and I hope you find the time to review each of the remaining books in the series.  

[The Scorpion]

4 hours ago, neOh (AV) said:

 

 

The Guns of Enth - R.S. Wilt
Wilt has clearly understood the essence of the Howling Griffons and produced a cool, self-contained, here-and-there even funny action story in which the Griffons try to capture precious macro-guns - with a very, very unexpected ending. And something tells me that we will meet the characters of this end twist again.

The twist characters from Guns of Enth also appear in "Recriminant", another of the author's short stories.

Edited November 8 by The Scorpion

[neOh (AV)]

3 hours ago, The Scorpion said:

The twist characters from Guns of Enth also appear in "Recriminant", another of the author's short stories.

Wow, I missed this story, but will definitely read it now! And I'm even more sure that sooner or later we'll get a novel about this character by Wilt - as was the case with Brooks' Akurra, who first appeared in the short story and then made it into the novel

Edited November 8 by neOh (AV)

[Roomsky]

Path of the Renegade - Andy Chambers

 

Chambers must be a Dark Eldar himself, because every page of this was painful.

 

...

 

Ahem. I get why people would enjoy this. It's packed with worldbuilding and the characters are by and large irredeemable monsters as Dark Eldar should be. There's not an excess of combat, motivations are clear (when they want to be,) and the premise is solid enough. I'm even past the point of sneering at xenos books just because they don't try to embrace an alien mindset (especially because Dark Eldar tend to be extremely entertaining in their too-human bickering.)

 

So, what's the problem? The problem, dear frater, is that every bloody paragraph is structured like this:

 

Svartlfar the Wicked stepped out of his palace and into his sword-van. This particular engine of slaughter was invented by the mad artist Henrifodros before the fall, combining lethality and speed. It's boxy shape belied it's maneuverability, indeed, many a rival had been slain because they underestimated the vehicle's puissance. Upon its prow was a great claymore, precisely 2 metres in length, which met the vehicle's chassis with an ornamental cross-guard. Svartlfar had acquired it from one of his rival kabals in a game of chance, after which all had accused him of cheating. They were correct, of course.

 

Now, that structure is fine if the paragraphs before and after it are not also structured in the same way. Instead, a character says or does a thing, and then we spend a fifth of the page providing backstory for why that just occurred. Then a character responds, and we spend a fifth of the page explaining why they responded in such a way. Over. And over. And over. It's no surprise to me that this guy's known for his codices.

 

As it is, the number of plot-relevant sentences per chapter = the number of paragraphs per chapter. It's the reading equivalent of waiting for ketchup to flow out of a stationary glass bottle. Every time the story threatened to actually engage me, another paragraph of exposition would swoop in to remind me what I was reading.

 

I couldn't finish this. Clearly, most people have more patience than I.

[LemartestheLost]

13 hours ago, neOh (AV) said:

Successor Chapters eShorts 2024 – revisiting what I have missed

 

Tears of Raphaela – Richard Swan
Let's start with the story I liked the most. Lamenters sniper hunts a Tyranid prime in the middle of a destroyed world - with only one bolt in his rifle. Throughout this vignette, Richard Swan manages to mention the unique chips and traditions of the chapter, refer to Badab, and evoke a sincere tear with the last lines. If anyone ever writes a novel about the Lamenters, he is one of the best candidates.

 

The Guns of Enth - R.S. Wilt
Wilt has clearly understood the essence of the Howling Griffons and produced a cool, self-contained, here-and-there even funny action story in which the Griffons try to capture precious macro-guns - with a very, very unexpected ending. And something tells me that we will meet the characters of this end twist again.

 

Tally of the Slaughter - Mark-Anthony Fenech
A small squad of Executioners storms the manufactory where their Badab-old enemies have been holed up. It's time to cut off heads! Perhaps the most important story from the lore perspective. Firstly, that's the first time Vashtorr appears in the BL fiction. Secondly, he has a big surprise to show us. I'd also like to pay tribute to Mark for his choice of characters' names - they all have references and meanings, which he himself has described in much more detail in his reddit comments.

 

The Shot That Kills You - William Crowe
Just six marines and a whole world to save from drukhari. What could possibly go wrong? Good question, because these marines are Raptors! Concentrated tacticool with battles in the fog, smoke grenades, "oh no, it's a trap!" and a pretty memetical ending.

 

Death's Toll - Jon Flindall
Bolter-massacare that it is, the marines of the Iron Lords' chapter accompany an ordinary mortal to help them retake a planet from the T'au – and they do it brutally. Iron Lords' trademark exceptional xenophobia is perfectly shown by Flindall, but there is... A little lack of some additional details about the chapter – which, however, does not detract from the story.

 

Vengeful Dead - Mike Vincent
Decades after his death, the Red Talons Dreadnought takes beautiful revenge on the Night Lords in a desperate battle - and all in the first person. It was fast, bloody, and without a single wasted sentence. Everything in perfect proportion.

 

The Blooded – David McDougall
...Or what the Angels Vermillion do to mortals when no one is looking. Dante, of course, does not appreciate this, but of all the heirs of Sanguinius, the actions of the Vermillion do not seem so terrible. Interestingly, half of the story is taken up by a trench warfare, reminiscent of Vraks or the Battle of Parmenio.

 

These really were a grand group of eShorts, I highly recommend them to fellow successor chapter enjoyers.

[neOh (AV)]

Flame And Damnation – or another bunch of shorts I read in one night

 

Animus Malorum – Laurie Goulding

Probably the most substantial work, apart from Rob Sanders' novel, that we have on the Legion at all - despite its relatively small size. Through the story of an unnamed chapter [this detail plays with additional colours after reading], Goulding gives us a glimp at how the ranks of the Damned are replenished and what price the Imperium has to pay for its miraculous salvation. Attica Centurius my boy!

 

Remorseless – Josh Reynolds

Josh Reynolds is a master of interesting ideas. Where else will you see a Chaos witcher in the service of the Iron Warriors hunting Astartes? Conceptually, this story is one of my favourites in the collection: plus, it's probably the first time that the Legionnaires' "material" goal is mentioned, with their influence on mortals and all that horror they bring depicted in great colour.

 

The Dark Hollows of Memory – David Annandale

The scribe who works in the gigantic Administratum librarium is tormented by a dreadful sense - and for reason, because a warband of little-known [but rather caricatured] renegades has set their sights on this archive-world. So there's a lot of blood and "oh my god, they're monsters" awaits! Like Reynolds, Annandale hints that the Damned don't actually attack just to save everyone, but, at least in some cases, have a clear purpose.

 

Ship of the Damned – Christian Dunn

Another page in the life of Sister Dialogus Agentha, a regular protagonist of Christian's stories [you can read them beforehand, but not necessarily]. This time, on the pilgrimage ship where she's now a teacher, a plague breaks out, leaving us guessing what's the Legion's goal for today. But the main virtue of the story lies not in the Damned mystery, but... In the way Christian, here with humour and there with sadness, tells the story of Agentha's routine, her love of books and teaching, not forgetting the immortal references to Ravenor's «The Mirror of Smoke». If only there were more BL titles like this.

 

Votum Infernus - Nick Kyme

The artillery didn't help, and the Vostroyans were utterly defeated by the Dark Eldar - but sometimes, even one Legionnaire is enough to change everything [except the tcoaal-style drukhari relationship]. I was certainly prepared for something unexpected, but the final twist-in-twist took me by surprise, winning my love for this work - and adding another piece to the puzzle of the Damned story. Hell, Kyme has always been able to surprise.

 

From the Flames – Graem Lyon

A sketch of the battle against the Avatar of Khaine, where the Legionnaires break in. The smallest work in the anthology, a kind of text illustration – there's really nothing more to add about it.

[grailkeeper]

On 11/8/2024 at 1:19 PM, neOh (AV) said:

Successor Chapters eShorts 2024 – revisiting what I have missed

 

Tears of Raphaela – Richard Swan
Let's start with the story I liked the most. Lamenters sniper hunts a Tyranid prime in the middle of a destroyed world - with only one bolt in his rifle. Throughout this vignette, Richard Swan manages to mention the unique chips and traditions of the chapter, refer to Badab, and evoke a sincere tear with the last lines. If anyone ever writes a novel about the Lamenters, he is one of the best candidates.

 

The Guns of Enth - R.S. Wilt
Wilt has clearly understood the essence of the Howling Griffons and produced a cool, self-contained, here-and-there even funny action story in which the Griffons try to capture precious macro-guns - with a very, very unexpected ending. And something tells me that we will meet the characters of this end twist again.

 

Tally of the Slaughter - Mark-Anthony Fenech
A small squad of Executioners storms the manufactory where their Badab-old enemies have been holed up. It's time to cut off heads! Perhaps the most important story from the lore perspective. Firstly, that's the first time Vashtorr appears in the BL fiction. Secondly, he has a big surprise to show us. I'd also like to pay tribute to Mark for his choice of characters' names - they all have references and meanings, which he himself has described in much more detail in his reddit comments.

 

The Shot That Kills You - William Crowe
Just six marines and a whole world to save from drukhari. What could possibly go wrong? Good question, because these marines are Raptors! Concentrated tacticool with battles in the fog, smoke grenades, "oh no, it's a trap!" and a pretty memetical ending.

 

Death's Toll - Jon Flindall
Bolter-massacare that it is, the marines of the Iron Lords' chapter accompany an ordinary mortal to help them retake a planet from the T'au – and they do it brutally. Iron Lords' trademark exceptional xenophobia is perfectly shown by Flindall, but there is... A little lack of some additional details about the chapter – which, however, does not detract from the story.

 

Vengeful Dead - Mike Vincent
Decades after his death, the Red Talons Dreadnought takes beautiful revenge on the Night Lords in a desperate battle - and all in the first person. It was fast, bloody, and without a single wasted sentence. Everything in perfect proportion.

 

The Blooded – David McDougall
...Or what the Angels Vermillion do to mortals when no one is looking. Dante, of course, does not appreciate this, but of all the heirs of Sanguinius, the actions of the Vermillion do not seem so terrible. Interestingly, half of the story is taken up by a trench warfare, reminiscent of Vraks or the Battle of Parmenio.

 

 

REading these on foot of this. Tears of Rapheala was ok but didnt blow me away. I'm a little into Tally of Slaughter. I'm enjoying it but the characters talk a little bit like characters in a Saturday morning kids cartoon. I remember the author used to reply on ADB's facebook posts all the time (he has a distinctive name). Its nice to see a fan make it with GW

 

[The Scorpion]

8 hours ago, grailkeeper said:

 

 

REading these on foot of this. Tears of Rapheala was ok but didnt blow me away. I'm a little into Tally of Slaughter. I'm enjoying it but the characters talk a little bit like characters in a Saturday morning kids cartoon. I remember the author used to reply on ADB's facebook posts all the time (he has a distinctive name). Its nice to see a fan make it with GW

 

I liked it. The Executioners are no chill dudes, and I found particularly nice the twist of a disillusioned Astral Claw.

 

‘You were supposed to die at Badab.’

‘Oh but you see, I did die. We were marooned in the immaterium after our warp drives failed. Bereft, betrayed by a rotting Imperium and an unkind god bedecked in fool’s gold. Where was Lufgt Huron then? His promises and his lies? We no longer need him, nor your carrion god. We have a new divinity to serve!’

 

Is it hammy? Yes. But I don't mind.

[LemartestheLost]

12 hours ago, grailkeeper said:

 

 

REading these on foot of this. Tears of Rapheala was ok but didnt blow me away. I'm a little into Tally of Slaughter. I'm enjoying it but the characters talk a little bit like characters in a Saturday morning kids cartoon. I remember the author used to reply on ADB's facebook posts all the time (he has a distinctive name). Its nice to see a fan make it with GW

 

 

Please do give your thoughts on the rest of these when you get around to them, I'm quite intrigued to hear what you think about The Blooded and Death's Toll, as those were my favorites out of the bunch.

[darkhorse0607]

Can someone tell me if I'm just missing something here?

 

I'm on chapter 25 of Darkness in the Blood, and I'm really finding it a slog. To the point where I don't think I'm going to finish it. I see a lot of praise for the book so I can't figure out if I'm not meshing with it, or it's well-regarded because of other reasons.

 

I will say that Dante is probably in my top 10 of favorite 40k novels, I really enjoyed Devastation of Baal as well but I am just not liking Darkness in the Blood

 

Mephiston spirit flying around the warp guiding fleets? Hate it.

 

The Golden/Dark Angel thing? Hate that too

 

The new space station being shaped like a giant angel? Really?

 

There are a few bits in there that I did enjoy, such as Dante's dinner with the Admiral, but in general, I just cannot get into this book. I also struggled with Godblight, so maybe I'm just not meshing with how Haley wraps up his trilogies (which is what I'm calling this because it's a direct sequeal to the first two novels, although I know some folks don't consider it a trilogy)

[LemartestheLost]

1 hour ago, darkhorse0607 said:

Can someone tell me if I'm just missing something here?

 

I'm on chapter 25 of Darkness in the Blood, and I'm really finding it a slog. To the point where I don't think I'm going to finish it. I see a lot of praise for the book so I can't figure out if I'm not meshing with it, or it's well-regarded because of other reasons.

 

I will say that Dante is probably in my top 10 of favorite 40k novels, I really enjoyed Devastation of Baal as well but I am just not liking Darkness in the Blood

 

Mephiston spirit flying around the warp guiding fleets? Hate it.

 

The Golden/Dark Angel thing? Hate that too

 

The new space station being shaped like a giant angel? Really?

 

There are a few bits in there that I did enjoy, such as Dante's dinner with the Admiral, but in general, I just cannot get into this book. I also struggled with Godblight, so maybe I'm just not meshing with how Haley wraps up his trilogies (which is what I'm calling this because it's a direct sequeal to the first two novels, although I know some folks don't consider it a trilogy)

Might I ask why you dislike the Light/Dark Angel plot point? I’m quite neutral on it myself as a Blood Angels nut. I do recommend finishing it as I think the Admiral’s arc is worth it, but I totally understand if you don’t, Darkness in the Blood is definitely the weakest book out of the three.

[neOh (AV)]

Planetkill – or don't judge book by its tie-in cover art! 

 

Voidsong – Henry Zou

Prequel to Emperor's Mercy. If you've already read Henry, you know what's coming. The war without unnecessary pathos, little-known regiments, and an inquisitor Roth in his trademark chainmail. If you're looking for inspiration for the Inquisition band in Kill Team, I think this story will give you a couple of ideas.

 

Mortal Fuel – Richard Williams

Prequel to Relentless. Having squeezed all the resources out of the planet, the Imperium... Abandons it. About the accompanying local naval drama on board of the Relentless cruiser and the desperate act of abandoned inhabitants' revenge against the imperials – with some fleur of the British Empire.

 

The Heraclitus Effect – Graham McNeill

Part of the Ventris-Honsou saga and the sequel to Dead Sky, Black Sun. The defeated warsmith takes revenge on Uriel and engages in planet-killing, while Ardaric Vaanes, who also gets a lot of time here, tries to understand himself. Dynamic, iron-ic and gory, everything Graham loves.

 

The Emperor Wept – Simon Dyton

The thing I love about old shorts is that you never really know what you're in for. The development of the Life Eater Virus, the Mechanicus mysteries... And ridiculously morose Astartes chapter of the Doom Warriors, whose captain is literally called Grimmer Slayne – that's the balance between a serious story and comedy I was looking for. It's a real pity that Simon hasn't written anything else besides this work.

 

Phobos Worked In Adamant – Robey Jenkins

This is how you become a heretec. If this story was published today, it would [with some edits] certainly be in Horror line: unknown creatures, with no other found anywhere else, ancient races, techno-madness... I bet someone based their Dark Heresy adventures on it.

 

Seven Views of Uhlguth's Passing – Matthew Farrer

Seven different views of the agony of the sentient world in the Eye of Terror - views from inside the Eye itself, truly chaotic, insane and alien. The weirdest story not only in the collection, but also [at least one of] in the BL catalogue... I'll say no more, just read it. 
On the side note, Farrer was writing "unusual 40k" long before the rise of imprints, and this work is perfect example of his style.
 
Mercy Run – Steve Parker

Prequel to Gunheads. A desperate mission right on the eve of the planet's destruction, harsh imperial tankers, tough Sisters and almost immoral decisions - all Parker's marks is here! The very same, sacred Grimdark with a capital G.

Edited November 17 by neOh (AV)

[neOh (AV)]

On 11/12/2024 at 4:21 PM, grailkeeper said:

 

 

REading these on foot of this. Tears of Rapheala was ok but didnt blow me away. I'm a little into Tally of Slaughter. I'm enjoying it but the characters talk a little bit like characters in a Saturday morning kids cartoon. I remember the author used to reply on ADB's facebook posts all the time (he has a distinctive name). Its nice to see a fan make it with GW

 

I think this way of writing suits the Executioners' short story best – less time for talking, more time for skull-crushing.

 

On the other hand, I'm a little sad that the chapter hasn't defined its own distinctive aesthetic, remaining "a little bit from there, a little bit from here" – not that it's a bad thing tho. They are still stylish as warp.

[darkhorse0607]

3 hours ago, LemartestheLost said:

Might I ask why you dislike the Light/Dark Angel plot point? I’m quite neutral on it myself as a Blood Angels nut. I do recommend finishing it as I think the Admiral’s arc is worth it, but I totally understand if you don’t, Darkness in the Blood is definitely the weakest book out of the three.

 

I think for me it boils down to explaining things that didn't need to be explained.

 

For me, it was enough that the Rage and Thirst were genetic conditions that got passed down through the geneseed. It also added to the tragic nature of kids wanting to be marines, only to get these two curses which ironically were given to them by the very person they worship. Additionally, it gives poor Corbulo a quest to be on, even though it'll probably never be solved. I think that was enough, it didn't need to be anything more

 

But now you have that, and then the addition of the two halves of Sangiunius fighting over the chapter in the warp. I get that emotion is reflected in the warp, etc, but Mephiston is told that these two beings have existed forever, even before the Blood Angels, and that pre-Blood Angel Baalites saw them (although saw them differently), and now theyre kind of the Patron Saints of the Blood Angels, representing the two halves. I have never loved seeing the Sanguinor more and more, but at least that also had some mystery left to it, which is now almost gone

 

I think if they left it at that, I would still be a little meh about it, but I could ignore it and just move on. But it rolls into what they're doing with Mephiston which I just don't love

 

Personally I preferred the Mephiston that had the mystery around him of being the only one to defeat the Black Rage (somehow), and was more powerful because of it but still relatively "grounded" so to speak

 

Now, with the two Angel thing, he is almost (basically) just housing a warp entity/shard thing inside of him and can negate it, plus his normal absurdly high levels of power that have gotten a little too over the top for me. I mean at this point, he's made almost every Thousand Son, even Ahriman, look like a child's magician compared to what he can do now

 

I'm not trying to sound like too much of a negative Nancy, I just feel as though Haley didn't really know where to take a third book, and then came up with some of this stuff to explain things which for me just didn't work. I can appreciate it does for some, just a miss for me

 

 

Edited November 17 by darkhorse0607

[wecanhaveallthree]

I recently re-read (as in, last night) Straight Silver and IT SUUUUUUCKS.

 

How did we get from Necropolis to this? I mean, I get it. Straight Silver still has the Abnett masterwork touches, his ability to portray interesting cultures and worlds in service to the story rather than worldbuilding being the story itself, but I think this is the perfect example of 'saggy middle'. Everything is paint-by-numbers. The stakes are so low as to be nearly horizontal. Special characters are untouchable: Cuu, in particular, has well outstayed his welcome at this stage and simply gets away with everything without a hint of real pushback. All the GG tropes are present, but they feel trotted-out, rote. I don't think the problem is the 'trench war', because that idea is cool, and the Ghosts being forced onto the line in a way they haven't been for a while is good too, but rather that the entire, entire 'theatre of war' we see is some trenches, a tunnel and a railyard that has to be destroyed (while some other Ghosts faff around in proto-Hinzerhaus). It's a slog. All the exciting stuff is happening elsewhere. Abnett even chimes in with authorial voice to let us know that all the people involved in this particular section of the war all die in shame and failure later on, too, just in case you thought anything actually meant anything.

 

The Ghosts turn up, fight in some trenches, mark some guns then leave.

 

It's not satisfying in character development terms. It's not satisfying in storytelling terms. We do not see the start of the war, and it's surprising that in forty years of Chaos influence, the most we ever see is a crudely painted clay idol that gets immediately smashed. If the Blood Pact didn't randomly show up at the end, there might have actually been room for real bite in this story - I actually wonder if that was the original plan. The Republic soldiery are portrayed as competent, and efficient, and show empathy for their own troops rather than the usual Chaos literal human waves. With all the discussion about politicking and the nation-states of the Aexe Alliance wanting to 'prove themselves to the world', wouldn't it have been a fascinating juxtaposition of Gaunt's own real struggle to be a 'discipline officer' in this book with an enemy that wasn't actually 'corrupted', but rather a genuine local 'rebellion' - and the resources diverted to this mudball were ultimately wasted on something that wasn't the existential threat the locals played it up as to salve their own ego at being unable to take down a peer nation? 

 

Straight Silver is just going through the motions: in the grand scheme, it doesn't really mean or do anything. Cuu and Larkin have beef (we know). The Saint is foreshadowed more (we get it). Soric is totally not a psyker (spooky). Kolea has brain damage (OR DOES HE???). Whatever. 

 

In full kindness to Abnett, however, I appreciate they can't all be zingers and his willingness to quite literally get down and dirty in this one is commendable. We visit a lot of genres through the series: some of them work really well, some of them don't, and I applaud Abnett for giving it the college try. If we didn't have trench experimentation here in Straight Silver, we wouldn't get covert ops in Traitor General or fun logistics in His Last Command or the effortlessly impressive 'rise to power' modern arc of Warmaster and, hopefully, beyond. 

[Roomsky]

It's been a while since I read Straight Silver - but I remember it being my favourite from "The Saint" era. I thought it was basically the only book from that cycle that wasn't in a rush, and I enjoyed the Ghosts having to engage in the proper Imperial meat grinder instead of their usual brand of improbably important assignments. Considering The Guns of Tanith and Sabbatt Martyr moved the story along so fast it was to their detriment, I thought just sitting in the state of things really worked!

 

Now if you'd like to tear into Sabbatt Martyr, I'm wholly on your side...

[wecanhaveallthree]

I'm more likely to gush over The Magos which somehow - I don't understand - doesn't dominate the conversation when we talk about Abnett's best works. Ghosts is great in places but really, really unpolished in others where the wheels don't just fall off, they shatter nearby windows and decapitate Chaos Lords the next street over. 

[Nagashsnee]

On 11/17/2024 at 3:52 AM, darkhorse0607 said:

 

I'm not trying to sound like too much of a negative Nancy, I just feel as though Haley didn't really know where to take a third book, and then came up with some of this stuff to explain things which for me just didn't work. I can appreciate it does for some, just a miss for me

 

IIRC the book was timed with the new mephiston mini, and as all new marine minis are primaris and Haley generally ties the mini side and lore side in most of his work quite close, the impression i got wasn't so much a lack of ideas.  But rather a 'mephiston is being made into primaris do something with that' being forced ( to be clear i am not saying it was the studio forcing him, it might have been himself) into the third Dante book.  The Dante parts of the book are fantastic. Its the mismatch of those parts with what is basically a separate Mephiston novella that caused the issues for me. 

 

And its a shame because the Dante parts had REAL meat on those bones, the founding of Baal as a Capital for the dark imperium,  the creation of a fleet, all the steps being taken to basically start making a mini BA imperium. Like there is for me a whole second Dante trilogy laying in wait, the wait for GW/BL to actually decide to DO SOMETHING with the imperium and flesh out the setting rather then just jump from special character moment to special character moment. 

 

But the book is full of ideas.  Good ideas, Teus (sp?) would have been a fantastic lens to explore them in future non Dante focussed works. And the book kinda starts down this road, its just the Mephiston/Primaris plotline overpowers everything else.   

[darkhorse0607]

3 hours ago, Nagashsnee said:

And its a shame because the Dante parts had REAL meat on those bones, the founding of Baal as a Capital for the dark imperium,  the creation of a fleet, all the steps being taken to basically start making a mini BA imperium. Like there is for me a whole second Dante trilogy laying in wait, the wait for GW/BL to actually decide to DO SOMETHING with the imperium and flesh out the setting rather then just jump from special character moment to special character moment. 

 

See, maybe it was a mismanagement of expectations on my end, but this is what I expected to conclude the trilogy with. How does Dante go from "I want to die, please let me die" to starting to rebuild that half of the Imperium, rebuilding the Chapter, managing the Primaris vs Baal Veterans, etc. That's what I expected. We do get a little bit of that in Darkness in the Blood but it feels more like the side plot.

 

Maybe that's why I'm having an issue is because that story is the natural conclusion of the trilogy (and to be fair it still hasn't been really told) and because the trilogy as a whole was very much focused on Dante himself. His journey from boy in the wastes to Space Marine, to the legend that he is now and what that actually looks like for him. But then largely, the last book is focused on Mephiston and the stuff associated with the Primarisification of things (angel plots included), when Mephiston has his own set of books which I can't comment on because I haven't read them

 

Oh well, I guess. I hope there is more from someone (not Swallow) for the Blood Angels and Imperium Nihilus but we will see