Corax Lord of shadows primarch novel

[godking]

Just finished Corax lord of shadows.

 

And its easily the best Primarch novel to date

 

Guy Haley is becoming one of my favorite black library authors

 

The most interesting points where what Corax did to the Terran Legionaries who would not comply with his way of doing things.

 

That there where actually real issues when he took command of his legion.

 

The sable brand.

 

Corax being pigheaded seeking personal vengeance going against the advice of his own men knwing that he is wrong but doing it anyway.

 

Corax winning 3 out of 20 simulations against Guilliman :-)

 

Corax not wanting to be compared to Curze.

 

Corax being verbally destroyed by Errin at the end of the novel.

[SkimaskMohawk]

I finished it yesterday too and liked it a lot.

 

The moritats, primarch interaction, therions were all great.

 

What I don't like, mainly because I've never quite understood the drive behind it, is corax throwing tantrums. We have one here when everyone is telling him to support the army instead of taking vengeance (including his oldest friends and most trusted advisors) and we have one in weregeld where he learns stuff was withheld from him. Both times he makes some really dumb decisions as a result and I just can't figure out why. He's furious in last heretic, but he channels it into a tactically sound decision and smashes lorgar in the process. Instead we have big dunce decisions coming from one of the most tactical primarchs out there.

 

Rant over, loved the ash blindness moritat section

[Silverson]

Just finished Corax lord of shadows.

 

And its easily the best Primarch novel to date

 

Guy Haley is becoming one of my favorite black library authors

 

The most interesting points where what Corax did to the Terran Legionaries who would not comply with his way of doing things.

 

That there where actually real issues when he took command of his legion.

 

The sable brand.

 

Corax being pigheaded seeking personal vengeance going against the advice of his own men knwing that he is wrong but doing it anyway.

 

Corax winning 3 out of 20 simulations against Guilliman :-)

 

Corax not wanting to be compared to Curze.

 

Corax being verbally destroyed by Errin at the end of the novel.

Just reading the first few sentences us made me get the audio book. Can’t wait to listen.

[Kelborn]

You will not be disappointed. Finished it a week ago.

 

Great story. One of the more Primarch focused ones of the series. I like what he die in terms of the Xeric ones and comparing him and his way with Curzes.

 

Basically, it's very similar to Perturabo.

Great threat, ego problems, interesting sub plots and a vocal stand off with regular mortals in which they (Primarchs) are confronted with their flaws.

 

Haley's doing Curze as well, right? If he consistently improves like that, I'll get the Curze LE for sure.

[godking]

One minor quible is that i wanted to see more of the Afrik Terran Raven guard.

[godking]

Ironically in retrospect Curze would probably have been the better primarch to handle that campaign instead of Corax who wasted precious time and resources on a personal vendetta.

[mc warhammer]

i like that the books are really exploring the loyal primach flaws. for me, it balances out the feeling that only the traitors had real deficiencies while the good guys "flaws" were just varying degrees of awesomeness 

 

so yeah, i liked ferrus' book and it sounds like i'll enjoy this too. 

[Roomsky]

Corax: Lord of Shadows - Guy Haley

 

For all my issues with the guy (kek), Haley seems to be a bit of a wizard when it comes to applying band-aids to flawed projects. The Beheading retroactively makes the War of the Beast make much more sense, Hammer of Olympia merges the incredibly disparate portrayals of Perturabo into a cohesive whole, and now Lord of Shadows takes all of Gav's interesting ideas for the Raven Guard, and combines them into an interesting book. Despite being written as an after-the-fact prequel to Deliverance Lost and Corax, I wouldn't hesitate to hand this off to someone as their primer for the other two. It acts as an excellent late-to-the-party Chekhov's Gun to the Thorpe stuff, establishing Corax's temperament, and near-psychotic obsession with being morally upstanding. It establishes the laxity of legion command, the candidness and rivalry between Branne and Agapito, why Soukhounou is significant, and just a whole laundry list of little things that Gav's introductions often left me saying "well that came out of nowhere but I guess it's a thing now."

 

The plot is a bit less solid. Haley succeeds in making the book a fairly wide (for the page count) exploration of the Raven Guard's facets and relationships with other factions, but a few plot lines and characters get a very hefty introduction only to basically be off screen or dead for the rest of the story. Several of the marines do have arcs, but they climax and have no denouement afterwards; they vanish entirely with nary a chance to reflect on where the story took them. Corax gets a satisfying dressing down for being a static character, but the dynamic ensemble has no such luck.

 

Lots of good here though. The action is creative and very non-standard. Much effort is put into developing the populace they are attempting to bring to compliance. The Raven Guard finally come across as cool rather than a bunch of angsty sad bois. Overall its a very solid read for anyone with an even passing interest in the legion, and probably some of the best representation they've yet received. If only Haley had gotten the Vulkan book too.

 

ANR: 7/10

[DarkChaplain]

I'm about halfway through this one now, and I quite love how Haley tied things back to the other Raven Guard novels. From little things like the brotherly rivalry and even jealousy between Branne and Agapito, which would later flip their positions in the Heresy, to even just a one-off mention of Nathian from Ravenlord when it comes to their drinks, this one is turning out to be an amazing treat.

 

Like Roomsky said, it slots in very neatly as a prequel and enhances the experience overall. In a way, I'd call this book one of the best examples of what I was talking about on the BA/Rafen canon thread. It respects the older material while adding to it carefully, giving further flavor to what's already been established, while being a good read in its own right.

[Izlude]

I ordered a copy off amazon. I am happy to hear this one is solid. I think the last one I read was Ferrus which was the worse for me in this series. Haley has always been my damage control guy. The beast series had so may issues that he somehow fixed in the last book or at least more believable (if moon hurling orks are that).

 

Hmm wonder who gets Dorn (French please). We know who is getting Curze and Sanguinius. Is anyone left? Was hoping ADB would have gotten Sanguinius. Oh of course Horus himself.

[Kelborn]

Lion, Dorn, Sangi, Morty, Horus, Alpharius are currently missing with no further schedule in sight, as far as I know.

[Apothecary Vaddon]

I ordered a copy off amazon. I am happy to hear this one is solid. I think the last one I read was Ferrus which was the worse for me in this series. Haley has always been my damage control guy. The beast series had so may issues that he somehow fixed in the last book or at least more believable (if moon hurling orks are that).

 

Hmm wonder who gets Dorn (French please). We know who is getting Curze and Sanguinius. Is anyone left? Was hoping ADB would have gotten Sanguinius. Oh of course Horus himself.

Well, in the case of TBA, I think he was BL's damage control guy, too...

[Taliesin]

I ordered a copy off amazon. I am happy to hear this one is solid. I think the last one I read was Ferrus which was the worse for me in this series. Haley has always been my damage control guy. The beast series had so may issues that he somehow fixed in the last book or at least more believable (if moon hurling orks are that).

 

Hmm wonder who gets Dorn (French please). We know who is getting Curze and Sanguinius. Is anyone left? Was hoping ADB would have gotten Sanguinius. Oh of course Horus himself.

 

So far some of the top level authors BL has have not been allocated a single book in this series, which is a bit strange really.

It's in that sense a bit like Beast Arises, but not to same extend that Beast Arises got allocated "second tier" authors. I know that sounds a bit disrspectful but you know what I mean.

 

ADB, Abnett and French have not done one yet. I think most people would agree these guys are in the top 5 BL authors.

I don't think ADB is going to do one. Abnett we don't know but we know it's not due soon on his list of assignements.  French, I would expect a Primarchs novel from him.

 

Wraight may do another one though. He hinted we will see something else from him this year outside of the Hollow Mountain, could be another Primarchs book, his first two were very well received.

[Apothecary Vaddon]

lmao wraight not a top level author? dam dude what you smokin hit me up with some

[Fedor]

Wasn't the Primarchs series initially being mentioned by BL  as partially a showcase for different authors to tackle new legions?

 

It's done that to an extent, but it seems there hasn't been enough authors around to have a new take each time, not with the schedule that was initially set anyway. I don't really want haley doing 4 or 5 primarchs by the end much as a like most of his writing.

[Wulfburk]

Its safe to say that most expect French to do Dorn's. His take on Inwit, for the brief times he has done so, in the Crimson Fist Novella and in Praetorian of Dorn, left me wanting for more.

 

I'd love to see Abnett do Horus, which i guess will be the last primarch book to be released, so he's got some time.

[Roomsky]

I think the series was meant to be an opportunity for new authors tackling new subjects, but as ADB has said numerous times, authors tend to write about what they want to write about, and the age in which that wasn't the case was what nearly lost us Abnett, Mitchell, etc. Haley writes quickly, and while Annandale doesn't talk about it as much he seems to be able to hit deadlines easily. But everyone else? It seems like a fan's dream to write about the primarchs, but in-studio I doubt every author is chomping at the bit to show how they want X primarch to be portrayed, especially when they're pursuing what really interests them. Wraight's got the Inquisition, Custodes, and a big playground for modern Deathguard. Aaron's got his trident-shaped bandaid for 8th ed. Dan's got the stories he's been building to for years. Primarchs must be fun but I can't imagine they compare to real passion projects with what is probably a lot more freedom. 

 

I do wish the diversity was upped a bit though, and the dupes by Haley and Annandale (and maybe even Wraight) could be the result of improper scheduling. I was very happy with Guymer's Ferrus and Reynold's Fulgrim, and they were hardly known for Heresy work beforehand. It's for that same reason I'm very excited for St Martin's Angron, and hope the rest of the scheduled releases come completely out of left field. I'd be perfectly happy with a surprise entry from Chambers, Farrer, Hill, Harrison, Hinks, Kearney, etc. More texture can hardly hurt.

[Fedor]

Good points Roomsky. Purely speculation, but Annandale's Vulkan really gave me the impression of being a commission that was outside of the kind of stories he's really interested in writing about in the setting. Of course sometimes an author and character just won't mesh even if the interest is there and maybe that is all it was.

[Taliesin]

lmao wraight not a top level author? dam dude what you smokin hit me up with some

 

Yeah Wraight is among top level authors, you misunderstood me but I can see now why that happened.

I just mean that of all the other top flight first tier guys so few have done Primarchs novels. It seems like many are being allocated to guys who have time, are quick writers, who can adapt easily schedule wise. I love the quick pace at which these have been released, and I agree with Roomsky that authors of less renown can still do great Primarchs books, but at the same we would imagine and like to see ADB/Abnett/French do one as well right.

 

I think the series was meant to be an opportunity for new authors tackling new subjects, but as ADB has said numerous times, authors tend to write about what they want to write about, and the age in which that wasn't the case was what nearly lost us Abnett, Mitchell, etc. Haley writes quickly, and while Annandale doesn't talk about it as much he seems to be able to hit deadlines easily. But everyone else? It seems like a fan's dream to write about the primarchs, but in-studio I doubt every author is chomping at the bit to show how they want X primarch to be portrayed, especially when they're pursuing what really interests them. Wraight's got the Inquisition, Custodes, and a big playground for modern Deathguard. Aaron's got his trident-shaped bandaid for 8th ed. Dan's got the stories he's been building to for years. Primarchs must be fun but I can't imagine they compare to real passion projects with what is probably a lot more freedom. 

 

I do wish the diversity was upped a bit though, and the dupes by Haley and Annandale (and maybe even Wraight) could be the result of improper scheduling. I was very happy with Guymer's Ferrus and Reynold's Fulgrim, and they were hardly known for Heresy work beforehand. It's for that same reason I'm very excited for St Martin's Angron, and hope the rest of the scheduled releases come completely out of left field. I'd be perfectly happy with a surprise entry from Chambers, Farrer, Hill, Harrison, Hinks, Kearney, etc. More texture can hardly hurt.

 

Agreed with all of this. I think your analysis of why certain authors are picked and some are not is spot on.

I'm definitely getting Angron as well when it releases in Mid May.

[Ashur]

This seems to be ggod news. I've been disappointed with Corax novels so far. This could be his last chance to shine. Now if only this could have happened to Vulkan...

 

Does Corax interact with other primarchs?

[SkimaskMohawk]

Yea. Has then end of his war games with guilliman and a short discussion on the nature of the primarchs, it was quite interesting.

 

He falls a bit short in his interactions with subordinates though

[Sandlemad]

This is quite good so far. Corax is fairly charismatic and I really like the unspoken comparison between Curze and Corax in what happened to their worlds when they left; Nostramo backslid from brutal legalism into a kleptocracy while Kiavahr's entrenched power structures were resilient enough not to be removed by Corax's rebellion once he left for the crusade, leading to disappointment for those freedom fighters who remained. Here's hoping Haley sticks the landing.

[DarkChaplain]

I finished it over the weekend and was really quite impressed with how it wrapped back around. As somebody who liked Deliverance Lost and the Corax anthology, as well as Raven's Flight, I think Haley nailed the Primarch in how he pulls together his character and alludes to future events, depicts his various tendencies and self-righteous desire for vengeance. Without being overly referential or reliant on DL and Corax, Lord of Shadows manages to weave in just enough to enhance the previous works in various ways, while showing the glaring character flaws in the guerrilla primarch.

 

At his core, Corvus has always been a hypocrite. On one hand, he'll tell his subordinates and army cohorts to treat him as an equal, while quickly rising above and banking on his authority. By the time of Isstvan, he revels in the irony of using a whip to take down supposed tyrants. He tries to set himself apart from Curze, placing himself as a just and righteous figure, while employing terror tactics and employing the use of maddened killers within his Legion, who only here, a few decades into the Crusade, are reformed as the Moritat, unchanged in methodology but with a nicer label and justification. He treats his old companions from Lycaeus as brothers only when it suits him, but is quick to reprimand and push them away. He is hell-bent on seeming like a savior while easily giving in to a desire for vengeance, costing myriad lives on both sides of a conflict, including civilians.

 

I think Corax is so conflicted a Primarch, he might have ended up a traitor to the Imperium, if only he didn't need the Emperor's justice to vindicate his flaws in a way. By the end of Lord of Shadows, Corax doesn't even try to argue with Errin anymore - he just claims that what he does, what the Emperor does, is correct and just, and everything else is a regrettable collateral. He knows he could fix certain things, but does not, because he pursues a nebulus higher ideal that he cannot even articulate when pressed. And yet he doesn't adhere to it himself, and offers up unnecessary collateral in pursuit of personal vengeance, whatever he tells himself about it.

 

If you then look at Weregeld, where Corax has a deep mental breakdown after figuring out more about the warp-tainted nature of himself and his brothers, and the taint he introduced to his own Legion through the Raptors, it makes a lot of sense with that in mind. Corax is directly confronted with his father either making dark bargains or using the stuff of the enemy he's been fighting since Isstvan V to create him and the rest. Not only does he understand his true, corrupt nature, but he also sees that his father is a hypocrite and a liar in more ways than one. When he sends away Marcus Valerius and Balsar Kuthuri, they're both breaking with the ideals his father set and Corax used to justify himself and his failings, especially at home. When Deliverance is under attack by the Alpha Legion and the AdMech/Guilders in Deliverance Lost, this is something Corax could and should have anticipated for decades, and could have warded against by changing policy. Corvus is not without virtue, and him trying to save his sons during the outbreak chapter shows one of them. But I think Haley managed to make sense of and add a lot of depth to the Corvus Corax we've seen so far. He is a master of propaganda, an independent operative, an orchestrator of shadow tactics across the board, and a skilled orator. But his methods can and will inspire others to pick up vigilante justice in the same way he does. And when he fails, missteps or miscalculates, and things go south, Corax will dig his own grave deeper.

His conversation with Guilliman at the beginning is rather apt on how all the Primarchs share certain key character points or talents. He is as vengeful and self-righteous as Curze and as stubborn and unwilling to admit fault as Perturabo.

 

Besides Corax, though, I really enjoyed seeing Caius Valerius, one of Marcus Valerius' predecessors. The dynamic between him and his attendant was great, and it was good to see another example of a Therion Cohort praefector being badass. Marcus hadn't held the spot long before Isstvan, so this was a nice touch. It's clear why the Therion Cohort has such a good reputation.

[Sandlemad]

At his core, Corvus has always been a hypocrite. On one hand, he'll tell his subordinates and army cohorts to treat him as an equal, while quickly rising above and banking on his authority. By the time of Isstvan, he revels in the irony of using a whip to take down supposed tyrants. He tries to set himself apart from Curze, placing himself as a just and righteous figure, while employing terror tactics and employing the use of maddened killers within his Legion, who only here, a few decades into the Crusade, are reformed as the Moritat, unchanged in methodology but with a nicer label and justification. He treats his old companions from Lycaeus as brothers only when it suits him, but is quick to reprimand and push them away. He is hell-bent on seeming like a savior while easily giving in to a desire for vengeance, costing myriad lives on both sides of a conflict, including civilians.

 

Good review, this portrayal of Corax was well done, particularly in the political elements. He's still a freedom fighter but not one who has not worked through the contradictions between being a freedom fighter and waging imperial conquest. That final scene with the Kiavahran insurgent was brief but very good. It brings him into the same sphere of comparisons as Angron, in a certain light, which Haley to his credit points out in that early scene with Guilliman you mention, that every primarch can be opposed to/compared with multiple others.

 

Corax gets a complex and multifaceted personality here. As you say, it's one that is not by any means entirely admirable but at least early on there's quite a bit of Corax appearing generous, considerate and princely. It's undercut by his later actions but even this is signalled by that earlier conversation with Guilliman about being driven by internal tensions/contradictions. That comes up again most openly as this dichotomy between justice and vengeance but it's a lot bigger than that, as you've outlined well. He's a hypocrite in that if pressed he'll insist(as only a primarch can) that he knows better and can successfully synthesise all these impulses. And then will not be criticised.

 

To my mind it's not less interesting than what Reynolds did for Fulgrim in his primarch novel and frankly I found it better than any of Gav's RG stuff.I wish there was a clearer through-line between this book and Deliverance Lost and Weregeld, but this felt more convincing. Maybe that was because as a novel it didn't really need to portray change or growth so much as single 'episode' that captured Corax from different angles but I was quite a bit more impressed with this.

 

Also! It's interesting to see a situation where a primarch's impact on a war is not a positive one and everyone knows it but because of how the imperium works, can't admit it. "A primarch cannot be seen to fail", and the propaganda machine moves in as though out of embarrassment. The system was taken and probably still with less blood than some of his brothers would have spent but still, there's a thing. Corax is no Perturabo in being petulant but is arguably no longer capable of being told 'no', even when it's in the interests of expressing the ideals that he (earnestly, I think) professes.

 

The book is Haley on top form, lacking any of the sagging, rushed bits of Titandeath or Wolfsbane. It's also a very fine example (alongside Russ and Perturabo) of how a primarch novel can be more than a simple fanservice-y retelling of a crowning moment of awesome, and how focusing on a less admirable moment can be the best opportunity to explore a character.

[Shinros]

Considering all the glowing reviews and posts, I might just pick the book up.