The Siege of Terra: The Lost and the Damned

[Carach]

is Old Earth worth reading just for these tidbits? i couldn't bring myself to buy another of Nick's full length novels because the others have been so difficult to get through (in contrast to many of his shorts which are great)

 

it does sound like we have quite the race against time going on here that will bring a new dimension to the fight with Horus

[JH79]

is Old Earth worth reading just for these tidbits? i couldn't bring myself to buy another of Nick's full length novels because the others have been so difficult to get through (in contrast to many of his shorts which are great)

 

it does sound like we have quite the race against time going on here that will bring a new dimension to the fight with Horus

Old Earth is hands down the best novel Kyme has written. He really pushed himself and turned in a tightly written story that i thoroughly enjoyed. Your milage will vary as i'd say 50% of the book is dedicated to the shattered legions, 40% being Vulkan & his 3 Salamander retinue and the last 10% is saved for the Perpetuals.

 

All enjoyable story elements, some more mind boggling than others. Vulkans time on Terra is right at the ass end of the story but for me it was worth the price of admission.

[Karhedron]

I agree, Old Earth is a very good read as well as progressing several important storylines.

[DarkChaplain]

I prefered Deathfire in the trilogy. Old Earth had to juggle three plotlines, one of which was supposed to be its own novel before crunch, and it shows.

 

The perpetual storyline feels tacked on like an afterthought, basically an extended clean-up job to wrap up loose ends from Dan's Cabal books, without really saying much on its own. The Iron Hands plotline felt like the meat of the novel, but was concluded two thirds in, with Vulkan being relegated to the role of bystander for most of it, and the third of the book he and his dudes get felt reasonably shallow and forgettable. I seriously do not think that the last chapters dealing with Vulkan's arrival on Terra had any of the oomph needed for a real climax, so it felt pretty flat after that of the Meduson arc. It was more of a sightseeing tour from Mount Deathfire over the latest Heresy battles through the Webway onto Terra and into the Palace, and considering that Deathfire was the journey/odyssey novel, this one felt less interesting - especially since Vulkan doesn't communicate as much as he should, and so when things happen, they happen with little preamble or anticipation.

 

Is it worth reading? Yep. But I wouldn't consider it Kyme's best novel by a long shot. None of the three main plotlines got as much time to develop as they really needed, and while that is least obvious (though no less regrettable) with Meduson, it limited all three. I wonder what Meduson's finale could have been, or Vulkan's journey to Terra (and maybe an actual job to do there before the end?) if it hadn't been for the fact that the novel had to accomodate so many different things with relatively little overlap.

[JH79]

I prefered Deathfire in the trilogy. Old Earth had to juggle three plotlines, one of which was supposed to be its own novel before crunch, and it shows.

 

The perpetual storyline feels tacked on like an afterthought, basically an extended clean-up job to wrap up loose ends from Dan's Cabal books, without really saying much on its own. The Iron Hands plotline felt like the meat of the novel, but was concluded two thirds in, with Vulkan being relegated to the role of bystander for most of it, and the third of the book he and his dudes get felt reasonably shallow and forgettable. I seriously do not think that the last chapters dealing with Vulkan's arrival on Terra had any of the oomph needed for a real climax, so it felt pretty flat after that of the Meduson arc. It was more of a sightseeing tour from Mount Deathfire over the latest Heresy battles through the Webway onto Terra and into the Palace, and considering that Deathfire was the journey/odyssey novel, this one felt less interesting - especially since Vulkan doesn't communicate as much as he should, and so when things happen, they happen with little preamble or anticipation.

 

Is it worth reading? Yep. But I wouldn't consider it Kyme's best novel by a long shot. None of the three main plotlines got as much time to develop as they really needed, and while that is least obvious (though no less regrettable) with Meduson, it limited all three. I wonder what Meduson's finale could have been, or Vulkan's journey to Terra (and maybe an actual job to do there before the end?) if it hadn't been for the fact that the novel had to accomodate so many different things with relatively little overlap.

To a degree i completely agree, having to shoehorn the conclusion to the Shattered Legions in was unfortunate, very similar to what was done with Swallows The Buried Dagger, though i much preferred the latter and wished it could of had it's own dedicated novel for both stories!

 

I was a little blahzay with my use of the word "best", though I would argue that from the perspective of pacing & prose Old Earth stands head and shoulders above Deathfire, a book which despite its flaws i do enjoy. I honestly think that the constraints that were put on Kyme to tie up plotlines X, Y & Z actually helped him produce a tighter novel than he usually achieves.

 

It would be nice if Kyme gets the opportunity to pen some short stories / audio dramas for the Siege, though i believe he is Guy Haley's Editor so probably has his hands full trying to keep pace with his crazy output these days!

[Preliminary Bombardment]

Based on this thread I'm reading old earth now to kill time before the next seige novel!

[b1soul]

So we can expect Vulkan to be fighting daemons in the Palace's underbelly as the Traitors breach the Inner Palace?

[bluntblade]

Maybe that'll be Kyme's contribution to the Siege books. Which ultimately, I don't object to.

[DarkChaplain]

I don't even know if Kyme has a straightforward contribution to the Siege, outside of a potential short story collection to tie up loose ends with author-specific characters. The interview for WHC / WHTV with him specifically talks to him as a series editor, after all. Chances are pretty high that (outside of a potential short), will be his contribution to the Siege, and nothing else major, least of all a novel.

[MarineRaider]

I don't even know if Kyme has a straightforward contribution to the Siege, outside of a potential short story collection to tie up loose ends with author-specific characters. The interview for WHC / WHTV with him specifically talks to him as a series editor, after all. Chances are pretty high that (outside of a potential short), will be his contribution to the Siege, and nothing else major, least of all a novel.

With only 8 novels I expect at least 10-12 if not more short stories. This is BL after all....

[DarkChaplain]

You're saying that as if it was a bad thing...

[nagashnee]

You're saying that as if it was a bad thing...

It very well might be. Quantity is not quality. And the series already shows that for BL sales trump everything else.

[MarineRaider]

 

You're saying that as if it was a bad thing...

It very well might be. Quantity is not quality. And the series already shows that for BL sales trump everything else.

 

I believe BL subscribes to the axiom that quantity is its own quality.

[Roomsky]

I personally can't imagine the downside of a series of shorts that wrap up unimportant plot threads / add further texture to the most important engagement in the setting.

[Deadass]

https://www.warhammer-community.com/2019/07/03/the-siege-of-terra-continues/

 

Preorders for the LE start on the 6th! I'm kinda tempted to get one, but I should've picked up Solar War aswell then. The Dramatis Personae also suggests a few interesting details.

[Mechanicus Tech-Support]

I knew when I got the first LE it was gonna be a slippery slope, here's hoping I'm quick enough to grab the second. The dramatis personae has me quite excited.

[DarkChaplain]

Lucoryphus in there, Gendor Skraivok as expected, Lotara, finally an appearance from Tormageddon... yeah, this'll be neat.

[Kilofix]

I am Alpharius

[ShadowSwordmaster]

Maximus Thane is in there too.

Edited July 3, 2019 by ShadowSwordmaster

[helterskelter]

Gendor Skraivok as expected,

That names inclusion has put the book on the nope list for me, yes i said the same in news and rumours, but i can't abide by this shoehorn personified.

Doesn't matter if he's in it for all of a paragraph, because now he's not only the reason for Night Lords gateway to the chaos drug, in addtion (for those who have read Curze)

is the reason, along with pappy skraivok, that the scum and villainy was infecting the night lords

Now hes definitely the reason there are Night Lords at the siege. I have had absolutely enough of this weak crutch.

 

There's a whole legion, and thus a legion of reasons things could happen. But no, the midnight clad cobra commander, the reason for 75% of the Ills of the VIII

[Kelborn]

Eager to continue the Siege.

 

But why does it feature the World Eaters crest If there's only Angron, Khârn and Lotara? Can't imagine them to be the Main characters, tbh.

[karden00]

Maximus Thane.....

Either Archamus is not the only one to take on names from Legion brothers, or he is a Verrrrry old marine by the time of the Great Beast. Seems a little odd, but I am intrigued.

 

What’s so wrong with Skriavok?

[DarkChaplain]

 

Gendor Skraivok as expected,

That names inclusion has put the book on the nope list for me, yes i said the same in news and rumours, but i can't abide by this shoehorn personified.

Doesn't matter if he's in it for all of a paragraph, because now he's not only the reason for Night Lords gateway to the chaos drug, in addtion (for those who have read Curze)

is the reason, along with pappy skraivok, that the scum and villainy was infecting the night lords

Now hes definitely the reason there are Night Lords at the siege. I have had absolutely enough of this weak crutch.

 

There's a whole legion, and thus a legion of reasons things could happen. But no, the midnight clad cobra commander, the reason for 75% of the Ills of the VIII

 

 

He's in it because Skraivok bartered for leadership of the Night Lords forces bound for the Siege, in the absence of Sevatar. That much has been established nearly 20 books ago, and set up even earlier. I get it, he's not one of the big names from either the old fluff or was added by one of the glorious fan-favorite authors in their heyday, but that makes him no less a character that has been set on this path for many years now; heck, we even know where he ends up because he's featured in Azrael's story in the 41st Millennium.

[SkimaskMohawk]

Yea, skraivok was firmly in control of the Nightfall in the painted count, having killed sang, so it's been a thing for a while. Even in Pharos, he's eliminated the leader of the 20000 night lords in ultramar, setting him up properly.

[Preliminary Bombardment]

6th of July... Bye bye £50