Dawn of Fire - Avenging Son

[Kelborn]

Alrighty then, ladies and gents.

 

As my possibilities are a bit limited due to internal IT policies and such, the easiest way was to upload everything in a dropbox folder.

Here's the link:

 

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/aalsauaimi4x3jy/AABsseGwOgnEkxGvpdSq_IoTa?dl=0

 

It includes the following:

 

- Book design

- Indomitus Crusade map

- Dramatis Personae

- The new introduction

- two portraits (Unfortunately are they not named, so my guess is Rostov and Lady Kaosholay)

 

Gonna start readíng it as soon as I got my work done. Beautiful book and I'm really eager to read it. Hayley's recent Dark Imperium era stuff really grew on me but more to that in seperate reviews of Plague War & The Great Work.

 

Cheers,

Kel

 

PS:

 

I'm considering to split this into a new thread covering Avenging Son and keeping this one for general DoF discussions. Not decided yet, though.

 

*edit*

 

This thread shall be used by us to discuss the novel itself. General thoughts shall be shared in the DoF thread.

Edited August 15, 2020 by Kelborn

[DarkChaplain]

I'm only a little bit in, and I can only say that THIS is what the 8th edition rollout should have been accompanied with. Not Space Marine Conquests. Not odd Chapter/Legion-specific standalones.

It's honestly a shame that this happened only years after Primaris arrived, but I'm glad we're getting it at all. It reminds me of the more formal times of the HH right now. The AdMech scenes also play to Haley's strengths.

 

Looks like this is gonna be a stellar ride if this keeps up.

 

@Kelborn

I'd be in favor of a split for Avenging Son, keeping this one for more general discussion and news re: upcoming books.

Edited August 15, 2020 by DarkChaplain

[Allart01]

I'll start listening this tonight.

 

Anyway... Is it me, or the "I was there" refrain is starting to feel a little overused?

Since It was coined, in the latest years it's been used in Slaves to Darkness, Saturnine and now this series.

Every time it feels a little less epic and a little more like a wrestler's catchphrase... Which will OBVIOUSLY be used before the match in SoT's last book.

[DarkChaplain]

Among all of those titles, I think it feels the most apt here, because the opening (which is also in the excerpt, for anyone still waiting!) is literally the SECOND Siege of Terra, while also being a kickoff to a new Crusade being launched. It works exceedingly well as a book end in both Heresy and here, and the whole thing doesn't outstay its welcome here. But it does set the tone quite deliberately, both for newcomers and those in the know.

 

I don't disagree with the general sentiment of it best be used sparingly, though. I just don't think this instance is a bad fit - honestly, I think it's better suited here than in Slaves to Darkness or Saturnine.

[Lucerne]

Robute Robute Robute.

 

Can we get coverage of literally anything else in this era or at least a happy ending where his lickspittles are slaughtered?

 

At least it comes with a map.

Edited August 15, 2020 by Lucerne

[DarkChaplain]

Don't make the silly mistake of reducing this book down to Guilliman. He plays a major part, but that is expected simply by him being the change to the status quo who kicks off a galaxy-wide new crusade. Over the first chapters, there's more time spent on the White Consul Vitrian Messinius, an AdMech Magos (with entourage) and a "heretical" hobby-historian.

 

Of course, Messinius and that historian also refer to their experiences with witnessing Guilliman and the impact he has had on their perception, but Guilliman - at least so far - is hardly the focus at all. The Imperium is. Terra is. There's already Watchers of the Throne-level world building and overlap here, all of which is appreciated.

[Guest Triszin]

the image of bobby G asleep standing full upright attached to an engine puller is quite amusing

[ruralguardhipcat]

Enjoying this a lot. Just spotted a quick reference to the Watchers of the Throne books, which is a lovely, understated link. Edited August 15, 2020 by ruralguardhipcat

[Matteus]

Fantastic news, I shall be picking it up for when I have the time.

[Knockagh]

@Kelborn, thanks for that hopefully my own will arrive next few days.

 

Disappointed that the maps don’t seem to done by Francesca Baerald. Her maps have been a phenomenal asset to the seige books. They are real things of beauty from one superbly talented individual. Would have been nice to keep up the high standard.

The portraits look quality especially the fleet officer

[Chapter Master Valrak]

Got the audio book and to be honest, this has to be the worst voices I've heard someone do, I thought it was a joke at first, the narrative bits are fine but when he does the characters it's just...not good.

[StrangerOrders]

Got the audio book and to be honest, this has to be the worst voices I've heard someone do, I thought it was a joke at first, the narrative bits are fine but when he does the characters it's just...not good.

Yeah... Guilliman sounding like a Great Unclean One is a bit perplexing I admit.

[DarkChaplain]

I honestly like Elstob. He's different from the Guilliman we might know, but then, we also had multiple Guilliman renditions throughout the Heresy to begin with, let alone looking at audio dramas like Stratagem, or the Eye of Night / Hand of Darkness audios for post-The Gathering Storm stuff. Sometimes he sounded far too young and excited, othertimes too stern.

 

Elstob somehow leans more into a sort of graceful weariness, to my ears, especially right after he wakes up in the scene where Messinius muses about how "human" Roboute actually seems, how he puts on an act to be what others expect him to represent, but also looks tired and sad. There's gravitas there, a sense of highly deliberate speech. Somehow, I had no trouble visualizing the man Guilliman is presented as with that voice - while I had plenty of trouble with some others in the past. The most baffling to me was by far the Jonathan Keeble version in the Illyrium audio drama. Absolutely not my Guilliman. He really had no weight behind him.

[b1soul]

Mark Strong is Guilliman's voice in my head

[Shield-Captain]

I'm actually liking this? Like I'm not terribly far in but it seems well written so far. I wasn't expecting a whole lot but this is leagues better than I had pictured it in my head. Definitely should have come with the arrival of 8th edition though. It really does remind me of the Siege books.

[Apothecary Vaddon]

Mark Strong is pretty much every important Imperial character in everyone's head

[Petitioner's City]

Really living the wide range of characters, especially the self-appointed historian who feels very "Brazil"!

[Ishagu]

Really enjoying this book, there is a really fun assortment of characters. Lots of character archetypal influences from other scifi which I actually find refreshing in 40k.

 

I'm actually really enjoying the voices too, aside from Guilliman who does sound a bit strange compared to other renditions in other books. The reader has made some great efforts to add accents and what not to some of the characters.

 

Minor Spoiler:

 

Cawl's list of achievements is ever so impressive. He apparently bested and subjugitated the AI of the "Spirit of Eternity" (not sure how many are aware of the lore behind this). That was a fantastic Easter Egg of a tidbit.

Edited August 16, 2020 by Ishagu

[DarkChaplain]

Ohhhhh! That's actually a callback to Death of Integrity, Guy's Space Marine Battles novel featuring the Blood Drinkers and Novamarines boarding a massive Space Hulk infested with Genestealers, with the AdMech basically forcing them to do it properly - gotta secure those STCs, so you can't just bomb the thing to dust. Lovely, that we're getting some nods to that at last. I'd highly recommend that book, by the by.

[Ishagu]

I'm a little bit further in, and I'm not going to share any spoilers or plot until I've finished the book, but I will say this:

 

If 8th had launched with this novel, and the plots and story had been as well thought up, then more people would have readily accepted the Primaris and the new lore.

[G_R_H]

Agreed. I’m about halfway through and this book is delivering more than what I expected. When’s the next one out?

[b1soul]

Engaging and competently written so far. The quality is similar to that of Dark Imperium, and I mean that as a compliment (liked almost all of that book other than the Justinian bolterporn)

[Kelborn]

Started yesterday and loving it thus far.

 

Also finished Belisarius Cawl in the meantime. Gonna give my thoughts later on but both stories should've accompanied the release of the 8th edition to give background and introduction to Cawl and the Primaris.

Biggest reproach back then was that they felt shoehorned.

 

Why GW? Why haven't you thought about that earlier. *sigh*

[Ishagu]

I was never as angry or upset with GW as some were.

 

The settings had been established slowly over a period of 20 years. Then they decided to shift it forward slightly, and the new lore had lots of gaps and missing details. People were quick to forget that the previously established 40k setting went through multiple retcons, changes, ammendments and developments before it reached it's final, recognisable state.

 

Too often the new lore was proclaimed as rubbish by too many people, but it was clear to me that given enough time it would eventually be as detailed and well storied as other aspects of the 40k. Now we can form a much better picture thanks to this novel, and other books like the Great Work.

 

There's no questions this should have come alongside 8th edition's launch, however, and the Great Work should have dropped shortly after. Still it's great to see how it's coming together, and this book is really helping with establishing the lore.

Edited August 16, 2020 by Ishagu

[b1soul]

I think the time-jump to the Dark Imperium/Plague War was a bit of a mis-step. Don't get me wrong...those two books were solid enjoyable reads, but why skip the most interesting era right after Guilliman's ascension to Lord Commander of the Imperium.

 

Dawn of Fire is a welcome course correction