Krieg

[Knockagh]

Can’t recommend this enough. Superb from Lyons.

Like most 40K fans I’ve always loved the good old death korps, pretty much because the models are so cool. In my model building days I fought with crappy super expensive resin just to have a small force of these guys. And now we have for the first time the story and history of Krieg. The Korps don’t make it easy to write a novel. Their complete lack of identity and almost robotic nature while creepy cool isn’t overly conducive for a riveting read. Steve manages this superbly. Delving into Kriegs pre apocalyptic history allows for names and characters and when he writes the parallel story of the ork battle he uses the inquisition and cadians to contrast with the ‘robots’ of Krieg.

I absolutely loved this, origin stories are my thing so if you want things to remain mysterious as some have said on here before, stay clear. Otherwise jump right in. Brilliant, hopefully we get more from Steve. Can’t believe this didn’t get a fancy edition when the Katherine one did. It could have been very very cool.

[grailkeeper]

I quite enjoyed it. It functions both as a Kreig origin story and a Kill team novel and a full novel all in one. Of the story lines I found the Kreig Origin story perhaps the weakest but others may disagree.

 

I think this one of the best books in a long time, but there are a few things that bug me.

 

 

1. The Inquisition were investigating weapons on the planet in the main story. At the start these were some ultra secret turbo weapons from the dark age that may draw chaos and were worth exterminatus-ing the planet over rather than letting the Orks capture. Then when they are used they turn out to be just nukes. Seems like the author took his eyes off the ball there. Any weapons used to exterminatus would have been more powerful than those maguffins eventually turned out to be.

 

2. Col Jurten knew that if the baddies won this could result in the planet falling to chaos, as chaos invariably steps in when the Imperium is rebelled against. Whilst this is objectively true (or at least strongly likely) it does seem a bit out of character that he might know that. I get he is a colonel but in BL books where chaos is presented as an inevitable corrupting force its also usually presented as an ultra secret- mind wiped regiments etc.

 

3. The cliff hanger with the interrogator asking the Korpsmen to reveal their faces never being revealed is a game of thrones style twist. I appreciate that but it was still a bit of the kick in the nuts.

 

 

Despite these issues I still recommend the book strongly. I read the first of his Krieg books when it came out (over a decade ago) and I enjoyed this one as much, if not more! It helps if you have read Dead men walking but its by no means a requirement to enjoy this book.

Edited February 5, 2022 by grailkeeper

[Marshal Rohr]

GW actually has Kreig described as clones on their 40K website so I didn’t get the coyness

[Knockagh]

I assume it’s because Steve wants to write a series, doing the whole investigation thing

[theSpirea]

Definitely one of the better IG novels out there. I haven't read Steve's previous novel so can't really compare it. This was actually my first Lyons' novel, I believe I've read only a few short stories of his.

 

I'd consider the origin story the better part of the book. This might be due to me knowing next to nothing about Krieg. There's no ground-breaking revelation, the vitae womb is only mentioned once and no details are provided. It still does a decent job giving anonymous DKs personality.

 

Seeing the regular hardback back sold out within a day, I hope Steve gets to write another novel soon.

[aa.logan]

I assume the non-reveal of the maskless Krieg was to develop narrative tension; the cloning of the DKoK is only ‘confirmed’ at the end of the penultimate chapter

Really solid book; I preferred the origin story to the action alongside the Cadians but the parallels were nice. Generally old-school BL, but sometimes that’s what one craves

[Ayatollah_of_Rock_n_Rolla]

I assume the non-reveal of the maskless Krieg was to develop narrative tension; the cloning of the DKoK is only ‘confirmed’ at the end of the penultimate chapter

 

Really solid book; I preferred the origin story to the action alongside the Cadians but the parallels were nice. Generally old-school BL, but sometimes that’s what one craves

What exactly is written about vitae womb?

[grailkeeper]

 

I assume the non-reveal of the maskless Krieg was to develop narrative tension; the cloning of the DKoK is only ‘confirmed’ at the end of the penultimate chapter

 

Really solid book; I preferred the origin story to the action alongside the Cadians but the parallels were nice. Generally old-school BL, but sometimes that’s what one craves

What exactly is written about vitae womb?

 

 

Not much new is added about it such as its more talked about than seen 

 

but

 

Its heavily implied all the clowns are of Jurten. When asked his name the Krieg Col has to think before saying Jurten.

 

Col Jurten spends a long time wrestling with his conscience over whether the Krieg should use it. The Krieg officers don't want to use it. Just before Jurten dies he decides they shouldn't use it. The Techpriest then lies and says Jurten decided they should.

 

[Ayatollah_of_Rock_n_Rolla]

 

 

I assume the non-reveal of the maskless Krieg was to develop narrative tension; the cloning of the DKoK is only ‘confirmed’ at the end of the penultimate chapter

 

Really solid book; I preferred the origin story to the action alongside the Cadians but the parallels were nice. Generally old-school BL, but sometimes that’s what one craves

What exactly is written about vitae womb?

 

 

Not much new is added about it such as its more talked about than seen 

 

but

 

Its heavily implied all the clowns are of Jurten. When asked his name the Krieg Col has to think before saying Jurten.

 

Col Jurten spends a long time wrestling with his conscience over whether the Krieg should use it. The Krieg officers don't want to use it. Just before Jurten dies he decides they shouldn't use it. The Techpriest then lies and says Jurten decided they should.

 

 

 

Thanks. The FW fluff notwithstanding, I am curious how Lyons wants to reconcile it with his short stories. IIRC, he wrote that completion of basic training qualifies a Krieger not only for deployment but also reproduction. 

 

[grailkeeper]

 

 

Thanks. The FW fluff notwithstanding, I am curious how Lyons wants to reconcile it with his short stories. IIRC, he wrote that completion of basic training qualifies a Krieger not only for deployment but also reproduction. 

 

 

 

That's not tackled at all, nor is the personal life of the soldiers, other than they might be much younger than the Imperium is told. I suppose one of squaring the circle is that they are then qualified to have sex rather than reproduce. I think GW would shy away from that for obvious reasons.

[cheywood]

Finished this up just now. It’s a readable enough Guard book, but I liked last year’s IG releases more.

 

There’s two plot threads in the book, a loose tie-in to the Krieg kill-team release, and a novelization of Krieg’s origins. The former is rather mediocre (it lacks both emotional resonance and the sense of scale that 40k needs) but the latter’s a quality story, albeit somewhat predictable. I remember enjoying Dead Men Walking much more overall, Krieg doesn’t seem to reach the same degree of emotional insight into the Korps

 

Lyons’ prose is decent, but I suspect this might be better as an audiobook for those who like both formats.

Edited February 22, 2022 by cheywood

[Slave to Darkness]

The only thing that bothered me really was how the Kriegers were described as having spikes on their helmets, yet no model has ever had them. Other than that I loved it. 

[Ayatollah_of_Rock_n_Rolla]

The only thing that bothered me really was how the Kriegers were described as having spikes on their helmets, yet no model has ever had them. Other than that I loved it. 

Btw, aside that one Guard codex, were they ever portrayed with spiked helmets?

[Taliesin]

Finished this up just now. It’s a readable enough Guard book, but I liked last year’s IG releases more.

 

 

 

Which books are those?

[cheywood]

 

 

Finished this up just now. It’s a readable enough Guard book, but I liked last year’s IG releases more.

 

 

Which books are those?

Steel Tread, Volpone Glory, and Traitor Rock. The Vincula Insurgency’s incredible but it’s not really fair to compare other Guard novels to Gaunt’s Ghosts.

[Knockagh]

 

 

 

Finished this up just now. It’s a readable enough Guard book, but I liked last year’s IG releases more.

 

 

Which books are those?

Steel Tread, Volpone Glory, and Traitor Rock. The Vincula Insurgency’s incredible but it’s not really fair to compare other Guard novels to Gaunt’s Ghosts.

Man just goes to show how different folks float. I found Steel Tread one of the most boring reads I’ve attempted in years. Flung it in the corner after the forth chapter it’s a fire-lighter in waiting, volpone glory was fun but went on far ( far,far ) far too long. Traitor rock was great and Vincula was a masterpiece but I’d have Kreig up beside traitor rock or even ahead.

[cheywood]

 

 

 

 

Finished this up just now. It’s a readable enough Guard book, but I liked last year’s IG releases more.

 

 

Which books are those?

Steel Tread, Volpone Glory, and Traitor Rock. The Vincula Insurgency’s incredible but it’s not really fair to compare other Guard novels to Gaunt’s Ghosts.

Man just goes to show how different folks float. I found Steel Tread one of the most boring reads I’ve attempted in years. Flung it in the corner after the forth chapter it’s a fire-lighter in waiting, volpone glory was fun but went on far ( far,far ) far too long. Traitor rock was great and Vincula was a masterpiece but I’d have Kreig up beside traitor rock or even ahead.

I really enjoyed all the books I listed for their characters. Steel Tread’s were inarguably generic, but I liked the interplay between them. A Death Korps novel can’t capture that same degree of expressive camaraderie, but it can capture the scale and horror of service in the Guard. For whatever reason Lyons’ attempts to do that here mostly fell flat for me compared to his past work and the Death Korps’ Imperial Armour books. I’m not sure if it was the small numbers involved, or that I didn’t especially relate to the various non-Krieg characters. Perhaps I was a little too harsh yesterday, Krieg’s a well written book and I can understand why others like it. Edited February 22, 2022 by cheywood

[Taliesin]

 

 

Finished this up just now. It’s a readable enough Guard book, but I liked last year’s IG releases more.

 

Which books are those?

Steel Tread, Volpone Glory, and Traitor Rock. The Vincula Insurgency’s incredible but it’s not really fair to compare other Guard novels to Gaunt’s Ghosts.

 

 

Interesting. I will try Steel thread and Traitor Rock, I didnt like what I read of Volpone Glory ( sample chapter) but good to know that Vincula is an excellent book since that does re-release in a few months.

[Slave to Darkness]

 

The only thing that bothered me really was how the Kriegers were described as having spikes on their helmets, yet no model has ever had them. Other than that I loved it. 

Btw, aside that one Guard codex, were they ever portrayed with spiked helmets?

 

Wow that takes me back, and as far as I know thats the only time they have had a spiked helmet. Could be a good way to tell grenadiers apart from the normal infantry at a glance. 

[Slave to Darkness]

 

 

 

 

 Krieg’s a well written book and I can understand why others like it.

 

Ngl it was refreshing to read something that wasnt marines doing super cool marine things. May pick up a few more guard books now. 

[cheywood]

 

 

 

 

 

Krieg’s a well written book and I can understand why others like it.

Ngl it was refreshing to read something that wasnt marines doing super cool marine things. May pick up a few more guard books now.

If this is your first non Space Marine book and you enjoyed it then it’s definitely worth branching out into Gaunt’s Ghosts. Easily the best Guard fiction out there. Edited February 24, 2022 by cheywood

[sitnam]

 

 

 

Finished this up just now. It’s a readable enough Guard book, but I liked last year’s IG releases more.

 

 

Which books are those?

Steel Tread, Volpone Glory, and Traitor Rock. The Vincula Insurgency’s incredible but it’s not really fair to compare other Guard novels to Gaunt’s Ghosts.

I have to concur with Steel Tread and Traitor Rock, I liked those fat more then the "modern" storyline of Krieg. The post rift story had some good parts, but whereas Lyons had a great sense of scale for the "historical" half of the book, the post rift story just didn't make a ton of sense.

 

A single Ork rok crashes into a hive, and now we have to condemn a whole world? That doesn't sound like a sound strategy to maintain the Cordon Impenetra if a few hundred orks are enough to exterminates a productive planet. A force that could seemingly be contained by a few thousand Krieg and Cadians? This is a hive world, the PDF on such a planet should number in the millions. Even if most of them were ill trained militia, the planet should of bern able to muster a force of tens of thousands to surround the hive. Compare this to the historical storyline, which felt like a true war given the scale.

 

Scale is a important factor for me, especially in Guard stories. Traitor Rock and Steel Tread handled that far better, and both had a better cast of characters.

 

I still liked the book, but it had some issues and wasn't as good as Lyons prior Krieg works. A ton of credit should go to Dead Men Walking, but Left for Dead and Down Amongst the Dead Men are both fantastic short stories that actually put you in the mind of Kriegers.

[Slave to Darkness]

 

 

 

Krieg’s a well written book and I can understand why others like it.

Ngl it was refreshing to read something that wasnt marines doing super cool marine things. May pick up a few more guard books now.

If this is your first non Space Marine book and you enjoyed it then it’s definitely worth branching out into Gaunt’s Ghosts. Easily the best Guard fiction out there.

 

I read the first Ghosts book way back when and I heard most of an audio book at a friends (all I remembered was something about a sharpshooter with a dodgy jaw so a marine kinda did the vulcan death grip to fix him or something along those lines), and one of the Ciaphas Cain books (middle of the series I think so I had no idea what was going on), and somewhere I have the omnibus with Fifteen Hours in it. Other than that I wouldnt know where to start with guard. I think I might have another swing at the Gaunts Ghosts again, I did enjoy what I read.

[DarkChaplain]

Start with Cain, it's a fun ride, eases you in and it'll contrast well with the more gritty Guard stories. I'd also highly recommend Baneblade.

[Sothalor]

Am currently reading this - it's actually quite a short novel by word/page count.

 

As others in this thread have noted, some of the setup seems off in terms of scale. 5000 Krieg soldiers constitutes a major deployment? They dig like one set of trenches to besiege a hive city? There doesn't seem to be more than a few thousand Orks and that's enough to warrant discussions about a major breach of the Octavia warzone? (The Octavia zone, by the way, is an entire sector where an Inquisitor lured Tyranid hive fleets into a nascent Ork empire in an attempt to get both to exhaust each other in mutual conflict and kicked off one HELL of a catastrophic brawl.)

 

 

I do have to say, right now, reading about Jurten's decision-making in the pre-Krieg timeline arc about certain intercontinental ballistic missiles hits a little different given certain real-world events occurring as of the end of February 2022.