Rogal Dorn - The Emperor's Crusader book

[SkimaskMohawk]

4 hours ago, lansalt said:

Dorn ends up looking as dumb to me as some of the others, like Corvus Corax in his primarch novel

I'm pretty sure the entire arc of corax is about him being dumb and ending up acting in a hypocritical, tyrannical way; the primarch novel and the corax novel really drive it home.

 

But if that's not the arc of your primarch, people shouldn't be drawing comparisons to it lol.

[Fedor]

Thorpe has written his share of misses for sure, and we like what we like blah blah etc etc..... but are we really still at the stage where we have to feign baffling incomprehension that anyone might like one of his books? Is this 2010 Warseer?

 

 

[cheywood]

It seems this book is relatively divisive. Personally I come down somewhere in the middle. It’s well constructed, and I like that it jumps around to pivotal moments in a long crusade, but it still feels overfilled with combat sequences in which I had no investment. I think the concepts at play are interesting and Gav writes the Fists relatively well in terms of adherence to past portrayals, but it’s all so bland I had trouble staying focused. The antagonists are, again, interesting in a conceptual sense but woefully executed. I don’t get any flavor of their society, just tech and tactics.

 

Overall I give this a 6/10. I think it has the bones of a good story, Gav usually knows how to structure and pace his works, but his prose is a great sleep aid. I think I like Thorpe exclusively when he works with more outlandish characters like The Last Chancers.

Edited October 26, 2022 by cheywood

[Knockagh]

I love Gavs books, always have, even through the years of hate. So I can hardly believe I’m writing this. I gave up on this. I just couldn’t get into this at all. The no chapters really really irked me but when it’s a super short book like this it should have been still readable. But tomorrow it goes back in the shelf half unread. Will try again in a year or so. Maybe. Complete miss.

[Roomsky]

Damn, if Knockagh hated it this really IS the anti-Thorpe Thorpe novel.

[Ubiquitous1984]

9 hours ago, Knockagh said:

I love Gavs books, always have, even through the years of hate. So I can hardly believe I’m writing this. I gave up on this. I just couldn’t get into this at all. The no chapters really really irked me but when it’s a super short book like this it should have been still readable. But tomorrow it goes back in the shelf half unread. Will try again in a year or so. Maybe. Complete miss.

Can I recommend you try the audiobook instead?  The lack of chapters are less visible and noticeable in that version, and the performances of the narrators really elevates the prose.  

[Fire Golem]

What is the deal with the no chapters thing, any idea what he was going for or is it just being different for the sake of it? (Having not read it myself). 

[Tymell]

This Primarchs novel definitely grew on me as I went on. I still wouldn't say it's among my favourites of the series, but early on I was all geared up to come in here and say how bad it was, and by the end I actually quite liked it.

 

At first, I did find it kind of disorienting and lacking much to grip me. It just felt like some random bit of the Great Crusade, with very little incentive to read on beyond just, well, reading some more of the Crusade. I can't deny though that I definitely got more invested as the conflict with the Unseen grew into a more prominent focal point. It still isn't something revolutionary or mind-bendingly creative or anything, but I kind of like its straightforward approach.

 

It brought a certain nostalgia for older HH books, like the opening trilogy or those not long after it, at a time when we still got to just see the Legions and their Primarchs carrying out the Crusade. Not that I'm saying what comes later is inherently weaker, but at this point where we're neck deep in the utter madness of the Siege, it's kind of refreshing to go back to a time like this and just read about a prolonged campaign within the Great Crusade.

 

I think the book generally achieves what it sets out to do in this regard, it does feel like a decent look at an archetypal example of Dorn's style and strategies. I still didn't come out saying, "Wow…" at this radical new take on things, but I did put it down with a generally satisfied smile.

 

Also, having read Sigismund's book recently too, it definitely feels like there was some communication between Gav and John French on these books. They're not telling the same story from different angles or the like, but it felt like some of Sigismund's story was echoed in bits and pieces here. The two books go well together IMO.

 

For me, it doesn't reach the highs of the likes of Perturabo, Angron or Alpharius' books, but it's a substantial cut above the weaker entries like those of Guilliman, Lion or Ferrus Manus.

Edited November 6, 2022 by Tymell

[Redrandy93]

I just finished reading it a few days ago.     I liked it but felt it was too short as I wanted more detail on how they won.     as stated above we get snippets or the high points and then off to the next sequence.   Could have used another 80 to 100 pages.   I would rate it a 7.     I also just Finished Sigismund.    

[Cactus]

I also recently finished this and I feel much the same as Tymell. I think Rann's perspective was redundant though. What did he do, or observe, that had any bearing on the plot? I don't remember.

 

I loved the little twist at the end.

[Master Ciaphas]

Hail!

I also just finished this novel the other day. 

 

I went in with very, very low expectations - and was pleasantly surprised to find that it was better than expected. Overall it is a good book. Having read all of the Primarch books (except Lorgar), I think "Rogal Dorn - The Emperor's Crusader" can be placed just above the middle. 

 

Naturally, as it is a Gav Thorpe book - Lion El'Jonson is portrayed as an intemperate, argumentative, hot-headed fool, who is shown how to do basic tactics and strategy by Rogal Dorn. Cheers, Gav! 

 

The Unseen could have done with more fleshing out - and a display of why they are fighting the Imperium as hard as they are, is never given. A missed opportunity. 

Still, for a book about Space Marines, this is one of Gav Thorpes better works. 

 

Faithfully,

Master Ciaphas