Fall of Cadia by Robert Rath

[aa.logan]

1 hour ago, Ubiquitous1984 said:

Have BL ever released the mega edition ‘bonus book’ content as a separate release?  I can’t think of any examples off the top of my head, but perhaps someone else does?

Didn’t the Spear of The Emperor Index Astartes appear in a White Dwarf?

[lansalt]

21 minutes ago, aa.logan said:

Didn’t the Spear of The Emperor Index Astartes appear in a White Dwarf?

Yes, but not the full version with extra fluff and illustrations that was par of Conquest subscriptions and the LE novel.

[Gamiel]

25 minutes ago, aa.logan said:

Didn’t the Spear of The Emperor Index Astartes appear in a White Dwarf?

Yes.

[DarkChaplain]

5 hours ago, Ubiquitous1984 said:

Have BL ever released the mega edition ‘bonus book’ content as a separate release?  I can’t think of any examples off the top of my head, but perhaps someone else does?

 

The "Cargo" short story from Helwinter Gate got released in an Inferno! Presents anthology iirc

[Tolmeus]

Took me a while to finish this break of a book with its 540 pages.
 

On 9/1/2023 at 6:33 AM, Gongsun Zan said:

The main focus is on Creed and various Cadians, with a secondary focus on Abaddon and the Sisters of Battle. I'm sure some people on reddit will be upset at how little this book glamorizes Creed, but IMO the book does a great job portraying him as an exhausted field commander promoted way beyond his level of expertise (a main focus of the book is the burden of command, and the tension between a commander's public and private personas).

 

On 9/2/2023 at 8:19 AM, Gongsun Zan said:

That said, I think it's hard to capture scale in a more character driven novel like this, as opposed to a codex or Black Book supplement which can afford to zoom out much further and take a more history-book approach. This is a book about Creed as a commander  - he's getting desk reports on the state of the war, but it's the backdrop and not the centrepiece.  

 

 

@Gongsun Zan nailed the depiction of Creed. I feel like this is how a commander should act like. The historical retro perspective of Creeds actions during the second half of the book were also something, which fitted quiet nicely and filled in the temporal gaps of events, which were not told in detail.

The story of Major Hellsker grew on me the longer it was told. 

However, when it comes to the overall atmosphere or scope, I was amazed. Although the story was already told like a planetary invasion, this felt more like another Hellsreach than the campaign that would define the modern history of Warhammer 40k. The short passage in Hellwinter Gate does more justice to that, because it was easier to imagine the enemy superiority and the hopelessness that accompanied it.

[grailkeeper]

Bought this today. Didnt realise it was pre-order only. Its a bit frustrating to have paid for this and to have it downloaded to my Kindle but not being able to open it for another fortnight. Its already out, people have read and finished it. I don't understand why it isnt being made available from today, at least electronically.

[caladancid]

29 minutes ago, grailkeeper said:

Bought this today. Didnt realise it was pre-order only. Its a bit frustrating to have paid for this and to have it downloaded to my Kindle but not being able to open it for another fortnight. Its already out, people have read and finished it. I don't understand why it isnt being made available from today, at least electronically.

 

Two week pre-order. Definitely needed that to anticipate how many pixels they have to make.

[DarkChaplain]

If only they had the option of making use of general retailers that also deliver on time and stock products on their shelves for more than 5 minutes before they sell out forever....

[Krelious]

I'll just say after recently finishing the book I liked it. I think reading Creed Ashes of Cadia should be read directly afterwards because its a direct tie in to events that gives you closure and all around another very good book. 

[DarkChaplain]

The e- and audiobook are finally out. Looks like the audiobook's got a surprise: The afterword is included, unlike with the general release ebook edition.

[Ubiquitous1984]

1 hour ago, DarkChaplain said:

The e- and audiobook are finally out. Looks like the audiobook's got a surprise: The afterword is included, unlike with the general release ebook edition.

Oh wow, that’s great news.  I hope they make this a regular addition.  

 

DoF series seriously lacks the appendix in the audio versions.

[DarkChaplain]

DoF suffers greatly from the lack of Appendices in the audiobooks. They put the novels' plot into the wider context and align various elements across the era. The wider war as well as some Psychic Awakening events are explained and contextualized in the Appendices, so cutting them from the audiobooks was one giant idiocy on the part of whoever decided it at BL. The scope, momentum and trends of the Indomitus Crusade are lost, so a novel that is meant to illustrate a specific problem or stage of the crusade, firmly anchored in the roadmap, gets easily seen as a sidetrack from the main crusade narrative.

 

It's a giant pity.

 

I don't think they'll record afterwords from here on, though. They haven't been doing it for the Siege of Terra, which would've been the most logical thing to do, seeing how they're the flagship. It's probably more of an oversight, it was recorded and tacked on because it was there, rather than recorded because it was intended to be added. That the afterword is missing from the ebook is telling there...

[theSpirea]

The Fall of Cadia is the longest BL novel, sitting at 170K words. Pushing Mortis with 160K to the 2nd place.

[Ubiquitous1984]

1 hour ago, theSpirea said:

The Fall of Cadia is the longest BL novel, sitting at 170K words. Pushing Mortis with 160K to the 2nd place.

Apparently SoT volume II is 733 pages long so, we may have a new 'champion' soon!

[Nagashsnee]

12 hours ago, DarkChaplain said:

DoF suffers greatly from the lack of Appendices in the audiobooks. They put the novels' plot into the wider context and align various elements across the era. The wider war as well as some Psychic Awakening events are explained and contextualized in the Appendices, so cutting them from the audiobooks was one giant idiocy on the part of whoever decided it at BL. The scope, momentum and trends of the Indomitus Crusade are lost, so a novel that is meant to illustrate a specific problem or stage of the crusade, firmly anchored in the roadmap, gets easily seen as a sidetrack from the main crusade narrative.

 

It's a giant pity.

 

I don't think they'll record afterwords from here on, though. They haven't been doing it for the Siege of Terra, which would've been the most logical thing to do, seeing how they're the flagship. It's probably more of an oversight, it was recorded and tacked on because it was there, rather than recorded because it was intended to be added. That the afterword is missing from the ebook is telling there...

If I need a appendices to place a book in the context of the wider series/setting which it failed to do in the previous 200-400 pages the book failed. 

 

What if they are seen as sidetracks and lacking an overarching story/theme...because they lack it and are sidetracks?  DoF suffers because it's drowning in mediocre books tied together by bl hopes and greed.

 

 

I am about halfway thru this book. And so far it's a fun and engaging read. A bit too many characters but that my personal taste. I already know I want a sibling book about the fall of Cadia from the chaos perspective tho.

Edited October 29, 2023 by Nagashsnee

[cheywood]

19 minutes ago, Ubiquitous1984 said:

Apparently SoT volume II is 733 pages long so, we may have a new 'champion' soon!

That’s because Abnett’s writing in short chapters which extends the page count pretty drastically. Fall of Cadia’s audiobook is an hour longer than either Volume 1 or 2. 

[theSpirea]

SoT is in A5 hardback format. Both page count and audio length can be very misleading. Vol 1 is 147K words, Mortis 160K, Saturnine 150K. We're going to find out in a few days.

[Ubiquitous1984]

2 hours ago, cheywood said:

That’s because Abnett’s writing in short chapters which extends the page count pretty drastically. Fall of Cadia’s audiobook is an hour longer than either Volume 1 or 2. 

Good spot, I didn't think to check the audiobook duration!

 

I'm now surprised that BL didn't make Fall of Cadia a two parter, like with The Twice Dead King (replete with two special editions, of course).  

[cheywood]

2 hours ago, Ubiquitous1984 said:

Good spot, I didn't think to check the audiobook duration!

 

I'm now surprised that BL didn't make Fall of Cadia a two parter, like with The Twice Dead King (replete with two special editions, of course).  

Funnily enough, that seems to be what they’re doing with the French edition, it’s listed as two parts on Fnac: https://www.fnac.com/e65968/Black-Library?SFilt=1!34

[Sothalor]

The hardcover of Fall of Cadia is one chunky tome. This is actually the same dimensions as the hardcover version of the Stormlight Archive's Oathbringer.

[grailkeeper]

Finished it last night.

 

Really excellent book but doesnt have as many flashes of genius as his other two novels.

 

Still a 10/10 and a must read, but they're 11/10.

 

 

Edited October 31, 2023 by grailkeeper

[Urauloth]

Started this last night. Great so far. Love the descriptions and interactions of the Warmaster and his commanders. I have the audio version, and I don't like Elstob's voice for Abaddon, but that's not a major complaint - there's nothing wrong with it, it's just not to my taste personally. I do really like his narration, though.

[Nagashsnee]

Finished it this morning, great book, well written with solid character and enhances the event its based on. 9/10.

 

My only complaint is the sheer number of chracters/storylines. I feel one or two or two of them could be cut/merged and it would not impact the book at all (cultist/blackmarketer for instance). I also wanted more chaos perspective.  But i cant understand them holding back for a full novel/not wanting to step on ADB toes/pen his future options in. 

 

 

[grailkeeper]

The black marketer was probably my favourite character. I'd have liked to have learned more about the Cultist's background, but I think that was a "leave em wanting more" decision by the author. 

[Nagashsnee]

I have had time to mull it over and i want to go over my favorite thing about the book, and my least favorite and why i think they are both wider BL issues. 

 

 

Spoiler

Ok so good first. I loved the fact the book got the Imperiums military right. I dont mean power levels or unit description. But in essence its feudal nature and absolutely broken chain of command. 

Creed is the top of the Imperial guard command structure on cadia, de facto head of the defence of the most important battleground in the galaxy and burdened with incredible authority. But the moment you step outside the Imperial Guard he really is just some bloke with a cigar to a marine. I LOVED that the book got the balance between 'legally you have nothing on me' and 'gotta at least PRETEND to be a team player' with the marines right. I also loved how different chapters showed different levels of willingness to work as part of a unified plan.  You have the Raven Guard chap doing his best to work his forced as part of a unified battle plan. And the Space Wolfs just showing up to tell everyone what they have already decided to do. And they are both 100% within their rights to do it.  Then of course you have everyone's favorite crack addicted cousin the templars, who have one again locked themselves in the downstairs bathroom, everyone knows its just not worth the effort and to just leave them to it. 

 

The same goes with the sisters of battle, sure the sisters have to talk to the cardinal, he is the cardinal. Creed? Dont see him on the church payroll who is this Creed to tell us we have to use our very elite power armored forces logically and where they will have the maximum effect.  Does he not know that we protect the toilet seat of saint lazarus the lactose intolerant?  Whats that Belisarius Cawl showed up and his got a power point in a language no one here speaks but is 100% crucial to the war effort? Etc etc.

 

The book makes the Imperium of a million worlds FEEL like it. Its absolutely bonkers separation of powers and Empires within Empires come out naturally. The actors act logically to their own organizations and belief systems and make things hard for Creed not because its the only way the author knows how to create tension but because that's how a intergalactic/feudal/atheist/theocracies who are actually two separate states welded together would work. If it was a comedy they would just constantly scream 'YOUR NOT MY SUPERVIRSOR' to each other and i am here for it.  Too often this side of the Imperium get overlooked or just ignored outright. 

 

I also loved the regimental name drops here and there and wish there was more of them. Every time i read 'walked passed a group of drunk Vostroyans' i got a smile. It would have been easy to have the fall of cadia hyper focused on the cadians. 

 

 

If you dont care about Battle Fleet Gothic and 40k space ship lore stop here.  The author has no idea about how spaceships work in 40k, ship classes and weapons. And it  irks me. It irks me a great deal. Right from the start when the Black legion pop up i was Irk. Firstly Admiral Quarren dies. Who the heck is Admiral Quarren you ask? Well he was the head of the Imperial navy during the 13th black crusade, or he use to be, now he is not and he dies so the new guy who is in charge keeps going. But why? Why alter this? Why have him die just to invent some new dude? Just have new dude die and let the 10 people who know who Quarren is enjoy themselves and he leads his counter attack. 

 

Then we get to his ship and the irksome nature gets upgrade to full on annoyance. Its an Emperors class battle ship ( hey they got the flagship class right!), which the dear admiral orders to prep torpedoes and its nova cannon...my dudes Emperor class ships are very very very famous for 2 things. Spamming attack craft wings, and not having an armored prow. Indeed they get a bonus to leadership as their prow (which on most imperial ships is armored) is made up of sensors and c&c for its many spammed attack wings of fighters and bombers and whatever else have you. They cannot have nova cannons, and torpedoes would mean the ship specifically made to act as c&c loses the specific thing that makes it good at c&c. 

 

Now you say, dude chill its a custom model/retrofit/etc. But why? Your retconning him into death anyhow why not have him on a Retribution class which DOES have those things.  Why specifically pick a class that is famous for NOT having the things you want it to have? 

 

And its not just this, the book gets ship wrong allot, dictators become battle cruisers, their not, their just cruisers, the mars class is the battle cruiser hull carrier. Etc etc.

 

And i have noticed this trend ALLOT in recent years, BL  editorial and most of the newer authors do not care about BFG/40k space lore.  They will do the bare minimum ( briefly search up some names and general details) and no more.

 

And while i know 90% of the people reading BL books many not care 1 iota if the Lunar class cruiser Lord Daros was built over the feral world of Unloth by tricking the locals into mining and offering ore in 'sky temples'. But as sad as it is i do. BFG remains my favorite game GW has ever made and its lore is great!  And i believe if you are a BL author/editor and you want to name your Lunar class cruiser something and find the Lord Daros having existed in the lore and decide to use it YOU SHOULD CARE/KNOW. 

The book remains top notch.