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[Felix Antipodes]

I was also excited when I read that The Guns of Enth would feature the Howling Griffins, it was pretty obvious in the end that they were only there to play the adversarial role and not Wilt’s main focus within the story.  I came away feeling the Chapter were short changed within their own story.  And this from someone who enjoys his stories overall.

[darkhorse0607]

Audible put both Spear of Ultramar and Dreadwing up this morning for those waiting. No sign of Dropsite Massacre, but Amazon doesn't list the hardback as releasing in the US until November 18th, and there's no listing of the audio version on BL's website (even though in theory it should have the same release as the other two, which are already up) so who knows what's going on with that

[wecanhaveallthree]

I highly recommend both of those stories, but if I had to pick, it'd be Spear of Ultramar. The deployment of the Destroyers, Guilliman getting the what-price-victory treatment, the Iron Warriors showing why they were the Heresy MVPs. Stopping a Primarch and his vengeance fleet with a single depleted Grand Company is Iron Within-tier, and the way they do it - not because they actually give a damn about Horus or Perturabo, not because they're big jerks and just like being jerks, but because they're Space Marines and they're made to fight and win is just beautiful. There really weren't enough 'standard' engagements between the Traitors and Loyalists, and Spear gives us them in spades: two highly skilled and intelligent forces facing off.

 

Dreadwing does have Farith 'Oh no, he's hot!' Redloss, though...

[DarkChaplain]

Spear of Ultramar also works as an extension of the Guilliman Primarchs novel, with the Destroyer theme and characters.

[Alpharius902]

On the topic of Dropsite Massacre, the dramatis personae was recently posted:

Spoiler

THE PRIMARCHS

• Fulgrim - The Phoenician
• Rogal Dorn - Praetorian of Terra
• Horus - The Warmaster
• Angron - The Red Angel
• Mortarion - The Reaper
• Corvus Corax - The Raven
• Ferrus Manus - The Gorgon
• Vulkan - The Promethean
• Perturabo - The Lord of Iron
• Lorgar Aurelian - The Urizen
• Alpharius/Omegon - The Hydra

THE LEGIONES ASTARTES

The III Legion 'Emperor's Children'

• Fabius - Lieutenant Commander, Chief Apothecary
• Appius Calpurnius - Kakophoni Orchestrator

The IV Legion 'Iron Warriors'

• Forrix - First Captain
• Grelth - Delegatus

The VIII Legion 'Night Lords'

• Scarrix - Strike Fighter Squadron Commander

The X Legion 'Iron Hands'

• Castrmen Orth - Spearhead-Centurion of Clan Avernii

The XII Legion 'World Eaters'

• Khârn - The Bloody, Captain of the Eighth Company, Equerry to the primarch
• Kargos - The Bloodspitter, Apothecary, Eighth Company

The XVI Legion 'Sons of Horus'

• Abaddon - First Captain
• Maloghurst - The Twisted, Equerry to the Warmaster
• Kalus Ekaddon - Captain of the Catulan Reavers
• Horus Aximand - Captain of the Fifth Company

The XVII Legion 'Word Bearers'

• Kor Phaeron - First Captain, Master of Faith

The XVIII Legion 'Salamanders'

• Cassian Dracos - The Dragon Revenant
• Orasus - Legionary
• Xaliscus - Launch Master of the Dracosian
• Tiamastus - Saturnine Cadre
• Vort - Saturnine Cadre

The XIX Legion 'Raven Guard'

• Alvarex Maun - Strike Captain, Master of Descent
• Acronis - Commander of the Ad Temperesta
• Pseudus Vex - Lieutenant, Pilot Prime
• Kaedes Nex - Moritat Prime, 'Blood Crow'

The XX Legion 'Alpha Legion'

• Ingo Pech - First Captain
• Hesperides - Legionnaire, Liason to the XVIII Legion warship Dracosian
• Exodus - The One Who Is Many
• Korbesha - Operative
• Ada Cam Li Hysen - Operative

THE IMPERIAL ARMY

• Astraea - Cohort Marshal, Solar Auxilia, Saturnyne Rams, Ground Commander Auxiliary Battle Group Novus Solar
• Kengrace - Sub-Commander, Solar Auxilia, Saturnyne Rams, Auxiliary Battle Group Novus Solar
• Klave - Admiral of the Auxiliary Battle Group Novus Solar
• Gemenis - Commander, Executive Officer, Battleship Catura

THE MECHANICUM

• Sota-Nul - Ambassador of the Fabricator General of Mars

THE LEGIO TITANICUS

• Jonah Aruken - Legio Mortis, Princeps Herald of Penumbral Reaper

THE ADEPTUS ASTRA TELEPATHICA

• Armina Fel - Astropath-adjutant to Rogal Dorn
• Callus Zane - Principal Astropath attached to Corvus Corax

OTHERS

• Malcador - The Sigillite, Regent of the Imperium
• Constantin Valdor - Captain-General of the Legio Custodes
• Jenetia Krole - Knight-Commander of the Silent Sisterhood
• Thoros - Davinite, High Priest of the Serpent Lodge

 

Thoughts on their contents, as well as associated preview chapters:

Spoiler

• Dorn still being apprenshive about declaring war is a bit of an odd choice, after he more or less came to terms with it in The Flight of the Eisenstein
• Khârn's Nails occassionally misfiring/turning themselves off will probably get corrected over the course of the book if I had to assume
• Nice to see some Forge World callbacks (Castrmen Orth, [Maraeus] Orasus)
• Solar Auxilia are actually being acknowledged in a Legion conflict, wonder if we'll get to see the other cohorts present (Ambaxtoi, Headhunters, Janizars, Chainshroud) or just the Rams, but I'm happy to see their inclusion
• Nice to see a callback to the original "trilogy" of novels with Jonah. We know that the Penumbral Reaper survives up till at least Beta-Garmon, so it'll be interesting where his story might go from here

 

[darkhorse0607]

1 hour ago, DarkChaplain said:

Spear of Ultramar also works as an extension of the Guilliman Primarchs novel, with the Destroyer theme and characters.

 

Yeah, if you read the Primarch novel, then Ruinstorm and finish with Spear of Ultramar it makes a cohesive story for the 22nd Chapter. Wasn't a fan of the Primarch novel all things considered, but the Destroyers/their themes were good

[Bestkeptsecret]

43 minutes ago, Alpharius902 said:

On the topic of Dropsite Massacre, the dramatis personae was recently posted:

  Reveal hidden contents

THE PRIMARCHS

• Fulgrim - The Phoenician
• Rogal Dorn - Praetorian of Terra
• Horus - The Warmaster
• Angron - The Red Angel
• Mortarion - The Reaper
• Corvus Corax - The Raven
• Ferrus Manus - The Gorgon
• Vulkan - The Promethean
• Perturabo - The Lord of Iron
• Lorgar Aurelian - The Urizen
• Alpharius/Omegon - The Hydra

THE LEGIONES ASTARTES

The III Legion 'Emperor's Children'

• Fabius - Lieutenant Commander, Chief Apothecary
• Appius Calpurnius - Kakophoni Orchestrator

The IV Legion 'Iron Warriors'

• Forrix - First Captain
• Grelth - Delegatus

The VIII Legion 'Night Lords'

• Scarrix - Strike Fighter Squadron Commander

The X Legion 'Iron Hands'

• Castrmen Orth - Spearhead-Centurion of Clan Avernii

The XII Legion 'World Eaters'

• Khârn - The Bloody, Captain of the Eighth Company, Equerry to the primarch
• Kargos - The Bloodspitter, Apothecary, Eighth Company

The XVI Legion 'Sons of Horus'

• Abaddon - First Captain
• Maloghurst - The Twisted, Equerry to the Warmaster
• Kalus Ekaddon - Captain of the Catulan Reavers
• Horus Aximand - Captain of the Fifth Company

The XVII Legion 'Word Bearers'

• Kor Phaeron - First Captain, Master of Faith

The XVIII Legion 'Salamanders'

• Cassian Dracos - The Dragon Revenant
• Orasus - Legionary
• Xaliscus - Launch Master of the Dracosian
• Tiamastus - Saturnine Cadre
• Vort - Saturnine Cadre

The XIX Legion 'Raven Guard'

• Alvarex Maun - Strike Captain, Master of Descent
• Acronis - Commander of the Ad Temperesta
• Pseudus Vex - Lieutenant, Pilot Prime
• Kaedes Nex - Moritat Prime, 'Blood Crow'

The XX Legion 'Alpha Legion'

• Ingo Pech - First Captain
• Hesperides - Legionnaire, Liason to the XVIII Legion warship Dracosian
• Exodus - The One Who Is Many
• Korbesha - Operative
• Ada Cam Li Hysen - Operative

THE IMPERIAL ARMY

• Astraea - Cohort Marshal, Solar Auxilia, Saturnyne Rams, Ground Commander Auxiliary Battle Group Novus Solar
• Kengrace - Sub-Commander, Solar Auxilia, Saturnyne Rams, Auxiliary Battle Group Novus Solar
• Klave - Admiral of the Auxiliary Battle Group Novus Solar
• Gemenis - Commander, Executive Officer, Battleship Catura

THE MECHANICUM

• Sota-Nul - Ambassador of the Fabricator General of Mars

THE LEGIO TITANICUS

• Jonah Aruken - Legio Mortis, Princeps Herald of Penumbral Reaper

THE ADEPTUS ASTRA TELEPATHICA

• Armina Fel - Astropath-adjutant to Rogal Dorn
• Callus Zane - Principal Astropath attached to Corvus Corax

OTHERS

• Malcador - The Sigillite, Regent of the Imperium
• Constantin Valdor - Captain-General of the Legio Custodes
• Jenetia Krole - Knight-Commander of the Silent Sisterhood
• Thoros - Davinite, High Priest of the Serpent Lodge

 

Thoughts on their contents, as well as associated preview chapters:

  Reveal hidden contents

• Dorn still being apprenshive about declaring war is a bit of an odd choice, after he more or less came to terms with it in The Flight of the Eisenstein
• Khârn's Nails occassionally misfiring/turning themselves off will probably get corrected over the course of the book if I had to assume
• Nice to see some Forge World callbacks (Castrmen Orth, [Maraeus] Orasus)
• Solar Auxilia are actually being acknowledged in a Legion conflict, wonder if we'll get to see the other cohorts present (Ambaxtoi, Headhunters, Janizars, Chainshroud) or just the Rams, but I'm happy to see their inclusion
• Nice to see a callback to the original "trilogy" of novels with Jonah. We know that the Penumbral Reaper survives up till at least Beta-Garmon, so it'll be interesting where his story might go from here

 

I do not like that Julius Kaesoron is missing from the character list.  When was the last novel or short story in which Julius Kaesoron appeared as a character with dialogue? His absence from the recent Emperor's Children novels indicates that his rumoured ascension to Daemon Prince status in 40k is not going to be discussed anytime soon. Valrak was saying in one of his YouTube videos that in 40k we still do not have a novel where the god-aligned Chaos faction primarchs speak with each other, so there is no mention of Fulgrim speaking with Magnus or Mortarion interacting with Angron in 40k yet, not even in the campaign books.

 

You know what, friends, I think I have made my mind up about 40k book purchases. The Dropsite Massacre is fine because it is in the Horus Heresy series, so I did indeed pre-order the hardcover; however, concerning 40k novels, I have decided after having very average reading experiences with Lords of Excess, Remnant Blade, Harrowmaster, etc., that from now on I will only buy those 40k novels that are explicitly part of a planned trilogy like the Dark Imperium books. I will not buy the standalone 40k novels. As others have expressed the opinion, to which I completely agree, that the Dawn of Fire series was lacklustre and not an engaging series. I think for 40k novels, the books that are part of a longer series, for example, more than 8 books in a series, are those I am not going to buy. But for books like the Blood Angels Mephiston series, the Dark Imperium series, the excellent Fabius Bile trilogy, or the 2 series by Chris Wraight, which are part of shorter series (most often trilogies), those I am definitely going to pre-order and buy.

Edited 11 minutes ago by Bestkeptsecret
grammar