2 Book Reviews For The Price of One: Mark of Calth and Space Wolves: Blood of Asaheim

Hey there Chaos goons! Old Man Chaos is back with a pair of book reviews- I promise I'll be brief here (I always try to be brief with the book reviews, but I end up writing too much). Today I'll be reviewing Mark of Calth and Space Wolves: Blood of Asaheim. One is fantastic, one is a disappointment. Which is which, you ask? Let's find out, shall we?

Mark of Calth (Anthology by various writers): If you have been reading this page, you know that I love the Horus Heresy books. Sure, not all of them are winners, but overall I love the rich tapestry this series is creating. We know how the Heresy ultimately ends (or do we? Or have we just been hearing Imperial propaganda about that final battle?), but each book takes a look at characters great and small, and events that are tearing the galaxy apart. In particular, the focus has moved to the "Shadow Crusade", the war to sever the realm of Ultramar from the rest of the galaxy- thus allowing the forces of Horus to move against Terra without fighting the Ultramarines. Of course, there is a lot more at stake here, which is why Know No Fear and Betrayer were both so great- You have this terrible war going on, but there's a lot of other things happening, particularly the ongoing rivalry between Lorgar and Guilliman, the politics within the Word Bearers, little nuggets about "the perpetuals", and, particularly amusing/compelling, the fate of Angron. I read Know No Fear and Betrayer back to back, and it was just amazing, with Abnett and Dembski-Bowden giving a fantastic one-two punch. I was thrilled to see the announcement of the anthology Mark of Calth- more action and intrigue in the Shadow Crusade...

Well, it dawned on me as I delved into it- these anthologies rarely go well. Every anthology I've read from Black Library is always the same- there's a couple of good ones, and a bunch (more) bland or even bad ones. Sadly, this is the same, despite the excellent backdrop. The best one was by Abnett, which followed Oll Persson and his group as they escape from Calth. Oll is a "perpetual"- and the hints dropped here about these "perpetuals" is just fascinating- are they the actual biological children of the Emperor? Are they like the Emperor, but just not as powerful? I loved that Oll was disdainful of the Emperor's "game" as he called it, and quite resentful that he's been drawn into it. Also, John Grammaticus makes an appearance too (always welcome). The other tale I really enjoyed was by John French regarding the origins and "path" of one particular ceremonial chaos knife- from its crafting to its role on Calth. The story was told in an interesting way (someone is telling the knife about its blood-soaked history), and the ending was connected very well both to Know No Fear and the Oll story.

The others, sadly, just weren't that good. There's a short bit about Marduk from the Word Bearers series- I want to read the other two books in that, but I haven't had the chance to- that said, the story was OK at best (though perhaps that's because I haven't read all of Marduk's adventures). Then there's the first story about Erebus learning about the ceremonial knives and such- the story kind of just goes nowhere. Unfortunately, the rest of the anthology is the same, with stories about the "Underground War" that are just kind of dull. Worst of all, the short story by Dembski-Bowden is fairly bad. Its about a Word Bearer that realizes that Lorgar has screwed a good chunk of the legion- a Chaos fanatic having a crisis of faith. While this is a cleaver conceit, again it just kind of goes nowhere because of the rather poor ending (it kinda never happened). I think Dembski-Bowden should keep to telling longer stories (Night Lords? Word Bearers? World Eaters? Grey Knights? He's good with all of them!).

So, this is a big disappointment- a couple of good stories can't save the whole- See, I have low expectations when it comes to things like Treacheries of the Space Marines... but when it's Horus Heresy AND about Calth- I was hoping for more. As it stands, I'll give it 2 out of 4 Marks of Chaos.

Space Wolves: Blood of Asaheim (BoA) by Chris Wright: While I had enjoyed Wright's previous book, Battle of the Fang, I regarded it more as a conclusion to Thousand Sons and Prospero Burns than anything else (and it was indeed a worth companion to those two, no doubt). After I finished Mark of Calth, I really wanted something that would be good- to get the bad taste of Calth out of my mouth. Now, I wasn't sure what to pick- I had heard that BoA was really good- when I checked the description, it said that a Space Wolf squad was going up against the Plague Marines... my biggest (and favorite) army. Well, that piqued my interest. Now, would it be any good?

Oh hell yeah. This book was absolutely fantastic. One of the best Black Library books I have ever read- I'd put it up there with the best from McNeil, Abnett, and Dembksi-Bowden. The book is one part zombie/horror story, one part epic city siege, reminding me of the attack on Gondor from Lord of the Rings. Basically, a small squad of Space Wolves called Jarnhamar has been sent to aid a battalion of Sisters of Battle on a world that is under attack (they don't know what, as astropathic communication has failed). The squad gets there and discover that the forces of Nurgle are all over the place- as the plague spreads, the defenders become infected and become part of the invading host- growing like a cancer until only the holy shrine city remains. The Space Wolves face overwhelming odds, as they must not only fight such a massive force without any further aid, but they must also bolster the defenses and boost the human morale. They face further complications in dealing with the Sisters of Battle, with whom the Wolves don't have a good track record. The result is a tense and action packed story, with a real see-saw battle that sees zombies, cultists, siege engines, and of course, a handful of Plague Marines running rampant.

While all of that is great, it would be for naught if the main characters weren't interesting, and here is where Wright really, truly shines. This cadre of Space Wolves is one of the best set of characters I have come across in the Black Library. Gunnlaugur is the leader of Jarnhamar, and frankly, things have been better for them. They have lost several members of the pack, and they have been constantly been sent on missions, without any real respite. They have been worn down, inevitably and inexorably, by the constant warfare of the 41st millennium. They are fighters and warriors without peer, but they are getting strained and wearied.

What makes this squad work is the through line in the book- people questioning their place (in the squad, in the scheme of things, etc.). Gunnlaugur is the leader by default, as the previous Wolf Guard died years before without selecting a successor. Gunnlaugur is brave and strong, but he is haunted by self doubt. This is only exacerbated when Ingvar comes back to the squad. Ingvar seemed to be the natural leader, but he had been selected for the Deathwatch. Now, 50 years later he is back, and he is questioning his place- he's a wolf, but he has learned so much from other chapters in the Deathwatch- he now questions the teachings of Russ. Further, he questions Gunnlaugur' s decisions, which puts the two characters at odds, and makes for great tension at key points. The rest of the Wolf squad is equally good, such as Halfoi, the young Blood Claw recruit who isn't sure about being in such a squad of old-timers, and Jorundur, the oldest Wolf, who is growing more and more weary (and sarcastic). The other members include Valtyir the swordsman who must constantly prove his worth, and one wolf who has a secret that may cost the squad dearly.

The interactions among the squad are great- sometimes humorous, sometimes serious, but always compelling. They are both super human and sympathetic all at the same time. They are brash and heroic, but not invincible. However, the main idea of "knowing your place" is present for each character, and I think its great that a Black Library book is capable of asking a bigger question. Drawing on that further is the parallel that is made between Jarnhamar squad and the Death Guard. Wright portrays the Death Guard is impossibly ancient and weary. They are tired of war, tired of endless strife, but they believe that they know their "place", which is to tear the Imperium down, and spread that weariness and illness throughout. If Wright wants to write a book from the Plague Marine perspective (a la Dembski-Bowden's Night Lords trilogy) he has my full support!

I don't want to give away the ending (or some of the twists in between), but I believe that it is just one of the better stories from the Black Library. The book is, of course, just the beginning for squad Jarnhamar, and I can't wait to see more! I give it 4 out of 4 Marks of Chaos.

I was so inspired by Ingvar and his Deathwatch background that I have decided to read the book Deathwatch next. I'll let you know how that goes. Until next time...

Book Review (In Brief): Deliverance Lost

Hey there everybody! I've been busy doing a lot of painting for my new World Eaters- I will be posting an update this week, I do believe. However, I've also been doing some reading, and I just finished Deliverance Lost by Gav Thorpe. So where does this fit in regarding the Horus Heresy series? Let's find out in my brief review:

Deliverance Lost takes place at the tail end of the Istvaan drop site massacres. Corax and the last few remaining Raven Guard have been desperately holding out, but there is nowhere to go. They are being whittled down by the Traitor Legions. Corax and the Raven Guard resign themselves to their fate, prepared to make the Traitors pay dearly. However, Raven Guard ships arrive fresh from Deliverance (violating their orders to guard the home world) and rescue the remnants of the Raven Guard. Corax, severely strained and conflicted over the decimation of his Legion, decides to go to Terra and inform the Emperor about Istvaan. He also wants to rebuild his legion quickly, and he comes up with a plan: He wants to use the Emperor's techniques to replicate Marines more quickly- thereby replenishing his Legion and then taking the fight back to Horus.

It is an interesting proposition, but Corax faces some problems. First, the Emperor will need to be convinced to give Corax the secrets of Gene Seed creation (something that is so secret, so dangerous that no one can be trusted with that much power). Second, even if he does gain access- can Corax actually make it happen- the process will be difficult to master, it is that far advanced- and what are the moral implications of making this many Marines so quickly? However, there is a third (and even bigger) problem- members of the Alpha Legion have infiltrated the Raven Guard! Their mission is to steal the Emperor's "gene-tech" and consign the Raven Guard to extinction!

(Minor Spoilers follow)

 This was a very good addition to the Horus Heresy series, though there were some issues with the book. So let's look at the good and the bad:

The Good:

First, the book feels like an epic. From the battlefields of Istvaan to the secrets of the Emperor's palace, to the intrigue of the Alpha Legion's infiltration, to the final battles- the book feels epic. Some stories like Nemesis and Flight of the Eisenstein are smaller in scale (one group or one particular battle), while others have this grander, more long term scope  (Know No Fear, First Heretic). Deliverance Lost handles the epic quite well. You always get the sense that these are huge events, and there's a lot at stake here. That makes it a page turner, which is good, particularly for a book this size (almost 500 pages!).

Second, it was great to get to know a legion that I was not entirely familiar with. Thorpe really gets into the methods, personalities, and history of the Raven Guard and their Primarch, Corax. The flashbacks to Corax's liberation of Deliverance and his victory over the corrupt tech-guilds were fascinating and added depth and meaning to the overall story- as events from the past contributed directly to the tribulations currently facing Corax and the legion. Also, Corax's desperation to rebuild and get back into the fight are both realistic and relatable. There is so much at stake for the galaxy, and Corax believes if he takes a big risk and breaks a few rules, he might be able to stun Horus with a shattering defeat. Noble aims, to be sure, but fraught with peril.

Finally, the Alpha Legion gets to continue their story from the superb Legion. For a good chunk of the book, it is (naturally) difficult to fathom the true goal of the Alpha Legion and its twin Primarchs (I always loved that twist in Legion). However, the methods by which several Alpha Legionaires infiltrate and blend in with the Raven Guard is a thrill to read- what is their plan? Will they be discovered? Can they pull off their "heist"?  Thorpe does a great job of obscuring just how many have infiltrated, and each one calls himself "Alpharius" (a great conceit, and another nod to Legion). Thorpe lays the seeds of how the Alpha Legion will function from here on out (causing a revolt just to steal something, making deals with the Dark Mechanicum/Chaos Cults/rebels). Thorpe also shows how the Alpha Legion's true goals will get "corrupted beyond all recognition"in the future, as Alpharius/Omegon don't share all their plans or knowledge with their soldiers- think on that, and you'll see just how far down they go on that slippery path- they want to save humanity, but... Haha! That's all I'll say about that.

The Bad:

First, the book sometimes drags. Now, that will happen with any epic sized book. However, there are too many dead spots, and sometimes I just wished the book would move faster. You always want to know what happens next, but there are pieces that I just wish had been shortened. The parts on Terra, in particular, slowed down the proceedings (though the Emperor's appearance was top notch). Also, the end seemed to drag (the assault on the Perfect Fortress), as the plot had really been resolved by then- this was more anti-climax than anything else. The book was at its best at being a thriller- can the Raven Guard discover the Alpha Legion's plot? If Thorpe kept that squarely in focus, the book would have been stronger.

Second, the "discoveries" of the gene-tech weren't as "wowing" as I hoped. Now, I know that they have to keep it obscure, as that is the allure for the Emperor. However, the book revealed next to nothing special about the Emperor's work (though his "museum" is amusing, and his "plans" for his Primarchs after the Crusade raise a lot of interesting questions). It seems that the Emperor used other DNA sources to augment the gene seed. An interesting revelation, but I also feel that there MUST be more to it- First Heretic hints at such.

Third, the book relies a lot on two outside stories- a short story from one of the anthologies and "Raven's Flight", an audio drama. If you are not familiar with those, there are parts of the book that will go over your head- Branne and his Therion Cohort (AKA- Imperial Guard regiments), which play important parts in this book. While I don't mind different books/media being interrelated (its fun, actually to make the connections), in the case of Deliverance Lost it isn't just a "connection", there are substantial plot points that the author doesn't catch you up on. Therefore, if you haven't read/heard them, you are out of luck, which sucks. Indeed, you don't really HAVE to have read Legion to get it- it helps, but you don't have to. All I would have asked is a little reminder...

Finally, Corax himself is an issue at times. I loved the character- he has been through hell and back, he is determined, stubborn, but dedicated to doing right. You can sympathize with him in a meaningful way that is sometimes lacking in other HH novels. However, I have always understood that Corax was always taciturn, quiet, and suspicious. According to the Index Astartes books, Corax didn't trust several of the Primarchs, and said so. He was wise, but not boastful. He read people well, but he himself did not relate well to others. He is cold and distant. Yet, here he is presented as being very, very passionate. He is also very, very verbose (not at all taciturn). Finally, though he is wise in figuring out the gene-tech, he is absolutely blind to the Alpha Legion's activities. For someone so perceptive and suspicious, he doesn't even actually "figure it out". Is that a credit to the Alpha Legion, or just a shame that the protagonist doesn't ever actually solve the mystery?

At any rate, I liked the book, though it is not in the ranks of my favorite Horus Heresy novels. It is a solid read (a big epic, with a spy thriller thrown in). There are some issues, but overall the book is fun- the shenanigans of the Alpha Legion alone make it worth the price of admission. I give this
book 3 out of 4 Marks of Chaos.

I have a few more HH books to read to be fully caught up (Fear to Tread, The Outcast Dead). I will get Angel Exterminatus when it is out in paperback ($30 is just too much to spend on the hardcover), and I am stoked to get my mitts on Aaron Dembski-Bowden's Betrayer.
Until we meet again...

Book Review: Know No Fear

Hey there Chaos fans! I hope all is well in your neck of the woods. I've been doing plenty of modeling work (more on that in an upcoming post), as well as a bit of reading. In fact, I just completed Know No Fear by Dan Abnett. So, was it a hit or miss for the most prolific of the Black Library writers? Let's take a look...

I had bought this book when it first came out several months ago, and I was very excited to read it. The Battle of Calth is one of those legendary events in the Warhammer 40K mythos, and I could not wait to see how it would be expanded upon as a Horus Heresy book. Furthermore, First Heretic (by Aaron Dembski-Bowden) did a great job of setting up the Word Bearers and what events led to the Battle of Calth, so Know No Fear was the sequel or continuation, which was exciting. However, I had a huge stack of books, so I had originally decided to wait until I had time to read it and enjoy. Then, I became ill, and my reading was thrown off for months as a result. Slowly, as I was able to read again, I read The Emperor's Gift and Treacheries of the Space Marines. Now, I'm back to full capacity, and I decided to finally read this one.

Now, Dan Abnett is worshiped by some, and reviled by others. As for me, I think he's really, really good, but he does write clunkers. I absolutely loved the Eisenhorn Trilogy, but thought that the Raevnor Trilogy was lackluster. Prospero Burns was solid (if offbeat). I was anxious to see where Know No Fear would fall on the Abnett spectrum. Making it more complicated, this book would be following the lead of First Heretic, which is simply one of the best Horus Heresy books yet- could it possibly compare?

The answer is- absolutely!! Know No Fear is a fantastic read- it has it all, so many ideas, so many action beats, great characters, and it concludes some Heresy threads while continuing others (John Grammaticus, for example). It has suspense, a bit of humor, a great sense of scope, and relentless pacing.

The set up is this (no spoliers, as any 40K fan knows the basics about the "Muster at Calth"): Warmaster Horus has ordered that the Ultramarines link up with the Word Bearers on the Ultramar world of Calth and unite their forces to crusade against nearby Orks. Of course, the Ultramarines and Word Bearers don't quite get along, but the Ultramarine Primarch, Roubute Guilliman (well written by Abnett) figures this is just Horus' way of getting the two legions on the same page. Little does Guilliman know that Lorgar, Primarch of the Word Bearers, has embraced the gods of Chaos, converted Horus to the same gods,  and is planning to tear the galaxy asunder. However, for that to be achieved, Lorgar needs to decimate the Ultramarines, and the gathering on Calth becomes the method to betray and destroy the Ultramarines.

The book is expertly placed, with the opening chapters reading like a thriller- you know bad stuff is about to go down, and it's great at making it suspenseful. Once the Word Bearers make their move, it becomes hugely tragic- the scale of the destruction is vast, and the Ultramarines are so slow to react, since they don't even know what's happening. The second half of the book deals with how Guilliman and his legion try to fight back- the battles evoke everything from Lord of the Rings sieges to a Star Trek: First Contact style spacewalk battle (wait till you read it- and that cover... wow!). Even if Guilliman can triumph, what will be left of Calth? And the galaxy itself?

Though the Ultramarines are the heroes, if you've read First Heretic, you know that it's much more complicated than that. What the Ultramarines did on Monarchia (under the Emperor's orders) to the Word Bearers- is it really all that different to what the Word Bearers want to do to Calth? Abnett plays that very cleverly- he does a great job of comparing and contrasting Lorgar and Guilliman. One writes constantly about "faith", while the other writes about "strategy". Both are more than simply warriors; they are philosophers, father figures to their legions, etc. They are also the sons of the most powerful, if seemingly flawed, man in the galaxy- a difficult legacy for both Primarchs to live up to- Guilliman tries to be prefect, while Lorgar has given up. There are a ton of comparisons to make, and by doing so Abnett really goes beyond simple "good" and "evil". Does "an eye for an eye" make the galaxy go blind? The Horus Heresy has become even more complex, and that's a good thing.

I don't want to give too much away- the battles are so vivid, and the strategies developed by the Ultramarines (the practical and the theoretical) are so well done by the author. The game of 40K really comes to life in these pages, and the drama of these two legions fighting one another makes it a great story. My only complaints are that there are too many characters to keep track of (especially at first), and that some threads are kept hanging (though, like John Grammaticus, there are threads that will pop up in future books). That said, I can't recommend this book enough. Just know that you SHOULD read First Heretic beforehand, otherwise you're only getting half of a great one-two punch. I give this book 4 out of 4 Marks of Chaos. If you are a Heresy fan, an Ultramarine or Word Bearer (or just Chaos) fan, you must read this book, its that simple.