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 2 For 1 Deal: Angel Exterminatus and Ahriman: Exile

Ahoy there Chaos fanatics! I'm back with a 2 for 1 special book review- I'll keep them brief- just enough to give you the gist so you can think about whether they would be worth your time to read. Like it says in the title, I'll be looking at Ahriman: Exile by John French and Angel Exterminatus by Graham McNeil. So, away we go...

I think I may have read a short story by French and that's about it, so I really wasn't sure what I was expecting here. I have enjoyed some of the recent Thousand Sons stories (A Thousand Sons and Battle of the Fang were great). In a way, Ahriman: Exile is a continuation of those stories, so it really adds up to a nice, cohesive whole. Naturally, Ahriman is the focus of the story, and French does a great job with the character- he is both sympathetic and very arrogant all at the same time. When the story begins, we meet a broken Ahriman- he is no longer with the Thousand Sons, he is a servant of a lesser Chaos Space Marine, and he refuses to use his powers. Comparing Ahriman from A Thousand Sons with his portrayal here, it is great to see him so broken and despondent.

However, Ahriman must re-embrace his powers and his will to live when mysterious forces come looking for him. Survivors of the Thousand Sons have come looking for Ahriman for nefarious purposes. In the course of the chase, Ahriman teams up with several desperate characters (a former Space Marine named Astraeos and a Chaos sorcerer Maroth are both really interesting characters) in order to evade his enemies and figure out what they are truly planning.

It is a fun, and interesting story, which sees a re-awakening of Ahriman. He is always sympathetic, but you also realize that he is only walking down the path that Tzeentch wants him to walk, and that, perhaps, Ahriman has ALWAYS been a doomed individual, no matter what he does- is that fate perhaps? Or simply his own arrogance? By the end, Ahriman is on the path of the renegade that we recognize from the 41st millenium.

My only problem with the story is the resolution. The Thousand Sons that are after Ahriman are led by Amon (I'm not spoiling anything there). Amon has his own plans for the Thousand Sons, and it is, quite frankly, really compelling and so much the opposite of all Ahriman's hopes for his legion- Amon's plans are very interesting, I won't say more as I don't want to give it away, suffice to say that there are now three people- Amon, Ahriman, and Magnus who are each trying to direct the destiny of the legion. However, my main problem is that Ahriman defeats Amon far too quickly. I had imagined a much longer conflict, considering that this story is obviously going to be continued- and there are many plot threads hanging by the end (deliberately). Also, sometimes the story drags a bit too much at times. Once you get through those sections, the book picks up and is a lot of fun, but it slows too many times, in my opinion. 

As it is, I'll give the book 3 out of 4 Marks of Chaos. I am looking forward to part 2 a great deal, as I think this bigger story is going to be very interesting and a lot of fun.

Now, I love Graham McNeil. His Horus Heresy books are amongst the best, particularly Fulgrim and A Thousand Sons. I was very excited to see that he was doing a book about The Iron Warriors (with great ties to Storm of Iron, I must add right off the bat). Plus, they would be teaming up with the Emperor's Children too... how could you go wrong? This would be the second of what I call "The Odd Couple" trilogy (Betrayer, Angel Exterminatus, and the upcoming Forgotten Empire), and who wouldn't want to see the dour Peturabo going up against the outrageously flamboyant Fulgrim?

Unfortunately, the 2 legions just don't gel, and neither does the story. Yes, McNeil does a great job in portraying both legions and their respective Primarchs. McNeil really loves Peturabo, no doubt, but he sometimes becomes a caricature of Peturabo- he is a bit too one-dimensional. The problem is I had read Betrayer earlier- and the portrayal of Angron is so textured and complex, despite the fact that you would think Angron is one note, he simply isn't. Peturabo is motivated to join the rebellion because... the Emperor won't let him build... poor baby. That really can't be the whole thing, can it? Really? Further, I really like Forrix and I really was amused by Kroeger, but they don't get fully developed as characters either.

And that is because McNeil is also putting the spotlight on the Emperor's Children. I loved how Fulgrim ended- but after a short story and now this, Fulgrim is back in control of his body and actions- I feel that this totally negates the great story of the previous Fulgrim. I thought that was just not that cool. Yes, I think McNeil does a great job of showing the complete decadence of the legion- and he writes Lucius so well that I want to paint the model. But again, because the 2 legions have to share the spotlight, it detracts from both too much.

In Betrayer, Aaron Dembski Bowden seemed to be able to balance both the Word Eaters and the Word Bearers so very well while also tying the story to the greater Calth Shadow Crusade- with Lorgar's secret agenda coming into focus by the end of the story. Angel Exterminatus tries to do the same thing (right down to Fulgrim's end goal, it seems), that Angel Exterminatus seems to be a weaker version of Betrayer. This story simply didn't hold my interest or excite me that much. Like I said, I love McNeil's work, but this just didn't do it for me.

Thus, I would give it 2 out of 4 Marks of Chaos.

So there you have it folks. Right now I am just beginning to read the anthology Mark of Calth. I'll let you know how it is when I'm done. I'll also have a review of Star Trek Into Darkness by the end of the weekend. Until next time...

Book Review (In Brief): Battle of the Fang

Hey there Chaos fans! It's been two weeks since I've posted (I've been a bit busy, but that's how it goes), but now I've got another one for you. I just finished Battle of the Fang by Chris Wright, so I thought I'd give you a brief review:

I had just finished reading Prospero Burns by Dan Abnett, and I really liked it. No, it wasn't quite what I was expecting, but I prefer it when Abnett does the unexpected (Legion, Eisenhorn) as opposed to when he's predictable (Titanicus, Ravenor). After reading that saga of the Space Wolves war against the Thousand Sons, I decided to "finish" the trilogy by reading Battle of the Fang, which takes place only 1,000 years after the events of the Heresy (as opposed to being in the 41st millennium).

The book is really, really good. An action packed book that shows how things are going to go from here on out in the "Long War". The Thousand Sons are splintered, with some of the sorcerers still backing Magnus, while the other half has been banished for following Ahriman. Magnus has been plotting for a long time to attack The Fang, the Space Wolves' fortress on Fenris. The Thousand Sons want to destroy it, just as the Wolves ravaged Prospero during the Heresy. Of course, Magnus would not be the chosen of Tzeentch if he didn't have another, more secret motive than just simple revenge...

The Great Wolf now leading the Chapter, Ironhelm, has become obsessed with chasing down the remnants of the Thousand Sons. Following clues to Magnus' whereabouts, Ironhelm takes the vast majority of the Space Wolves with him to chase down a lead, and leaves only the 12th company, led by Greyloc, to protect the Fang. Of course, this was Magnus' plan all along; once Ironhelm is off on the proverbial wild goose chase, the Thousand Sons lay siege to the Fang, with Greyloc desperately defending the fortress with his handful of marines and normal Fenrisians.

The balance of the book is the siege itself. I mean it as a compliment that it reminded me of the sieges of The Lord of the Rings. Greyloc is surrounded and outnumbered, and must rely on cunning to hold the enemy back as long as possible. There are upsets for both sides, and the battle ebbs and flows as an epic showdown should. There are some great bits: the escape of a single Wolf ship, that leaves Fenris to find and warn Ironhelm; the waking of the Dreadnoughts (Bjorn is awesome), the collapsing of the entryways into the Fang, and more. But the height, of course, comes when Magnus himself is "summoned" to Fenris (he is a Daemon now, after all), and all hell breaks loose.

As I said, its action packed, and the author does a great job of contrasting the Wolves with their corrupt and soulless opponents. I also enjoyed the paths of two human soldiers, father and daughter no less, and the parallel paths they take in the course of the battle. Several marines are developed (Helfist and Redpelt stand out), as does the Wolf Priest Wyrmblade. I do wish that the author had developed Greyloc a bit more- he is a heroic figure, but he gets lost in the action at points, and gets overshadowed by Bjorn and Wyrmblade, which is too bad. I also wish that the author had developed Magnus and his two lieutnants (Temekh and Aphael) just a bit more, but that's just me wanting to give the bad guys their due.

The best part of the book? Well, I don't want to give it away, but I do want to discuss it, so here's what I'll do. I'll rate the book now 3 1/2 out of 4 marks of Chaos. If you've read the other two (A Thousand Sons and Prospero Burns) you really owe it to yourself to read this- they really do tie together quite nicely. If you've already read it and want to stick around, I'll briefly look at the ending, which may be one of  the strongest (and yet ambiguous) endings in the Black Library...

So, If you want no spoilers, stop reading now...

3...


2...


1...

Well, OK, if you're still here, you want to know about that ending then. Here's the crux of the plot and the climax: while Magnus wants to conquer the Fang for the sake of revenge, he is also seeking to destroy something else. Wyrmblade has been working on something called "The Tempering", which could shift the balance of power in the universe once and for all. The gene-seed of Russ is strong, but unstable. It does lead some of the Space Wolves to fall into animal fury permanently (one flaw), and it cannot really be replicated on those outside of Fenris (the second flaw). Wyrmblade's plan is to "temper" the gene-seed- keeping its strengths while limiting the flaws. Wyrmblade's vision is of many, many Space Wolf successor chapters, each with this new and improved gene-seed. Wyrmblade says that they could make so many Wolves, that they could surround the Eye of Terror and traitor marines could never again leave it. The Space Wolves would truly be the protectors of a new, stronger Imperium.

This is what Magnus is really attacking the Fang for. Obviously Tzeentch and the other gods of Chaos would not want the Space Wolves to become so great in number that they can actually carry out Wyrmblade's plan, so Magnus goes to destroy "The Tempering" and all who know about it. Magnus tells Temekh that this is not about revenge, but about preventing a "possible future" (how Tzeentchian). That is what the siege is really about... stopping the Wolves from reaching their "true potential". Ultimately, Magnus is successful- he kills Wyrmblade and destroys all the materials and experiments regarding "The Tempering", and it is made clear that this was the last chance the Wolves would have to try this. Thus, even though the Thousand Sons lose the battle (with the return of Ironhelm's companies), they won the war by denying the Wolves a better future.

However, in true Tzeentchian fashion, that may not be a victory at all... Why, you say? Think about it this way... Only the Emperor knew how to do the gene-seed thing (and even his results were far from perfect); who is to say that "The Tempering" would have been successful? Several characters called Wyrmblade's experiments "an abomination". What if... what if it appeared to work and was carried out on the scale Wyrmblade intended? Would the Wolves have run riot across the galaxy? Or what if it appeared to work only to develop mutations later on, say nine thousand years hence? The Space Wolves could have been ruined... So, did the destruction of "The Tempering" really hurt the Wolves, or did it force them to remain true to themselves?

Thinking about it that way- I can't be sure if this is a win for Chaos or a win for the Imperium... And that's great about the book- being that it is only the 32nd millennium, the events of the Heresy are still "fresh". The book sets the stage for an ambiguous, dark future, full of war and stalemate, without hope or change, of squandered potential.

Did the good guys win or the bad guys? Neither. It is simply war, with no winners...