Mechanicus, Bloodletters, and Books...

Hey There Chaos Fanatics! I'm sure many of you have been excited about Curse of the Wulfen. I have been going through the story-line slowly- it is very exciting and a lot of fun. I did quickly devour the Rules book, and its a mixed bag for Daemons. It is very difficult to do a Daemonic Incursion with some of those formations- they are VERY unwieldy (seriously, 9 units of Horrors? 7 units of (but-ugly) Beasts of Nurgle? Give me a break). I feel that the Daemons got shafted here a bit- to do the Incursion, you have to sacrifice a TON of versatility and balance. The Space Marines Decurion is very tactically flexible, for example (yes, there are "unit taxes", but not like this). Time will tell, but I think the Daemonkin book is better than this Daemon upgrade. I'll certainly have to try it soon.

So, this posting has a smorgasbord of stuff, so why not get started then...

First, I have completed another Skitarii Dunecrawler. I really love this model, and it fits in so well with the Mechanicus aesthetic. I equipped this one to be similar to my previous one. My thought was that they should be uniform within their vehicle squadron. In truth, I may have to get 2 more and make them anti-air support.

At any rate, I continued my Stegadon Scale Green with Thunderhawk Blue plates and Russ Grey highlights. Although the base is green, the highlight certainly makes it look blue. I painted the gears and legs with Leadbelcher, with Nuln Oil over all, with lighter metal highlights. The trim I did Balthazar Gold with Bronze over it. The energy of the gun, etc. I did with Khorne Red, adding successive highlights of reds and ending with orange. This give it a deeper, energy-pulsing look.

My wife recently commented that my Mechanicus army has grown really, really large fairly quickly. To recap, I have (painted) the following: 1x Tech-Priest Dominus, 6 Kastellan Robots, 3 Datasmiths, 6 Grav Destroyers, 3 Plasma Destroyers, 3 Breachers. My Skitarii include- 10 Rangers, 3 Ironstriders, 5 Sicarian Infiltrators, and 2 Dunecrawlers. Plus, I have 2 Imperial Knights. Unpainted I have another Ironstrider, 5 Sicarians, and 20 Skitarii Rangers. Whoa... maybe my wife is right?

As I have told you many, many times- I am always drawn back to Chaos. I always will be. The Mechanicus has my interest, sure, but... my true love will always be Chaos. So, recently I painted up 10 more Khorne Bloodletters.

These I did slightly differently. GW has a new Dry paint Astorath Red that I used. I did Khorne Red base coat with Nuln Oil liberally used on the models. Then I did Astorath Red drybrused over. This gives them the models a deep red color. I then used Wild Rider Red highlights to make the models really pop. Overall, I am pleased with the new Red dry paint.

The daemons swords I did Dryad Bark brown with Trollslayer Orange highlights, making the sword look fire-y and molten. The Bloodreaper's sword I painted with the technical Blood over the whole sword- the blood is translucent, so you still see the orange and brown underneath. I just wanted his sword to look different.

I did the Banner of Blood similarly to my previous banner. The flag is black with grey highlights. Then, I used Khorne Red to draw the Khorne symbol. I used Mephiston Red and the Blood technical to put blood smears all over the banner.

Thus, my Daemons were complete. They certainly compliment my previous Khorne Daemons. This means I have 40 Bloodletters! With my Bloodcrushers and Flesh Hounds, I have enough to do the Daemon formation Murderhorde. But brother is that a lot of points!

In between painting, I have also been reading Black Library stuff at a pretty good pace. What follows aren't full reviews, just impressions:

First, I'd like to comment on The Beast Arises series. I liked I Am Slaughter, though I feel it is one of Abnett's lesser efforts (now, his weakest is still really good, but still). I finished the second book in the series Predator, Prey by Rob Sanders. I must confess the book was odd. It seemed to be a bunch of vignettes, bouncing from war-torn world to war-torn world with little or no connection between events. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either- and it only minimally advanced the overall plot. However, I did like the ending(s) to some of the stories within. There's one scene toward the end when the Space Marines are getting ready for a final battle in a wrecked Star Fort. The book quietly details the smashed relics of Rogal Dorn, and you get this sense of sadness and loss. The hopes of the Emperor and Primarchs have truly collapsed- war without end has come at mankind from all fronts. It was a well-written part, and it moved me. So did the end of a female guardsman. She was forced to make a world shattering decision, made poignant by the fact that she was pregnant. Now, I don't recall a Black Library book that dealt with such a realistic concern; in this case Sanders put the horrors of the galaxy in strong relief- a mother with absolutely NO hope in a galaxy gone mad. Both of these "endings" were great- I just wish they had been in a better book.

Finally, I just completed Pharos by Guy Haley. Now, I think I read a short story of his at some point in the past and I didn't care for it that much. As a result, I avoided his more recent works (Valedor, etc). I saw he was the author of Pharos and I was like "man, I guess I'll be missing that HH story". However, I saw on line some positive reviews, so I decided to give Haley a second chance. And boy, was I glad I did. Pharos is an amazing book. Crisp action, VERY well-drawn characters (both good guys and bad guys), and, frankly, worthy of Know No Fear, Betrayer, and Unremembered Empire (it contains threads from all of those, and takes some of those strands to their logical conclusions). I found three really noteworthy things about the book- I'll try to avoid spoilers.

First, the emerging friendship between Dantioch (the non-traitor Iron Warrior) and Pollux (Imperial Fist) is very compelling. We know the two legions HATE each other (and we know the hatred will get deeper and harsher after the Heresy), and yet their friendship shows "what might have been"- if only the Legions and their Primarchs could see past their petty issues- the Emperor could have accomplished his dream. Dantioch and Pollux show the wasted potential of the Emperor's works.

Second, there's a guardsman Sgt. Mericus. He's a bit roguish at first, and a bit too sarcastic (comic relief?). But, as the story went on, Mericus encouraged bravery in his men, and through quick thinking managed to pull off some miracles in the heat of battle. Mericus becomes our surrogate- a regular guy confronted by the horrors of the Night Lords. Without spoiling too much- Mericus has a brave last stand, and it was exciting and moving stuff. A great character.

Finally, I want to make special mention of Haley's treatment of the Night Lords. As I'm sure you're aware, Aaron Dembski-Bowden has a lock on Night Lords with his Talos trilogy. However, Haley gives him a run for his money in his characterization of the Night Lords (and that's high praise). I love how he puts them in various shades of evil and wickedness. Rather than just make them evil for evil's sake, Haley gives them many motivations, and many different thoughts on what they think their Legion is (and is becoming). The brothers Kellndar and Kellenkir exemplify this- both are "bad guys", yet you feel some pity for them, and you can see that "evil" may well be a sliding scale. I was also very amused by the flamboyant Krukesh the Pale- his command of a host of Night Lords drives much of the action. He's quite vile, but has a sly sense of humor. Finally, there is Skraivok, a Claw leader that has his own agenda, though he longs (in his own way) for the old days of the Legion. His machinations lead to a lot of suspense and tension among the Night Lords, making their scenes so much more interesting and complex, as opposed to just plain "evil" (though the Night Lords do plenty in this department too).

I was pleased by the appearances of Guilliman and Sanguinius. However, I was unhappy to see Kurze once again. I like him, but damn- he's been in a ton of these HH books now. I think we get the picture about him at this point. He comes across as moody and angsty- again, we get it. His appearance leads to an interesting scene, but it ultimately resolves NOTHING. Its as if he has a contract to cameo in X amount of HH books... Can't we see more of some of the other Traitor Primarchs? How about more Peturabo, or Mortarion? Oh- and read the epilogue... amazing!

Anyway, I can't recommend Pharos enough. If you love 40K fiction or are following the Horus Heresy series- this book is an excellent addition to the overall story. I give Haley a huge amount of credit for living up to Abnett and ADB- no mean feat. Check the book out.

On top of all this, I have a tournament tomorrow at my local. Really looking forward to it. I'm sure I'll take pix and then post them on Chaos Corner at some point.

Until next time...

Two For One Book Review: Vengeful Spirit and Stormcaller

Hey there everyone. It continues to be busy times for us 40K fans. The Dark Eldar are imminent, and I am both hopeful and nervous. I want the strengths of the 2010 book to continue, but all these rumors seem to scream "NERF"... we shall see. At any rate, I'm back with a pair of book reviews. Now, I haven't done this in a while, so I may be rusty at my book reporting skills. Beware of minor SPOILERS, please. So, away we go...

Vengeful Spirit by Graham McNeil

I have mixed feelings on this book. I am glad to see Horus back and center stage- it is his Heresy, after all. McNeil makes Horus as charismatic and strong as he should be- the reason so many would follow him. His "charm" has been missing from most of his appearances lately, so it's nice to see that aspect of this character return. I also continue to get a hoot out of Abaddon (such a curmudgeon) and "Little Horus". At any rate, Horus is looking to "walk the path" that the Emperor walked in the early days- a path that could take Horus to godhood. Horus just has to lay waste to a planet or two to get there. His Daddy issues come to the fore here as well, in interesting ways. My only complaint is that just as Horus is about to take his first steps into the Warp... the book pulls away from it. The coolest part is thus consigned to our imaginations, for good or ill.

The other parts of the book is where I have real issues with the author. The rest of the elements never seem to come together. There's yet another perpetual (I guess the immortal Emperor has the time to be this prolific, huh?), but she is not as interesting as the ones that have come before (Grammaticus and Oll Persson come to mind). There's some Imperial Knight house intrigue- I'll admit, it did a great twist turn I didn't expect, but- it felt shoehorned in there- cobbled in just because GW has this hot new model. The Ultramarine and Blood Angel contingents are forgettable and their impact is negligible. Finally, there's Malcador's "proto-Grey Knights". Now, I like the idea of this strike team, but I wish that Loken had not been brought back. I loved Loken, but I think he should have stayed dead. Their mission is interesting, but they get into trouble--- and get out of it fairly easily. I wonder if Horus is a warmaster or a ringmaster, barely controlling his 3-ring circus, as the Knights Errant slip through his fingers very quickly.

The battles really shine- the planet of Molech becomes a charnel house once the Sons of Horus arrives, and McNeil does well with the action scenes. Its just that the elements never quite gel (unlike say Betrayer or Unremembered Empire, which took tons of dangling  plot strings and tied them together so well). I liked the book, but I didn't love it, as I was hoping.

Stormcaller by Chris Wright

I reviewed his first book in what appears to be a trilogy, Blood of Asaheim HERE. I thoroughly enjoyed that book, and this one is just as good, if not better.

The story begins shortly after the first one ends. The rout of Jarnhamar is moping up operations on the shrine world Ras Shakkeh when two arrivals herald even bigger challenges- a vicious Cardinal and, of course, Njal Stormcaller, Rune Priest of the Space Wolves. All parties want to take the fight to the Death Guard- who have their own space hulk spreading contagion throughout the sector. Naturally, the cardinal has a rather extreme view of how to deal with the hulk (destroy the populated planets in its wake- not too extreme), while Njal wants to board the hulk and take it out from within. What ensues is a crackerjack action story, complete with a ticking time bomb, betrayals, and naturally tensions between the Wolves and the Ecclasiarchy. Whereas the last book felt like a siege from Lord of the Rings, this book is like Empire Strikes Back: the band of heroes is split up, dark truths are learned, and it ends on an ambiguous cliffhanger.  I mean that as a compliment; the book is a fun ride.

The action, though pulse pounding, takes a back seat to the characters. I love the chemistry between Gunnlaugur and Ingvar. Ingvar in particular is intriguing, the former Deathwatch veteran still trying to find his place in his pack. While tensions between the two have improved, it threatens to bubble to the surface at the worst moments. Olegir is given a fascinating, almost "political" mission which sees the big guy NOT fight. Jorundur is his usual grumpy self (and the least developed of the characters). Hafloi is still hot-headed but he is learning that blood lust is not enough and the Grey Hunters have their merits as "cooler" warriors. Then there's Baldr. Poor Baldr. I can reveal nothing more here, but oh boy... It is interesting to note that they briefly remember the slain Valtyr, which I think is appropriate. The Wolves aren't sentimental. Death is part of the work and life of a Space Marine. They acknowledge it and move on. It's that simple.

Njal is a big presence, though he is not drawn nearly as well as our friends in Jarnhamar. However, Njal makes some decisions (and mistakes) that may have huge repercussions on both Jarnhamar and the galaxy at large. But he does tie into the larger themes of "knowing your place" in the scheme of things- he is the ultimate authority, he knows the rules, but even he is unsure. Its great stuff.

Also taking that theme is, once again, the Death Guard. The leader of the space hulk Festerax, the Death Guard sorcerer known as The Mycelite is a great character- he's quite melancholy, resigned to the fact that everything rots. The sooner we all acknowledge this and hasten the process of entropy, the better for the galaxy. That sums up the Death Guard (and Nurgle's) position pretty well. Again, it sets a great contrast for the Wolves- they truly are running ragged by the constant war, surely they feel the touch of decay? Wright continues to have fun comparing the two. Though most would say that the Thousand Sons are the "natural enemies" of the Wolves, I think the Death Guard make much better foils for them, at least in Wright's hands.

I truly enjoyed the book- once I got started I couldn't put it down. If you liked the first one this is a great addition to the saga. I can't wait till the next one (Typhus? The Inquisition? Eye of Terror?).

Well, that's all for now. Until next time... stay thirsty my friends.

Review In Brief: Betrayer

Hey there Chaos fanatics! I'm sorry I've been away for quite so long- it has been very busy here at the Chaos estates, no doubt. However, I have been working on my Khorne Bezerker army- I'll have pics when I feel that I have more special models to show- my World Eaters are doing very well, and I am looking forward to taking to the field with them again soon.

Speaking of World Eaters, I finished Betrayer by Aaron Dembski Bowden a few weeks ago. I read it on my shiny new iPad- it really is an amazing device (see my review of Digital White Dwarf here ). At any rate, how was Betrayer, you may ask? Well, let's find out, shall we?

"Aye. Piss on Angron's grave when he finally lies dead" - Gharte of the World Eaters

I have said it before, and I will say it again right now- ADB may well be the best writer at Black Library right now. It always seems to be a toss up between him and Abnett, and this book has only added to that- especially since this book is, in so many ways, a continuation of Abnett's fantastic Know No Fear. Indeed, it as a worthy follow-up to that story, as well as a story that expands on the entire Horus Heresy line in so many ways (though I'm contemplating calling it Lorgar's Heresy, considering the events of these books).

Basically, Betrayer continues the story of Know No Fear: a secondary group of Word Bearers has teamed up with the World Eaters to continue the assault on the Ultramar region, engaging in Lorgar's "Shadow Crusade" to plunge the region into anarchy, thus cutting off Guilliman from the rest of the Imperium. However, as always with Lorgar, he has something else up his sleeve. He is planning to sacrifice all in order to... save Angron's life?! What the...?

Exactly. It's surprising twists and turns like this that make the book so damn exciting. It is a great conciet to put the Word Bearers with the World Eaters- seeing Angron and Lorgar together (with amazing character beats for each), at first I kept hearing the Odd Couple theme. However, while their interactions were often amusing, they quickly became full of portent (knowing how the Heresy ends up). Further, the two legions are not, how shall I say... well coordinated. They despise each other, with the exception of Kharn (surprisingly level-headed) and Argel Tal (great to see him again), who both can see that things aren't so good with the rebellion and their respective Primarchs, no matter how things may seem.

So- the real star of the book is Angron, and what a character he is. ADB does the incredible- again- he takes what was always a rather 2 dimensional Primarch and makes him a full person- a WOUNDED full person at that. More than any other Primarch's portrayal, this one felt raw, emotional, realistic (if that is possible in 40K). Without filling in all the blanks, ADB shows that Angron is the "broken Primarch", ruined by the world he landed on as an infant (which we now learn is called Nuceria, in the Ultima Segmentum of all places!). All he ever knew was violence, bloodshed, tragedy, and loss. He never had a chance to develop normally- literally, thanks to the Butcher's Nails surgically implanted in his head, a device that makes him crave violence. This has made him angry, twisted, and bitter. Even his own legion is frustrated by his unpredictability and the fact that he is "damaged goods". It has also given Angron a rather unique view- he feels that the Emperor is a sham, a con artist just like any other would-be tyrant. In the words of Angron during a flashback:

"We fight because the Emperor wants every world in his hands. All he knows is slavery, painted in the inoffensive cloak of compliance. The very notion of freedom is a horror to him... We offer them compliance, or we offer them death".

That is powerful stuff- Angron has put his finger on the very contradiction that brings down the Imperium of 30K. This is what causes Chaos to engulf half the legions and the Imperium. And Angron calls it before just about anybody. Simply amazing. Angron is very sympathetic throughout, and you can't help but root for him, even if you know how this will turn out. Quite a literary feat indeed.

I really, really don't want to spoil the details of the story, as if you are a HH fan, this book has it all. I really like how ADB is tying his story to so many others in the HH series- (and even from other things like The Emperor's Gift and Ravenor, believe it or not) it really is exciting to feel this momentum and how the HH is so very complex. ADB is a juggler in this story- he has so many balls in the air at once and you fear that he may just drop them- but he doesn't, with a climax that is exciting, while tying up some threads while creating whole new ones. Everyone gets their moments: Lorgar, Kharn, Argel Tal, Guilliman, Erebus. The action is frantic at points, always exciting but clear to follow. Plots are furthered: what's the deal between Erebus and Lorgar- just who is playing whom exactly? Who is John Grammaticus and his guys, exactly- the biological children of the Emperor, perhaps? And Kharn? And... well, there's so much more, but again, I don't want to spoil.

The ending is just fantastic- incredibly fitting and fulfilling. Indeed, there is a great symmetry about where things start and where they end up, with a degree of irony for Lorgar and Angron alike. I loved it, and I can't wait to see where it goes from here. Just a note of caution- you need to read several HH stories to get this one fully, including: Legion, The First Heretic, After D'eshea, Butcher's Nails, and of course Know No Fear (D'eshea in particular- a short story). I mean, you can follow it if you haven't, BUT you'll get more out of it if you have, that's all I'm saying.

So, I give this 4 out of 4 Marks of Chaos. I cannot recommend this one enough. If you are a 40K fan at all, this book is just essential reading. I know you will enjoy it immensely.

I'm currently in the middle of Ahriman: Exile, and its quite good, I must say. I'll let you know when I'm done with it. Until next time...

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.

Book Review: Treacheries of the Space Marines

Welcome back to another edition of Chaos Corner. Old Man Chaos is back in action! Ready to rumble! Er... Yes, well then. I am posting another entry, this time its a book review. I just finished Treacheries of the Space Marines, edited by Christian Dunn. So, was this a strong anthology of Chaos stories, or was it a lackluster attempt to cash-in on the Chaos codex? Let's take a look then, shall we?

 Anthologies are difficult to rate and review, in my opinion. I have the opinion that anthologies are *usually* a mixed bag. Unless they are short stories by the same author, the stories of the average anthology tend to rate from fair to poor, with many different styles, voices, strengths and weaknesses, etc. Treacheries of the Space Marines certainly suffers from that. The works contained here run the spectrum: some are great little reads, while others are totally lacking. To facilitate a review, I'll briefly give my thoughts on each short story:

The Masters, Bidding: The author has a very strange, stilted style of writing, but that only seemed to set the mood of this piece, which sees 4 Chaos Marines attempting to "bid" for a boon from an Iron Warriors lord. It's an unusual story, with each Marine telling stories of the long war. There's no final twist at the end or anything, just a solid story of ego, power, and betrayal. The best part of the read though is the author's description of an Emperor's Children champion. The rendering of this character is so weird, creepy, and actually unsettling, that the reader can't help but be fascinated. I'd love to see the author do more with the Emperor's Children in the future.

Carrion Anthem: As a Nurgle fan, I was hoping for more from this Guard versus Plague Marine tale. The story was written in an easy style, but the plot was downright bizarre. In fact, the premise of a song destroying people sounds more like a Slaneesh device than a Nurgle one. That made me disappointed with the tale, as it didn't feel like Typhus at all. The final charge of the Guard commander at the end was nicely done, but the story overall was weak and didn't seem to "get" Nurgle's ways.

Liberator: This may have been the most unexpected surprise in the whole book. It is a great story about how a group of Marines, fighting a long, bloody war against the Tyranids end up becoming slowly embittered by neglectful superiors and an ungrateful populace. Once that happens, their slide toward Chaos is unavoidable. This neat tale shows how current Marines can go bad, and how a single sergeant can become a warlord of Chaos, bringing death to a dozen worlds. I really liked this one.

The Long War: This is solid "bolter porn", with no frills or anything special. It is the story of Warsmith Ironclaw and his warband, attacking a fortress held by Guardsmen. There's big explosions and all, but there's little else. Yes, the author tries to show how time has passed for the Iron Warriors so differently from everybody else, but again, nothing special is done with it. Enjoyable, but forgettable.

Throne of Lies: This story from Aaron Dembski Boden has been around as an audio book, now its been printed. A strong entry for the Night Lords, this story sees Talos looking to claim a relic that might galvanize his Legion (if such a thing is possible). There's a bit of intrigue, and assassin, and the relic itself will raise some eyebrows, IF you haven't read the Night Lords trilogy already ('cause then you'd already know what happens).

Bitter End: This was a fun, breezy tale featuring the Red Corsairs and their impresario, Huron Blackheart. Again, this is "bolter porn", but a good read. I may have to check out The Gildar Rift, written by the same author, and also features the Red Corsairs, as I did like this short tale.

We Are One: While this premise is interesting, following an Inquisitor as he fights the nefarious Alpha Legion over the course of a century, the execution of it is lacking, as the writing is choppy and the action is disjointed. The final twist is also interesting, but I'm not quite sure how the Alpha Legion actually pulled it off- was it a clone? A plant? Copious amounts of plastic surgery? I'm confused, and that's not a way to end a short story.

Torturer's Thirst: This story had a similar problem- great premise, lackluster execution. This story sees a Flesh Tearer's' Chaplain taken prisoner by Chaos forces. The Chaos Lord plans to interrogate the Chaplain for vital battle plans, while the Chaplain vows to resist and escape. What could have been a great battle of wits between Torturer and Prisoner ends rather abruptly, and the result just wasn't interesting. Perhaps the weakest entry.

Vox Dominus:  I am familiar with Marduk, Kol Badar, and the warriors of the 34th Word Bearers, having read the first book of the Dark Apostle Trilogy. Unfortunately, I haven't read the other two (I should rectify that, as I enjoyed the first). This story sees Marduk scheming against another Apostle and a Lord of the Death Guard, Nargalax. The Death Guard were really nicely handled here, and I wouldn't mind seeing Anthony Reynolds tackle a Death Guard centric book, as he really seems to "get" what the followers of Nurgle are. The action was great, and seeing Marduk plot was fun. The ending, however, was ambiguous. I can't be sure if this is in between one of the other books, or is it going to kick off another round of Word Bearers books? Yep- I'll have to get to those last two sooner
or later.

Rating an anthology is tough- as you have now seen, some of the stories were great, others were fairly poor. Average that together, and I'd say you'd get 2 1/2 Marks of Chaos out of 4. If you're a die hard Chaos fan (like me) then it is worth checking out. If not, I'd say skip it in favor of better works. For my own part, I have just begun Abnett's Know No Fear, which I have heard is phenomenal (it's good so far). I would have read it sooner, but I've been backlogged in my reading since my illness. I'll be sure to review it when I'm finished.

Until next time, my friends...

Book Review (In Brief): The Emperor's Gift

Hey there everybody! Old Man Chaos is back with another posting. Officially, there's only a few more days to go till the new Chaos Codex. I can't wait to get my grubby little hands on that. Speaking of, I did buy the Dark Vengeance boxed set finally, so I'll be reviewing that soon too (have to put the Chaos pieces together first). However, as a result of buying DV, I will have to wait on buying the big Chaos stuff, since the book alone is $50- of course, my birthday and Christmas are coming up (hint hint). Anyways, I will for sure rate the DV box and the Codex very soon.

However, right now, I just finished Aaron Dembski-Bowden's The Emperor's Gift. Now, you all know I think he may be the best Black Library writer out there- his Cadian Blood and Night Lords Trilogy are absolutely perfect works of 40K fiction. However, in this book he is focusing squarely on a Grey Knight brotherhood, which is far from his usual. So, did he knock it out of the park, or is it a swing and a miss? Let's find out:

 For sure, ADB is still the most fluid writer in the BL stable. His writing is concise, but still descriptive and occasionally poetic (for 40K, natch). ADB handles complex action scenes, emotions, and plots with ease. He gets the point across without beating you over the head with it, as some of the BL authors do. Nor is his writing "bolter porn" as it were- there's meaning in his action sequences, and his stories are about characters, not just action scenes staring the same character. Here, ADB primary focus is Hyperion, a new Grey Knight bonded to Castian squad. Hyperion is strong and brave, but he finds it difficult to coordinate his skills with his battle brothers, while at the same time trying to "re-figure" out human emotion from those mortals he serves with. However, trouble comes for Hyperion when word reaches his squad that the world of Armageddon is under attack from the forces of Chaos.

What follows is a very unusual story indeed- the book isn't about the First War of Armageddon- rather, it is how Hyperion becomes part of a task force sent to Armageddon, and then what happens after the wars. It is rather interesting conceit- the War itself is like two chapters long only. The war was longer, but the Grey Knights see battle only once- against Angron himself (very cool, by the way). The remainder of the book is about the moral conflict that follows: what should be done with the loyal soldiers and citizens of Armagedon who saw Daemons- standard Inquisitorial protocol says all must die for seeing "that which CANNOT exist". But the Space Wolves, who have fought for months on Armageddon, want to spare the innocents. Hyperion is torn- he wants to protect humanity, but allowing these people to live will only allow Chaos to spread, unwittingly perhaps, but spread nevertheless.

Therin lies the issue here, for both good and bad. The story has odd fits and starts- the War is truncated, and the first boarding action and subsequent mustering goes on for too damn long. Indeed, at one point I said "I get it- the ship is possessed- move on". And while the Armageddon scenes were cool, it was too brief, and relied on the fact that longtime fans knew the outcome already. On the other hand, the moral issues that Hyperion confronts are truly interesting and deep- we always know that the Inquisition will do such terrible things for the protection of humanity, but here it takes on a more realistic dimension as Hyperion wrestles with the moral implications of what the Inquisition must do. Since the story was told from Hyperion's perspective, it made for fascinating reading.

Even better, ADB has found a great "voice" for the good guys of the Adeptus Astartes , which can be tricky to write for(he can write Chaotic Marines quite well, as we already know). Hyperion is very sympathetic, a hero who wants to understand the humans that he fights to protect. To most humans, he seems cold and fearsome, but he is also capable of gentle warmth, which I thought was a great blend for the Grey Knights. Writing first person allows ADB do bring a great deal of depth here, and it makes up for the books flaws.

The other great thing that ADB does is he plants both feet firmly in the 40K lore. Not only is this about the First War of Armageddon, he also manages to tie this book to others, including The Battle of the Fang, Prospero Burns, and amazingly (and wonderfully, I might add) the Ravenor and Eisenhorn series. ADB did this with his Night Lords trilogy too, which makes his work feel like part of the mosaic of 40K, rather than just one author's take.

So, what to take away from this? ADB tries some risky things here- his first person Grey Knight narration, his willingness to forgo the battle that most would have expected going in, and his interest in the "clean-up", rather than the war itself, makes The Emperor's Gift very interesting and different from other BL tales. My only issue really was the pacing of the first third of the book, which takes too long. Perhaps if that had been trimmed, ADB could have done more with the Armageddon piece, which I think would have strengthened the weight of the moral questions  asked in the last third. Thus, I award this book 3 1/2 out of 4 Marks of Chaos. Its a good book in the chances it takes, but the pacing could have been better.

Until next time...

Review In Brief: Void Stalker

Hey there Chaos fanatics! I'm back with a brief review of Void Stalker by Aaron Dembski-Bowden. I have a few other things I'm cooking up, but I've had a few rough things going on too, so I have been delayed in some of my postings. At any rate, away we go...

Void Stalker is the third and apparently final book of ADB Night Lords trilogy, and boy, is it good. If you have been reading the exploits of Talos and his brothers of First Claw, you simply cannot miss this one. ADB ties up all the story threads that he has been spinning since his first book. The best part is that it all comes together so smoothly, so well, that you just keep turning those pages. As much as I love Abnett and McNeil, I believe that ADB is the best writer that the Black Library has. His work flows so well, the action is brisk, the characters are very well drawn and developed, each with their own arcs through the trilogy. I am actually considering going back and re-reading the trilogy. Now, I rarely do that, and since I have so many other books I want to read, I may not get a chance to. However, the fact that I WANT to should say something towards how good this trilogy is. I just want to hit a few points:

Characters- You must be a truly special author to make people as morally repugnant as Talos and his Night Lords as sympathetic as they are here. You like these characters, but you would never want to hang out with any of them. They do horrific things in this book, reminding you beyond all doubt that they are Chaos Marines. Yet, you want Talos to succeed- even if he is cruel and twisted, he also has a noble side to him- talk about Anti-Hero! He's a marvelous character. So are his other First Claw members- each of them are worthy and have a lot to do: Xarl, Uzas, Mercutian, and of course Cyrion. Their camaraderie (or lack thereof) is a real highlight of the series. Then of course, there's the Red Corsair who is at heart a Night Lord, Variel The Flayer- a fascinating character who shows how somebody from one renegade Marine chapter might join a different renegade chapter/Chaos legion- great stuff. Not to be outdone, there's Septimus and Octavia- the "regular" people of the book, whose plight is complicated by a (un)expected turn in their relationship- again, great stuff, and their quirks make them sound like a real couple, instead of a plot device, which only adds depth to the series. Malcharion makes a great impression as the re-awakened war sage, and then there's Lucoryphus, the twisted leader of the Bleeding Eyes raptors, whose actions in combat are questionable at best (and highly amusing- I wonder how Spirit Stones taste?). Overall, the fate of these characters are excellently done, and you feel for them, even if most of them are horribly evil.

Action- all of ADB have great action sequences, and this book is no exception. Indeed, looking at the whole series, they have an almost "cinematic" quality (I hate using that word since GW is currently obsessed with the notion, but here I mean it with utmost respect). The action is clear to follow, and each has consequences and importance- not just "bolter porn" as some BL books are. The past books have had great action scenes- Crythe, the Cauldron of Blood fighting at The Exalted's command, the "heist" at the Marines Errant monastery,etc. In this, the war is even greater, with The 10th Company invading "Darcharna" (and massacring so many innocents), a tight quarters battle against the Genesis Chapter (absolutely riveting conclusion) and finally a cat and mouse game and last stand against the Eldar, which leads to an incredible conclusion to the series.

40K Fluff- one of the great things about ADB is how he ties his story to the greater 40K universe. He does a great job of making the Night Lords true to the fluff. They are evil, broken demi-gods, who did not ask to be this way but simply are. ADB also does well showing how Nostramo and Konrad Kurze shaped the legion in big and subtle ways- again, playing off the fluff while adding new dimensions and layers. ADB really puts this 10 company warband into the bigger history of the 40K universe, showing all writers that there are parameters for this bleak universe, but its a big sandbox with lots of room for new ideas. ADB takes his new ideas and simply makes sure that they gel with the 40K storyline. Thus, I have felt that reading his books has made the 40K universe come alive away from the tabletop (only a few BL books have done that, but ADB seems to do it consistently, in these, in Cadian Blood, and in The First Heretic, which is phenomenal).

The Ending- I don't want to spoil it, so I won't, though I will say that ADB ends the story of the 10th company, but has left a brilliant ending in place, so that he could revisit the Night Lords. I don't know if he should, perhaps he should leave it here, letting the imagination of his readers run wild with the possibilities of his conclusion. The ending is great- foreshadowed, but still turning out different from expectation.

So, of course I'm giving this four out of four Marks of Chaos. If you have read the previous two, you MUST read this one. If you haven't read any, I would strongly recommend that you do. Any Chaos fan worth his salt should read them; indeed, any 40K fan will find them exciting and a great addition to the 40K world.

Until next time...

Book Review (In Brief): Ravenor

Hey there Chaos fans! I'm back with a brief book review. I finished the Omnibus Ravenor by Dan Abnett a while back, but I never got around to posting my thoughts about it. So, away we go...

Let me start off by saying that I enjoyed the trails and tribulations of Inquisitor Ravenor. The stories were fun, mostly fast paced, and enjoyable. It takes a lot of guts on the part of Abnett to make the main character a crippled, physically broken man in an "action-packed 40K Universe". Indeed, I love the character of Ravenor almost as much as Eisenhorn. Almost. And I think that's they key problem- we never focus too long on Ravenor. It's telling that Eisenhorn is totally told totally from his point of view. We get to know Eisenhorn- his thoughts, his fears, his slow and seemingly irresistible slide toward "radicalism". In Ravenor, on the other hand, only parts of the story are from Ravenor's point of view. Abnett frequently pulls away from him. Of course, writing all first person can be problematic, for sure. However, the character of Ravenor is so interesting, that focusing on the other characters is just not as rewarding.

Perhaps this was my own problem. I read the two trilogies back to back. Comparisons were simply bound to happen. I think the Eisenhorn trilogy is much more rewarding and better told than the Ravenor trilogy in just about every way. Again, that's not to say I didn't like Ravenor, I just felt that Eisenhorn just blew me away, and Ravenor didn't. Let's take the first books, for example. The first Eisenhor story had everything- cultists, intrigue, a forbidden tome, aliens, battles large and small, Inquisitorial rivalries, etc. Ravenor's first book, by contrast, has them chasing down "drugs", infiltrating a "carnival" of sorts, then going to a Mos Eisley type place which is not nearly as exciting as it sounds. The first book is OK, just blah. The next two books are better, but still not up to the high standards of Eisenhorn.Indeed, the next two stories in Ravenor have great ideas, like the computers that literally bore workers to death, the Fratery cult of "foreseers" is well conceived, and then there's the "door" in the last book that transcends time and space in a way that is fresh for 40K. Unfortunately, Abnett's story is so overstuffed that we don't explore those for very long, and the ultimate conclusion is both climactic and anti-climactic all at the same time.

The story arc of Ravenor centers around Ravenor chasing down a superbly trained Chaos cultist named Molotch, who has fast reflexes, and a faster brain. Molotch is meant to be an opposite of Ravenor, and he's fairly effective, though he is out-shined by a more interesting "cultist for hire", Culzean Orfeo, who is an expert at "setting things up" for other cultists. This character has a wit and style that sets him apart from most villains in 40K stories. However, there's also the "foretelling" of a daemon called "Slyte", who, if he gets into our material universe, will wreak havoc. Then there's criminals smuggling drugs, and then there's a cult trying to "birth" Slyte, and then there's another cult trying to gain the powers of "Enunciation" but they don't want Slyte to appear, and then... well, I think you get the point. The story is very, very convoluted. Whereas Eisenhorn was a fairly straightforward story with twists and turns, Ravenor's storyline is a bit all over the place.

And then there's our heroes. Gideon Ravenor himself is a genius and a "humane" Inquisitor. I found that combination to be very refreshing for 40K. Whenever the story focuses on him, the story comes alive. His "thoughts" are soaring, considering how broken he is physically. As a character, he's a wonderful creation- strong but vulnerable at the same time. However, the supporting characters are not all as interesting or well drawn. I didn't like Kara Swole in Eisenhorn, but she was a bit player there. Here, she's more center stage- and I still don't like her. She doesn't fit into the proceedings, and I find it hard to believe she's an Inquisitorial agent, as she's too "goody goody", not traits I'd consider worthy of being an Inquisitorial field agent. A better character is Patience, who starts of vague but becomes a mainstay as the book goes on- her tragic past haunts her, but her skills and coldness make her a great agent for Ravenor. Then there's Harlon Nayl, former bounty hunter that now works for the Inquisition- he's a tough guy but he also cares about his teammates- a great character if slightly 2 dimensional. There are some secondary characters like Frauka and Unwerth who are both funny but also memorable characters.

My main issue here however is Carl Thonius, who is Ravenor's apprentice (an Interrogator). He's an annoying character who whines constantly and is more worried about how he's dressed than anything else. My issue here is that I can't buy that he is "Inquisitor" material. I see nothing about him that says he'd make a great Inquisitor. He's good with computers and he "knows" a lot of random facts- but shouldn't that be more in keeping with a Tech Adept? I also couldn't see Ravenor putting up with Carl's antics and weaknesses, which puts the team at risk more than once. I simply don't/can't believe that this man is an Inquisitor, as he doesn't act like one at all. This is all compounded by the fact that Carl is central to so much of the plot- and he's unlikable. If he is supposed to be comic relief (and I don't think he's funny), how can he be what he becomes at the end? If he' supposed to be sympathetic, Abnett didn't make him likable. If you're supposed to hate him, then there's no investment in his final fate. Carl is a huge contradiction as a character, but not in a good, enigmatic way.

So, don't get me wrong, Ravenor is a worthwhile read for any 40K fan. It has some great ideas, and a few great characters. The action is always fast paced and occasionally brilliant (again- that "door" bit in the third book is amazing- I can't divulge it but its a blast). However, it is not Abnett's best work, not even close. Eisenhorn set the gold standard here, and it doesn't match up. Nor is it as good as say Horus Rising or Legion. So, I'd have to give it overall 2 1/2 marks of Chaos out of 4, though there are bits that are better than that. 

Well, that's all for now. Until next time...