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...

Chaos Corner Interviews: The Man Behind The "Joe Maneuver" Part I

Hey there Chaos Corner fans. I'm back with another series of interviews, this time is with a guy who needs no introduction. Well, he does actually, since you guys don't know him, though I sure as heck do! Joe has been my friend since the earliest days of college- though it took him a whole semester to remember my name (admittedly, he's terrible with names). At any rate, we went through college together, taking various history classes as well as required courses (don't get us started on that Woman's Studies course we had to take to graduate). We had great professors (and awful ones), we fought through crazy classes, assignments, and butt-kissing students. We laugh now, but those are our war stories, so to speak.

Of course, Joe is also a 40K player and is one of my regular opponents. Joe has had a storied career in Warhammer 40K, having had several armies. Whereas Pete "The Hivemind" is strongly interested in the modeling aspects of the game, Mr. "Joe Maneuver" is squarely focused on the game play. Joe continuously refines his tactics and strategy. At times, the concept of the "friendly game" gets lost in the competitiveness, as Joe goes for the jugular in order to prove once again that he is the master tactician in our group.

 So, without further ado, let's start the interview...

Q: How did you first get into the hobby?




I first got into the hobby soon after I graduated college. My buddy Dave called me up and asked me some questions about the size of tanks in the military, specifically the relative size of them as compared to a foot soldier. When I asked him why he was so curious, he briefly explained the 40K game. He then invited me to hang out at our buddy Pete's house, he was gaming with his brother Steve. I found the game interesting, and then they asked if I would like to take a try at it. I agreed and was given some Space Marines and played a very small game. I enjoyed the game and began an army soon after.


Q: So your friends introduced you to it; but what made you interested in it? 

1.      What drew me in ? I guess since I have always been a military history buff and a fan of science fiction the background appealed to me and I have always liked to put together models. I like that it isn't a clean or pretty universe, it was as unlike Star Trek's clean future as you could get. The unusual appearance of the machines of war, such as the Dreadnoughts, were a plus as well. 

Q: Which armies have you played over the years? What got you into each army? 

I have played Eldar, Black Templar, Night Lords, and Blood Angels. With any army that I collect the most important thing is that I like the story behind them; it doesn't matter to me if they are not the most viable or "toughest" army. The Eldar are the first army that I collected. At the time they had a companion book that had several different lists in it called "Craftworld Eldar"...

Q: I remember that book. I liked those days; Craftworld, Eye of Terror, Armageddon...

I agree 100%. The Craftworld supplement had the better armies that could be tailored to any style that you liked, therefore not locking you into any one way to create a list. A small bit of appeal of the Eldar for me was that no one else had an Eldar army in our group yet everyone had a Marine army of some kind. The Eldar didn't function like any other army and had the most different, specialized units. The Eldar models look radically different yet still have the same feel: they clearly belong together; they're cohesive, which also drew me to them. 

Q: I had the beginnings of a Chaos army, as did my brother. But, I did also have Dark Eldar, so nah nah- I had a 'space elf" army first. And besides, you got a Marine army fast enough, didn't you?
 

Uh huh. The Black Templar were the second army I collected. The Templar had a warrior/crusader look and feel and had a different build than other marine armies. They also looked great painted with a simple and easy to do paint scheme. I have to be honest and admit that, while playing solely with the Eldar, I was getting a little tired of getting rocked by the 'Nids and the Plague Marines. Against those two armies I wasn't able to field a competitive Eldar force at an affordable price. Eldar had and still do have a large amount of expensive models in metal (and now Finecast)- this isn't so bad if the most effective units weren't all in metal. Templar as with most marines is predominantly plastic making far less strain on the wallet, truthfully. 

Q: Ah the Black Templar. I still remember the first time I shot up a squad and with their rules they actually charged me, despite their heavy shooting losses...

Ha ha! I still remember the look on your face... Your poor Plague Marines...

Q: Laugh all you want, but you were unable to avoid the slide into Chaos yourself, weren't you? 

True. I did start a Night Lords army. The Night Lords had great models and and interesting story line. And their rules were very cool. That is, in 4th edition. Sadly they became the army that I was the least enthusiastically collecting not because, as I started them the 5th edition codex was published and the legion lost all character. They were simply "vanilla Chaos Marines".  I lost interest in them after that.

 

 

 
 Q: Indeed, Chaos has fallen a long way, unfortunately. However, you mentioned it in relation to the newer books. Speaking of which, what are you working on now? 

The Blood Angels are the latest army that I have started to collect. I have always loved the idea of the Death Company, the Rage, etc. The back story is great and the new models and rules are fantastic. 

Q: So, of all your many armies, which is you absolute favorite? 

I can honestly say that I don't have a favorite army- it will depend on what time you ask me that question truthfully. I will always favor the Eldar because they are my original army and I'm still the only one to game with them in our gaming group- I don't count your Dark Eldar because they aren't true Eldar. I'd say the Blood Angels are the most viable right now but how long that will last is anyone's guess.

So, that concludes part one of our interview with Mr. "Joe Maneuver". I'm sure you're all asking the question "why is he called 'Joe Maneuver' anyways?", but don't worry- we shall answer that in the next interview. Let's just say it has to do with a rather interesting (ie. annoying) strategy that Joe uses in 40K. Until next time my friends...