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The Horus Heresy #30
Przekleństwo Pythosa
Ocalałe z masakry isstvańskiej niedobitki Astartes z Legionów Żelaznych Dłoni, Kruczej Gwardii i Salamander przegrupowują siły na pozornie nieistotnym świecie śmierci. Nadzieję zmuszonym do odpierania ataków rozmaitych monstrów, zantagonizowanym sojusznikom przynoszą dryfujący na falach Osnowy uchodźcy. Astartes dążą do utworzenia w dżungli Pythosa azylu dla uciekających przed wojną ludzi, jednak w tym czasie nad ich głowami gromadzi się ciemność gotowa pochłonąć przybyszów…
(opis wydawcy)
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400 pages, Paperback
First published November 18, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 164 reviews
March 26, 2018
Despite the fact that I've never played any roleplaying/tabletop game, and have a profound antipathy towards military sf (anything military really), every now and again I get a hankering to explore the W40K universe, because it is a fascinating invention that feels like a combination of Dune, Michael Moorcock, and Lovecraft: a far-far future of godlike technology, unspeakable horrors, and all-pervading bleakness. With all that going for it, there is only one major problem, the protagonists themselves, who come off like the spartans, on steroids, in space, and I have loathed the spartans with a burning passion since middle school; these are folks who would dismiss Heinlein's starship troopers as being too permissive and namby-pamby, who upon hearing the word 'culture' would doubtless reach for their laser pistols, and, because of what they are opposing (pure cosmic evil), they regardless remain the de facto heroes by default. All that considered, the book in question, about the closest in the series to a horror novel, is a decent bit of pulp to enjoy on a lazy Sunday afternoon, with the grand finale, when reality breaks down and hordes of eldritch abominations attack, being particularly gripping and reminiscent of Kentaro Miura's Berserk in prose - but if one is looking for a nuanced, artful exploration of similar themes, you're probably better off just sticking with that classic manga.
March 28, 2014
Hot damn! Now, firstly, as I have the canvas art print for the cover of this novel, I would like to say that it is a beauty! Nicely done Mr. Roberts!
To be frank, Damnation of Pythos blew me away. I was never much a fan of the Iron Hands, with the exception of their stuff in Fulgrim, but David Annandale really made them the characters I think the Horus Heresy needs. It brought some of the darkness back. The hopelessness, the horror, the rage. The Iron Hands were really all of these things. The 111th company had seen their share of tragedy, and the whole force really would have fallen apart on page 1 if not for mother fucking Captain Atticus. Man was he the real deal. Definitely one of my favourite characters in the HH thus far, and I think we (as Black Library readers) needed him, especially now, 30 books in. There is no getting around it. He is a monster. I'd say that the Iron Hands as a whole are extremely.... harsh, what with their more-than-average, and litteral, lack of humanity, but Atticus really personified that. I mean, with how much the galaxy is really going to hell with the Heresy, there are going to be tough decisions, and sometimes there just isn't a right one.
The rest of the Iron Hands worked great. Galba and Darras, and the handful of others had a wonderfully fun to read chemistry. They definitely didn't all get along too well, but when shit hit the fan, they were all cogs to Atticus' perfect machine. Damn good stuff. I'm really impressed with how Annandale did it, as I was not looking forward to the Iron Hands, and he has really made me enjoy them, obviously.
I feel like the Salamanders could have played a bigger role though, the Raven Guard too.
Pythos was a monster. I mean, the fauna and flora were really, really monsters, but Pythos itself was just a terrifying, horrendous monster. I really liked the depictions of the life on Pyhtos, from the killer vampire moss(Yeah, tidal waves of it) to the godzillas that strode the planet. All of it was damn good.
But what made me really, really love the novel, was Chaos. Anyone who knows me, knows I love Chaos, and when Chaos is done right, it is just amazing. Annandale really captured Chaos and the Warp as I think I imagine it. Completely random, with unlimited potential for the most inhuman horror, beyond what anyone can even imagine. And he fuckin' NAILED it. Perfectly, in my opinion. Mark me an Annandale fan, and by the Holy Pantheon I hope he writes more Chaos soon!
To be frank, Damnation of Pythos blew me away. I was never much a fan of the Iron Hands, with the exception of their stuff in Fulgrim, but David Annandale really made them the characters I think the Horus Heresy needs. It brought some of the darkness back. The hopelessness, the horror, the rage. The Iron Hands were really all of these things. The 111th company had seen their share of tragedy, and the whole force really would have fallen apart on page 1 if not for mother fucking Captain Atticus. Man was he the real deal. Definitely one of my favourite characters in the HH thus far, and I think we (as Black Library readers) needed him, especially now, 30 books in. There is no getting around it. He is a monster. I'd say that the Iron Hands as a whole are extremely.... harsh, what with their more-than-average, and litteral, lack of humanity, but Atticus really personified that. I mean, with how much the galaxy is really going to hell with the Heresy, there are going to be tough decisions, and sometimes there just isn't a right one.
The rest of the Iron Hands worked great. Galba and Darras, and the handful of others had a wonderfully fun to read chemistry. They definitely didn't all get along too well, but when shit hit the fan, they were all cogs to Atticus' perfect machine. Damn good stuff. I'm really impressed with how Annandale did it, as I was not looking forward to the Iron Hands, and he has really made me enjoy them, obviously.
I feel like the Salamanders could have played a bigger role though, the Raven Guard too.
Pythos was a monster. I mean, the fauna and flora were really, really monsters, but Pythos itself was just a terrifying, horrendous monster. I really liked the depictions of the life on Pyhtos, from the killer vampire moss(Yeah, tidal waves of it) to the godzillas that strode the planet. All of it was damn good.
But what made me really, really love the novel, was Chaos. Anyone who knows me, knows I love Chaos, and when Chaos is done right, it is just amazing. Annandale really captured Chaos and the Warp as I think I imagine it. Completely random, with unlimited potential for the most inhuman horror, beyond what anyone can even imagine. And he fuckin' NAILED it. Perfectly, in my opinion. Mark me an Annandale fan, and by the Holy Pantheon I hope he writes more Chaos soon!
January 6, 2015
The Review: http://thefictionalhangout.blogspot.c...
THINNING THE VEIL....
"In the aftermath of the Dropsite Massacre at Isstvan V, a battered and bloodied force of Iron Hands, Raven Guard and Salamanders regroups on a seemingly insignificant death world. Fending off attacks from all manner of monstrous creatures, the fractious allies find hope in the form of human refugees fleeing from the growing war, and cast adrift upon the tides of the warp. But even as the Space Marines carve out a sanctuary for them in the jungles of Pythos, a darkness gathers that threatens to consume them all…"
As I recently mentioned in my review of Ahriman: Sorcerer, I would be returning to reading Black Library fiction on a regular basis and I made my decision to make The Damnation of Pythos my next novel that I would pick up, mainly because not only have I been impressed by what I’ve read of David Annandale’s work in the past, but also it’s The Horus Heresy, and that series is one of my go-to reads for some awesome science fiction action and more often than not, the novels frequently deliver, and I think it's safe to say that The Damnation of Pythos is yet another great entry into the series, even though it might not be a perfect one.
First off, it’s another excellent Black Library cover. They’ve been really great when it comes to artwork and The Damnation of Pythos is no exception, an excellent image picturing Iron Hands battling daemons. It also gives you an great idea as to what’s happening in the novel, with it following the adventures of a small group of Iron Hands, Raven Guard and Salamanders Space Marines who are regrouping following the Dropsite Massacre of Isstvan V. They’re wearied, battered and bloodied as they begin to create a Sanctuary on the world of Pythos, unaware that they may be stumbling into what might be their own demise.
The biggest problem that I have with the Horus Heresy series is that for the most part, you know what’s going to happen due to the various Codexes that have already summarized what’s happened in these events. As a result the outcome is often never in any doubt, and you know for example what will happen to the major players like Horus and Abaddon. However, with The Damnation of Pythos, and its decision to focus on an event and characters that I wasn’t familiar with at all, the aura of unpredictability was still there and I didn’t know what would happen next. It was a refreshing experience and as a result my interest was captivated all the more, even if the title may have hinted and ending, like most of The Horus Heresy series, would not be the happiest one ever.
The book itself delves into the horror elements of Warhammer making it a welcoming change of pace for the series, as it’s something that hasn’t been explored as well as it should have been given the potential available. Most stories attempt to focus entirely on the action, but this story allows an increased level of suspense and tension which readers will enjoy for sure. And on top of that, Annandale manages to not fall into the trap that so many other horror writers fall into by making the characters do stupid things in favour of plot advancement, which is great to see.
The Damnation of Pythos offers a lot of answers to just what the Iron Hands got up to following Isstvan V. I don’t remember that much about them in the Heresy and I think this might be their first novel in the series, so it’s fascinating to see them explored here, with some interesting characters that aren't just bland stereotypes of what their members of their legion might be and a good split between the human serfs of the Iron Hands Legion and their superhuman masters, with Annandale avoiding simply using the non-Space Marine characters just as plot devices which other writers have done in the past to great effect.
The pace remains pretty fast throughout The Damnation of Pythos and is rarely a dull moment, with Annandale managing to create a great atmosphere for the book which really works.
However, The Damnation of Pythos is sadly not perfect. If you want to focus on the main events of the Horus Heresy then this book can be skipped in the overall scale of things, as it does not make any momentous leaps forward in terms of plot advancement. That is probably the novel’s biggest flaw but if you can put that aside then it remains very enjoyable indeed and certainly something that Horus Heresy fans and those looking to read more about the Iron Hands Legion will get the most out of.
Annandale is certainly an author who I would love to see revisit the Horus Heresy again as he always brings an alternative approach to Black Library novels, and you never quite know what to expect. The focus on horror is welcomed and engaging and it’s good to see that the storyline isn’t as predictable as other Heresy novels have been.
VERDICT: 7.9/10
THINNING THE VEIL....
"In the aftermath of the Dropsite Massacre at Isstvan V, a battered and bloodied force of Iron Hands, Raven Guard and Salamanders regroups on a seemingly insignificant death world. Fending off attacks from all manner of monstrous creatures, the fractious allies find hope in the form of human refugees fleeing from the growing war, and cast adrift upon the tides of the warp. But even as the Space Marines carve out a sanctuary for them in the jungles of Pythos, a darkness gathers that threatens to consume them all…"
As I recently mentioned in my review of Ahriman: Sorcerer, I would be returning to reading Black Library fiction on a regular basis and I made my decision to make The Damnation of Pythos my next novel that I would pick up, mainly because not only have I been impressed by what I’ve read of David Annandale’s work in the past, but also it’s The Horus Heresy, and that series is one of my go-to reads for some awesome science fiction action and more often than not, the novels frequently deliver, and I think it's safe to say that The Damnation of Pythos is yet another great entry into the series, even though it might not be a perfect one.
First off, it’s another excellent Black Library cover. They’ve been really great when it comes to artwork and The Damnation of Pythos is no exception, an excellent image picturing Iron Hands battling daemons. It also gives you an great idea as to what’s happening in the novel, with it following the adventures of a small group of Iron Hands, Raven Guard and Salamanders Space Marines who are regrouping following the Dropsite Massacre of Isstvan V. They’re wearied, battered and bloodied as they begin to create a Sanctuary on the world of Pythos, unaware that they may be stumbling into what might be their own demise.
The biggest problem that I have with the Horus Heresy series is that for the most part, you know what’s going to happen due to the various Codexes that have already summarized what’s happened in these events. As a result the outcome is often never in any doubt, and you know for example what will happen to the major players like Horus and Abaddon. However, with The Damnation of Pythos, and its decision to focus on an event and characters that I wasn’t familiar with at all, the aura of unpredictability was still there and I didn’t know what would happen next. It was a refreshing experience and as a result my interest was captivated all the more, even if the title may have hinted and ending, like most of The Horus Heresy series, would not be the happiest one ever.
The book itself delves into the horror elements of Warhammer making it a welcoming change of pace for the series, as it’s something that hasn’t been explored as well as it should have been given the potential available. Most stories attempt to focus entirely on the action, but this story allows an increased level of suspense and tension which readers will enjoy for sure. And on top of that, Annandale manages to not fall into the trap that so many other horror writers fall into by making the characters do stupid things in favour of plot advancement, which is great to see.
The Damnation of Pythos offers a lot of answers to just what the Iron Hands got up to following Isstvan V. I don’t remember that much about them in the Heresy and I think this might be their first novel in the series, so it’s fascinating to see them explored here, with some interesting characters that aren't just bland stereotypes of what their members of their legion might be and a good split between the human serfs of the Iron Hands Legion and their superhuman masters, with Annandale avoiding simply using the non-Space Marine characters just as plot devices which other writers have done in the past to great effect.
The pace remains pretty fast throughout The Damnation of Pythos and is rarely a dull moment, with Annandale managing to create a great atmosphere for the book which really works.
However, The Damnation of Pythos is sadly not perfect. If you want to focus on the main events of the Horus Heresy then this book can be skipped in the overall scale of things, as it does not make any momentous leaps forward in terms of plot advancement. That is probably the novel’s biggest flaw but if you can put that aside then it remains very enjoyable indeed and certainly something that Horus Heresy fans and those looking to read more about the Iron Hands Legion will get the most out of.
Annandale is certainly an author who I would love to see revisit the Horus Heresy again as he always brings an alternative approach to Black Library novels, and you never quite know what to expect. The focus on horror is welcomed and engaging and it’s good to see that the storyline isn’t as predictable as other Heresy novels have been.
VERDICT: 7.9/10
December 10, 2015
You know what? I liked it, I really did. I've heard so many mixed reviews and bad ones were the majority. I realize it is because this story does not really add much (or anything?) to the main plot of the Horus Heresy series, it hardly effects any important events at all. Other reasons? Bolter porn with dinosaurs. I get it, I really do, but I still enjoyed it quite a lot. I feel like the setting of this story is very unusual and new, I appreciate this. The characters are written well, most of them are memorable and I know for a fact that I will remember them unlike oh so many faceless space marines we've met in other books. My personal favorite, Captain Atticus of the Iron Hands, has a very strong personality and unique features that really make him stand out. I do love the Iron Hands and it's always a pleasure to see them get "screen time" aside from being those-guys-whose-primarch-is-dead. I rarely enjoy the "human side of the story" when it comes to HH and here I was also impressed by this part, starting with amazing Rhydia Erephren, Mistress of Astropaths, and to the chilling horrors effecting legion's serfs, their differences with the "colonists" and the creepy outcome. Of course some things left me confused, but we all know this is something that happens not only in HH or 40k books, but just in literature overall. It's not a 5 star for me because it did not blow my mind, and this is the only reason why I would give 5 stars to a book. But it's a very strong 4 for me. Maybe it's just a matter of taste.
August 7, 2014
Damnation started as an interesting look at the aftermath of Istvan for one chapter of the Iron Hands legion. Devastated by their loss, the only thing on the mind of the captain is revenge by any means necessary. Dragged along on this is a mixed band of Raven Guard and Salamander legion survivors that escaped with the IH chapter. As seems to be the formulae for HH novels lately, things go well for a little while, with some ignored omens before turning into a nightmare.
The book starts off interestingly. The interplay between the legions, mixed with the internal politics of the bias that some IH legionaries have regarding how much organic material a space marine should have is a stark reminder that while the Imperial forces may have been united in cause, they had some serious differences of opinion on how to prosecute that cause.
After arriving on Pythos, we get to see a great glimpse of how a staunchly Imperial Truth aligned legion deals with warp infection, and how they can be manipulated by it - sometimes drastically.
Unfortunately, the book seems to lose its way. It feels like the climax comes too soon or too late, and seems to wipe away any reason for the first half of the book. This volume does not advance the HH storyline, it is more like a side story in the dark that is ultimately meaningless except to add to the continued hopelessness of the Imperial cause. More intriguing characters that could be added and pursued in the WH30k era are arbitrarily scrapped.
As an example of my annoyance, this is the first time I actually noted a phrase in my kindle app *ever* in any book, yet by the end I just wanted so much for the grinding final fighting to be done that I skipped whole pages, knowing I was missing nothing of value. This is the first David Annandale story I have been disappointed with. It feels very much like he had a plan for a much longer and better book but had to wrap it up to get under a word limit or something. It really starts off wonderfully, and had me at page one. I truly wish it would have kept that going.
The book starts off interestingly. The interplay between the legions, mixed with the internal politics of the bias that some IH legionaries have regarding how much organic material a space marine should have is a stark reminder that while the Imperial forces may have been united in cause, they had some serious differences of opinion on how to prosecute that cause.
After arriving on Pythos, we get to see a great glimpse of how a staunchly Imperial Truth aligned legion deals with warp infection, and how they can be manipulated by it - sometimes drastically.
Unfortunately, the book seems to lose its way. It feels like the climax comes too soon or too late, and seems to wipe away any reason for the first half of the book. This volume does not advance the HH storyline, it is more like a side story in the dark that is ultimately meaningless except to add to the continued hopelessness of the Imperial cause. More intriguing characters that could be added and pursued in the WH30k era are arbitrarily scrapped.
As an example of my annoyance, this is the first time I actually noted a phrase in my kindle app *ever* in any book, yet by the end I just wanted so much for the grinding final fighting to be done that I skipped whole pages, knowing I was missing nothing of value. This is the first David Annandale story I have been disappointed with. It feels very much like he had a plan for a much longer and better book but had to wrap it up to get under a word limit or something. It really starts off wonderfully, and had me at page one. I truly wish it would have kept that going.
November 30, 2023
‘You seek to shame us!’ he called to the retreating legionaries. ‘You think honour will not permit us to stand aside while you indulge your sentimentality?’
‘They’re right to think so, aren’t they?’ Galba ventured. ‘
Yes,’ Atticus answered, the monotone cold again, the emotions unreachable, undetectable, ‘they are.’
To repeat for the hundredth time what I have said about the Warhammer 40K universe, Damnation of Pythos paints themes and emotions in primary colours. In this book those colours glow like Chenobyl around about late April 1986.
Monsters under the bed, in your head, whoops you’re dead
Catigernus said, ‘They’ll knock the wall down.’
‘They won’t have to,’ Darras told him. ‘They’ll step over it. I doubt they’ll even notice it.’
Yeah, humankind is bad, even (or perhaps “particularly”) transhumankind, but the real monsters are the animals who’s heads:
were massive, boxy, with enormous jaws like power claws. They roared, revealing teeth so jagged and narrow, they seemed to be the weapons of a torturer instead of the tools of a predator.
…or the daemon who takes out an airborne gunship by throwing a tank at it.
No one is “good” in the Warhammer 40K universe but I do enjoy portrayals that emphasise humanity’s puniness within it and how one’s relative patheticness can limit a character’s goals.
And that is the core of my argument that holds that Damnation of Pythos is a perfectly timed Horus Heresy novel. In the immediately preceding Vengeful Spirit, Horus treats daemons as his S&M playthings. Damnation of Pythos is Chaos saying “Hang on here a minute, this universe can fit a whole lot of evil in it”.
Even stripping away the themes, Damnation of Pythos is fine from a plot line perspective – Horus is becoming unruly, here’s a back-up. While introducing additional characters can complicate the narrative, there’s a clear “action-reaction” effect with the two books. The worst I would say is there is a little bit of mashing shorter stories together, such as introducing the void battle, but I don’t actually mind – it added variety and adds a feasible reason to bathe in the warp spaghetti.
For completeness, Annandale does in the Afterword write:
So what kinds of monsters are there here? Obviously, there are the flora and fauna of Pythos itself, and the daemons of the Damnation Cache. But the Iron Hands are monsters in their way, wilfully so, and I wanted to explore this idea, particularly in the character of Captain Durun Atticus.
…and I don’t disagree with that. The point remains that the actions of the human characters are constrained by the monsters that are obviously in front of them.
Making the sausage
‘Do spare me the sentiment of your Legion. I find it of very little interest.’
I am not holding Damnation of Pythos up as a literary giant, but it is one of those books where you see the sausage being made and be able to react with “Huh, that’s kind of cool.” The Iron Hands do their machinelike thing, the Salamanders play the “ebony saviour”, and both perspectives are manipulated to the worst possible result. There are also themes of temptation (and rejection of it), conflict, horror, and (semi-)redemption.
I have found Annandale goes heavy on the bolter porn elsewhere, but I thought Annandale constructed those scenes well and the intervening conversations added heft to the characters. The dialogues were neither a constant exchange of wits like Abnett, or monologues bashing against each other per Haley – there’s an underrated cleverness in their directness.
Annandale does raise in the Afterword:
I think this is one of the big questions that the Horus Heresy asks: given the stakes, given the terrible nature of the threat represented by Chaos, what extremes are justified in response?
…and that is one thing I would push back a little on, at least in the context of the universe that Annandale is asking this question in. Considering the normalisation of extreme violence in Warhammer 40K and the (relatively) low stakes presented to the protagonists in Damnation of Pythos, I consider that a significant number of major players in that universe would not hesitate at any response. They wouldn’t even have to know the nature of the threat. THE EMPEROR OF MANKIND blew up Monarchia because the people thought that a godlike being might be a god. Imposing our own responses to the trolley problem on eight-foot chainsword armed space marines seems pointless.
He silenced the internal voices and focused on the killing.
I have not seen enough of Annandale to say for sure, but I wonder if the relatively mixed reaction to this one affected those later novels that I have read (and tended to dismiss as sub-par or barely par). There is a greater expression of emotions in this book and, while it all plays to the tropes of the factions of those characters (whether empathetic or mechanistic), they work smoothly with the plot. His other stories feel like he avoided how conflicts between different points of view could move a plot, and just went hard out with just hammering one over and over.
‘They’re right to think so, aren’t they?’ Galba ventured. ‘
Yes,’ Atticus answered, the monotone cold again, the emotions unreachable, undetectable, ‘they are.’
To repeat for the hundredth time what I have said about the Warhammer 40K universe, Damnation of Pythos paints themes and emotions in primary colours. In this book those colours glow like Chenobyl around about late April 1986.
Monsters under the bed, in your head, whoops you’re dead
Catigernus said, ‘They’ll knock the wall down.’
‘They won’t have to,’ Darras told him. ‘They’ll step over it. I doubt they’ll even notice it.’
Yeah, humankind is bad, even (or perhaps “particularly”) transhumankind, but the real monsters are the animals who’s heads:
were massive, boxy, with enormous jaws like power claws. They roared, revealing teeth so jagged and narrow, they seemed to be the weapons of a torturer instead of the tools of a predator.
…or the daemon who takes out an airborne gunship by throwing a tank at it.
No one is “good” in the Warhammer 40K universe but I do enjoy portrayals that emphasise humanity’s puniness within it and how one’s relative patheticness can limit a character’s goals.
And that is the core of my argument that holds that Damnation of Pythos is a perfectly timed Horus Heresy novel. In the immediately preceding Vengeful Spirit, Horus treats daemons as his S&M playthings. Damnation of Pythos is Chaos saying “Hang on here a minute, this universe can fit a whole lot of evil in it”.
Even stripping away the themes, Damnation of Pythos is fine from a plot line perspective – Horus is becoming unruly, here’s a back-up. While introducing additional characters can complicate the narrative, there’s a clear “action-reaction” effect with the two books. The worst I would say is there is a little bit of mashing shorter stories together, such as introducing the void battle, but I don’t actually mind – it added variety and adds a feasible reason to bathe in the warp spaghetti.
For completeness, Annandale does in the Afterword write:
So what kinds of monsters are there here? Obviously, there are the flora and fauna of Pythos itself, and the daemons of the Damnation Cache. But the Iron Hands are monsters in their way, wilfully so, and I wanted to explore this idea, particularly in the character of Captain Durun Atticus.
…and I don’t disagree with that. The point remains that the actions of the human characters are constrained by the monsters that are obviously in front of them.
Making the sausage
‘Do spare me the sentiment of your Legion. I find it of very little interest.’
I am not holding Damnation of Pythos up as a literary giant, but it is one of those books where you see the sausage being made and be able to react with “Huh, that’s kind of cool.” The Iron Hands do their machinelike thing, the Salamanders play the “ebony saviour”, and both perspectives are manipulated to the worst possible result. There are also themes of temptation (and rejection of it), conflict, horror, and (semi-)redemption.
I have found Annandale goes heavy on the bolter porn elsewhere, but I thought Annandale constructed those scenes well and the intervening conversations added heft to the characters. The dialogues were neither a constant exchange of wits like Abnett, or monologues bashing against each other per Haley – there’s an underrated cleverness in their directness.
Annandale does raise in the Afterword:
I think this is one of the big questions that the Horus Heresy asks: given the stakes, given the terrible nature of the threat represented by Chaos, what extremes are justified in response?
…and that is one thing I would push back a little on, at least in the context of the universe that Annandale is asking this question in. Considering the normalisation of extreme violence in Warhammer 40K and the (relatively) low stakes presented to the protagonists in Damnation of Pythos, I consider that a significant number of major players in that universe would not hesitate at any response. They wouldn’t even have to know the nature of the threat. THE EMPEROR OF MANKIND blew up Monarchia because the people thought that a godlike being might be a god. Imposing our own responses to the trolley problem on eight-foot chainsword armed space marines seems pointless.
He silenced the internal voices and focused on the killing.
I have not seen enough of Annandale to say for sure, but I wonder if the relatively mixed reaction to this one affected those later novels that I have read (and tended to dismiss as sub-par or barely par). There is a greater expression of emotions in this book and, while it all plays to the tropes of the factions of those characters (whether empathetic or mechanistic), they work smoothly with the plot. His other stories feel like he avoided how conflicts between different points of view could move a plot, and just went hard out with just hammering one over and over.
January 29, 2024
I don’t give a toss what the negative reviews say. This book had Dinosaurs in them. Thats a win if I ever saw one!
December 10, 2014
This would probably have made a great novella as that's about how much content there is. Which when combined with the fact that nothing of any consequence to the larger Heresy story actually happens makes this book in its published form a bit of a drag. I can only assume the main point of publishing it was because we've had too much in the way of brotherly cooperation between the Istvaan V loyalist remnants in stories and novels like Betrayer and Kryptos Where they are handled quite well but recent fluff changes say Iron Hands now hate everyone especially Raven Guard and Salamanders who they blame for their Primarch's death.
Warhammer would seemingly lend itself well to Lovecraftian style horror and the middle stretch of this book makes an attempt to go that route, but there's a reason Lovecraft published novellas and short stories, there's only so long something can keep almost happening out of the corner of a character's eye before something has to F-ing happen already. The only Black Library author to pull off this sort of atmosphere at novel length is Dan Abnett with Only in Death, and he built it on the familiar and beloved characters of Gaunt's Ghosts (and better pacing).
I didn't rate this one lower for a couple reasons, some of the action is actually quite good particularly the space battle sequence which is an excellent 40k Astartes style asymmetric ass kicking, it was good to catch up with the crew of the Veritas Ferrum after that excellent short audio drama (and to a lesser extent the much less interesting inhabitants of Davin who got their own short story an anthology ago or so), the lack of any plot of consequence forced the story to be largely character driven, which was occasionally well done, and we are reminded after too long giving the imperial cult a pass or even showing them in a positive light that the Lectitio Divinitatus is a weapon in Chaos' arsenal which has already given the Imperium a fatal wound in the back.
Warhammer would seemingly lend itself well to Lovecraftian style horror and the middle stretch of this book makes an attempt to go that route, but there's a reason Lovecraft published novellas and short stories, there's only so long something can keep almost happening out of the corner of a character's eye before something has to F-ing happen already. The only Black Library author to pull off this sort of atmosphere at novel length is Dan Abnett with Only in Death, and he built it on the familiar and beloved characters of Gaunt's Ghosts (and better pacing).
I didn't rate this one lower for a couple reasons, some of the action is actually quite good particularly the space battle sequence which is an excellent 40k Astartes style asymmetric ass kicking, it was good to catch up with the crew of the Veritas Ferrum after that excellent short audio drama (and to a lesser extent the much less interesting inhabitants of Davin who got their own short story an anthology ago or so), the lack of any plot of consequence forced the story to be largely character driven, which was occasionally well done, and we are reminded after too long giving the imperial cult a pass or even showing them in a positive light that the Lectitio Divinitatus is a weapon in Chaos' arsenal which has already given the Imperium a fatal wound in the back.
November 3, 2016
Terrible. Low honor to be book 30 of a series and steal worst book from Descent of Angels. Wow. Terrible. I had been avoiding it and I am sad I read it.
July 21, 2014
Of all the legions in the Horus Heresy series, the ones who keep getting the short end of the stick are the Iron Hands. With its legionaries often stuck playing second fiddle to a book’s true protagonists, with no character study of Ferrus Manus in sight, and even the Death Guard having been offered more time in the limelight of late. This book is the one which finally corrects that, and it was well worth the wait despite the lack of Ferrus. However, what makes this one truly interesting is its focus upon aspect all too often overlooked in Warhammer. A genre which is key to the franchise but is far too often brushed aside in many tales: Horror.
Set in the aftermath of the Drop Site Massacre, the book follows the surviving astartes of the Shattered Legions. Having been scattered to the winds and reduced to guerrilla tactics, few survived the great betrayal and they now fight in the name of retribution. However, the scars of that nightmare conflict remain fresh and the Iron Hands of the Veritas Ferrum find their hatred directed as much at their fellow survivors from the Salamanders and Raven Guard as their arch foes. However, as they enter the Pandorax system, none among them truly realise that true damnation them on the world of Pythos…
Now, as you might guess from the title this is not a book which will have a happy ending. Few Horus Heresy tales truly have anything more than a bittersweet victory for the loyalists, but this one proves to be particularly dark right from the beginning. Much of this comes down to the Iron Hands themselves, but it’s also due to the situation we find them in. Those found on-board the ship have begun taking their first steps towards their incarnation, with their hatred of weakness intensified to new heights in the face of their failure at Isstvan V. While some legionaries, such as Sergeant Galba, are unnerved by this, many including Captain Atticus have wholeheartedly embraced the strength of the machine over flesh, and have begun to obsessively remove it. While still in its early stages, there are obvious shades of what they will become present and the same cold logic is on display,yet they have not fully controlled their hatred as of yet.
It’s this which is the book’s core focus and to Annandale’s credit, the depiction is very evenly handed. It’s presented as a potential failing, discussed as a flaw by many, and strange parallels are even drawn with the traitor legions. At the same time however, there are multiple situations where their new attitude and machine strength allow them to survive and endure far longer than any others would. It’s discussed further in the Afterward, but that’s the point here: It’s a discussion, an exploration. Unlike other works (hello, Codex: Clan Raukaan) the reader is not relentlessly beaten over the head about how wrong the Iron Hands are in this, how much they are betraying Ferrus or trying to systematically destroy their entire lore. Rather than preaching any message, it’s explored with points presented for and against this being a failing, and the reader is left to ultimately decide how to regard this change.
However, this subject ties into another theme, one of faith. Save for, perhaps, the Iron Warriors, the Iron Hands are the most logically driven and down-to-earth of the astartes, sticking to pure fact over all else. Even among their serfs however, there are the whispers of the Lectitio Divinitatus and we see again positive and negative elements of this aspect. While the very reasons the Emperor wished for the destruction of all organised religion is evident, the reader is shown just how necessary such faith is to humanity’s survival. Overall (despite one early line resembling a certain Life of Brian joke) it’s certainly better considered and handled than many other interpretations, and it helps to build upon the mounting theme of the book’s horror.
The very nature of Pythos ignores all basic logic, from its wildlife to the very way in which physics operates. Having no true comprehension of Chaos or the truth behind the Warp, the Iron Hands and their allies attempt to adapt as best they can but it’s against a force they have been taught does not exist. The astartes simply refuse to accept anything they see, and this negative impact of the Imperial Truth proves to be a fascinating angle, arising even when they are fighting kaiju sized wildlife.
Speaking of said wildlife, much of the combat here is against non-traitor forces. While the Emperor’s Children do show up for a fight, much of the book is focused upon driving back and holding the line against Warp corrupted forces on the world. While Pythos is not yet an outright daemon world, it is heavily influenced by Chaos to the point where everything on the planet is attempting to kill the Iron Hands. This is likely to be a major make or break point given reception of the likes of Fear to Tread, and the lack of an enemy with a true face or speaking role does make the book occasionally feel directionless. It doesn’t help that the pacing never slows down enough to truly spend time outlining the alien nature of the world or the sheer scale of the saurians, leaving some points feeling underwhelming despite their obvious impact and power.
Annandale’s writing style may well be another problem for some readers. As previously discussed in Stormseer he plays well with describing general methods of war, tactics and the destruction of scenes, along with specific moments in battle. However, it doesn’t hold up as well when it comes to building an image of individual people racing through combat when following certain figures. As such those used to the more traditional writings of other authors may feel some events are underplayed or a little hard to follow at times. Combined with the way exchanges of dialogue are structured as if it were a script and the use of onomatopoeia, and the story reads as if it would be better suited as an audio book.
The final problems surround some of the characters themselves and certain facts. While the book does produce some intelligent details such as why the Iron Hands do not return to Terra following Ferrus’ death, scenes do seem to treat Isstvan V if most of the legion was there rather than just Ferrus and his Morlock elite and a few other issues. What’s more is that, while the characters feel more like true Iron Hands than the crew of the Sisypheum, they do not stand out as well. Many of them feel far more like examples of character types or personified ideas rather than true characters.
Despite this, overall The Damnation of Pythos is a very solid read. Right from the beginning it maintains a tight focus, fast pace and excellent combat, eventually culminating in a fantastically dark ending. The Iron Hands are treated with respect and intelligence despite its horror theme, and no army truly suffers here. Those let down by Vengeful Spirit, or wanting a more legion focused book with far less primarchs and a lot more Prince of Darkness, should definitely give this one a look.
Set in the aftermath of the Drop Site Massacre, the book follows the surviving astartes of the Shattered Legions. Having been scattered to the winds and reduced to guerrilla tactics, few survived the great betrayal and they now fight in the name of retribution. However, the scars of that nightmare conflict remain fresh and the Iron Hands of the Veritas Ferrum find their hatred directed as much at their fellow survivors from the Salamanders and Raven Guard as their arch foes. However, as they enter the Pandorax system, none among them truly realise that true damnation them on the world of Pythos…
Now, as you might guess from the title this is not a book which will have a happy ending. Few Horus Heresy tales truly have anything more than a bittersweet victory for the loyalists, but this one proves to be particularly dark right from the beginning. Much of this comes down to the Iron Hands themselves, but it’s also due to the situation we find them in. Those found on-board the ship have begun taking their first steps towards their incarnation, with their hatred of weakness intensified to new heights in the face of their failure at Isstvan V. While some legionaries, such as Sergeant Galba, are unnerved by this, many including Captain Atticus have wholeheartedly embraced the strength of the machine over flesh, and have begun to obsessively remove it. While still in its early stages, there are obvious shades of what they will become present and the same cold logic is on display,yet they have not fully controlled their hatred as of yet.
It’s this which is the book’s core focus and to Annandale’s credit, the depiction is very evenly handed. It’s presented as a potential failing, discussed as a flaw by many, and strange parallels are even drawn with the traitor legions. At the same time however, there are multiple situations where their new attitude and machine strength allow them to survive and endure far longer than any others would. It’s discussed further in the Afterward, but that’s the point here: It’s a discussion, an exploration. Unlike other works (hello, Codex: Clan Raukaan) the reader is not relentlessly beaten over the head about how wrong the Iron Hands are in this, how much they are betraying Ferrus or trying to systematically destroy their entire lore. Rather than preaching any message, it’s explored with points presented for and against this being a failing, and the reader is left to ultimately decide how to regard this change.
However, this subject ties into another theme, one of faith. Save for, perhaps, the Iron Warriors, the Iron Hands are the most logically driven and down-to-earth of the astartes, sticking to pure fact over all else. Even among their serfs however, there are the whispers of the Lectitio Divinitatus and we see again positive and negative elements of this aspect. While the very reasons the Emperor wished for the destruction of all organised religion is evident, the reader is shown just how necessary such faith is to humanity’s survival. Overall (despite one early line resembling a certain Life of Brian joke) it’s certainly better considered and handled than many other interpretations, and it helps to build upon the mounting theme of the book’s horror.
The very nature of Pythos ignores all basic logic, from its wildlife to the very way in which physics operates. Having no true comprehension of Chaos or the truth behind the Warp, the Iron Hands and their allies attempt to adapt as best they can but it’s against a force they have been taught does not exist. The astartes simply refuse to accept anything they see, and this negative impact of the Imperial Truth proves to be a fascinating angle, arising even when they are fighting kaiju sized wildlife.
Speaking of said wildlife, much of the combat here is against non-traitor forces. While the Emperor’s Children do show up for a fight, much of the book is focused upon driving back and holding the line against Warp corrupted forces on the world. While Pythos is not yet an outright daemon world, it is heavily influenced by Chaos to the point where everything on the planet is attempting to kill the Iron Hands. This is likely to be a major make or break point given reception of the likes of Fear to Tread, and the lack of an enemy with a true face or speaking role does make the book occasionally feel directionless. It doesn’t help that the pacing never slows down enough to truly spend time outlining the alien nature of the world or the sheer scale of the saurians, leaving some points feeling underwhelming despite their obvious impact and power.
Annandale’s writing style may well be another problem for some readers. As previously discussed in Stormseer he plays well with describing general methods of war, tactics and the destruction of scenes, along with specific moments in battle. However, it doesn’t hold up as well when it comes to building an image of individual people racing through combat when following certain figures. As such those used to the more traditional writings of other authors may feel some events are underplayed or a little hard to follow at times. Combined with the way exchanges of dialogue are structured as if it were a script and the use of onomatopoeia, and the story reads as if it would be better suited as an audio book.
The final problems surround some of the characters themselves and certain facts. While the book does produce some intelligent details such as why the Iron Hands do not return to Terra following Ferrus’ death, scenes do seem to treat Isstvan V if most of the legion was there rather than just Ferrus and his Morlock elite and a few other issues. What’s more is that, while the characters feel more like true Iron Hands than the crew of the Sisypheum, they do not stand out as well. Many of them feel far more like examples of character types or personified ideas rather than true characters.
Despite this, overall The Damnation of Pythos is a very solid read. Right from the beginning it maintains a tight focus, fast pace and excellent combat, eventually culminating in a fantastically dark ending. The Iron Hands are treated with respect and intelligence despite its horror theme, and no army truly suffers here. Those let down by Vengeful Spirit, or wanting a more legion focused book with far less primarchs and a lot more Prince of Darkness, should definitely give this one a look.
May 21, 2014
The clue is in the title really – ‘Damnation of Pythos’. Not salvation, damnation. Given David Annandale’s love of horror films and monsters it should come as no surprise to find that his first novel in the Horus Heresy series is somewhat on the bleak side. For the 30th novel in this every-growing series we find ourselves back with the Iron Hands in the aftermath of Isstvan V and the Dropsite Massacre, with the loss of Ferrus Manus still fresh and raw in their minds.
Read the full review at http://trackofwords.wordpress.com/201...
Read the full review at http://trackofwords.wordpress.com/201...
June 26, 2024
I truly believe that buried in this book is a great horror short story, in the style the author often pens for Black Library, but the conversion of that story to a fall novel dilutes the experience and falls a little flat, sadly. There are some great moments within the jungles of Pythos especially, but it's a bit of a slog to get between them, and the book spurns its most enjoyable characters to get there. I truly felt the horror twist on heresy should have been allowed to exist in a short, punchy format, instead of wrangled to fit the HH norm.
October 28, 2014
Military space opera, horror, epicness, tragedy and a great ending. What you want more?
June 15, 2017
You can read the full review over at my blog:
https://shadowhawksshade.wordpress.co...
Getting back into the Horus Heresy series after such a long break has been a great experience. Legacies of Betrayal and Garro: Vow of Faith helped ground me and remind me of many of the ongoing storylines while The Crimson King continued the story of the Thousand Sons and Magnus. It also helps that you can jump back-and-forth between novels given how many narratives are in play and that certainly is key for a returning reader since you are not bound to a specific reading order. And in that respect, The Damnation of Pythos by David Annandale is a good example since while it continues a narrative introduced in the Veritas Ferrum micro-short, it is also a standalone. It is also one of the most bleak stories in the series, very intense and emotionally draining even, which fits right in with the horror of the Horus Heresy.
With The Damnation of Pythos, David revisits the story of Captain Durun Atticus of the Iron Hands that we first saw in Veritas Ferrum. This micro-short was released as a standalone story during one of the Advent Christmas events and was then reprinted in the anthology Legacies of Betrayal. In that story we saw how Atticus and his ship, the Veritas Ferrum, was one of the last Iron Hands vessels to arrive in the Isstvan system and witnessed the terrible fallout of the Dropsite Massacre. Just as he was retreating the system however, he was contacted by Sergeant Khi’dem of the Salamanders, one of the loyalist legions massacred and broken on the surface of Isstvan V, requesting his help. Atticus gave his help grudgingly, and now we see what happened to these warriors in the aftermath of that.
The story of Pythos is a rather strange one. As far as I know, this is all completely new territory to be explored and the novel is practically a standalone as well. If you pick this up hoping to read more about the central storyline then you will be disappointed. As such, I think that what David wanted to accomplish for this novel is very well served by this being a plot on its own. It doesn’t really owe anything to the larger series and can focus laser-sharp on the characters and their immediate circumstances without that extra baggage. Yes, it does take a cue from the events that have preceded it, but it isn’t beholden to continue on with those. It is an interesting niche to occupy and it certainly adds to the overall experience.
I mentioned above that the story of The Damnation of Pythos is very bleak. That is in part due to the fact that David elects to focus on the horror elements of the Warhammer setting here. The Astartes were created to know no fear, to be shining examples of bravery and courage and martial glory in an age when Mankind needed warriors such as these. So, in that respect, what is it exactly that can make even an Astartes fear for something, especially in an age where the Emperor has decreed the Imperial Truth of there being no gods or goddesses in the universe? We know that the Emperor lied on this matter, for reasons of his own and that this was one of the chinks in the armour of the traitor Legions. So there has to be something more to all of it.
And that, ultimately, is the beauty of the novel.
https://shadowhawksshade.wordpress.co...
Getting back into the Horus Heresy series after such a long break has been a great experience. Legacies of Betrayal and Garro: Vow of Faith helped ground me and remind me of many of the ongoing storylines while The Crimson King continued the story of the Thousand Sons and Magnus. It also helps that you can jump back-and-forth between novels given how many narratives are in play and that certainly is key for a returning reader since you are not bound to a specific reading order. And in that respect, The Damnation of Pythos by David Annandale is a good example since while it continues a narrative introduced in the Veritas Ferrum micro-short, it is also a standalone. It is also one of the most bleak stories in the series, very intense and emotionally draining even, which fits right in with the horror of the Horus Heresy.
With The Damnation of Pythos, David revisits the story of Captain Durun Atticus of the Iron Hands that we first saw in Veritas Ferrum. This micro-short was released as a standalone story during one of the Advent Christmas events and was then reprinted in the anthology Legacies of Betrayal. In that story we saw how Atticus and his ship, the Veritas Ferrum, was one of the last Iron Hands vessels to arrive in the Isstvan system and witnessed the terrible fallout of the Dropsite Massacre. Just as he was retreating the system however, he was contacted by Sergeant Khi’dem of the Salamanders, one of the loyalist legions massacred and broken on the surface of Isstvan V, requesting his help. Atticus gave his help grudgingly, and now we see what happened to these warriors in the aftermath of that.
The story of Pythos is a rather strange one. As far as I know, this is all completely new territory to be explored and the novel is practically a standalone as well. If you pick this up hoping to read more about the central storyline then you will be disappointed. As such, I think that what David wanted to accomplish for this novel is very well served by this being a plot on its own. It doesn’t really owe anything to the larger series and can focus laser-sharp on the characters and their immediate circumstances without that extra baggage. Yes, it does take a cue from the events that have preceded it, but it isn’t beholden to continue on with those. It is an interesting niche to occupy and it certainly adds to the overall experience.
I mentioned above that the story of The Damnation of Pythos is very bleak. That is in part due to the fact that David elects to focus on the horror elements of the Warhammer setting here. The Astartes were created to know no fear, to be shining examples of bravery and courage and martial glory in an age when Mankind needed warriors such as these. So, in that respect, what is it exactly that can make even an Astartes fear for something, especially in an age where the Emperor has decreed the Imperial Truth of there being no gods or goddesses in the universe? We know that the Emperor lied on this matter, for reasons of his own and that this was one of the chinks in the armour of the traitor Legions. So there has to be something more to all of it.
And that, ultimately, is the beauty of the novel.
December 4, 2017
This volume of the Heresy took a step sideways from the progress of the previous, and for a while I doubted it would be a worthy side step, feeling it was potentially recovering older ground.
However it turned into a solid and enjoyable addition to the series and dug deeper into the faith and humanity that makes up this overall series. Well done.
However it turned into a solid and enjoyable addition to the series and dug deeper into the faith and humanity that makes up this overall series. Well done.
June 1, 2025
The Damnation of Pythos seko Iron Hands (IH) leģiona kuģim Veritas Ferrum, tā personālijam, kā arī dažiem to izglābtiem citu lojālo leģionu astartes brāļiem no Salamandru un Raven Guard leģioniem. Lai cik ļoti atšķirīgs nebūtu IH skatījums uz miesas vājumu un to simpātijas pret savas miesas aizstāšanu ar tehniku, visiem izdzīvojušajiem jāapvieno spēki, jo vien tā tiem ir cerība pat savā novājinātajā stāvoklī kaitēt nodevēju leģioniem.
https://poseidons99.com/2025/06/01/da...
https://poseidons99.com/2025/06/01/da...
February 22, 2026
This was a good read. It started well, had a bit of a mid point lull but it ended brilliantly. I struggled to see where this book fit into the narrative but once you get the full reveal, the penny dropped and it fits in nicely. Looking forward to seeing how the events of this story affect the ongoing heresy.
June 24, 2025
Didn’t expect to love this as much as I did, but the way it leans into the cosmic horror aspect of the warp all the way through is great fun. Add to that the crisis of the X legion and its identity following Isstvan V and it makes for an incredibly compelling read, even as someone who doesn’t enjoy the Iron Hands as much.
April 4, 2024
April 2024 Read using the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project Reading Order Omnibus XII The Truth of Iron (https://www.heresyomnibus.com/omnibus...) as part of my Oath of Moment to complete the Horus series and extras.
This was my jam and marmalade tart selection round my nan's when I was a kid and it rained on the way to hers from school, so I got to wear her huge, quilted dressing gown.
The Veritas Ferrum, last seen in the Black Library Advent Calendar 2012 prequel short of the same name, finds itself in the Pandorax System, following the contentious rescuing of flesh, in the form their flaming and sneaky cousins, at the expense of iron, vessels containing equipment and flyers, as they fled the slaughter of the Isstvan System after the Dropsite Massacre. Coming across a seemingly safe, unpopulated world they proceed to have an A24-arse time with randomly appearing colonists with merry Midsommar, but less offencive to practicing Pagans, vibes, an ecosystem that has gone bloody wild, creeping nightmares and paranoia that would have nightmares with sharks swimming through their veins...sleeping with the lights on, philosophical fraternal fractiousness, a fascinating exploration of the nature of faith, truth, and reality, and the kind of Daemonic situation you would get if X-Zibit heard you liked Daemons!
I haven't read any reviews, but the rainy scuttlebutt I hear about this book, by which I mean the notes on the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project, suggests this book isn't particularly popular because it doesn't significantly progress the plot. I've been listening to way too much of a certain hilarious Australian podcast because the way in which I want to start my response to this is probably against Goodreads TOS. Runt, the narrative of the Heresy is they do the Great Crusade for a bit, they fight for a bit beyond Terra, then they fight for a bit on Terra, and then the Traitors fight for a bit all the way back to the Eye of Terra...and then they continue to fight for a bit for eleven thousand plus more years! I get that there are narrative threads and arcs that I absolutely love and I have the benefit of having read a bunch a bunch of times and I'm began undertaking this ridiculous endeavour during the publishing of the last of the Siege of Terra books and I have the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project Reading Order to maximise my narrative enjoyment, so I'm a little spoiled Lady Fontleroy, BUT we are in a genre and galaxy where the basic plot stuff is essentially obvious and repetitive with the everything around that being the real good stuff many of us actually enjoy.
Anyways, I'm all for the joys of subjectivity and I love that people seem to love The Path of Heaven, which is one of very few Chris Wraight books I don't adore. Honestly, I would love to see the numbers of people who have strongly opposing feelings on that book and this one. I bet they are high!
Getting back on track, I fell in love with with David Annandale when I read the Betrayal at Calth novella, The Unburdened, which I simply wanted to join in unholy matrimony (yeah, I Sedd it) , especially after really having a bad time with the first one. Since then, I haven't had a chance to read much of their work, but it's been a mixed bag. However, this is so absolutely, perfectly, exquisitely both of our bags baybee! Annandale is exalted and the GOR (which is like the GOAT, but more Chaos) when it comes to getting metaphysical, theological, Chaotic, and the horror and fractiousness internally and externally, especially when trapped within realms of the nightmare bottle episode!
The sustained metaphor of the flesh and iron, their dichotomy and meaning reflected and refracted across the novel, from whether it's right to expend Battle Brothers to save seemingly suicidal and certainly not at all suspicious human flesh being devoured by angry dinosaurs or not, all the way to the horrific warpflesh of Daemons as peak flesh bad, but the iron of Daemon Engines and Juggernauts also being bad...is frankly written a lot better than my description of it, and, while the dogmatic differences between Legions have been handled better, and a lot worse, in other stories, it absolutely works. This is because the characters are interesting, and distinct and engaging enough to connect with. Annandale does the thing that I desperately need, granting insight into the words and deeds of characters by seeing some of the inner workings of their minds. When you combine this with awful etheric influence, I'm a very happy camper.
This is just bloody good and, at times, absolutely ridiculous (complimentary), grimdark, horror, sci-fi, fantasy epicness, including events, concepts, and action of titanic proportions, and frankly, ludicrous goings on. There's genuinely unnerving psychological horror elements and later truly wild action that is comparable to what if Michael Bay actually made a good movie, but with a more serious tone and devastating results. Witnessing the awesome power of the Akido Daemon doing unfathomable reversals in the apotheosis of Power Rangers fight sequences might not necessarily be everyone's thing, but I'm truly glad it is mine.
I can't think of a way to describe how I feel about this book in a more concise way than to say it's like the Platonic Ideal of what I want, pretty much in general, but especially in a story from the Black Library. It's not contending for my favourite, but it is the VIP lounge for the favourites and I'm excited to eventually return to it. Basically, I love it to bits, but it didn't make me cry so it can't be my favourite lmfao.
Truly so much fun!
Through using the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project (www.heresyomnibus.com) and my own choices, I have currently read 22.41 Horus Heresy novels, 12 novellas, 65 short stories/ audio dramas (including at least 2 repeats), as well as the Macragge's Honour graphic novel, 13 Primarchs novels, 4 Primarchs short stories/ audio dramas, and 2 Warhammer 40K further reading novels...this run. I can't say enough good about the way the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project suggestions. I'm loving it! Especially after originally reading to the releases and being so frustrated at having to wait so long for a narrative to continue.
This was my jam and marmalade tart selection round my nan's when I was a kid and it rained on the way to hers from school, so I got to wear her huge, quilted dressing gown.
The Veritas Ferrum, last seen in the Black Library Advent Calendar 2012 prequel short of the same name, finds itself in the Pandorax System, following the contentious rescuing of flesh, in the form their flaming and sneaky cousins, at the expense of iron, vessels containing equipment and flyers, as they fled the slaughter of the Isstvan System after the Dropsite Massacre. Coming across a seemingly safe, unpopulated world they proceed to have an A24-arse time with randomly appearing colonists with merry Midsommar, but less offencive to practicing Pagans, vibes, an ecosystem that has gone bloody wild, creeping nightmares and paranoia that would have nightmares with sharks swimming through their veins...sleeping with the lights on, philosophical fraternal fractiousness, a fascinating exploration of the nature of faith, truth, and reality, and the kind of Daemonic situation you would get if X-Zibit heard you liked Daemons!
I haven't read any reviews, but the rainy scuttlebutt I hear about this book, by which I mean the notes on the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project, suggests this book isn't particularly popular because it doesn't significantly progress the plot. I've been listening to way too much of a certain hilarious Australian podcast because the way in which I want to start my response to this is probably against Goodreads TOS. Runt, the narrative of the Heresy is they do the Great Crusade for a bit, they fight for a bit beyond Terra, then they fight for a bit on Terra, and then the Traitors fight for a bit all the way back to the Eye of Terra...and then they continue to fight for a bit for eleven thousand plus more years! I get that there are narrative threads and arcs that I absolutely love and I have the benefit of having read a bunch a bunch of times and I'm began undertaking this ridiculous endeavour during the publishing of the last of the Siege of Terra books and I have the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project Reading Order to maximise my narrative enjoyment, so I'm a little spoiled Lady Fontleroy, BUT we are in a genre and galaxy where the basic plot stuff is essentially obvious and repetitive with the everything around that being the real good stuff many of us actually enjoy.
Anyways, I'm all for the joys of subjectivity and I love that people seem to love The Path of Heaven, which is one of very few Chris Wraight books I don't adore. Honestly, I would love to see the numbers of people who have strongly opposing feelings on that book and this one. I bet they are high!
Getting back on track, I fell in love with with David Annandale when I read the Betrayal at Calth novella, The Unburdened, which I simply wanted to join in unholy matrimony (yeah, I Sedd it) , especially after really having a bad time with the first one. Since then, I haven't had a chance to read much of their work, but it's been a mixed bag. However, this is so absolutely, perfectly, exquisitely both of our bags baybee! Annandale is exalted and the GOR (which is like the GOAT, but more Chaos) when it comes to getting metaphysical, theological, Chaotic, and the horror and fractiousness internally and externally, especially when trapped within realms of the nightmare bottle episode!
The sustained metaphor of the flesh and iron, their dichotomy and meaning reflected and refracted across the novel, from whether it's right to expend Battle Brothers to save seemingly suicidal and certainly not at all suspicious human flesh being devoured by angry dinosaurs or not, all the way to the horrific warpflesh of Daemons as peak flesh bad, but the iron of Daemon Engines and Juggernauts also being bad...is frankly written a lot better than my description of it, and, while the dogmatic differences between Legions have been handled better, and a lot worse, in other stories, it absolutely works. This is because the characters are interesting, and distinct and engaging enough to connect with. Annandale does the thing that I desperately need, granting insight into the words and deeds of characters by seeing some of the inner workings of their minds. When you combine this with awful etheric influence, I'm a very happy camper.
This is just bloody good and, at times, absolutely ridiculous (complimentary), grimdark, horror, sci-fi, fantasy epicness, including events, concepts, and action of titanic proportions, and frankly, ludicrous goings on. There's genuinely unnerving psychological horror elements and later truly wild action that is comparable to what if Michael Bay actually made a good movie, but with a more serious tone and devastating results. Witnessing the awesome power of the Akido Daemon doing unfathomable reversals in the apotheosis of Power Rangers fight sequences might not necessarily be everyone's thing, but I'm truly glad it is mine.
I can't think of a way to describe how I feel about this book in a more concise way than to say it's like the Platonic Ideal of what I want, pretty much in general, but especially in a story from the Black Library. It's not contending for my favourite, but it is the VIP lounge for the favourites and I'm excited to eventually return to it. Basically, I love it to bits, but it didn't make me cry so it can't be my favourite lmfao.
Truly so much fun!
Through using the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project (www.heresyomnibus.com) and my own choices, I have currently read 22.41 Horus Heresy novels, 12 novellas, 65 short stories/ audio dramas (including at least 2 repeats), as well as the Macragge's Honour graphic novel, 13 Primarchs novels, 4 Primarchs short stories/ audio dramas, and 2 Warhammer 40K further reading novels...this run. I can't say enough good about the way the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project suggestions. I'm loving it! Especially after originally reading to the releases and being so frustrated at having to wait so long for a narrative to continue.
August 5, 2019
This book is.....meh.
It takes place after the Isthvan V drop site massacre and a modge podge of space marines from different chapters come together to find a pocket of humanity that has survived after the invasion. The book kind of meanders aimlessly through the politics of their different legions, the aftermath of the treason and the interplay between the Imperial Truth and the faith some of humanity still keeps......but it doesn't do enough in any one section to make any sense. Then, the book just kind of.....ends.
It's a horror novel tbf, and probably doesn't belong in the Heresy series except for when it takes place, this book has no bearing on the larger story at all.
It takes place after the Isthvan V drop site massacre and a modge podge of space marines from different chapters come together to find a pocket of humanity that has survived after the invasion. The book kind of meanders aimlessly through the politics of their different legions, the aftermath of the treason and the interplay between the Imperial Truth and the faith some of humanity still keeps......but it doesn't do enough in any one section to make any sense. Then, the book just kind of.....ends.
It's a horror novel tbf, and probably doesn't belong in the Heresy series except for when it takes place, this book has no bearing on the larger story at all.
June 8, 2021
There simply wasn’t enough material to justify the length of this installment; it would have been better served as a novella. It’s not as though GW has not done that before with the Horus Heresy series either. There were enough plot points that I was (ultimately) glad that I read it, but if you haven’t read it yet, I would just read a synopsis.
January 3, 2022
I don't know, kinda...meh 🤷♀️
Pretty good Iron Hands book, but also pretty standard fare Heresy filler book.
Unfortunately this is primarily the last, but the Iron Hands do finally get some fairly cool representation.
Pretty good Iron Hands book, but also pretty standard fare Heresy filler book.
Unfortunately this is primarily the last, but the Iron Hands do finally get some fairly cool representation.
May 2, 2021
Almost skipped this one due to the mixed reviews. Glad I didn't in the end, although I understand why some people were annoyed that it doesn't advance the overall plot of the Heresy much. It couldn't be more of a contrast with the previous book, Vengeful Spirit, which pulled together an almost overwhelming number of characters and plot threads from previous books.
Damnation of Pythos on the other hand focuses in on a previously unseen group of Iron Hands (with a few Salamanders and Raven Guard tagging along) and their encounter with the deeply unsettling planet Pythos. It's maybe the bleakest Horus Heresy book I've read so far. Between the psychological brokenness of the Iron Hands after Istvaan, the gruesome descriptions of the physical and psychic horrors they face, and a general sense of hopelessness, it really is "grimdark" in the best way.
Damnation of Pythos on the other hand focuses in on a previously unseen group of Iron Hands (with a few Salamanders and Raven Guard tagging along) and their encounter with the deeply unsettling planet Pythos. It's maybe the bleakest Horus Heresy book I've read so far. Between the psychological brokenness of the Iron Hands after Istvaan, the gruesome descriptions of the physical and psychic horrors they face, and a general sense of hopelessness, it really is "grimdark" in the best way.
February 27, 2023
I was excited to check this book out as I was in the mood for some creepy horror Warhammer. The way the reader can see and know chaos is working and effecting people in the story while they do not yet know is always creepy. This book is about soldiers from the iron hands, salamanders and raven guard stuck on a planet full of creatures and a massive chaos presence working behind the scenes. It was interesting, wild and creepy.
October 21, 2026
I always like seeing what the good guys are getting up to after getting destroyed at Istvaan. This book has much deeper themes than most of the other horus heresy books so far. Not a lot of relevant plot to the ongoing heresy but I think it is definitely worth a read if you actually want to think when you read a 40k book.
September 19, 2025
This book, and Captain Atticus especially, really took the Iron Hands up to 2nd favorite legion for me. :)
September 7, 2023
An interesting yet albeit completely pointless novel in the HH
Still an interesting read about shattered legions behaving weirdly after istavaan though once again no plot relevance
Still an interesting read about shattered legions behaving weirdly after istavaan though once again no plot relevance
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 7, 2018
This is the origin story of the demon Madail and his birth into physical reality. Zealotry and deception enfold the remnants of shattered legions and prey upon their honor to disastrous consequences. The story and storytelling were fine, I just think this would have been better served as a novella or even a longer short story.
August 30, 2026
I really enjoyed listening to this book, despite all of the characters being so immensely stupid that I'm not sure how they tie their shoes in the morning. The plot is like this:
Psychic: "Hey so that evil looking planet over there? It's calling me seductively."
Space Marine: "Nothing suspicious about that! Let's go down and poke around."
Other Space Marine: "Okay this planet is full of giant lizards and bugs that are strong enough to kill space marines and it's slaughtered a bunch of us."
Space Marine: "Let's make a base and start a colony!"
Other Space Marine: "Turns out the mysterious colonists worship evil demon gods."
Space Marine: "I don't pay attentions to what humans do. They're dumb."
Other Space Marine: "Now they've summoned a giant demon and we have to kill it."
Space Marine: "Finally, something to kill!"
Psychic: "Hey so that evil looking planet over there? It's calling me seductively."
Space Marine: "Nothing suspicious about that! Let's go down and poke around."
Other Space Marine: "Okay this planet is full of giant lizards and bugs that are strong enough to kill space marines and it's slaughtered a bunch of us."
Space Marine: "Let's make a base and start a colony!"
Other Space Marine: "Turns out the mysterious colonists worship evil demon gods."
Space Marine: "I don't pay attentions to what humans do. They're dumb."
Other Space Marine: "Now they've summoned a giant demon and we have to kill it."
Space Marine: "Finally, something to kill!"
March 14, 2014
I would highly recommend that before you read this novel you should listen to the short prequel audio drama Veritas Ferrum.
The plot of the entire story is set in the first few months after the dropsite massacre at Isstvan V. While the story starts by following the same format as other Horus Heresy tales featuring the so-called "shattered legions". David Annandale has managed to write a novel that goes on in a way like no other book in the series.
Starting with a group of loyalist survivors looking for any way to strike back and hurt those that have betrayed them. (And they do in a spectacular way.) The novel them goes on to develop differently from any other in series. As the story progress there is a sense of mounting horror with the group of loyalists constantly having their view points of the universe challenged and in some cases found to be without foundation, this leaves them unable and unprepared to deal with a threat of such a huge scale and unknowable nature that conventional warfare if near useless, (which is a great challenge for the Astartes of the Iron Hands who know of little else.) This plays well for the ending which is epic in scale, yet tragic for characters that I wished a different outcome for.
I hope David Annandale writes a sequal soon.
The plot of the entire story is set in the first few months after the dropsite massacre at Isstvan V. While the story starts by following the same format as other Horus Heresy tales featuring the so-called "shattered legions". David Annandale has managed to write a novel that goes on in a way like no other book in the series.
Starting with a group of loyalist survivors looking for any way to strike back and hurt those that have betrayed them. (And they do in a spectacular way.) The novel them goes on to develop differently from any other in series. As the story progress there is a sense of mounting horror with the group of loyalists constantly having their view points of the universe challenged and in some cases found to be without foundation, this leaves them unable and unprepared to deal with a threat of such a huge scale and unknowable nature that conventional warfare if near useless, (which is a great challenge for the Astartes of the Iron Hands who know of little else.) This plays well for the ending which is epic in scale, yet tragic for characters that I wished a different outcome for.
I hope David Annandale writes a sequal soon.
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