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The Horus Heresy #Audio Drama
Garro: Sword of Truth
Nathaniel Garro, knight errant and agent of the Sigillite, returns from the battlefields of Calth to find a new mission already waiting for him – a ragged fleet of Space Marines from several Legions lingers at the edge of the Terran system. With the presence of World Eaters and Emperor’s Children causing concern among the loyalist defenders and drawing a grim parallel with his own frantic flight, Garro must look beneath the obvious if he is to determine friend from foe...
2 pages, Audio CD
First published November 26, 2012
4 people are currently reading
320 people want to read
About the author
James Swallow
302 books1,068 followersJames Swallow is a New York Times, Sunday Times and Amazon #1 bestselling author and scriptwriter, a BAFTA nominee, a former journalist and the award-winning writer of over sixty-five books, along with scripts for video games, comics, radio and television.
DARK HORIZON, his latest stand-alone thriller, is out now from Mountain Leopard Press, and OUTLAW, the 6th action-packed Marc Dane novel, is published by Bonnier.
Along with the Marc Dane thrillers, his writing includes, the Sundowners steampunk Westerns and fiction from the worlds of Star Trek, Tom Clancy, 24, Warhammer 40000, Doctor Who, Deus Ex, Stargate, 2000AD and many more.
For information on new releases & more, sign up to the Readers’ Club here: www.bit.ly/JamesSwallow
Visit James's website at http://www.jswallow.com/ for more, including ROUGH AIR, a free eBook novella in the Marc Dane series.
You can also follow James on Bluesky at @jmswallow.bsky.social, Twitter at @jmswallow, Mastodon at @jmswallow@mstdn.social and jmswallow.tumblr.com at Tumblr.
DARK HORIZON, his latest stand-alone thriller, is out now from Mountain Leopard Press, and OUTLAW, the 6th action-packed Marc Dane novel, is published by Bonnier.
Along with the Marc Dane thrillers, his writing includes, the Sundowners steampunk Westerns and fiction from the worlds of Star Trek, Tom Clancy, 24, Warhammer 40000, Doctor Who, Deus Ex, Stargate, 2000AD and many more.
For information on new releases & more, sign up to the Readers’ Club here: www.bit.ly/JamesSwallow
Visit James's website at http://www.jswallow.com/ for more, including ROUGH AIR, a free eBook novella in the Marc Dane series.
You can also follow James on Bluesky at @jmswallow.bsky.social, Twitter at @jmswallow, Mastodon at @jmswallow@mstdn.social and jmswallow.tumblr.com at Tumblr.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
May 21, 2024
May 2024 Read using the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project Reading Order (https://www.heresyomnibus.com) as part of my Oath of Moment to complete the Horus Heresy series and extras - Now in Immaterium of everything outside the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project, before moving on to the last Omnibus XXI The Siege of Terra.
Good, clean, treacherous fun!
The is the third entry on the Garro series, but his second mission as Rubio and him team up with a member of the Custodes to intercept and verify the identity of a refugee flotilla approaching the Throneworlds...
This is hearty, unhinged, and evocative tale that highlights the callous ignorance and disregard for life that comes with authoritarianism and paranoia, really brining home (literally and figuratively) the confusion, fear, and anger that has rocked even the stalwart praetorians and transhuman warriors of the Imperium in the wake of the treachery of the Warmaster at Isstvan. It also explores the dangers of bias and generalisations we make about those seen as part of our in group and how easily anyone else is othered and diminished. There's always a real Battlestar Galactica Reimagined feel to it with the fleet and not knowing who to trust, etc. that I always enjoy.
I remember the first time I heard this being so confused as to the treacherous party, but now having read both Scars and The Path of Heaven, as well as the whole Wraight Heresy, this story hits different and makes so much more sense.
Is the Custodes a truly outrageous, scenery chomping Space Nazi? Is the 'baddy' incredibly obvious in the moustache-twirling performance? Yes to both, but we get a little caricature and honesty about how much of a fascist nightmare the Imperium really is as a treat sometimes.
The scenes of Rubio getting his Knights Errant gear and those between Garro, Rubio, and Varren are really well written and have an impressive weight and emotion to them.
More classic Garro fun as the Knights Errant increase their number and the story of the Proto-Grey Knights really interacts with the wider Horus Heresy narrative, as well as acting as a nice barometer of just how much everyone in the galaxy isosinf their freaking minds in the wake of Horus' perfidy.
Through the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project and my own additions, I have currently read* all 54 Horus Heresy main series novels (+1 repeat), 25 novellas (+2 repeats), as well as the Macragge's Honour graphic novel, all 17 Primarchs novels, 3 Characters novels, and 146 short stories/ audio dramas across the Horus Heresy (inc. 10+ repeats). Plus, 2 Warhammer 40K further reading novels and 1 short story...this run, as well as writing 1 short story myself.
I couldn't be more appreciative of the phenomenal work of the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project, which has made this ridiculous endeavour all the better and has inspired me to create and collate a collection of Horus Heresy and Warhammer 40,000 documents and checklists (http://tiny.cc/im00yz). There are now too many items to list here, but there is a contents and explainer document here (http://tiny.cc/nj00yz).
*My tracking consistently proves shoddy, but I'm doing my best
***
Initial Review:
Is this perfect? No.
Does it give me everything I want from Warhammer 40K, Horus Heresy, and Garro? Hell yeah!
Opening with an explicit acknowledgement of the violent authoritarian subjugation that make up the Imperium's Age of Enlightenment and Great Crusade, this two part audio drama is classic Horus Heresy and Garro goodness from an author who gets the galaxy and understood the assignment.
(I feel like I have some humble pie to eat, but I still maintain the Rafen Blood Angels books could be about any Chapter and are not very stimulating...at all)
*I wrote more and Goodreads ate it, which sucks. I'll try and come back to it when I'm less tired (but I almost never actually do)*
Suffice to say, I think this is a banger that gives me all I want from a Horus Heresy and Garro audio drama, and manages to serve intrigue, action, and genuine tension and emotion, while showing the Imperium for the fascist empire of psychopathic bloodthirsty sycophants and there is no good side in this conflict, only some well-intentioned individuals who have real feelings, despite being indoctrinated, killing machine demigods for an authoritarian nightmare.
There is the issue of the 'baddy' being telegraphed in the performance and the general portrayal of that faction in all Warhammer media, but whether or not the politics espoused by terrorists hiding among refugees was considered, this story at least doesn't obviously play into real world xenophobic, racist, and hateful ideologies, which is nice.
Good, clean, treacherous fun!
The is the third entry on the Garro series, but his second mission as Rubio and him team up with a member of the Custodes to intercept and verify the identity of a refugee flotilla approaching the Throneworlds...
This is hearty, unhinged, and evocative tale that highlights the callous ignorance and disregard for life that comes with authoritarianism and paranoia, really brining home (literally and figuratively) the confusion, fear, and anger that has rocked even the stalwart praetorians and transhuman warriors of the Imperium in the wake of the treachery of the Warmaster at Isstvan. It also explores the dangers of bias and generalisations we make about those seen as part of our in group and how easily anyone else is othered and diminished. There's always a real Battlestar Galactica Reimagined feel to it with the fleet and not knowing who to trust, etc. that I always enjoy.
I remember the first time I heard this being so confused as to the treacherous party, but now having read both Scars and The Path of Heaven, as well as the whole Wraight Heresy, this story hits different and makes so much more sense.
Is the Custodes a truly outrageous, scenery chomping Space Nazi? Is the 'baddy' incredibly obvious in the moustache-twirling performance? Yes to both, but we get a little caricature and honesty about how much of a fascist nightmare the Imperium really is as a treat sometimes.
The scenes of Rubio getting his Knights Errant gear and those between Garro, Rubio, and Varren are really well written and have an impressive weight and emotion to them.
More classic Garro fun as the Knights Errant increase their number and the story of the Proto-Grey Knights really interacts with the wider Horus Heresy narrative, as well as acting as a nice barometer of just how much everyone in the galaxy isosinf their freaking minds in the wake of Horus' perfidy.
Through the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project and my own additions, I have currently read* all 54 Horus Heresy main series novels (+1 repeat), 25 novellas (+2 repeats), as well as the Macragge's Honour graphic novel, all 17 Primarchs novels, 3 Characters novels, and 146 short stories/ audio dramas across the Horus Heresy (inc. 10+ repeats). Plus, 2 Warhammer 40K further reading novels and 1 short story...this run, as well as writing 1 short story myself.
I couldn't be more appreciative of the phenomenal work of the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project, which has made this ridiculous endeavour all the better and has inspired me to create and collate a collection of Horus Heresy and Warhammer 40,000 documents and checklists (http://tiny.cc/im00yz). There are now too many items to list here, but there is a contents and explainer document here (http://tiny.cc/nj00yz).
*My tracking consistently proves shoddy, but I'm doing my best
***
Initial Review:
Is this perfect? No.
Does it give me everything I want from Warhammer 40K, Horus Heresy, and Garro? Hell yeah!
Opening with an explicit acknowledgement of the violent authoritarian subjugation that make up the Imperium's Age of Enlightenment and Great Crusade, this two part audio drama is classic Horus Heresy and Garro goodness from an author who gets the galaxy and understood the assignment.
(I feel like I have some humble pie to eat, but I still maintain the Rafen Blood Angels books could be about any Chapter and are not very stimulating...at all)
*I wrote more and Goodreads ate it, which sucks. I'll try and come back to it when I'm less tired (but I almost never actually do)*
Suffice to say, I think this is a banger that gives me all I want from a Horus Heresy and Garro audio drama, and manages to serve intrigue, action, and genuine tension and emotion, while showing the Imperium for the fascist empire of psychopathic bloodthirsty sycophants and there is no good side in this conflict, only some well-intentioned individuals who have real feelings, despite being indoctrinated, killing machine demigods for an authoritarian nightmare.
There is the issue of the 'baddy' being telegraphed in the performance and the general portrayal of that faction in all Warhammer media, but whether or not the politics espoused by terrorists hiding among refugees was considered, this story at least doesn't obviously play into real world xenophobic, racist, and hateful ideologies, which is nice.
March 21, 2021
There is a whole series of short stories named after the hero of the Eisenstein, Garro. The reading order is not obvious. How hard would it have been to add a sequence number 2 to the huge name of Garro? So a recommendation: read "Oath of Moment" before this one. That is of course if you have read the first 4 novels of the Horus Heresy series and then go on with the other stories. May they make more sense to you than they made sense to me as I had my files sorted alphabetically.
These short stories are classified as "audio dramas", which means they have audio effects and couple of different voice actors. Definitely a great improvement for the listening experience.
But then again, these are Warhammer stories, meaning they try to reflect a functioning chain of command and "military", but instead this communication resembles more like shouting between children. Instead of reporting to the commanding officer and relaying your orders, in Warhammer future it is completely accepted to keep those secret and instead posture like an asshole. Also, a classic maneuver - call and NOT say what you see or want. Instead tell the receiver to come and look for himself as a prelude to the obvious The authors casually forget believability for dramatic effect, to my frustration. Don't expect anything different from this story.
Yet another small mistake is made when a whole planet is classified by a single feature of geography. Here we have a "steppe world", like the whole planet would have a single surface feature from pole to equator to pole. It's a classic sci-fi trope - you travel to a planet and forget immediately it's a huge geographically diverse astronomical body with millions of square kilometers of surface area. In a similar impulse of brilliance, if some aliens would teleport to the Sahara desert and then declare Earth as "a desert world". Not exactly the most reliable method of exploration.
All that said, I would say this is the most interesting one of the Garro stories. If you can manage to ignore the posing and stupid, the tension here is delicious. Especially demonstrating the mission and power of Garro.
I didn't spend on this product specifically, but just trying to get though everything in the Horus Heresy Humblebundle that I got a while back https://www.humblebundle.com/books/ho...
These short stories are classified as "audio dramas", which means they have audio effects and couple of different voice actors. Definitely a great improvement for the listening experience.
But then again, these are Warhammer stories, meaning they try to reflect a functioning chain of command and "military", but instead this communication resembles more like shouting between children. Instead of reporting to the commanding officer and relaying your orders, in Warhammer future it is completely accepted to keep those secret and instead posture like an asshole. Also, a classic maneuver - call and NOT say what you see or want. Instead tell the receiver to come and look for himself as a prelude to the obvious The authors casually forget believability for dramatic effect, to my frustration. Don't expect anything different from this story.
Yet another small mistake is made when a whole planet is classified by a single feature of geography. Here we have a "steppe world", like the whole planet would have a single surface feature from pole to equator to pole. It's a classic sci-fi trope - you travel to a planet and forget immediately it's a huge geographically diverse astronomical body with millions of square kilometers of surface area. In a similar impulse of brilliance, if some aliens would teleport to the Sahara desert and then declare Earth as "a desert world". Not exactly the most reliable method of exploration.
All that said, I would say this is the most interesting one of the Garro stories. If you can manage to ignore the posing and stupid, the tension here is delicious. Especially demonstrating the mission and power of Garro.
I didn't spend on this product specifically, but just trying to get though everything in the Horus Heresy Humblebundle that I got a while back https://www.humblebundle.com/books/ho...
November 23, 2012
"Nathaniel Garro, knight errant and agent of the Sigillite, returns from the battlefields of Calth to find a new mission already waiting for him – a ragged fleet of Space Marines from several Legions lingers at the edge of the Terran system. With the presence of World Eaters and Emperor’s Children causing concern among the loyalist defenders and drawing a grim parallel with his own frantic flight, Garro must look beneath the obvious if he is to determine friend from foe…"
http://thefoundingfields.com/2012/11/... - Read the Advance Triple Review with me, Djinn24 and Commissar Ploss.
Well, pretty much anything I say here is going to be redundant because I, like my fellow reviewers above, loved everything that Sword of Truth had to offer. The longer format, the narrative, the narrators – everything about this particular Audio Drama reinforces my belief that it is simply the best that Black Library have to offer, beating even the tremendously enjoyable Throne of Lies by Aaron Dembski-Bowden and Firedrake by Nick Kyme.
The characters are wide and varied in this novel, so that the Space Marines sound like Space Marines, and that there is a clear difference between the voices of the majority of the legionaries present. Taking full use of the format, Swallow doesn’t include words like “Garro exclaimed”, at the end of the sentence, and whilst this is a risk as some voices in audio-dramas can be hard to differentiate from others, there is no need for them here as John Banks, Toby Longworth and Ramon Tikaram are on fine form here. What I like about this Audio is that it’s very character driven, rather than the normal plot/action driven novels that we get from Black Library. As this is set before the events of Legion of One, the main focus is on Rubio and Garro, and this allows the listener to get inside both Astartes heads and learn what each of their thoughts and reactions are to various scenes.
The plot is great. We get several action packed moments despite the character-driven aspect of this audio drama, characters with ulterior motives, and the book is really a delight to listen to. Fans of the previous two Garro Audio Dramas will really enjoy this one, but if you haven’t listened to any of them yet, then I recommend listening to this before you listen to Legion of One. This is a result of Black Library starting to really kick into action with their Audio Dramas, and having hopefully pushed aside what doesn’t work in them, it will be great to see where we go from here.
It’s over two hours long, and I believe it’s well worth the asking price. I’d love to go into more depth about this, but I don’t want to spoil it for you – there’s a twist which is best left untouched until you listen to the Audio. It’s awesome. The action is well written by Swallow and this is an example of one of his better stuff, and the experience is only increased by the voice acting and the sound effects.
So to sum it up, Sword of Truth is a must buy, just like The Heroes that I reviewed yesterday. Horus Heresy fans will love this one, but it’s far from the best starting point for newcomers to the series, if any are reading this review.
Verdict: 5/5
http://thefoundingfields.com/2012/11/... - Read the Advance Triple Review with me, Djinn24 and Commissar Ploss.
Well, pretty much anything I say here is going to be redundant because I, like my fellow reviewers above, loved everything that Sword of Truth had to offer. The longer format, the narrative, the narrators – everything about this particular Audio Drama reinforces my belief that it is simply the best that Black Library have to offer, beating even the tremendously enjoyable Throne of Lies by Aaron Dembski-Bowden and Firedrake by Nick Kyme.
The characters are wide and varied in this novel, so that the Space Marines sound like Space Marines, and that there is a clear difference between the voices of the majority of the legionaries present. Taking full use of the format, Swallow doesn’t include words like “Garro exclaimed”, at the end of the sentence, and whilst this is a risk as some voices in audio-dramas can be hard to differentiate from others, there is no need for them here as John Banks, Toby Longworth and Ramon Tikaram are on fine form here. What I like about this Audio is that it’s very character driven, rather than the normal plot/action driven novels that we get from Black Library. As this is set before the events of Legion of One, the main focus is on Rubio and Garro, and this allows the listener to get inside both Astartes heads and learn what each of their thoughts and reactions are to various scenes.
The plot is great. We get several action packed moments despite the character-driven aspect of this audio drama, characters with ulterior motives, and the book is really a delight to listen to. Fans of the previous two Garro Audio Dramas will really enjoy this one, but if you haven’t listened to any of them yet, then I recommend listening to this before you listen to Legion of One. This is a result of Black Library starting to really kick into action with their Audio Dramas, and having hopefully pushed aside what doesn’t work in them, it will be great to see where we go from here.
It’s over two hours long, and I believe it’s well worth the asking price. I’d love to go into more depth about this, but I don’t want to spoil it for you – there’s a twist which is best left untouched until you listen to the Audio. It’s awesome. The action is well written by Swallow and this is an example of one of his better stuff, and the experience is only increased by the voice acting and the sound effects.
So to sum it up, Sword of Truth is a must buy, just like The Heroes that I reviewed yesterday. Horus Heresy fans will love this one, but it’s far from the best starting point for newcomers to the series, if any are reading this review.
Verdict: 5/5
October 5, 2016
Basically Cluedo but with Space Marines. Who is the REAL traitor? Hmmm?!?
Of course, with all these different legions having some who did & didn't fall, it really just makes the Dark Angels seem like a bunch of whiny gits, doesn't it?
Also it really makes me wonder about the Outcast Dead. Like ... isn't it weird that they all were like, 'yeah, betrayal, that sounds good even though I'm ON PRISON ON EARTH & HAVE NO CONTACT WITH MY LEGIONS.' I could buy the Thousand Sons leading them (yay psychic power, etc.), but ... really?
Anyway, not bad, and the full cast is fun, but the story just kind of keeps grinding on long after its welcome. Fun to see a berserker in action, though.
Of course, with all these different legions having some who did & didn't fall, it really just makes the Dark Angels seem like a bunch of whiny gits, doesn't it?
Also it really makes me wonder about the Outcast Dead. Like ... isn't it weird that they all were like, 'yeah, betrayal, that sounds good even though I'm ON PRISON ON EARTH & HAVE NO CONTACT WITH MY LEGIONS.' I could buy the Thousand Sons leading them (yay psychic power, etc.), but ... really?
Anyway, not bad, and the full cast is fun, but the story just kind of keeps grinding on long after its welcome. Fun to see a berserker in action, though.
August 10, 2019
- Quote: Each side believed they carried the sword of truth. And with that weapon they were justified in the acts they commited
- Thoughts: The second of Garro's special ops team is recruited, it's again a very clichè story, but it's still cool. Garro does not work well under authority, it seens he's apt to undermine other people's authority.
▶◀
These are my personal opinions, you may discord, my final rating of the book is not necessarily linked to this system and may diverge from it.
Book Storyline
- Originality: 2/5 stars
- Development: 4/5 stars
- Enjoyment: 4/5 stars
- Writing stile: 3/5 stars
- Funnyness: 0/5 stars
- Epicness: 2/5 stars
- Scaryness: 1/5 stars
- Smartness: 3/5 stars
- Addictiveness: 3/5 stars
- Plot twists: 2/5 stars
- Pace: 3/5 stars
- Storyline planning: 4/5 stars
- Ending: 4/5 stars
- Holes: 2/5 negative stars
- Self contained ✓
- Cliffhanger ✓
- Adult ×
- Mystery ×
- Treasure Hunting ×
- Violence level: War, civilian casualties
- Tech level: Power Armor, warp spaceships
- Religion level: Fanatism and terrorism
- Main genre: War
- Subgenre: Scy fy, Warhammer 40K
- Point of view: Scenes Narration, Main characters perspective narrative
- Best of it: well stabilished universe
- Worst of it: No character consistency between books
- Aftertaste: Good
World
- Originality: 2/5 stars
- Variety: 2/5 stars
- Consistency: 2/5 stars
- Impact on the story: 4/5 stars
- Maps: 0/5 stars
- Journey (Y/N): ×
- Main scenario: Inside the ships of the emigration flotilla.
Characters
There is no consistency of personality in the characters between books, even though this Garro trilogy was supposedly written by the same author.
- Consistency: 2/5 stars
- Connection: 2/5 stars
- Dialogs: 4/5 Stars
- Interactions: 4/5 Stars
- Underworld Crew (✓/×): ×
- Training (✓/×): ×
- Romance: ×
- Notable best characters: the Custodian
- Notable worse characters: Garro
Setting
Extremely deep and expansive setting spanning thru dozens of books.
- Setting overall score: 5/5 Stars
- Tension: 3/5 Stars
- Atmosphere: 2/5 Stars
- Hi tech warriors ✓
- Psycho powers ✓
- Badass military men ✓
Rules
- Devised system: 3/5 stars
- System complexity: 3/5 stars
- System explanation: 2/5 stars
- Impact on storyline: 3/5 stars
- Rulebreaker (Y/N): ×
- Type of Rule: Hi tech, Geneforge
Series Storyline
- Impact of this book in storyline: 3/5 stars
- Storyline planning: 4/5 stars OR /5 negative stars
- Can be read as a standalone (✓/×): ✓
- Thoughts: The second of Garro's special ops team is recruited, it's again a very clichè story, but it's still cool. Garro does not work well under authority, it seens he's apt to undermine other people's authority.
▶◀
These are my personal opinions, you may discord, my final rating of the book is not necessarily linked to this system and may diverge from it.
Book Storyline
- Originality: 2/5 stars
- Development: 4/5 stars
- Enjoyment: 4/5 stars
- Writing stile: 3/5 stars
- Funnyness: 0/5 stars
- Epicness: 2/5 stars
- Scaryness: 1/5 stars
- Smartness: 3/5 stars
- Addictiveness: 3/5 stars
- Plot twists: 2/5 stars
- Pace: 3/5 stars
- Storyline planning: 4/5 stars
- Ending: 4/5 stars
- Holes: 2/5 negative stars
- Self contained ✓
- Cliffhanger ✓
- Adult ×
- Mystery ×
- Treasure Hunting ×
- Violence level: War, civilian casualties
- Tech level: Power Armor, warp spaceships
- Religion level: Fanatism and terrorism
- Main genre: War
- Subgenre: Scy fy, Warhammer 40K
- Point of view: Scenes Narration, Main characters perspective narrative
- Best of it: well stabilished universe
- Worst of it: No character consistency between books
- Aftertaste: Good
World
- Originality: 2/5 stars
- Variety: 2/5 stars
- Consistency: 2/5 stars
- Impact on the story: 4/5 stars
- Maps: 0/5 stars
- Journey (Y/N): ×
- Main scenario: Inside the ships of the emigration flotilla.
Characters
There is no consistency of personality in the characters between books, even though this Garro trilogy was supposedly written by the same author.
- Consistency: 2/5 stars
- Connection: 2/5 stars
- Dialogs: 4/5 Stars
- Interactions: 4/5 Stars
- Underworld Crew (✓/×): ×
- Training (✓/×): ×
- Romance: ×
- Notable best characters: the Custodian
- Notable worse characters: Garro
Setting
Extremely deep and expansive setting spanning thru dozens of books.
- Setting overall score: 5/5 Stars
- Tension: 3/5 Stars
- Atmosphere: 2/5 Stars
- Hi tech warriors ✓
- Psycho powers ✓
- Badass military men ✓
Rules
- Devised system: 3/5 stars
- System complexity: 3/5 stars
- System explanation: 2/5 stars
- Impact on storyline: 3/5 stars
- Rulebreaker (Y/N): ×
- Type of Rule: Hi tech, Geneforge
Series Storyline
- Impact of this book in storyline: 3/5 stars
- Storyline planning: 4/5 stars OR /5 negative stars
- Can be read as a standalone (✓/×): ✓
January 27, 2022
Garro is called in to accompany a Custodian as he meets with a group of loyalists who supposedly escaped Horus's betrayal on Isstvan III. It's a story of treachery and suspicion, and keeps you questioning who can really be trusted until the very end.
Unfortunately, I didn't really enjoy it that much because I felt like the Custodian wasn't used very well. He was brash and impetuous, which is fine but not qualities I would expect from a Custodian. And frankly, I'm not sure there was any reason why they needed to specifically use a Custodian for this role, other than maybe authority. It felt a little wasteful.
Unfortunately, I didn't really enjoy it that much because I felt like the Custodian wasn't used very well. He was brash and impetuous, which is fine but not qualities I would expect from a Custodian. And frankly, I'm not sure there was any reason why they needed to specifically use a Custodian for this role, other than maybe authority. It felt a little wasteful.
February 11, 2021
Super predictable plot twist... knew the out come from the moment we were introduced to the refugees' officers.
Even though this took away from the story telling I really enjoyed the interactions and dialogue between the main characters. I really enjoyed the conviction and dedication each character had to there motives and morals and agendas.
Even though this took away from the story telling I really enjoyed the interactions and dialogue between the main characters. I really enjoyed the conviction and dedication each character had to there motives and morals and agendas.
August 29, 2022
Espectacular es poco, que combates, que diálogos, que personajes. Una maravilla desde el principio, la muerte del hijo de Fulgrim, el custodio, el berserker. Hay auténticos momentazos dignos del mejor libro de la herejía. Nunca confié en los cicatrices blancas y esta traición es de las peores que he visto.
December 18, 2019
The third book in the Garro series. Directly following the plot from Garro: Oath of Moment & Garro: Burden of Duty. This time the story follows a secret mission to assess whether a flotilla of ships is friend or foe.
November 2, 2023
Okay, this is a good audio drama. Well produced, great voice acting (except whoever is doing the Señor Chang "Mysterious! Inscrutible!" Chinese guy voice for Hakim). I do wish the twist wasn't totally obvious and telegraphed.
May 8, 2017
I'm hooked on this audio book series. They're a lot of fun.
October 23, 2025
Now, this was a fun one. I haven't been a huge fan of the Garro books despite really liking Garro, but this one adds a decent story-driven arc to the mix. I found it really entertaining and not as predictable as I originally expected. The Garro Anthology definitely gets better with time.
August 24, 2025
Garro as well as Custodian Khorarinn encounter a fleet of World Eater and Emperor's Children ships claiming to be loyal, fleeing the aggression of their Legions with refugees onboard. Garro himself a loyalist from a traitor Legion is sympathetic, while Khorarinn would let the fleet die if it meant preventing a traitor from reaching Terra.
In this time of galactic civil war, deceit is commonplace and trust will get you killed.
I really enjoyed the scenes between Rubio and Garro, as Rubio enters into the Knight Errants, his old life scrubbed away. Unlike Garro, Rubio's Legion is still loyal, his oaths still stand. So there is some contrast in how they both feel about their new duties.
Overall I'm really enjoying the Garro series so far.
In this time of galactic civil war, deceit is commonplace and trust will get you killed.
I really enjoyed the scenes between Rubio and Garro, as Rubio enters into the Knight Errants, his old life scrubbed away. Unlike Garro, Rubio's Legion is still loyal, his oaths still stand. So there is some contrast in how they both feel about their new duties.
Overall I'm really enjoying the Garro series so far.
February 15, 2017
Fun little side story. Includes a painfully red, dastardly fishy, red herring.
March 21, 2016
A damn good addition to Garro's series of audio dramas, and the whole Knights Errant story line.
This was the story of Varren's coming into the Knights Errant, as we saw him earlier in Garro: Legion of One(IIRC). The story was awesome, the sound effects were amazing, except for the psychic sounds, and the voice actors did an amazing job with the various characters.
This audio drama was much more well done than some in the past, the script really was a dramatic work, and really gave the feeling of treachery and betrayal that is the Horus Heresy than some of the others thus far.
Damn good stuff, I can't wait for the next one!
This was the story of Varren's coming into the Knights Errant, as we saw him earlier in Garro: Legion of One(IIRC). The story was awesome, the sound effects were amazing, except for the psychic sounds, and the voice actors did an amazing job with the various characters.
This audio drama was much more well done than some in the past, the script really was a dramatic work, and really gave the feeling of treachery and betrayal that is the Horus Heresy than some of the others thus far.
Damn good stuff, I can't wait for the next one!
February 16, 2023
An epic audio drama with spectacular voice acting, tension, betrayal and brutal fight scenes, all creating a gripping mystery as Nathaniel Garro tries to discover who can be trusted when a refugee flotilla, claiming to be fleeing Horus's treachery, including loyalist members of the Traitor Legions like Garro, appears at the furthest edge of the solar system. With claims of treachery abounding and the Imperial authorities more than willing to shoot first and ask questions later, Garro must tread carefully if he is to determine who can be trusted...
Probably my favourite of the Garro stories, I must listen to this again...
Probably my favourite of the Garro stories, I must listen to this again...
September 28, 2012
4.5/5. One of the better audio dramas by Black Library. Not a whole lot happens in it, and to those that have listened to "Legion of One" the final outcome of the story is fairly obvious, but it was still enjoyable.
If possible, I would recommend that people new to Garro start with "Oath of Moment", follow it up with "Sword of Truth" and finish it with "Legion of One". Followed by "Grey Angel" of course.
If possible, I would recommend that people new to Garro start with "Oath of Moment", follow it up with "Sword of Truth" and finish it with "Legion of One". Followed by "Grey Angel" of course.
December 6, 2012
After my disappointment with Chosen of Khorne, I was pleasantly surprised to see an Audio CD that was not only three times as long but must have had a very skilled team working at the sound effects in the background. I agree with the points Bane of Kings made in his review, so I won't repeat them here. Suffice to say that this audiobook earned its five-star rating fair and square.
May 8, 2016
This is what i think a good Garro audiobook is. with intrigue, secrets, treason. And nice length. maybe only quarrel ill have is that in between disks voice change and same voice actor now voices other characters. But its minor and inconsequential. Highly recommended for fans of HH and Eisenstein.
January 30, 2013
Loved this instalment from a great series.
January 9, 2013
Not bad again a short and kind of pointless story.
January 23, 2014
Really fascinating commentary on guilt & innocence by association and how both can cloud judgement.
April 12, 2017
Garro returns to Terra as a flotilla of ships arrives in the solar system to seek sanctuary. Garro must determine who is loyal and who is traitor...
... This is the best of the first three audio dramas as it is a suitable length, clear the fun to listen tow.
... This is the best of the first three audio dramas as it is a suitable length, clear the fun to listen tow.
April 14, 2017
The third audiobook in the Horus Heresy series to feature Nathanial Garro as the protagonist. Although it is the third, it may make more sense to listen to it second as it is set between Oath of Moment and Legion of One. In fact, listening to Legion of One prior to this provides a bit of a spoiler as to the fate of one character. Not a major issue as it still leaves some mystery regarding other characters.
Once again, Toby Longworth provides narration and also provides the voices for Garro and Malcador. John Banks and Ramon Tikaram also provide voice acting for the other characters. Sound effects add to the varied voices to engage the listener with the story.
At 140 minutes, this audiobook is double the length of the previous two and explores a story with a little more detail and exemplifies the distrust and anarchy that Horus' betrayal has brought to the legions of the Imperium.
An interesting and exciting listen, I look forward to the next audiobook to star Nathanial Garro.
Once again, Toby Longworth provides narration and also provides the voices for Garro and Malcador. John Banks and Ramon Tikaram also provide voice acting for the other characters. Sound effects add to the varied voices to engage the listener with the story.
At 140 minutes, this audiobook is double the length of the previous two and explores a story with a little more detail and exemplifies the distrust and anarchy that Horus' betrayal has brought to the legions of the Imperium.
An interesting and exciting listen, I look forward to the next audiobook to star Nathanial Garro.
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