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Warhammer 40,000
Space Marines: The Omnibus
The Space Marines are the foremost heroes of mankind, tireless defenders of the Emperor’s realm. Genetically crafted to be the perfect warriors, and armed and armoured with the finest equipment in the galaxy, the Space Marines bring death to the alien, the traitor and the mutant. This collection of short stories highlights the heroes and the victories of these legendary warriors, forming the ultimate collection of Space Marine fiction.
Collecting the stories from the Heroes, Legends and Victories of the Space Marines anthologies, plus three long out of print Space Marine comic strips.
Collecting the stories from the Heroes, Legends and Victories of the Space Marines anthologies, plus three long out of print Space Marine comic strips.
880 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published August 23, 2013
23 people are currently reading
181 people want to read
About the author
Christian Z. Dunn
140 books62 followersChristian Dunn, sometimes credited as C.Z. Dunn, is a senior editor for Black Library.
Librarian note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Librarian note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
October 7, 2013
Three collections of some pretty good WH40k short fiction in one (massive) volume is a hard value to beat. I read only half the stories, the ones about chapters which interested me, and found most of them to be somewhat unique for the franchise, offering some fresh perspectives and scenarios. A good brainless read.
April 1, 2018
First I thought that this book was, ok but not too much more than that. Then the book plot went beyond the roof of expectations and I was wooed by incredible plotline and amazing character development. The book even challenged my beliefs, and more than once did I ponder my own presupposiotions about morals and ethics. Man is so much more than the armor he carries and the mega-guns he carries.
I recommend this book to everyone with a curious mind and an open heart.
I recommend this book to everyone with a curious mind and an open heart.
January 14, 2014
Bookworm Speaks!
Warhammer 40k: Space Marines Omnibus
by Christian Dunn (Editor)
***
For Bookworm, anthologies are a mixed bag. Read and owning several, part of what makes them a mixed bag is that while there may be stories that are enjoyable, to get to them, one has to slog through the stories that are either ‘meh’ or simply not in the readers taste. The Space Marine Omnibus is a compilation of tales regarding the Space Marines the ‘heroes’ of the Warhammer universe, although as the stories will tell you, there are few heroes in the far future.
While Bookworm is an ardent opponent of interference with reading, a disclaimer is still in order. The Warhammer 40k universe is an exceedingly violent universe. It is not giving very much away when stating that the words ‘blood, gore, slaughter, and still beating hearts” come up fairly often. Bookworm does not recommend giving this book to young children. It is really for adults or teenagers. But the decision is yours. Bookworm does not have children.
It was pleasant surprise to find out that there were very few ‘meh’ tales in this book. Each tale describe an adventure of a different Chapter of the Space Marines, both Loyalist and Traitor. Done by a different author, the stories are all unique. Some were slower than others. A good measure to judge a story in an anthology is...do you keep checking to see how many pages you have left or do you keep reading and not want it to end. There were several stories that fell into the latter category but that may be due to a naturally impatient personality, and the fact of the matter is that mindless gore can get very tiresome. Thankfully the majority of the tales, are really interesting and avoid being repetitive as each one is unique and takes its own special look at the Space Marinces.
An interesting characteristic of the Warhammer stories particularly in this book is how they are both epic and small at the same time. The stories are all glorious tales in the annals of the Chapter History passed down through legend. At the same time though, there is the fact that there are just another small event in the endless wars of Imperium, all to be forgotten in the passage of time. So much has been forgotten in the Imperium already and so much threatens to consume the Space Marine that their heroics and adventures all seem like futile gestures.
For first glimpse into the vastness of the Imperium of Man, the Space Marine Omnibus is an excellent place to start. Its a long one!
A word of advice though: Warhammer 40k was created in the mid-eighties and hundreds of novels have been published about it, so if you are really serious about diving into the universe of the 41st millennium, Bookworm recommends reading the wikia of Warhammer 40k (http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Wa...) It will help you better understand the ins and outs of Warhammer because there is a lot of detail in these stories.
Final Verdict: While it may be a little overwhelming for a beginner, The Space Marine Omnibus is wonderful dive into Warhammer’s most famous characters and sure to delight fans of all ages.
Five out Five Stars.
Warhammer 40k: Space Marines Omnibus
by Christian Dunn (Editor)
***
For Bookworm, anthologies are a mixed bag. Read and owning several, part of what makes them a mixed bag is that while there may be stories that are enjoyable, to get to them, one has to slog through the stories that are either ‘meh’ or simply not in the readers taste. The Space Marine Omnibus is a compilation of tales regarding the Space Marines the ‘heroes’ of the Warhammer universe, although as the stories will tell you, there are few heroes in the far future.
While Bookworm is an ardent opponent of interference with reading, a disclaimer is still in order. The Warhammer 40k universe is an exceedingly violent universe. It is not giving very much away when stating that the words ‘blood, gore, slaughter, and still beating hearts” come up fairly often. Bookworm does not recommend giving this book to young children. It is really for adults or teenagers. But the decision is yours. Bookworm does not have children.
It was pleasant surprise to find out that there were very few ‘meh’ tales in this book. Each tale describe an adventure of a different Chapter of the Space Marines, both Loyalist and Traitor. Done by a different author, the stories are all unique. Some were slower than others. A good measure to judge a story in an anthology is...do you keep checking to see how many pages you have left or do you keep reading and not want it to end. There were several stories that fell into the latter category but that may be due to a naturally impatient personality, and the fact of the matter is that mindless gore can get very tiresome. Thankfully the majority of the tales, are really interesting and avoid being repetitive as each one is unique and takes its own special look at the Space Marinces.
An interesting characteristic of the Warhammer stories particularly in this book is how they are both epic and small at the same time. The stories are all glorious tales in the annals of the Chapter History passed down through legend. At the same time though, there is the fact that there are just another small event in the endless wars of Imperium, all to be forgotten in the passage of time. So much has been forgotten in the Imperium already and so much threatens to consume the Space Marine that their heroics and adventures all seem like futile gestures.
For first glimpse into the vastness of the Imperium of Man, the Space Marine Omnibus is an excellent place to start. Its a long one!
A word of advice though: Warhammer 40k was created in the mid-eighties and hundreds of novels have been published about it, so if you are really serious about diving into the universe of the 41st millennium, Bookworm recommends reading the wikia of Warhammer 40k (http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Wa...) It will help you better understand the ins and outs of Warhammer because there is a lot of detail in these stories.
Final Verdict: While it may be a little overwhelming for a beginner, The Space Marine Omnibus is wonderful dive into Warhammer’s most famous characters and sure to delight fans of all ages.
Five out Five Stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 17, 2014
All in all, the book was an OK read. Not great, but I wasn't bored either. Most of its issues could have been avoided with more variety — especially when it comes to the antagonists that the Space Marines are fighting in the different stories. Too many of these plots center around fights against the forces of Chaos. I understand that this is Games Workshop's favourite theme, but in places it got too much. I even had to put the book down for a while in some cases because I craved more variety and had to read other stuff for a change.
A lot of this could have been fixed with proper editing. As it is, they basically stitched three existing omnibi together and added an introduction and a few additional stories. With a little bit of proactive sorting of the included stories, the monotony of everyone fighting Chaos all the time would have been broken up somewhat. It would also have evened out the quality of the writing across the whole volume.
As it stands, the book is a good enough read if you want lots of different Space Marine stories in one place. Even though it feels a bit like it's the "omnibus of the other guys" as they seem to have saved stories from the well-known chapters for their own compilations. If you're not so hot on that, you might as well skip it. There are probably a lot of other Black Library books out there you should be reading first.
What follows are reviews of the individual stories in the book:
Introduction, Christian Dunn: The book starts off with a glaring error in the non-fiction introductory text about the concept of Space Marines. It's not a huge mistake, but the fact that it is present on the very first page is pretty annoying and starts the reading experience off on the wrong foot.
«The Skull Harvest», Graham McNeill: This Iron Warriors story from Graham is an excellent start to the book. I would have expected the omnibus to start off with a story about a loyalist chapter, however. Nonetheless, the story made me want to read more about Huron Blackheart and set the tone for the book nicely.
«Gauntlet Run», Chris Roberson: This one starts out a bit weak, but ends absolutely fantastic. Even though the twist at the end is pretty cheap, it's still a lot of fun to read.
«Renegades», Gav Thorpe: A really depressing story, but well written. When the author makes you sympathise with character who are actually the bad guys, you know it's a good yarn. Gav certainly pulled it off well here.
«Honour Among Fiends», Dylan Owen: A high point in the early part of the book. The first truly creative piece of storytelling and one of the few stories, that manage to give a plausible sense of motivation for Chaos Space Marines.
«Fires of War», Nick Kyme: This one was just awesome. Judging by its length, it's basically a novella and it sports a full novel's worth of content. The first story in the book that actually makes me care about what happens to its characters. I want more of this!
«The Labyrinth», Richard Ford: A weak story with predictable twists and a plot that isn't particularly inspired. At this point I started to first get wary of all the Chaos-related stories.
«Headhunted», Steve Parker: This is how it's done! Amazing work by Parker. Immediately made me want to read the rest of his Deathwatch stories. I was also happy that we were fighting xenos for a change.
«And They Shall Know No Fear», Darren Cox: More Chaos. At least the story is a good one. After a slow start, it did develop into an excellent read at about the mid-way point. Really made me want to start a Black Templars army. I always loved that chapter — what a shame that they don't have their own codex anymore.
«Nightfall», Peter Fehervari: Refreshingly different. More Chaos, but I didn't really mind that here. A well executed short story all around.
«One Hate», Aaron Dembski-Bowden: Not the best story, but not the worst either. Where it really succeeds is in driving home the point about exactly how stacked the odds are against the Crimson Fists after Rhynn's World. This story concludes the first part of the omnibus (originally entitled Heroes of the Space Marines) and up until now, we've only been fighting Chaos and orks.
«Hell Night», Nick Kyme: A bit of a ghost story. Not exactly one of my favourites in this book. The plot is a bit weak and I don't think the whole thing fits into the 40K universe particularly well.
«Cover of Darkness», Mitchel Scanlon: The description of the dreadnought was probably the best I have read so far. Otherwise it's pretty run-of-the-mill Space Marine action. Way too many clichés.
«The Relic», Jonathan Green: This is a bad one. Even more tropes.
«Twelve Wolves», Ben Counter: I'm not a fan of the Space Wolves in general but even when completely ignoring the chapter this is about, I can only come to the conclusion that it is a bad story, too. The writing style is terrible and the characters and plot are too contrived. Ben has definitely written better stories.
«The Returned», James Swallow: It was good to see Tarikus again. The whole thing fits nicely with the the stuff from the second Blood Angels omnibus. For a Jim Swallow piece, however, it is rather weak in general. It feels to me like he is a lot better at long form writing.
«Consequences», Graham McNeill: A story with zero action, but it's still a gripping read. Well written. At this point, the second half of the omnibus is finally picking up speed.
«The Last Detail», Paul Kearney: This one is very unlike all the other stories in the book. Probably one of the best 40K short stories I have ever read, certainly one of the best in this book. Space Marines vs. Chaos again, but with a very refreshing new perspective.
«The Trial of the Mantis Warriors», C. S. Goto: This does not have any action at all. And even though it does not reveal anything significant about the backstory of the Badab War, it's still a fun read that uses the setting well. It does feel a little bit like this is only a part of a bigger tale, though.
«Orphans of the Kraken», Richard Williams: This must be the first story where we are fighting neither Chaos or orks and it took us over half the book to get there. While the first person perspective seems a bit clumsy, it is still a very cool story. I love the insight about the tyranids that is dotted throughout.
«At Gaius Point», Aaron Dembski-Bowden: An average story. Not incredibly interesting, but not badly written either. Makes you want to know what happens to the Flesh Tearers after the report of the Inquisition. A shame that ADB doesn't reveal that. With this, we have finished the second part of the omnibus which turned out to be very much in the vane of the first. The tyranids story was refreshing but all in all, I think the stories in the first part where better than those in the second.
«Runes», Chris Wraight: I really enjoyed this story, even if it had the stupid Space Wolves in it. Nice mix of action and an interesting plot. This one really shows off how great Space Marine stories can be when they are written well. A good start into the third part of the book.
«The Rewards of Tolerance», Gav Thorpe: More excellent stuff. Nice to see the renegades from his earlier story again. This time, the tone is less depressing. I really want to know how these characters continue on their journey.
«Black Dawn», C. L. Werner: A decent story with some nice twists.
«The Long Games at Carcharias», Rob Sanders: Very nice to see the bad guys winning for a change. I liked everything about this. Very well executed. The Alpha Legion at its absolute best. I especially liked the convincing depiction of different Chaos Space Marine warbands working together. An excellent read from the very start to the bitter end.
«Heart of Rage», James Swallow: I already read this in the second Blood Angels omnibus. A gripping short story and well worth a read. I hope we see Brother Kale again some time.
«But Dust in the Wind», Jonathan Green: Not a bad tale, but not great either. Especially the ending was not convincing to me at all. Space Marines would act like that, but I don't believe a second that the human defenders would go along with it. I think what happened here is that the author got too stuck in the ways Astartes think to convincingly explain the reactions of the normal humans.
«Exhumed», Steve Parker: Steve Parker is rapidly becoming one of my favourite Black Library authors; I need to read more of his stuff. His Deathwatch stories are really, really good. Two short stories in and I am already completely invested in these characters.
«Primary Instinct», S. P. Cawkwell: Not a fan of this one, the backstory makes little sense.
«Sacrifice», Ben Counter: Nicely written. I enjoyed this one quite a lot. And with it being about the Grey Knights, it makes sense that we are back to Space Marines vs. Chaos after a number of stories that finally dealt with other adversaries. This concludes the third part of the book that was previously released as its own publication. This part was definitely better than the second and picks up the pace from the first. What follows is a collection of additional stories exclusive to this book.
«Eclipse of Hope», David Annandale: I am torn on this story: I can't decide if the writing style is tedious or really good. In any case, I do want to know how it all continues, and that does count for something. The depiction of Mephiston was spot on — and he's not exactly the easiest character to write.
«Torturer's Thirst», Andy Smillie: An excellent short story. But then, the Flesh Tearers are always good for an excellent story.
«Tower of Blood», Tony Ballantyne: Nice idea, but I couldn't help feeling that it could have been executed on better. As it is, the story feels a little too simplistic. With a bit of editing and additional refinement, it would've turned out a lot more fun to read.
The book also includes three comics on its last pages:
«Last Man Standing», Dan Abnett & Mike Perkins: Even though it is written by Dan Abnett, this comic is very corny. It's also pretty boring.
«The Chosen», Kieron Gillen & Steve Pugh: Leaving aside the obvious spelling mistakes that they never fixed, this is a very nice little story in comic form. Kieron clearly beats Dan Abnett's effort.
«The Pilgrim��, James Peaty & Shaun Thomas: With this, the whole book ends on a low point. Very disappointing. This isn't a story, it's hardly a sketch of one. The accompanying drawings are also pretty bad and almost impossible to see, the way they are printed here.
A lot of this could have been fixed with proper editing. As it is, they basically stitched three existing omnibi together and added an introduction and a few additional stories. With a little bit of proactive sorting of the included stories, the monotony of everyone fighting Chaos all the time would have been broken up somewhat. It would also have evened out the quality of the writing across the whole volume.
As it stands, the book is a good enough read if you want lots of different Space Marine stories in one place. Even though it feels a bit like it's the "omnibus of the other guys" as they seem to have saved stories from the well-known chapters for their own compilations. If you're not so hot on that, you might as well skip it. There are probably a lot of other Black Library books out there you should be reading first.
What follows are reviews of the individual stories in the book:
Introduction, Christian Dunn: The book starts off with a glaring error in the non-fiction introductory text about the concept of Space Marines. It's not a huge mistake, but the fact that it is present on the very first page is pretty annoying and starts the reading experience off on the wrong foot.
«The Skull Harvest», Graham McNeill: This Iron Warriors story from Graham is an excellent start to the book. I would have expected the omnibus to start off with a story about a loyalist chapter, however. Nonetheless, the story made me want to read more about Huron Blackheart and set the tone for the book nicely.
«Gauntlet Run», Chris Roberson: This one starts out a bit weak, but ends absolutely fantastic. Even though the twist at the end is pretty cheap, it's still a lot of fun to read.
«Renegades», Gav Thorpe: A really depressing story, but well written. When the author makes you sympathise with character who are actually the bad guys, you know it's a good yarn. Gav certainly pulled it off well here.
«Honour Among Fiends», Dylan Owen: A high point in the early part of the book. The first truly creative piece of storytelling and one of the few stories, that manage to give a plausible sense of motivation for Chaos Space Marines.
«Fires of War», Nick Kyme: This one was just awesome. Judging by its length, it's basically a novella and it sports a full novel's worth of content. The first story in the book that actually makes me care about what happens to its characters. I want more of this!
«The Labyrinth», Richard Ford: A weak story with predictable twists and a plot that isn't particularly inspired. At this point I started to first get wary of all the Chaos-related stories.
«Headhunted», Steve Parker: This is how it's done! Amazing work by Parker. Immediately made me want to read the rest of his Deathwatch stories. I was also happy that we were fighting xenos for a change.
«And They Shall Know No Fear», Darren Cox: More Chaos. At least the story is a good one. After a slow start, it did develop into an excellent read at about the mid-way point. Really made me want to start a Black Templars army. I always loved that chapter — what a shame that they don't have their own codex anymore.
«Nightfall», Peter Fehervari: Refreshingly different. More Chaos, but I didn't really mind that here. A well executed short story all around.
«One Hate», Aaron Dembski-Bowden: Not the best story, but not the worst either. Where it really succeeds is in driving home the point about exactly how stacked the odds are against the Crimson Fists after Rhynn's World. This story concludes the first part of the omnibus (originally entitled Heroes of the Space Marines) and up until now, we've only been fighting Chaos and orks.
«Hell Night», Nick Kyme: A bit of a ghost story. Not exactly one of my favourites in this book. The plot is a bit weak and I don't think the whole thing fits into the 40K universe particularly well.
«Cover of Darkness», Mitchel Scanlon: The description of the dreadnought was probably the best I have read so far. Otherwise it's pretty run-of-the-mill Space Marine action. Way too many clichés.
«The Relic», Jonathan Green: This is a bad one. Even more tropes.
«Twelve Wolves», Ben Counter: I'm not a fan of the Space Wolves in general but even when completely ignoring the chapter this is about, I can only come to the conclusion that it is a bad story, too. The writing style is terrible and the characters and plot are too contrived. Ben has definitely written better stories.
«The Returned», James Swallow: It was good to see Tarikus again. The whole thing fits nicely with the the stuff from the second Blood Angels omnibus. For a Jim Swallow piece, however, it is rather weak in general. It feels to me like he is a lot better at long form writing.
«Consequences», Graham McNeill: A story with zero action, but it's still a gripping read. Well written. At this point, the second half of the omnibus is finally picking up speed.
«The Last Detail», Paul Kearney: This one is very unlike all the other stories in the book. Probably one of the best 40K short stories I have ever read, certainly one of the best in this book. Space Marines vs. Chaos again, but with a very refreshing new perspective.
«The Trial of the Mantis Warriors», C. S. Goto: This does not have any action at all. And even though it does not reveal anything significant about the backstory of the Badab War, it's still a fun read that uses the setting well. It does feel a little bit like this is only a part of a bigger tale, though.
«Orphans of the Kraken», Richard Williams: This must be the first story where we are fighting neither Chaos or orks and it took us over half the book to get there. While the first person perspective seems a bit clumsy, it is still a very cool story. I love the insight about the tyranids that is dotted throughout.
«At Gaius Point», Aaron Dembski-Bowden: An average story. Not incredibly interesting, but not badly written either. Makes you want to know what happens to the Flesh Tearers after the report of the Inquisition. A shame that ADB doesn't reveal that. With this, we have finished the second part of the omnibus which turned out to be very much in the vane of the first. The tyranids story was refreshing but all in all, I think the stories in the first part where better than those in the second.
«Runes», Chris Wraight: I really enjoyed this story, even if it had the stupid Space Wolves in it. Nice mix of action and an interesting plot. This one really shows off how great Space Marine stories can be when they are written well. A good start into the third part of the book.
«The Rewards of Tolerance», Gav Thorpe: More excellent stuff. Nice to see the renegades from his earlier story again. This time, the tone is less depressing. I really want to know how these characters continue on their journey.
«Black Dawn», C. L. Werner: A decent story with some nice twists.
«The Long Games at Carcharias», Rob Sanders: Very nice to see the bad guys winning for a change. I liked everything about this. Very well executed. The Alpha Legion at its absolute best. I especially liked the convincing depiction of different Chaos Space Marine warbands working together. An excellent read from the very start to the bitter end.
«Heart of Rage», James Swallow: I already read this in the second Blood Angels omnibus. A gripping short story and well worth a read. I hope we see Brother Kale again some time.
«But Dust in the Wind», Jonathan Green: Not a bad tale, but not great either. Especially the ending was not convincing to me at all. Space Marines would act like that, but I don't believe a second that the human defenders would go along with it. I think what happened here is that the author got too stuck in the ways Astartes think to convincingly explain the reactions of the normal humans.
«Exhumed», Steve Parker: Steve Parker is rapidly becoming one of my favourite Black Library authors; I need to read more of his stuff. His Deathwatch stories are really, really good. Two short stories in and I am already completely invested in these characters.
«Primary Instinct», S. P. Cawkwell: Not a fan of this one, the backstory makes little sense.
«Sacrifice», Ben Counter: Nicely written. I enjoyed this one quite a lot. And with it being about the Grey Knights, it makes sense that we are back to Space Marines vs. Chaos after a number of stories that finally dealt with other adversaries. This concludes the third part of the book that was previously released as its own publication. This part was definitely better than the second and picks up the pace from the first. What follows is a collection of additional stories exclusive to this book.
«Eclipse of Hope», David Annandale: I am torn on this story: I can't decide if the writing style is tedious or really good. In any case, I do want to know how it all continues, and that does count for something. The depiction of Mephiston was spot on — and he's not exactly the easiest character to write.
«Torturer's Thirst», Andy Smillie: An excellent short story. But then, the Flesh Tearers are always good for an excellent story.
«Tower of Blood», Tony Ballantyne: Nice idea, but I couldn't help feeling that it could have been executed on better. As it is, the story feels a little too simplistic. With a bit of editing and additional refinement, it would've turned out a lot more fun to read.
The book also includes three comics on its last pages:
«Last Man Standing», Dan Abnett & Mike Perkins: Even though it is written by Dan Abnett, this comic is very corny. It's also pretty boring.
«The Chosen», Kieron Gillen & Steve Pugh: Leaving aside the obvious spelling mistakes that they never fixed, this is a very nice little story in comic form. Kieron clearly beats Dan Abnett's effort.
«The Pilgrim��, James Peaty & Shaun Thomas: With this, the whole book ends on a low point. Very disappointing. This isn't a story, it's hardly a sketch of one. The accompanying drawings are also pretty bad and almost impossible to see, the way they are printed here.
June 26, 2017
I only read books about Space Marines... did anyone seriously think I wasn't gonna grab this?? This massive volume combines the previous omnibuses Heroes of the Space Marines, Legends of the Space Marines, and Victories of the Space Marines, with a few extra stories thrown in for fun.
--
The Skull Harvest by Graham McNeill - How did the Iron Warriors Half-Breed raise an army to invade the realm of Ultramar?
Gauntlet Run by Chris Roberson - Imperial Fists on bikes! Orks on bikes! Yesss!
Renegades by Gav Thorpe - a company of Avenging Sons realize (too late) that they're fighting for the wrong side. Hoped this was about Soul Drinkers, but hey, now I have a new favorite renegade chapter.
Honour Among Fiends by Dylan Owen - A Black Legion headhunter sallies forth to claim yet another skull for his skull pyramid. I was driven to tears by the love of a Chaos space marine for his hated enemy, his brother. I'd never heard of Dylan Owen before, and I desperately want more, but there isn't anything else. :-(
Fires of War by Nick Kyme - Salamander Dak'ir just wants to fit in, but Tsu'gan won't let him. D:
The Labyrinth by Richard Ford - Sons of Malice try to earn Malice's favor by running a maze set up in a space hulk.
Headhunter by Steve Parker - The Deathwatch (humanity's finest!) race through an Ork hulk.
And They Shall Know No Fear by Darren Cox - Black Templars stumble into an inquiry.
Nightfall by Peter Fehervari - Night Lords help evolution along in their own way.
One Hate by Aaron Dembski-Bowden - It's impossible to overstate what a master of the craft ADB is.
Hell Night - More Salamanders, more infighting between Brother Sergeants Tsu-gan and Da'kir. Worth it for the oddly touching moment between Tsu'gan and Imperial Guard Captain Mannheim. Don't see that very often.
Cover of Darkness by Mitchell Scanlon - White Scars saboteurs are sent ahead of a liberation crusade, and the dialogue is unexpectedly quoteworthy.
The Relic by Jonathan Green - Good endings in 40k are rare. Usually it's a bad ending or bittersweet at best. So when I tell you this story is only incidentally about Black Templars and that it ends gloriously, you'd best recognize.
Twelve Wolves by Ben Counter - Obviously this is a Space Wolves story, but it's memorable. The lesson it imparts haunts me to this day.
The Returned by James Swallow - The fallen shall forever be remembered as The Emperor's finest... unless they're not fallen, then things get confusing.
Consequences by Graham McNeill - I've said it before, I'll say it again: not including this story in the Ultramarines Omnibus was stupid, stupid, stupid. This story never fails to wet my eyes, it is so good.
The Last Detail by Paul Kearney - Life absolutely sucks for anyone who isn't a space marine... but where do space marines come from? (This story continues in Dark Hunters: Umbra Sumus, and I can't wait!)
The Trial of the Mantis Warriors by C S Goto - The Mantis Warriors demonstrate how space marines can be impossibly gullible.
Orphans of the Kraken by Richard Williams - Self-pity and survivor's guilt are luxuries the Scythes of the Emperor can ill afford.
At Gaius Point by Aaron Dembski-Bowden - Flesh Tearers have secrets, and everything is justified when it comes to keeping those secrets.
Runes by Chris Wraight - Space Wolves fight proto-zerg.
The Rewards of Tolerance by Gav Thorpe - The renegade Avenging Sons from the previous story return!
Black Dawn by C L Werner - Emperor's Warbringers are a loyalist chapter???
The Long Games at Carcharias - Crimson Consuls, an Ultramarines successor chapter, do not watch Bond films: "Once is unfortunate. Twice is a coincidence. Three times..."
Heart of Rage by James Swallow - The Mechanicus calls upon the Blood Angels to do their bidding... and they don't like it.
But Dust in the Wind by Jonathan Green - Imperial Fists answer a Mechanicus distress beacon only to find countless Necrons.
Exhumed by Steve Parker - The Deathwatch (humanity's finest!) watch the Mechanicus dig up something.
Primary Instinct by S P Cawkwell - Silver Skulls hunt Eldar on a jungle world. What they find will shock you!
Sacrifice by Ben Counter - As Grey Knights explore a space hulk, we flash back to the origins of their equipment. No one documents the inhumane obscenity that is the Imperium of Man quite like Counter.
Eclipse of Hope by David Annandale - Blood Angels answer a distress signal and discover a mockery of their existence.
Torturer's Thirst by Andy Smillie - A Flesh Tearer chaplain forgets teamwork is magic, is captured as a result.
Tower of Blood by Tony Ballantyne - respectable women are as rare in 40k as respectable space marines.
Last Man Standing by Dan Abnett, Mike Perkins, and Kid Robson - an Imperial Fist scout watches lights blink out on his HUD. Early in his Black Library career, Abnett said he didn't like space marine because he didn't know how to write for them. This must be from that earlier era.
The Chosen by Kieron Gillen, Steve Pugh, and Fiona Stephenson - if you knew nothing about 40k lore, this is how you would describe the Necron onslaught. Relentless and oh so accurate.
The Pilgrim by James Peaty, Shaun Thomas, and Fiona Stephenson - space marine poetry! The simple repetition bookends the fight. The ending, predicted in the beginning, is both bittersweet and triumphant.
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If you made it all the way down here, then you're obviously interested. What are you waiting for?
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The Skull Harvest by Graham McNeill - How did the Iron Warriors Half-Breed raise an army to invade the realm of Ultramar?
Gauntlet Run by Chris Roberson - Imperial Fists on bikes! Orks on bikes! Yesss!
Renegades by Gav Thorpe - a company of Avenging Sons realize (too late) that they're fighting for the wrong side. Hoped this was about Soul Drinkers, but hey, now I have a new favorite renegade chapter.
Honour Among Fiends by Dylan Owen - A Black Legion headhunter sallies forth to claim yet another skull for his skull pyramid. I was driven to tears by the love of a Chaos space marine for his hated enemy, his brother. I'd never heard of Dylan Owen before, and I desperately want more, but there isn't anything else. :-(
Fires of War by Nick Kyme - Salamander Dak'ir just wants to fit in, but Tsu'gan won't let him. D:
The Labyrinth by Richard Ford - Sons of Malice try to earn Malice's favor by running a maze set up in a space hulk.
Headhunter by Steve Parker - The Deathwatch (humanity's finest!) race through an Ork hulk.
And They Shall Know No Fear by Darren Cox - Black Templars stumble into an inquiry.
Nightfall by Peter Fehervari - Night Lords help evolution along in their own way.
One Hate by Aaron Dembski-Bowden - It's impossible to overstate what a master of the craft ADB is.
Hell Night - More Salamanders, more infighting between Brother Sergeants Tsu-gan and Da'kir. Worth it for the oddly touching moment between Tsu'gan and Imperial Guard Captain Mannheim. Don't see that very often.
Cover of Darkness by Mitchell Scanlon - White Scars saboteurs are sent ahead of a liberation crusade, and the dialogue is unexpectedly quoteworthy.
The Relic by Jonathan Green - Good endings in 40k are rare. Usually it's a bad ending or bittersweet at best. So when I tell you this story is only incidentally about Black Templars and that it ends gloriously, you'd best recognize.
Twelve Wolves by Ben Counter - Obviously this is a Space Wolves story, but it's memorable. The lesson it imparts haunts me to this day.
The Returned by James Swallow - The fallen shall forever be remembered as The Emperor's finest... unless they're not fallen, then things get confusing.
Consequences by Graham McNeill - I've said it before, I'll say it again: not including this story in the Ultramarines Omnibus was stupid, stupid, stupid. This story never fails to wet my eyes, it is so good.
The Last Detail by Paul Kearney - Life absolutely sucks for anyone who isn't a space marine... but where do space marines come from? (This story continues in Dark Hunters: Umbra Sumus, and I can't wait!)
The Trial of the Mantis Warriors by C S Goto - The Mantis Warriors demonstrate how space marines can be impossibly gullible.
Orphans of the Kraken by Richard Williams - Self-pity and survivor's guilt are luxuries the Scythes of the Emperor can ill afford.
At Gaius Point by Aaron Dembski-Bowden - Flesh Tearers have secrets, and everything is justified when it comes to keeping those secrets.
Runes by Chris Wraight - Space Wolves fight proto-zerg.
The Rewards of Tolerance by Gav Thorpe - The renegade Avenging Sons from the previous story return!
Black Dawn by C L Werner - Emperor's Warbringers are a loyalist chapter???
The Long Games at Carcharias - Crimson Consuls, an Ultramarines successor chapter, do not watch Bond films: "Once is unfortunate. Twice is a coincidence. Three times..."
Heart of Rage by James Swallow - The Mechanicus calls upon the Blood Angels to do their bidding... and they don't like it.
But Dust in the Wind by Jonathan Green - Imperial Fists answer a Mechanicus distress beacon only to find countless Necrons.
Exhumed by Steve Parker - The Deathwatch (humanity's finest!) watch the Mechanicus dig up something.
Primary Instinct by S P Cawkwell - Silver Skulls hunt Eldar on a jungle world. What they find will shock you!
Sacrifice by Ben Counter - As Grey Knights explore a space hulk, we flash back to the origins of their equipment. No one documents the inhumane obscenity that is the Imperium of Man quite like Counter.
Eclipse of Hope by David Annandale - Blood Angels answer a distress signal and discover a mockery of their existence.
Torturer's Thirst by Andy Smillie - A Flesh Tearer chaplain forgets teamwork is magic, is captured as a result.
Tower of Blood by Tony Ballantyne - respectable women are as rare in 40k as respectable space marines.
Last Man Standing by Dan Abnett, Mike Perkins, and Kid Robson - an Imperial Fist scout watches lights blink out on his HUD. Early in his Black Library career, Abnett said he didn't like space marine because he didn't know how to write for them. This must be from that earlier era.
The Chosen by Kieron Gillen, Steve Pugh, and Fiona Stephenson - if you knew nothing about 40k lore, this is how you would describe the Necron onslaught. Relentless and oh so accurate.
The Pilgrim by James Peaty, Shaun Thomas, and Fiona Stephenson - space marine poetry! The simple repetition bookends the fight. The ending, predicted in the beginning, is both bittersweet and triumphant.
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If you made it all the way down here, then you're obviously interested. What are you waiting for?
September 20, 2018
It’s not a collection of the greatest sci stories ever, but it does exactly what it should do: explain and lay out the Warhammer 40k universe and the strange relationship the world has with its Space Marines. It’s an interesting read for those interested in world building.
November 18, 2019
It was okay but a) Nick Kyme needs to stop teasing me and b) please more dead Space Marines/stories about the evils of authoritarianism.
January 29, 2022
One of them classic Space Marine collections of them being faultless and all lmao
March 29, 2025
I enjoyed this book. Lots of good short stories on this one. It was my first delvings into some of the Chaos Marine literature out there and it didn't disappoint. Worth the read for sure.
October 9, 2016
It's a Space Marine book so I am likely to read it. There are well written stories as well poorly written stories while others float within the foggy realm of mediocrity. But....they are Space Marines. I stayed with the book because there were enuf decent short stories to keep me interested. It was nice to see some of the lesser Chapters in there as well as Death Watch which I enjoyed. All in all, it was a beer and pretzels book. I'd read another and will. I would rate higher but I did not as it would have been based on the subject matter (space marines) rather than overall quality.
February 7, 2018
Want to introduce someone to Warhammer 40,000? Want to help a friend choose a side? If so, this book may be your salvation, as it provides a variety of solid short stories from the perspectives of loyalists, traitors, and renegades.
December 19, 2014
Awesome book, would recommend it to anyone who likes sci-fi, action, and fantasy. My personal favorites are the Skull Harvest, Orphans of the Kraken, and 13 Wolves.
April 11, 2017
Last year I worked my way through the Warhammer 40k short story collection called There Is Only War, and found it to be decent escapist ultra-violent sci-fi with buckets of gore and "good guys" who are often so brutal and pragmatic that they are only "good" in comparison to the forces of degenerate chaos. This omnibus was more of the same - in fact 10 of the 32 stories were the exact same ones found in the previous omnibus even though it was published only two years before and had the exact same editors....that's just lazy and annoying!
Since all of the stories in this collection starred space marines (as per the title) it was pretty one-note. If you're into uber-violent, morally ambiguous sci-fi, I'd go with the earlier collection (There Is Only War) over this one for the sake of variety.
Since all of the stories in this collection starred space marines (as per the title) it was pretty one-note. If you're into uber-violent, morally ambiguous sci-fi, I'd go with the earlier collection (There Is Only War) over this one for the sake of variety.
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