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The Siege of Terra #9
The End and the Death: Volume II
Siege of Terra Book 8, Part 2
Volume II picks up right where the first left off, with cataclysmic events building up to an epic conclusion that will shake the very galaxy to its core.
READ IT BECAUSE
The final battle aboard the Warmaster’s flagship has begun in earnest, as Sanguinius defies his fate and the Dark Gods in an attempt to end his brother’s life, and the war along with it.
THE STORY
Terra is besieged. The outcome of the war lies on a knife edge. The Warmaster Horus’ bloody seven-year crusade has led to this – the cradle of humanity, where he is to kill his father, the Emperor.
With the war at this critical juncture, Sanguinius, primarch of the loyalist Blood Angels, braves the horrors of the Warmaster’s flagship, The Vengeful Spirit, with a single purpose in mind – to slay his brother Horus, decapitate the Heresy once and for all, and stop the forces of Chaos from taking Terra.
But at the whim of a Warmaster fallen so far from grace, the Dark Gods will not make Sanguinius’ task easy. As the war edges towards its explosive, bloody conclusion, events are about to unfold that could either save humanity or plunge it headlong into an eternity of darkness.
Volume II picks up right where the first left off, with cataclysmic events building up to an epic conclusion that will shake the very galaxy to its core.
READ IT BECAUSE
The final battle aboard the Warmaster’s flagship has begun in earnest, as Sanguinius defies his fate and the Dark Gods in an attempt to end his brother’s life, and the war along with it.
THE STORY
Terra is besieged. The outcome of the war lies on a knife edge. The Warmaster Horus’ bloody seven-year crusade has led to this – the cradle of humanity, where he is to kill his father, the Emperor.
With the war at this critical juncture, Sanguinius, primarch of the loyalist Blood Angels, braves the horrors of the Warmaster’s flagship, The Vengeful Spirit, with a single purpose in mind – to slay his brother Horus, decapitate the Heresy once and for all, and stop the forces of Chaos from taking Terra.
But at the whim of a Warmaster fallen so far from grace, the Dark Gods will not make Sanguinius’ task easy. As the war edges towards its explosive, bloody conclusion, events are about to unfold that could either save humanity or plunge it headlong into an eternity of darkness.
752 pages, Hardcover
First published November 4, 2023
408 people are currently reading
1043 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 175 reviews
November 16, 2023
John Grammaticus Still Not Interesting, Studies Say
The worlds largest double-blind study has confirmed that the character John Grammaticus is still not interesting. 92% of respondents found Oll Pearson ‘a bit tiring’ but a staggering 99% of respondents found John Grammaticus; “who? Who is that guy? The guy with the other guy? What does he do again? His voice is dumb. Sorry.”
Fairground Ride Review Club gives tEatDpt2(of3) four and a half stars
“Wheeeee! tE7tDpt2 sure was fun! The pages just flew past! All kinds of things happened! We heard a lot about Fanfir Rann! Valdor fought some guys! Ferrus Manus came back for a bit, though he didn’t sound much like himself, though we don’t really know much about how he sounded. Basilio Fo did stuff nearly! Ahriman was there… Rogal was fine.”
Recent Ancient Prophecy confirmed Deceased
The extremely ancient and long awaited deeply embedded secret prophecy of the Dark King which we were informed of for the first time in the first part of this book, has sadly passed away. There will be no Dark King this season sadly. Both Malice fans are upset, Akira has called for his sphere to be returned.
Sub-Plot Fusion Energy Committee returns Disappointing Report
The Committee, dedicated to producing narrative energy by the mutual annihilation of sub-plots, has returned a zero result. With the vast plethora or extra sub-plots ambient in the end of the Horus Heresy series, it was hoped that just blasting them into each other would somehow produce something but sadly no. Thankfully the mutual collision of sub-plots does not seem to produce further sub-plots, or anything at all. “At least there are less of them now” a committee member remarked. “We are pretty much back where we started.” They said.
GW receives astropathic Message from Weis and Benisoff
Games Workshop have confirmed receipt of an astropathic message from the showrunners of Game of Thrones. It is rumoured that the message outright begs Dan Abnett not to repeat their mistakes in destroying the fragile sense of space, location and geography of an imagined paracosm. “It just turns all the characters into ping-pong balls” the decoded message reads, “almost no choice involving location or placement ends up meaning anything and this has a corrosive effect on the rest of a characters reality. Don’t follow us down this doomed path Dan Abnett!”
Formal Complaint by the Samus Defence League
The SDL has launched a formal complaint with Games Workshop over the fruitless punching bag status of dog faced muppet demon Samus. “Samus has literally never got to do anything good” the SDL spokesmuppet claimed, “he just gets his head kicked in by whoever is the main character.” The SDL also claims that Samus has been used by the Author to essentially quote himself, that is, his own text from part one, a the contents of an in-world magical book and plot contrivance in part two. “where will this end? These things are stupidly long already!”
Comment from Cambridge University
Cambridge University has responded to numerous enquiries about Dan Abnetts English Degree by stating; “Look he’s obviously got one, he quotes enough authors in this one! He keeps quoting Amiri Bakara, Camus, a few others. Look he clearly has an English degree, look at the recovered archaeisms and the words he just made up.
Abnett takes “Actually…” Crown
Rumours that Horus did indeed deliberately make himself retarded in order for the shaky story construction and very varied writing of the last 40 books to make sense were confirmed today in writing in the pages of tEatDpt2. It seems he was not badly written or poorly planned, but just very cunning and was only pretending to be a crazy retard in order to lure in the Emperor.
This revelation has been hailed as the greatest “actually” of the Horus Heresy. Previous king of Well Actually, Chris Wraight, stated; “All I did was try to re-write the entirety of Mortarians fall over the course of one conversation with a random demon, the idea of saying a major character deliberately made himself retarded as part of a super-plan, well its incredible.”
Aaron Dembski-Bowden stated; “All I did was try to re-write one half of a conversation I thought was dumb, once again Abnett has gone far and beyond what the rest of us can imagine.“
Rogal Dorn Ted Talk Confuses, Numbs, Inspires
Primarch Rogal Dorn has completed his Ted Talk in which he describes absolutely everything he knows. No audience members survived but reviewers who watched the whole talk on mute at x1000 speed report; “Dorn is so boring him speaking can literally chew his way through solid stone.” Khorne the Blood God was said to be “bored to tears”.
Local Man Loses Spear
A giant burning archeotech spear has been found in some random dead guy. Witnesses reported; “It’s a really nice spear! Though it looks like someone has tried to use it as a crowbar. Hope whoever lost it didn’t need it!”
The worlds largest double-blind study has confirmed that the character John Grammaticus is still not interesting. 92% of respondents found Oll Pearson ‘a bit tiring’ but a staggering 99% of respondents found John Grammaticus; “who? Who is that guy? The guy with the other guy? What does he do again? His voice is dumb. Sorry.”
Fairground Ride Review Club gives tEatDpt2(of3) four and a half stars
“Wheeeee! tE7tDpt2 sure was fun! The pages just flew past! All kinds of things happened! We heard a lot about Fanfir Rann! Valdor fought some guys! Ferrus Manus came back for a bit, though he didn’t sound much like himself, though we don’t really know much about how he sounded. Basilio Fo did stuff nearly! Ahriman was there… Rogal was fine.”
Recent Ancient Prophecy confirmed Deceased
The extremely ancient and long awaited deeply embedded secret prophecy of the Dark King which we were informed of for the first time in the first part of this book, has sadly passed away. There will be no Dark King this season sadly. Both Malice fans are upset, Akira has called for his sphere to be returned.
Sub-Plot Fusion Energy Committee returns Disappointing Report
The Committee, dedicated to producing narrative energy by the mutual annihilation of sub-plots, has returned a zero result. With the vast plethora or extra sub-plots ambient in the end of the Horus Heresy series, it was hoped that just blasting them into each other would somehow produce something but sadly no. Thankfully the mutual collision of sub-plots does not seem to produce further sub-plots, or anything at all. “At least there are less of them now” a committee member remarked. “We are pretty much back where we started.” They said.
GW receives astropathic Message from Weis and Benisoff
Games Workshop have confirmed receipt of an astropathic message from the showrunners of Game of Thrones. It is rumoured that the message outright begs Dan Abnett not to repeat their mistakes in destroying the fragile sense of space, location and geography of an imagined paracosm. “It just turns all the characters into ping-pong balls” the decoded message reads, “almost no choice involving location or placement ends up meaning anything and this has a corrosive effect on the rest of a characters reality. Don’t follow us down this doomed path Dan Abnett!”
Formal Complaint by the Samus Defence League
The SDL has launched a formal complaint with Games Workshop over the fruitless punching bag status of dog faced muppet demon Samus. “Samus has literally never got to do anything good” the SDL spokesmuppet claimed, “he just gets his head kicked in by whoever is the main character.” The SDL also claims that Samus has been used by the Author to essentially quote himself, that is, his own text from part one, a the contents of an in-world magical book and plot contrivance in part two. “where will this end? These things are stupidly long already!”
Comment from Cambridge University
Cambridge University has responded to numerous enquiries about Dan Abnetts English Degree by stating; “Look he’s obviously got one, he quotes enough authors in this one! He keeps quoting Amiri Bakara, Camus, a few others. Look he clearly has an English degree, look at the recovered archaeisms and the words he just made up.
Abnett takes “Actually…” Crown
Rumours that Horus did indeed deliberately make himself retarded in order for the shaky story construction and very varied writing of the last 40 books to make sense were confirmed today in writing in the pages of tEatDpt2. It seems he was not badly written or poorly planned, but just very cunning and was only pretending to be a crazy retard in order to lure in the Emperor.
This revelation has been hailed as the greatest “actually” of the Horus Heresy. Previous king of Well Actually, Chris Wraight, stated; “All I did was try to re-write the entirety of Mortarians fall over the course of one conversation with a random demon, the idea of saying a major character deliberately made himself retarded as part of a super-plan, well its incredible.”
Aaron Dembski-Bowden stated; “All I did was try to re-write one half of a conversation I thought was dumb, once again Abnett has gone far and beyond what the rest of us can imagine.“
Rogal Dorn Ted Talk Confuses, Numbs, Inspires
Primarch Rogal Dorn has completed his Ted Talk in which he describes absolutely everything he knows. No audience members survived but reviewers who watched the whole talk on mute at x1000 speed report; “Dorn is so boring him speaking can literally chew his way through solid stone.” Khorne the Blood God was said to be “bored to tears”.
Local Man Loses Spear
A giant burning archeotech spear has been found in some random dead guy. Witnesses reported; “It’s a really nice spear! Though it looks like someone has tried to use it as a crowbar. Hope whoever lost it didn’t need it!”
November 21, 2023
The entire series of the Siege has been overwhelmingly disappointing with few highlights but I've read enough of it to want to see it to the end or so I thought.
When my pre-ordered copy of the book arrived, I opened the parcel and my first thought was it's a long book and where there is clearly not enough story left from where part one ended to fill a book this big.
I got 80 pages in being just over 10% of the book, 80 pages of overly florid prose where nothing happened before deciding to skip to the end of the book to find that this isn't the end, that some lunatic has decided that with part 1 ending with the Emperor boarding Horus flagship that this story can be dragged out and milked for at least TWO more books, I still read the rest of the book and it doesn't get better.
And I'm already regretting the fact that as I cannot bring myself to put my the entire hardback set of the Siege in the bin I'll end up having to buy the last one just to put it on the shelf to complete the set.
At 200 pages in I realise if I'd skipped them I'd have lost nothing of importance and that continues for a while. The story doesn't move forward in the first 25% of the book which is clearly how they managed to get this to have a volume 3.
This book has worthless filler and pointless side stories/characters than making the Hobbit a trilogy of films.
While it is true the ground war continues we've read our way through that over 7 books even if you are new to 40K and don't know the lore and are experiencing this for the first time without knowing the details of the end the first 7 books got us to the point that the ground war is lost that the situation is pointless and its purely down to attrition.
So it's not world building anymore to show us this any longer, There are ways to make it work but Abnett doesn't manage it; the view points alternate so often that nothing actually happens in them the sections are so short there's no ability to get invested in the current plot-line before it switches to some other plot. It changes viewpoint so often it comes across as if written by or for someone with attention deficit disorder rather than attempting to create a coherent story.
The End and the Death is the climax of the story or that is what it should have been instead it's like Abnett is pissed he didn't get to write the earlier novels and so decided that rather than writing the final act held go back to the half way point and start over to write the war.
There is no climax because the events are so spread out there is no impact to them there is no building to a crescendo as too often nothing is happening the events you are reading have no impact they have no meaning too much of the book is simply happening rather than building the story.
Whoever signed off on this self indulgent garbage at Black Library should be fired as should Abnett's editor and in any future projects Abnett should be paired with an editor prepared to provide critical feedback and reign in the self indulgent nature on display in both this book and Volume 1.
When my pre-ordered copy of the book arrived, I opened the parcel and my first thought was it's a long book and where there is clearly not enough story left from where part one ended to fill a book this big.
I got 80 pages in being just over 10% of the book, 80 pages of overly florid prose where nothing happened before deciding to skip to the end of the book to find that this isn't the end, that some lunatic has decided that with part 1 ending with the Emperor boarding Horus flagship that this story can be dragged out and milked for at least TWO more books, I still read the rest of the book and it doesn't get better.
And I'm already regretting the fact that as I cannot bring myself to put my the entire hardback set of the Siege in the bin I'll end up having to buy the last one just to put it on the shelf to complete the set.
At 200 pages in I realise if I'd skipped them I'd have lost nothing of importance and that continues for a while. The story doesn't move forward in the first 25% of the book which is clearly how they managed to get this to have a volume 3.
This book has worthless filler and pointless side stories/characters than making the Hobbit a trilogy of films.
While it is true the ground war continues we've read our way through that over 7 books even if you are new to 40K and don't know the lore and are experiencing this for the first time without knowing the details of the end the first 7 books got us to the point that the ground war is lost that the situation is pointless and its purely down to attrition.
So it's not world building anymore to show us this any longer, There are ways to make it work but Abnett doesn't manage it; the view points alternate so often that nothing actually happens in them the sections are so short there's no ability to get invested in the current plot-line before it switches to some other plot. It changes viewpoint so often it comes across as if written by or for someone with attention deficit disorder rather than attempting to create a coherent story.
The End and the Death is the climax of the story or that is what it should have been instead it's like Abnett is pissed he didn't get to write the earlier novels and so decided that rather than writing the final act held go back to the half way point and start over to write the war.
There is no climax because the events are so spread out there is no impact to them there is no building to a crescendo as too often nothing is happening the events you are reading have no impact they have no meaning too much of the book is simply happening rather than building the story.
Whoever signed off on this self indulgent garbage at Black Library should be fired as should Abnett's editor and in any future projects Abnett should be paired with an editor prepared to provide critical feedback and reign in the self indulgent nature on display in both this book and Volume 1.
January 27, 2024
3.5
Lots to think about with this one. Very strange feel to the story. I’ll write more if and when I wrap my head around it.
Lots to think about with this one. Very strange feel to the story. I’ll write more if and when I wrap my head around it.
November 16, 2024
Insomnia has its perks. Started this at 4am, finished it before midday.
Everything I said about the first one stands. It's Dan Abnett trying (and succeeding) to write a mythological story. It pays off lots of the dangling threads from part one, while setting up the conclusion.
I can't properly judge it until that conclusion, but I trust Dan to stick the landing here.
Everything I said about the first one stands. It's Dan Abnett trying (and succeeding) to write a mythological story. It pays off lots of the dangling threads from part one, while setting up the conclusion.
I can't properly judge it until that conclusion, but I trust Dan to stick the landing here.
October 7, 2024
The AuDHD Nails are singing, so this is going to be another brief one, but I really do plan to revisit the reviews and get into some tier lists and stuff once the End is most definitely Deathed.
This was a good follow-up to the first volume, though it never quite hit or maintained the heights and had a greater abundance of the foibles; some boring and mechanical parts.
On the whole, it was still good and better than a lot of later Heresy and Siege, which is all I can ask for at this point.
Over the last two volumes, the way Abnett has made me feel empathy for Corswain, Cypher, and Abaddon, despite not having huge amount of screentime, so much so that I am super eager to read Angels of Darkness by Gav Thorpe, which I understand to be the predecessor to Luther: First of the Fallen, but focussing on Corswain, and, obviously, I need more ABaDdon, so the Black Legion is very tempting.
I really hope the turns and betrayals in the final volume tear my heart out.
This was a good follow-up to the first volume, though it never quite hit or maintained the heights and had a greater abundance of the foibles; some boring and mechanical parts.
On the whole, it was still good and better than a lot of later Heresy and Siege, which is all I can ask for at this point.
Over the last two volumes, the way Abnett has made me feel empathy for Corswain, Cypher, and Abaddon, despite not having huge amount of screentime, so much so that I am super eager to read Angels of Darkness by Gav Thorpe, which I understand to be the predecessor to Luther: First of the Fallen, but focussing on Corswain, and, obviously, I need more ABaDdon, so the Black Legion is very tempting.
I really hope the turns and betrayals in the final volume tear my heart out.
November 13, 2023
It's better than Volume one. But it suffers from different problems.
V1 was a tome of prose where Dan Abnett got to use his English degree. V2 just simply has too many characters you do not give a crap about.
Malcador's minions are boring and pointlessly added. The Long-Companions feel tediously done now with John G taking a bit of a backseat to Oll.
The first half of this tome is tedious. You have different characters figuring out that time has stopped and it's all going wrong... Endlessly. It's like a Bollywood drama getting everyone's opinions and views on it.
The second half gets into the carnage at hand. The last holdouts are falling, The sons refusing to fall like Horus... It's good stuff. The Dark King storyline is absolutely pointless with an old. Fan favourite declaring the puzzle... Only for it to be disregarded less than 50 pages later. Yawn central.
The fighting scenes are great as ever. But I genuinely wish Dembski-Bowden had done this one. Abnett needs to calm down before he becomes his own Dark King.
V1 was a tome of prose where Dan Abnett got to use his English degree. V2 just simply has too many characters you do not give a crap about.
Malcador's minions are boring and pointlessly added. The Long-Companions feel tediously done now with John G taking a bit of a backseat to Oll.
The first half of this tome is tedious. You have different characters figuring out that time has stopped and it's all going wrong... Endlessly. It's like a Bollywood drama getting everyone's opinions and views on it.
The second half gets into the carnage at hand. The last holdouts are falling, The sons refusing to fall like Horus... It's good stuff. The Dark King storyline is absolutely pointless with an old. Fan favourite declaring the puzzle... Only for it to be disregarded less than 50 pages later. Yawn central.
The fighting scenes are great as ever. But I genuinely wish Dembski-Bowden had done this one. Abnett needs to calm down before he becomes his own Dark King.
November 8, 2023
A Masterpiece, one of Dan Abnett's best works. Not for one second did this 'middle' book feel like filler or anything redundant. What we get here is a meticulously crafted finale for many threads we've been following either from the beginning of the Siege or even from back in the Heresy series. Many characters get their heroic moments or at least time in the spotlight. During that time we get to know them better but also, often in seemingly offhand remarks, learn new foundational things about the world of 30/40k.
There was so much speculation about potential retcons of THE moments but instead Abnett managed to create and grow an entire new plot twist just for Volume II. This book resolves crucial stories and threads but it also leaves us with cliffhangers, from an enormous one to several smaller smoking fuses. The wait for Volume III is going to be excruciating.
There was so much speculation about potential retcons of THE moments but instead Abnett managed to create and grow an entire new plot twist just for Volume II. This book resolves crucial stories and threads but it also leaves us with cliffhangers, from an enormous one to several smaller smoking fuses. The wait for Volume III is going to be excruciating.
November 6, 2023
A triumph start to finish. I’ve never read a Warhammer book that had such expectation and potential to disappoint manage to hit every single beat as perfectly.
Lore snippets going back to the very beginning of the story of the emperor standing against Horus has been gathered here, incredibly subtle in places and so packed full of deep lore and Easter eggs I’m sure I only got a tiny portion of what he’s managed to collect.
On top of all this Abnett manages to scratch his own marks on the legend and does so with such skill you’re never quite sure you really know where things will end up.
Instantly my favourite book in the siege series, surpassing the first volume and even Saturnine.
Lore snippets going back to the very beginning of the story of the emperor standing against Horus has been gathered here, incredibly subtle in places and so packed full of deep lore and Easter eggs I’m sure I only got a tiny portion of what he’s managed to collect.
On top of all this Abnett manages to scratch his own marks on the legend and does so with such skill you’re never quite sure you really know where things will end up.
Instantly my favourite book in the siege series, surpassing the first volume and even Saturnine.
November 10, 2023
Finally, after i don't know how many books reading about this guy Ollanius and his companions, I managed to understand why he is part of the siege of terra books. Until now, these characters felt useless and I was not really invested in them. The plot twist at the end of this book managed to surprise me. This was refreshing. Most of the 40k novels are quite predictible. This one was not
June 8, 2025
I will preface this review by saying that Abnett is probably the best writer GW has on staff. That said, his magnum opus should have been hit by the editorial scissors hard.
Problems:
The first half of the book basically has nothing happen, except that everybody needs to react to the fact that the warp has made time and space a bit funny. In the second half of the book this becomes slightly better, although even then it becomes a bit of a Deus ex Chaotica explaining why everybody is suddenly fighting everywhere.
The second problem is that there are too many viewpoint. A lot of the time you read a few pages (or in my case listen for two minutes) about what's happening to a set of characters only to have to switch to 8 other groups which also switch away just as you've remembered what was actually going on with them. Another problem for me was that I simply couldn't care less for certain groups like the Long Companions. Other plots can't go anywhere if you know anything about the 40k universe in general. I'm not curious to see if they can quickly generate a bio weapon that kills all space marines, because I know those are still around 10.000 years later.
The last issue, however, is that Abnett has fallen in love with a thesaurus and needs to use it at all possible points. His other love is sentences that stretch onwards unto eternity.
Sample normal sentence:
It was dark, so John turned on the light.
Same text Abnettified:
The room was bathed in a stygian gloom, dark like the blackest velvet, or the unlight at the end of a star's life cycle. This bleak tenebrosity was punctuated by the merest crepuscle cast by the light falling from the doorway.
Inside of this portal waited John, John Grammaticus, leader of the Long Companions, strider through time and space. With the merest flick of his fingers, the smallest twist in his wrist and a touch quick as lighting, he flips the switch.
To keep a long review short:
Too many words are used to describe not enough happening to too many characters.
Problems:
The first half of the book basically has nothing happen, except that everybody needs to react to the fact that the warp has made time and space a bit funny. In the second half of the book this becomes slightly better, although even then it becomes a bit of a Deus ex Chaotica explaining why everybody is suddenly fighting everywhere.
The second problem is that there are too many viewpoint. A lot of the time you read a few pages (or in my case listen for two minutes) about what's happening to a set of characters only to have to switch to 8 other groups which also switch away just as you've remembered what was actually going on with them. Another problem for me was that I simply couldn't care less for certain groups like the Long Companions. Other plots can't go anywhere if you know anything about the 40k universe in general. I'm not curious to see if they can quickly generate a bio weapon that kills all space marines, because I know those are still around 10.000 years later.
The last issue, however, is that Abnett has fallen in love with a thesaurus and needs to use it at all possible points. His other love is sentences that stretch onwards unto eternity.
Sample normal sentence:
It was dark, so John turned on the light.
Same text Abnettified:
The room was bathed in a stygian gloom, dark like the blackest velvet, or the unlight at the end of a star's life cycle. This bleak tenebrosity was punctuated by the merest crepuscle cast by the light falling from the doorway.
Inside of this portal waited John, John Grammaticus, leader of the Long Companions, strider through time and space. With the merest flick of his fingers, the smallest twist in his wrist and a touch quick as lighting, he flips the switch.
To keep a long review short:
Too many words are used to describe not enough happening to too many characters.
January 31, 2024
The penultimate book in the Siege of Terra series (and therefore, also the wider Horus Heresy series). With this in mind, Dan Abnett does a fine job of making this book really feel like the stakes could not be higher. This book series now has over 60 entries in it, so with this concluding "trilogy" comes an almighty level of expectation and pressure. Moreover, the general main plotline of the Siege has been established in the Warhammer 40,000 lore already, and has been so for over 30 years. To do this justice for the epic novelization project is a monumental challenge.
The cover art of this novel strongly hints at which major plot point of the Siege of Terra will be heavily featured. Abnett does a wonderful job at setting the stage for Horus and Sanguinius, the showdown is truly monumental. I think 99% of people reading this book will know the outcome already, but Abnett somehow manages to add suspense and jeopardy to this scene.
As always for the Horus Heresy series, there are multiple plotlines and characters interwoven in the novel. One small detail which the author uses on occasion is to interchangeably use first, second or third person narrative for different characters or plot arcs. The change in narrative perspective for a scene change helps to reinforce the new arc you're reading about. It's a narrative device he used in End and the Death: Volume I too, to great effect.
I still can't help but feel however that this book could have been a little shorter. Brevity is a virtue - I feel this trilogy could have either been a duology, or comprised of three 400 page novels. There is a (fairly important plot point) which is forgotten about, then picked up again several hundred pages later. Unfortunately, the pacing of these kinds of events is spoiled by the fact there is just too much in the way of characters and narratives to balance and advance.
Still, a wonderful and compelling read, but not quite perfect.
The cover art of this novel strongly hints at which major plot point of the Siege of Terra will be heavily featured. Abnett does a wonderful job at setting the stage for Horus and Sanguinius, the showdown is truly monumental. I think 99% of people reading this book will know the outcome already, but Abnett somehow manages to add suspense and jeopardy to this scene.
As always for the Horus Heresy series, there are multiple plotlines and characters interwoven in the novel. One small detail which the author uses on occasion is to interchangeably use first, second or third person narrative for different characters or plot arcs. The change in narrative perspective for a scene change helps to reinforce the new arc you're reading about. It's a narrative device he used in End and the Death: Volume I too, to great effect.
I still can't help but feel however that this book could have been a little shorter. Brevity is a virtue - I feel this trilogy could have either been a duology, or comprised of three 400 page novels. There is a (fairly important plot point) which is forgotten about, then picked up again several hundred pages later. Unfortunately, the pacing of these kinds of events is spoiled by the fact there is just too much in the way of characters and narratives to balance and advance.
Still, a wonderful and compelling read, but not quite perfect.
November 10, 2023
This review is all around you. This review is the man beside you. This review will gnaw on your bones. Look out!
My opinion of The End and the Death, being the second of its name, is pretty much identical to my opinion of the first volume. The staccato short chapters sometimes rob the overall story of momentum, but I felt that this second volume was much better about lumping groups of chapters together in a thematically satisfying way that meant that I wasn't noticing it as much as I did in the first volume. The beginning of the book drags a bit, but as it leaves behind the theme of time winding itself down as all the universe looks to the events on Terra, things pick right back up and barrel ahead into some pretty big revelations, interesting tidbits, and important encounters.
All the way back in the ancient times of June I expected this volume to be the final (to be fair, that's what they were telling us back then...), but as it has expanded into a trilogy, Volume 2 really leaves you hanging and wanting more in the best possible way. There is still a fair amount of ground to cover and I'm curious if much of the final book will concern itself with the after effects of the confrontations to come. I expect when this is all over it'll be something to behold and I almost wish I was reading all of this in one go just to see the entire vision at once. That said, I feel like it likely helps to have a break here and there.
At any rate, Volume II is quite good and I'm excited for the end (assuming we won't be surprised by a Volume IV...)!
A few thoughts of a spoliery nature:
My opinion of The End and the Death, being the second of its name, is pretty much identical to my opinion of the first volume. The staccato short chapters sometimes rob the overall story of momentum, but I felt that this second volume was much better about lumping groups of chapters together in a thematically satisfying way that meant that I wasn't noticing it as much as I did in the first volume. The beginning of the book drags a bit, but as it leaves behind the theme of time winding itself down as all the universe looks to the events on Terra, things pick right back up and barrel ahead into some pretty big revelations, interesting tidbits, and important encounters.
All the way back in the ancient times of June I expected this volume to be the final (to be fair, that's what they were telling us back then...), but as it has expanded into a trilogy, Volume 2 really leaves you hanging and wanting more in the best possible way. There is still a fair amount of ground to cover and I'm curious if much of the final book will concern itself with the after effects of the confrontations to come. I expect when this is all over it'll be something to behold and I almost wish I was reading all of this in one go just to see the entire vision at once. That said, I feel like it likely helps to have a break here and there.
At any rate, Volume II is quite good and I'm excited for the end (assuming we won't be surprised by a Volume IV...)!
A few thoughts of a spoliery nature:
November 27, 2023
The siege of Terra reaches fever pitch
I had a great time reading this. I was waiting for it to be released with high anticipation. The stories inside these pages are woven masterfully. There is enough atmosphere and detail that you can imagine yourself right there, at the end of all things. A lot is revealed in this one, and there is a lot of sadness. The siege is almost over, the enemy has breached the walls and the defenders are fighting for their lives as enemies come from all sides. I'm trying to stay vague, as I don't want to spoil the book, but this one is a great read. Everything is coming to a head and everyone has lost control. No one is sure how or when it happened, but any semblance of military order is gone on both sides. Men brawl by firelight with hooks and clubs, but they can't remember even what they are fighting for anymore. A fifth great power of chaos is ready to be born, and its birth scream will be the end and the death of the human race.
I had a great time reading this. I was waiting for it to be released with high anticipation. The stories inside these pages are woven masterfully. There is enough atmosphere and detail that you can imagine yourself right there, at the end of all things. A lot is revealed in this one, and there is a lot of sadness. The siege is almost over, the enemy has breached the walls and the defenders are fighting for their lives as enemies come from all sides. I'm trying to stay vague, as I don't want to spoil the book, but this one is a great read. Everything is coming to a head and everyone has lost control. No one is sure how or when it happened, but any semblance of military order is gone on both sides. Men brawl by firelight with hooks and clubs, but they can't remember even what they are fighting for anymore. A fifth great power of chaos is ready to be born, and its birth scream will be the end and the death of the human race.
November 11, 2024
In The End and the Death: Volume I, the reader expected no more than the final scenes of the heresy to be set. These expectations were exceeded as the plot unfolded at a pleasantly surprising pace. In Volume II, Dan Annett follows up with a slightly disappointing, slow-paced and bloated offering.
The primary source of disappointment is perhaps the primary story arc, which closes out (?) Ollanius Persson's warband as they journey to meet the Emperor and/or Horus. The reader does eventually get what they came to see - Horus versus Sanguinius; it's just far from a primary focus.
In traditional Abnett style, there are some excellent scenes which do carry the book, helping it to secure a status of passable and enjoyable if only barely necessary.
The primary source of disappointment is perhaps the primary story arc, which closes out (?) Ollanius Persson's warband as they journey to meet the Emperor and/or Horus. The reader does eventually get what they came to see - Horus versus Sanguinius; it's just far from a primary focus.
In traditional Abnett style, there are some excellent scenes which do carry the book, helping it to secure a status of passable and enjoyable if only barely necessary.
January 15, 2024
It could have been two books... But my god. What a revelation, some of the filler is great. The death of Sanguinius was brutal.
November 9, 2023
Absolutely adored this.
I think the style and structure (small chapters bouncing from character to character) worked well for the tone and environment that were being set.
(I can imagine that this is the exact reason some people didn’t like it!)
Language and tone was mostly spot on.
I would have preferred some of the blank pages to have been filled just cos this is a massive book for arthritic hands and wrists 😅
Minor spoiler- yes the word “Astartesian” returns with terrible regularity. Wouldn’t mind if it had ever been used before this book 😭
I think the style and structure (small chapters bouncing from character to character) worked well for the tone and environment that were being set.
(I can imagine that this is the exact reason some people didn’t like it!)
Language and tone was mostly spot on.
I would have preferred some of the blank pages to have been filled just cos this is a massive book for arthritic hands and wrists 😅
Minor spoiler- yes the word “Astartesian” returns with terrible regularity. Wouldn’t mind if it had ever been used before this book 😭
May 6, 2024
How to categorise The End and the Death Vol 2? Is it the penultimate book in the sprawling dozens-of-authors, scores-of-novels Horus Heresy/Siege of Terra epic? Or is it the Heresy's 'Two Towers', the second of three parts to a long novel that works either as an epic standalone or as the grand finale to a millennia-old story of gods and d(a)emons?
It may be easier to judge after reading Vol 3, but on current evidence Vol 2 is the worst of both these worlds; the not-quite finale that seeks to tidy up endless loose subplots AND the sagging middle of a long novel where all the fun introductions are over and the important pieces need to be moved into position for the big finish. As a result we get a seemingly endless succession of very short chapters as we hop from POV to POV, tidying, repositioning, perpetually (heh!) monologuing and philosophising. Given the whole Heresy draws such clear and obvious inspiration from Milton it is hardly surprising that these books have so many theological points to make, but this one too often makes falls into the trap of believing a well-made point deserves repeating. And repeating....
The big finale here is the long-prophesised confrontation between Horus and Sanguinius. Structure again comes into play; if the End and the Death were a single volume then would this fight come two thirds into the story, or much closer to the finish? Again it is difficult to decide if it's a good decision without having read Vol 3. The fight is uncomfortable both for it's brutality and it's ramifications, but undoubtedly the highlight of this book. Vol 2's finale gives the very end of Vol 3 a tough act to follow, but overall too much of Vol 2 is repetitive and uninteresting.
It may be easier to judge after reading Vol 3, but on current evidence Vol 2 is the worst of both these worlds; the not-quite finale that seeks to tidy up endless loose subplots AND the sagging middle of a long novel where all the fun introductions are over and the important pieces need to be moved into position for the big finish. As a result we get a seemingly endless succession of very short chapters as we hop from POV to POV, tidying, repositioning, perpetually (heh!) monologuing and philosophising. Given the whole Heresy draws such clear and obvious inspiration from Milton it is hardly surprising that these books have so many theological points to make, but this one too often makes falls into the trap of believing a well-made point deserves repeating. And repeating....
The big finale here is the long-prophesised confrontation between Horus and Sanguinius. Structure again comes into play; if the End and the Death were a single volume then would this fight come two thirds into the story, or much closer to the finish? Again it is difficult to decide if it's a good decision without having read Vol 3. The fight is uncomfortable both for it's brutality and it's ramifications, but undoubtedly the highlight of this book. Vol 2's finale gives the very end of Vol 3 a tough act to follow, but overall too much of Vol 2 is repetitive and uninteresting.
February 20, 2024
Really poorly put together, like a Spotify playlist on party shuffle.
Spoiler
If it wasn't for the Sangunius Vs Horus finale in the final part of the book this is a waste of time and money.
The Gramaticus stuff really needed to end after Legion, turned into a distracting sideshow throughout the heresy, that added filler to the siege of terra where other more interesting characters could have had more light, e.g. Amit or some of the other Blood Angels. Dorn and Vulcan felt like bystanders to the entire thing and the agents of malcador / investigating him lead to no real engaging end.
Hopefully John meets some end in the next novel as find him an unbearable character to take into a scouring arc if gw/BL do one.
Listened to this on audiobook which made it better for the performance given for characters.
Roll on to the third one. Hopefully less mishmash of 2 page / 2 minute chapters.
Spoiler
If it wasn't for the Sangunius Vs Horus finale in the final part of the book this is a waste of time and money.
The Gramaticus stuff really needed to end after Legion, turned into a distracting sideshow throughout the heresy, that added filler to the siege of terra where other more interesting characters could have had more light, e.g. Amit or some of the other Blood Angels. Dorn and Vulcan felt like bystanders to the entire thing and the agents of malcador / investigating him lead to no real engaging end.
Hopefully John meets some end in the next novel as find him an unbearable character to take into a scouring arc if gw/BL do one.
Listened to this on audiobook which made it better for the performance given for characters.
Roll on to the third one. Hopefully less mishmash of 2 page / 2 minute chapters.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 11, 2023
Another entry in the series that's pure filler. Horus and Sanguinus fight and they reveal the completely unnecessary dark king storyline - that's it. Over 700 pages and those are the only things that happen to move the story forward. I'm too deep into the series at this point to bail but it's very frustrating.
November 7, 2023
Wow!!! Ive never read a book thats left me in shock I mean that ending. Bring on the 3rd book. Well done Dan Abnett 👏 that writing.
November 19, 2023
Second volume (of unexpected trilogy), and I can say what a book.
I have read some of the reviews and comments and how people think that three giant books are too much. I have to admit that in this case I do not agree. Although 720 pages seem like a lot I have to say that author managed to make it work. Story flow is so natural that you will finish the book in the day or two.
All parties introduced in the first volume play a role. Perpetuals are a pivotal set of characters - they manage to persuade the Emperor to step down from the apocalypse path. Of course they do not do it on their own but with help of other loyalists. Emperor is presented as a very deadly psyker, who sometimes gets a little bit too much driven and is not a person who easily trusts the others. But when confronted with arguments he is ready to take the necessary steps. Horus is crazy as ever, with grand plan of rebuilding the entire reality, He even has a role for some of his kin. Others are just scattered throughout the crazy new reality, fighting daemons and traitor forces who have finally breached the last bastion.
Author manages to paint a very bleak picture of devastation and horror unleashed, sheer despair but also courage and tenacity of remaining loyalists.
Battle between Sanguinius and Horus is not just physical battle but psychological - what can be more moral breaking but destruction of one Primarch that is personification of deities of past. Sheer brutality of the duel is breathtaking. And everything seems to be done with goal of goading the Emperor to cross the threshold and cause more harm than good.
Excellent book, rather difficult and bleak but their is hint of optimism at the end.
Cannot wait for the third volume.
Highly recommended.
I have read some of the reviews and comments and how people think that three giant books are too much. I have to admit that in this case I do not agree. Although 720 pages seem like a lot I have to say that author managed to make it work. Story flow is so natural that you will finish the book in the day or two.
All parties introduced in the first volume play a role. Perpetuals are a pivotal set of characters - they manage to persuade the Emperor to step down from the apocalypse path. Of course they do not do it on their own but with help of other loyalists. Emperor is presented as a very deadly psyker, who sometimes gets a little bit too much driven and is not a person who easily trusts the others. But when confronted with arguments he is ready to take the necessary steps. Horus is crazy as ever, with grand plan of rebuilding the entire reality, He even has a role for some of his kin. Others are just scattered throughout the crazy new reality, fighting daemons and traitor forces who have finally breached the last bastion.
Author manages to paint a very bleak picture of devastation and horror unleashed, sheer despair but also courage and tenacity of remaining loyalists.
Battle between Sanguinius and Horus is not just physical battle but psychological - what can be more moral breaking but destruction of one Primarch that is personification of deities of past. Sheer brutality of the duel is breathtaking. And everything seems to be done with goal of goading the Emperor to cross the threshold and cause more harm than good.
Excellent book, rather difficult and bleak but their is hint of optimism at the end.
Cannot wait for the third volume.
Highly recommended.
February 5, 2024
Sta tutto qui : "
The time of dying has begun, the time of last stands and sacrifices. Victory is entirely impossible. All that matters is honour; how you sell your life, how you make your death, how many lives you take before yours is gone, how many extra seconds you can buy before the inevitable triumphs. It is no longer about winning. It is about proclaiming your rejection of the foe, and all it stands for, to your last breath, in the vain hope that somehow, somewhere, somewhen, that statement will be remembered and will matter. Somehow. It’s all they have. A last chance to be sons of the Emperor, to reaffirm that loyalty, to scream we were there into the face of hell.
We were there, the day Horus slew the Emperor. We denied him to the last.
We did not flinch. We made nothing easy for him. We died where we stood to show the unfathomable depth of our contempt for Horus Lupercal. We spat our lifeblood on him, our last words, our final breaths, our ultimate oaths in our ultimate moment.
Horus will not care. He will not be moved. He may not even notice us. We are a stone beneath his boot as he strides forward, a loose pebble, unnoticed dust on his heels, forgotten names, neglected bones.
We were nothing, but we stood anyway. We were there. For our sakes,
Lupercal, not yours, we were there, and we fought you to the very end. "
We were there, the day Horus slew the Emperor. We denied him to the last.
We did not flinch. We made nothing easy for him. We died where we stood to show the unfathomable depth of our contempt for Horus Lupercal. We spat our lifeblood on him, our last words, our final breaths, our ultimate oaths in our ultimate moment.
Horus will not care. He will not be moved. He may not even notice us. We are a stone beneath his boot as he strides forward, a loose pebble, unnoticed dust on his heels, forgotten names, neglected bones.
We were nothing, but we stood anyway. We were there. For our sakes,
Lupercal, not yours, we were there, and we fought you to the very end. "
January 18, 2024
Brilliant book, great story. I enjoyed how it was split into small glimpses of the larger whole.
However I do not understand the authors obsession with using the most archaic words possible. Having to check the dictionary kills the flow. One of the words he used has not been used since 1870. What is the point? Who is he trying to impress?
However I do not understand the authors obsession with using the most archaic words possible. Having to check the dictionary kills the flow. One of the words he used has not been used since 1870. What is the point? Who is he trying to impress?
November 11, 2023
Lots to unpack. Certainly, plenty of great stuff. Not sure it had to be quite as long, but equally not sure what I would have cut. (Maybe the Dorn stuff. Felt pointless.) Delivered on the big moment nicely. A nice couple of twists on what I was expecting. Looking forward to the final book.
September 26, 2024
I really enjoyed this book. 4.5 I’d say just because I didn’t like all the jumping around it did. Totally get why it had to do that but every other page being a new person’s perspective was a lot to handle.
Sanguinius…..just terrible.
Sanguinius…..just terrible.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 5, 2024
Amazingly written, covered a short space of time for the size however
May 23, 2024
Took a heck of a lot of pages for not a whole lot to happen.
That being said, the stuff that did happen was cool to finally see being put into words.
That being said, the stuff that did happen was cool to finally see being put into words.
November 25, 2024
These series is good, but a bit too wordy
March 3, 2025
I have absolutely no idea what the point of this book was. Where were the editors?
April 10, 2025
my beautiful angel, farewell!
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