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Genefather
A Warhammer 40,000 Novel
Archmagos Belisarius Cawl invites representatives from across the Imperium, hoping to secure their assistance in unlocking the secrets of the pylon network. Among the attendees, however, is an uninvited guest who may possess the only mind in the galaxy greater than that of the fabled Archmagos…
READ IT BECAUSE
The showdown of two much-loved characters finally occurs – Fabius Bile vs Belisarius Cawl. Each is a genius in their own right, and both are willing to do things most others won't to achieve their goals.
Which of these two megaminds will come out victorious?
THE STORY
In the hope of taming the Great Rift that divides the galaxy in two, Archmagos Belisarius Cawl invites representatives from across the Imperium to the artificial world of Pontus Avernes. Confident he can convince them of his genius, he must secure their assistance in unlocking the secrets of the pylon network – significant structures built by an ancient race that he believes can stave off the pull of the warp. But among the attendees is an uninvited Fabius Bile himself.
The Pater Mutatis needs no validation of his genius and has his own agendas, the pursuit of which will bring about an epic confrontation of the galaxy’s greatest scientific minds – and from which only one can emerge victorious.
Archmagos Belisarius Cawl invites representatives from across the Imperium, hoping to secure their assistance in unlocking the secrets of the pylon network. Among the attendees, however, is an uninvited guest who may possess the only mind in the galaxy greater than that of the fabled Archmagos…
READ IT BECAUSE
The showdown of two much-loved characters finally occurs – Fabius Bile vs Belisarius Cawl. Each is a genius in their own right, and both are willing to do things most others won't to achieve their goals.
Which of these two megaminds will come out victorious?
THE STORY
In the hope of taming the Great Rift that divides the galaxy in two, Archmagos Belisarius Cawl invites representatives from across the Imperium to the artificial world of Pontus Avernes. Confident he can convince them of his genius, he must secure their assistance in unlocking the secrets of the pylon network – significant structures built by an ancient race that he believes can stave off the pull of the warp. But among the attendees is an uninvited Fabius Bile himself.
The Pater Mutatis needs no validation of his genius and has his own agendas, the pursuit of which will bring about an epic confrontation of the galaxy’s greatest scientific minds – and from which only one can emerge victorious.
11 pages, Audible Audio
First published October 14, 2023
218 people are currently reading
780 people want to read
About the author
Guy Haley
282 books734 followersGuy Haley is the author of over 50 novels and novellas. His original fiction includes Crash, Champion of Mars, and the Richards and Klein, Dreaming Cities, and the Gates of the World series (as K M McKinley). However, he is best known as a prolific contributor to Games Workshop's Black Library imprint.
When not writing, he'll be out doing something dangerous in the wild, learning languages or gaming.
When not writing, he'll be out doing something dangerous in the wild, learning languages or gaming.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews
December 28, 2024
The astropath in Cawl's Inferior was a brain in a jar. They lasted longer as a component. It wasn’t a pleasant situation for the astropath, but sometimes, efficiency must triumph over sentiment.
Guy Haley is a literary chameleon. Compare Dante, Dark Imperium (and the change during that entire series), or Corax: Lord of Shadows or so many others with Genefather. They are wildly different in tone, dialogue and characterization. If you told me Guy Haley was the pen name for a rotating cabal of authors, not only would I believe you, I would kick myself for not thinking of it first.
In itself, I don’t have an issue with the variability. It seems to tell a history of Black Library’s developments. My instinct that there was pushback against the over glorification of fascism in 2017’s Dante and Dark Imperium, resulting in darker tones in the remainder of the later’s trilogy. Genefather is less obviously the result from decrees from on-high, rather taking its influence from recent books on the Necrons, particularly (but not exclusively) The Infinite and the Divine.
Genefather feels like a book Haley enjoyed writing. The conversations are more alive than the monologues he used to smash together. The characters get to play off of each other, subject of course to their respective rankings with Cawl and Bile at the top. The driver is in working out which of those two will outwit the other, and I appreciate Haley’s work in setting up the hubris/nemesis at play in that. Either one of them could say this:
‘The whole universe can hate me, for all I care. I will save us all. All that matters is my vision, my will, my success. I bow to no one.’
This does mean that certain factions get a reweighting. Space Marines, even in their Heretic forms transmogrify from forces of nature to cannon fodder. Cawl’s knightly bodyguards become titanesque in impact, subject to the provisio none of it matters and acts as a breather from the main clash. The Warhammer 40K universe is an incredibly flexible one when it comes to power levels.
It is also worth acknowledging that Genefather is a lightweight book that does not fit the wider tone of events. The Great Rift barely reaches above annoyance here and I cannot recall a mention of the Tyrranids. Nor does the weight of what each Cawl and Bile plan to do quite come across. However, I do genuinely like character centered books where there is a clear theme. The direct and indirect interplay between the two primary antagonists (I accept no protagonists in this universe) in Genefather serves two purposes:
• the potential for a future clash is preserved; but
• each character sustains themselves well enough independently that such a clash is not a priority, or even necessary.
The Imperium of man still remains an evil force, but one more vulnerable to satire and parody – its fascism more open to ridicule:
Doors slid up to reveal twenty glass tanks containing the twenty living heads of carefully selected pskyers. When wearing a more empathetic mentality, Cawl comforted himself that at least two of them had volunteered for the job.
If you did find the more comical portions of Godblight a letdown then this is not the book for you. I really enjoyed the energy and pleasure Haley brings to the pages, especially Cawl’s defence of his methods:
’Therefore, I put it to you that I am no innovator. The use of the techniques of the ancestors to rediscover the knowledge of the ancestors cannot possibly be regarded as a crime.'
...so this was the book for me.
Guy Haley is a literary chameleon. Compare Dante, Dark Imperium (and the change during that entire series), or Corax: Lord of Shadows or so many others with Genefather. They are wildly different in tone, dialogue and characterization. If you told me Guy Haley was the pen name for a rotating cabal of authors, not only would I believe you, I would kick myself for not thinking of it first.
In itself, I don’t have an issue with the variability. It seems to tell a history of Black Library’s developments. My instinct that there was pushback against the over glorification of fascism in 2017’s Dante and Dark Imperium, resulting in darker tones in the remainder of the later’s trilogy. Genefather is less obviously the result from decrees from on-high, rather taking its influence from recent books on the Necrons, particularly (but not exclusively) The Infinite and the Divine.
Genefather feels like a book Haley enjoyed writing. The conversations are more alive than the monologues he used to smash together. The characters get to play off of each other, subject of course to their respective rankings with Cawl and Bile at the top. The driver is in working out which of those two will outwit the other, and I appreciate Haley’s work in setting up the hubris/nemesis at play in that. Either one of them could say this:
‘The whole universe can hate me, for all I care. I will save us all. All that matters is my vision, my will, my success. I bow to no one.’
This does mean that certain factions get a reweighting. Space Marines, even in their Heretic forms transmogrify from forces of nature to cannon fodder. Cawl’s knightly bodyguards become titanesque in impact, subject to the provisio none of it matters and acts as a breather from the main clash. The Warhammer 40K universe is an incredibly flexible one when it comes to power levels.
It is also worth acknowledging that Genefather is a lightweight book that does not fit the wider tone of events. The Great Rift barely reaches above annoyance here and I cannot recall a mention of the Tyrranids. Nor does the weight of what each Cawl and Bile plan to do quite come across. However, I do genuinely like character centered books where there is a clear theme. The direct and indirect interplay between the two primary antagonists (I accept no protagonists in this universe) in Genefather serves two purposes:
• the potential for a future clash is preserved; but
• each character sustains themselves well enough independently that such a clash is not a priority, or even necessary.
The Imperium of man still remains an evil force, but one more vulnerable to satire and parody – its fascism more open to ridicule:
Doors slid up to reveal twenty glass tanks containing the twenty living heads of carefully selected pskyers. When wearing a more empathetic mentality, Cawl comforted himself that at least two of them had volunteered for the job.
If you did find the more comical portions of Godblight a letdown then this is not the book for you. I really enjoyed the energy and pleasure Haley brings to the pages, especially Cawl’s defence of his methods:
’Therefore, I put it to you that I am no innovator. The use of the techniques of the ancestors to rediscover the knowledge of the ancestors cannot possibly be regarded as a crime.'
...so this was the book for me.
November 17, 2023
Oof, y’all.
Credit where credit is due, Genefather does have some super cool bits: we get to see a lot of machine priests being weird little freaks, which is always fun; Guilliman Inferior is such a brilliantly bizarre Cawl special interface; and Qvo was fun to hang around with for a while. However…
The fast majority of this novel was either incomprehensible or uninteresting. So little is explained or described that nothing has any weight, and so it just feels like random characters standing around having conversations about nothing. I just do not care who Fabius Bile is currently trading favors with or what factions support Cawl, and none of that political maneuvering feels like it matters for the first half of the book or pays off in the second.
The New Men subthread was also completely baffling to me—it eventually is clear that Porter is supposed to be this foil for Primus and Bile’s big refutation of Cawl’s ideology, but we’re not actually given a reason to *care* about which of these creations turns out to be stronger.
The only thing I was actually interested in from the early chapters, the potential for one or both Cawl Inferiors going rogue and taking over Mars, is just completely dropped.
There are also places where even the most basic descriptions of what is going on are just completely absent. When the Knights show up, for instance, not only is it unclear who they are actually loyal to, they’re so underdescribed and the language so unspecific that I genuinely thought they were riding around on four-legged mechanical horses. Sure, I can (and had to) look up unit types I haven’t thought about recently, but I shouldn’t be able to get through an entire action sequence and not even *realize* that I’m wrong about how many legs a PoV character has!
Yes, there are other Cawl and Bile books that came before this, but having read them would not have solved any of these issues for me. The whole thing felt like a 90’s era versus comic without any real stakes, and I’m not excited enough about any of these characters for their mere presence to be enough to carry it for me.
Give this one a pass.
Credit where credit is due, Genefather does have some super cool bits: we get to see a lot of machine priests being weird little freaks, which is always fun; Guilliman Inferior is such a brilliantly bizarre Cawl special interface; and Qvo was fun to hang around with for a while. However…
The fast majority of this novel was either incomprehensible or uninteresting. So little is explained or described that nothing has any weight, and so it just feels like random characters standing around having conversations about nothing. I just do not care who Fabius Bile is currently trading favors with or what factions support Cawl, and none of that political maneuvering feels like it matters for the first half of the book or pays off in the second.
The New Men subthread was also completely baffling to me—it eventually is clear that Porter is supposed to be this foil for Primus and Bile’s big refutation of Cawl’s ideology, but we’re not actually given a reason to *care* about which of these creations turns out to be stronger.
The only thing I was actually interested in from the early chapters, the potential for one or both Cawl Inferiors going rogue and taking over Mars, is just completely dropped.
There are also places where even the most basic descriptions of what is going on are just completely absent. When the Knights show up, for instance, not only is it unclear who they are actually loyal to, they’re so underdescribed and the language so unspecific that I genuinely thought they were riding around on four-legged mechanical horses. Sure, I can (and had to) look up unit types I haven’t thought about recently, but I shouldn’t be able to get through an entire action sequence and not even *realize* that I’m wrong about how many legs a PoV character has!
Yes, there are other Cawl and Bile books that came before this, but having read them would not have solved any of these issues for me. The whole thing felt like a 90’s era versus comic without any real stakes, and I’m not excited enough about any of these characters for their mere presence to be enough to carry it for me.
Give this one a pass.
December 10, 2023
I absolutely adored this! I may be biased as I love the Martian priesthood anyway and I thoroughly enjoyed the Bile trilogy.
I would suggest reading the bile trilogy and maybe Belisarius Cawl: The Great Work for a complete understanding for this book, maybe even Dark Imperium too.
However it is just a fun grim dark science fest without the supplementary reading!
I would suggest reading the bile trilogy and maybe Belisarius Cawl: The Great Work for a complete understanding for this book, maybe even Dark Imperium too.
However it is just a fun grim dark science fest without the supplementary reading!
February 26, 2026
I bet my kid could beat up your kid.
Belisarius Cawl and Fabius Bile (those names lol) are just two dads trying to do whats best for the galaxy and their weird frankenstein children.
Cawl is the most fun character I've encountered from the 40k books so far. His smartass arrogance is not annoying, you can't help but cheer for the lovable jerk.
Bile is kinda the same haughty genius type but a distinct enough flavor. Feel like he's tired of playing the cartoonish evil villain. That's what the world has come to know him as, so he just leans into it out of habit.
It's just fun to read about proactive characters who know what they want. Who knew, right? Their ambition pushes the plot forward and the reader along with it.
The supporting cast was alright. The plot was barely self contained, all of it mostly set-up for a larger story in the setting. I didn't mind it that much since there was enough effort to realize the characters within this one book.
Belisarius Cawl and Fabius Bile (those names lol) are just two dads trying to do whats best for the galaxy and their weird frankenstein children.
Cawl is the most fun character I've encountered from the 40k books so far. His smartass arrogance is not annoying, you can't help but cheer for the lovable jerk.
Bile is kinda the same haughty genius type but a distinct enough flavor. Feel like he's tired of playing the cartoonish evil villain. That's what the world has come to know him as, so he just leans into it out of habit.
It's just fun to read about proactive characters who know what they want. Who knew, right? Their ambition pushes the plot forward and the reader along with it.
The supporting cast was alright. The plot was barely self contained, all of it mostly set-up for a larger story in the setting. I didn't mind it that much since there was enough effort to realize the characters within this one book.
October 21, 2024
I enjoyed this one a lot. Belisarius Cawl is The Most at all times. He's insufferable. I adore him with my whole heart. I need so many more books with him.
Yeah here and there some parts were very convenient for the plot or maybe plans and motives a bit too obvious but the snark and heart in the story and the characters make more than up for that. It is just a lot of fun.
Yeah here and there some parts were very convenient for the plot or maybe plans and motives a bit too obvious but the snark and heart in the story and the characters make more than up for that. It is just a lot of fun.
October 16, 2024
It's definitely a good read, worth your time.
June 24, 2025
I have to admit that Cawl and Alpha Primus are becoming my favorite story arc in W40K universe.
Cawl, ever working on new projects, has a plan how to stop the Chaos Warp infestation from further spreading. But to achieve his goal he will need to tinker with dangerous xenos technology and he will definitely need assistance from Mechanicum, in a big way. Of course his previous actions are sufficient to draw attention from people from Imperium who want him burned as heretic (Frank is ..... hilarious :)), but Cawl manages to organize a meeting to see if he can get any help.
To make things worse, nefarious forces have heard of the meeting and possible great loot to be acquired, and person leading the strike is no other than crazy Chaos scientist Fabius Bile (although in the background some very disturbing Dark Mechanicum forces are working on their schemes). All ingredients are in for a showdown of likes neither Cawl nor Mechanicum expect.
Author's style is very fluid, and conversation between characters are witty and very human (even Bile's lines). I mean, just take Cawl's simulation discussion to ascertain how his actions will be viewed by others (and I wont go into details in here but this is huuuuuge thing, pure genius). This had me in stitches, same as Cawl's explanations of his actions and scientific approach to Frank of Inquisition :) I mean, it was like straight from Monty Python.
Dialogues and even inner voice discussions bring to life all the characters, from Qvo, Cawl, Alpha Primus and numerous Mechanicum magos and engineseers, to Chaos warlords and of course Bile. Bile comes across like more crazy version of Wagner's Kane or Star Trek Khan, man so obsessed with himself in role of the Creator, uncrowned ruler, almost disgusted he needs help from what he sees as inferior creatures to achieve his goals. But even in his psychotic behavior it is visible that he still has something akin to human emotions, especially to his ultimate creation, so called New Men (which are again something new to me, entire concept being wiiiiiild to the core).
It is visible that author wants to make parallel between Bile and Cawl, as two science geniuses on the opposite sides, both willing to do some very questionable or even outright bad things to achieve their goals. I dont think Cawl ever fell so low to be equaled with Bile (who is at least on level of evil as Hannibal Lector), but considering that Cawl himself has lost and forgotten much more than he currently has, question remains what was he involved in the past that he cannot recollect. Fact is that everything he does, he does with a purpose and noone knows what that purpose is.
Excellent book, with lots of intrigue between the characters and very well put action sequences, both in space and on ground.
For fans of W40K highly recommended. If you are not at least familiar with the lore, book can still be very interesting but it does require some additional knowledge to fully enjoy it, so keep that in mind.
Highly recommended.
Cawl, ever working on new projects, has a plan how to stop the Chaos Warp infestation from further spreading. But to achieve his goal he will need to tinker with dangerous xenos technology and he will definitely need assistance from Mechanicum, in a big way. Of course his previous actions are sufficient to draw attention from people from Imperium who want him burned as heretic (Frank is ..... hilarious :)), but Cawl manages to organize a meeting to see if he can get any help.
To make things worse, nefarious forces have heard of the meeting and possible great loot to be acquired, and person leading the strike is no other than crazy Chaos scientist Fabius Bile (although in the background some very disturbing Dark Mechanicum forces are working on their schemes). All ingredients are in for a showdown of likes neither Cawl nor Mechanicum expect.
Author's style is very fluid, and conversation between characters are witty and very human (even Bile's lines). I mean, just take Cawl's simulation discussion to ascertain how his actions will be viewed by others (and I wont go into details in here but this is huuuuuge thing, pure genius). This had me in stitches, same as Cawl's explanations of his actions and scientific approach to Frank of Inquisition :) I mean, it was like straight from Monty Python.
Dialogues and even inner voice discussions bring to life all the characters, from Qvo, Cawl, Alpha Primus and numerous Mechanicum magos and engineseers, to Chaos warlords and of course Bile. Bile comes across like more crazy version of Wagner's Kane or Star Trek Khan, man so obsessed with himself in role of the Creator, uncrowned ruler, almost disgusted he needs help from what he sees as inferior creatures to achieve his goals. But even in his psychotic behavior it is visible that he still has something akin to human emotions, especially to his ultimate creation, so called New Men (which are again something new to me, entire concept being wiiiiiild to the core).
It is visible that author wants to make parallel between Bile and Cawl, as two science geniuses on the opposite sides, both willing to do some very questionable or even outright bad things to achieve their goals. I dont think Cawl ever fell so low to be equaled with Bile (who is at least on level of evil as Hannibal Lector), but considering that Cawl himself has lost and forgotten much more than he currently has, question remains what was he involved in the past that he cannot recollect. Fact is that everything he does, he does with a purpose and noone knows what that purpose is.
Excellent book, with lots of intrigue between the characters and very well put action sequences, both in space and on ground.
For fans of W40K highly recommended. If you are not at least familiar with the lore, book can still be very interesting but it does require some additional knowledge to fully enjoy it, so keep that in mind.
Highly recommended.
January 1, 2025
Firstly I love the many descriptions of weird tech priests and getting more insights into them.
However, in my opinion, the book suffered by having too many Characters and perspectives. I think this book would have been easier to follow and much more engaging if it stuck to 2 or maybe three POVs. While Cawl is a very fun character, and He had some great moments, I couldn't really Connect to Bile and I think QVO was the only character who got something like a character arc.
About 2/3 through the book, I still had a great time reading it, until it became obvious the most characters plot lines will stay separated from each other with barely any Interaction with each other, which made reading the end an absolute drag.
However, in my opinion, the book suffered by having too many Characters and perspectives. I think this book would have been easier to follow and much more engaging if it stuck to 2 or maybe three POVs. While Cawl is a very fun character, and He had some great moments, I couldn't really Connect to Bile and I think QVO was the only character who got something like a character arc.
About 2/3 through the book, I still had a great time reading it, until it became obvious the most characters plot lines will stay separated from each other with barely any Interaction with each other, which made reading the end an absolute drag.
October 28, 2023
Mad scientists, Minotaurs, and cyborgs...books don't get much better.
I may change this to five stars upon reflection as in typical Guy Haley fashion this was excellent, however I feel like the book ended off with Cawl looking a bit...TOO good, especially considering his last novel appearance. Haley still goes out of his way to establish all of the genuinely AWFUL things that Cawl does and HAS done in the pursuit of his goals. The reflection of whether this is a 4 star or a full 5 will depend on my further thinking on his character as it may just be a VERY well written complex character who is still AWFUL but has humanity, versus being a character we are meant to think is just in his actions.
Fabius Bile was excellent as always, one of the most fun mad scientists in fiction, who proclaims to care about the future of the human race whilst simultaneously sporting a coat made of human flesh.
All of that being said I hope this sets up these two being the fucked up Sherlock Holmes and Moriarty that we deserve.
I may change this to five stars upon reflection as in typical Guy Haley fashion this was excellent, however I feel like the book ended off with Cawl looking a bit...TOO good, especially considering his last novel appearance. Haley still goes out of his way to establish all of the genuinely AWFUL things that Cawl does and HAS done in the pursuit of his goals. The reflection of whether this is a 4 star or a full 5 will depend on my further thinking on his character as it may just be a VERY well written complex character who is still AWFUL but has humanity, versus being a character we are meant to think is just in his actions.
Fabius Bile was excellent as always, one of the most fun mad scientists in fiction, who proclaims to care about the future of the human race whilst simultaneously sporting a coat made of human flesh.
All of that being said I hope this sets up these two being the fucked up Sherlock Holmes and Moriarty that we deserve.
March 2, 2024
Great read, Really enjoyed the return of one of my favourite 40k characters! Cawl is honestly the definition of cheeky, and Primus is just an edgy boy! Super fun and a good addition for any AdMech collection!
November 1, 2025
Pretty good all things told. Doesn't really push the needle forward in terms of overall plot for 40k but it is a good onboarding for people to like Cawl or Bile. Read this if you are thinking of doing either an EC or Ad Mech army.
May 25, 2024
The more I learn about Cawl, the more I come around on enjoying him as a character. Bile is, as ever, a wonderful viewpoint, but perhaps slightly underutilised here.
October 18, 2025
Richtig gut! Starke Charaktere und witzige Einlagen von cawl!
October 20, 2023
This reminded me of the movie Heat with DeNiro and Pacino; great personalities in conflict. The dialogue between the 2 is what we’re here for. It’s a shame there’s not enough of it. Oh well, this is just the first book I hope. The other guy has to come out on top next time. Third book they should work together against some common enemy.
October 20, 2023
Great read that moves the plot forward
This was a great book, Guy Haley at his best. It was hard to put down at times. The best part is that it moves the universe of 40k forwards. We've been stuck in a rut for many years, and it's good and exciting to have new things happening in the universe. This is a book about Cawl primarily, but fans of The Spider will not be disappointed. Bile features prominently employing some of his nastiest tricks and creations.
This was a great book, Guy Haley at his best. It was hard to put down at times. The best part is that it moves the universe of 40k forwards. We've been stuck in a rut for many years, and it's good and exciting to have new things happening in the universe. This is a book about Cawl primarily, but fans of The Spider will not be disappointed. Bile features prominently employing some of his nastiest tricks and creations.
April 11, 2025
Guy Haley finally brings two of Warhammer 40,000's most infamous and brilliant scientific minds head-to-head in Genefather, and the result is largely a success. The long-anticipated meeting between Archmagos Belisarius Cawl and Fabius Bile delivers plenty of the intellectual sparring, questionable ethics, and sheer weirdness fans of these characters expect.
Haley absolutely nails Cawl's characterisation – the ancient, eccentric, yet terrifyingly ambitious tech-priest is a joy to read, especially his interactions with creations like the wonderfully bizarre Guilliman Inferior and the surprisingly engaging Qvo. Seeing the inner workings (or at least some of them) of Cawl's mind and his grand, galaxy-altering schemes is fascinating. Bile, as always, is a compelling antagonist, dripping with menace and his own twisted vision for humanity, even if he perhaps feels slightly less central than Cawl here.
The novel shines brightest when these two titans are directly or indirectly playing off each other. The dialogue crackles with wit and arrogance, and the insights into the stranger corners of the Adeptus Mechanicus and Bile's creations are a highlight.
However, it doesn't quite hit a perfect five stars for me. While the central conflict is strong, the pacing felt a bit uneven at times, and some of the numerous subplots and POVs felt less developed or necessary, slightly diluting the focus on the main event. I occasionally found myself wishing for more direct interaction between the two titular "Genefathers" rather than some of the side excursions.
Overall, though, Genefather is a very enjoyable and worthwhile read, especially if you're already invested in Cawl or Bile from previous works (like The Great Work or the Bile trilogy, though you can follow along without them). It's packed with intriguing lore, great character moments, and successfully moves the larger 40k narrative forward just enough to be exciting. Recommended for fans looking for a fun, character-driven slice of grimdark science fiction.
Haley absolutely nails Cawl's characterisation – the ancient, eccentric, yet terrifyingly ambitious tech-priest is a joy to read, especially his interactions with creations like the wonderfully bizarre Guilliman Inferior and the surprisingly engaging Qvo. Seeing the inner workings (or at least some of them) of Cawl's mind and his grand, galaxy-altering schemes is fascinating. Bile, as always, is a compelling antagonist, dripping with menace and his own twisted vision for humanity, even if he perhaps feels slightly less central than Cawl here.
The novel shines brightest when these two titans are directly or indirectly playing off each other. The dialogue crackles with wit and arrogance, and the insights into the stranger corners of the Adeptus Mechanicus and Bile's creations are a highlight.
However, it doesn't quite hit a perfect five stars for me. While the central conflict is strong, the pacing felt a bit uneven at times, and some of the numerous subplots and POVs felt less developed or necessary, slightly diluting the focus on the main event. I occasionally found myself wishing for more direct interaction between the two titular "Genefathers" rather than some of the side excursions.
Overall, though, Genefather is a very enjoyable and worthwhile read, especially if you're already invested in Cawl or Bile from previous works (like The Great Work or the Bile trilogy, though you can follow along without them). It's packed with intriguing lore, great character moments, and successfully moves the larger 40k narrative forward just enough to be exciting. Recommended for fans looking for a fun, character-driven slice of grimdark science fiction.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 8, 2023
Genefather is part sequel, part moving forward of the greater Warhammer 40k narrative, building off the (pardon the pun) work laid out in the previous Belisarius Cawl book, The Great Work, and it, for the most part, succeeds in executing upon it. As alluded to both by cover and title, Genefather is a clash between the two primogenitor lords of creation (God-Emperor excluded), Cawl and Fabius Bile, as each move their own personal plots forward in a 'shared' goal of saving humanity. Though the book can feel like it is getting bogged down in side plots and a few unnecessary POV characters (the POV of the Knight character for example, while fun to see, didn't feel entirely connected to the rest of the story and felt like a slight straying into bolter porn), the main stars of the show, Cawl and Bile, shine in every scene they are, being an absolute joy to read. It is a shame they themselves do not interact more in the novel, but when they do, it is at least very satisfying to see unfold, two of the most brilliant characters of the setting clash, both literally from their opposing sides, and their personalities, showing their difference (and similarities) with well done precision.
If you're a fan of 40k novels, especially Mechanicus or Fabius Bile focused ones, this is an easy recommend. Even if you're not, there is enough twists and reveals here, which in addition to what felt like a very pace novel, that you will likely find something to enjoy in it, especially many of the setting-wide implications and potential threads to come.
Overall, a slightly flawed but very fun read. 4/5
If you're a fan of 40k novels, especially Mechanicus or Fabius Bile focused ones, this is an easy recommend. Even if you're not, there is enough twists and reveals here, which in addition to what felt like a very pace novel, that you will likely find something to enjoy in it, especially many of the setting-wide implications and potential threads to come.
Overall, a slightly flawed but very fun read. 4/5
January 3, 2024
Gracious god, this has SO MANY cliches and bad narrative decisions:
- The idiot ball, proudly carried by Cawl (giving access to ALL ship systems to Qvo and then just sending him to the depths of the pyramid) and Primus (not making sure that the inhuman, monstrous marvel of genetic engineering that is Porter was actually dead before facing Bile).
- The preternaturally good manipulator: how Bile manages to get Qvo precisely where he wants it, at the precise moment where he needs it. Also, him getting Cawl -a guy who has survived all manner of enemies for ten thousand years- to get distracted just on the same precise instant when the ship's controls go out. Also, Bile seemed to know not only that Primus would go out on his own instead of joining the defense of the McGuffin, but also that he'd be going alone.
- The good guy who hates the main character and turns out to be an incompetent. In this case, magus Fenk.
- The bad guy that has a magic wand that renders all precautions and preparations moot. This is linked to the preternaturally good manipulator aspect. Cawl has a huge ship, immensely prepared troops, etc? No matter, the magic wand is waved, and they all turn to smoke, just so the bad guy can get the upper hand, thus artificially raising the stakes.
This is, by a wide margin, the worst Guy Haley book I've read thus far, which is a shame, because the Dark Imperium trilogy is a genuine masterpiece.
- The idiot ball, proudly carried by Cawl (giving access to ALL ship systems to Qvo and then just sending him to the depths of the pyramid) and Primus (not making sure that the inhuman, monstrous marvel of genetic engineering that is Porter was actually dead before facing Bile).
- The preternaturally good manipulator: how Bile manages to get Qvo precisely where he wants it, at the precise moment where he needs it. Also, him getting Cawl -a guy who has survived all manner of enemies for ten thousand years- to get distracted just on the same precise instant when the ship's controls go out. Also, Bile seemed to know not only that Primus would go out on his own instead of joining the defense of the McGuffin, but also that he'd be going alone.
- The good guy who hates the main character and turns out to be an incompetent. In this case, magus Fenk.
- The bad guy that has a magic wand that renders all precautions and preparations moot. This is linked to the preternaturally good manipulator aspect. Cawl has a huge ship, immensely prepared troops, etc? No matter, the magic wand is waved, and they all turn to smoke, just so the bad guy can get the upper hand, thus artificially raising the stakes.
This is, by a wide margin, the worst Guy Haley book I've read thus far, which is a shame, because the Dark Imperium trilogy is a genuine masterpiece.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 2, 2024
In the expansive realms of WH30K and 40K, two iconic figures clash in a battle of intellect, resources, and, most notably, their creations. Fabius Bile and Belisarius Cawl, both heroes and heretics, possess unparalleled prowess in genetic manipulation, shaping countless beings according to their visions for humanity's future. Unbound by moral constraints, they employ any means necessary to achieve their goals, whether it's creating an AI modeled after Guilliman or capturing a Necron (with whom Cawl engages in chess matches). While Cawl strives to rebuild the Necron pylons of Black Stone, Fabius aligns himself with the forces of chaos, delving into dark alliances.
Despite their millennia-long existence and pride in their creations, they surpass even the Emperor in one aspect: they harbor genuine affection for their "children." Haley crafts a compelling narrative, mirrored in various forms, compelling readers to unravel the intricate plans of these two geniuses. As they face trials, accusations of heresy, and gladiatorial battles, their paths converge in a crescendo of tension.
In this clash, both experience victories and defeats, joys and disappointments.
Despite their millennia-long existence and pride in their creations, they surpass even the Emperor in one aspect: they harbor genuine affection for their "children." Haley crafts a compelling narrative, mirrored in various forms, compelling readers to unravel the intricate plans of these two geniuses. As they face trials, accusations of heresy, and gladiatorial battles, their paths converge in a crescendo of tension.
In this clash, both experience victories and defeats, joys and disappointments.
August 10, 2025
First of - a disclaimer - I am not massively "into" the Warhammer 40k Universe. I have read the Fabius Bile books, and now this one, at the behest of my Son in Law, who is a total Warhammer fan, who decided that I would like Fabius (which I do.)
Honestly there is a huge skill in writing into such a massive shared Universe, which has to be admired. Thus far it seems to me that the authors nail a certain tone which fits the world - a little overwraught, lots of declaiming and characters that are, pretty much exclusively, monsters. This is not a criticism - the Warhammer Universe is dark to the extent of pitch black and sunshine and lollipops would jar!
This, on that basis, is a very good book - I followed it easily in spite of not having a deep knowledge of the background, it is entertaining and Haley does an admirable job of having two characters (Cawl and Bile) fully distinguishable and different even though they are superficially very similar with similar motivations. Both are monsters, only their methods and skills vary - one creates cyborgs, the other genetic mutants.
So - a decent read even without a deep knowledge of the Universe.
Honestly there is a huge skill in writing into such a massive shared Universe, which has to be admired. Thus far it seems to me that the authors nail a certain tone which fits the world - a little overwraught, lots of declaiming and characters that are, pretty much exclusively, monsters. This is not a criticism - the Warhammer Universe is dark to the extent of pitch black and sunshine and lollipops would jar!
This, on that basis, is a very good book - I followed it easily in spite of not having a deep knowledge of the background, it is entertaining and Haley does an admirable job of having two characters (Cawl and Bile) fully distinguishable and different even though they are superficially very similar with similar motivations. Both are monsters, only their methods and skills vary - one creates cyborgs, the other genetic mutants.
So - a decent read even without a deep knowledge of the Universe.
October 30, 2023
I finish with mixed feelings overall. I greatly enjoyed the parts with Cawl, Qvo and Primus. But there was not enough written in their POV here. I feel like there was a lot of story potential and depth that could have been covered here, but of course being a WH story, a good chunk of the book did have to be covered in action scenes that were mostly fine. There should have been more coverage on the Mechanicum delegation, more interactions with the main cast, and more story bits that weren't taken up by bolter-action. I just hope that there will be a follow-up here, there is a lot of potential for interesting stories but of course it is up to Games Workshop in the end, so I await with cautious expectations.
October 21, 2024
3.5 stars would probably be a more accurate rating. I felt somewhat lost at periods throughout the front half of the novel - lots of characters/concepts introduced without being able to contextualize/visualize what I was reading
The climactic latter third of the book really came forward though and had me feeling like it was worth the read. I really enjoyed the building of Cawl, Bile, and Primus' characters - - but the interactions between Cawl and Guilliman Inferior are probably the most amusing and memorable part of the book for me
Overall, I enjoyed this and now want to read more about the key players in the story. Some of the difficulties could also have been that this is my first 40k novel I've ever read, but it's invigorated me to want to read more
The climactic latter third of the book really came forward though and had me feeling like it was worth the read. I really enjoyed the building of Cawl, Bile, and Primus' characters - - but the interactions between Cawl and Guilliman Inferior are probably the most amusing and memorable part of the book for me
Overall, I enjoyed this and now want to read more about the key players in the story. Some of the difficulties could also have been that this is my first 40k novel I've ever read, but it's invigorated me to want to read more
April 23, 2024
Ein großer Schritt in die main 40k Timeline (welches höchstwarscheinlich absolut null konsequenzen tragen wird).
Alle vorher bekannten Aspekte von Fabius Bile (bekannt aus der Trilogie zuvor) wurden mehr oder weniger entfernt, Cawl hingegen ist sehr ähnlich zu seiner Persönlichkeit in "The Great Work".
Leider beleuchtet das Buch keiner der beiden Charaktere ins Detail und bricht in zu viele separate Storysegmente ab, daher gibts für kaum einen Charakter (außer vielleicht Qvo) einen wirklichen "Arc".
Nichtsdesotrotz mochte ich das Buch sehr, besonders die Cawl Segmente und alle Interaktionen mit Qvo und Asineth-IU, man merkt, dass die Stärke (und der Fokus) des Autors eher darin lag.
Alle vorher bekannten Aspekte von Fabius Bile (bekannt aus der Trilogie zuvor) wurden mehr oder weniger entfernt, Cawl hingegen ist sehr ähnlich zu seiner Persönlichkeit in "The Great Work".
Leider beleuchtet das Buch keiner der beiden Charaktere ins Detail und bricht in zu viele separate Storysegmente ab, daher gibts für kaum einen Charakter (außer vielleicht Qvo) einen wirklichen "Arc".
Nichtsdesotrotz mochte ich das Buch sehr, besonders die Cawl Segmente und alle Interaktionen mit Qvo und Asineth-IU, man merkt, dass die Stärke (und der Fokus) des Autors eher darin lag.
June 9, 2024
Another Banger from Guy Haley about my Goat Belasarius Cawl this time pitting him against his chaos counter part Fabius Bile. I really liked this one, the dynamic between fabius and cawl is really good and Cawl is as egotistcal and fun as ever. The themes of fatherhood is really interesting in this book and one of the core themes, and Cawls fucked up view of Primus as well as Quo does alot of character work for him. It would be so much easier to say that cawl is an unfeeling scinenticst and that Quo and Primus are projects. But he carries such deep love for them that is such a cool fucking concept. Love Cawl hope for more Cawl books!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 29, 2024
Another good Guy Haley book. Belisarius Cawl is easily among my favourite characters to read about, the incongruous charm of a 10 foot tall cyborg centaur space pensioner written as a dotty professor notwithstanding. The book is, though, billed as a Cawl vs Fabius Bile "Heat in Space" which it hardly lives up to until the last 100 pages, so it's really a Cawl book, which isn't much of a problem for me since I didn't really take to the character in Josh Reynolds' Fabius Bile books. Either way, it's a shame the energy of the story takes its time to get moving, though again, the Cawl, Qvo, and lady Necron bits shine.
October 28, 2023
The Great Bel and Bile
Another great exploration of the tremendous character Belisarius Cawl. He is easily one of my favourite 40k characters, and Hayley deftly weaves him into another great story.
I dare say I didn't think anyone could write Bile as well as Josh Reynolds, but Haley really knows how to utilise him with great consideration of his previous adventures, as well as showing off his keen cunning.
Lots of wonderful lore and exploration of the cult mechanicus that veteran fans will enjoy. I just wish we had more Primus and Qvo rather than the knight subplot.
Another great exploration of the tremendous character Belisarius Cawl. He is easily one of my favourite 40k characters, and Hayley deftly weaves him into another great story.
I dare say I didn't think anyone could write Bile as well as Josh Reynolds, but Haley really knows how to utilise him with great consideration of his previous adventures, as well as showing off his keen cunning.
Lots of wonderful lore and exploration of the cult mechanicus that veteran fans will enjoy. I just wish we had more Primus and Qvo rather than the knight subplot.
March 9, 2025
Two of my favourite 40k characters come face to face. This book serves as a sequel to both the Fabius Bile Trilogy and Belisarius Cawl: The Great Work.
Cawl and Bile are both fun and entertaining characters in the Grim-dark world of 40k, so to see them play-off each other is fantastic. The dialogue is witty and comedic as both characters are egotistical to the extreme.
The plot of the book doesn't push the setting forward in any momentous way, serving more as a vehicle to set two titanic intellects against each other.
Cawl and Bile are both fun and entertaining characters in the Grim-dark world of 40k, so to see them play-off each other is fantastic. The dialogue is witty and comedic as both characters are egotistical to the extreme.
The plot of the book doesn't push the setting forward in any momentous way, serving more as a vehicle to set two titanic intellects against each other.
May 11, 2025
There are many things I like about this book. First of all this book feels like an admech book and that makes me very happy, I also love Belisarius Cawl. The conversations between Cawl and Bile are the best parts which I notice is this authors specialty as I've read Guy Haley's other books and the intellectual conversations are the most entertaining. But the best part and why I love this book is when Cawl admits he loves Alpha Primus as a son, proving what we already knew about how human Cawl is, perhaps more human than others despite being mostly machine.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 23, 2025
This was one of my first experiences with the 40K universe and I absolutely loved it. The writing was exquisitely paced, the characters were all unique and played well together no matter the composition or setting. The action scenes were written in such a way that you can easily visualize a cinematic battle in your head. I loved it and it has really drawn me into the 40K universe completely. Belisarius Cawl is such an interesting character and his dialogue is just absolute peak sci-fi mad scientist with a touch of philosopher savant. Highly recommend for new fans and old alike.
November 9, 2023
Sadly a lot of Warhammer novels have become a little like the MCU - they rely on their major plot points that move the game's narrative forward, more than great writing or interesting stories. There are still some that add little to the canon but function well as art, but Genefather is not one of them.
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