Luther: First of the Fallen

The Horus Heresy: Characters

by Gav Thorpe

A Horus Heresy novel

Hero. Villain. Protector. Destroyer. Loyal. Fallen. Luther embodies the duality at the heart of the Dark Angels – but what is his story? Prepare to find out…

READ IT BECAUSE

Get new insights into one of the key figures of the Horus Heresy, who shaped the destiny of the Dark Angels for ten millennia, in a new novel by the master of First Legion fiction, Gav Thorpe.

THE STORY

Knight of the Angelicasta. Saviour of the Lion. Grand Master of the Order. Lord of the Dark Angels. Protector of Caliban. Chaos Heretic. Destroyer of Caliban. Sorcerer of the Abyss. Arch-traitor. Dark Oracle. First of the Fallen.
Can one man be all of these things?

Kept alive and imprisoned for ten thousand years, Luther is the curse and the salvation of the Dark Angels made manifest. None are so close to the heart and history of the Chapter as the man that embodies all that was great about the First Legion and all that is shameful about the Dark Angels. In his story is writ the tale of the Horus Heresy and the fall from Enlightenment in a single long life. Glory, honour, pride, shame, and betrayal weave a tapestry of truth and lies that the Supreme Grand Masters of the Dark Angels have sought to understand and unbind across ten bloody millennia. Luther claims repentance for his past deeds, but was it his sins that condemned the Chapter to its secretive fate, or should warnings from history have been more closely heeded?

Genres: Science Fiction, 40k, Fiction, Fantasy, Audiobook

224 pages, Paperback

First published April 3, 2021

About the author

Gav spent 14 years as a developer for Games Workshop, and started writing novels and short stories in the worlds of Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000 when the Black Library imprint was launched in 1997.

He continues to write for Black Library, and his first 'homegrown' novel series The Crown of the Blood has been released via Angry Robot.

Currently living in Nottingham, Gav shares his home with his loving and very understanding partner - Kez, and their beautiful little boy - Sammy.

Reviews

[AA_Logan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Luther follows in the path of last year’s Valdor. Not quite mainline Horus Heresy, obviously not a Primarch novel, but a welcome curiosity.

A series of vignettes from the life of the man who found the Lion, related to various Dark Angels from the Scouring to just before the Great Rift opening, this books is one of the best illustrations of how Astartes and the Imperium generally have degraded over time and how even in such a monolithic and moribund organisation change happens. Decay is change, right?

Luther must be a tricky character to write- notoriously brilliant and charismatic is hard to pull off. Thorpe gives him just the right amount of arrogance to make him charming, but as the book progresses his mask slips. Trapped in a statis field, even he isn’t immune to the decline of the Imperium either. As the book progresses he hints at his own brilliance once to often, and his easy confidence is replaced by self-justification and his stories, intended as allegorical lessons to those he deems below him become outright polemic, explaining his actions.

A nice, short novel that fleshes out a pretty-well documented character and satisfyingly ties together events from earlier in the series. Luther, never actually an Astartes, is depicted as a fittingly nuanced human- the book hints at a wider emotional life and a depth of personality and motivation that is lacking from many of his Legion contemporaries. Names crop up and are never mentioned again, adding to Luther’s sense of loss. This idea of being trapped between mortal and post-human leads the reader to consider what he has gained and what he left behind, which explains some of his choices.

Really very good.

[RatGrrrl · Rating 3 out of 5]

April 2024 Read using the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project Reading Order Omnibus XVI Imperium Secondus II Fate's Ashes (https://www.heresyomnibus.com/omnibus...) as part of my Oath of Moment to complete the Horus Heresy series and extras.

I feel so powerfully conflicted about this book.

Structured as an anthology novel in similar veins to Garro, Sigismund, the Great Khan, and Night Haunter's features, but firmly grounded in the framing device of the many interrogations of Luther over his long imprisonment in the bowels of the Rock, First of the Fallen is the once Grand Master's story told through his own words. There are moments of the present, itself spanning ten millenia and many Grand Masters and faces familiar and less so, and the adopted father of the Lion's life from his youth through becoming a knight of the Order and his various deeds, discovering and naming the child Primarch, his coveting and study of the heretical grimoires of the Knights of Lupus against the Lion's wishes, the fleeting encounters he had with fellow enthusiasts, Erebus and Typhon, and some of the last times he interacted with the Dark Angels, both black and green, before the end.

My anxiety is really thrumming today and finishing this book and my conflicted feelings are certainly adding fuel to that fire, but that is equally, complicatedly both complimentary and derogatory.

I wonder whether I actually like writing mixed reviews even more than writing negative ones. I know my anxiety is really getting to me today, but I feel sick trying to put my thoughts and words about this book together. Because I really do feel all sorts of ways about it.

My reviews are largely positive or polarising, a huge amount of full marks, which I know I can be overly generous with, but if something truly get me excited without real drawbacks I want to acknowledge that. Next is a lot of fours and the majority of my negative reviews end up as twos as one is something I really only reserve for something I genuinely loathed and/ or was itself hateful or harmful in some way without redeeming features. There are a lot less threes. I have also have an odd thing about tbree being the biggest number, meaning that the gulf between something just scraping a three and something just not making it to a four, to me, is far larger than the distance between any other numbers.

I also repeatedly say and hold true that applying scores and rating art is a fool's errand that is contrary to the very nature of art yadda yadda yadda, but it is the nature of the Great Beasts of the platforms and algorithms that it's necessary and helpful to other readers and authors to do the thing.

Can you tell that I am trying to do anything other than actually write this review?

The often cited cliché about jazz is that it's the notes you don't play, which means very little to me in a musical sense as someone who has a cycle of becoming hyperfocused on playing guitar for a handful of months a year with a few sometimes slipping by and not having touched strings since before Christmas, but I get the gist. I think the source of my personal quandaries with this book are in what it chooses to include and leave out.

I understand it's a novel that divides people, but I've read Mitchel Scanlon's Descent of Angels a few times over the years and I rather enjoy it. The focus on Zahariel and Nemiel's fractious fraternal relationship as they join the Order, wage war on the Knights of Lupus, and ascend to the Dark Angels with their individual travails dividing them in spite of their bond of shared experiences is great. I enjoy seeing the anarchonistic chivalry of Caliban with the spirit of medieval European myth writ large and how things change with the coming of the Imperium.

But that was enough for me.

There are some truly spectacular scenes of various figures of the Inner Circle interacting with Luther in this book that are written superbly. If they were a short story or a Black Library Advent Calendar special they would easily be full marks. If this was a slimmed down novella containing all those scenes and those specifically pertinent and involving the Horus Heresy and the Hunt for the Fallen that would get full marks. This has the continuation of a scene I was chomping at the bit to get more of from Angels of Caliban in which the Grand Master, the Dark Apostle, and the Herald of Nurgle have an adorable little commiseration picnic and book club, and I love it!

But, for me, far too much of this book is Luther's lugubrious parables that ostensibly are meant to be profound and answer larger questions about him, Caliban, and whatever threat the Dark Angels are facing at the time of asking him questions, but they just aren't good enough. There is the uncanny valley which Thorpe unfortunately falls into where, as talented and solid a writer he is with genuine flashes of utter brilliance from time to time, including in this book, doesn't have the skill and/ or is unable to negotiate the many obstacles of speaking in Luther's voice, while being profound, but only as profound and obnoxious as Luther can be, while telling an interesting story within a story within the Arthurian and folklore/ fairytale mien that he consistently adopts for all of Luther's tales of his earlier life. The problem is that without the Lion, exploring the more malefic and Chaotic elements of the Great Beasts and the Deathworld, or tapping the utterly ignored by all potential for more anarchonistic and archaeotech as magic in more of a Gilead from Stephen King's Dark Tower vibe, a work that shares direct inspirational roots with the Lion and Caliban, you are left with nothing more than generic fantasy with bolt pistols and writing not strong enough to stand on its own.

As I have said many times, this is all my humble and fumbling opinion, I have a phenomenal amount of respect for Thorpe and his writing, despite my vacillating enjoyment of it and constant pondering as to his perspective and politics, especially where Corax is involved. But that's because I genuinely care and am engaging with his work and these characters and universes we have such strong feelings for. I've also mentioned I have had first hand accounts of how helpful, supportive, and what a bloody nice bloke Thorpe seems to be. So none of this is to tear down his work or disparage him.

With a heavy heart though, I do have to be honest and say that I believe he can do better and that this series and its readers deserve better, especially when held on comparison to the other entries in the Characters, Primarchs, and main Horus Heresy Series, but especially compared to the heights with which parts of this book genuinely does soar!

The way Thorpe writes the modern Dark Angels and Luther's understanding and reaction to watching what they and the Imperium becomes is utterly exalted! One of the most important things to me, far beyond quality of writing even, is that a writer writing about the Dark Millennia gets it, and isn't at risk of or explicitly condoning or promoting the truly toxic and vile perspectives of the Imperium and pretty much everyone and everything in the Grimdark Galaxy, and Thorpe *gets* it in a way that outstrips many other, more lauded authors.

It's all this that makes it so hard to score this so low and to write this meandering and ridiculous excuse for a review, but I have to be honest with myself and reflect my experience that is this book is not as good as a sum of its parts.

I want anyone picking it up to go in with a realistic expectation, which, as much as I fervently avoid any information about a book I'm determined to read, regardless of the fact I have serious C-PTSD triggers that sometimes bite me in the arse, I would want to know if I wanted to know. If I was someone else, I would appreciate me saying that there's so good, not bad, but kinda interminable, and a few incredible bits before reading it as I think I would have enjoyed it more.

This isn't essential for the base Horus Heresy story, but it is absolutely worth reading and completionists and Dark Angels and/ or Fallen fans don't need me to tell them this is a must.

Only the Gav can offer me forgiveness.

Through using the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project (www.heresyomnibus.com) and my own choices, I have currently read 32 Horus Heresy novels (including 1 repeat), 21 novellas (including 2 repeats), 112 short stories/ audio dramas (including 6 repeats), as well as the Macragge's Honour graphic novel, 16 Primarchs novels, 4 Primarchs short stories/ audio dramas, 2 Characters novels, and 2 Warhammer 40K further reading novels and 1 short story...this run, as well as writing 1 short story myself (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1t...). I can't say enough good about the way the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project suggestions. I'm loving it! Especially after originally reading to the releases and being so frustrated at having to wait so long for a narrative to continue.

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Less a novel and more a series of vignettes knotted together by the mother of all unreliable narrators. Offers a unique perspective on the Dark Angels chapter.

[Simon Mee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Luther is a good book. Because it is only 200 pages, it’s dependent on knowing the surrounding lore but gets by without being constrained by it. Sort of.

A powered fist in a velvet glove

We’re back to the forests of long-dead Caliban and techno-knights on horses, smashing the stuffing out of jigsaw puzzle-like creatures. Tentacles, teeth pointing in awkward directions, aerial monsters, aquatic beings or just big swinging d… …the Age of Chivalry is back, baby. And there’s a few more women this time round, like his heroic mother:

My last sight of my mother was of her standing up in the stirrups, the flash of a bolt detonation illuminating her and the open, dragon-like maw of the Cragshadow. An image burned into my memory like a brand mark.

…or a squire creeping off halfway through an expedition, gloomy at the sight of her family’s fallen fortunes. This is good, as it means there’s a range of characters where their motivations aren’t primarily tied to their gender.

My Man

I was unhappy with where Thorpe ended up with Lorgar , so I will credit him here with Luther. You will like him. He’s brave but because he has fear, and fights against it. He shows leadership in ways other than swinging swords or giving speeches that command attention. He’s flawed but reflective on where he doesn’t measure up, or failed to credit others:

I was pleased that I had managed to convince both my peers and our new allies to work together, and must admit I thought myself quite clever for doing so and overlooked Egrivere's contributions when I looked back in later life.

He becomes plausible as the second greatest man Caliban had, cursed to live at the same time as the greatest.

There’s also a couple of recollections from the Horus Heresy itself – neither are earthshattering but again, speak to the depth of Luther’s character and ability to control the actions of others through words and plans. He’s a compelling villain, perhaps even an anti-hero.

The heavy chains of the Lore

Zapherael's delusion was contagious, passed on to the next to bear his title, and the next.

Luther’s story in the Horus Heresy is mostly told already. He then spends 10,000 years in a rock.

With this to work with, Thorpe’s frames the story as a 10,000 year interrogation of Luther, where Luther responds with recollections mostky set before he meet Lion El’ Jonson. Each vignette carries Delphic meanings which the Dark Angels always get wrong and, apparently, are pointless:

'Your confession is meaningless to me. It will not save one Dark Angel, nor bring one Fallen back from damnation.'

Warhammer 40k, particularly the Horus Heresy timeline, have been about themes and character above plot. From story to story, that’s fine. But these plot problems do start to accrue when you’re trying to expand the lore. Luther is fine as a story in itself, but it becomes another piece of evidence that the Dark Angels are not very bright. It takes them 10,000 years to learn that Luther watched his parents die in battle, which might mean something… …or something else… …or nothing…

Thorpe is stuck with 10,000 years of explaining why nothing really happened with Luther, but Luther’s escape at the end is meaningful because… …he had some dreams… …that might mean something… etc.

I’m not even blaming Thorpe – Black Library wanted a story on Luther because the Lion is (probably) about to return to the setting, so a clash with Luther the arch betrayer… …might mean something… …somehow.

There’s also background limitations. We have more women characters in Luther but they can’t carry through to anything beyond the Lion’s ascension to Primarch. Space Marines are men. Caliban doesn’t appear to have contributed any females of note before its destruction. No woman is plausibly going to have access to Luther during his internment. Their very presence in the parts Thorpe can control and add new lore makes more obvious their absence from the parts that Thorpe can’t.

And again, I’m not criticising Thorpe for this, I just think it is an interesting thing to note: While the Warhammer 40k universe does give enormous scope to explore themes and characters (and there is a lot of diverse things that still need to be explored) but there are unchangeables. Or, at least things declared to be unchangeable.

Timelines have been moved and retconned before – perhaps some other constraints need to be slipped.

[Zare · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book on one of the most guarded secrets in W40k universe. Luther, once a second hand of Lion himself is imprisoned in the deep bowels of the Rock. Story is split into blocks that depict continuous interrogations of the Luther by series of Dark Angels' Grand Masters. As we see Luther feeling greatly disoriented and brought to the brink of insanity by very knowledge of what he did, his treason of Lion's confidence we also follow slow spiral to madness of the very Dark Angels Legion. And it is very disturbing picture we see - it is like watching a very sick man going through very difficult phases in life, sometimes not able to cope with their condition.

Man on brink of madness but sane enough to warn the very Legion he once belonged to with his stories of caution, and that very Legion becoming more and more engulfed in zealotry and religious craze, understanding that they need to get information from Luther but also going crazy because they are not sure how can they believe him. Its a close circuit of craziness.

Excellent book. I truly hope there is hope for Dark Angels. Once glorious First they have become such a schizophrenic military outfit that they truly need intervention, fast, for them to remain defenders of the humanity.

Great addition to the W40K lore. Highly recommended.

[Steve Bates · Rating 5 out of 5]

Crazy just like the interrogation , awesome felt like you were Luther at times

[Dom Lawson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great insight into the culture of ancient Caliban from the perspective of yet another unreliable Dark Angels narrator (who’d have seen that coming)

Fantastic to flesh out Luther and understand his motives better as well as why he turned out the way he did in modern 40K

Seeing a Grand Master of the Dark Angels chapter shoot himself in the head was a bit of a curveball but whatever, we move

[Wesley Fleure · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this book an imprisoned Luther basically recounts key moments of his life and treachery to various Dark Angels grand masters. Some are excellent, in particular I like the stuff with Erebus and Tyhon and some of the insights about chaos and the decline of the imperium.


For me what keeps this being a 5 star is that I found many of the Order pre discovery of the Lion stories dull (and that story sadly underwhelming). Maybe they are saving for later but also the lack of stories about hanging out with the Lion also seemed to be a wasted opportunity but overall I enjoyed this and it’s a good addition to the heresy lore and maybe a jumping off point for stuff in the future?

[John McDonnell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Treasonous and delightfully insightful. Long have I had a strong dislike for the Dark Angels along with the Space Wolves, this novel goes a long way to shedding some light along the way to highlightly yet another legion/chapter that while claiming to be loyal is more lost and damned than faithful to the Imperium. It will be interesting to see where the stories and the 40K universe go from here. It would appear the Lion will return. Civil War, certainly. A novel well worth the read (or listen).

[Fox Hughes · Rating 5 out of 5]

The time displacement angle of this story is so wholly unique to both warhammer and the Dark Angels that there was no way I wasn’t going to love this. Luther is a fantastic main character with a ton of depth. You genuinely feel for him and hate him at the same time which is no small feet. His situation is so wonderfully grimdark and the message behind this book is a great one. There’s something about this novel and just makes me love it to death. If you’re a fan of the dark angels or a tragic realization of damnation then this one is for you

[Skywatcher Adept · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just realized that the three Dark Angels books released in recent years (2020-21): Lion El'Johnson: Lord of the First, Horus Heresy 9: Crusade & Luther: First of the Fallen contain more proper Dark Angel/Caliban lore than all previous Heresy books released from 2007 (Descent of Angels) to 2018 (Dreadwing).
Better late than never.

[Mike Sheehan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been a big fan of the Dark Angels Since first reading Descent of Angels a few years ago. Luther in particular is an interesting character as you can really feel his frustration.

This book in particular does a great job in bridging the gap between the Horus Heresy and 40k and for fans of the Angels this a must read.

[Christopher Napier · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting insight into one of 40ks most enigmatic yet overlooked characters. The format of dropping in and out of memory is a little jarring but makes sense in the context of the story. We'll worth it, especially for Dark Angels/Fallen fans.

[John Hooker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting methodology and narrative recollections, well,...colorfully re-told by a master of the tongue kissed with truthful lies.

Good read, good point of view broadening if a confusing piece of Dark Angel history.

[Mikael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Illumination into the dark and murky secrets of one of 40k’s most mysterious characters.

[Raymond · Rating 4 out of 5]

More background for the Dark Angels and the world of Caliban.
Also an interesting view of how the Chapter itself changed over the millenia

[Alexandre · Rating 4 out of 5]

a lot of fun

[Jack Volante · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story and the unique way that Luther recollects his past with numerous chapter masters. I almost felt sorry for him.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good, compelling read. Shows the Dark Angels and the Imperium in a slightly different perspective.

[Rob Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book that gives a real insight into one of the most interesting figures from the Horus Heresy, and space marine history. Couldn’t put it down!

[Ross Cudmore · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Few people wish to know rhe truth about the universe. We each choose the set of Lies that comforts us most. You think I am a traitor but I have never wronged you."

A fantastic character-focused book that also develops the lore of Caliban and the Dark Angels. A story of betrayal, salvation, and the nature of forgiveness.

Luther's betrayal of the Lion is well established lore in Warhammer 40k, but the Heresy gave us a chance to see a more emotional and complicated conflict. Luther's path to betrayal began in "Descent of Angels" and continued in "Fallen Angels" and the audio drama "Master of the First" and the short story "Exocytosis".

This story takes place over Millenia, as various Supreme Grand Masters of the Dark Angels interrogate Luther, who is kept frozen in the time, his mind drifting between past, present, and future. The stories he relays about Caliban and the Order are as much about his past on Caliban as they are warnings of the future. The storier Luther relay feel akin to the Arthurian Myths that Caliban pulls so heavily from.

The story provides a greater insight into Luther's betrayal, as we learn he received instructions on the nature of the warp from Typhon and Erebus before the events of the Heresy. This was an interesting reveal as it goes some way to explain why Luther offered aid to Typhon in "Exocytosis".

By spanning Millenia, we also see the descent of the Dark Angels into an almost religious fervor in their desire to elimate the Fallen. Their desire to put right this wrong of the past drives them to ruin.

I think Thorpe successfully develops the character of Luther, giving depth to his character. Luther was a once in a generation talent, who became shadowed by the Lion's accomplishments. He was weak, frustrated, jealous, and so committed a betrayal, even if only briefly. A betrayal that would become cemented again on Caliban, as he committed a thousand small acts of treachery, each acting walking him down an inevitable path.

[J.P. Harker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant - this struck just the right mix of sci-fi and fantasy , which is exactly what you need when dealing with power-armoured space-knights.
I've always sympathised with Luthor, as anyone who's ready my earlier DA reviews will know, and I just love that we had a whole book of his POV. His psychology is so well-written, the stories themselves are interesting and fun, and it really does hammer home the futility of the Dark Angels' quest for the Fallen (please, Lion, come back and slap some sense into your boys!).
Also, I did rather like the classic 'old man' trope that he's asked a simple question and could give a simple answer, but instead embarks on an hour-long anecdote from his youth which gives roughly the same message in a far more roundabout way. Classic grandad stuff there - loved it!

[Anthony Moreau · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is it.

This is the best piece of writing about the Dark Angels in Warhammer lore.

Gav Thorpe does an incredible job of bringing together all the stories and characters so far, and add to it. We learn more about Caliban, the Order, the Dark Angels, their motivations, and of course Luther himself, than we have at any point throughout any of the Horus Heresy novels and short stories.

He also manages, in a fairly short text, to create a sense of deep melancholy about proud knights losing their way, through an ingenious narrative device.

All in all, 5 stars, possibly Gav Thorpe's best work.

[Gary · Rating 4 out of 5]

A deeper look into the dark angels past as told by an unreliable and certainly unstable Luther.

Really enjoyed the many tales told by Luther set within Calibans past, and I equally enjoyed the interrogations by the many former grand masters of the dark angels and how they misinterpret the lessons he is trying to give.

Though one or two of Luthers tales were a little meandering and took a far long-winded approach to get to the point. Though that is remarked upon by the interrogator, which could be why they were told in this frustrating way?

Either way, any fan of dark angel mythology and their convoluted history will find plenty to enjoy here.

[Jalen Ries · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great short novel.

Was very fun to hear the the fallen side of things during the fall of the Dark Angels/Caliban.

The tales of chapters were all very intriguing and the book kept me interested the entire time.

Loved hearing about the old days of caliban from Luther’s perspective. Explanation of their mares, knightly, medieval like battles and communities.

1st legion best legion.

[Ronan Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very tight but deep character study of one of 40k's most engaging characters. Gav does a good job of presenting Luther as appropriately charismatic, but also conveying his fairly rapid decline into (what appears to be) gibbering mystic insanity. Placing him against the rapidly stagnating Dark Angels extends what was already established in Heresy as Luther as a "leftover" from a different, stranger age, not an Astartes but neither human, neither ancient nor young.

[Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

….. wow. where did this come from!?
that was so good!
a really interesting style of story, as well as diving into luther’s down-right insane psyche.
at points you feel bad, at other points you can but help enjoy his suffering (or maybe i’ve been reading to many night lord stories).

i loved how we get essentially glimpses into the future from luther’s pov.
this was a very excellent read. i would recommend this for dark angel fans or not. absolutely fantastic!

[Lance · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Ah, lord Cypher? Im glad you asked! Come on down and take a seat next to grandpa Luther and listen to my tales of great beasts and other shit that answers none of your inquiries!"

The book is not bad, but it did leave me chuckling to think of space marines gathered around old crazy Luther telling stories about absolutely nothing and having to decipher the message.

[Micky · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't feel I learned much more about Luther. And it was basically a bunch of growing-up-as-a-knight on Caliban stories, that didn't have any real interesting things to it?!..

As for Luther himself, he did not in any way seem memorable. Quite the contrary :(

[Pete · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not terribly impressed with this. Seems like filler (well that's what it actually is) All in all nothing of importance was revealed or told. Reads like an ensemble of short stories. The ended had me upset.