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The Fall of Cadia: Warhammer 40,000
An Astra Militarum Audiobook
Cadia. This proud world stood defiant for centuries – a bulwark against the forces of Chaos residing in the Eye of Terror. All of this would change when it was targeted for destruction by Abaddon the Despoiler as part of his Thirteenth Black Crusade.
LISTEN TO IT BECAUSE
The Fall of Cadia is a touchstone moment of the Warhammer 40,000 timeline. This incredible battle led to the opening of the Great Rift and ushered in a grim new era in which even greater threats assailed the Imperium.
THE STORY
Cadia licks its wounds in the wake of the Thirteenth Black Crusade. The heretic forces retreat on all fronts. The day is won. But Lord Castellan Creed cannot rest easy. Something tells him the assault was a mere prelude to something greater, something more final. He is right. Out of the Eye of Terror comes Abaddon the Despoiler, at the head of a warhost unmatched in scale since the dread days of the Horus Heresy.
In the face of the looming apocalypse, Creed must weld the champions of Cadia into a bulwark capable of withstanding Abaddon’s fury. And in orbit, the Despoiler himself finds his own alliance teetering on a knife edge…
This is a tale told at epic scale, from the tables of high command to the slaughter of the pylon fields, and with a huge cast of characters from self-styled demigods to the rank-and-file foot soldiers of the Imperium.
This is the story of Abaddon’s greatest conquest. This is Cadia’s last stand.
Cadia. This proud world stood defiant for centuries – a bulwark against the forces of Chaos residing in the Eye of Terror. All of this would change when it was targeted for destruction by Abaddon the Despoiler as part of his Thirteenth Black Crusade.
LISTEN TO IT BECAUSE
The Fall of Cadia is a touchstone moment of the Warhammer 40,000 timeline. This incredible battle led to the opening of the Great Rift and ushered in a grim new era in which even greater threats assailed the Imperium.
THE STORY
Cadia licks its wounds in the wake of the Thirteenth Black Crusade. The heretic forces retreat on all fronts. The day is won. But Lord Castellan Creed cannot rest easy. Something tells him the assault was a mere prelude to something greater, something more final. He is right. Out of the Eye of Terror comes Abaddon the Despoiler, at the head of a warhost unmatched in scale since the dread days of the Horus Heresy.
In the face of the looming apocalypse, Creed must weld the champions of Cadia into a bulwark capable of withstanding Abaddon’s fury. And in orbit, the Despoiler himself finds his own alliance teetering on a knife edge…
This is a tale told at epic scale, from the tables of high command to the slaughter of the pylon fields, and with a huge cast of characters from self-styled demigods to the rank-and-file foot soldiers of the Imperium.
This is the story of Abaddon’s greatest conquest. This is Cadia’s last stand.
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First published August 5, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 127 reviews
December 4, 2023
'The Fall of Cadia' (2023) is Robert Rath's third Warhammer 40,000 novel and the first time he takes on the task of adapting a crucial event of the 40k canon. It's also the first time that Rath writes in the gerne of the full-blown war novel, after delivering a tremendously enjoyable spy thriller/mecha-arthurian tale in 'Assassinorum Kingmaker' and turning...whatever genre you'd classify the millenia-spanning tale of two feuding Necrons in 'The Infinite and the Divine' as into an instant classic. To be honest, I was a bit worried that Rath's creativity and his breezy style would be wasted within the confines of a novel that'd A. be beholden to established lore instead of an original pitch by himself and B. what would surely have to be a story with a lot of "classic BL shooty shooty bang bang", which can turn boring through overexposure even in the craftiest of hands.
But I needn't have to worry: With 'The Fall of Cadia' Robert Rath delivers a hefty tome that makes good use of its length to tell a layered story that successfully runs the gamut between having fun with the opportunity to turn 40k's craziness up to 11 and taking a serious, empathetic look at the dramas, absurdities and tragedies of people being soldiers in modern warfare.
While the book is anchored by the charisma and plans of the respective legendary masters of war on each side - General Ursarkar E. Creed and Abaddon, Warmaster of Chaos, who're never PoV characters themselves, but centres of gravity for the events unfolding - this novel features an ensemble cast without a definitive protagonist. Instead, there's a variety of characters whose stories form the weave from which the tale of the Fall of Cadia gets made: A sorceress with an unusually intimate relationship both to the Warmaster and his captive Blackstone Fortress. The colour sergeant of the Cadian Eighth and Creed's right-hand man and adjutant. A Khornate champion of the Black Legion, eager to claim the glory of laying waste to the fortress world in the name of his Warmaster and his bloody god. A Cadian lieutenant who gets her first taste of battle with the enemy. An industrious cultist infiltration agent working behind Imperial lines. A pilot flying dangerous recon missions with her co-pilot. A mob boss mainly interested in making a profit of proceedings. An elite Kasrkin pursuing his destiny. The Astartes banner bearer of the local Black Templars Crusade. The twin Canonesses of Cadia's Sisters of Battle. And more besides.
What probably reads like a daunting list of stories to keep track of is actually a finely tuned machine. Rath manages to give every story it's room to breathe without the novel getting overburdened, and every storyline adds something to the wider picture. There're surprising crossings between storylines while the plot moves along, and Rath manages the magic trick of making every storyline memorable in and of themselves plus actually giving them all satisfying, thematically fitting conclusions. He hits the beats he's aiming for and, to forego the conclusion of this review, this is really just a very well crafted novel.
The fact that this book is basically released half a dozen years too late - the event of the destruction of Cadia was introduced to the lore of the setting in 2017 as part of a huge shift in the progression of 40k's meta-story - is turned from a potential bug into a feature. Rath is aware that the eventual fate of Cadia is never in question for us readers - the book is titled The Fall of Cadia, not The Siege of Cadia, after all - and even goes so far as to include excerpts of Imperial textbooks on military history looking *back* at the events of the story that's currently taking place. Rath writes akin to a historian who gets the opportunity to visit a crucial historical event, aware that history is being (has been?) made here while the people living that history are still blissfully and tragically unaware of it. Themes of history and people facing and shaping each other, of how the perception and reality of each clashes with the other and of the ways that people strive to make and own their personal stories is everywhere over the book, from Creed's struggle between his messianic reputation and very human failings to characters pursuing what they perceive to be their destiny or responsibility to even some of the more outlandish elements of the finale.
I read Rath's leanings as a historian also as an explanation for some of his fondness for Trazyn the Infinite (who is such a joy whenever he enters the pages here); after all, Trazyn is living every historian's dream, being able to invincibly and invisibly take part in history while it is being written (plus nicking a few exhibits here and there for posterity, of course).
Adapting such a chaotic background event like 'Gathering Storm I: The Fall of Cadia' (2017) would always have been a challenge, as these galaxy-shaking background events tend to be written as cross-faction free-for-alls akin to a wrestling event ("And there he is WITH A STEEL CHAIR!"). As it is, there was *a lot* going on in 'Gathering Storm I', and there's a real sense of Rath having to carefully pick-and-choose which parts to focus on and which to minimise for his adaptation. As I've written above, he mostly does an amazing job of distilling a thematically homogenous, carefully rounded-out novel out of the source material. When s**t does get wild, it's usually with an air of "isn't it cool how nuts this is?" and the author having fun with the crazy universe he gets to play with, while still being careful about not letting the leash slip too far from the thematic and tonal core of the story. There're just a very few scenes - and we're talking moments I can count on one hand within 700+ pages of novel - were it felt like Rath had to fit something in because it was in 'Gathering Storm I' and *had* to go somewhere instead of it being properly introduced and really clicking in as a cog in the story of this novel.
That being said, The Fall of Cadia is a definitive recommendation to every fan of the 41st millenium, a massive story full of all the dark, crazy, tragic, fun, gruesome, outlandish and serious facets of this wild sci-fi universe. It continues Rath's streak of tremendously enjoyable homerun novels and cements his reputation as one of the stars of the current generation of Black Library authors.
But I needn't have to worry: With 'The Fall of Cadia' Robert Rath delivers a hefty tome that makes good use of its length to tell a layered story that successfully runs the gamut between having fun with the opportunity to turn 40k's craziness up to 11 and taking a serious, empathetic look at the dramas, absurdities and tragedies of people being soldiers in modern warfare.
While the book is anchored by the charisma and plans of the respective legendary masters of war on each side - General Ursarkar E. Creed and Abaddon, Warmaster of Chaos, who're never PoV characters themselves, but centres of gravity for the events unfolding - this novel features an ensemble cast without a definitive protagonist. Instead, there's a variety of characters whose stories form the weave from which the tale of the Fall of Cadia gets made: A sorceress with an unusually intimate relationship both to the Warmaster and his captive Blackstone Fortress. The colour sergeant of the Cadian Eighth and Creed's right-hand man and adjutant. A Khornate champion of the Black Legion, eager to claim the glory of laying waste to the fortress world in the name of his Warmaster and his bloody god. A Cadian lieutenant who gets her first taste of battle with the enemy. An industrious cultist infiltration agent working behind Imperial lines. A pilot flying dangerous recon missions with her co-pilot. A mob boss mainly interested in making a profit of proceedings. An elite Kasrkin pursuing his destiny. The Astartes banner bearer of the local Black Templars Crusade. The twin Canonesses of Cadia's Sisters of Battle. And more besides.
What probably reads like a daunting list of stories to keep track of is actually a finely tuned machine. Rath manages to give every story it's room to breathe without the novel getting overburdened, and every storyline adds something to the wider picture. There're surprising crossings between storylines while the plot moves along, and Rath manages the magic trick of making every storyline memorable in and of themselves plus actually giving them all satisfying, thematically fitting conclusions. He hits the beats he's aiming for and, to forego the conclusion of this review, this is really just a very well crafted novel.
The fact that this book is basically released half a dozen years too late - the event of the destruction of Cadia was introduced to the lore of the setting in 2017 as part of a huge shift in the progression of 40k's meta-story - is turned from a potential bug into a feature. Rath is aware that the eventual fate of Cadia is never in question for us readers - the book is titled The Fall of Cadia, not The Siege of Cadia, after all - and even goes so far as to include excerpts of Imperial textbooks on military history looking *back* at the events of the story that's currently taking place. Rath writes akin to a historian who gets the opportunity to visit a crucial historical event, aware that history is being (has been?) made here while the people living that history are still blissfully and tragically unaware of it. Themes of history and people facing and shaping each other, of how the perception and reality of each clashes with the other and of the ways that people strive to make and own their personal stories is everywhere over the book, from Creed's struggle between his messianic reputation and very human failings to characters pursuing what they perceive to be their destiny or responsibility to even some of the more outlandish elements of the finale.
I read Rath's leanings as a historian also as an explanation for some of his fondness for Trazyn the Infinite (who is such a joy whenever he enters the pages here); after all, Trazyn is living every historian's dream, being able to invincibly and invisibly take part in history while it is being written (plus nicking a few exhibits here and there for posterity, of course).
Adapting such a chaotic background event like 'Gathering Storm I: The Fall of Cadia' (2017) would always have been a challenge, as these galaxy-shaking background events tend to be written as cross-faction free-for-alls akin to a wrestling event ("And there he is WITH A STEEL CHAIR!"). As it is, there was *a lot* going on in 'Gathering Storm I', and there's a real sense of Rath having to carefully pick-and-choose which parts to focus on and which to minimise for his adaptation. As I've written above, he mostly does an amazing job of distilling a thematically homogenous, carefully rounded-out novel out of the source material. When s**t does get wild, it's usually with an air of "isn't it cool how nuts this is?" and the author having fun with the crazy universe he gets to play with, while still being careful about not letting the leash slip too far from the thematic and tonal core of the story. There're just a very few scenes - and we're talking moments I can count on one hand within 700+ pages of novel - were it felt like Rath had to fit something in because it was in 'Gathering Storm I' and *had* to go somewhere instead of it being properly introduced and really clicking in as a cog in the story of this novel.
That being said, The Fall of Cadia is a definitive recommendation to every fan of the 41st millenium, a massive story full of all the dark, crazy, tragic, fun, gruesome, outlandish and serious facets of this wild sci-fi universe. It continues Rath's streak of tremendously enjoyable homerun novels and cements his reputation as one of the stars of the current generation of Black Library authors.
September 26, 2025
Really enjoyed this one. A fascinating look at terminal patriotism in a world under eternal siege. And plenty of guardsmen!
Cadia Stands!
Cadia Stands!
September 1, 2023
Taking the infamous fall and turning into perhaps the most cohesive and heartbreaking story in modern 40k seems like a dream but it's real! An absolutely fantastic read from one of warhammers best authors.
Cadia stands, as the planet broke before the guard did
Cadia stands, as the planet broke before the guard did
January 21, 2024
I feel like I'm insane, seeing all the praise this book gets, but this was the worst 40k book I've read. My main problem is that it fails on delivering the pathos of an event this important. Most of the characters speak like they are from saturday morning cartoons, Creed does not feel like a competent leader, he's like a generic army sergeant from a kids movie. The space marines are all incredibly dumb, (i have absolutely no problem with stupid stuff in 40k, but marines charging blindly the enemy for absolutely no reason is just immersion breaking), chaos does not feel like chaos for a moment (worst being the khornate daemon prince who starts giving a bad guy monologue INSTEAD of killing the enemy, which is yknow... kinda khornes' thing), and especially Belisarius Cawl, who is written so bad, that he does not feel like himself. The scale is also weirdly small, the book covers like 3 battles, instead of the whole planetary invasion, it does not feel like that this is a pivotal plot point for the setting. There were some better parts, i actually really liked the perspective of the traitor cadian, but i think the fact that the battle for one hive city in Helsreach felt way more epic than the fall of cadia tells a lot about this book.
July 31, 2024
An amazing (long) read.
I really enjoyed the Infinite and Divine and the hilarious dialogue, excellent character representation from the lore and gripping action is clearly Robert Raths signature as it’s present in both books.
I would recommend this to any guard book lovers along with anyone who just enjoys a blow by blow account of a sci-fi action theatre.
I really enjoyed the Infinite and Divine and the hilarious dialogue, excellent character representation from the lore and gripping action is clearly Robert Raths signature as it’s present in both books.
I would recommend this to any guard book lovers along with anyone who just enjoys a blow by blow account of a sci-fi action theatre.
March 7, 2024
I don't have words. What a phenomenal, incredible piece of work. Easily one of Black Library's best and quite possibly one of my new favourite novels.
April 10, 2024
This was an epic 40k novel, comparable to something like Tolstoy's *War and Peace* in terms of narrative scope and cast of characters. There were so many characters and so many subplots that the overarching conflict often took the back seat. The main character if he can even be called that--he appears in about 15% to 20% of the novel), Lord Castellan Ursarkar E. Creed, was intriguing. His personality was dour and cynical but there was also an element of inspiring dignity and resoluteness. If you're a 40k fan, this gives you a panoramic view of the world (although a few bigger factions are missing--like Orks). There are Battle Sisters, Chaos Space Marines, the Inquisition, Necrons, the Mechanicum, and, of course, the Imperial Guard. The planet broke, but Cadia Stands!
January 7, 2025
This book is long and entirely about a battle, so it is a huge achievement on Rath's part that the pace keeps up throughout: personally, at least, I find that the biggest issue with war-focused novels, and it's very understandable given that there are only so many ways you can describe people shooting at and/or hitting each other.
I think what makes it work is that there are a lot - and I mean a LOT - of wonderful characters who we get to know throughout. Not every faction gets a named POV character (thankfully, because the book pushes the limit of how many important people you can keep track of as is!), but we see the battles on Cadia from all levels, from unimportant soldier to Canoness of the Adepta Sororitas to Trazyn the Infinite.
Rath seems to really know what he's doing with character work - I knew this going in having read "The Infinite and the Divine", which is a delightful book - but being able to keep track of so many threads of large-scale battle and small-scale character interactions to the degree shown here is a very impressive feat, and makes for a fantastic, well-rounded military sci-fi story!
I think what makes it work is that there are a lot - and I mean a LOT - of wonderful characters who we get to know throughout. Not every faction gets a named POV character (thankfully, because the book pushes the limit of how many important people you can keep track of as is!), but we see the battles on Cadia from all levels, from unimportant soldier to Canoness of the Adepta Sororitas to Trazyn the Infinite.
Rath seems to really know what he's doing with character work - I knew this going in having read "The Infinite and the Divine", which is a delightful book - but being able to keep track of so many threads of large-scale battle and small-scale character interactions to the degree shown here is a very impressive feat, and makes for a fantastic, well-rounded military sci-fi story!
January 23, 2024
Despite its intimidating size, this was a fast-paced sci-fi action tragedy. You really got a scale of how huge the war was and how many moving parts there were in protecting Cadia. All the different plotlines wove together like this ornate tapestry to tell a story about humanity, love, and hope.
Everyone on the planet knew Cadia would be a loss, but they fought on anyway because they were fighting to preserve what good was left of their world, and because it was worth defending.
The end of the book didn't really feel like an ending to me. The action was still happening all the way to the last couple pages, so there wasn't a lot of time to slow down and tie up loose ends. But I guess that's more a problem 40k books have in general. Overall though, I wasn't expecting to get as emotionally invested in every little plotline as I ended up being, and with there being so many characters to follow, I imagine making a reader connect like that is pretty difficult. Robert Rath has cemented his place in my mind as one of the top tier 40k writers today.
Everyone on the planet knew Cadia would be a loss, but they fought on anyway because they were fighting to preserve what good was left of their world, and because it was worth defending.
The end of the book didn't really feel like an ending to me. The action was still happening all the way to the last couple pages, so there wasn't a lot of time to slow down and tie up loose ends. But I guess that's more a problem 40k books have in general. Overall though, I wasn't expecting to get as emotionally invested in every little plotline as I ended up being, and with there being so many characters to follow, I imagine making a reader connect like that is pretty difficult. Robert Rath has cemented his place in my mind as one of the top tier 40k writers today.
August 10, 2025
4.5 stars (I cannot, in good conscience, give a Warhammer novel 5 stars)
I loved this. Am I proud of it? No. Will I be reading more Warhammer novels in the future? Almost certainly.
Enjoyed this way more than the Eisenhorn trilogy. Struggled a little bit in discussions of binharic cogitators and blackstone pylons, but overall a really fun reading experience for someone who is not super deep into the lore, but still wants to keep up. Dragged a bit in the middle, but I was surprised by how much I liked the ending and that I enjoyed the book throughout considering it is essentially 650 pages of scifi-fantasy battle sequences.
Warhammer exists in an interesting genre niche where it has all the aesthetic elements of science fiction (spaceships, aliens, cyborgs, etc.), but lots of fantasy tropes as well (palace intrigue, sorcery, demons). I have recently thought of myself as a bit of a fantasy hater (thanks GRRM), but I enjoyed this enough to consider carefully whether I will apply that label to myself so readily in the future.
I loved this. Am I proud of it? No. Will I be reading more Warhammer novels in the future? Almost certainly.
Enjoyed this way more than the Eisenhorn trilogy. Struggled a little bit in discussions of binharic cogitators and blackstone pylons, but overall a really fun reading experience for someone who is not super deep into the lore, but still wants to keep up. Dragged a bit in the middle, but I was surprised by how much I liked the ending and that I enjoyed the book throughout considering it is essentially 650 pages of scifi-fantasy battle sequences.
Warhammer exists in an interesting genre niche where it has all the aesthetic elements of science fiction (spaceships, aliens, cyborgs, etc.), but lots of fantasy tropes as well (palace intrigue, sorcery, demons). I have recently thought of myself as a bit of a fantasy hater (thanks GRRM), but I enjoyed this enough to consider carefully whether I will apply that label to myself so readily in the future.
August 25, 2024
In der Tat das beste 40k Buch, was ich bisher gelesen habe.
August 25, 2023
A lot of fun and another hit from Robert Rath. Loved every part of the book minus the segments with the black templar and sisters of battle. The two are among my least favorite units in the universe so it is to be expected for me and would not be fair to deduct any points for them being there since i just inherently don't like them regardless of who is writing them.
Trazyn is always a blast and does not disapoint here as well as abaddon getting his bad ass moments. The guard and aeronautica characters are all solid and likeable, ghent being the standout for me.
The book is a must buy for any 40k fans because it has something in it for everyone just like Rath's other book The Infinite and The Divine. Also if you haven't read that yet, why are you reading my review, read that instead.
Trazyn is always a blast and does not disapoint here as well as abaddon getting his bad ass moments. The guard and aeronautica characters are all solid and likeable, ghent being the standout for me.
The book is a must buy for any 40k fans because it has something in it for everyone just like Rath's other book The Infinite and The Divine. Also if you haven't read that yet, why are you reading my review, read that instead.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 1, 2024
It's a daunting task to write such a pivotal event in a shared universe like 40K, particularly when the outcome is already so well known. This isn't just "good for Warhammer" - this is an excellent war novel overall, and has the sweep and scale that is up to the challenge of bringing an end to a planet. The viewpoint characters run from the greatest to the smallest on both sides and beyond, and all are compelling. Recommended without hesitation. If you are a 40K fan, this is absolutely required reading.
December 29, 2023
Fantastic book, one of the best Warhammer books I’ve read (and I’ve read a lot of them!). A gripping story of the final days of Cadia told through the perspective of the invading Black Legion and the Cadians and their allies led by Creed. Very exciting and involving, highly recommended
April 19, 2024
Action packed, characterful, heart and gut wrenching prose version of the tale we got in short-ish form in 2017’s “Gathering Storm: Fall of Cadia”.
Seeing the key events fleshed out and done very well was great.
Seeing the key events fleshed out and done very well was great.
May 5, 2025
This was your third book for BL Rath? I hope you get many more submissions sent your way. You deserve all the praise for churning out belter books like this and Infinite and Devine. Both of which will be very high on my recomendations lists. Cadia Stands United indeed.
October 22, 2024
Believe it or not, Cadia Stands.
July 18, 2025
Absolute 40K Cinema - incredible, I could have read/listened to another 8 hours of this masterpiece.
The audiobook is spectacular and I did switch between it and the Kindle version, but David Seddon done such a fantastic job - Toby Longworth has always been the GOAT of 40K audiobooks, but he definitely has competition now.
A book of this scale, literally covering an entire planetary invasion has SO. MANY. characters, and yet Seddon has somehow managed to give every single one their own voice, accent, inflection, and personality, it's so impressive.
I can't fault the book itself at all, it has everything from espionage, politics, warp daemons and all the related weird stuff, "regular" military action and tactics, air-warfare, and everything else in between - there genuinely is something here for every 40K fan, no matter which aspects of the lore is your favourite, there are even multiple Astartes factions, the Inquisition, and even Necrons for Thrones sake.
If I had to have one criticism it's the use of the imperial system (yes I know it's the Imperium not the Metricerium), but this is not something unique to this book - I despise having to figure out yards, feet, and MPH in any book/movie/show/game.
If you like 40K, you NEED to read this, and it's of course vital to the current lore so it's basically required reading.
The audiobook is spectacular and I did switch between it and the Kindle version, but David Seddon done such a fantastic job - Toby Longworth has always been the GOAT of 40K audiobooks, but he definitely has competition now.
A book of this scale, literally covering an entire planetary invasion has SO. MANY. characters, and yet Seddon has somehow managed to give every single one their own voice, accent, inflection, and personality, it's so impressive.
I can't fault the book itself at all, it has everything from espionage, politics, warp daemons and all the related weird stuff, "regular" military action and tactics, air-warfare, and everything else in between - there genuinely is something here for every 40K fan, no matter which aspects of the lore is your favourite, there are even multiple Astartes factions, the Inquisition, and even Necrons for Thrones sake.
If I had to have one criticism it's the use of the imperial system (yes I know it's the Imperium not the Metricerium), but this is not something unique to this book - I despise having to figure out yards, feet, and MPH in any book/movie/show/game.
If you like 40K, you NEED to read this, and it's of course vital to the current lore so it's basically required reading.
June 9, 2025
What an epic. The final stand of a world. Heaps of character POVs, heaps of faction types, plenty of fascinating antagonists. You’ve got kasrkin spec ops, adepta sororitas battle sisters, an inquisitor, regiment, commander, a khorne follower, you’ve got Abaddon who was great to read about having just finished the two Black Legion origin books.
It’s no secret Cadia doesn’t make it, but the slow realisation and acceptance in the characters, who have spent their lives preparing for this eventual cataclysm, was very harrowing.
Ultimately the climax did feel pretty anti climactic - I was expecting some poetic prose about the planet literally fucking exploding but I guess that wasn’t the aim. Heaps of people make it out alive too which I felt brought the stakes down a lot. In fact, I was expecting a long section or chapter about all the people on the planet dying in horrific ways as the planet slowly tore apart. Hm. Guess not. Still great though and that’s just a nitpick in relation to my expectations.
It’s no secret Cadia doesn’t make it, but the slow realisation and acceptance in the characters, who have spent their lives preparing for this eventual cataclysm, was very harrowing.
Ultimately the climax did feel pretty anti climactic - I was expecting some poetic prose about the planet literally fucking exploding but I guess that wasn’t the aim. Heaps of people make it out alive too which I felt brought the stakes down a lot. In fact, I was expecting a long section or chapter about all the people on the planet dying in horrific ways as the planet slowly tore apart. Hm. Guess not. Still great though and that’s just a nitpick in relation to my expectations.
January 6, 2025
While I enjoyed Infinite and the Divine, I didn’t see it as the second coming like some did with Robert Rath. With that said, I was cautiously optimistic about GW giving him the Fall of Cadia, which is practically the same as being asked to write the end of the Horus Heresy; a daunting challenge to even Abnett himself.
I shouldn’t have worried because this book confirms in my mind that Rath is just ‘built different’ compared to other BL authors. The guy just writes well, and at incredible length. This book is a tome. I have literally nothing bad to say. Every pov character is interesting (except the pilot), and in typical fashion with good 40K, the chaos characters completely steal the show. Abaddon is actually a character in this one, and doesn’t just stand there, menacingly.
Now, if Rath could just hurry up and write the whole ‘Gathering storm’ return of Gulliman story arch, that would be fantastic.
I shouldn’t have worried because this book confirms in my mind that Rath is just ‘built different’ compared to other BL authors. The guy just writes well, and at incredible length. This book is a tome. I have literally nothing bad to say. Every pov character is interesting (except the pilot), and in typical fashion with good 40K, the chaos characters completely steal the show. Abaddon is actually a character in this one, and doesn’t just stand there, menacingly.
Now, if Rath could just hurry up and write the whole ‘Gathering storm’ return of Gulliman story arch, that would be fantastic.
August 26, 2024
The fall of Cadia has long been a famous legend/historic occurrence/universe shattering event within the world of Warhammer 40k. And by the throne does this book live up to the hype. I already absolutely adored Robert Rath after reading The Infinite and The Divine. And boy does he deliver with this one as well. Fall of Cadia is a gripping, fast paced, maddening decent into a sheer terror inducing apocalypse on a truly intense scale. Whether you are familiar with the Fall of Cadia or completely new to the Warhammer universe, this is a MUST-READ!! The writing is of a very high quality. The pacing of is insane yet well thought out, the characters are very flawed yet massively compelling. And against better judgment you hope they all make it through. I loved every page of this book and burned through it in a few days. Highly recommend
August 8, 2024
Superb finale for Cadia
Simply superb storytelling. It is an epic first-hand account of the fall of Cadia, full of fascinating characters from all sides of the war.
Not to mention the grand scale of combat on display, the epic action sequences. The author really depicts the grit and blood of the final stand. It was very fulfilling that all characters got their moments to shine, with some getting some truly epic finishes.
Could not ask for more.
Brilliant!
Simply superb storytelling. It is an epic first-hand account of the fall of Cadia, full of fascinating characters from all sides of the war.
Not to mention the grand scale of combat on display, the epic action sequences. The author really depicts the grit and blood of the final stand. It was very fulfilling that all characters got their moments to shine, with some getting some truly epic finishes.
Could not ask for more.
Brilliant!
October 12, 2024
Amazing book. The thing about a book called Fall of Cadia is that you know what is going to happen. That means,like any prequel, the story has to be about the characters because there is no suspense about the plot outcome. This book delivers. Definitely one of my favourite 40K books. Not a good entry point to the lore but for fans of the ‘verse it is an amazing telling of a galaxy changing event. Recommended.
October 21, 2025
The blurb talks about how the POV shifts from people on the frontline all the way up to high command tables but I still wasn't expecting the level of detail that it went into at those levels. This is not just honour and combat with a few generals talking about how to stop an advance, this has deep asides into how to effectively maneouvre combined arms forces, the brain trauma impacts of repeated heavy weapons usage in close proximity, the problems of shifting (effective, charismatic) divisional leaders to full planetary leadership in their lack of effective personal staff/aides, lack of understanding of the non-military logistics required, and lack of existing relationships with other organisational counterparts.
Overall a thrilling and epic saga, incredibly happy to have read it.
Overall a thrilling and epic saga, incredibly happy to have read it.
December 8, 2025
A 40k tragedy. Cadia falls, but the cadian spirit lives on.
The ending was superb, the last 200 pages or so had me captivated. Before that there were too many different POV's to keep up with.
Also love the Urkrathos passages. So metal.
The ending was superb, the last 200 pages or so had me captivated. Before that there were too many different POV's to keep up with.
Also love the Urkrathos passages. So metal.
May 19, 2025
You know how it ends, you know what's at stake, but every plot beat still hits. The Fall of Cadia does suffer from perhaps too many characters, and there's a few moments that don't quite strike as well, but this was really a great piece of 40k writing - awesome.
July 24, 2025
A really fun and well paced book! The different view points of the Fall of Cadia make it a lot of fun!
August 18, 2025
Good re-introduction the 40k universe proper after a long time away, Rath is good at capturing planetary scale invasion and the horror of chaos sweeping in on the Cadians and fleshes out Creed, one of their legends - and the whole bit about Cadia descending into complete chaos in the final days is peak 40k bolter porn executed marvellously; the 30k Ultramarines being pulled into the 40k timeline to confront Abaddon is ultimate warp fuckery in motion and Abaddon being called out for dressing like his father even though he hates him for his failures is possibly one of the most badass ways to go out. Minka Lesk is one of those instant-fan favourite characters that rivals the likes of Garviel Loken and look forward to reading more of her; too.
Dante next - I'm all Guard-ed out.
Dante next - I'm all Guard-ed out.
July 23, 2024
SPOILER REVIEW WARNING (more a comparison of Fall of Cadia and Cadia Stands as both attempt to expand on the siege of Cadia plot point.
LISTENED TO AUDIOBOOK(audiobook is a must-recommend; David Seddon can make good voice acting for chill or stressed characters. He can be quite refreshing when you are used to Jonathan Keeble)
The Fall of Cadia campaign book really sucked as much for its rushed passing and lack of detail for what has been hyped as a battle for the fate of empires. For me personally, I really couldn't stand the book, wishing we'd gotten an imperial armour-sized book, not to mention some exciting rules to simulate Cadia as a battlefield, but that was ages ago, and by then, 40k had moved on to a new premise. Then 'Cadia Stands' by Justin D Hill came out and suddenly made the whole thing enjoyable and gave much-needed depth compared to the campaign book(kinda like SW3 novelisation). Then, last year, the 'Fall of Cadia' Novel by Robert Rath came out.
'Fall of Cadia' is a Dune-sized book with many characters and separate theatres that seem to combine into a conclusion. If you want a book that gives you lore, you can use it in your next lore battle, and you'll love it. If you want a more refreshing view of Creed, Abaddon, the black legion and Cadians, you'll love it even more.
I rarely give anything five stars, but I need help to think of many wh40k novels that have contributed to world-building and storytelling like Rob Rath did 'Fall of Cadia'. Rather than just say why this is good like everyone else or look for pieces to pick at, I'd instead compare it to other attempts at explaining Cadia's Fall and the Cadians themselves.
'Cadia Stands' presents the conflict through the narrator's objectivity in describing events while the characters deal with their own problems. The plot revolves around Creed, without him really being the main character. It's only 8hrs long but goes through events relatively quick. A decent build-up is set up for the final engagement, only to be met by the plot, forcing the characters to escape and survive. Not to mention, The Sons of Malice get a cameo. What Rob did differently was not only did he ramp up the scale with nearly 20 hours ' worth but also thought critically of what was already written down and applied that to existing real-world examples. He points out the likely problems of such a society mentioned in novels and codexes. Through guardsmen and even spies, we get an insight into what cadian society really is. It's no meritocracy as lineage is valued just as much as skill; soldiers enjoy privileges even the most skilled of civilian workers are denied. Alienation through feudal classes results in a caste of potential rebels, from criminals to cultist activity. We like to imagine the whole society as regimented and ordered, but little do we think about what that means for those who consider it less of a priority. Class struggle isn't anything new in cadian or 40k books. Creed's short stories and 'Cadia Stands' make that clear, but through this choice of critical world-building, he gives readers more perspective of how the imperial war machine works and what costs it comes at.
Creed is also given a new perspective that could have risked character assassination, but instead, we get a more complete character. Creed was a very memeible character, almost like an anime strategist protagonist pulling traps out of thin air whilst giving cool speeches. In his short stories, we get reasons as to why he ends up ruling a planet when he was only previously a Young general(by guard standards). 'Cadia Stands' promotes what makes him a skilled leader by using the trick of seeing it from the eyes of others. However, in 'Fall of Cadia', he is explored more as a character by outlining his weaknesses as a leader. He is presented as a fish out of the water(not the wholesome kind, the asshole kind); his in-experience as a statesman and politician really hurts the war effort as he is unable to manage the byzantine scale of the imperium's factions. His military genius, however, is not sacrificed in the writing as it's clear his skill as a general does impact the war. His personality is shown to be more akin to that of the Primarch Lion el Johnson. As a result, this doesn't retcon but instead expands on Creed as a personality; he feels more fallible of a human and one of the few left who can be counted on despite his flaws. His most prominent advantage is how his troops see him as a genius when, in reality, he is just as flawed as the rest of them. On the other hand, Cadia Stands presents him as an unorthodox hero who pushes people past the limit with inspiration and cunning.
The war itself is presented at its late stage; the walls are worn down, the rations low and the troops are low. We see the motives behind the decisions made, giving readers an impression of why politicking is critical in war. His writing style provides new information and scale to the conflict; all the events and descriptions of the environment events and scenes are intense. Cadia Stands feels more cinematic and is based on troop movements alongside character actions. There's less of a focus on how to the limit things really are and more on what the Cadians did to triumph. 'Cadia Stands' presents the chaotic assault as ferocious but intensely hitting itself against the wall until it breaks. Giving the impression that it took immense losses to make progress further gave the cadian shock more prestige in the book and the idea that the black legion was unprepared. However, black legion characters in 'Fall of Cadia' provide insight into what they had access to and saw Cadia as objectively. Abaddon's scenes are critical as they also show how little he wanted to expend on Cadia and how he keeps control of the black legion.
The best character in the book is Gent, a mob boss who runs a criminal syndicate. His purpose as a character to the setting finally gives us readers an insight into what it is actually like to live on Cadia as a civilian, and it ain't pretty. He is by far the best character due to his unique personality and apathy for the imperium and the war itself; he also provides neat lines, giving him a proper edge in a setting that cuts itself. 'Cadia Stands' focuses entirely on soldiers and the fighting, yet Rob's choice of describing the living conditions and applying them to the war effort with a plot line around ration cards and the black market. Gent's existence alongside a black legion operative has shined a light on how life in Cadia is unfair and has alienated the masses for the purpose of glorifying militarism.
Does this book make 'Cadia Stands' obsolete though... Nope. The writing styles are quite different, and the areas of depth vary. 'Cadia Stands' is shorter and still a cool read, if you are looking for a book that makes the original campaign book topic engaging. What it really does well is give an insight into what was needed to make things work(e.g. the massive reserve counterattack) and why Creed is liked. The book is more of a conceptual description of the war, an example of the struggles guardsmen have to deal with. But Rob's 'Fall of Cadia' provides a more in-depth and interconnected plot, lots of world-building within the story, passing goes at a reasonable speed, and its characters are way more interesting from the amount and diversity, giving a great amount of drama for a war story. Suppose there is one reason 'Fall of Cadia' feels like the best book on an imperial battle since Helsreach. In that case, it is because it puts character development and uniqueness first and uses the conflict to push them to the edge, providing great lines of dialogue, monologues and, best of all, memorable scenes that feel either out of an HBO drama or historical epic.
LISTENED TO AUDIOBOOK(audiobook is a must-recommend; David Seddon can make good voice acting for chill or stressed characters. He can be quite refreshing when you are used to Jonathan Keeble)
The Fall of Cadia campaign book really sucked as much for its rushed passing and lack of detail for what has been hyped as a battle for the fate of empires. For me personally, I really couldn't stand the book, wishing we'd gotten an imperial armour-sized book, not to mention some exciting rules to simulate Cadia as a battlefield, but that was ages ago, and by then, 40k had moved on to a new premise. Then 'Cadia Stands' by Justin D Hill came out and suddenly made the whole thing enjoyable and gave much-needed depth compared to the campaign book(kinda like SW3 novelisation). Then, last year, the 'Fall of Cadia' Novel by Robert Rath came out.
'Fall of Cadia' is a Dune-sized book with many characters and separate theatres that seem to combine into a conclusion. If you want a book that gives you lore, you can use it in your next lore battle, and you'll love it. If you want a more refreshing view of Creed, Abaddon, the black legion and Cadians, you'll love it even more.
I rarely give anything five stars, but I need help to think of many wh40k novels that have contributed to world-building and storytelling like Rob Rath did 'Fall of Cadia'. Rather than just say why this is good like everyone else or look for pieces to pick at, I'd instead compare it to other attempts at explaining Cadia's Fall and the Cadians themselves.
'Cadia Stands' presents the conflict through the narrator's objectivity in describing events while the characters deal with their own problems. The plot revolves around Creed, without him really being the main character. It's only 8hrs long but goes through events relatively quick. A decent build-up is set up for the final engagement, only to be met by the plot, forcing the characters to escape and survive. Not to mention, The Sons of Malice get a cameo. What Rob did differently was not only did he ramp up the scale with nearly 20 hours ' worth but also thought critically of what was already written down and applied that to existing real-world examples. He points out the likely problems of such a society mentioned in novels and codexes. Through guardsmen and even spies, we get an insight into what cadian society really is. It's no meritocracy as lineage is valued just as much as skill; soldiers enjoy privileges even the most skilled of civilian workers are denied. Alienation through feudal classes results in a caste of potential rebels, from criminals to cultist activity. We like to imagine the whole society as regimented and ordered, but little do we think about what that means for those who consider it less of a priority. Class struggle isn't anything new in cadian or 40k books. Creed's short stories and 'Cadia Stands' make that clear, but through this choice of critical world-building, he gives readers more perspective of how the imperial war machine works and what costs it comes at.
Creed is also given a new perspective that could have risked character assassination, but instead, we get a more complete character. Creed was a very memeible character, almost like an anime strategist protagonist pulling traps out of thin air whilst giving cool speeches. In his short stories, we get reasons as to why he ends up ruling a planet when he was only previously a Young general(by guard standards). 'Cadia Stands' promotes what makes him a skilled leader by using the trick of seeing it from the eyes of others. However, in 'Fall of Cadia', he is explored more as a character by outlining his weaknesses as a leader. He is presented as a fish out of the water(not the wholesome kind, the asshole kind); his in-experience as a statesman and politician really hurts the war effort as he is unable to manage the byzantine scale of the imperium's factions. His military genius, however, is not sacrificed in the writing as it's clear his skill as a general does impact the war. His personality is shown to be more akin to that of the Primarch Lion el Johnson. As a result, this doesn't retcon but instead expands on Creed as a personality; he feels more fallible of a human and one of the few left who can be counted on despite his flaws. His most prominent advantage is how his troops see him as a genius when, in reality, he is just as flawed as the rest of them. On the other hand, Cadia Stands presents him as an unorthodox hero who pushes people past the limit with inspiration and cunning.
The war itself is presented at its late stage; the walls are worn down, the rations low and the troops are low. We see the motives behind the decisions made, giving readers an impression of why politicking is critical in war. His writing style provides new information and scale to the conflict; all the events and descriptions of the environment events and scenes are intense. Cadia Stands feels more cinematic and is based on troop movements alongside character actions. There's less of a focus on how to the limit things really are and more on what the Cadians did to triumph. 'Cadia Stands' presents the chaotic assault as ferocious but intensely hitting itself against the wall until it breaks. Giving the impression that it took immense losses to make progress further gave the cadian shock more prestige in the book and the idea that the black legion was unprepared. However, black legion characters in 'Fall of Cadia' provide insight into what they had access to and saw Cadia as objectively. Abaddon's scenes are critical as they also show how little he wanted to expend on Cadia and how he keeps control of the black legion.
The best character in the book is Gent, a mob boss who runs a criminal syndicate. His purpose as a character to the setting finally gives us readers an insight into what it is actually like to live on Cadia as a civilian, and it ain't pretty. He is by far the best character due to his unique personality and apathy for the imperium and the war itself; he also provides neat lines, giving him a proper edge in a setting that cuts itself. 'Cadia Stands' focuses entirely on soldiers and the fighting, yet Rob's choice of describing the living conditions and applying them to the war effort with a plot line around ration cards and the black market. Gent's existence alongside a black legion operative has shined a light on how life in Cadia is unfair and has alienated the masses for the purpose of glorifying militarism.
Does this book make 'Cadia Stands' obsolete though... Nope. The writing styles are quite different, and the areas of depth vary. 'Cadia Stands' is shorter and still a cool read, if you are looking for a book that makes the original campaign book topic engaging. What it really does well is give an insight into what was needed to make things work(e.g. the massive reserve counterattack) and why Creed is liked. The book is more of a conceptual description of the war, an example of the struggles guardsmen have to deal with. But Rob's 'Fall of Cadia' provides a more in-depth and interconnected plot, lots of world-building within the story, passing goes at a reasonable speed, and its characters are way more interesting from the amount and diversity, giving a great amount of drama for a war story. Suppose there is one reason 'Fall of Cadia' feels like the best book on an imperial battle since Helsreach. In that case, it is because it puts character development and uniqueness first and uses the conflict to push them to the edge, providing great lines of dialogue, monologues and, best of all, memorable scenes that feel either out of an HBO drama or historical epic.
October 10, 2024
Just wow what a book earlier in the year I read Cadia stands written by Justin D Hill these two books go hand-in-hand with each other while Cadia Stands focuses more on the war from start to finish and mostly focuses on a couple of regiments particularly the 101 first armoured regiment this book story and narrative focuses more on the battle already halfway through and the Cadia senior political and military characters different aspects of the imperium in the beginning, I was a little bit lost with the amount of different characters and story elements were going on at once but as the story progressed, I really enjoyed how it was all playing out. It was interesting to also hear a different perspective on the chaos forces to shine a better light on on the motives rather than they are just evil there was definitely one or two emotional moments within the book and I think this story really shows why I like playing the imperial guard in 4K so many moments hope and defiance in the face of utter destruction would recommend to anyone
Cadia stands!!
Cadia stands!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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