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Black Templars #1
Crusade for Armageddon
Book by Green, Jonathan
288 pages, Paperback
First published July 7, 2003
3 people are currently reading
202 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan Green
268 books159 followersJonathan Green is a writer of speculative fiction, with more than seventy books to his name. Well known for his contributions to the Fighting Fantasy range of adventure gamebooks, he has also written fiction for such diverse properties as Doctor Who, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Warhammer, Warhammer 40,000, Sonic the Hedgehog, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Moshi Monsters, LEGO, Judge Dredd and Robin of Sherwood.
He is the creator of the Pax Britannia series for Abaddon Books and has written eight novels, and numerous short stories, set within this steampunk universe, featuring the debonair dandy adventurer Ulysses Quicksilver. He is also the author of an increasing number of non-fiction titles, including the award-winning YOU ARE THE HERO – A History of Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks.
He has recently taken to editing and compiling short story anthologies, including the critically-acclaimed GAME OVER and SHARKPUNK, published by Snowbooks, and the forthcoming Shakespeare Vs Cthulhu.
To find out more about his current projects visit www.JonathanGreenAuthor.com and follow him on Twitter @jonathangreen.
He is the creator of the Pax Britannia series for Abaddon Books and has written eight novels, and numerous short stories, set within this steampunk universe, featuring the debonair dandy adventurer Ulysses Quicksilver. He is also the author of an increasing number of non-fiction titles, including the award-winning YOU ARE THE HERO – A History of Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks.
He has recently taken to editing and compiling short story anthologies, including the critically-acclaimed GAME OVER and SHARKPUNK, published by Snowbooks, and the forthcoming Shakespeare Vs Cthulhu.
To find out more about his current projects visit www.JonathanGreenAuthor.com and follow him on Twitter @jonathangreen.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
February 8, 2012
This is the first book of a duology (or at least only two were written so far) set on Armageddon and if you know about 40k this is a world locked in constant war. This story is set on the third armageddon war that confronts the Imperial Guard and a panoply of Space Marine chapters against one of the biggest Ork armies to set foot on a planet.
We follow the tale of a crusade fleet of the Black Templars chapter; probably the most zealous and dedicated of all Space Marines, as they hunt a ork warlord that destroyed their home planet. The follow him to Armageddon and instead of joining the war like other Chapters they go on their own quest. If you want a book with twists and such don't expect nothing here. This is a straightforward plot.
The tale is told in three prespectives. First the Black Templars, the other a Warlord Titan with Tyrannus Maximus (already damaged and alone on the battlefield) and the last a Steel Legion Imperial Guardsmen with an important information and trying to get back to HQ. The plot in then converge the three viewpoints into a single massive battle against a factory for the Orks.
Overall, nice book with great action but nothing that will make you want to read it again. Not the best printed by Black Library. But it's about the Black Templars Chapter so a must read for a afficionado
We follow the tale of a crusade fleet of the Black Templars chapter; probably the most zealous and dedicated of all Space Marines, as they hunt a ork warlord that destroyed their home planet. The follow him to Armageddon and instead of joining the war like other Chapters they go on their own quest. If you want a book with twists and such don't expect nothing here. This is a straightforward plot.
The tale is told in three prespectives. First the Black Templars, the other a Warlord Titan with Tyrannus Maximus (already damaged and alone on the battlefield) and the last a Steel Legion Imperial Guardsmen with an important information and trying to get back to HQ. The plot in then converge the three viewpoints into a single massive battle against a factory for the Orks.
Overall, nice book with great action but nothing that will make you want to read it again. Not the best printed by Black Library. But it's about the Black Templars Chapter so a must read for a afficionado
December 28, 2023
Will one of the most honorable Chapters of the Space Marines, the Black Templars, accomplish their goal of exacting their revenge upon the orkish fiends who have laid waste to their home planet years prior?
During the events of this novel, our heroes will be faced with many formidable foes, who will provide them with challenges that will test their faith, grit, and determination, including massive make-shift Titans constructed by the Orks, and their intelligent leader, who’s proven himself to be more than capable enough of taking on the Space Marines, plus choices, where, at times, they’ll be forced to go against their own command hierarchy.
Many years before the beginning of the story, the home-planet of the Black Templars was sieged by a tactically keen faction of Orks, but still timely rescued by the combined efforts of the returning Space Marines, who, however, still had to mourn massive losses. They eventually manage to track them to the planet of Armageddon, where, thanks to the combined aid of a Titan, and a local militia, they manage to destroy a massive Ork Titan, whose sheer firepower would have been capable of razing the planet to the ground, and kill the surprisingly intelligent leader of the Orks.
Some of the most epic moments include the Dreadnought of a company managing to survive the crash of his assault pod, and eventually reunite with his fellow brothers, just in time to provide them with some much-needed assistance, and the local militia snagging a bomber plane from the Orks, after having carefully planned a stealth attack on their base, which proves to be vital, since it’s exactly how the Dreadnought is transported to the battlefield that hosts the most important confrontation in the entire book.
This work contains everything one would expect from a Warhammer 40k novel, including insights into the featured Space Marines Chapter, intense and bloody action, honorable deaths, and weapons that are nothing short of extraordinary. I greatly appreciated how we get to experience combat from the point of view of multiple factions, including the Black Templars, the resident militia, and a Titan that will end up fighting until the very end.
In conclusion, the book presents the reader with non-stop fights, that are perfectly illustrated and packed with details, in order to provide a high degree of immersion, since we don’t get to see much of the planet itself, Armageddon, whose main cities (and key strategic locations) are simply mentioned, including one that ends up being completely destroyed, right before the Space Marines arrive there. Familiarity with the Black Templars is also practically a given, since it’s one of the most prominent Chapters in the franchise.
During the events of this novel, our heroes will be faced with many formidable foes, who will provide them with challenges that will test their faith, grit, and determination, including massive make-shift Titans constructed by the Orks, and their intelligent leader, who’s proven himself to be more than capable enough of taking on the Space Marines, plus choices, where, at times, they’ll be forced to go against their own command hierarchy.
Many years before the beginning of the story, the home-planet of the Black Templars was sieged by a tactically keen faction of Orks, but still timely rescued by the combined efforts of the returning Space Marines, who, however, still had to mourn massive losses. They eventually manage to track them to the planet of Armageddon, where, thanks to the combined aid of a Titan, and a local militia, they manage to destroy a massive Ork Titan, whose sheer firepower would have been capable of razing the planet to the ground, and kill the surprisingly intelligent leader of the Orks.
Some of the most epic moments include the Dreadnought of a company managing to survive the crash of his assault pod, and eventually reunite with his fellow brothers, just in time to provide them with some much-needed assistance, and the local militia snagging a bomber plane from the Orks, after having carefully planned a stealth attack on their base, which proves to be vital, since it’s exactly how the Dreadnought is transported to the battlefield that hosts the most important confrontation in the entire book.
This work contains everything one would expect from a Warhammer 40k novel, including insights into the featured Space Marines Chapter, intense and bloody action, honorable deaths, and weapons that are nothing short of extraordinary. I greatly appreciated how we get to experience combat from the point of view of multiple factions, including the Black Templars, the resident militia, and a Titan that will end up fighting until the very end.
In conclusion, the book presents the reader with non-stop fights, that are perfectly illustrated and packed with details, in order to provide a high degree of immersion, since we don’t get to see much of the planet itself, Armageddon, whose main cities (and key strategic locations) are simply mentioned, including one that ends up being completely destroyed, right before the Space Marines arrive there. Familiarity with the Black Templars is also practically a given, since it’s one of the most prominent Chapters in the franchise.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 29, 2025
roman basé sur les Black templar et une infection Orc sur Armageddon, le livre de Jonathan Green comméce sur une prémisse aléchante. Mais des le debut de la lecture on se heurt un peu trop abruptement au choix d'écriture de l'auteur. L'histoire est en effet vu sous les yeux de different persônage de dufferentes factions : black templzr / titan / astra militarum etc et les transitions entre chaque sont coupé au couteau. ce qui fait que toute la moitié du livre on ne fait qu'alterner entre des personnages qui ne se connaissent pas encore et qui vivent des aventures distincte ce qui rend la lecture difficile et ce n'est qur a la toute fin du livre ou les chemins se rencontrent au terme d'un final ou le grand méchant du livre; nommé dès le début du roman apparait pour se faire tuer apres quelques pages seulement. il n'a aucun impact sur le combat qui se passe alord qui pourtant edt plutot interessant. un autre point noir c'est le nombre fou de phrase exclamative dit par le narreteur qui tombe totalement à plat. Dommage.
September 5, 2017
Bolter porn. So much bolter porn. There were some great character moments and situations that would've been worth exploring (Straeker and the Steel Legion folks--maybe more of the Templar interactions too) but so much of it was: "Oh! Let's set up for more fighting against hordes of greenskins!"
I guess I'm just spoiled on ImpGuard fiction and the machinations in those.
I guess I'm just spoiled on ImpGuard fiction and the machinations in those.
March 19, 2022
Okay-enough bolster porn
May 17, 2025
Fast, with lots of action but not memorable!
February 17, 2015
See if this tells you anything: I had a copy of this, read about 45 pages of about 300, let it sit for maybe two-three months, came back, started reading & didn't remember anything that had come before, BUT didn't feel I had missed anything.
I almost kind of prefer the earlier parts of this book, where it feels as if Jonathan Green was told to write it for a dark-oriented seven-year-old. "The Black Templars would fight from a distance, but they preferred fighting hand-to-hand. That's what made them different from other chapters. They were very good at hand-to-hand combat." 'Huh,' thought I. 'Good to know.' Later it just becomes people fighting, and I wasn't quite sure why I should care, or where this comes in the whole Armageddon conflict (apparently it's the 3rd war for Armageddon ... I think Dembski-Bowden's Helsreach is the 4th? Is there any fiction about the first two?). I stuck with this till the end, but even the characters I enjoyed (initiate Gervais! Mostly because I pictured a buff Ricky Gervais as that role) became sidelined or dull by the end.
I almost kind of prefer the earlier parts of this book, where it feels as if Jonathan Green was told to write it for a dark-oriented seven-year-old. "The Black Templars would fight from a distance, but they preferred fighting hand-to-hand. That's what made them different from other chapters. They were very good at hand-to-hand combat." 'Huh,' thought I. 'Good to know.' Later it just becomes people fighting, and I wasn't quite sure why I should care, or where this comes in the whole Armageddon conflict (apparently it's the 3rd war for Armageddon ... I think Dembski-Bowden's Helsreach is the 4th? Is there any fiction about the first two?). I stuck with this till the end, but even the characters I enjoyed (initiate Gervais! Mostly because I pictured a buff Ricky Gervais as that role) became sidelined or dull by the end.
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February 7, 2016Gather my brothers for the immortal emperor calls the exalted marine chapters to vanquish the evil that threatens the dominion of man!
"At battle's end, speak the Liturgy in a clear voice. Respect the bravery of the living. Give the Rite of Passage to the fallen. Honour the battle gear of the dead. To do all this with reverence, even when exhausted by battle and weary from the field, is the duty of a Chaplain. It is his burden and satisfaction".
- Adeptus Astartes, The Book of Faith
(space marines lexicanum)
"At battle's end, speak the Liturgy in a clear voice. Respect the bravery of the living. Give the Rite of Passage to the fallen. Honour the battle gear of the dead. To do all this with reverence, even when exhausted by battle and weary from the field, is the duty of a Chaplain. It is his burden and satisfaction".
- Adeptus Astartes, The Book of Faith
(space marines lexicanum)
August 15, 2016
No.
Es probablemente la peor novela de Black Library que me he echado a la cara, y llevo unas cuantas. Se salva un poco la subtrama de los guardias Imperiales que se encuentan un Dreadnought, pero es lo único.
Es probablemente la peor novela de Black Library que me he echado a la cara, y llevo unas cuantas. Se salva un poco la subtrama de los guardias Imperiales que se encuentan un Dreadnought, pero es lo único.
January 7, 2009
Not the best Warhammer author overall, but some of the best written action sequences I've ever read.
September 17, 2011
This was pretty simple read, despite the fact that it took me nime months to finish it... I had to find a new appartment and move, what can I say?!
September 8, 2016
Bolter-porn - god bolter-porn - but still just bolter-porn
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews