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The Beast Arises #8
The Beast Must Die
The time has come – if the Imperium is to survive the ork invasion, it must strike at the heart of the greenskin empire. Their home world has been identified, and Koorland, aided by a primarch, leads the assault…
The Imperium has been brought to the edge of extinction by an ork invasion of unprecedented scale and depth. Piecemeal strikes against the invaders prove ineffective - for every ork fleet destroyed, five more appear. The only solution is to find and kill the orks' warlord - the Great Beast. Surely if its leader is killed, the greenskins' empire will fall apart in agony of infighting and confusion. Lord Commander Koorland assembles a mighty army, but when they arrives on the orks home world, the forces of the Imperium discover they have disastrously underestimated the might and ingenuity of their enemy.
A primarch, the last Imperial Fist and the biggest Imperial army since the Heresy walk into the ork homeworld… but it's no joke. This is the big one, and drama is guaranteed.
The Imperium has been brought to the edge of extinction by an ork invasion of unprecedented scale and depth. Piecemeal strikes against the invaders prove ineffective - for every ork fleet destroyed, five more appear. The only solution is to find and kill the orks' warlord - the Great Beast. Surely if its leader is killed, the greenskins' empire will fall apart in agony of infighting and confusion. Lord Commander Koorland assembles a mighty army, but when they arrives on the orks home world, the forces of the Imperium discover they have disastrously underestimated the might and ingenuity of their enemy.
A primarch, the last Imperial Fist and the biggest Imperial army since the Heresy walk into the ork homeworld… but it's no joke. This is the big one, and drama is guaranteed.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published July 16, 2016
13 people are currently reading
283 people want to read
About the author
Gav Thorpe
377 books577 followersGav 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
August 10, 2016
Review also published here
The Beast Must Die takes the fight back to the orks for good. It is full of action and, oddly enough, development for the orks and the Great Beast. The latter makes it one of the coolest ork focused books in Black Library's stable (at least as far as 40k is concerned), which is at least in part due to Gav Thorpe's attempts to feature old and forgotten pieces from the background.
Political intrigue is at an all-time low. I expected to be bummed out by that and end up lukewarm on the book, but while the High Lords aren't on the stage for almost the entire book, their appearances in the first chapter, and their confrontation with Primarch Vulkan therein, left me excited and satisfied regardless. It is down to Thorpe's excellent pacing and raising of the stakes throughout the rest that I never really felt like a change of pace via Terra-based politics was necessary.
The rest of the book, meaning chapters two to twenty-two, are set on and around Ullanor. I highly anticipated the Imperium's strike at the Beast's home world, especially for how much of a symbolic value that planet had during the Great Crusade and the Horus Heresy series. Seeing the orks build a new empire of their own springing from the place of their greatest defeat at the hands of Horus and the Emperor was such a promising idea, it would have been easy to deliver an underwhelming novel that didn't meet my expectations.
Thankfully, The Beast Must Die met them. Indeed, it is one of the top novels in the series so far, despite its heavy action focus.
Most of the chapters are prefaced with the introspections of Primarch Vulkan. I've seen people call them "emo", and indeed, they are depressing in many ways, but oh were they telling and fitting for a character like Vulkan. For all his legendary status, he is weary of life and seeing the Imperium's decay. He has a heavy cross to bear (see: Vulkan Lives and onwards in the HH series) and it makes perfect sense for him to take these mental turns over the course of one and a half millennia. Considering he was always presented as the most human of the Emperor's demi-god sons, I fully approve of how Thorpe depicted his inner turmoil.
Even on the active side, Vulkan's depiction is spot on. He is aloof where he should be, reminiscing about the glories of a lost age in places, and feels very disconnected from the rest of the Imperium. He rarely utilizes the authority inherent in his nature, but when he does, he moves the plot and characters forward in clever ways. In one chapter, he defends Chapter Master Koorland's authority as Lord Commander in a way that made me smile and cemented both Vulkan's subtle genius and Koorland's suitability in his role for me.
In other situations, Vulkan is a mighty warrior who goes head to head with mighty war machines - something we have seen in The Hunt for Vulkan already, but here he feels both less and more like a one-man-army. More, because he isn't fighting on his own anymore and leaves the Space Marines with him watch on in awe, and less so because he actually coordinates with them. Where The Hunt for Vulkan aimed to excite and awe the reader with how mighty Vulkan is, here it becomes clear that despite all that, he cannot fight this war alone.
The ork civilization meanwhile is sketched with great detail and should appeal to longtime fans who have seen old editions of 40k come and go. Many ideas and concepts long scrapped are alluded to, and the greenskins of Gorkagrod are far from the usual brutes. Unlike most Black Library novels, we see orks living in "peace", as a functioning society. It is a chilling prospect that bodes ill for the Imperium, but manages to elevate the ork threat of the series to even higher levels.
This is also the first time since the first book that we get a direct confrontation with the Great Beast. If you have been waiting for that, this is your book. Whatever you expected: Go bigger.
That final confrontation of the novel was excellently handled, and leaves the reader with a bit of a blown mind. Personally, I am not sure where the series can go from this. David Annandale's Watchers in Death has a big task ahead of it to continue on from that cataclysm.
The Beast Must Die is an excellent book. The series needed it, both in regards to plot, reveals, resolutions of subplots and moment to moment action. Seeing the Imperium act as a truly united force against the biggest threat since the Heresy was glorious, especially after all the backstabbing previously. Of course, there are still intrigues going on behind the scenes, but they are secondary here. The Beast Must Die, or all shall fall.
The Beast Must Die takes the fight back to the orks for good. It is full of action and, oddly enough, development for the orks and the Great Beast. The latter makes it one of the coolest ork focused books in Black Library's stable (at least as far as 40k is concerned), which is at least in part due to Gav Thorpe's attempts to feature old and forgotten pieces from the background.
Political intrigue is at an all-time low. I expected to be bummed out by that and end up lukewarm on the book, but while the High Lords aren't on the stage for almost the entire book, their appearances in the first chapter, and their confrontation with Primarch Vulkan therein, left me excited and satisfied regardless. It is down to Thorpe's excellent pacing and raising of the stakes throughout the rest that I never really felt like a change of pace via Terra-based politics was necessary.
The rest of the book, meaning chapters two to twenty-two, are set on and around Ullanor. I highly anticipated the Imperium's strike at the Beast's home world, especially for how much of a symbolic value that planet had during the Great Crusade and the Horus Heresy series. Seeing the orks build a new empire of their own springing from the place of their greatest defeat at the hands of Horus and the Emperor was such a promising idea, it would have been easy to deliver an underwhelming novel that didn't meet my expectations.
Thankfully, The Beast Must Die met them. Indeed, it is one of the top novels in the series so far, despite its heavy action focus.
Most of the chapters are prefaced with the introspections of Primarch Vulkan. I've seen people call them "emo", and indeed, they are depressing in many ways, but oh were they telling and fitting for a character like Vulkan. For all his legendary status, he is weary of life and seeing the Imperium's decay. He has a heavy cross to bear (see: Vulkan Lives and onwards in the HH series) and it makes perfect sense for him to take these mental turns over the course of one and a half millennia. Considering he was always presented as the most human of the Emperor's demi-god sons, I fully approve of how Thorpe depicted his inner turmoil.
Even on the active side, Vulkan's depiction is spot on. He is aloof where he should be, reminiscing about the glories of a lost age in places, and feels very disconnected from the rest of the Imperium. He rarely utilizes the authority inherent in his nature, but when he does, he moves the plot and characters forward in clever ways. In one chapter, he defends Chapter Master Koorland's authority as Lord Commander in a way that made me smile and cemented both Vulkan's subtle genius and Koorland's suitability in his role for me.
In other situations, Vulkan is a mighty warrior who goes head to head with mighty war machines - something we have seen in The Hunt for Vulkan already, but here he feels both less and more like a one-man-army. More, because he isn't fighting on his own anymore and leaves the Space Marines with him watch on in awe, and less so because he actually coordinates with them. Where The Hunt for Vulkan aimed to excite and awe the reader with how mighty Vulkan is, here it becomes clear that despite all that, he cannot fight this war alone.
The ork civilization meanwhile is sketched with great detail and should appeal to longtime fans who have seen old editions of 40k come and go. Many ideas and concepts long scrapped are alluded to, and the greenskins of Gorkagrod are far from the usual brutes. Unlike most Black Library novels, we see orks living in "peace", as a functioning society. It is a chilling prospect that bodes ill for the Imperium, but manages to elevate the ork threat of the series to even higher levels.
This is also the first time since the first book that we get a direct confrontation with the Great Beast. If you have been waiting for that, this is your book. Whatever you expected: Go bigger.
That final confrontation of the novel was excellently handled, and leaves the reader with a bit of a blown mind. Personally, I am not sure where the series can go from this. David Annandale's Watchers in Death has a big task ahead of it to continue on from that cataclysm.
The Beast Must Die is an excellent book. The series needed it, both in regards to plot, reveals, resolutions of subplots and moment to moment action. Seeing the Imperium act as a truly united force against the biggest threat since the Heresy was glorious, especially after all the backstabbing previously. Of course, there are still intrigues going on behind the scenes, but they are secondary here. The Beast Must Die, or all shall fall.
October 11, 2016
Ah, The Beast Must Die!
Book 8 in Black Library’s The Beast Arises series, and Gav Thorpe’s second novel in the series (his first being the spectacular The Emperor Expects), and it seems our story is really ramping up for an explosive ending.
Being perhaps the most violence focused novel to date(which is saying something in Warhammer), the book is a veritable tide of blood and gore, and with some returns to our favourite characters from previous novels (and a handful of newer additions), the story really pushes the overall arc forwards. I’m not kidding, from basically page 1, the action and military intrigue start, and they build to a neck-breaking intensity before the disastrous conclusion of the War for Ullanor.
I didn’t have any particular issues with the story. The pacing was almost perfect (it starts off a tad slow, but doesn’t stay that way for long), the characters were exciting and had enough personality to really shine and grow in a very natural way, and I think I just love how Gav does blood and battle!
All in all, definitely a great novel, thanks for the good read Gav!
Book 8 in Black Library’s The Beast Arises series, and Gav Thorpe’s second novel in the series (his first being the spectacular The Emperor Expects), and it seems our story is really ramping up for an explosive ending.
Being perhaps the most violence focused novel to date(which is saying something in Warhammer), the book is a veritable tide of blood and gore, and with some returns to our favourite characters from previous novels (and a handful of newer additions), the story really pushes the overall arc forwards. I’m not kidding, from basically page 1, the action and military intrigue start, and they build to a neck-breaking intensity before the disastrous conclusion of the War for Ullanor.
I didn’t have any particular issues with the story. The pacing was almost perfect (it starts off a tad slow, but doesn’t stay that way for long), the characters were exciting and had enough personality to really shine and grow in a very natural way, and I think I just love how Gav does blood and battle!
All in all, definitely a great novel, thanks for the good read Gav!
August 27, 2021
Caution- some minor spoilers ahead.
If you’ve made it this far in The Beast Arises series, then you know the basic concept of what the Imperium is up against- Orks that possess powerful technology that have also evolved in their culture, tactics, and strength to be an unstoppable force. From book one, the Imperium has been on the ropes, fighting just to get a little breathing room and what victories they have been able to achieve have been very costly.
I find myself conflicted about this book. I am no stranger to the battle-porn found in most Warhammer 40,000 novels- massive battles with powerful weapons and soldiers (both alien and human) fighting it out in harsh situations. I certainly enjoy this type of story from time to time, but I felt battle-fatigued (pardon the pun) with this book. Koorland leads a massive Imperial force (we’re talking multiple Chapter Masters with their companies of Space Marines, massive armies from the Adeptus Mechanicus, Astra Militarium, ships from the Imperial Navy and a Primarch) to take out the leader of the Orks on the planet of Ullanor. It goes from one battle to another, each with a new level of Ork Surprise! Until the final climatic battle against the Great Beast and Vulkan. Reading the book, I started feeling like I was reading a play through of a video game. “You make your way down here and find the mini-boss. Okay, after you defeat that, you proceed to here and fight the next boss,” and so on.
There are definitely parts of the book that I did like, such as the Orks being portrayed contrary to what Warhammer 40K Orks are known to be (organized, tactical, religious) and the Imperium’s struggle to be victorious. I liked some of the drama between the main characters, though there was not much of it, mainly being limited to the more fanatical Chapter Master of the Black Templars disagreeing with Koorland and even Vulkan at times, and the weird brooding attitude that Vulkan has taken with everyone and everything (which was equally annoying).
I am really looking forward to the next book because I suspect that we will get to see the origins of the Deathwatch, hopefully it doesn’t disappoint.
If you’ve made it this far in The Beast Arises series, then you know the basic concept of what the Imperium is up against- Orks that possess powerful technology that have also evolved in their culture, tactics, and strength to be an unstoppable force. From book one, the Imperium has been on the ropes, fighting just to get a little breathing room and what victories they have been able to achieve have been very costly.
I find myself conflicted about this book. I am no stranger to the battle-porn found in most Warhammer 40,000 novels- massive battles with powerful weapons and soldiers (both alien and human) fighting it out in harsh situations. I certainly enjoy this type of story from time to time, but I felt battle-fatigued (pardon the pun) with this book. Koorland leads a massive Imperial force (we’re talking multiple Chapter Masters with their companies of Space Marines, massive armies from the Adeptus Mechanicus, Astra Militarium, ships from the Imperial Navy and a Primarch) to take out the leader of the Orks on the planet of Ullanor. It goes from one battle to another, each with a new level of Ork Surprise! Until the final climatic battle against the Great Beast and Vulkan. Reading the book, I started feeling like I was reading a play through of a video game. “You make your way down here and find the mini-boss. Okay, after you defeat that, you proceed to here and fight the next boss,” and so on.
There are definitely parts of the book that I did like, such as the Orks being portrayed contrary to what Warhammer 40K Orks are known to be (organized, tactical, religious) and the Imperium’s struggle to be victorious. I liked some of the drama between the main characters, though there was not much of it, mainly being limited to the more fanatical Chapter Master of the Black Templars disagreeing with Koorland and even Vulkan at times, and the weird brooding attitude that Vulkan has taken with everyone and everything (which was equally annoying).
I am really looking forward to the next book because I suspect that we will get to see the origins of the Deathwatch, hopefully it doesn’t disappoint.
July 25, 2016
This is not a bad book, but by no means is it that good of a book either. This series is floundering a bit at the moment, and for the second novel running all that happens is a large planet battle. Gone are all the mysteries and intrigues of the high lords of Terra, to be replaced by battle, battle, battle. This isn't a Space Marine Battles novel, don't treat it like one.
October 10, 2020
Bonus star for the Black Templars going full "Leroy Jenkins!"
September 22, 2023
So, book 8 of the series, I will rate 6.
I enjoyed this novel but I have several problems with it.
First of all, the first chapter is probably the better one. Vulkan returns and he basically own the show. Then the remaining novel is basically going to Ullanor and fight fight fight...
Positives, I've got barely none, unless you talk about Koorland and the assassin stuff. It was disappointing seeing Vulkan. Vulkan is a demigod for all purposes, it's like he is Jesus to the GodEmperor. I hoped for more idolatry of a legend but besides telling there wasn't that much impact. Then Vulkan was aloof most of the time, like he had been brought to a time that wasn't his own. If Space marines treat humankind as mere child, then Vulkan treated Space Marines with contempt, with distaste. He basically treated Koorland (as a small child learning basic stuff, when he was the Lord Commander of all forces),
Another thing I didn't understand was the why Vulkan didn't want to deal/talk with the Salamanders. Makes no sense.
The last thing that upset me was the all battle. It was a major battle where tens of thousands of space marines died. Probably millions Astra Militarum, Titans etc but unfortunately it was too crammed. Other novels, or authors would take a couple of hundreds of pages on this. But here we are just told stuff happened. The action scenes were a bit off.
What did I enjoy? Well I enjoy as I said Koorland trying to deal with all forces of space marines with their own agenda.
Although I love black templars they are basically the most obnoxious, all action, no thinking brutes you can imagine. At least that's how Gav Thorpe write them. That chapter master was a very bad leader. No brains. by the end he was slap by Koorland and probably that's the highpoint of the novel.
So the beast is dead, vulkan well gone and let's see the next four novels...
I enjoyed this novel but I have several problems with it.
First of all, the first chapter is probably the better one. Vulkan returns and he basically own the show. Then the remaining novel is basically going to Ullanor and fight fight fight...
Positives, I've got barely none, unless you talk about Koorland and the assassin stuff. It was disappointing seeing Vulkan. Vulkan is a demigod for all purposes, it's like he is Jesus to the GodEmperor. I hoped for more idolatry of a legend but besides telling there wasn't that much impact. Then Vulkan was aloof most of the time, like he had been brought to a time that wasn't his own. If Space marines treat humankind as mere child, then Vulkan treated Space Marines with contempt, with distaste. He basically treated Koorland (as a small child learning basic stuff, when he was the Lord Commander of all forces),
Another thing I didn't understand was the why Vulkan didn't want to deal/talk with the Salamanders. Makes no sense.
The last thing that upset me was the all battle. It was a major battle where tens of thousands of space marines died. Probably millions Astra Militarum, Titans etc but unfortunately it was too crammed. Other novels, or authors would take a couple of hundreds of pages on this. But here we are just told stuff happened. The action scenes were a bit off.
What did I enjoy? Well I enjoy as I said Koorland trying to deal with all forces of space marines with their own agenda.
Although I love black templars they are basically the most obnoxious, all action, no thinking brutes you can imagine. At least that's how Gav Thorpe write them. That chapter master was a very bad leader. No brains. by the end he was slap by Koorland and probably that's the highpoint of the novel.
So the beast is dead, vulkan well gone and let's see the next four novels...
February 18, 2018
Every Warhammer 40k book opens the same way: "It is the 41st millennium. For more than a hundred centuries the Emperor has sat immobile on the Golden Throne of Earth." I hadn't given it
much thought: Less than 300 words, the scrawl allows someone who's never picked up a 40k book to understand the scenario and jump in feet first, however I'm already well acquainted with the scenario... right? But this isn't Warhammer 40k, it's Warhammer 32k, and until I read this book, I didn't realize the opening wasn't description. It was narration, and the revelation of whose words they are is a punch to the gut.
This is book 8 in the yearlong event known as The Beast Arises. Chapter Master Koorland has located the Salamanders' primarch, Vulkan. More importantly, he's also traced the Orks back to Ullanor, site of the Emperor's Triumph. The Triumph should've been a theme park, it should've been a tourist trap, but in the ashes of the Scouring following the Horus Heresy, it was all but forgotten. Now that the Orks call Ullanor home, everyone agrees that a decapitation strike is their best hope of victory. It is time to take the war to The Beast himself! But despite Koorland's superlative leadership and Vulkan's unimpeachable presence, the Black Templars attack too soon, and everything goes to shit.
Other than the decision to lop off the head, this book sorely lacks in politics, which has been my favorite part of the series. Even worse, the Imperials continue to underestimate their Ork opponents. 7 books of defeat after defeat punctuated by the occasional Pyrrhic victory, and still our heroes think "Orks are dumb, we can take them!" After being faced with Ork moons, their reasoning must've been "This is the pinnacle of Ork technology. They can't possibly top this." Surprise motherfuckers.
--
As always, notes:
* Vangorich stands ready to murder Vulkan:
* Oof:
* Preach:
* Vulkan teaches by example:
* Speaking of holy shit moments:
* This does not sound humbled to me, but:
* An editor's task is limitless, because they never know what an author will try to get away with:
* The Mechanicus didn't come all the way out here to fuck around:
--
Despite the Imperials being dumb dumbs and the lack of political machinations, the action is fantastic and the the dialogue is top notch, so I cannot ask for more.
much thought: Less than 300 words, the scrawl allows someone who's never picked up a 40k book to understand the scenario and jump in feet first, however I'm already well acquainted with the scenario... right? But this isn't Warhammer 40k, it's Warhammer 32k, and until I read this book, I didn't realize the opening wasn't description. It was narration, and the revelation of whose words they are is a punch to the gut.
This is book 8 in the yearlong event known as The Beast Arises. Chapter Master Koorland has located the Salamanders' primarch, Vulkan. More importantly, he's also traced the Orks back to Ullanor, site of the Emperor's Triumph. The Triumph should've been a theme park, it should've been a tourist trap, but in the ashes of the Scouring following the Horus Heresy, it was all but forgotten. Now that the Orks call Ullanor home, everyone agrees that a decapitation strike is their best hope of victory. It is time to take the war to The Beast himself! But despite Koorland's superlative leadership and Vulkan's unimpeachable presence, the Black Templars attack too soon, and everything goes to shit.
Other than the decision to lop off the head, this book sorely lacks in politics, which has been my favorite part of the series. Even worse, the Imperials continue to underestimate their Ork opponents. 7 books of defeat after defeat punctuated by the occasional Pyrrhic victory, and still our heroes think "Orks are dumb, we can take them!" After being faced with Ork moons, their reasoning must've been "This is the pinnacle of Ork technology. They can't possibly top this." Surprise motherfuckers.
--
As always, notes:
* Vangorich stands ready to murder Vulkan:
And Vulkan doesn't care. He's died so many times, what's one more?His armour, plate worthy of a demigod and forged by his own hand, was burnished dark green and gold. In one fist he bore a hammer the size of a Lucifer Black and many times more deadly. His skin was ebon, as dark as a starless night, save for two eyes that glittered like rubies.
They found Vangorich immediately despite his attempts at being inconspicuous, effortlessly identifying and locating the greatest potential threat in the chapel. He flinched at their silent interrogation, his unfettered reaction providing the answer they sought. A hint of a smile creased the primarch’s lips for half a heartbeat. A challenge, almost.
He knew.
* Oof:
We can blame an uncaring universe all we want, but responsibility falls on us and us alone.Marbas growled. ‘Did none stand guard for these lost worlds? Did none count their fall?’
‘I am sure reports of their loss lie somewhere on the desk of an Administratum clerk, unseen beneath tithe receipts and Astra Militarum levy charters,’ said Valefor. ‘We cannot be absolved of blame. We are the defenders of humanity – it is our watch that also fell lax.’
* Preach:
Imagine if Horus had taken his doubts to the Emperor instead of keeping them bottled inside?Eudes said nothing, fixing his eyes upon the monitors and controls. He was clearly ill at ease with the words of his superior but he offered no argument that might be taken as insubordination.
‘A doubt unvoiced is a doubt doubled,’ said the High Marshal.
* Vulkan teaches by example:
That was such a holy shit moment, I could start to believe that even the High Marshal could be humbled!The Lord Commander and his warriors drew their weapons to open fire at the stunned orks within, stepping into a mist of molten steel. Koorland felt the tread of Vulkan approaching a second before the primarch passed, snatching up Doomtremor to wade into the greenskins with broad sweeps of the gleaming hammer.
‘There is more to the rank of Lord Commander than being the best fighter, Bohemond,’ the primarch called out, voice stern. ‘Great warriors follow the greatest leader.’
* Speaking of holy shit moments:
We have never seen Orks like this. We may never again, and I honestly don't know if that's a good thing.While the great minds of the Imperium had been focused on anticipating what new machines and warriors might emerge from this accelerated development of the orks, none had considered the emergence of other social constructs such as music and entertainment. And just as the Ecclesiarchy had risen in power in recent centuries, so it seemed that religion was also emerging in the ranks of the orks.
* This does not sound humbled to me, but:
THIS BOOK IS SO GOOD.‘Retreat, High Marshal?’ Clermont sounded incredulous. ‘What about taking not one step back?’
‘Sometimes, castellan…’ Bohemond paused while he rammed the full length of his sword between two armoured plates, piercing the walker with a metre and a half of power-field-encased blade. Something shrieked inside the machine and its metal limbs rattled with sympathetic death throes. Bohemond dragged out the sword, blood hissing from its field.
‘Sometimes, castellan,’ he started again, ‘you need to take a step back to get a proper swing.’
* An editor's task is limitless, because they never know what an author will try to get away with:
Hallelujah!The drop-troops landed first, crashing into the Space Marines with bursts of plasma fire and sweeps of wickedly serrated power axes. Eddarin launched himself at them, several squads following his counter-attack.
The Black Templar hammered his chainsword against the raised power fist of a greenskin. His cry was of joy more than surprise. ‘It’s raining orks!’
* The Mechanicus didn't come all the way out here to fuck around:
THIS BOOK IS SO GOOD.‘You mounted a starship cannon on the bastardised remains of my command vehicle?’ Dorr was not sure whether to cry or laugh. He opted for the latter.
‘Behold the great device of the Omnissiah’s retribution,’ declared Zhokuv. ‘Witness the power of the Machine-God’s wrath. Pay homage to the mysteries of the Cult Mechanicus! Be in awe of the majesty of Ordinatus Ullanor!’
--
Despite the Imperials being dumb dumbs and the lack of political machinations, the action is fantastic and the the dialogue is top notch, so I cannot ask for more.
December 5, 2024
After a gazillion (okay, seven) books of largely ignoring a catastrophic alien invasion in favour of politics and infighting, the Imperium have finally worked out where the gigantic Ork Warboss is hanging out, and found an unkillable green mega-warrior of their own to take along on a hunting expedition.
Vulkan's presence propels the story forward at last but his character is a frustrating one, casting a more sympathetic figure than his peers did but somehow lacking in agency and always feeling like a big Salamander in a small pond rather than someone with the vision to reshape the galaxy in any meaningful way. His role here is less about leadership and more about fighting, so this book is largely a bonkers succession of ever escalating fight scenes building towards a slobberknocking climax.
The big moments deliver and the boring elements of previous entries are blessingly omitted, but there is more style than substance here. Harmless action-oriented fun.
Vulkan's presence propels the story forward at last but his character is a frustrating one, casting a more sympathetic figure than his peers did but somehow lacking in agency and always feeling like a big Salamander in a small pond rather than someone with the vision to reshape the galaxy in any meaningful way. His role here is less about leadership and more about fighting, so this book is largely a bonkers succession of ever escalating fight scenes building towards a slobberknocking climax.
The big moments deliver and the boring elements of previous entries are blessingly omitted, but there is more style than substance here. Harmless action-oriented fun.
June 19, 2017
You can read my full review over at my blog:
https://shadowhawksshade.wordpress.co...
Legends beget legends. But they all have to begin somewhere. In David Annandale’s The Hunt For Vulkan, we saw the beginnings of the latest legend-in-making when Inquisitor Veritus sent Chapter Master Koorland to a planet of legend to find a living legend in the form of the Primarch Vulkan. In the process, the novel itself became a legendary story about honour, oaths, duty and service. As I’ve said so many times in reviews of the previous novels, The Hunt For Vulkan laid the foundation of what was to follow.
And follow Gav Thorpe’s The Beast Must Die did. With the return of Vulkan to the highest levels of the Imperium, the stage has been set for an explosive confrontation with the Orks and their new warlord, the Beast. Legend must now fight legend at a location that is itself legendary. As Vulkan often says in this novel, there is a certain pattern to events, and those who are attuned to these patterns stand to benefit the most. Following on from his last outing in the series with The Emperor Expects, Gav delivers yet another masterpiece that does justice to the characters involved.
Note: Some major spoilers from the previous novels and this novel are mentioned here.
There is a quote somewhere in fiction that in defeat are sown the seeds of victory. That idea encapsulates perfectly what the Orks in this series have been up to. Fifteen hundred years ago during the Great Crusade they suffered their greatest defeat in history in the Ullanor system at the hands of the forces of the nascent Imperium led by the Emperor himself. And yet, inevitably, they turned that defeat into victory. They rose again. They evolved both in technology and culture and became a galactic threat once again, enough so that they laid waste to countless sectors, thousands of worlds, and brought the Imperial Fists to their knees, reduced to just a single Astartes.
And yet, in these defeats the Imperium has found the seeds of victory with the miraculous survival of Captain Koorland of the Imperial Fists, now a Chapter Master without a Chapter. He has called the successors of his Chapter to form the Last Wall which has already seen some victories against the Orks. The Imperial Navy has also managed to score a victory or two. And now they have the Primarch Vulkan on their side, ready to lead them on a cataclysmic campaign against the Beast of Ullanor, at the head of a massive army unseen since the days of the Great Crusade itself!
I have said of some of the novels before that they were incredibly focused in the narrative that they chose to shine a light on. A very valid argument at the time. The Beast Must Die however puts them all to shame in that regard, and in a good way I might add. One of the most fascinating elements of the series has been the politics that have defined the conflict, both on Terra and outside of it. In this novel however, Gav downplays the politics completely. With Vulkan leading the Imperium for the moment, the politics amongst the High Lords are null and void as he asserts his will and even educates some of the High Twelve on their proper duties and roles. Taking place over just one brief Chapter, it nevertheless packs a punch because we get to see some great little moments, especially with regards to Ecclesiarch Mesring and the Imperial Creed as it pertains to the divinity of the Emperor. The brief touch rankled a little bit since I wanted to see more of it played out and because there is just so much damn potential here, but sadly it was not to be.
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Legends beget legends. But they all have to begin somewhere. In David Annandale’s The Hunt For Vulkan, we saw the beginnings of the latest legend-in-making when Inquisitor Veritus sent Chapter Master Koorland to a planet of legend to find a living legend in the form of the Primarch Vulkan. In the process, the novel itself became a legendary story about honour, oaths, duty and service. As I’ve said so many times in reviews of the previous novels, The Hunt For Vulkan laid the foundation of what was to follow.
And follow Gav Thorpe’s The Beast Must Die did. With the return of Vulkan to the highest levels of the Imperium, the stage has been set for an explosive confrontation with the Orks and their new warlord, the Beast. Legend must now fight legend at a location that is itself legendary. As Vulkan often says in this novel, there is a certain pattern to events, and those who are attuned to these patterns stand to benefit the most. Following on from his last outing in the series with The Emperor Expects, Gav delivers yet another masterpiece that does justice to the characters involved.
Note: Some major spoilers from the previous novels and this novel are mentioned here.
There is a quote somewhere in fiction that in defeat are sown the seeds of victory. That idea encapsulates perfectly what the Orks in this series have been up to. Fifteen hundred years ago during the Great Crusade they suffered their greatest defeat in history in the Ullanor system at the hands of the forces of the nascent Imperium led by the Emperor himself. And yet, inevitably, they turned that defeat into victory. They rose again. They evolved both in technology and culture and became a galactic threat once again, enough so that they laid waste to countless sectors, thousands of worlds, and brought the Imperial Fists to their knees, reduced to just a single Astartes.
And yet, in these defeats the Imperium has found the seeds of victory with the miraculous survival of Captain Koorland of the Imperial Fists, now a Chapter Master without a Chapter. He has called the successors of his Chapter to form the Last Wall which has already seen some victories against the Orks. The Imperial Navy has also managed to score a victory or two. And now they have the Primarch Vulkan on their side, ready to lead them on a cataclysmic campaign against the Beast of Ullanor, at the head of a massive army unseen since the days of the Great Crusade itself!
I have said of some of the novels before that they were incredibly focused in the narrative that they chose to shine a light on. A very valid argument at the time. The Beast Must Die however puts them all to shame in that regard, and in a good way I might add. One of the most fascinating elements of the series has been the politics that have defined the conflict, both on Terra and outside of it. In this novel however, Gav downplays the politics completely. With Vulkan leading the Imperium for the moment, the politics amongst the High Lords are null and void as he asserts his will and even educates some of the High Twelve on their proper duties and roles. Taking place over just one brief Chapter, it nevertheless packs a punch because we get to see some great little moments, especially with regards to Ecclesiarch Mesring and the Imperial Creed as it pertains to the divinity of the Emperor. The brief touch rankled a little bit since I wanted to see more of it played out and because there is just so much damn potential here, but sadly it was not to be.
December 8, 2018
One of the reasons why I've enjoyed Black Library/Games Workshop's 12 part “The Beast Arises” storyline is that they don't often read like standard Warhammer 40,000 novels. There's still great action and plenty of Space Marines, but the novels are often very political, feature a huge cast of characters, and the tense story cuts back and forth to multiple locations across the galaxy. So the first seven books have been refreshing, diverse, and fun reads. That set up a problem though for my enjoyment of book Eight, “The Beast Arises” by Gav Thorpe, which for the most part reads like a standard 40K novel. That doesn't necessarily mean it was a bad book though. There was still plenty of elements I enjoyed, and ultimately this novel leaves the overall storyline in a much more interesting place. It's biggest flaw is something you see with all grand, event storylines (you especially see this in comic books) it's longer than it perhaps should be.
Pretty much all of the action takes place on the infamous world of Ullanor. It's of course famous for the Imperium of Man's ultimate victory against the Orks back before the Horus Heresy, and now the new Ork empire besieging the galaxy has chosen it as the home base for their galactic onslaught. The book opens with a massive battle force of Space Marines, Imperial Guard, Imperial Navy, and Adeptus Mechanicus hoping to end the resurgent Ork threat for good by traveling to Ullanor and killing the Ork's leader, “The Great Beast.”
That's a pretty potent set up, and there are some great action sequences, but the middle half of the book is kind of a slog and feels a bit repetitive with the Orks constantly gaining the upper hand. I think part of the reason those sections were difficult for me is we spent a lot of time with some Adeptus Mechanicus characters and some Imperial Guard forces. Those characters left me flat. I like Ad Mech and Guard too. It's just the members of those factions that Thorpe had us spend time with weren't as interesting or fleshed out as the characters he was especially good at writing.
Because “The Beast Must Die” is primarily a war novel you don't get much of the political or espionage characters from the previous novels that I've grown to really enjoy like Assassin Grandmaster, Drakan Vangorich, or the leaders of the Imperial Inquisition. You do get, Vangorich's chief assassin though, Esad Wire AKA Beast Krule and I loved the parts with him.
Thorpe also did a great job with his Space Marine cast. The zealotry of Black Templars High Marshall Bohemond made for some kick-ass action scenes, some intense dramatic beats, and even some humorous scenes. Thorpe also write Lord Commander Koorland very well. His evolution over the course of the series has been one of the best parts of this storyline.
For me though, the most interesting character in “The Beast Must Die” was the Primarch, Vulkan. Vulkan is my favorite Primarch and I think Thorpe really did him justice. In the novel the Primarch of the Salamanders chapter of Space Marines comes off as both this divine figure of awesome power and a very human seeming one. That's because in his actions and later words you see Vulkan is wrestling with the fundamental aspect of his existence; being an immortal warror. He's been fighting for thousands of years and is tired. He's stoic about it though and does his duty.
There's some spectacular, fun, action sequences with Vulkan and the other Space Marines that I don't want to spoil. The last and most bombastic one leads to some interesting revelations that makes me excited to read more of “The Beast Arises.” Those relations also cast some new light on the middle portions of the book. So there was a reason why “The Beast Arises” had to sort of read like a typical Warhammer 40,000 novel.
Ultimately, it wasn't my favorite entry in this series, but it was still a pretty enjoyable read.
August 27, 2016
As always Gav Thorpe delivers a good read. However, having just finished the book I feel there is something lacking. What made his series different from others and what drew me in was the political intrigue on Terra. Unfortunately in both this and the last book of the series this is almost entirely non existent and I feel that the series has suffered a bit because of it. This is not Thorpe fault.
The narrative has advanced, the story has been told well and the characters have been further developed. But compared to earlier books in the series the story seems a bit one dimensional and Gav Thorpe is capable of more than this. It does still justify 4 stars as it was an enjoyable ride. I'm hoping the next book takes us back to Terra and gives me what I was hoping for in this one.
The narrative has advanced, the story has been told well and the characters have been further developed. But compared to earlier books in the series the story seems a bit one dimensional and Gav Thorpe is capable of more than this. It does still justify 4 stars as it was an enjoyable ride. I'm hoping the next book takes us back to Terra and gives me what I was hoping for in this one.
June 10, 2018
I read this in a couple of hours. It is a nice progression of the enjoyable "new fluff" that is the Beast Arises series.
Like the last one in the series "The Hunt for Vulkan" it concentrates on another batttlefied attempt to destroy the nigh on unstoppable Ork Waaagh. This time they are led by the returned Primarch and hit the homeworld of the Orks.
This does pretty much what it is expected to do, without being partcularly memorable o =n the whole, I liked the way he handled the big bad, though I have to say it is yet another case of Games Workshop going with the rule of cool over any real logic. Spoiler warning this book does contains severely drunk Orks which is something that GW has broadly hinted at without ever really stating as fact until now. That idea alone is brilliant.
He doesn't make any of the small fluff gaffs that can take you out of the story and I have already suggested that it's a very easy and flowing read. The final fight is astonishingly cool. So cool in fact that I restored the star I was going to remove for not using the best character in the series Vangorich to any real purpose.
Like the last one in the series "The Hunt for Vulkan" it concentrates on another batttlefied attempt to destroy the nigh on unstoppable Ork Waaagh. This time they are led by the returned Primarch and hit the homeworld of the Orks.
This does pretty much what it is expected to do, without being partcularly memorable o =n the whole, I liked the way he handled the big bad, though I have to say it is yet another case of Games Workshop going with the rule of cool over any real logic. Spoiler warning this book does contains severely drunk Orks which is something that GW has broadly hinted at without ever really stating as fact until now. That idea alone is brilliant.
He doesn't make any of the small fluff gaffs that can take you out of the story and I have already suggested that it's a very easy and flowing read. The final fight is astonishingly cool. So cool in fact that I restored the star I was going to remove for not using the best character in the series Vangorich to any real purpose.
September 27, 2019
This was a great installment to the series. The majority of the book is a battle and normally a whole battle book can be a bit boring but Gav Thorpe plots this out masterfully, making each disaster seem so personal and dreadful, each victory filled with hope.
A downside is only getting a tiny bit of palace politics but the inclusion of a certain assassin in the battle was a nice touch.
Most chapters have a small wording at the start which is a bit of Vulkan's thoughts and the final entry of this is great as it takes wording from famous start of all 40K books. "Forget the power of technology and science, for so much has been forgotten, never to be re-learned. Forget the promise of progress and understanding, for there is only war. There is no peace amongst the stars, only an enternity of carnage and slaughter, and laughter of thirsting gods."
Seeing that this all prequel to 40k, its like this is where that all started, where the galaxy we know now really begins. Very powerful.
Overall this has been a great read
A downside is only getting a tiny bit of palace politics but the inclusion of a certain assassin in the battle was a nice touch.
Most chapters have a small wording at the start which is a bit of Vulkan's thoughts and the final entry of this is great as it takes wording from famous start of all 40K books. "Forget the power of technology and science, for so much has been forgotten, never to be re-learned. Forget the promise of progress and understanding, for there is only war. There is no peace amongst the stars, only an enternity of carnage and slaughter, and laughter of thirsting gods."
Seeing that this all prequel to 40k, its like this is where that all started, where the galaxy we know now really begins. Very powerful.
Overall this has been a great read
July 14, 2016
And so we come to the point where each series and TV show find themselves in before the final showdown. Half the grinding season are left behind and all the lines and plots are moving to their rightful conclusion. That's exactly the case with the TBA series.
New TBA installment was written by the popular BL author Gav Thorpe. He has a precursor in the series The Emperor Expects, which was beyond awesome and fueled my interest to TBA. In his second book he goes into decisive changes almost from the start. And boy - what a Space Marine battles novel this book is.
Gav Thorpe again outdid himself trying to create a truthful, gruesome and inspiring list of events that will grip readers right from the start. As with Angels of Caliban author could do a good story. But at the same time, several minor issues are here. First several chapters are slow, pondering and truly hard to get through due to being totally uneventful. That would be compensated later on - at the middle chapters and at the endgame. But that doesn't make first chapters better. Plus where are a lot of redundant events as with some other Gav's books, which only takes additional place and makes book/episode longer than intended (Especially the scenes between Koorland and Vulkan, Bohemond ceremony before the drop etc.)
To the plot - that is one of the powerful characteristics for this novel. It is very straightforward, which is totally good after a lot of supernumerary lines and plotholes of the previous episodes. Writing style is also easy to access and could even inspire sometimes to read more. Which is also good.
Characters are the same from the previous books and depicted without changed personas, which creates a lot of continuation lines and helps to immerse into the story. There are a lot of shows/series shot/written by different authors and producers where the same antagonists/protagonists are depicted absolutely different by each author. Here Gav Thorpe does not made that mistake. And due to the book being in gruesome Warhammer 32k universe - where are deaths (majors/minors). And here there is an issue. Cause previously prominent (each in some way) characters are butchered without breaking a stride and any emotional value.
As a good point each chapter has a preambule cited by the Vulkan. It's his thoughts on HH, Imperium rot and are totally depressing in all it's carrion clarity.
We fell and we burned. Not just one, but all. These are the ashes we are left. The splinters of broken glass left of the window through which we watched humanity die. This is not our world, but they are not strong enough. Why? What was His plan? A crumbling ruin, a cruel joke. The blood in the veins is weak. But it is blood and it will bleed. It needs to bleed. To cleanse the infection. Purgation. Pain. Nothing is achieved without sacrifice. Was that His plan all along?
Also, The Beast Must Die provide readers first true view of the actual Beast himself. Being true to his nature - he is an avatar/demigod of the Orcs. And the final showdown of the book (being book 8 and having 4 more books to go you must understand that this showdown would be won by orcs) is truly well done. His true power, his orcishness are again best depicted by Vulkan:
What is the point of an ork? What mishap of evolution or derangement of design would bring forth a creature entirely possessed of the need to conquer?
What purpose can it serve beyond destruction? And in such state it can serve no other purpose but its own eventual destruction.
Was that... Was there ever any future for us? Were we intended as nothing more than destroyers?
And at the end I become what I must. A beast to face a beast.
And of course the novel misses one of the best features of 30-40k universe, one for which I love them immensely - massive void warfare.
For a straightforward, interesting and structurally solid episode I give Gav Thorpe The Beast Must Die well deserved 4+ stars. If not for a lot of redundant depictions, slow first chapters and emo Primarch - novel would have received full 5 stars.
All in all - it was one of the best TBA episodes. And I definitely wonna know how the Imperium will cope with that sore defeat ;)
Ty Gav, can't wait for more.
New TBA installment was written by the popular BL author Gav Thorpe. He has a precursor in the series The Emperor Expects, which was beyond awesome and fueled my interest to TBA. In his second book he goes into decisive changes almost from the start. And boy - what a Space Marine battles novel this book is.
Gav Thorpe again outdid himself trying to create a truthful, gruesome and inspiring list of events that will grip readers right from the start. As with Angels of Caliban author could do a good story. But at the same time, several minor issues are here. First several chapters are slow, pondering and truly hard to get through due to being totally uneventful. That would be compensated later on - at the middle chapters and at the endgame. But that doesn't make first chapters better. Plus where are a lot of redundant events as with some other Gav's books, which only takes additional place and makes book/episode longer than intended (Especially the scenes between Koorland and Vulkan, Bohemond ceremony before the drop etc.)
To the plot - that is one of the powerful characteristics for this novel. It is very straightforward, which is totally good after a lot of supernumerary lines and plotholes of the previous episodes. Writing style is also easy to access and could even inspire sometimes to read more. Which is also good.
Characters are the same from the previous books and depicted without changed personas, which creates a lot of continuation lines and helps to immerse into the story. There are a lot of shows/series shot/written by different authors and producers where the same antagonists/protagonists are depicted absolutely different by each author. Here Gav Thorpe does not made that mistake. And due to the book being in gruesome Warhammer 32k universe - where are deaths (majors/minors). And here there is an issue. Cause previously prominent (each in some way) characters are butchered without breaking a stride and any emotional value.
As a good point each chapter has a preambule cited by the Vulkan. It's his thoughts on HH, Imperium rot and are totally depressing in all it's carrion clarity.
We fell and we burned. Not just one, but all. These are the ashes we are left. The splinters of broken glass left of the window through which we watched humanity die. This is not our world, but they are not strong enough. Why? What was His plan? A crumbling ruin, a cruel joke. The blood in the veins is weak. But it is blood and it will bleed. It needs to bleed. To cleanse the infection. Purgation. Pain. Nothing is achieved without sacrifice. Was that His plan all along?
At the same time - this shows Primarch Vulkan as some emo kid, always in depression, wining and being totally disappointed with everything cosmic being. After reading his quotes, one question does stand - 'Why he simply does not sit down and kill himself. Why bother to do anything at all'.
I dared what others could not. I knew what awaited me in the inferno and I stepped willingly into the flames. No other could. As above, so below, the fight without and the battle within. Endless torment, unending perseverance. Not one of my brothers could have done it, in body or in mind. It was my agony alone to suffer.For what? For maggots to erupt from the corpse of greatness, devouring blindly the very thing that sustains them, consuming all until is spent. The Imperium is a husk; even the rot has eaten itself. Actually Vulkan is the worst part of this narrative, but at the same time his depressing quotes on Imperium makes episode better.
Also, The Beast Must Die provide readers first true view of the actual Beast himself. Being true to his nature - he is an avatar/demigod of the Orcs. And the final showdown of the book (being book 8 and having 4 more books to go you must understand that this showdown would be won by orcs) is truly well done. His true power, his orcishness are again best depicted by Vulkan:
What is the point of an ork? What mishap of evolution or derangement of design would bring forth a creature entirely possessed of the need to conquer?
What purpose can it serve beyond destruction? And in such state it can serve no other purpose but its own eventual destruction.
Was that... Was there ever any future for us? Were we intended as nothing more than destroyers?
And at the end I become what I must. A beast to face a beast.
And of course the novel misses one of the best features of 30-40k universe, one for which I love them immensely - massive void warfare.
For a straightforward, interesting and structurally solid episode I give Gav Thorpe The Beast Must Die well deserved 4+ stars. If not for a lot of redundant depictions, slow first chapters and emo Primarch - novel would have received full 5 stars.
All in all - it was one of the best TBA episodes. And I definitely wonna know how the Imperium will cope with that sore defeat ;)
Ty Gav, can't wait for more.
December 10, 2017
Certainly one of the better entries into the series. It seems it was held back mostly by design. These books are more like novellas but aren't treated as a continuing story. This leads to each book needing to reintroduce ideas and taking valuable space away from the content. This leads to battles having a disjointed feeling or forces the action to be difficult to follow. Characters will teleport around, they'll feel cheated or bypassed, and the reader can mistake details for another's party. Otherwise an interesting book that will keep you reading.
December 5, 2020
Gav Thorpe continues to be one of the most consistent authors from the Black Library stable. He Returns to the 'Beast Arises' series with Lord Commander Koorland deciding how to take the fight to the Great Beast and end the threat to the Imperium.
He's going to need help... and possibly a very big gun!
He's going to need help... and possibly a very big gun!
May 20, 2019
I enjoyed it, and it very much feels like the beginning of the end of this series.
Some areas of the book were a little inconsistent with the lore, but artistic licence is what it is, but that didn’t get in the way of a good tale.
Some areas of the book were a little inconsistent with the lore, but artistic licence is what it is, but that didn’t get in the way of a good tale.
October 23, 2017
A pretty epic fight between space marine chapters & the great beast on Ullanor.
February 9, 2018
4.5 great read, very exciting couldn;t but it down when reached the last 100 pages!!! I am Slaughter!!!!!
January 2, 2022
Another decent entry in the series, though at this stage I feel that the plot is really beginning to grind to a halt. Hopefully the rest of the series will up the pace a bit.
January 25, 2017
"No doubt about it, Gav Thorpe is a master architect of worlds. He has been instrumental in making the 40K universe what it is today; and that is predicated upon the sheer scope of his imagination. He brings the imaginative worlds of this shared universe to true life with his prose.
Also rendered with vivid detail are the diverse assets of all the factions in play here: the Adeptus Astartes, the Imperial Guard, the Adeptus Mechanicus, and, the chaotically jury-rigged machinery of the orks themselves.
I also give high marks (for the most part) for Thorpe's action sequences. When your choice is to make over 90% of your book one continuous action scene, the fact that you are maintaining a roughly 80% efficiency rating at it is still fairly impressive. Again, as mentioned before, it goes to my personal taste. I like when Thorpe uses vividly descriptive and comparative terms to bring his scenes to life and imbue them with a true sense of scale. I personally do not like Warhammer fiction that reads like "And then the Fist Exemplar, wearing Mark III armor, fired an incendiary round from his something-pattern bolter, hitting the 30 meter tall gargant." But, I'm sure some people do.
What doesn't work so well for the action scenes is that we don't have enough "eyes on the ground"; in my opinion, it would've worked to have a few more characters, giving us a few more viewpoints, and really invested us in what was at stake here. However, speaking of characters....
The Bad:
Yeah, characters and dialogue just aren't Gav's strong suit. His characters all kind of go along with the emotional current of the narrative, rather than being the forces driving it. There is nothing added to these characters in this book. (although I must say, there are epigraphs for some chapters which take snippets of Vulkan's inner monologue, and they are fantastically done)
In fact, there are some scenes which are just kind of painful. Which leads us to....
The Ugly:
Be forewarned - there may be minor spoilers and major griping ahead.
A note before the rant begins: one thing I did not mention in the review for The Hunt For Vulkan (in order to minimize spoilers) is that Vulkan is indeed found. It is a moment of excellence for Annandale, because he truly conveys the sheer awe that even a super human like an Astartes would feel when a true living legend appears before them. It was truly an awe-inspiring moment.
Fast forward to preparations for the assault on Ullanor, and we have Koorland stomping his foot like a petulant child and shouting "I am Slaughter!" over and over at Vulkan. That was the moment that led me to put the book down for a few months.
Then, we have the issues with strategy, as I mentioned before. This massive assault force reaches Ullanor, and SPOILER!!!! the orks are utilizing pretty much the same technique that they employed to dismantle the Proletarian Crusade in seconds (just lay low for a while). And the Imperium forces fall completely for it. I am assuming the preparations and transit to Ullanor took a few months; and, in that time, the combined strategic minds of the Space Marines, Imperial Guard, and Adeptus Mechanicus could not come up with a solid attack plan as well as a half-dozen contingency plans? Really? In all honesty, it takes quite a bit to rustle my jimmies, but that left me quite rustled."
As always, you can read the full review here:
http://hachisnaxreads.blogspot.com/20...
Also rendered with vivid detail are the diverse assets of all the factions in play here: the Adeptus Astartes, the Imperial Guard, the Adeptus Mechanicus, and, the chaotically jury-rigged machinery of the orks themselves.
I also give high marks (for the most part) for Thorpe's action sequences. When your choice is to make over 90% of your book one continuous action scene, the fact that you are maintaining a roughly 80% efficiency rating at it is still fairly impressive. Again, as mentioned before, it goes to my personal taste. I like when Thorpe uses vividly descriptive and comparative terms to bring his scenes to life and imbue them with a true sense of scale. I personally do not like Warhammer fiction that reads like "And then the Fist Exemplar, wearing Mark III armor, fired an incendiary round from his something-pattern bolter, hitting the 30 meter tall gargant." But, I'm sure some people do.
What doesn't work so well for the action scenes is that we don't have enough "eyes on the ground"; in my opinion, it would've worked to have a few more characters, giving us a few more viewpoints, and really invested us in what was at stake here. However, speaking of characters....
The Bad:
Yeah, characters and dialogue just aren't Gav's strong suit. His characters all kind of go along with the emotional current of the narrative, rather than being the forces driving it. There is nothing added to these characters in this book. (although I must say, there are epigraphs for some chapters which take snippets of Vulkan's inner monologue, and they are fantastically done)
In fact, there are some scenes which are just kind of painful. Which leads us to....
The Ugly:
Be forewarned - there may be minor spoilers and major griping ahead.
A note before the rant begins: one thing I did not mention in the review for The Hunt For Vulkan (in order to minimize spoilers) is that Vulkan is indeed found. It is a moment of excellence for Annandale, because he truly conveys the sheer awe that even a super human like an Astartes would feel when a true living legend appears before them. It was truly an awe-inspiring moment.
Fast forward to preparations for the assault on Ullanor, and we have Koorland stomping his foot like a petulant child and shouting "I am Slaughter!" over and over at Vulkan. That was the moment that led me to put the book down for a few months.
Then, we have the issues with strategy, as I mentioned before. This massive assault force reaches Ullanor, and SPOILER!!!! the orks are utilizing pretty much the same technique that they employed to dismantle the Proletarian Crusade in seconds (just lay low for a while). And the Imperium forces fall completely for it. I am assuming the preparations and transit to Ullanor took a few months; and, in that time, the combined strategic minds of the Space Marines, Imperial Guard, and Adeptus Mechanicus could not come up with a solid attack plan as well as a half-dozen contingency plans? Really? In all honesty, it takes quite a bit to rustle my jimmies, but that left me quite rustled."
As always, you can read the full review here:
http://hachisnaxreads.blogspot.com/20...
May 17, 2021
We’re off to Ullanor where the biggest ork lives. It’s a good thing all his ork buddies are so patient ‘cause they’re still hovering over Terra like a bunch of simps. Anyway Vulkan and his fan club go to the ork planet and yeah the big orks really big, smashes loads of people’s heads in
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 17, 2016
We hit book 8 in Black Library’s The Beast Arises series with Gav Thorpe’s second in the series, The Beast Must Die. We’re two thirds of the way in now, and with the return of the primarch Vulkan the Imperium finally has a chance to strike a decisive blow against the invading orks. With a withdrawn and brooding Vulkan as figurehead and Koorland reluctantly calling the shots, a combined force the likes of which hasn’t been seen since the Heresy besieges legendary Ullanor in an attempt to bring The Beast to battle and kill the ork warlord. Simultaneously, unwilling to trust to brute force Vangorich secretly makes his own plans for dealing with The Beast.
Read the rest of the review at https://trackofwords.wordpress.com/20...
Read the rest of the review at https://trackofwords.wordpress.com/20...
November 18, 2023
Constant action that makes me get bored.
Not a bad book for 40k. It is decent in its depictions of battles and heroism, as well as the interactions between different space marine chapters and the chaos surrounding the Imperium during this war.
On the other hand, I think that's about as good as it gets. The story progresses at a snail's pace by this point. It's not until the last few chapters where there's finally an interesting twist, ending in cliffhanger.
If you go this far for the series, it's probably worth finishing, but even then I think it's only gone downhill in quality since the first four books.
Not a bad book for 40k. It is decent in its depictions of battles and heroism, as well as the interactions between different space marine chapters and the chaos surrounding the Imperium during this war.
On the other hand, I think that's about as good as it gets. The story progresses at a snail's pace by this point. It's not until the last few chapters where there's finally an interesting twist, ending in cliffhanger.
If you go this far for the series, it's probably worth finishing, but even then I think it's only gone downhill in quality since the first four books.
February 3, 2017
Have faith!
June 18, 2022
I hope the last part of the series is convincing. This was epic.
April 28, 2017
It is rare, I find, for a Warhammer 40,000 novel to capture the titanic scale most combat is generally depicted as taking place at in the setting, this novel manages it very well with frenetic motion from the macro- to the micro-scale providing a real sensation of the vastness of the far future's war machine.
The various revelations amidst this are very powerful indeed and I enjoyed very much sharing in the Imperial character's discomfort and confusion at "normal ork" behaviour being subverted.
The various revelations amidst this are very powerful indeed and I enjoyed very much sharing in the Imperial character's discomfort and confusion at "normal ork" behaviour being subverted.
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