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The Horus Heresy #Enhanced Audio Edition
The Dark King
The acts of terror and warmongering by Konrad Curze, Primarch of the Night Lords Legion, have earned the ire of his brother primarch, Rogal Dorn. Wracked by terrible visions of the future, Curze is driven insane and attacks Dorn, setting the Night Lord on an inexorable course towards eternal damnation.
Our enhanced audio editions are a new type of eBook incorporating audio elements and work best on certain types of ereader. To enjoy the full experience we recommend using the following ereaders:
iPad
Android (using epub3 compatible software)
PC
Mac
Our enhanced audio editions are a new type of eBook incorporating audio elements and work best on certain types of ereader. To enjoy the full experience we recommend using the following ereaders:
iPad
Android (using epub3 compatible software)
PC
Mac
Audiobook
First published January 1, 2007
About the author
Graham McNeill
342 books938 followersHailing from Scotland, Graham McNeill narrowly escaped a career in surveying to work for Games Workshop as a games designer. He has a strong following with his novels Nightbringer, Warriors of Ultramar, Dead Sky, Black Sun and Storm of Iron.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
March 9, 2024
March 2024 Re-Read using the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project Reading Order - Omnibus VIII Angels of Darkness (https://www.heresyomnibus.com/omnibus...) as part of my Oath of Moment to complete the Horus Heresy saga and extras.
I stand by my previous review. Practically perfect short character study and introduction of Nighthaunter is practically perfect.
Dorn and Nighthaunter truly are, at least in aesthetics and actions, if not backstory, really seem like the proud, golden idealised image of fascism grappling with the fucked up horrifying thing it really is.
Through using the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project (https://www.heresyomnibus.com/omnibus...) and my own choices, I have currently read 15.41 Horus Heresy novels, 7 novellas, 38 short stories/ audio dramas, as well as the Macragge's Honour graphic novel, 8 Primarchs novels, 3 Primarchs short stories/ audio dramas, and 2 Warhammer 40K further reading novels...this run. I can't say enough good about the way the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project suggestions. I'm loving it! Especially after originally reading to the releases and being so frustrated at having to wait so long for a narrative to continue.
***
Part of the first Horus Heresy audio drama double feature, The Dark King is much more about tensions and divisions in the Legions before the Heresy and some wild and ridiculous action.
Told through memories and reflections, jumping around a relatively short period of time, this is the story of how the Nighthaunter and the Praetorian and the Phoenician's kinship came to an end and with it Curze's connections to his homeworld and the Imperium.
A disagreement over the execution of prisoners during a Compliance enacted by the Imperial Fists and Night Lords and a troubling secret told in confidence, betrayed, leads the brother Primarchs come to blows with brother almost killing brother, long before Isstvan, and, ultimately, the destruction of an entire planet.
I looked at a previous review I wrote of this when I was in a very strange, sensitive place that I almost entirely disagree with. I essentially railed against it as Miller and Millar edgelord Batman bolter porn, which is wildly unfair to McNeil and Curze. He's clearly edgelord Spawn. But seriously, that was a weird time when Twitter was melting my brain. I even had so little fun left in my soul that I took umbrage with the silly karate chop sound effect when Curze chops an Astartes in full plate's head off. Hey past me, things can be fun and silly and violent, as a treat.
This is a gloriously grim and entertainingly dark tale that truly encapsulates the gothic melodrama, epic tragedy, and bloody spectacle that the Dark Millennium and the times that lead to it dance between. The two-faced hypocrisy of the Imperium, represented both the two-headed eagle of the Aquila with its one head face the past and the other facing the future blind and Konrad Curze and Rogal Dorn is shown spectacularly through the Primarchs and their views of the Imperium and the Great Crusade. The betrayal that will come to define the whole of its future represented by Fulgrim betraying Curze's trust about his cursed knowledge of the coming Heresy, how apropos!
We get to see how powerful a Primarch is, as well as getting our first real glimpse on the unique abilities of the individual demigods with Nighthaunter's oneness with the shadows. This is exquisitely expressed by McNeil describing him as “a glimmering shadow of dead stars and extinction.”
The talk of prophecy and the significance of the tarot also brings that quintessential Horus Heresy mythos element and tie so perfectly to Abnett's The Lightning Tower. Seriously, how did Maleficent Merlin get hold of Curze's cards? Was he just fucking with Dorn?
While listening, I was struck with my inability to express how much I hate Dorn and sympathise with Curze, not with the murdering POWs and blowing up of planets, to be clear.
Yes, Curze is a bloody, authoritarian monster, but that is what his life and the curse in his creation by whatever fucked deals the Emperor made to create him and his brothers. But he was truly open to becoming something else and could have been more good or at least more grey like his most analogous siblings, Corax and the Lion, but his father broke him by gaslighting him the moment they met. (Gods’ arseholes does the Emperor shit me! Yes, having massive daddy issues heightens the feeling, but he truly is the worst!)
Dorn, is the yellow demigod of centrism, 'acceptable' atrocity, and the unfathomable notion that empire and authority aren't built on blood. Truly the king of the libs paving the bloody way for daddy fash claiming to not see the suffering he enables and enacts.
(In before ‘Warhammer isn't political’. Shut up. Yes it is. Always was. Grow up!)
One incredible nerd pedant thing that is on display here and throughout Horus Heresy and Warhammer 40K tales that I actually love and find very funny is the inconsistency with which humans are able to use bolters is hilarious. I don't know where it was, but I remember one story talking about how a human firing the machine gun rocket launcher would be killed by the recoil. It's standard that Inquisitors, their retinue, high ranking Astra Militarum officers have special repulsors to allow them to heft and handle the recoil. Honestly, it would have been an incredible moment highlighting the inhuman strength of Astartes for the prisoner to attempt to shoot Curze in the back and be bludgeoned to death by the attempt.
I truly feel for Curze & Angron, both warped & abused by their lives on their home worlds, & then simply used as tools with no care or aid by the Emperor. He did them both so wrong, particularly in this instance Curze, who's visions plagued him all his life, before the Emperor gaslit him about them. Devastating to see Fulgrim snithcing to Dorn who just comes to berate him about them, like a kind & thoughtful brother. (I'm not entirely sure of the timeline here, so this could have been a purpose traitor move, either way it's brutal).
This truly is an absolutely cracking audio drama that crams a ludicrous amount into its mere 25 minutes without ever feeling rushed or unsatisfying, which is an unbelievable feat!
Goodness me I had a good time with this and a serious cringe at reading back my old review (long before I joined Goodreads)! I am so happy for Nighthaunter and myself to be free and doing better, I'm sure the future only holds wonderful good times for the both of us!
I stand by my previous review. Practically perfect short character study and introduction of Nighthaunter is practically perfect.
Dorn and Nighthaunter truly are, at least in aesthetics and actions, if not backstory, really seem like the proud, golden idealised image of fascism grappling with the fucked up horrifying thing it really is.
Through using the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project (https://www.heresyomnibus.com/omnibus...) and my own choices, I have currently read 15.41 Horus Heresy novels, 7 novellas, 38 short stories/ audio dramas, as well as the Macragge's Honour graphic novel, 8 Primarchs novels, 3 Primarchs short stories/ audio dramas, and 2 Warhammer 40K further reading novels...this run. I can't say enough good about the way the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project suggestions. I'm loving it! Especially after originally reading to the releases and being so frustrated at having to wait so long for a narrative to continue.
***
Part of the first Horus Heresy audio drama double feature, The Dark King is much more about tensions and divisions in the Legions before the Heresy and some wild and ridiculous action.
Told through memories and reflections, jumping around a relatively short period of time, this is the story of how the Nighthaunter and the Praetorian and the Phoenician's kinship came to an end and with it Curze's connections to his homeworld and the Imperium.
A disagreement over the execution of prisoners during a Compliance enacted by the Imperial Fists and Night Lords and a troubling secret told in confidence, betrayed, leads the brother Primarchs come to blows with brother almost killing brother, long before Isstvan, and, ultimately, the destruction of an entire planet.
I looked at a previous review I wrote of this when I was in a very strange, sensitive place that I almost entirely disagree with. I essentially railed against it as Miller and Millar edgelord Batman bolter porn, which is wildly unfair to McNeil and Curze. He's clearly edgelord Spawn. But seriously, that was a weird time when Twitter was melting my brain. I even had so little fun left in my soul that I took umbrage with the silly karate chop sound effect when Curze chops an Astartes in full plate's head off. Hey past me, things can be fun and silly and violent, as a treat.
This is a gloriously grim and entertainingly dark tale that truly encapsulates the gothic melodrama, epic tragedy, and bloody spectacle that the Dark Millennium and the times that lead to it dance between. The two-faced hypocrisy of the Imperium, represented both the two-headed eagle of the Aquila with its one head face the past and the other facing the future blind and Konrad Curze and Rogal Dorn is shown spectacularly through the Primarchs and their views of the Imperium and the Great Crusade. The betrayal that will come to define the whole of its future represented by Fulgrim betraying Curze's trust about his cursed knowledge of the coming Heresy, how apropos!
We get to see how powerful a Primarch is, as well as getting our first real glimpse on the unique abilities of the individual demigods with Nighthaunter's oneness with the shadows. This is exquisitely expressed by McNeil describing him as “a glimmering shadow of dead stars and extinction.”
The talk of prophecy and the significance of the tarot also brings that quintessential Horus Heresy mythos element and tie so perfectly to Abnett's The Lightning Tower. Seriously, how did Maleficent Merlin get hold of Curze's cards? Was he just fucking with Dorn?
While listening, I was struck with my inability to express how much I hate Dorn and sympathise with Curze, not with the murdering POWs and blowing up of planets, to be clear.
Yes, Curze is a bloody, authoritarian monster, but that is what his life and the curse in his creation by whatever fucked deals the Emperor made to create him and his brothers. But he was truly open to becoming something else and could have been more good or at least more grey like his most analogous siblings, Corax and the Lion, but his father broke him by gaslighting him the moment they met. (Gods’ arseholes does the Emperor shit me! Yes, having massive daddy issues heightens the feeling, but he truly is the worst!)
Dorn, is the yellow demigod of centrism, 'acceptable' atrocity, and the unfathomable notion that empire and authority aren't built on blood. Truly the king of the libs paving the bloody way for daddy fash claiming to not see the suffering he enables and enacts.
(In before ‘Warhammer isn't political’. Shut up. Yes it is. Always was. Grow up!)
One incredible nerd pedant thing that is on display here and throughout Horus Heresy and Warhammer 40K tales that I actually love and find very funny is the inconsistency with which humans are able to use bolters is hilarious. I don't know where it was, but I remember one story talking about how a human firing the machine gun rocket launcher would be killed by the recoil. It's standard that Inquisitors, their retinue, high ranking Astra Militarum officers have special repulsors to allow them to heft and handle the recoil. Honestly, it would have been an incredible moment highlighting the inhuman strength of Astartes for the prisoner to attempt to shoot Curze in the back and be bludgeoned to death by the attempt.
I truly feel for Curze & Angron, both warped & abused by their lives on their home worlds, & then simply used as tools with no care or aid by the Emperor. He did them both so wrong, particularly in this instance Curze, who's visions plagued him all his life, before the Emperor gaslit him about them. Devastating to see Fulgrim snithcing to Dorn who just comes to berate him about them, like a kind & thoughtful brother. (I'm not entirely sure of the timeline here, so this could have been a purpose traitor move, either way it's brutal).
This truly is an absolutely cracking audio drama that crams a ludicrous amount into its mere 25 minutes without ever feeling rushed or unsatisfying, which is an unbelievable feat!
Goodness me I had a good time with this and a serious cringe at reading back my old review (long before I joined Goodreads)! I am so happy for Nighthaunter and myself to be free and doing better, I'm sure the future only holds wonderful good times for the both of us!
September 28, 2023
Ierindota The Horus Heresy sērijā ar kārtas numuru #22, Shadows of Treachery interesantā veidā iekļauj sevī stāstus, kuri norisinās vēl pavisam īsi pēc fakta, kad Horus atklāj visiem, kam rūp, savu nodevību. Kā arī krājumu noslēdzošā novele krietni labāk tematiski iederētos iepriekšējā krājumā šajā sērijā Primarchs, ka gandrīz ir vēlēšanās aplūkot šo krājumu sastādītājus.
https://poseidons99.wordpress.com/202...
https://poseidons99.wordpress.com/202...
January 25, 2025
Get some up close stories with konrad curze.
Collected in shadows of treachery anthology.
Collected in shadows of treachery anthology.
June 11, 2024
Kind of a shallow and rushed introduction to Curze in the Horus Heresy, with McNeil at his least subtle. It’s blunt but gets the job done, mostly.
April 26, 2025
A nice little introduction to Konrad Kurze that gives you a better understanding of why Rogal Dorn hates him so much. However, this was a big swing and a miss because of lazy writing. McNeill set up two great defining scenes and told us about them after the fact. One being Kurze's break down to Fulgrim and the second being Dorn's and Kurze's fight. Both would've been epic memorable scenes for Kurze's relationships. Instead, we got told about them briefly in past tense as opposed to showing. Very out of character for Graham McNeill.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 3, 2025
I didn't know what I was getting into with this one, but I did not like it very much.
It is the epitome of telling rather than showing, and I could not stop curling my toes at the utter cringe Conrad vomits out by the end, I just wanted it to end by the last few pages.
Definitely not for me, he may be insane, but he could at least do us the favor of being funny insane.
It is the epitome of telling rather than showing, and I could not stop curling my toes at the utter cringe Conrad vomits out by the end, I just wanted it to end by the last few pages.
Definitely not for me, he may be insane, but he could at least do us the favor of being funny insane.
December 25, 2025
3.5 Stars
Don't get much on Curze, but this one was interesting as a vignette in what appeared to be pre-heretical factions being fully formed
The Night Haunter destroyed Nostramo in a seemingly un-eventful to him bombardment. This helps set the tone for his character, and give context on some conflict that happened between him in the legions. Decent short read, but nothing profound
Don't get much on Curze, but this one was interesting as a vignette in what appeared to be pre-heretical factions being fully formed
The Night Haunter destroyed Nostramo in a seemingly un-eventful to him bombardment. This helps set the tone for his character, and give context on some conflict that happened between him in the legions. Decent short read, but nothing profound
April 30, 2023
Breve pero brutal
February 1, 2024
Pretty crazy character study of a pretty crazy character.
August 30, 2024
Nice little introduction to Conrad Kurze/Night Lords who were never loyalists. Shame it's so short, there is a lot to explore.
November 14, 2024
A great story on one of the cruelest members of the IoM, and his further descent into madness.
January 13, 2025
Ooooooooh. Sombody did a bad. Now we gotta do an Exterminatus.
May 19, 2025
A pretty good intro to the evil space batman demigod. Definitely the weirdest primarch so far.
November 1, 2025
It's not much but it accomplishes what it sets out to do even if it's quite shallow.
August 1, 2025
Cursed with visions of the future, Konrad Curze Primarch of the Night Lords became mad and paranoid. Fearing the censure of his brothers, he took grave actions that he could never return from.
I really enjoyed this story, getting insight into the Night Haunter and his beliefs. A captivating story. This pairs well with the short story by ADB "Savage Weapons" and of course ADB's fantastic Night Lords Trilogy.
I really enjoyed this story, getting insight into the Night Haunter and his beliefs. A captivating story. This pairs well with the short story by ADB "Savage Weapons" and of course ADB's fantastic Night Lords Trilogy.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews