Kingsblade

Imperial Knights #1

by Andy Clark

When a tragedy occurs and an Imperial retribution force is shattered, two young Imperial Knight pilots must work together and learn the ways of war if they – or the world of Donatos – are to survive.

The Knight Houses of Adrastapol are both noble and righteous, and when the Imperial world of Donatos falls to the heresy of the Word Bearers, they are foremost in the vanguard to retake it. Led by High King Tolwyn Draconis, the Knights are peerless in battle and strike deep into the enemy’s ranks. But the war soon turns when a terrible tragedy strikes, casting the Imperial campaign into anarchy. As desperation grows, unblooded Knights Errant Danial and Luk must quickly learn the ways of war to prevent an unholy ritual or Donatos will be lost and all the noble Houses of Adrastapol with it.

It's war on a larger scale – Imperial Knight scale! Two novice Knight pilots against an entire world of enemies – sounds like a story for the ages.

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

368 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 2017

About the author

Andy Clark is a background writer for Games Workshop.

Librarian note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Andy^^^^^Clark

Reviews

[Andrey Nalyotov · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tried to do Ab imo pectore (from the heart, from the soul) but got ourselves an Ab hoc et ab hoc (and so somehow, to no avail, so untimely and false).

That's actually how best we could transcribe new debut Black Library novel Kingsblade from Andy Clark. Andy tried to do his best and in the end result we got a truly adventurous 'juvenilitas' book. A novel for the young and bold, with the epitaph for the dreams of youth and it's ambitions. Actually I personally did not expect to get an adventure book instead of a bolter porn one. On that count I was pleasantly surprised.
Ad honores(for honor)
Narrative. Story follows two young and eager, but untested, Knight Errants as they take on the Word Bearers Chaos Space Marines on what quickly becomes an entire planet of enemies! At least that what synopsis tells us. But in truth we got much more then simply that. What we got is a knightly story - about damsels in distress, courage, heroics and full culture of honor in honorless Warhammer 40000 setting.
А posteriori- one third (or even half of the book depends on micro-conception) of it show us the internal and external mechanism and wheels of the Knight society in the war torn future of the 40000 setting. At some point you will ask yourself a question - how many books about medieval knights and heraldry did he read while he wrote this novel.
All the main strengths of this culture - honor, courage, greatness, ideals, chastity, sacrifice, passion are pinpointed with authors love and accuracy. At the same time Andy throughout the novel was able to show weaknesses of the knightly society: self-loathing, internal doubt, court intrigues, hate for their sires, pride and 'honor' that could lead to such a deadly mistakes.
What Kingsblade gives us is a story of war/despair/courage and youth that preliminary matured under the stress. But let's follow step by step. The Knight Houses of Adrastapol are both noble and righteous, and when the Imperial world of Donatos falls to the heresy of the Word Bearers, they are foremost in the vanguard to retake it. Led by High King Tolwyn Draconis, the Knights are peerless in battle and strike deep into the enemy’s ranks. But the war soon turns when a terrible tragedy strikes, casting the Imperial campaign into anarchy. As desperation grows, unblooded Knights Errant Danial and Luk must quickly learn the ways of war to prevent an unholy ritual or Donatos will be lost and all the noble Houses of Adrastapol with it.
And so they did through the baptism of fire and sorrow. When a tragedy occurs and an Imperial retribution force is shattered, two young Imperial Knight pilots must work together and learn the ways of war if they are to survive.
The story gives a Knights fanboy a dreamtime. All Knightly classes are present at the field at some point of time. Great actions sequences between the human meat shields, barricaded armour and Knights took most of the pages count. They are quite interesting to read and follow. The ending of the story did not surprise you that much, but that's not it's point. What Kingsblade gives you - is a time of adventure and romantic ideals. Stuff, you would definitely not expect from the setting.
Also, it show you how scary Chaos truly is - an not by the hordes of damnation, but by insidious heresy it present on it's own. It could corrupt everywhere and everyone as a further story explain.
Characters.
After all 'Ad cogitandum et agendum homo natus est' (for thought and action the man was born).
Protagonists of the story and true shining stars of this book. They got the most space and more time to shine than everyone else. Daniel and Luk has gone an interesting transformation from the naive youths to a seasoned and war hardened veterans. Even through it was too quick for them to reach all the right conclusions - but that was done for the story sake.
The main antagonist of this story is not a deluded fool Tan Chimaeros and not even his 'beloved' Alicia with all that childish and naive treachery. Main antagonist of the story is Chaos Undivided, who via the ritual of Dark Apostle Varakh'Lorr and eternal bickering between it's chaotic branches will never find a solution to it's own paradox. With the sole exception of Tzeentch of course. Ohhh, how he laughed in his Crystal Labyrinth in the end. Andy was able to show us the terror and nightmarish intelligence of warp entities. But at the same time the scene with the warp portals and daemon conjuring are too naive and all the 'horror' the author tried to show us with Dark Apostle Varakh'Lorr does not give you any creeps. We saw that and much worse before. It's a w40k for feth sake. Not the shining rainbow unicorns. And not a novel so much dictated by the whims and absurdity of the Architect of Fate.
In general Varakh'Lorr gave me hopes at the beginning, but fell flat and cartoonish 'Megatron' style in the end.
Issues and cons
But here we go into the problems and cons. Even in the times of knights in shining armor and chivalry - the line of succession takes precedence the army is still follow the most experienced leader on the field. Not the naive boy 'out of blue'. In one moment we have an unexperienced, usually pretty stupid kid with naive ideas at the wheel of the war machine and the next he is a mighty strategist who can parse a lot of information in a blink of an eye? I do understand why it was done - after all Daniel should have gotten his victory and should have found his true self and High King characteristics. But from a child to a veteran in that small time period? After such a loss and tragedy? Unbelievable for a war story. Believable for an adventure one.
Also - I dreamed a lot to have a fully depicted engagement between loyal or renegade Knights and Space Marines or their Chaos counterparts. And I did hope to get one here. In the light of the word - I did get it, but in the light of the story/prose I didn't. The action sequences between CSM and Knights in general take several sentences and very quick to end.
Another issue - is the logic of antagonists. Spoilers ahead - an experienced war leader and old man, who fought on a lot of fronts during that 'scary' millennium; leader of a whole Knightly House - Gerraint Tan Chimaeros, does not know what will happen if you make a bargain with Chaos? After all his campaigns? Spurred by one Imperial act of transgression he decided to become a chaos worshipper? A man who spent all his life with chivalry and honor? That kind of man doesn't know who Tzeentch is? What happened after Word Bearers invade the world? That kind of man make a pact with CHAOS? Really?
Next would be prose. It is easy to comprehend, easy to follow, but at the same time it's too, let's call it simplistic. Maybe I'm a long term Abnett and Wraight fan and I do understand that to get to their level you need to write a lot, but anyway, it's like a student work after Leman Russ: The Great Wolf book from Wraight.
Verdict. Andy has tried to create a war story with courage and honor, but ended up creating an adventure book with shades of teenager horror story. At the same time the book gives you almost exactly what it promised. It's a war on a larger scale – Imperial Knight scale! Old and novice Knight pilots against an entire world of enemies...
The most enjoyable it would be for the young 40k readers. After all it is a magnificent adventurous novel. Novel that put honor and knights chivalry on the first place in the dark and grimm universe. As for us, far older fans it is hard to forgive some 'war' related and character building mistakes. But even then Kingsblade appeal to our inner kid with all the towering engines of destruction, adventures and shooty-shooty on big scale.
I would rate it as 4 stars out of 5. It's not an 'EPIC' book, but an amazingly solid and good one. And definitely one of the best 'debuts' for Black Library in the last years.
Well done Andy Clark! Can't wait for your further stories and do believe that with time you will write a masterpiece.

[Sud666 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kingsblade is about the Knight Houses of Adrastapol. When the Imperial world of Donatos falls to heresy they are the vanguard of the Imperial forces sent in to recapture the world. But this will not be as easy as it seems. First off, the Word Bearers Traitor Space Marines are involved. Secondly, there is a dark treason going on in the great houses of Adrastapol.

I shall not spoil any more of this story. There are actually TWO Chaos gods on this planet, but that comes later. It was interesting to read about the Knights. While not as big as Titans or other Imperial war machines-an Imperial Knight is still a 40 foot killing machine (called Steeds) piloted by augmented humans (the Knights). This is a story about honor and the Code. It is also about the rituals the squires of these houses go through before becoming full Knights.

perhaps the only reason this did not resonate as well with me was because the Chaos forces seemed to get short shrift. While the goal of the Word Bearers is obvious (they wish to have their Dark Apostle raised to Demonhood), the goal of the traitor Knight's is somewhat opaque. They too serve a Dark God, but it's never really explained why they would oppose the plans of the Word Bearers. It seemed a convinient exucuse to have the outcome turn out well. But other than that trifle this was still an entertaining read. Good idea for any Warhammer 40K fan.

[Ridel · Rating 3 out of 5]

A coming of age story that is inappropriately transplanted into the Imperium without any recognition of how a universe that is constantly at war would impact such a story. The MC effectively shouldn't exist. There are too many naive sequences. The actual military warfare in which an Imperial Crusade retakes a planet is boring and uninspired. Were it drawn on a map, it would consist of two arrows.

In short, lacking imagination.

But I guess the scale was okay, and the planet felt like a large planet, and not like one of those "single city that's claimed to be an entire world". There was a good variety in the Guard, though we really need to stop putting Cadians on every damn front. No wonder they lost! The core of the mecha fighting was... honestly Knights aren't my thing and this doesn't make it any better. It's not visceral, lacking in real emotion. At no point was I worried for any character's survival. I was never emotionally invested.

Kingsblade isn't bad, but it's not good. And I'm having a hard time thinking of the good.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

The planet Donatos has fallen under the sway of traitor legions, most notably the Word Bearers chapter. Evil has been unleashed and the innocents of the world have been captured and enslaved to serve the Dark Apostle, Varakh'Lorr. He leads the Word Bearers in this homicidal pitch to ascend to the power of a Daemon Prince. The planet is under his thumb. All hope is lost.......or is it?
The nearby planet of Adrastapol is an Emperor fearing Imperial Knight World. High King Tolwyn Draconis and his five Knight Houses are the main battle force of the world. When Donatos screams are heard through the ether, the Knights walk to war. Draconis leads his Knight Houses, including his two children in his personal cadre, though not far out of the Squire stage of their training. Jenneka, the High King's daughter is a skillful slayer and rides her steed into battle like a hero of old. Danial, the High King's heir apparent is not as skilled as his sister and is in need of battle experience and the exposure to war.
They will soon have it.
The Knights of the five Houses land on Donatos and deliver the Emperor's judgement right out of the gate. Their foe is dug in around the main reactors and generatorum precincts of the main city of the planet. The Word Bearers have developed a powerful scrapcode with the Warp infused. This is their secret weapon and the first exchange between themselves and the Adrastapol Knights is a tragic event. Two of the Houses turn on the others in the heat of battle, and High King Tolwyn is left alone to battle the leader of House Chimaeros. The High King falls and his crown is stolen, the traitor of House Chimaeros claiming the title of King of Adrastapol. Needless to say this does not fall well on the ears of Tolwyn's children and Knight brothers and sisters. The traitors think the offspring of the dead High King were killed but this was a fatal error on their part.
The remaining Knights and their Mechanicum allies lick their wounds and repair all the Knights they can so they can walk, and walk they do. The return plan allows the loyal Adrastapol Knights to strike hard into the underbelly of the traitors. Cadian Astra Militarum forces, including a group of militia men led by a Sheik, indigenous to the planet hit the traitors hard. The Dark Apostle has more to face when the traitor Knights, in league with him, turn on his Word Bearers and begin slaying them! This chaos allows the loyalist force to get close to the inner workings of the traitor Space Marines and Knights and a vicious battle begins. The Dark Apostle and the traitor Knights has surprises up their sleeves for our heroes, and yet the battle is still won by the sons and daughters of the Emperor.
This was a great book! I love the lore and history behind the Knight Houses, though there was not enough for me. I still got a lot of information, read and assumed here. The technology written here and the Heavenly Host, which are Mechanicum cherubs, flying around spreading the radio signals and topography maps and intel for the Knights and Imperial Guard, is well explained. There is much to like here and Mr. Clark has done a wonderful job letting the reader know how the Knights and their Houses and nobility work. I hope he writes another book about these characters. I will keep a watchful eye out for more from this author.

Danny

[Michael Dodd · Rating 4 out of 5]

When the world of Donatos falls prey to the machinations of the Word Bearers, led by Dark Apostle Varakh’Lorr, the Knightly Houses of Adrastapol are in the forefront of the Imperial response. Young and untested, two newly-raised Knights join their Houses in battle, keen to step out from under the lengthy shadows of their highborn fathers. When disaster strikes though, they have to shoulder unexpected burdens if they are to survive and find victory.

A strong debut novel, one that captures the dark, gritty essence of 40k but manages to retain a sense of fun beyond the grimdark.

Read the rest of the review at https://trackofwords.wordpress.com/20...

[Callum Shephard · Rating 3 out of 5]

The best possible way to sum up Kingsblade would be to call it the Star Trek: Voyager of Warhammer 40,000 novels. The mid-to-late Voyager specifically, where you have a few solid concepts being played around with, one or two highlights and likable characters. The problem is that, while what you get is reasonably entertaining, it never pushes into taking full advantage of the concepts it has on hand. As such, you enjoy what you're given, but it's hard not to wonder why it couldn't take full advantage of the creative elements or freedom it had on hand.

Synopsis:

The story here is set on one of the myriad of war-torn worlds which makes up the Imperium of Man. Chaos has reared its head, striking down all in its path and despoiling anything too valuable to simply kill. However, the Imperium responds in force, with Cadian Shock Troopers, Mechanicus forces and several Houses of Imperial Knights leading the charge. The bloody street-by-street fighting proves to be vicious but the Imperium soon gains the upper hand, or so it seems. The Word Bearers have yet to play their trump card, one which will push a pair of untested knights into a trial by fire few expect them to survive...

The Good:

For a writer with only a few short stories to his name within Black Library, it can't be said that Clark doesn't put some thought into how his forces work. Often these books should serve as an expression of what certain forces are like, how they can be explored or even depicting the finer details which are all too often left out of codices. While Codex: Imperial Knights itself was highly detailed, Kingsblade capitalizes on it with some interesting new additions. How the Knights themselves are repaired, re-armed and reinforced while constantly on the move is a major part of the story, as is their creeds and traditions.

Taking Warhammer's more knightly aspects to an extreme, as chivalry, personal heraldry and succession each becomes a core part of the ongoing tale. There's a distinct spin on each theme here to where, despite often being repeated elsewhere or by other armies, such as their glory seeking ways. Most knights there, especially their elder members, live for the moments which adds another chapter to their saga. From winning close honour duels to overcoming insurmountable odds, it could have easily pushed them down the old Klingon route of honour ruling everything. However, it's always held back in some manner or another, and they are bound to ultimately respect the decisions of their king above all else. It's enough that it's a characterful problem and a key issue of their culture, but you can still see the strength behind that and just how it is kept in check. It's these minor moments here and there which helps to make this feel like a crusade without devolving into the usual mix of out-and-out cliches.

Another definite point in the book's favour is how it often tries to work in more elements than merely the Knights themselves. While this might sound more than a little odd, we have all seen how Games Workshop backed releases will often skew events in favour of their big cash cows, and the mini-titans were a big hit. Yet, while they were ultimately crucial to the overall victory, other elements were always in play. The Cadians were repeatedly cited to be a very effective fighting force, and we see this time and time again throughout the book, while other successes only come about thanks to the intervention of other forces. One late event is only made possible thanks to a massed assault by Imperial allied aircraft, for one thing.

While it doesn't cut away to massed details or information as often or effectively as Abnett would, the story here nevertheless manages to use it well. It retains a tight focus upon a few key characters and only one or two locations at the most, and then uses these to bolster the events of the war. It doesn't dramatically increase its scope, but they are used in order to help it overcome stumbling blocks or fluff which might slow down the story. There are more obvious and less subtle moments littered throughout the book, as the scene in the command center during the initial invasion quickly establishes who is who along with foreshadowing the book's big twist. This allows it to remain easy to breeze through, get to grips with and move on without ever feeling as if things are dragging on.

The few moments when the book does truly stop exists only to emphasise the action of mecha combat. What we have here is less the tank-on-legs approach often favoured with Titans and more of a direct basic merger between pilot and machine spirit. There is a constant emphasis placed upon the difficulty in managing information, news and the memories of old pilots, and calling forth their ghosts as advisers to guide the pilot's actions. It's less Evengelion (thank the Emperor) than it is Big O, with half-remembered thoughts and blended concepts driving the character onward. It's not obvious at first how connected and detailed some actions by the protagonists are to their past legacy, but it becomes infinitely more obvious as they adapt to their weapons of war. This adds a degree of benefit to re-reading the book, as you do pick up on a few smaller things in the early chapters which become more obvious later on.

Of course, you're probably here for the fights. Do they deliver? Yes, but perhaps not in the same way you might expect. While the size and nature of battles from a knight is always made evident, it's depicted less through a Battletech viewpoint and more via that of an Arthurian saga. Moments like one major character's last stand on a bridge against insurmountable odds or the massed assault into a city, or the duels between pilots are all highlights within the book. Yet, in these moments Clark seems to dial back on some of the more hefty machine-like details to focus more upon the pilot and machine as one being. It allows the book to more aptly focus upon the knightly themes in its descriptions and presentation without going nuts and as a result it helps the book stand out more in terms of these factors. When it discards these for bigger scale battles or even the aftermath of a fight, there's a very smooth transition back and forth between these depictions.

So, that's what the book gets right. What about its mistakes though?

The Bad

The characters are unremarkable. It's as simple as that really, as the central cast of five figures fall into the roles of unwilling and untested but brilliant young leader, superior sibling overshadowing them, best friend anti-traitor and mentor very easily. They're all tropes you know in one form or another and, to be blunt, Kingsblade seems to heavily rely upon the archetypes over the characters themselves. While the book did a decent job at giving each one a basic character arc, you could tell from the very start where it was going and how it would end. Right from the opening battle to the ending chapter, there's no moment where you're genuinely wondering where the story is going or you cannot think of just what might happen next. It is admittedly well written and, in some ways, this could have assisted with its knightly themes, but it never quite hit the sort of exaggerated niche of storytelling needed for that.

The overall predictability of the tale is also a major issue throughout the story when it keeps trying to raise the stakes. Even without focusing upon it, you can quickly pick out or think up exactly where things are going, and what developments will befall the heroes next. This sadly even extends to the villains, and seriously hurts them as it tries to depict them as scheming geniuses. Unfortunately, rather than offering a 40,000-ified Victor von Doom, they come across as your common or garden dark lords. The Word Bearers in particular seem to only exist as a means to an end, while the true villains of the piece do very little to help them stand out. In fact, when they do truly act and try to enforce their power, all they accomplish is giving the heroes the opening they need to win.

This is another issue within the story: Things simply fall into place. It's another factor which ties into this predictability aspect, but all too often the moment there is some serious tension, it opts for a rapid resolution. An entire character arc is abruptly ended in one chapter and resolved for the rest of the book, while several obstacles are pushed out the way by secondary figures within the story. As a result, the heroes do not feel as if they have accomplished a true victory so much as capitalising upon circumstances or outright stupidity at points.

Another definite issue which keeps coming up is identity. You see, the book does a decent job of depicting the knights as a whole, when it comes to their roles, attitudes, traditions and even a few unique titles. That's all well and good, but there are multiple houses operating alongside one another in this book, yet you are rarely given a chance to see any distinction between them. This might sound cruel but, when you have two space marine chapters working alongside one another, the author will usually quickly an effectively set up a few distinct cultural clashes. Here though, we get very little. It means that the book seems as if it is lacking the sort of realism and dimensions which could have helped the story to seriously stand out. It's just left to some characters and titles to fill out, and that's unfortunately not enough.

Finally though, and perhaps the worst crime, we never learn much about the world itself. We see little of its people, of its monuments or even its general importance. As a result, there's a disconnect in terms of what is actually being fought over here, and it can make the war itself seem superfluous. Even more of a general history of the place, or a more emotive description of how the war came to be could have helped, but it just lacks that. It can make the early chapters remarkably insubstantial as a result, and causes no end of issues for the later ones.

The Verdict

This one is middling. Kingsblade certainly has some fun moments, ideas and concepts, but it only manages to be decent rather than noteworthy. For all the problems here, it's still a okay I would recommend to a beginner within the hobby or someone who wished to know more of the Imperial Knights from a novel format. It's easy to get to grips with, breeze through and comprehend the actions at play, but there should have been something more. Give it a look if you're at all interested, but don't expect something which can stand up to the likes of Mechanicum.

[John B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 Stars rounded up. It was an entertaining read that moved along at a brisk pace. Take the rock'em sock'em robots of the movie Pacific Rim (2013), mix in an epic battle on a planetary scale, add some betrayal and greed, mix in some otherworldly dark fantasy elements and you have the makings of a story that was more interesting than other books on my nightstand. The writing is not well suited for a slower read--there are too many foibles that could be picked at. The story reads like a play-by-play narration of a table top war game. The characters, relationships, and motivations never come across as compelling and while there is action, the bonds of duty, honor, and love that motivate truly great stories never come through. Maybe its time I pick up another David Gemmell book.

[Frédéric · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read full of action, betrayal, heroism and servo-motors, but above all, it has the merit of presenting the Knights caste in all its medieval feudalism.

[Unseen Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating of 4.5.

In my latest Throwback Thursday post I look at an exciting novel about mecha fights in the Warhammer 40,000 universe with Kingsblade by Andy Clark.

War is a certainty in the far future, and the Imperium of Man is constantly under threat, especially from the fell influence of Chaos. When a planet falls, the Imperium have many forces that can be deployed to fight the invasion, but few armies are as feared or revered as the legendary Imperial Knights, giant, ancient suits of mechanised armour that support brave pilots of regal, knightly backgrounds.

When the Imperial world of Donatos falls to heresy thanks to the disruptive influence of the Word Bearers Chaos Space Marines, the Knights of the nearby planet of Adrastapol heed the call. Leading five noble houses of Imperial Knights, as well as substantial forces from the Astra Militarum, High King Tolwyn Draconis hopes to swiftly end the insurrection and save Donatos’s soul. However, when a great betrayal rips the very heart out of the king’s host and the flower of Adrastapol’s Knights falls, all hope looks lost.

As the battered remnants of the Imperial Knights attempt to recover, it soon becomes clear that the fate of both Donatos and Adrastapol will lie with two unblooded Knights Errant, Danial Tan Draconis and Luk Tan Chimaeros, both of whom are reeling from the actions of their parents. On the run, outnumbered and unsure who to trust, Danial, Luk and their comrades need to find a way to strike back against the enemy especially as the World Bearers begin a massive unholy ritual, one that threatens everything. But can these two young Knights defeat the enemy and redeem their world, or do the betrayals of their family and former comrades run too deep?

Kingsblade was an epic and incredible Warhammer 40,000 read by Clark that I had a ton of fun with. Featuring a mecha-laden novel that contained awesome action sequence after awesome action sequence, this was a great addition to the wider Warhammer 40,000 canon and a must read for all fans of the franchise.

To see the full review, click on the link below:
https://unseenlibrary.com/2023/02/10/...

For other exciting reviews and content, check out my blog at:
https://unseenlibrary.com/

[Jack Creagh-Flynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable read. A fusion of feudal thinking with massive sci-fi weaponry.
The knights hold the concepts of rigid code and honour, and it shows in their interactions and fighting scenes within this book. I enjoyed seeing the betrayals and their consequences.
Dan's character provides focus and tact. Luk is more passionate, and carries through harsh struggles well. Jen is protective and uses her martial gifts well.
I'm uncertain why I rate this as only a 3/5. It's probably due to comparison of other books I've read, but for one reason or another, the characters, although quite good, didn't establish some emotional connection with me. This novel laid out good questions that may be answered in the second book. I'll just have to give that a read and find out. :)

[Kristine · Rating 2 out of 5]

As someone that usually reads fantasy, this was a pretty rough book to get started in. My first Warhammer book and first big "machine" book. I see the appeal and had an epiphany close to the end that it felt like I just read through a war game. You get your player, you go through the storyline, but gameplay is your main activity. There was much with this book that was overly explained (killing scenes and such) and if I had some more insight to the world itself, I think I would have enjoyed the book more.
But yes, if you like war games and have more basic knowledge on warfare than I do, I think you would like this book. Just not my cup of tea.

[Joseph Fields · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read but could use some small improvements, the unique naming convention that the knights have is cool and makes their group stand out but it is over used. The characters mostly use a combination of their full title or at least half, sometimes they just use their first name and rarely a nickname. They will also use their full name even during a thought or 3rd person intervention. The writer is really squeezing blood from a stone with this fact about his knight household to the point of announce by the reader.

[Rye Bread · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is far better than the last 40k book I read and is a worthwhile stand alone story that explores a new aspect of the universe.

It's not a great book but it isn't bad either. Worth reading if you're into the setting or mecha. Maybe find it on sale or from a library, tho. Not worth the cover price but still worth supporting.

[David Conroy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I personally loved it. the writing level isn't difficult at all and it felt really short but that is a good thing in my opinion as the book kept me engaged and reading on until it was done. Also giant Robots are awesome.

[Alexander452 · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a decent "coming of age" story set in the 40k universe, featuring giant mechs or knights.
But falls short on the deilvery on the effectiveness of the enemies and they hardly ever seem to be too big of a threat throughout most of the book.

[Matthew Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyable first book in what I hope will be a long running series.

[Jakub Sládek · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Why, a single square mile of the manufactorii grandii has a net worth to the Imperium comparative to that of over five hundred thousands menial lives."

[Joseph Neale-Gunns · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I'd have given this 3 stars if I wasn't an imperial knights player, it's story lacks a bit but made up for it for me by giving me the things I want we a 40k player

[Piero · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for any wh40k fan and any fan of giant mechas and noble knights alike

[Hiemstra01 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Voor een 40k fan en specifiek een Imperial knight fan een prachtig verhaal waarmee je jezelf nog beter kan inleven in de lore van dit leger. Spannend verhaal met leuke twists en een boeiend einde.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 / 5 stars

[Tom Scharf · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun for young readers into 40k

[Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

What I expect from a decent Warhammer book. Readable, though sometimes hard to follow action. The characters are not deep, but likable enough. Setting is used and appreciated.

[Christian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun, predictable coming of age story of three young scions with a planetary campaign against Chaos as the background. The action is rousing, the plot straightforward, the pace quick and the characters sympathetic.

[AA_Logan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a lot of fun. It doesn’t go *that* deep, but do you really want that from a book about giant chivalrous mechs?

No.

Headstrong charges, swatting Leman Russes aside with chainblades and courtly intrigue more than hit the spot.

[Michael Knolla · Rating 3 out of 5]

The central characters story arc never fully engaged me and the combat, while more gripping, didn’t fully make up for that. As a result one I kept putting aside, only reading in fits and starts.