Garro (42)

The Horus Heresy #42

by James Swallow

Battle-Captain Garro, a legendary hero of the Horus Heresy, finally emerges from the shadows.

Clad all in grey, an errant warrior of the Legiones Astartes kneels before the Regent of Terra and accepts a solemn new duty – Battle-Captain Nathaniel Garro, once commander of the Eisenstein, is now Agentia Primus of Malcador the Sigillite. From the desolation of Isstvan to the halls of the Imperial Palace itself, he stands ready to strike back at the traitorous allies of the Warmaster. But Garro is walking a path of his own, one that may lead him to question his true place in the Imperium - and what if he, too, should falter? This book contains James Swallow’s complete saga of Nathaniel Garro in the Horus Heresy – it contains the original series of audio dramas, expanded with additional scenes to better represent the author’s original vision, along with the the novella Vow of Faith .

Genres: Science Fiction, 40k, Fiction, Audiobook, Fantasy, Science Fiction Fantasy, Ebooks

384 pages, Paperback

Published August 8, 2017

About the author

James Swallow is a New York Times, Sunday Times and Amazon #1 bestselling author and scriptwriter, a BAFTA nominee, a former journalist and the award-winning writer of over sixty-five books, along with scripts for video games, comics, radio and television.

DARK HORIZON, his latest stand-alone thriller, is out now from Mountain Leopard Press, and OUTLAW, the 6th action-packed Marc Dane novel, is published by Bonnier.

Along with the Marc Dane thrillers, his writing includes, the Sundowners steampunk Westerns and fiction from the worlds of Star Trek, Tom Clancy, 24, Warhammer 40000, Doctor Who, Deus Ex, Stargate, 2000AD and many more.

For information on new releases & more, sign up to the Readers’ Club here: www.bit.ly/JamesSwallow

Visit James's website at http://www.jswallow.com/ for more, including ROUGH AIR, a free eBook novella in the Marc Dane series.

You can also follow James on Bluesky at @jmswallow.bsky.social, Twitter at @jmswallow, Mastodon at @jmswallow@mstdn.social and jmswallow.tumblr.com at Tumblr.

Reviews

[Javir11 · Rating 3 out of 5]

6,75/10

Compilación de relatos sobre Nathaniel Garro, ex capitán de La Guardia de la Muerte, que a diferencia de sus compañeros de legión, decidió mantenerse fiel al Emperador y arriesgar su vida para avisar a Terra sobre la traición.

En estos relatos se nos muestra como Garro acaba poniéndose a las ordenes del Sigilita, y forma un pequeño grupo de legionarios de élite para realizar misiones especiales que una legión no puede llevar a cabo.

Peca del problema típico de estas recopilaciones, relatos que están muy bien, con otros bastante flojos o incluso pesados.

Continuaré con la saga, aunque voy a pillar un parón de unos meses.

[Sud666 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Garro was one of the best Warhammer 40K novels I've read in a long time.

Captain Nathaniel Garro of the Death Guard has seen and been through some crazy things. He was there when his Primarch, Mortarion, and most of his legion turn against the Emperor, he has seen the corrupt effects of the Lodges of Horus and, perhaps most importantly, he rescued Euphrati Keeler and led the fateful flight on the Eisenstein back to the Imperial homeworld to bear news of Horus' rebellion.

Garro goes into the service of Malcador the Sigillite, the Regent of Terra. Donning unadorned power armor he sets off on a path to recruit others of a similar background. Some famous names make an appearance like Gav Loken, formerly of the Luna Wolves, and others like Sindermann.

I won't ruin this good plot any further. But this one stood out because it depicts an Imperium on the cusp of change. The first smatterings of Horus' rebellion have begun and Terra is under war footing. While the scope of the problem is just starting to manifest-the number of Imperium officials that are aware of the fell powers of the Warp are merely a handful.

Slowly we see that a handful are understanding that the secular Imperium is about to collapse. There are powers out there that humanity was not aware of (save perhaps the Emperor and Magnus) and the Imperium was not ready to face them. There is a part of the story where Garro goes to a hidden world to see a secret army being gathered and while what they are is never exactly explained, I think this might the start of the forces that became the Holy Inquisition.

It is also a bit sad- the secular, forward looking Empire is about to fall. This is the end of the age of Enlightenment. In the events that follow and the Emperor sitting on the Carrion Throne- that is known as the Age of Darkness aka the current Warhammer 40K world. We see what could have been and start to see the seeds that bear fruit into the fall.

Also there is a good look at the Divine Emperor cult becoming very popular (and to be fair-they may have the right view of things). Thus we see Euphrati Keeler now viewed as a Saint. So there are many hints of what is soon to be known as "history" in the 40K world. But seen from the viewpoint of ten thousand years the events take on a new meaning and complexity.

A great story set during the Horus Heresy. Highly recommended.

[Gianfranco Mancini · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let me tell you about Nathaniel Garro.

Space Marines Legionaries are beings artificially created by the Master of Mankind from common humans and magnify all their elements to the extreme, the noble and the horrific, often succumbing to the worst of they natures.
But not Nathaniel Garro.
After the betrayal of his Primarch and Legion, everything he loved was stripped away from him and he was lost.
Joining the ranks of Malcador the Sigillite's grey Knights Errants gave him purpose, but Garro was questioning more and more his place in the universe without knowing the answer, and in the endhe was the first to make a leap of faith and start to believe .

Former Death Guard battle-captain Garro always been one of my most favourite one characters of the now 11 years old spanning Horus Heresy saga, and this anthology collecting prose versions of previous audiobook stories (plus the novella Vow of Faith) is just one of the best books of the series, an action packed epic tragedy where old characters find at last their doom and other ones come back from death.

And the parts about the unspoken Sigillite's foundation of the Grey Knights on Titan were just a real blast for this old W40K fan.
Sadly there are some flaws stopping the vote to 4 stars here...
I think that a main event in the HH timeline Garviel Loken's return really needed to be published in some other anthology before Vengeful Spirit and not here or in previous audios. When I found out in that novel that Garvi was alive I felt like missing a part of the story.
And Khorarinn the despicable Custodian not using the teleport beacon on his weapon to save himself was just a too big plot hole for me... at last he got what he deserved.


A flawed read for me, but stll a great amazing one and a must read for all the Horus Heresy fans.
More and more if you (like me) skipped Garro's audiobooks and are just collecting the novels and anthologies.

[Tepintzin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel twee for doing this, but I've gone from a "Whoohoo! Nathaniel Garro kicks butt!" to "I am a heart-eyes fangirl for Nathaniel Garro." I will not demean him by calling him a cinnamon roll, because he isn't one.

There are very few unalloyed heroes in the Horus Heresy series. Even Sanguinius is tainted by his deep-seated and as yet unexplained anger issues. Garro is loyal, steadfast, courageous, and faithful. He is tormented by the loss of his legion and his companions in it. He knows that he made the right decision, but it hurts.

His comfort comes from the fact that he is one of the few Astartes characters to have a love interest. This keeps him in the mode of the traditional medieval knight, as a knight needs a lady and Euphrati Keeler is his.

This book is all the audio dramas in prose form, plus the novella "Vow of Faith". I hadn't heard all the audio dramas or read the novella, so they were new to me. If you have them and the novella, you might or might not want the collection in book form.

[RatGrrrl · Rating 4 out of 5]

April 2024 Re/Read using the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project Reading Order Omnibus XIV Shadows of the Warmaster II Lords of Death (https://www.heresyomnibus.com/omnibus...) as part of my Oath of Moment to complete the Horus series and extras.

When is a collection of audio dramas, a novella and some short stories not an anthology, and is this really a novel? These are questions that don't need answering, but they do highlight something that's becoming more clear the deeper I get into the series: What information is deemed essential and how accessible is that to people making the assumption they can just read the numbered books of the main series and actually follow whats going on?

Nathaniel Garro, Death Guard Battle Captain alerted to the treachery on Isstvan III by Saul Tarvitz of the Loyalist Emperor's Children, deliverer of that message of Horus' betrayal to Terra, protector of the first Saint, Euphrati Keeler, and the first preacher of the Lectitio Divinitas, former Head Iterator of the 63rd Expedition attached to the Vengeful Spirit, Kyril Sindermann, one of the first of the Imperium to face and slay servants of Chaos, and now Knight Errant for Malcador the Sigillite.

This book collects pretty much every Garro story before the Siege of Terra with the exception of the extremely short, Patience, which was included with Ghosts Speak Not, and the other very brief story I can't remember the name of about the Death Guard Apothecary trying to find a cure for Nurgle's insidious influence. We see him travel across the galaxy from Calth to Isstvan to collect the known faces of the ever-expanding proto-Grey Knights, as well as following a mystery protected by an aegis of falsity and bear his blade and faith with burning honesty.

There's also an entirely new and rather moving coda from Sindermann.


I feel so conflicted about this book.

I don't think it's a novel or a novelisation. Maybe I'm missing something, but I don't see a lot of new stuff here or really much of any noticeable connective tissue between the stories beyond putting them next to each other in chronological order and adding Kyrik's final thoughts at the end.

I absolutely love the Garro stories, though on reading this I have become a more tepid on Sword of Truth, and have glowingly reviewed them individually in the past. I'm pretty sure I've given them all full marks, which raises the question of why I haven't given this full marks. If this was more honest about being an anthology with some additional materials I absolutely would. The main reason this exists is much like the majority of the later anthologies, it collects audio dramas, stories and novella that people just reading the books never encountered and it turns out there is a whole lot of essential information that many other books make little to no sense without. Imagine reading Vengeful Spirit and be blindsided by the fact that [Cerberus] is leading a mission?!

Swallow created a phenemonal character in Garro and has told a wonderful arc of the Knights Errant. The tough choices, second chances, redemption and humanity found within the tales of disparate members of various Legions, both Loyalist and Traitor, coming together to do something they believe is meaningful are powerful and entertaining. They do this all under the auspices of Malcador, a man none of them seem to trust, seemingly for good reason with him both being one of the architects and an embodiment of all the secrets and lies that we're already festering, but truly bloom within the shriveled, black heart of the Imperium.

I don't want to take anything away from that, and, while I have a healthy measure of disdain for the decisions and business practices of Black Library and Games Workshop, the overall quality and vision of the Horus Heresy creative team are truly astounding, especially with how grand and unwieldy the numerous characters and narratives are. I just think there is a better way important elements and collections like this could be presented and the average reader more informed. As an example from this book, without the story Gunsight, later collected in War Without End, there's no context for how on earth the Assassin in the last arc of this story came to be and it's a huge jump from their past appearance in a book many years and even more novels ago.

Ultimately, Swallow and Garro are some of my favourites and I am extremely fond of the stories in here, it's the somewhat lacklustre end story, in spite of the beautiful epilogue, and the nature of this presentation and practice that are the reason I can't give this full marks.

Through using the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project (www.heresyomnibus.com) and my own choices, I have currently read 26 Horus Heresy novels, 14 novellas (including 1 repeat), 88 short stories/ audio dramas (including 6 repeats), as well as the Macragge's Honour graphic novel, 13 Primarchs novels, 4 Primarchs short stories/ audio dramas, and 2 Warhammer 40K further reading novels and a short story...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.

[Simon Mee · Rating 3 out of 5]

‘Aye, I have faith, brother. But that does not mean I have abandoned reason. It is you who cannot see clearly. You cling to the truth you were born with, that this is a rational universe of immutable laws. You tell yourself you could understand all of existence, if only the structure of it were visible to you. But that is not so.’

I like Garro: Weapon of Fate. Well, I like the idea of it. Here’s a Space Marine who believes and that belief takes him directions that dance on the line of insubordination (while also giving rise to questions as to whom Garro is really subordinate to). Unfortunately the book didn’t quite get there in the collating part.

God(-Emperor) is Real

The Emperor was the most powerful human being who had ever lived, an immortal psychic of matchless power, and He had dismantled every religion in human history in favour of His great Empire. It was said that the Emperor Himself did not wish to be worshipped as a living deity, but His deeds had taken that choice away from Him.

Swallow made a great call by front and centring Garro’s embrace of the EMPEROR OF MANKIND as the GOD-EMPEROR OF MANKIND. It links well with his experiences and iron will in The Flight of the Eisenstein, gives his character distinctiveness that would otherwise be a little lacking, and it advances a side plot to the Horus Heresy that will have a meaningful future impact in the 40K setting. I do not particularly care about Garro’s contributions to Malcador’s Silent War, as none of that really matters when placed against the final confrontation between Horus and his “father”, but the (re)birth of religiosity in the Imperium of Mankind makes Garro’s contribution to it worth reading.

To harp once again on this point, I also consider this relatively dynamic handling of religiosity in Garro: Weapon of Fate far superior to the undergraduate level of debate in The Last Church. In the Horus Heresy, our version of atheism would be a nigh-on irrational position, so pairing Garro’s belief with the things he sees and interacts with is the more credible position to me than an un-fathomingly powerful being saying “Nuh uh” to a priest.

While it’s also a short interaction, the Swallow makes Dorn look competent with his decision-making, which is always a bonus for me.

‘I value Massak’s insight more than you can know.’ Dorn spoke over him. ‘The Sigillite believes I act out of ignorance and fear. He does not understand. The Librarians are precisely where they need to be.’
Garro’s brow creased. ‘Locked in a vault, in the bowels of your fortress? They mark time like condemned men waiting for the scaffold.’
‘No,’ Dorn corrected. ‘They stand ready. Close at hand, in the heart of my Legion. I will choose the right moment, Death Guard. Not you. Not Malcador.’
‘You ask much of them, my lord.’
The father of the Imperial Fists nodded grimly. ‘These times ask much of us all.’

Pedantry

‘They predict a brief path will be opening through the Ruinstorm, a treacherous one to be sure, but enough to serve our purposes.’

Look, I tend to speculate on the editorial process at Black Library. I imagine the staff there make certain choices because it explains my conception of events. In this case, with a writer who isn’t deeply immersed in the lore, they seem to have had their hands off the tiller, both when the original short stories were composed and when they were combined together into this book. I take it there are deadlines revolving around keeping the series moving.

My problem with Garro: Weapon of Fate is the lore. Whether a Space Marine would beat a Legio Custodes is a duel is not an issue for me – the author explains why it happened, which is good enough. Where I do get frustrated is when Garro rocks up to Calth for one guy and hightails it out of there without a moment’s thought to coordinating with loyalist forces. These are forces who’s major motivation for several books are their concern that the EMPEROR OF MANKIND is dead, something that Garro could maybe have taken a moment to vox clarification on. A later chapter “remedies” this by referring to brief gaps in the Ruinstorm, with no apparent follow-through thought as to why this should lead to a sense of urgency and priority to communication over finding a maniac who stabs non-threatening ghosts?

My major issue with this and matters such as Garro knowing that Signus Prime has happened is that a theme of the Horus Heresy is that the divided loyalist forces are unknowingly fighting their own battles, unsure of what “loyalist” means. Yet here’s Garro putt-putting round the universe, putting together a team of the least consequential characters, with nary a consideration to even basic level strategic thinking like concentrating one’s forces.

Most of this could be solved by editing, such as shifting timelines round or some plot device (like a sudden pirate raid? It doesn’t matter) that remarkably prevents Garro from communicating events on Terra to others. If you want to bring Garviel Loken back because he was kind of cool in the original trilogy, fine – just make a little more effort when you get a second(!) bite of the cherry when turning the audio book into several chapters of a novel. Again, it’s a mechanical thing rather than narrative choices. For example, while I do not personally favour the direction Swallow takes with Eristede Kell, I get that choice is in service of something else, so I don’t adversely judge the writing for it .

There is also the minor complaint in that the book lakes a strong core narrative, albeit the repeated allusions to Garro’s religiosity in several different situations mitigates that a bit. It’s a function of the stories being mashed together while masquerading as a novel – more of a point to be aware of the slightly weak narrative drive than an outright failure. It kind of reflects in the short stories often having disastrous elements to them (such as when Garro completely botches a refugee mission) which would be ok on their own as climatic peaks, but add up to him being very marginal at his job!

‘My Lord Regent, no ship in that flotilla survived the day intact. They came to us with hope and we met them with suspicion and death.’
‘These are the times we live in, Nathaniel.’

On a pure reading enjoyment level, I do rate Garro: Weapon of Fate highly. But if it is to be benefit from being in the Horus Heresy novel list, it seems essential to get some core elements of that literary universe correct.

[Alasdair · Rating 4 out of 5]

Garro is a good boy.

[Heinz Reinhardt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a compilation of the audio dramas James Swallow wrote for Nathaniel Garro, edited into a smoothly flowing novelized format.
While that flow isn't as seamless as I think Swallow, or the BL editors had hoped, it was quite good, and made a logical sense as the story in this novel takes place over several years. This was one of the tighter HH novels to come out in the last couple of years as well, with very few editing errors.
Very well done.
In terms of the story:
Nathaniel Garro is, in essence, the first Warrior Saint of the Imperium. The symbology, both metaphorically and visually, of the Imperium in the post Heresy universe is very analogous to the Christian Imperium of Constantinople, and the idealized version of the Western Christendom under the Popes of Rome. Therefore Garro himself is portrayed very much like an Orthodox or Roman Catholic warrior Saint. The cover art itself goes so far as to give a stylistic nod to Orthodox iconography with Garro's face having a subtle, golden, glowing halo.
And the subtitle of the novel, Weapon of Fate, could just as easily been Weapon of Faith.
Faith, duty, sacrifice, and perseverance in the face of demonic adversity is the underlying theme of both this novel and of the character of Nathaniel Garro. Garro, himself an older, injured and slightly washed up Legionary, is given a second chance at life and to prove his worth via his faith in what he believes to be true. His recruitment by Malcador is because of Garro's act of faith way back in book four of the series, bringing the Eisenstein and the first prophet, Euphrati Keeler, through the Warp and back to Terra to give word of Horus' rebellion and fall to Chaos. This novel picks up not long afterwards, and Garro's understanding of the universe, and the true nature of the battle being waged, colors his actions and infects others around him.
I found all of this very analogous to how early Christianity spread amongst the Roman Legions, and since many saints of the early Church were Roman soldiers and officers, it jives well.
And before anyone thinks that Swallow just wrote a historical allegory, no, this is still a sci-fantasy tale with plenty of action, intrigue, and a whole lot of fun.
Highly recommended.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the 42nd book in the Horus Heresy series. It details the scripts and added materials from the Garro audio dramas produced for Games Workshop. I believe there are five of these audio dramas, though I could be mistaken. I know there are at least five.
Nathaniel Garro's story began in the book, Flight of the Eisenstein, many books back in the beginning of the series. This Death Guard Captain refused to bend the knee and join Horus and his traitor legions in the Dropsite Massacre. His Primarch, Mortarion joined Horus, whole heartedly and this just didn't sit well with Garro. He gathered up a smattering of warriors from many chapters and made a desperate attempt to flee the planet aboard the Eisenstein and make a hard burn to Holy Terra to warn the Emperor and the High Lords of Terra about the betrayal. They made it there, almost before being caught and imprisoned by Rogal Dorn and his Imperial Fists. Malcador contacted Garro and he told his story, which the Sigillite already was aware of. Soon after, Garro was petitioned by the Sigillite to join him in his endeavors, becoming his Agent Primaris. He soon was sent out on various missions for the Sigillite.
This book has many different entries into the world Garro is navigating and the hoops he must jump through while serving Malcador. It begins with Garro recruiting Tylos Rubio, an embattled son of Roboutte Guilliman, fighting the ground war the Word Bearers began when they created the Ruinstorm around the worlds of Ultramar. When he finds Rubio, this Librarian, still under the Emperor's decree to remove Librarians from access to their powers, effectively returning them as front line warriors, is in no mood to talk. Garro has to go into battle with the Ultramarines and show Rubio his quality, then demand his service. He goes reluctantly and even moreso gives up his colors and chapter markings to take the storm gray battle plate offered by Garro with only a single marking on the right pauldron, the ever seeing eye of the Sigillite.
I won't detail all these stories but there is a lot to take in here. The strength of will of Garro and his quality as a faithful servant to the Emperor, a stalwart warrior and leader, and his dedication to duty and honor are what sells these stories which in turn make up this book. Garro is one of my favorite characters in this series and there are many to choose from within the pages of 42 books. He is a humble being, though far removed from a normal Human. He has heart and soul, but the strength of his faith and his opposition to the traitors of Horus and his hatred of the Chaos Powers and their servants is where he shines.
Garro saved the Saint, Euphrati Keeler when he fled Isstvan and brought her back to Terra also, so a sub plot here in the background is the establishment and various opinions of the Lecitio Divinitatus, and its adherents. These folk believe the Emperor is a deity, he is the God Emperor to them. The movement is gaining ground and strength amongst the citizens of the Imperium, even though the holy book involved is circumspect and considered illegal. This makes no never mind to true believers in the Emperor's divinity.
There are several other tales woven into the pages of this book and I will stop here because this review is getting too long. Suffice it to say that this is one of my favorites in the series so far because the huge, overarching plot of the Heresy is still there, but this book brings an awesome character to the fore and explains a more personal story about the foundation and history of what will become the Grey Knights Space Marines Chapter.
Amazing read and I can't wait for the next in the series, Shattered Legions!

Danny

[Troy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one I will likely read again. It was great to see some of the returning charecters from the first 5 books who from what I've red are fan favorites like obviously garro and loken too which was great because it was hard to get much info on loken after the isstvan battle so was great to see some of him in this. Also cool to get some white scars action in this too as I feel like they don't get a whole lot of mentions or books. I mention this as when I'm deciding what warhammer book to read sometimes I like to know what characters and factions are in it to help me decide when to read it.

[Dominic Trump · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some special moments somewhat save this anthology-which-is-not-an-anthology! Originally a series of short stories, this novel slightly chafes at it's conversion to longer format as it must regularly stop to remind us of the principle characters and their motivations. The very best it has to offer are revealed, I find, when it allows itself to tell a scene, such as a tense section with a fleet that I really enjoyed! Don;t let its aggregate nature fool you though, this book (late in the series as it sits) carries MAJOR moments for the Heresy series!

[Jacob · Rating 3 out of 5]

Appropriate that the first book I finish in 2021 is a Horus Heresy book. This one was ok. I like the main character, but with where the overall story is now this felt like setting out an anchor on the overall story and would have been better served had it been read much earlier in the series.

[Matej Houdek · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll be ever at your side, my fair lady.

[Nick Ohrn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection of novella length stories includes, mostly, older material that have been edited to contextualize them better within the larger Horus Heresy story arc.

I loves the stories and continue to love this character. Garro is a fascinating figure in the HH mythology. As always, the writing is great. I highly recommend picking this one up.

[Andrew Ziegler · Rating 4 out of 5]

You get 4 stars because I love Garro's story and want more of it. However, know that this is an novel made of all the Garro pre-released Audio stories and a novella. It is presented as a novel with no TOC or indication it is cobbled together beyond the description on the back. Luckily it has been years since I heard most of the old Audio dramas, so this was a nice refresher. Just dont think you are getting a brand new novel or a changed script. So, if you heard them, and or own the Scripts vol 1, you are good. If you want them all as a novel, this is a nice addition.

[Joel · Rating 3 out of 5]

A full HH novel which is actually just a smoosh of all the audio-dramas or short stories we already know. Oh! and look! the next few books in the series are also a combination of short stories which have already been released, gee wiz.
I totally cant understand why everyone throws hate on the black library.......

[Matthew Hipsher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely amazing. As an Ultramarine fan, those books will always be tops of my list, but this book, this book is really close to dethroning them all.
Garro is the tale of Garro, a loyal Deathguard legionaire that finds himself with no legion after his legion turn traitor. HE is brought to the attention of Malcador the Sigilite and that's when this book takes off.

Garro's missions are concise, exciting and help drive the bigger story of the Heresy and helps frame the goals of the Imperium and the means to which they will see them through.

Amazing book, absolute must read and so far, in my opinion the best book yet in the series.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn’t know what to expect from this, and it was incredible. At one point, I was mentally cheering “THE EMPEROR PROTECTS! THE EMPEROR PROTECTS!” Incredible collection of Garro stories.

[Finn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished Garro, and I love it. Good stuff, all of the shorts are totally worth it lol

[Arnis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stāsts trijās daļās ar centrālo varoni Nathaniel Garro par sava ‘’Es’’ meklējumiem pēc līdzšinējās kārtības neatgriezeniska izjaukšanas, kad ne tikai līdz tam uzticamākais Imperatora pirmarks Horuss Luperkals izdodmā sacelties pret par ‘’tēvu’’ saukto Imperatoru, bet tā prātam grūti aptveramajai nodevībai pievienojas vēl astoņi citi primarki. To starpā Garro Death Guard (DG) leģiona primarks Mortarions. Ko gan iesākt ar sevi, kā nepazaudēties trauksmainajos pārmaiņu laiku vējos un, paliekot lojālam, turpināt cīņu, kamēr šķietami visi citi par brāļiem sauktie astartes nu ir starp nodevējiem.

https://poseidons99.com/2025/10/11/ja...

[Richard Samuel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was an unexpected delight detailing one of the first grey knights and their origins. It also places a spotlight on Malkador’s visions and his personality.

[L.L · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

Hay algo que es dificil de entender, la continuidad de las novelas. Guilliman construyen su IMPERIUS SECUNDUS por que no sabe si Terra ya cayó o sigue en pie. Pero luego tenemos a Garro, que enviado por Malcador, no solo hace el camino de ida Ultramar, sino que toma a unos de sus astartes y lo lleva de vuelta a Terra. What!! Tanto costaba ya que estaba por ahí, pasar a aviasar a los primcarcas que la batalla final aun no iniciaba. O en vez de ir a buscar a un Ultramarin a Catlh, recogerlo de alguna barcaza.

[Andy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Welcome to book 42 of a series that could've been handled in 10.

Welcome to a repackaged collection of things you've read before, about a character who was only passingly important 38 books ago.

Welcome to yet another waste of money.

I'd you'd found yourself returning to the Heresy after Praetorian of Dorn and Master of Mankind, don't worry. They weren't indicators of a return to quality. They were the last twitches of decent writing in a hollow series that only exists to part fools from money.

Avoid.

[Andrew Jamieson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A unique release amongst the Horus Heresy book series, GARRO by James Swallow is a re-edited collection of all the audio dramas and short fictions featuring Nathaniel Garro, former captain of the Death Guard Legion, and Agentia Primus of Malcador the Sigilite. Labelled as officially the 42nd book in the series, the original Garro stories have been given an overhaul with minor additions by the author but fear not, these are still essentially the same Garro tales that we have listened to and read over the last few years.
I’ve been a fan of James Swallow since his Blood Angels books, and his Horus Heresy entries have been some of the best to grace the long-running series. However, I approached this hefty hardback release with a wee bit of scepticism. I expected this pseudo-collection to feel disjointed, to be no more than a short story volume. However, some thought has clearly been put into this release, the myriad Garro tales having been re-edited with care, very subtle additions throughout adding character and atmosphere.
Unlike the release schedule of the original audio tales, the first two of which were released out of order, we now have a comprehensive and immersive epic tome of Garro’s exploits, from his initial recruitment by Malcador, and his subsequent mission to Calth (from ‘Oath of Moment’; worth noting that this collection does not use or reference any of the original release’s titles), to locating the lost Garviel Loken, uncovering treachery amongst a fleet of refugee ships, to discovering a secret base, and battling his own doubts to track down Euphrati Keeler, the ‘living saint’ Garro rescued aboard the Eisenstein.
Garro is a man of conviction and duty and in the early chapters of the book he is initially possessed of righteous purpose, glad to feel of some use after a lengthy spell under watch in the Somnus Citadel. As the book progresses, and Garro’s mssions lead him to unexpected corners of the galaxy, near and far, his conviction begins to waver, as his faith and code of honour lead him to question his role as the sigilite’s Agentia Primus. Author Swallow sells this change in Garro’s nature very convincingly and brings a complex dimension to a character who might otherwise have been predictable in his moral piety.
I get the sense that James Swallow has more tales in store for Garro, and regardless of whether they are audio or prose (Garro surely deserves his own novel), they are eagerly awaited.

[Abhinav · Rating 5 out of 5]

You can read the full review over at my blog:

https://shadowhawksshade.wordpress.co...

I started listening to the Black Library audio dramas back in September 2011, well after they’d been established as an important by the publisher. Ranging from stories set in Warhammer Fantasy Battles or the various shades of Warhammer 40,000 the audio drama series have definitely carved for themselves a niche among Black Library’s many products. None however have been as enjoyable as James Swallow’s stories featuring Nathaniel Garro, once a captain of the Death Guard legion and then a Knight-Errant for Imperial Regent Malcador following the Isstvan III treachery. Garro is the collected edition of all these audio dramas and also includes a brand-new novel, telling the story of Garro’s journey from being a legionnaire to a legion of one.

Note: This review contains some spoilers.

The story of Nathaniel Garro is the story of the Heresy itself. He was there when Warmaster Horus betrayed the Emperor and conspired with his brothers Fulgrim, Mortarion and Angron to murder all the warriors amongst their Legions who were loyal to the Emperor before them. He watched the Heresy unfold before his eyes and suffered deep personal losses that have haunted him since. He has since traveled the length and breadth of the galaxy on secret missions for the Imperial Regent, Malcador the Sigillite, putting together a team of Astartes loyal to the Emperor who can fight the silent war that often goes unnoticed and unremarked. His is a thankless task and yet he doesn’t look for any, content in the work that he does. His big chink in the armour, so to speak, is his faith. Faith in the Emperor and his divinity. Faith in the former remembrancer Euphrati Keeler who has become a Saint. Garro is the retelling of his singular journey as he searches for meaning and purpose in a galaxy gone to hell, one where oaths once sacred and binding have been betrayed and disavowed.

And it is one hell of a read.

I’ve listened to most of the audio dramas featuring Garro before. Oath of Moment, Legion of One, Sword of Truth, Burden of Duty, Shield of Lies are among the best of Black Library’s audio range. I’ve reviewed some of them before as well. However, what’s different about their collected reprint here is that there is some additional material where appropriate, material that enhances the overall experience and provides stronger connections between the various stories so that they all read as one continuous saga. It’s been a long time since I listened to these audios though that I would not be able to point out the new additions. Suffice to say however that I enjoyed the novel quite a fair bit. And these stories have definitely aged well too, being still as exciting and fun as they were originally, if not more so. So let’s dive into it.

Chronologically, the first story is Oath of Moment which marks Garro’s initiation as Malcador’s first Knight-Errant and also his first mission, to travel to the battlefield of Calth and recruit an Ultramarine for Malcador’s purposes. You can find my review of the story here. Going from an audio version to the prose is a little jarring since part of the experience doesn’t translate over, particularly as Toby Longworth did such a fantastic job with the audio. But, as I said above, Oath of Moment has aged very well and I definitely enjoyed it all the more this time. James creates a fantastic atmosphere where his characters get to shine brightly and he definitely makes you feel their torrent of emotions and their incredulity at a galaxy gone mad. The bit at the end where Tylos Rubio must leave his Ultramarines brothers behind and join Garro’s band was a high-point for me, because it marked yet another loss for the heroes, something that becomes very important later on.

[James Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nathaniel Garro. Former Battler-Captain of the Death Guard. Commander of the Eisenstein who escape the battle of Istavann to bring word of Horus' betrayal to the Emperor, but arriving too late due to the machinations of the dark gods. But what to do with the loyal son of a traitor father? Unsurprisingly Malcador, the Emperor's right hand, has a plan for him and other lost souls, they are to become his agents his Knights Errant working for him and the Imperium. But Garro's experiences have changed him, he's found that thing the Emperor fought against; faith. His first mission for the Sigulite is to recruit more Knights.
Garro is one of the earliest named characters from the Heresy after the Primarchs and the Emperor, his flight on the Eisenstein being a core event. It's the fourth book in the series after all. He was also the first clue that not all the traitor legions turned, that some stayed loyal. For the longest time though he was only a name, now we know him as a person. And we also see how the Emperor's dream of a secular empire was falling into religion even before it was built.
A really enjoyable book filled, as ever, with easter eggs and one that deals with relatively small events comapred to the sweeping battles of some of the books. Small but no less important.

[Ethan Nunya · Rating 5 out of 5]

WE ARE SO BACK BABY!!!!! WE ARE SO BACK!!!

I've been slogging through the last few HH books in my journey. Lion El'Johnson this, moody emo Sanguinius that... it's been wearing on me I'll admit. The triumvirate was interesting in concept and for a while the books were cool, it was nice to see the primarchs interacting and be on the grand scale on which they operate; enough is enough however.

After the nothing burger that was ruinstorm, I was so fully ready to never read about those three again. As a result, Garro: Weapon of Fate is such a breath of fresh ass spring air. We're back to small scale stories about individuals existing within the Imperium, not shaping the whole course of it. We're back to HUMAN stories (finally!!!) small scale, remembrancers, individual space marines, a Scribe-Adept, EUPHRATI KEELER! KYRIL SINDERMAN!! GARVIEL FUCKING LOKEN!!!!!! HE'S BACK LADIES AND GENTS!

I loved getting more info on Garro. I knew that when we left him at the gates of Terra there had to be more to his story (he is of purpose after all). This is a truly wonderful collection of tales that I genuinely enjoyed ripping through. So glad to be back to what made me love this series in the first place.

[Matthew Faherty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted to read this book for two reasons:

1. Garro is a really cool character and I wanted more of him
2. Background information for other books

This book scratched the itch on both counts. Garro is almost a caricature of a Space Marine. He’s honorable, fiercely loyal, and driven by a tireless sense of duty. But, this anthology shows there’s more to him than meets the eye. There’s still a human being under all that training and indoctrination.

I enjoy Swallow’s novels because he makes action sequences feel appropriately brutal. They’re not just filler, they serve a purpose and always drive the narrative forward in a meaningful way. You can tell that he wrote these stories very purposefully, weaving them seamlessly into the existing narratives where their events take place. Garro is just a part of these stories, and they continue on in the background in his absence.

I know these were originally released as audio dramas and I never consumed them in that format. As short stories, they are strong, but I wish that another proper Garro novel had been released which told another long story with him at the center from beginning to end (prior to the end of the series). He’s a strong enough character to bear that burden. 4 stars 🌟 overall for this one.

[Glyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story here is a good one, Garro is one of the more clear cut characters in the nebulous setting of the Horus Heresy. This after all is a setting where the ultimate hero and protector of Mankind is a God in all but name who has little fondness for either his "sons" (he prefers the term weapons) nor the people he rules but intends to lead into an era of monodominant rule of the galaxy. His regime is genocidal and supported by gene enhanced psychopathic super soldiers

Garro is one of the Legiones Astartes, A Death Guard Marine who stayed loyal when his gene father and legion turned traitor. He repuroposed himself as the head of a Deniable Ops team of Marines.
He is steadfast loyal, efficient and capable. A true hero by any stretch of the imangination but a hero with doubts about his role in the galaxy. This book collects a series of audio dramas and fills them out. The quality of the writing is quite high and certainly the action does not disappoint. The enemy is horrifying and his allies are not always those of choive.

Due to the material it is very episodic and that is a slight problem with it but on the whole a good rread and worthy addition to the lengthy series

[LuisJ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Better than the average book in this series but some seriously major plot-holes.
For a start the idea that in this period of betrayal and eternal suspicion that people will just believe someone is a good guy because he has some fancy icon on his pauldron. I guess that's why the loyalist space marines keep getting their asses kicked; they really are so gullible.

Then there is the Emperor's custode... a character who doesn't trust anyone and is more than happy to blow up a caravan of fleeing survivors in their ships just in case they carry traitors among them and yet...

sets out alone with just a bunch or ordinary humans soldiers. If the two Knights Errant did not come along then how was he going to fare if the fleet was swarming with traitors. It just doesn't make sense; let alone the way he dies which is crazy because he's supposedly near-equal to a primarch is martial ability (so suggests the book). Pretty sure that if this was a primarch character then it would obviously have turned out differently. So very inconsistent.