The Master of Mankind

The Horus Heresy #41

by Aaron Dembski-Bowden

While Horus' rebellion burns across the galaxy, a very different kind of war rages beneath the Imperial Palace. The 'Ten Thousand' Custodian Guard, along with the Sisters of Silence and the Mechanicum forces of Fabricator General Kane, fight to control the nexus points of the ancient eldar webway that lie closest to Terra, infested by daemonic entities after Magnus the Red's intrusion. But with traitor legionaries and corrupted Battle Titans now counted among the forces of Chaos, the noose around the Throneworld is tightening, and none but the Emperor Himself can hope to prevail.

Genres: 40k, Science Fiction, Fiction, Audiobook, Fantasy, Action, Space Opera

404 pages, Hardcover

First published June 6, 2017

Reviews

[Patrick Stuart · Rating 2 out of 5]

This isn't terrible but its barely alive. It reminds me of nothing as much as a really long Lexicanium article. The guy at the warhammer shop asked me if I was "interested in finding out what’s going on back at Terra?" and the book fulfils that promise a bit too accurately. It does indeed, tell you what has been going on.

Ok so, 30,000 years in the future, at the turning point of the Horus Heresy, an Imperial official puts through a really big requisition order with the Adeptus Mechanicum. Will it be filled? If you want to wait for two thirds of a 400 page book to find out then read on!

Want to know the secret origin of the demon in Abbadons sword? You're in luck!

Most of the 'War in the Webway' is told in memories, descriptions and reports, we come in towards the end when all our heroes can do is retreat and the story is essentially them doing that. And they say at the beginning "we're probably going to have to retreat", then they do.

The most exciting event of the 'War in the Webway', Magnus bursting in covered in demons and bolloxing the whole thing, is told twice, once in a preface fragment and once as a memory, we never see it as a dramatic whole related to the other parts.

There are two big problems with the characters. The first is that Demski-Bowden has chosen to tell his story mainly from the POV of the least interesting characters. Essentially some guys trained by a dick to sneer at mankind join up with some other guys who have had their personalities literally surgically removed and some girls who are literally soulless to fight a bunch of endlessly morphing and therefore identity-less demons. The main dramatic conflict amongst the primary characters is exactly how loyal they are to the Emperor. I mean, everyone is super, super loyal, but are you loyal to him as a gene-bonded super-malmuk, loyal to him as a part-machine super-deity or loyal to him just as the all powerful dictator of the galactic super-state that employs you and justifies your horrible existence?

It makes sense in-world that everyone that gets to hand out with the Emperor would be just reaaaal fucking loyal, its just not that interesting.

This is even more tragic because there are three likeable characters that liven things up whenever they are around. A Blood Angel with non-functioning bionic hands who actually seems to like human beings. A knight rider arrested for treason and nearly accidentally starved to death due to a bureaucratic error and then given One Last Chance and Hiram Land who, as all keen readers of Lexicanium will know, is the techno-archaeologist responsible for finding the plans for the 'Lands Raider', a man who built himself his own cybernetic monkey but, because no one in the future is really sure what a monkey is supposed to look like, gives it a scorpion tail.

When these people are around the story has more life and colour but they seem to have been shunted aside in the writing process to the 'kids table' where they don't really get to do much.

The second is that Demski-Bowden reaally fucking hates the Emperor. Again, hating the mega-fascist mass-murdering emotionless demigod isn't necessarily a dumb point of view, but its not a great one to tell a story about the fucking Emperor from.

He points out in his afterword that we still can't be sure of the Emperors real reasons for anything, but that hardly matters when every dramatic action he’s shown performing in the book, from any point of view, is him as a mega-manipulative dick to everyone around him, all the time.

The Heresy writers seem to break down on the pro or anti-Emperor scale, ADB is FIRMLY on the anti-Emperor side. The view of him as an abusive dad isn't necessarily a bad idea, if the Horus heresy is about anything, its about really bad parenting, and if you are writing the story of a traitor Primarch then it makes sense, but it means this story lacks emotive power.

Will the Emperor succeed? Well, no. We know he won't. Plus we don’t care that he won't because he’s a twat in this story. So a man we don't like and know will fail, does fail. That is not a great novel idea.

One final thing is the representation of the Webway. If you remember this cool-as-balls image of Comorragh
http://wh40k-de.lexicanum.com/mediawi...

you probably have the idea of a war in the webway as some kind of mindbending megabattle in a twisting escher-space with demonically brilliant strategists opening up fronts in other dimensions, attacking through impossible angles and just generally doing a lot of cool mega-scale 40k shit in some new directions.

It never really feels like that, it feels pretty much like a standard HH battle in a Duran Duran video. Lots of glass and golden mist and vague wraithbone constructs (why the fuck does EVERYTHING Eldar need to be wraithbone? Are their fucking toilets wraithbone?).

This probably deserves at least three stars for competency. I'm giving it two.

[Marc Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Master of Mankind: Of duty, control, desperation, and the correct purpose of monkey tails.

Master of Mankind stands as perhaps the most intense, ambitious and purely amazing novel that ADB has ever written and BL has ever published. This is a book that reaches for lofty heights and exceeds them. How big does it go? Well it starts with the knock on effects of the First Murder, and draws us in from there.

With an eyeball kick of imagery and symbolism entirely familiar to those of us who read Talon of Horus, we are dragged almost immediately into a war already raging for five years. The war in the Webway. Such is the skill of its presentation and the weight of it in the collective anticipation of the fandom, that this war feels real and familiar even as we are introduced to its scale and concept.

Master of Mankind gives us one of the broadest presentations of variant humans, transhumans and post-humans of any other novel in the Heresy. Of especial note are the Custodians, who finally get their time to shine. Blunt and obtuse to normal humans or Astartes, they are at their best when in their own company or as the philosophical peers of the Emperor himself. There is a potent sense of history and camaraderie which paints them as philosopher Lords and warrior kings in their own right. In communing with their Emperor, we get to see the personal tapestry of humanity and the Crusade unfurl.

The Emperor himself is rendered awe-inspiringly. A presence and almost a narrator of his own understanding throughout, he meditates on all he has tried to build. Mind numbing hubris and utterly callous consideration will shake up Loyalist and Traitor opinion alike. This is as honest as we have seen him, and it is as damning as it is inspiring.

The supporting cast is varied and entertaining, but special mention has to go to Arkhan Land. Introduced to vainglory and self-reflection, he moves from an almost comedic surety to a truly bedazzled revelation.

There are too many moments where this book astounded me in its reveals; each is crafted to tear down understanding and replace it with abject awe. Another, while not a revelation, is a sheer show of force that makes the heart sing. You'll know it when you see it.

The combat in this novel is brutal and drawn out. It is the conflict of desperation in the face of the doom of hope. And it is beautiful.

All in all I have to recommend this book to all fans of 40k and the Heresy. This is a novel to make or break fandoms, to galvanise or divide. This is a novel for the ages. This is what we've waited 41 books for.

[Gianfranco Mancini · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Master of Mankind was a blast of a reading. The Ten Thousands Custodes (what left of them after 5 years of fighting traitor legions, titans and warp-spawns in the Eldar webway under the Imperial Palace), Sisters of Silence, Adeptus Mechanicum, Imperial Titans and Knights against an infinite horde of enemies that risks overtaking Terra before the arrival of Horus Lupercal, in a tragic and brutal battle echoing the 300 spartans at Thermopylae and Helm's Deep ones.



A great villain, the first Chaos Archdaemon, born in the warp echoing the first murder in history.
Aaron Dembski-Bowen's prose is excellent, storyline and twists are amazing too, but I really couldn't empathize much with the characters (besides Zephon the crippled Blood Angel and the other "caged birds", Ra and the other Custodes are badass bastards treating everybody else as cannon fodder... Ouch!)... and the Emperor's flashbacks, his talking about the Primarchs, adoring artificial demi-gods sons, like mere tools (Angron's analysis scene was gut wrenching for me), his talking about the necessity of tiranny to save mankind, the first Black Ships cargo of poor psykers feeding the Golden Throne under the betraying illusion of astropath training so that the Master of Mankind could join the battle, thousands killed screaming in just one hour, and that tragic ending with the death of the Dream left me so depressed, empty and sleepless at night.



In the end the Emperor is a tired and broken man, a fallen from grace tyrant mass-murderer demi-god... A concept and an ending so grimdark that fully throws the setting of the HH in the darker one of W40K.
Damn you (and thank you) mr ADB, I felt myself like tainted by reading this novel.
Good job!

[Javir11 · Rating 4 out of 5]

7,5/10

Sería hipócrita por mi parte decir que este libro no me ha sabido a poco, con ese título esperaba mucho más protagonismo de nuestro amado Emperador, seguramente el personaje más enigmático de la saga, pero también es cierto que al final nos da muchas respuestas a diferentes hechos y situaciones que hemos ido leyendo desde el inicio de la saga.

Me ha gustado saber de los Custodios, la guardia protectora del Emperador, los cuales aparecían en algunas historias, pero hasta este libro no con POV, lo cual he agradecido y mucho. También destacaría y mucho el conocer el motivo por el que el Emperador sigue en Terra en vez de estar liderando las fuerzas leales contra Horus. Magnus la que liaste, a pesar de que no fue nunca tu intención...

La trama en global me ha gustado, hay muchas respuestas, bastante acción, con comentos de mucha acción y lo cierto es que es una lectura muy entretenida. El gran pero es que se me ha quedado corta con respecto a las respuestas que esperaba, sobre todo la historia del Emperador te dan pinceladas, pero de forma muy superficial.

En cualquier caso, novela muy interesante y de las que se agradecería que hubiera alguna más.

Espero llegar a tiempo a Terra para plantar mi espada sierra en el pecho de algún traidor 😂

[Sud666 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Without any doubt, this is one of the best Horus Heresy novels. There is a caveat, however, do not read this book until you have a good to very good background in the lore. That is not to say that this book can not stand on its own. It most certainly can, but to truly appreciate what is going on requires some measure of lore background.

The greatest strength of this novel is that it gives us a window into the mind of the Emperor. It is safe to say that his thought process is so far beyond human that it is easily seen why he is worshipped as a God. While this book explains much of the thought process behind the Emperor's great work, it also gives us a great idea of what exactly he thought of his Primarch "sons".

The story starts with Magnus the Red breaching the Webway portal to inform the Emperor of Horus' betrayal, but ends up destroying the wards and bringing a host of demons to attack the Imperial Palace. This is the story of the war for the webway that involved the Ten Thousand and the Mechanicum working together to try to stave off the impending demonic invasion.

There is a great deal of detail about the Custodes, as well as the Sisters of Silence in this book. It is also tremendously exciting. The combat is stunning, especially with the Custides involved. It is obvious the difference between Astartes to Custodes is the same as baseline human to Astartes. But easily my favorite part was when the Emperor joins the fight in the webway and his aura's effect on demons shows why he is called "The Anathema".

A great book, but one that is best enjoyed with a good background. Then this is a gem. It fleshes out the Emperor and gives some interesting answers to burning questions. Highly recommended for any 40K fan, but someone immersed in the lore will truly appreciate this amazing novel.

[Callum Shephard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Master of Mankind's greatest strengths and failings come down to its author. Yes, that's an obvious statement and true of every book, but it's a point which is truly exemplified here.

What the novel offers readers is a glimpse into the raging war throughout the beginnings of the Imperial Webway, a look into the Custodian Guard, and even an examination of the Emperor himself. Even without the Titan battles, the Mechanicus storylines and flashbacks to past eras, all of these are weighty events which could have crushed a weaker narrative or less skilled author. The fact he was able to keep each of them balanced against one another, with each narrative thread remaining distinct and without clashing against others, is a testament to Aaron Dembski-Bowden's skill as a writer. Few could have managed to examine them in such a fascinating light either, or given them the sense of grandeur they required to press home their importance.

That said, and there is a "but" here, as much as it amplifies his strengths it amplifies a few irritating points of his writing. Especially writing set in this universe. We'll get to that later on though.

The Good:

To start with the positive points, as expected the story has a very narrow and concise focus placed upon the war in the Webway. This shouldn't be too much of a surprise for anyone familiar with the Night Lords trilogy, or even Betrayer, but it's especially evident here. Given the opportunity to fully explore the Imperial Palace, and the variety of locations on hand, the book's focus could have easily wavered and become distracted by secondary details, robbing the reader of this one moment to see the conflict beneath the seat of Imperial power. Instead, while we are granted brief moments of insight into the wider world, much of it is directly worked into and about the war itself.

Such points are especially evident when it comes to the Imperial Knights involved and the presence of a lone Blood Angel, both of which could have easily seemed obtrusively tacked on points to the story, but instead they enhance the tale and grant a few moments of insight per page. It's rarely ever enough to give the full picture of course, but the moments granted are enough to give an impression of the deeper world about them.

As you can imagine, the book instead puts a vast amount of time into examining three things above all else - The Emperor's personal guards, the Emperor himself, and the Imperial Webway. There is also Arkhan Land to a lesser degree, who serves as the major Mechanicus presence in the book, but much of his involvement comes down to fleshing out his own personality over seriously getting into the meat of things. While each of these points isn't delved into with the depth and detail one might expect from what was done to the Legions, it nevertheless sheds a great deal of light on the subject.

The Custodes in particular are seen to be oddly limited at first, lacking many of the internal traditions and individual distinction you would expect, until the novel begins adding some surprising subtleties to their roles. Through the eyes of a few distinct characters, the reader begins to see what separates them from both astartes and humans alike, and how they are more than just a marine on more 'roids. Individualistic but united, insular but ever aware of the universe, each is as much a reflection of the Emperor himself as the astartes are their primarch. The odd unity they can manage despite their individuality is a key part of the story's core themes, and unlike past outings it is rarely presented as a major failing.

Choice is a key part of the tale, along with consequences. While this has been true throughout the Heresy, Master of Mankind approaches it in a myriad of ways, from examining the inevitability of certain hard decisions to the unpredictability of the future. Throughout its pages we see almost every aspect of it introduced, brought up and considered, but without the definitive or singular focus of other tales. It's far more subtle, far more varied than the likes of Aurelian and the importance is placed more upon the here-and-now rather than how far reaching the results of a decision might be. We have already seen that, and when the novel does need to bring up such moments, it does so with more indirect reminders, such as the Emperor's decisions surrounding Angron. We have already seen the results firsthand, so it remains an effective and atmospheric addition to the book without limiting its focus.

Of course, many people will be picking this up to learn about the Big E himself. He's on the cover, he's in the title and he's the head honcho of this Imperium. People are eager to know more about him, and Dembski-Bowden delivers. While wisely keeping a number of key facts to himself, and keeping readers guessing, the book offers further insight into the Emperor's past life. We see in it reflections of his actions on Terra, his moments leading the Thunder Warriors and even a fleeting look into his earliest days. While little is commented upon when it comes to his personal origins or even his true nature, we see enough to know more of his methods, ideas and mental state than ever before. He's less the God here than he is the man, albeit a powerful one and ever the master architect of humanity's future. A few age old questions are even answered, at least to a limited degree, balancing out certain aspects of his character.

The battles, when the book stops to wholly focus upon them, are well told, but that's to be expected at this point. While he lacks the sheer punch of McNeill's works or Abnett's sheer attention to detail, the thematic and emotive qualities of Dembski-Bowden's books cannot be denied. More-so than anyone else, he will always seek to use the battles as an extension or final point to his themes, often using them to resolve major character arcs or shifts; blending them directly into the moment rather than breaking them up during and after a conflict.

This is best seen throughout the climactic battle, and no matter the scale of the engagement, every shot, punch or stab carries with it a sheer weight and impact few books can match. Really, the finale is easily one of the best since Helsreach, and retains three of the best last-second twists of any Black Library book. Also, yes, there are a lot of surprise twists, but surprisingly they manage to be presented without feeling as if they have piled up in one place or are at risk of overwhelming the reader.

Between these elements, you're left with a fantastic book, an incredible one which pushes the boundaries and delivers points about the universe no other series could hope to make. Unfortunately though, it's far from perfect, and this is where that aforementioned "but" finally swings into play. For, while this book is excellent, it is also deeply flawed in a number of places.

The Bad:

The first one to note is that the core story is incredibly stretched out. Many of Dembski-Bowden's main stories will stick to simple and direct core plots as a basis for stories.

In Blood Reaver we had Night Lords looking to repair a ship, joining a strike against a stronghold, betraying their alliance and escaping.

In Betrayer we had the Shadow Crusade attacking one stronghold, flying elsewhere and then performing a climactic battle.

In Helsreach, we had the Black Templars joining up with problematic allies, defending the hive, slowly losing it, and then managing to hold the city during the finale.

Other authors perform similar acts, but whereas they will often look to spice it up with some world changing event or element unique to the canon, Dembski-Bowden uses drama and conversation to flesh them out. So, while Seventh Retribution (and many Ben Counter stories, for that matter) would deal with something which could reshape the setting itself by introducing something wholly new or twisting an old idea; Soul Hunter works to make itself stand out thanks to character dynamics, drama and a complex web of personal character arcs. One is extrospective in terms of the canon, the other highly introspective.

Such a style has always been what has helped make this author stand out, but in Master of Mankind it sadly doesn't quite work. Much of that is down to the characters and style of figures involved, who lack the more humanely flawed or outright corrupted qualities he tends to work best with. Bereft of those traits,the Custodes, Sisters and many others seem oddly lifeless on an individual level. They're competently written and conceptually interesting for sure, but many lacked that same connection his Traitor characters benefited from. It's down to presentation and style, and perhaps even a few thematic qualities, but there's something to be said when I can still clearly remember the names of Betrayer's tertiary characters, but no Custodian besides Ra.

The character aspect itself might have been a minor problem were it not for how it seems to have effected other aspects as well. While the book's structure is as dynamic, varied and chaotic (please, that's not a pun) as past books, it manages to seem somewhat disjointed by comparison. Despite the seemingly overstretched nature of the core tale, events never seemed to fully link up properly, with the flashbacks and side elements never adding to the kind of expected cohesive work you might expect. Much of this is down to the pacing and presentation, with some of the flashbacks and historical qualities robbing necessary details from the actual war itself. As such, the actual progress of the conflict seems to massively jump around; with the book going from "we're struggling to hold the line" to "we're doomed!" at the drop of a hat.

Another quite pressing issue is actually the location itself. Warhammer is a setting with countless weird, wonderful and downright unsettling locations, where Napoleonic aesthetics and attires can blend with Neolithic terrors and far future creations. Whether it's a stable, civilized world or a festering tomb of a planet bowing to the Ruinous Powers, it can always stand out. The Webway here, though? It's practically unremarkable. While a few comments are offered surrounding the architecture of its former masters, and a few interesting Imperial perspectives upon the downfall of the Eldar Empire, the Webway almost seems mundane.

There's nothing truly alien about it, little which seems unsettling, unreal or even otherworldly, and many of those there just react with a dulled "Oh, we're fighting here now" attitude. Even those who are late arrivals to the war, or lack the extreme discipline of the Custodes, fail to show anything besides mild interest, and it's a major disappointment for so unique a battlefield.

However, perhaps the biggest problem overall is the Emperor himself, and how certain events are presented surrounding him. Dembski-Bowden is an excellent writer, he has a view of Warhammer 40,000 which allows him to craft tales of unparalleled quality and scope, and even add twists few would have ever expected. However, he seems to be very adamant in sticking to a few key viewpoints over all others, and never wavering from them in the slightest.

Now, no one is requiring him to be unbiased or even to re-write his ideas to try and wholly incorporate the views of other writers. Nor is this likely done out of sheer favouritism, before anyone makes a Karen Traviss comment, as his stories seem to be there to explore the universe rather than simply stamp down his views. In his opinion, what makes the story more interesting is to have a more anti-Imperial approach to things, where Chaos will always win no matter what. This can work for a single series or novel, but without that room left for other writers to build upon the universe, it can cause problems.

For starters, it makes everything fairly boring. If only one side has ever been winning, without anything ever stopping or coming close to halting it, what's the point in getting invested in it? Really, as doomed as humanity seemed to be in A Song of Ice and Fire and even the Lovecraft Mythos, there were always ways around that single loss subject. In the former's case, there's still enough hope that humanity's old foe might be beaten, while the latter was helped by its genre conventions and without the need for an ongoing saga. Even the likes of Battlestar Galactica, a series about survival when all hope was lost, avoided saying "The Cylons will lose in the long run" as would rob all investment from the viewer.

Most times Dembski-Bowden has gotten away with this sort of single-minded approach has been helped by the story being set in late M41 or through the use of unreliable narration. By having and Imperial side here backing up that one viewpoint, with possible no opportunity to consider alternative depictions, it limits the story. You no longer have those questions, that suspension of disbelief, you're just waiting around until you see, yes, Chaos wins and that's that. Well, how predictable, I guess I was invested in the wrong side.

This isn't simply to say Chaos is wholly positive (we have an entire abrupt paragraph in here to remind us of how Khorne's warriors are more a threat to themselves than an enemy, and how the World Eaters are complete failures) nor the Imperium wholly negative (As Betrayer's Ultramarines embrace their worst qualities in being simply better than everyone at everything, and will never lose save for extreme circumstances). Yet, as each story always sticks to that single defining view of each faction saying "this is right, there are no exceptions, no alternative views on the subject" and going from there, this can become a problem in a story about a figures who are supposed to be very ambiguous. As such, despite his incredibly well-written nature, the Emperor is unfortunately where the book stumbles most.

The book repeatedly reinforces how flawed, failing and mortal he is time and time again, likely as a subversion to the mysticism behind him. Yet, because it keeps hammering in weaknesses and failings, because it keeps focusing upon his more negative traits while avoiding the potentially more hopeful themes, it becomes as infuriating as it is interesting. The interpretation here is of a narrow minded extremist who was always going to fail, and who would do anything to see his dreams brought to fruition.

According to this, the Emperor viewed his sons as nothing more than weapons, would sacrifice anyone and anything for his personal benefit, and was even more flawed than Magnus the Red. There's no room left here for the greater being other books suggested might exist, or even the more sympathetic man briefly seen in The Outcast Dead. If this book is to be believed, the Emperor was simply a tyrant seeking ultimate control, who failed and took down everyone with him. In trying to further explore the Emperor's ideas, despite keeping his history and certain qualities hidden, it ends up making him far less interesting as a character.

In many ways, the depiction of the Emperor and his Custodians here is very much akin to Angron and the World Eaters in Betrayer. In the name of character examination, Dembski-Bowden focused primarily upon their flaws and failings, enhancing them and exaggerating them. The problem is, like there, he took it to a point where the story outright ignores many of their strengths and failed to ever balance out this problem, meaning we're left with a very singular, very narrow, depiction of a force who are just outright failures within the setting. Much as I do genuinely praise the effort, forethought and work put into such a dynamic work, this failing above all else ultimately leaves an unsatisfying quality to the work.


Verdict:

On the whole Master of Mankind is a solid entry into the Horus Heresy series and a great read, but it's oddly almost in spite of itself. Speaking personally, much as I did enjoy the ideas and concepts introduced, so much here worked against the story or committed a few cardinal sins that I was always left with the sense of almost disliking the fact I was engaged by it.

It is, in many ways, akin to the works of Geoff Johns at DC Comics, especially when it comes to big events. The likes of Blackest Night and Infinity Crisis both hing upon infuriating, and often extremely negative trends, but the sheer direction and talent behind them helps it pull through. For some that's arguably the highest praise possible, that someone can take a widely derided story element or aspect and make it work despite a reader's inherent opposition for them; but personally it always made me feel that this was a great story, but one which could have been reworked to be a high point for the entire franchise.

Should you get it? Most definitely, as it's a tale which manages to even outshine the winning streak we've had since Pharos, but just be sure you don't completely buy into the hype.

[Chris Berko · Rating 5 out of 5]

The dawn approaches, the sun RISES, holy crap this is an awesome book. In a series chock full of amazing characters, I mean cmon each book has at least five epic characters, this book, this book here, manages to outdo them all and include some of the finest. Ra, seriously, Ra is the man. Diocletian, Land, Sagittarius, the whole Archimandrite thing, and finally the GD Emperor himself in all his written glory.

This book is another emotional roller coaster. Not afraid to admit some shit made me cry, it’s impossible to be forty one books deep in a series and NOT be emotionally invested AF, some parts had my heart beating in my chest and adrenaline going and some had me waxing philosophical on all sorts of shit. ADB can write, that’s known, and I can say without a hint of shyness I feel more reading his entries than any other author in this series.

Wowness on a whole nother level right here. What a great series.

[DarkChaplain · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review also published here

The Master of Mankind is up there with some of the best books in the Horus Heresy series. I have no doubt about that at the very least. It is a product of mountains of passionate work and hits all the right spots for presenting the Emperor to the reader, even if not a single scene is shown through his eyes. It manages to keep the Master of Mankind mysterious, enigmatic, while also revealing some things about him that will divide the fanbase. It is a book loaded with gravitas and feeling of the approaching end - not just for the Heresy, but also mankind as a whole. It manages to get the Custodes into the center of the Heresy for a change, and also the Sisters of Silence. It deals with a little bit of the Mechanicum's exile from Mars, and features Titan and Knight fights.

And despite all, I didn't love it as much as I thought I would. Somewhere towards the end, I started to feel apathetic, with the outcome so crystal clear even before the book even started, and the ramping up action in the webway. I got hesitant to feel invested in the characters it introduced, due to how many appeared seemingly just to die in battle against the horrors of the warp. While yes, this indeed as grimdark as it gets and iconic for the franchise, it felt a bit disappointing. Unrelenting battles, despite how well they are written (and here they are exceptional!) can become quite overbearing to me, especially when they are this one-sided. I often ended up wishing for the book to return to dialogue between characters and show me more of the drama, rather than the weaponsfire.

The big revelations mostly made up for it, of course, and I appreciate the book for what it did in regards to the Emperor, showing him as a vile being while also presenting his grandeur, his singular vision and melancholy. Throughout the novel I went from adoring the man to despising him for his actions and cold-blooded pragmatism. If anything, it both humanized and dehumanized the Emperor to the point of confirming biases on both sides of the fanbase - and I love that. He is the kind of superhuman monster that would reach those heights of Imperium where every other man would fall.
There is no denying his monumental power and vision - but the book makes sure that no sane reader would come out as a big fan of the man.

The protagonists come in the form of the Custodians Ra Endymion and Diocletian Coros, as well as Arkhan Land, Technoarchaeologist and Zephon of the Blood Angels. There are a whole bunch of other characters who receive attention throughout the story, but these I found to be the most significant and well-developed. However, people expecting Constantin Valdor, Rogal Dorn and Malcador as well as Jenetia Krole, commander of the Silent Sisterhood to make a big impact on the plot will be sorely disappointed - they all appear, but take a backseat for almost the entire book. I was especially surprised about Malcador being so negligible to the story.

Ra, it turns out, is chosen by the Emperor to experience scenes from the boss's life; moments that shaped his ambition and dreams, as well as the extent of his vision. It is almost entirely through him that we see the Emperor's actions and thought processes - and Aaron outdid himself with these sections throughout the book. I'd call it an almost perfect way to show the Emperor without making the reader too familiar with him.
The book is also chock-full of background on the Custodian Guard, the individual characters' close relationship with their duty to the Emperor, and their differences from the Legiones Astartes. If nothing else, the wealth of lore on the "Ten Thousand" given here is marvelous!

Additionally to Ra, Arkhan Land too offers a look at the Master of Mankind, which ties back into Dembski-Bowden's Betrayer in an impressive and impactful way.
Arkhan Land, who rediscovered the "Land Raider", has a mechanical pet pseudo-monkey. That alone makes him a very interesting character to me. But beyond that, he is a cynical bastard who gives the new Fabricator General (in exile), who we first saw in Graham McNeill's Mechanicum, a run for his money. Funnily enough, he is one of the most human characters in the book - despite his role within the Mechanicum.

The big antagonist comes in the form of the "Echo of the First Murder", a daemonic entity of Chaos Undivided that spells the End of Empires. It is a magnificently powerful entity that ravages the webway's defenders, to the point of forcing them onto their last legs, taking on Titans and Sisters of Silence alike. It was a fantastic antagonist to pick, especially considering the implications of its fate, and the sheer symbolism behind the daemon's existence. If you're on the fence about picking the book up, I'd urge you to at least check out the extract for it, as the echo's inception is described in it, and that alone had me excited as all hell for the full novel.

On top of that, there is a bunch of interesting lore-related stuff in the novel, whether it be about the Webway itself, or the Eldar who used it previously, or the exiles of Mars. There are throwbacks to other Heresy stories aplenty, and some age-old questions about the Emperor are answered. It most assuredly enriches the setting to an incredible degree, and might even settle some disputes within the fanbase. But all of it also contributes another level of melancholy, of lost grandeur and harsh reality.

Below every grand setpiece and character development here is a very depressing core story. It is the tale of the Emperor losing his dream. It is about the ultimate descent of the Imperium of Man, of how the spiral into decay truly starts. That made the book a little exhausting for me, because there really isn't much hope here at all. Whether it be Zephon of Baal's exile to the Crusader Host on Terra due to combat injuries and augmentation rejection, or the revelations of how the Emperor viewed his Primarch sons, or the way everything necessary is being sacrificed left and right to maintain one man's dying dream - this book is depressing. It is terrifying and puts the grim darkness into the Warhammer 40,000 universe. I love it for that, but I also hate it for being such an exceptional dream-crusher.

Without the war between the Legions, this book still manages to be one of the most definitive, defining stories in the series and franchise as a whole. It does so many things right, and the scope of it all is breathtaking. It is a must-read for sure, and it is easy to be impressed and even overwhelmed by the result of Dembski-Bowden's hard labor. But it isn't perfect. It is not a book I am likely to revisit anytime soon, unless I am really feeling like indulging in a magnificent tragedy. The Master of Mankind is a massive achievement for the series, a milestone to be proud of for Aaron Dembski-Bowden, but it is also a book that I find hard to love.

[Sarah Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Confirmed all my negative opinions on the Emperor. Was a fun story, I'll write a real review eventually.

[Dylan Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is 6 stars an option?
Full review in progress. It's gonna be a long one folks.

[Xavier Virsu · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read if you are interested in the series. About the death of a dream, and the lengths men will go to prevent it.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well I finished this the other day and I am officially caught up again on the Horus Heresy series. I live in the U.S. and yes I know the next two or three books are already out overseas where they are written and published first. Book 42 comes out here in August, which I can't wait to read.
This book was very interesting. In many ways it wasn't what I thought it was going to be, and yet it still was very good in what it did and the story and gaps it filled in the lore for me. I knew there was a war in the Webway before horus actually launched his assault upon Holy Terra. The details the author supplied here were really interesting and brought it down to a human level, well as much as the Legio Custodes can be compared to humanity, which ain't much. The interaction and vision sequences between the Emperor and his closest armsman, Ra Endymion go far to tell the story by revealling the past and the future. These short vignettes between Ra and the Emperor are very intriguing also and they foreshadow other things to come, I believe.
The war in the Webway is mostly fought to begin with, by the Mechanicum, who have devoted vast resources and armies to protecting the way into the Imperial Dungeon and directly to the Emperor himself. Why this pathway is here and what the Emperor used it for is still a question, but it was this conduit that allowed Magnus to contact the Emperor and try to warn him of Horus's treachery. The knee jerk reaction from the Emperor was to push Magnus away and enact the Edict Of Nikea, wherein all the legions were no longer allowed to use Psykers. The Librarius was effectively disbanded. This did not last long though. The fact that his most powerful Psyker Son got that close to him I believe jaded the Emperor into a bad decision. It also pushed Magnus into the arms of Chaos and turned him over to the full power of the Warp.
This book was very good and it was a shame that it ended, and it ended in a cryptic fashion. I still am amazed that these books are still clipping along at such a high quality. 41 books deep. And the next three already have me ready for more.

Danny

[Andrey Nalyotov · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brothers, what could I say - Amicitiae nostrae memoriam spero sempiternam fore. This Cicero quote is definitely the best to describe The Master of Mankind.
I wouldn't call it the best novel that Aaron Dembski-Bowden has ever written or the best BL has ever published. At least - that is what I thought till chapter 8. Let's say it's a bit of revelation further on...
This is a book woven through with hope and awe of humanity who slips beyond boundaries and found someone to really believe in.
Aaron Dembski-Bowden introduces the moral and legal questions that all too often go unheeded. With slow but unrelenting logic, he holds the arguments of Imperium of Mankind and it's ruler up to critical examination and shatters the myths of this 'ethereal' persona, while adding a new massive layer to it. It — cause to call the Emperor human, is like to call a chair a person. That's a being that totally transcended every human trait, but still left somethat 'human' inside. The Emperor, who protects humanities future and privilege to live in peace against the interests/needs and the insanity of the Warp.
Like a true philosopher, Bowden with small excerpts went on to distill the actual inside of the Warp and it's entities that called itself Gods. He started his dialog about the Warp and humanity with the knock of the First Murder (for really reals — then brother killed brother), and draws us in from there. On and on we go.
Let be honest — it is a very spiritual, groundbreaking but at the same time misjointed novel.
It is very slow and warmaster forgive me - boring novel for the first 8 chapters. In general they are like a story of getting 'Magnificent seven' united before the storm. But then….I will quote Virgil Vires acquirit eundo
Oh my — it's like something clicks and the book did found it's ground, adding new layer with each chapter. And boy, ohhhh boy — such an amazing tidbits has appeared in each. The daemon name for the actual entity with a name End of Empires was exactly like mister Jimmy said: 'I see what you are doing where'. Aaron was able not only to save the narrative after the slow burner of first greatly misjointed chapters, but also to plant a lot of fantastic seeds into int's W40K continuity.
The Master of Mankind is about a war in the Webway under the Imperial dungeons. The war which rages for 5 years already. The war which is better described with Aaron's own quote Hell is empty, and all the devils are here. But MoM is not a chronologic depiction of this events. In truth the main focus is definitely not on that — but on the Emperor himself and humanity future. Future — that stands on a crossroad of choices. That will lead to salvation or damn once and for all.
Characters are really a strong part of this novel. The Master of Mankind gives us one of the broadest presentations of variant humans, transhumans and post-humans of any other novel in the Heresy. Of especial note are the Custodians, who finally get their time to shine. What is to be a Custodian, an eternal guardian to the being who transcended all others — that's what author asks us. At the same time Custodians are philosopher Lords, governmental figureheads, warrior kings. With a long list of cumbersome titles to show their importance — tribunes, prefects, proloquors etc. And what about the Sisters of Silence you ask — yes they do shine in this book. Being a souless beings they are, but not 'that' souless as warp entities.
And through the novel seems to be about Custodians and Sisters of Silence fighting in the webway — in truth, it is about everyone else. The most likeable, explored, and blossomed characters are Zephon, the Angel of the Crusader Host, imperial citizens/refugees running from an intergalactic war, great marsian visionary Land, unbroken baroness Jaya D'Arcus and Mongrel Court etc.
They show the best traits of humanity — nobility, , honesty, compasion, curiosity (that always break the deadlock of evolution)…..
In all their communion with the Emperor, we get to see how humanity destiny unfurl.
Even the Impossible city in itself is a character of this story. It is a great metaphor for interchanging human psyche and unstoppable flow of time.
And the figurehead is the Emperor himself. The boy, who would be king, is shown exactly how he probably should ever be shown in written form. Through the eyes of others. And most of all through the eyes of Ra Endymion (Tribune of the Hykanatoi). Aaron Dembski-Bowden created a painting where he appeared as different 'character' for different viewers — to a warrior he is a warlord and uniter of nations; to ruling class — he is a diplomat; to refugees — he is a messiah, God and saviour; to scientiests — he is the greatest science mind of them all. In all his views through different forms and souls he is not a constanta but a variable.
The Master of Mankind is everything here — he is a leader, a tyrant, a philosopher, a dreamer. A Godly presence who narrates his own vision of the 'dream' he tried to build for soo long. Not all that he did — he did for a good cause. But whatever horrible act he created — he done that for the greatest cause: 'survival of humanity'.
Add to that some transgressions from the past (The scene with Angron on a slab was brilliant — and the consequences of 'Yes, I can remove them… But I will not…) sometimes truly can shank good intentions from the back.
And we actually did get an explanation for the Emperor opinion on religion and why it is so. It is explained in length in dialog with Ra over the culling of the Priest-King of Maulland Sen. 'Fear of oblivion… Fear of an unfair life… Fear of there simply being nothing… The fear, ultimately, of being powerless…' As Lucretius says 'Tantum religio potuit saudere malorum'.
This novel is serious business — but it is not a predominant bolter porn you could expect from HH/W40K books. At the same time author was able to give us some major laugths while going with the story.
It's really fun how Minister Zu called the Emperor an outspill and leftover weapon of the Dark Age of Technology. Or great visionary Land thinking that apes use tails to the purpose of poisoning the enemy :)
Aaron Dembski-Bowden with his The Master of Mankind has become one of the greatest living intellectuals in the GW/BL universe. He created a narrative that gives you a lot of answers and adding a lot of questions. It is a story of eternal duty, control, desperation, and hope (unlimited pool of hope with no boarders to it)
All in all, even through very disjointed at the beginning (actually that's the worst beginning of the novel Aaron ever written), it went to almost a masterpiece status on it's own. And definitely one of the best books BL ever published.
I definitely recommend it. It will give you answers and ask new questions. It will divide fanbase and eventually unite it. Read it and then reread it again! It's totally worth it!
As Pliny the Elder said: 'Malum quidem nullum esse sine aliquo bono'
4,5 out of 5 stars! Well DONE Aaron!
P.S. Next time do not drag the story for 100 pages until it will start rolling, please :)

[Arsh Mohite · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's not my favorite of the Warhammer books, but I think this was intended. This book focuses on three major factions: Adeptus Custodes, Adeptus Mechanicus, and the Silent Sisters. All three factions are cold, calculated, blunt, and inhuman in their nature, or silent like the aforementioned Sisters. This obviously leads to characters I could not care about in the slightest. Despite that, this book had major story and character reveals which I know are super important for 40k universe, so I'm willing to look past of some of it. However, as the basis of the read, it wasn't enjoyable, and it felt like it kept droning.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

This will be full of spoilers.

This is a weird one for me. I’m a fan of ADB. I like the way he managed to write a Space Marine Battles book with very little focus on the battle (Helsreach) and his contributions to the Horus Heresy (including this book) are considered some of the best.

I consider ADB to be Dan Abnett’s heir apparent to the Black Library throne, but I did have some trouble with Master of Mankind.

Let’s start with the positives.

I loved the prologue.

I loved the names for the characters they all fit so well, whether it be Ra Endymion the Custodes or Arkhan Land the Technoarchaeologist (another cool word added to the lore).

I liked the way the Custodes were compared Astartes and how they viewed the Astartes. I liked what we saw of the Sisters of Silence and how their language was conveyed to the reader at times through inference.

I liked the take on the Mechanicum and I’m not usually a fan of the Mechanicum. Arkhan Land’s character came across very well. I really liked this nugget from Alpha-Rho-25 too:

‘These creatures that he fought now for five years were hardly ‘daemons’ in the terms referred to in human mythology. They were entities of incorporeal origin, breaching the barrier between the unmapped tides of the aether and the material universe. Aliens, then. A xenos breed from the warp. It was quantifiably true.’

I broadly enjoyed the Emperor scenes but it’s all a bit of smoke and mirrors. For example, he makes several comments about the primarchs being weapons rather than sons, but I get the feeling that could both be true and a soft lie to win over the logical Mechanicum.

Chapter 21 was wonderful. By far the highlight of the book. I loved the vignettes. So many little stories that told a larger picture.

I liked the introduction of Jaya, her back story, her predicament and where that story could have gone.

The early Hieronyma stuff is pretty good.

I liked when the Emperor left the Golden Throne and the start of the attack against the daemons had the visuals of an angelic host.

Finally, I liked the line about each side learning as the war goes on.

There was a fair few large things that I didn’t like.

From a technical point of view ADB uses short sentences, which are usually good and keeping the pace going and keeping the reader on task. However, in this book, I felt that there was far too much description which means that the paragraphs became difficult to read. Instead of being catapulted through the story I felt that we were being taken down a long corridor and we were being forced to look at and appreciate a line of portraits before we could advance to the exciting thing at the end behind the door with the ? on it. Chapter 15 is a prime example of this, but it occurs throughout. Now I know a lot of readers will freakin’ love this, but I find it tedious and it made the book difficult to read.

I also felt the plot was lacking. It’s very straightforward and is stretched by the above. I didn’t finish the book satisfied. I will mention specific points further on.

In terms of character development I found the Custodes dull and clone-like. I think that is probably an accurate portrayal, but it is disappointing nonetheless. Similarly, The Sisters of Silence (whilst less dull) were very like each other. I didn’t get the Blood Angel and Skoia didn’t give me the emotive oomph I needed for her story line (1000 psykers. pfft! That’s nothing to the betrayals we’ve seen before).

I didn’t like the undivided daemon. I would have groaned less if its name had been Samus (honestly). It seemed to follow a relatively simply progression of wreck everything, possess stuff, wreck more things. The Black Sky ‘betrayal’ felt reminiscent of things we have seen before but didn’t feel as well executed (as, say, House Devine). Similarly, Ra =/= Meros?

The war in the webway also felt like the rhythm of the war was off. For example, it seems to start where they’re struggling to keep the defense, but maintaining; then the main characters arrive; then it’s almost immediately changes, without much of a catalyst, to ‘no, we’re screwed’.

All in all I liked bits of the book but I was not satisfied by the product as a whole. My biggest gripe is the first negative point I made above. Too much description and not enough dialogue.

[Levent Pekcan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Uzun zamandır bu seriden bir şeyler okumuyordum, bir kitaplığına da olsa geri dönmek iyi geldi. Açıkçası hem aksiyonu hiç bitmeyen, hem de standart WH40K romanlarında pek ele alınmayan kişi ve olayları içeren bir roman olmasına rağmen çok eğlenceli ya da okuru saran bir anlatı değil. Seriyi okumaya bu kitaptan başlayacak birisi, kısa sürede vazgeçecektir.

Başrollerde İmparator ve Adaptus Custodes gibi karakterler olduğu için 3 yıldız verdim, ama anlatı olarak biraz daha düşük denebilir.

[Richard Stuart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Is this book about the Emperor of Mankind? No, it isn't. It is about the Emperor's Dream for Mankind.

What happened at the end of the Horus Heresy novel 'The Thousand Sons' was tragic to me. I felt pity for Magnus, saddened that his warning became such a colossal mistake. I was angry with the Emperor for not spending more time with his Primarch 'sons', enlightening them to his work and their need for extreme resistance to the whispers of the warp. It just seemed like it all could have been avoided with a little more parenting (haha).

But Aaron Dembski-Bowden shows these emotions to be foolishness and corrects us all in our errant use of the terms: father, son, and brother. The width and breadth of the Emperor as a man-god, living countless ages, knowing and honing the future of his entire species... we don't get a portrait of his personality and backstory so much as we get the massive weight of his burdensome dream. We get not only the steps that must be taken to try and secure and ensure Mankind's survival in the galaxy, but what it will take for its primacy as well.

There is descriptive prowess in this book, lush poetic gore. But there just isn't a solid character to anchor us into this story and pull us all the way through. Arkhan Land was the most satisfying character in my opinion. His transformation from sarcastic intellect to traumatized war victim added levity and horrific reality to the story. Skoia seemed like a missed opportunity for some real emotional impact. And Ra's tragic end lacked any dynamic force for me.

I understand why some reviews of this book are negative, because it doesn't deliver on its title. But considering all the other books in this series, this is a better than average product. The writing is very good and some interesting plot motivations are revealed.

Come on! It's Warhammer 40k! It's the Emperor! You know you love it! Haha.

[Jonathan Beer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet Jesus.

I lack the words. I lack the vocabulary to describe this novel; I would need a soul as poetic and soaring as ADB himself to do it justice. This is easily the most ambitious and audacious Warhammer book I've yet read.

Given its title and subject matter, I suppose it was always going to be. The War in the Webway. The Emperor's Great Work. Ever since Magnus the Red barged his way into the throne room in A Thousand Sons this story has been in train. A war has been raging silently behind the veil, infinitely more important than the egotism of Horus' rebellion, waiting for us to turn our attention to it.

And it was more than worth the wait. ADB shows us aspects of the nascent Imperium that we have never seen. I shan't spoil anything for you, but suffice to say that the genesis of the Warhammer 40,000 setting is shown at a level of beautifully illustrated detail than I ever would have expected.

One thing you would expect, if you've read The First Heretic and Betrayer, is the flawlessness of ADB's writing. I mentioned above poetry, and that is really the only true description of his style. His sentence construction, choice of words, his achingly sharp gift for cutting to the core of his characters, are all in full force here. But I also have to praise ADB's imagination and intuitive grasp of the nature of Warhammer - his choice of antagonist for the Master of Mankind is beyond inspired, and hooked me from its first act to the glorious ending.

In truth, I could gush about The Master of Mankind for hours. Instead, I'm going to read it again.

[BAD · Rating 1 out of 5]

I haven't been so torn over a book in a while. It just didn't...uhh. I've got to be in the minority here but I found I empathized with the Emperor. I shouldn't of but I could understand what he wanted to achieve and why. But I embraced the philosophy of pragmatism when I was young that's probably why I like the Lion and loathe Lorgar so much (being so ruled by his need for faith and being a gigantic emo)

Uhh onto the review. I do feel Aaron Dembski Bowden shows his bias way too much in hating the Emperor in an attempt to make him as unlikable as possible. This seems ironic and somewhat hypocritical as he wrote about how in a book he had to put his bias aside for sake of the plot. While I can understand why but it'd be nice if he lent the Emperor a bit more nuance.

I'll begin with what's good his descriptions are great he can go into purple prose at times but it's great when doesn't cross that line. I liked a few of his characters well one in all honesty the Blood Angel Zephon is great a kind and humble man I just wish he was in it more. The rest I found either forgettable or unlikable. People seemed to like Arkhan Land for some reason. I just couldn't, he came off smug and annoying. All the custodes were forgettable especially the main POV one Ra. It's a huge problem when all the fighting starts it's hard to care. He also brought in so many characters for them to just die it became repetitive and predictable.

It just frustrates me while I'm not ADB's biggest fan I know he can write well, I like Helsreach a lot and The Talon of Hours (must've listened to that numerous times now) I was hoping for more but it into a testament to ADBs skill that a book which doesn't live up to his skill is merely disappointing and not bad.

I think maybe his head's got a bit too big for himself, in all honesty.

[Danial Amanee · Rating 1 out of 5]

Why the F did GW hire a heretic ball licker to write about the God Emperor of Mankind of all things?!?!

This guy obviously had tons of bias towards Big E, he writes some good chaos novels and i find it very funny how hard he tries to portrait the main bad guy (failbaddon) as the good guy but Big E as a douche. I mean he made Khayon a very interesting character but he kinda fits into a fallen astartes but abaddon is suddenly this super charasmatic, noble and honorbound man WHO happens to worship evil and evil happens to like him so some reason (*cough* bad writing *cough*) despite not having any qualities that would make all four chaos gods favor him , maybe except khorne.

Hope GW acknowledge that they messed up and retcons this , because this is literally like asking a Batman fan to write a story about Spiderman, obviously he will be F-ing it up and fill it with bias on WHO HE likes and dislikes.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not 5 stars for the simple reason I wanted even more!

[Arnis · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Horus Heresy sērijas četrdesmit pirmās grāmatas The Master of Mankind sižetiskā darbība lasītāju aizved uz līdz šim vēl neredzētu lokāciju. Lai arī fragmentāri brīžiem attopamies uz Zemes jeb Terra, tad krietni nozīmīga daļa no romāna noris Zemei tuvākajos Webway tuneļos. Tuneļos, kurus Imperators savos sapņos iecerējis kā vislabāko glābiņu cilvēcei no koruptīvajiem warp un Haosa spēkiem. Nākotnē, kur cilvēcei vairs nevajadzēs uztraukties par potenciālu iznīcību šo ļauno spēku dēļ. Bet viena labu nodomu izraisīta postaža no Tūkstošdēlu primarka Magnusa A Thousand Sons ietvaros brīdīnāt Imperatoru par Horusa nodevību nes savus pirmos būtiskos, un ja ne uzreiz, tad potenciāli nākotnē ar jo letālākām sekām visai cilvēcei.

https://poseidons99.com/2025/09/20/aa...

[Jacob · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good book but it didn’t seem to deliver on the promises from the title and advertisements for it. This is the 41st book of the Horus Heresy series, in which Horus is leading a galactic civil war against the Emperor, yet only a few books at the start are dedicated to Horus, and this is the first book that was supposed to be dedicated to the Emperor, yet this book gives us bare glimpses of him while focusing on secondary characters around him, and furthering the lore and mystery of the Emperor. From the author’s comments that was the goal. I wish I had known that going in as I would have expected a different book. That said, it would be unfair to rate this book low because it wasn’t what I expected it to be. This four star rating is based on what the book was: interesting, engaging, mysterious, and intense.

[AA_Logan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second read of this, the first was on publication, and it’s gone up further in my estimation.

I hadn’t realised that the Heresy series was lacking this book, a title that ties together and explains the Emperor’s ultimate vision for the Imperium, but reading this midway through the Siege series it has bd one clearer to me how important this book is to the series as a whole.

It’s Aaron Dembski-Bowden, so you know what to expect- exploration of interesting characters whose quirks and uniquenesses somehow tell us more about their factions than typical archetypes, but also archetypes who transcend our preconceptions. An air of mystery is maintained throughout the book, and you never get to truly know The Master of Mankind, but we see more of Him and his motivations than we have before or since- of course he comes across as arrogant and inhuman, but how else can he be shown? There are plenty of very pleasing lore bombs and neat explanations scattered throughout, and the story itself is absorbing and full of interesting, well-developed characters.

While it maybe doesn’t quite reach the heights of The First Heretic (I surprise myself by wanting to read more Marines in a Heresy novel), it is head and shoulders above much of the rest of the series. On this read through I really noticed the focus on how the Imperium literally uses bodies, especially as servitors and what that says of the Imperium of 30k and what it becomes 10,000 years later. Focusing origins of individual Custodes and the plight of those harvested by the Black Ships further emphasises this notion.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

10/10 must read of the Horus Heresy series.

[Rob Grind · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a pleasure it was to have read this completely compelling and utterly gripping addition to the Horus Heresy, the series you need to be reading if you are a fan of military sci-fi. Insightful, dark and grim but at the same time divine and glorious, we get to see a little bit more into the entity known as The Emperor of All Mankind, and his personal warrior bodyguard, The Custodes, than we have been shown thus far in the books. Through Ra Endymion we are shown memories of His past and glimpses into the true mindset of The Emperor. The book features a third person narrative, which in my humble opinion is the best style to use when writing this type of action packed fiction.
Aaron Dembski-Bowden is known within the community of fans that follow the Warhammer 40K and Horus Heresy universe to be one of the better writers they have among their current stable, but he has managed to out-do himself with this particular story. Its grand and sweeping battle scenes gave me chills and set my heart pumping with adrenaline, the characters are memorable and well written, the prose is fresh and engaging. I have read every one of the numbered books in the Horus Heresy and have many favorites I love to return too, and before i had even finished this sublime tome i knew it would be cemented in as one of my new favorites. A pleasure from start to finish, engrossing, captivating, violent, and excellent. It comes with my very highest recommendation.

[Matthew Hipsher · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was an awesome look behind the walls of Terra and the Emperor's world. The inner workings of the throne world and the elusiveness and aloofness of the Emperor of Mankind is perfectly relayed in this book and adds so much insight into the story as a whole.

Many things in the book are the "other side of the looking glass" glimpses at monumental occurrences in the series so far, but the final chapter might be the most important section so far in this 40 book run.

Absolutely must read in the series.

[Chris Dennison · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a masterpiece! It seems like every chapter has a revelation, every page master crafted. I didn't want to finish this book, I just wanted to savour every moment for as long as possible.

Although I'm not the biggest fan of ADB this book well and truly hits the spot and leaves me wanting to read more.

[Simon Mee · Rating 3 out of 5]

‘You speak of impossibilities,’ Diocletian chorused, loyally adamant. ‘Mankind must be ruled. It has a ruler. Let that be the end of it.’

Dembski-Bowden appears to be my favourite author who’s stories I also always seem to complain about.

Webway redux

‘No,’ said Land. ‘I’ve never ventured here before.’
‘Impressive, is it not?’
‘Oh, yes. Very impressive.’
‘The delay and tone of your reply suggests deception.’
‘You should learn to accept a polite lie for the value it has,’ Land replied, adding Kane’s title after another conversationally significant pause.

My understanding of the story of the Webway is this: THE EMPEROR OF MANKIND was seeking to plug into the eldar’s form of interstellar travel, which would avoid the Warp and the forces of Chaos. Work on this project had progressed until humanity was on the cusp of a golden age, only to be ruined when Magnus tore through certain boundaries in a misguided attempt to warn of Horus’ betrayal. The damage caused forces THE EMPEROR OF MANKIND to remain on the Golden Throne so that his psychic power can prevent countless daemons breaking through the Webway onto Terra.

This seems like a reasonably self-contained part of the lore to me, yet here we have a book set in the Webway itself after Magnus’ Folly, where earth’s forces are overwhelmed by the daemons and:

The damage caused forces THE EMPEROR OF MANKIND to remain on the Golden Throne so that his psychic power can prevent countless daemons breaking through the Webway onto Terra.

I quote myself because it feels so circular.

And I get that is a very reductive way of looking at the story. There is more to it than that, a wafting of themes well above my headspace. However, I do struggle with elements of the story, such as the disinterest in what is relatively novel setting for the Horus Heresy. The eldar corpse city put me in mind of the comparative but far better written mysteries of Shadespire. The Webway here is a place for dullards and servitors and its tunnels are useful for ambushes by the forces of Chaos rather than routes to visions of wonder and amazement.

Dembski-Bowden wants to write about what is lost and the final fall to 10,000 years of decay. Yet it happened with Magnus’ Folly! That is the event that is recalled again and again in fandom, because its such an obvious intersection of Hubris and Nemesis. Who really cares that the THE EMPEROR OF MANKIND got off his thrones years after it would have been useful and did some “epic” swordplay with nameless enemies and an all-powerful (and therefore uninteresting) galaxy ending force that exists for one book.

I accept I am “wrong” on this one. Dembski-Bowden does have a way with characters and conversations that elevates his writing above most of his peers. I reject the criticism that the side characters should have been more central to the plot – none of their individual stories would drive the intended magnitude of the main idea. Dembski-Bowden took those characters as far as they should have gone in The Master of Mankind. This and his writing in general means I do not dislike this book, I just mainly got a bit bored at times.

Our ever-present god

So what did I specifically want to avoid? Really, not all that much. It just comes down to seeing inside the Emperor’s head. We shouldn’t know his thoughts. We can’t understand most of them. It’s not a veil we mere mortals should ever get to pierce.

I have seen bouncing around from time-to-time comments that The Master of Mankind portrays the THE EMPEROR OF MANKIND as evil and/or incompetent.

To harp on the point once again, McNeill’s The Last Church evidenced to me that writing for a near omnipotent and omnipresent personality is very hard. With that in mind, I actually like how Dembski-Bowden did it. THE EMPEROR OF MANKIND in The Master of Mankind lurches between frustratingly opaque and abrupt, while demanding absolute obedience at critical moments of battle without any real sympathy for his underlings.

The behaviour of THE EMPEROR OF MANKIND can therefore be interpreted as evil and/or incompetent but I favour the view that it shows him at a remove from mere mortals. The decisions he makes are from a far broader perspective (which I consider Dembski-Bowden makes quite clear). The chess pieces in his mind cannot be comprehended, so we experience his actions in the present with a sense of ignorance.

As a slight caveat, it would be madness to defend any particular decisions of THE EMPEROR OF MANKIND in the context of how things have played out in the Warhammer 40K universe, even accounting for his foreknowledge that every play will be a loser. You can line up a veritable shopping list of “dumb” decisions from various novels that are very difficult to handwave away with: “Our God-Emperor will have accounted for this in his master plan.”

‘For glory,’ the Emperor replied. ‘To honour the creatures that call themselves my sons. My necessary tools. They feed on glory as if it were a palpable sustenance. Their own glory, of course, no different from the kings and emperors of old. It scarcely crosses their mind that glory matters nothing to me. I could have had a planet’s worth of glory any time I wished it when I walked in the species’ shadow throughout prehistory. Only three of them ever thought to ask why I timed my emergence as I did.’
Ra looked at the gathered pantheon of primarchs. He didn’t ask which three had questioned the Emperor. In truth, he didn’t care. Such lore was irrelevant.

Instead, you kind of just have to have faith.

[Veronica Anrathi · Rating 5 out of 5]

ADB can do no wrong. Loved every bit of it.