What do you think?
Rate this book
Warhammer 40,000
Brothers of the Snake
The war-torn far-future is laid bare as Brothers of the Snake follows the exploits of the Iron Snakes Space Marines as they battle against the enemies of mankind.
READ IT BECAUSE
Dan Abnett brings his unique sense of the Warhammer 40,000 universe to Space Marines, crafting a series of encounters between the mythic heroes of the Iron Snakes and their foes that will leave you breathless and begging for more.
THE STORY
Best-selling author Dan Abnett turns his hand to the mighty Space Marines! The war-torn far-future is laid bare as Brothers of the Snake follows the exploits of the Iron Snakes Space Marines as they battle against the enemies of mankind. First appearing in the pages of Inferno! magazine, the Iron Snakes Space Marines quickly gathered a loyal following and now they wage war in a full-blown adventure, battling aliens and heretics as they defend the Imperium.
READ IT BECAUSE
Dan Abnett brings his unique sense of the Warhammer 40,000 universe to Space Marines, crafting a series of encounters between the mythic heroes of the Iron Snakes and their foes that will leave you breathless and begging for more.
THE STORY
Best-selling author Dan Abnett turns his hand to the mighty Space Marines! The war-torn far-future is laid bare as Brothers of the Snake follows the exploits of the Iron Snakes Space Marines as they battle against the enemies of mankind. First appearing in the pages of Inferno! magazine, the Iron Snakes Space Marines quickly gathered a loyal following and now they wage war in a full-blown adventure, battling aliens and heretics as they defend the Imperium.
188 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 26, 2007
137 people are currently reading
2083 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 166 reviews
January 22, 2019
100% a guilty pleasure re-read, but this book is definitely distinct from other Black Library astartes titles. Most books about the space marines suffer from the fact that either: 1) they're written by pretty terrible authors, or 2) they're written by good authors with bad ideas about space marines. And look, I get it. The classic adage is to 'write about what you know'. Yes, sci-fi writers often flout this, but post-human genetically engineered demigods are a little hard for even the most imaginative minds to write. Many treat them as Shakespearean frat boys, giving them dialogue which is both simple in content and florid in delivery. In short, they totally ignore the human element.
Enter Dan Abnett.
This was Abnett's first solo astartes book, and it feels so different to others' attempts. Abnett's marines (an imaginative blend of Greek Scandinavian Maori) have real character and, dare I say it, those rarest of things in the Black Library, character arcs. In a way, this solo book feels like a book series condensed down into one volume, consisting of connecting short stories of varying lengths and bookended by undertakings to the same planet. Our lead character Priad goes on a personal journey as well as a physical one, growing as a character while advancing through the ranks. Almost like a character in a regular novel!
Themes of humanity and how astartes must sacrifice their own to protect it are woven in neatly to the story, though it feels in a few cases this is nearly accomplished rather than done truly satisfactorily. Additionally in a few passages the action drifts back to typical bolter porn, but for most of the page count this is something different to most Black Library novels. For those who don't have the patience for the Gaunt's Ghosts or Eisenhorn/Ravenor/Bequin series, this is an excellent introduction to 40k.
Enter Dan Abnett.
This was Abnett's first solo astartes book, and it feels so different to others' attempts. Abnett's marines (an imaginative blend of Greek Scandinavian Maori) have real character and, dare I say it, those rarest of things in the Black Library, character arcs. In a way, this solo book feels like a book series condensed down into one volume, consisting of connecting short stories of varying lengths and bookended by undertakings to the same planet. Our lead character Priad goes on a personal journey as well as a physical one, growing as a character while advancing through the ranks. Almost like a character in a regular novel!
Themes of humanity and how astartes must sacrifice their own to protect it are woven in neatly to the story, though it feels in a few cases this is nearly accomplished rather than done truly satisfactorily. Additionally in a few passages the action drifts back to typical bolter porn, but for most of the page count this is something different to most Black Library novels. For those who don't have the patience for the Gaunt's Ghosts or Eisenhorn/Ravenor/Bequin series, this is an excellent introduction to 40k.
November 14, 2024
This novel more or less nails my impression on the Space Marines: powerful, frightening, beyond human, but not invincible.
September 29, 2020
How often do I get to call a book perfect?
This is a Warhammer 40k novel so excellent that I will be recommending it to people who have no interest in the setting - it stands alone as a chronicle of an order of supernatural warrior-knights who defend their stars fiercely from all kinds of alien threats.
The book is organized into a series of short stories that build up into a novella that caps off an intense finale, full of action and character development and incredible world-building. They enter around Priad, one warrior-knight who goes from a new soldier to a squad leader, and how he handles the threats internal and external - and oh, but the theme of brotherhood is intense here.
This book also highlights one of my favorite things about the setting: despite the high-tech nature of it, with starships and space marines and all that entails, it's very low-tech. Worlds may be connected but isolated. For example, one world when it falls under a threat it doesn't recognize, does something it hasn't done in so long it's become myth: it uses a ritual to summon help, and when the space marines arrive, they barely recognize them as anything but gods.
In another story a squad of space marines is sent to witness a coronation on one planet, and it's thrown into stark relief how alien they are from regular people - the people they're sworn to protect.
Then, ah, the characters! Priad the humble, Petrok the brilliant librarian, and others. The author has a way of making the space marines different without making them flamboyant - they're all cut from the same mold of ultra-violent, ultra-dedicated knights who would die before breaking an oath - but they have their own lives. Not to mention how the space marines' organization itself is fleshed out - they come from a water world that hosts giant sea serpents that they hunt, and that colors their legends and rituals. They bring flasks of salt water everywhere to consecrate the planets they fight on.
All of this works with taut prose that makes the action sing and the character work speak. And it has one of my favorite non-comedic depictions of orks.
If you like military sci-fi, or hell, sci-fi at all, please read this book. You don't need to know anything about 40k to enjoy it and it's just - it's fun, it has pathos, it's satisfying. Highly recommended, and one of the best from the Black Library.
This is a Warhammer 40k novel so excellent that I will be recommending it to people who have no interest in the setting - it stands alone as a chronicle of an order of supernatural warrior-knights who defend their stars fiercely from all kinds of alien threats.
The book is organized into a series of short stories that build up into a novella that caps off an intense finale, full of action and character development and incredible world-building. They enter around Priad, one warrior-knight who goes from a new soldier to a squad leader, and how he handles the threats internal and external - and oh, but the theme of brotherhood is intense here.
This book also highlights one of my favorite things about the setting: despite the high-tech nature of it, with starships and space marines and all that entails, it's very low-tech. Worlds may be connected but isolated. For example, one world when it falls under a threat it doesn't recognize, does something it hasn't done in so long it's become myth: it uses a ritual to summon help, and when the space marines arrive, they barely recognize them as anything but gods.
In another story a squad of space marines is sent to witness a coronation on one planet, and it's thrown into stark relief how alien they are from regular people - the people they're sworn to protect.
Then, ah, the characters! Priad the humble, Petrok the brilliant librarian, and others. The author has a way of making the space marines different without making them flamboyant - they're all cut from the same mold of ultra-violent, ultra-dedicated knights who would die before breaking an oath - but they have their own lives. Not to mention how the space marines' organization itself is fleshed out - they come from a water world that hosts giant sea serpents that they hunt, and that colors their legends and rituals. They bring flasks of salt water everywhere to consecrate the planets they fight on.
All of this works with taut prose that makes the action sing and the character work speak. And it has one of my favorite non-comedic depictions of orks.
If you like military sci-fi, or hell, sci-fi at all, please read this book. You don't need to know anything about 40k to enjoy it and it's just - it's fun, it has pathos, it's satisfying. Highly recommended, and one of the best from the Black Library.
February 10, 2013
What better way to start The Year of Snake then a review of Dan Abnett's Brothers of the Snake? The first thing you should know is that unlike other Space Marine novels, Brothers of the Snake is a collection of short stories following the Damocles squad of the Iron Snakes Chapter. The format is a little unusual and I had doubts at first but on the whole I thought it turned out pretty great. It's essentially a series condensed into one book.
The thing I found fascinating is the culture and traditions of the Chapter and how much they have diverged from their progenitors. Since Iron Snakes is such a little known chapter, this book allows Abnett full rein on making this Chapter truly his own. Just like how different the Mortifators are from the Ultramarines, the Iron Snakes too have their quirks. The Chapter's homeworld is covered by vast oceans and water from the planet is considered sacred. Before each mission, the marines would hold ceremonies to share and anoint themselves with the sacred water. Also instead of working as a company, each 10 men squad operate independently of each other. Usually a few squads are enough to take care of most situations and only in times of crisis will you find the might of the Chapter brought together.
I've always been fascinated by the selection and training processes of the Space Marines. I absolutely loved those parts in Mitchel Scanlon's Descent of Angels and Ian Watson's Space Marine. So I was thrilled to read about the "cheese run" that the initiates have to undertake and in order to become a full-fledged squad member, the initiates must first best the existing squad members in one-on-one duels.
Even though Priad was promoted to the rank of Sergeant a little too quickly, he did make a brilliant leader. His unwavering sense of honour and selflessness is very reminiscent of the Ultramarines. Despite suffering from heavy losses which resulted in frequent replacement of squad members, the squad never lost the bond between brothers. Abnett brilliantly conveyed the relationship and camaraderie between battle brothers. New members are welcomed into the squad and given plenty of opportunity to prove their worth.
I love the connection between the short stories; especially how the first and last story wrap things up to give a satisfying conclusion. With each story we learn just a little more about this lesser known Chapter.
This a brilliant one off Space Marine novel with epic action and timeless characters. The Iron Snakes definitely deserve more stories devoted to them.
(Originally posted at http://www.paperlessreading.com/2013/...)
The thing I found fascinating is the culture and traditions of the Chapter and how much they have diverged from their progenitors. Since Iron Snakes is such a little known chapter, this book allows Abnett full rein on making this Chapter truly his own. Just like how different the Mortifators are from the Ultramarines, the Iron Snakes too have their quirks. The Chapter's homeworld is covered by vast oceans and water from the planet is considered sacred. Before each mission, the marines would hold ceremonies to share and anoint themselves with the sacred water. Also instead of working as a company, each 10 men squad operate independently of each other. Usually a few squads are enough to take care of most situations and only in times of crisis will you find the might of the Chapter brought together.
I've always been fascinated by the selection and training processes of the Space Marines. I absolutely loved those parts in Mitchel Scanlon's Descent of Angels and Ian Watson's Space Marine. So I was thrilled to read about the "cheese run" that the initiates have to undertake and in order to become a full-fledged squad member, the initiates must first best the existing squad members in one-on-one duels.
Even though Priad was promoted to the rank of Sergeant a little too quickly, he did make a brilliant leader. His unwavering sense of honour and selflessness is very reminiscent of the Ultramarines. Despite suffering from heavy losses which resulted in frequent replacement of squad members, the squad never lost the bond between brothers. Abnett brilliantly conveyed the relationship and camaraderie between battle brothers. New members are welcomed into the squad and given plenty of opportunity to prove their worth.
I love the connection between the short stories; especially how the first and last story wrap things up to give a satisfying conclusion. With each story we learn just a little more about this lesser known Chapter.
This a brilliant one off Space Marine novel with epic action and timeless characters. The Iron Snakes definitely deserve more stories devoted to them.
(Originally posted at http://www.paperlessreading.com/2013/...)
August 4, 2011
My goodness what a fantastic novel. I loved the Chapter, the characters, the action and the conceit of the story telling through the engagements of Priad during his first 12 "years" as a Iron Snake Marine. Abnett is by far the best 40K author out there, he does his Marines perfectly. The Iron Snakes Chapter was an awesome creation, I only wish Games Workshop would create the Codex and models for them. I also hope Abnett will continue to explore this awesome chapter and this awesome character he has created in the Snakes of Iron and Brother Sergeant Priad.
June 20, 2025
This book follows Priad of Damocles Squad as he rises through the ranks of a Space Marine chapter known as the Iron Snakes of Ithaka. Each chapter is basically a short story or novelette about Priad and his brothers in arms fighting against aliens and other agents of Chaos in the Warhammer universe. Some good character development in between the action and I liked the use of Greek and pseudo-Greek names which brought to mind Greek mythology. The final chapter, the longest in the book, had an epic feel to it and I liked how it tied into the first story.
I really enjoyed how I learned more about the characters and their world as each story progressed, something I see in the sword & sorcery genre but not often in other genres.
I really enjoyed how I learned more about the characters and their world as each story progressed, something I see in the sword & sorcery genre but not often in other genres.
June 18, 2012
Another golden winner from Dan Abnett in my opinion. His immense ability to weave a story and create a culture and chapter from nothing just stuns me. The story has a very good flow and includes the neat little asides of story-telling and history making that are native to all Dan Abnett's books. The book has a heavy Greek influence to it that gave this world 38,000 years in the future a warm and familiar feeling. For example the Iron Snakes homeworld is Ithaka (granted he alters the spelling slightly to present the slight evolutions of human language) and their chapter house or fortress is based on Ithaka's moon Karybdis (sound familiar?) The main charecter is Brother Sergeant Priad who commands the ten man squad known as Damocles (named for the squad's primogenitor). The book has the feel of Warhammer coupled with the tale of Ulysses, with Priad and his men plying the void of the Reef Stars for decades at a time before returning to Ithaka for refit and reinforcement. An awesome story arch and timeless characters, if you have never picked up a Warhammer 40,000 book before in your life I highly recommend this one.
June 2, 2012
I always have loved how Dan Abnett creates his stories. Having loved First and Only, Riders of the Dead, Gilead's Blood (one of my favourite books ever), I tried immediately after receiving it on pre-order.
This book is a collection of short stories but all of them tied together depicting the adventures of an Iron Snake Space Marine called Priad. For those who don't know he (Dan Abnett) created them.
Starting in the his first missions as a full battle brother to his defining as a Veteran Sergeant. As White Scars are based on Mongol Warriors or Thousand Sons as Egyptians the Iron Snakes are based on Greek, Spartan to be precise.
So much they are based on Greek History that the last story is based on the Battle of Thermopylae. I remember that the movie 300 had been released a couple of months before and so I made a connection... All the stories had something greek in it. The fighting the Wyrm is another thing that ties them.
One thing I liked, well loved, is the inclusion of Dark Eldars on this tales. I always thought that the Dark Eldars don't appear much on these stories and fortunally the Dark Eldars are the main enemy of the Ithaka saviours.
Another thing I liked was the humanity that Abnett created into his Space Marines. I have read some other books depicting Space Marines and they are apart from Humans... I don't think that's wrong, you see? I think that when you are a superhuman and have the weight of the safety of the universe on your shoulders you must have some distance from the rest of humanity. After all you are a superior being. But I liked to see these space marines more humane...
There are some flaws of course. The way he bcomes a sergeant (too quick). The disrespect with the gear (the helmet falling down (after all the revere every piece of equipament and they would not let the helmet fall down after the victory). The forgetting when fighting of a place (they have photographic memory).
Well in the I was happy to the reading and this book is a good book to start reading warhammer 40k. After three years there is no books in sight depicting more Iron Snakes or Dark Eldars... Shame.
This book is a collection of short stories but all of them tied together depicting the adventures of an Iron Snake Space Marine called Priad. For those who don't know he (Dan Abnett) created them.
Starting in the his first missions as a full battle brother to his defining as a Veteran Sergeant. As White Scars are based on Mongol Warriors or Thousand Sons as Egyptians the Iron Snakes are based on Greek, Spartan to be precise.
So much they are based on Greek History that the last story is based on the Battle of Thermopylae. I remember that the movie 300 had been released a couple of months before and so I made a connection... All the stories had something greek in it. The fighting the Wyrm is another thing that ties them.
One thing I liked, well loved, is the inclusion of Dark Eldars on this tales. I always thought that the Dark Eldars don't appear much on these stories and fortunally the Dark Eldars are the main enemy of the Ithaka saviours.
Another thing I liked was the humanity that Abnett created into his Space Marines. I have read some other books depicting Space Marines and they are apart from Humans... I don't think that's wrong, you see? I think that when you are a superhuman and have the weight of the safety of the universe on your shoulders you must have some distance from the rest of humanity. After all you are a superior being. But I liked to see these space marines more humane...
There are some flaws of course. The way he bcomes a sergeant (too quick). The disrespect with the gear (the helmet falling down (after all the revere every piece of equipament and they would not let the helmet fall down after the victory). The forgetting when fighting of a place (they have photographic memory).
Well in the I was happy to the reading and this book is a good book to start reading warhammer 40k. After three years there is no books in sight depicting more Iron Snakes or Dark Eldars... Shame.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 20, 2016
Overall the novel was amazing.
Abnett, I think, did an amazing portrayal of the Iron Snakes, and showed a lot of their history and culture, while keeping them somewhat mysterious.
The action bits were always amazingly well done, and I fell in love with many of the characters!
My favourite part was towards the beginning, when the story was told more so from Antoni's perspective. It added an interesting, mysterious and awe filled bit of the story.
I would recommend it to any Space Marine fan!
Abnett, I think, did an amazing portrayal of the Iron Snakes, and showed a lot of their history and culture, while keeping them somewhat mysterious.
The action bits were always amazingly well done, and I fell in love with many of the characters!
My favourite part was towards the beginning, when the story was told more so from Antoni's perspective. It added an interesting, mysterious and awe filled bit of the story.
I would recommend it to any Space Marine fan!
Read
April 9, 2022Puro fast food literario, de ese que, de vez en cuando, apetece y se disfruta muchísimo. Y si encima viene de la mano de un escritor que conoce tan bien su oficio como Dan Abnett, ya no se puede pedir más.
Muy curiosa, por cierto, la construcción de todo el capítulo y la escuadra en especial, tomando cada vez a un protagonista para narrarnos la mitología y las costumbres que los rodean.
Muy curiosa, por cierto, la construcción de todo el capítulo y la escuadra en especial, tomando cada vez a un protagonista para narrarnos la mitología y las costumbres que los rodean.
November 5, 2011
As a devotee of the English language, I'm almost embarrassed by how much I enjoyed this book. Abnett's prose reads like a feverish high-school gamer's creative writing exercise, sans input from the teacher. I laughed out loud (as my wife will attest) at the hyperbole, the thesaurus abuse, and the endless run-on sentences.
Somewhere between pages 50 and 75, I stopped laughing. The technical aspects of the writing didn't improve. I simply stopped caring about them.
Brothers of the Snake takes the iconic soldiers of the Warhammer 40k wargame - the Space Marines - and makes them human. Miraculously, Abnett manages to accomplish this without diminishing the Space Marine legend. They are men. They are beyond men. They are complex and varied and really, really badass.
Also, there is lots of epic fighting and heroic sacrifice and dismemberment.
Ultimately, Brothers of the Snake is 414 pages of testosterone-flavored nerd candy. I'm a guy and a nerd, and I say, "Mmm, mmm, tasty."
Somewhere between pages 50 and 75, I stopped laughing. The technical aspects of the writing didn't improve. I simply stopped caring about them.
Brothers of the Snake takes the iconic soldiers of the Warhammer 40k wargame - the Space Marines - and makes them human. Miraculously, Abnett manages to accomplish this without diminishing the Space Marine legend. They are men. They are beyond men. They are complex and varied and really, really badass.
Also, there is lots of epic fighting and heroic sacrifice and dismemberment.
Ultimately, Brothers of the Snake is 414 pages of testosterone-flavored nerd candy. I'm a guy and a nerd, and I say, "Mmm, mmm, tasty."
September 18, 2020
I am just getting into 40K and it’s Lore and I found this book to be amazing introduction. You follow the life of space marine and learn what it means to be an Iron Snake. Through the traditions and fighting styles derived from the home world of Ithaka a rocky ocean world with giant sea wyrms.
The book introduces you to the methods of being accepted into the chapter as well as the different roles people hold. You are also introduced to how the imperium of man treats these space marines and various Xenos races.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the space marines of 40K.
The book introduces you to the methods of being accepted into the chapter as well as the different roles people hold. You are also introduced to how the imperium of man treats these space marines and various Xenos races.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the space marines of 40K.
Read
September 30, 2019Loved the first story, only to be crushed to find that it is in fact an anthology rather than a novel. Didn't really feel like continuing after that.
January 23, 2022
The last time I read a book set in the 40K universe I must have been fourteen. The plot centred around the trials and tribulations of an inititate into the pinnacle of grim dark badassery: the Space Wolves. According to the rule of cool, the resulting sum of this equation must be greater than its parts. Gene-manipulated super vikings fighting demons in space; what's not to like? Unfortunately it was, even in the mind of a hormonal adolescent, quite awful.
My recent foray into 40K has, however, proved altogether more pleasing. Dan Abnett manages to take lore and fluff and turn it into literature. The setting is similar to the aforementioned title. We follow Priad of the Iron Snakes, basically Greek hoplites with bolters fighting demons, evil BDSM sci-fi elves and ORKS... IN SPACE!!
But Abnett knows how to tell a story. He understands that what makes a story is pacing, drama, suspense and character development. The Space Marines are firmly established as demi-gods, towering over mortal men, both literally and figuratively, but at the same time shown to be oh so human. It probably helps if you're interested in the setting of 40K, but I do believe it sort of works as a stand-alone work of fiction. It starts out strong and then ends on a high note. Fantasy and sci-fi fans will hopefully find something to like in this work.
My recent foray into 40K has, however, proved altogether more pleasing. Dan Abnett manages to take lore and fluff and turn it into literature. The setting is similar to the aforementioned title. We follow Priad of the Iron Snakes, basically Greek hoplites with bolters fighting demons, evil BDSM sci-fi elves and ORKS... IN SPACE!!
But Abnett knows how to tell a story. He understands that what makes a story is pacing, drama, suspense and character development. The Space Marines are firmly established as demi-gods, towering over mortal men, both literally and figuratively, but at the same time shown to be oh so human. It probably helps if you're interested in the setting of 40K, but I do believe it sort of works as a stand-alone work of fiction. It starts out strong and then ends on a high note. Fantasy and sci-fi fans will hopefully find something to like in this work.
February 20, 2021
My favourite 40k book thus far. I've noticed that a lot of books dealing with the space marines get caught up in the grandiose spectacle of large scale battles and an influx of lore over character development. This book puts it altogether perfectly, the lore is rich and interesting but not so deep and convoluted that it distances the reader. The characters are amazing and the story is great. Abnett is the best 40k writter by far and this is a masterpiece.
July 2, 2025
Having enjoyed Ravenor and Eisenhorn, I was excited to see Abnett’s take on Space Marines. Unfortunately, I was sorely disappointed. This book reads like a series of things happening, not like a cohesive story. There is a main character, but he is bland and forgettable, with little personal story. The events feel contrived and the story ends with a macguffin. An unfortunate disappointment.
January 19, 2020
Good for Warhammer
May 5, 2021
I loved this book and would love to see a sequel
March 14, 2024
A great insight into the career of a space marine through several short stories. Great action to boot
June 18, 2024
One of the best 40k stories I've ever read.
September 25, 2024
Greek space marines
February 27, 2018
You might have been expecting Lukas after we were done with The Magos. Well, don't worry, it's coming up next, but this is something I have been sitting on for a long time. Brothers of the Snake is considered by many to be a classic. It was Dan Abnett's first real stab at writing the Adeptus Astartes, it features a unique chapter, and for many it was a measuring stick on how to write chapters for years. It's high praise indeed, but upon opening it up, you might be surprised at how it presents events. It's good, there's no denying that, but if you let its reputation preceded it, you might be a bit disappointed. With the re-release of the novel in softcover, now seemed like the best time to discuss this story.
The Synopsis
Set in the Reef Stars, the story follows Damocles Squad of the Iron Snakes. One of a multitude of units dispatched by the chapter to secure and patrol their territories, the squad is tasked with intercepting threats and answering calls for help. When Praid is forced into the role of Sergeant, he must rise to the occasion and adapt to his new role within the chapter. Yet, life is rarely simple for members of the Adeptus Astartes, and Praid finds that the Reef Stars hold many secrets which must be confronted if they are to survive.
The Good
Read any past review, commentary or opinion piece, and you will find one thing praised above all others: The depiction of the Astartes, and the chapter itself. A common criticism of other books was that the marines shown there were often all too human, and lacked the more noted mental reshaping the lore stressed. While this is often leveled against books which didn't deserve such complaints, Brothers of the Snake took this as far as it could be taken. It is evident at many points that the members of Damocles Squad are a world apart from humanity, and their constant training, rituals and focus on combat dominate their lives. Diligent and focused to the point of being almost robotic, the book manages to depict them as Knights Templar taken to an extreme without crossing over into outright camp.
Some of the best moments with the marines which depict their superhuman nature are around more commonplace people. Everything from Inquisitors to Imperial nobility displays a distance through a number of narrative means. Most marines show completely lack a sense of human social niceties, style of humour or even basic subtleties thanks both to their long lives and internal programming. Many are even surprised at how rapidly unenhanced humans age, or cannot pick out things like puns. The areas of their minds given to that sort of subject matter have been replaced by sleep taught combat doctrines and weapons training. In the hands of a lesser writer this would have turned them into the edgelord legion, or made them unlikable, but Abnett manages to avert this issue.
The Iron Snakes chapter itself also notably diverts from many expected tropes. While they have descended directly from Guilliman and largely follow the Codex Astartes, they differ in a number of ways. A major one stems from their increased emphasis upon the use of infantry and deploying their units more as kill teams than full companies. Favouring proportionate responses over a multitude of units at a time, we see everything from a single marine to the entire chapter responding to threats. This would be enough on its own, but the book also works in a number of additional factors to further flesh out their culture. While largely Greek inspired, it retains hints of New Zealand and Indonisia in its nature, and you can easily see just how their world has shaped them over time. While the likes of the Excoriators are much more distinct and emphasise this point, Brothers of the Snake more subtly works it into the narrative.
The core story itself is divided up into a multitude of short stories spanning decades, and features Damocles Squad doing everything from training recruits to engaging Chaos warbands. This allows it to do more than focus on a single battlefield, and gives more of a general impression of the overall duties of a space marine chapter. While it's not quite Training Day 40,000, it is somewhat along those lines and the story has less of an epic saga feel than most. That's not to its detriment either, as some of the book's best moments stem from its ability to create an engaging plot without some ancient crisis arising. Better yet, when it does add in a large scale battle or three, it feels natural to the work and remains just as engaging as the skirmish battles.
The world building also extends beyond the chapter itself. This is easily one of the best novels in the setting to explore the futuristic feudalism which dominates large chunks of the Imperium, and the stark contrasts there. This is very evident within the first story, which is largely told through the eyes of an administrator on a semi-feudal world, and the surprising contrasts in technology there. While this bizzaro contrast could have easily thrown things off, the presentation and use of atmosphere help to make the reader more easily accept them. It also helps that, especially in this opening part, it's used to create a further disconnect between the Iron Snakes and those they defend. This said, however, the rituals and internal culture of the chapter still feels like something from another age. Something which, at least, gives them a sense of being ancient heroes without overstepping such boundaries.
Many of the later turns within the book also work to better build upon the hierarchy of the chapter. There is a much closer link between the upper echelons and standard marines than you might expect, but Abnett manages to make this work. It creates more of a stark contrast, especially with the Chief Librarian, and it's only further enhanced by the presence of Dreadnoughts in the final story. Plus that bit introduces one of the best characters of the entire saga, even if we only see an extremely small amount of him, unfortunately.
The Bad
The ironic thing about Brothers of the Snake is that almost every one of its strengths is a double-edged blade, holding it back or limiting what you would normally expect of it in some way. The experimental style of writing the book was something which would be better refined with later tales, and as such at least some of this can be put down to adjusting to writing superhuman Knights Templar.
The big one is how the episodic structure of the story can make it seem very lightweight and incidental. Rather than the massive crisis or grand campaigns of other tales, it can seem too unimportant or even unworthy of the supposedly grand scale of events. While this is intended to carry out the strengths cited above, the nature of it undermines this somewhat. Using fill-in exposition for many stories and an outsider's viewpoint for the opening arc, combined with the time-skip, makes it feel far too divided in places. Whereas the likes of the first Last Chancers book, for all its flaws, managed to string together a coherent narrative of multiple events and a final strong arc, the same cannot quite be said here.
A particular problem is how the final crisis in question is very, very loosely linked to the initial story, but there is no narrative thread or suggested connection between the start and finish. You can argue that this is the point, given the long lives of the enemy that devised this act, but as it only comes into play at the start and end, it's more a sudden reminder. This is also further hindered by the fact that most of the characters in question are relatively flat. This was part of an intended design to be sure, and Priad himself is pushed into something of a character arc, but it doesn't quite work. He adjusts to the role of leader a little too easily, and learns his lessons as just part of the overall events rather than having any distinct turning point. There needed to be more to him than just the honourable strategic leader type, and that same criticism can be leveled at the others. Only Khiron seemed to truly stand out, and that was as much thanks to his unique role as his introduction. They are intentionally robotic and intentionally removed from humanity, but it lacks the additional elements which would benefit later sagas.
More than a few moments in the story suffer from narrative convenience to the point where a few break the suspension of disbelief. A big one in the third story surrounded how easily a group of glorified cultists could remove the armour plating of a marine without any indication of sorcery or technical know-how. Others, such as the surprising ease in which a daemonic infestation enters a highly secure location without the detection of multiple highly trained psykers, never quite seem to work. As well told as they are, there is more than one occasion where you have to seriously stretch your suspense of disbelief, even in a setting with chainswords.
Moreso than anything else, however, a great flaw lies in the book's enemies of choice. Abnett typically uses Chaos as a major enemy above all others, and the same criticism can be leveled at more than a few writers. You can almost be certain that Chaos will be the ultimate villain of the work, forsaking Xenos threats or even civil wars. As such, the more watchman-esque nature of the Iron Snakes seemed as if it would be a chance to focus on more commonplace threats. Certainly, have the odd ancient conspiracy or Chaos possession to keep things interesting, but this was a chance to focus more on Eldar Corsairs, pirate threats or the like. We don't really get that, and outside of two short stories. Even then, the tales themselves largely work around direct combat or even depicting the fights in one way or another. This ends up making the galaxy, even the Reef Stars, seem unfortunately small.
The Verdict
Brothers of the Snake is still a classic with good reason, but there's no denying that the lessons it laid down have become so commonplace they can easily be taken for granted. It's akin to introducing someone to Babylon 5 today, hyping it up and telling them of all it pioneered, only for it to seem like nothing special at first. You need to be patient with it to see what makes it special and accept some of its limitations were just a product of the time; each one setting the stage for later greats. We couldn't have had The Exorcist without Nosferatu making those first few steps, after all.
The Synopsis
Set in the Reef Stars, the story follows Damocles Squad of the Iron Snakes. One of a multitude of units dispatched by the chapter to secure and patrol their territories, the squad is tasked with intercepting threats and answering calls for help. When Praid is forced into the role of Sergeant, he must rise to the occasion and adapt to his new role within the chapter. Yet, life is rarely simple for members of the Adeptus Astartes, and Praid finds that the Reef Stars hold many secrets which must be confronted if they are to survive.
The Good
Read any past review, commentary or opinion piece, and you will find one thing praised above all others: The depiction of the Astartes, and the chapter itself. A common criticism of other books was that the marines shown there were often all too human, and lacked the more noted mental reshaping the lore stressed. While this is often leveled against books which didn't deserve such complaints, Brothers of the Snake took this as far as it could be taken. It is evident at many points that the members of Damocles Squad are a world apart from humanity, and their constant training, rituals and focus on combat dominate their lives. Diligent and focused to the point of being almost robotic, the book manages to depict them as Knights Templar taken to an extreme without crossing over into outright camp.
Some of the best moments with the marines which depict their superhuman nature are around more commonplace people. Everything from Inquisitors to Imperial nobility displays a distance through a number of narrative means. Most marines show completely lack a sense of human social niceties, style of humour or even basic subtleties thanks both to their long lives and internal programming. Many are even surprised at how rapidly unenhanced humans age, or cannot pick out things like puns. The areas of their minds given to that sort of subject matter have been replaced by sleep taught combat doctrines and weapons training. In the hands of a lesser writer this would have turned them into the edgelord legion, or made them unlikable, but Abnett manages to avert this issue.
The Iron Snakes chapter itself also notably diverts from many expected tropes. While they have descended directly from Guilliman and largely follow the Codex Astartes, they differ in a number of ways. A major one stems from their increased emphasis upon the use of infantry and deploying their units more as kill teams than full companies. Favouring proportionate responses over a multitude of units at a time, we see everything from a single marine to the entire chapter responding to threats. This would be enough on its own, but the book also works in a number of additional factors to further flesh out their culture. While largely Greek inspired, it retains hints of New Zealand and Indonisia in its nature, and you can easily see just how their world has shaped them over time. While the likes of the Excoriators are much more distinct and emphasise this point, Brothers of the Snake more subtly works it into the narrative.
The core story itself is divided up into a multitude of short stories spanning decades, and features Damocles Squad doing everything from training recruits to engaging Chaos warbands. This allows it to do more than focus on a single battlefield, and gives more of a general impression of the overall duties of a space marine chapter. While it's not quite Training Day 40,000, it is somewhat along those lines and the story has less of an epic saga feel than most. That's not to its detriment either, as some of the book's best moments stem from its ability to create an engaging plot without some ancient crisis arising. Better yet, when it does add in a large scale battle or three, it feels natural to the work and remains just as engaging as the skirmish battles.
The world building also extends beyond the chapter itself. This is easily one of the best novels in the setting to explore the futuristic feudalism which dominates large chunks of the Imperium, and the stark contrasts there. This is very evident within the first story, which is largely told through the eyes of an administrator on a semi-feudal world, and the surprising contrasts in technology there. While this bizzaro contrast could have easily thrown things off, the presentation and use of atmosphere help to make the reader more easily accept them. It also helps that, especially in this opening part, it's used to create a further disconnect between the Iron Snakes and those they defend. This said, however, the rituals and internal culture of the chapter still feels like something from another age. Something which, at least, gives them a sense of being ancient heroes without overstepping such boundaries.
Many of the later turns within the book also work to better build upon the hierarchy of the chapter. There is a much closer link between the upper echelons and standard marines than you might expect, but Abnett manages to make this work. It creates more of a stark contrast, especially with the Chief Librarian, and it's only further enhanced by the presence of Dreadnoughts in the final story. Plus that bit introduces one of the best characters of the entire saga, even if we only see an extremely small amount of him, unfortunately.
The Bad
The ironic thing about Brothers of the Snake is that almost every one of its strengths is a double-edged blade, holding it back or limiting what you would normally expect of it in some way. The experimental style of writing the book was something which would be better refined with later tales, and as such at least some of this can be put down to adjusting to writing superhuman Knights Templar.
The big one is how the episodic structure of the story can make it seem very lightweight and incidental. Rather than the massive crisis or grand campaigns of other tales, it can seem too unimportant or even unworthy of the supposedly grand scale of events. While this is intended to carry out the strengths cited above, the nature of it undermines this somewhat. Using fill-in exposition for many stories and an outsider's viewpoint for the opening arc, combined with the time-skip, makes it feel far too divided in places. Whereas the likes of the first Last Chancers book, for all its flaws, managed to string together a coherent narrative of multiple events and a final strong arc, the same cannot quite be said here.
A particular problem is how the final crisis in question is very, very loosely linked to the initial story, but there is no narrative thread or suggested connection between the start and finish. You can argue that this is the point, given the long lives of the enemy that devised this act, but as it only comes into play at the start and end, it's more a sudden reminder. This is also further hindered by the fact that most of the characters in question are relatively flat. This was part of an intended design to be sure, and Priad himself is pushed into something of a character arc, but it doesn't quite work. He adjusts to the role of leader a little too easily, and learns his lessons as just part of the overall events rather than having any distinct turning point. There needed to be more to him than just the honourable strategic leader type, and that same criticism can be leveled at the others. Only Khiron seemed to truly stand out, and that was as much thanks to his unique role as his introduction. They are intentionally robotic and intentionally removed from humanity, but it lacks the additional elements which would benefit later sagas.
More than a few moments in the story suffer from narrative convenience to the point where a few break the suspension of disbelief. A big one in the third story surrounded how easily a group of glorified cultists could remove the armour plating of a marine without any indication of sorcery or technical know-how. Others, such as the surprising ease in which a daemonic infestation enters a highly secure location without the detection of multiple highly trained psykers, never quite seem to work. As well told as they are, there is more than one occasion where you have to seriously stretch your suspense of disbelief, even in a setting with chainswords.
Moreso than anything else, however, a great flaw lies in the book's enemies of choice. Abnett typically uses Chaos as a major enemy above all others, and the same criticism can be leveled at more than a few writers. You can almost be certain that Chaos will be the ultimate villain of the work, forsaking Xenos threats or even civil wars. As such, the more watchman-esque nature of the Iron Snakes seemed as if it would be a chance to focus on more commonplace threats. Certainly, have the odd ancient conspiracy or Chaos possession to keep things interesting, but this was a chance to focus more on Eldar Corsairs, pirate threats or the like. We don't really get that, and outside of two short stories. Even then, the tales themselves largely work around direct combat or even depicting the fights in one way or another. This ends up making the galaxy, even the Reef Stars, seem unfortunately small.
The Verdict
Brothers of the Snake is still a classic with good reason, but there's no denying that the lessons it laid down have become so commonplace they can easily be taken for granted. It's akin to introducing someone to Babylon 5 today, hyping it up and telling them of all it pioneered, only for it to seem like nothing special at first. You need to be patient with it to see what makes it special and accept some of its limitations were just a product of the time; each one setting the stage for later greats. We couldn't have had The Exorcist without Nosferatu making those first few steps, after all.
August 4, 2023
One of the worst books I have ever read. Its just back to back cliches and tropes, populated by some of the worst dialogue you will ever read. It blows my mind that people like this book, its truly awful.
August 22, 2024
A solid collection of short stories following the journey of a single marine, Priad, from his first mission up through his promotion and to a final confrontation with a foe from his past. I quite liked the story being split into a bunch of smaller stories, it made this feel like a TV series.
This didn’t bring anything new but was a strong version of a story I’ve read a few times now.
This didn’t bring anything new but was a strong version of a story I’ve read a few times now.
October 13, 2025
Part 1: is this smut?
Part 2: the gland? “We have not failed, simply the nature of the victory has changed.”
Part 3: I fuck with Ileus. It’s the final 10 minutes and the boys are down by 5 and coach is giving them a pep talk to talley.
Part 4: corn dolls? Kools sounds hot… “thickly set like a barrel.” NOT ILEUS!!!!
Part 5: spa day for the boys 🧖♂️
Part 6: GoT meets Suspiria
Part 7: daddy pryiad is mad. Pryiad and Clarke are endgame- kinky shit sharing blood.
October 23, 2020
Excellent 40K novel with a cool story arc and great characters.
August 18, 2017
I've been a fan of Warhammer 40,000 for a few years now and I've invested myself in the lore and have read several novels. This particular novel was written by Dan Abnett, the author of several Warhammer 40,000 novels that are considered by many to be some of the best in the franchise. Among his catalog include this Novel, 'Brothers of the Snake'.
This Novel is pretty unique from other Novels I'm used to (not just Warhammer, in general) as, instead of the straight forward story, it's told through Episodic Short Stories. This is a pretty cool way to tell a story because it gives the writer a variety of tales he/she can put the Characters of the story in. It also gives each story the feel of watching (or in this case reading) an episode of a TV show, heck I can easily see this novel be used as a Series on something like Netflix or something like that.
As for the stories themselves, they follow a Member of the Space Marine chapter known as the Iron Snakes, who have been tasked with defending a star system known as the "Reef stars" from various threats (mainly Dark Eldar) the Main character of the Stories is one Marine known as 'Priad' and his squad 'Damocles'. Each of the stories involves the members of Damocles being sent to take care of some enemy and often trying to overcome that foe. As usual, Dan Abnett does well in making not only intense battles scenes but also making characters that are developed well and you actually care about. Extra points are given to the fact that he even manages to make minor characters interesting as well.
Each story is also Well told and has awesome story behind them, my Personal favorites were the first and last one.
But in my opinion, the best thing about the book is the Iron Snakes themselves. Abnett had managed to make a unique and interesting Chapter of Space Marines. From their ceremonies involving their worlds sacred water, the way they use cheese to train recruits, the way their doctrine involves using squads instead of companies, and even the main character himself make me want to paint an army of these guys.
Overall, This isn't the best Warhammer 40,000 novel by Dan Abnett, but it certainly is a great one. So if you want a Novel with an interesting take on Space Marines, take a ride with the Snakes of Ishtaka.
This Novel is pretty unique from other Novels I'm used to (not just Warhammer, in general) as, instead of the straight forward story, it's told through Episodic Short Stories. This is a pretty cool way to tell a story because it gives the writer a variety of tales he/she can put the Characters of the story in. It also gives each story the feel of watching (or in this case reading) an episode of a TV show, heck I can easily see this novel be used as a Series on something like Netflix or something like that.
As for the stories themselves, they follow a Member of the Space Marine chapter known as the Iron Snakes, who have been tasked with defending a star system known as the "Reef stars" from various threats (mainly Dark Eldar) the Main character of the Stories is one Marine known as 'Priad' and his squad 'Damocles'. Each of the stories involves the members of Damocles being sent to take care of some enemy and often trying to overcome that foe. As usual, Dan Abnett does well in making not only intense battles scenes but also making characters that are developed well and you actually care about. Extra points are given to the fact that he even manages to make minor characters interesting as well.
Each story is also Well told and has awesome story behind them, my Personal favorites were the first and last one.
But in my opinion, the best thing about the book is the Iron Snakes themselves. Abnett had managed to make a unique and interesting Chapter of Space Marines. From their ceremonies involving their worlds sacred water, the way they use cheese to train recruits, the way their doctrine involves using squads instead of companies, and even the main character himself make me want to paint an army of these guys.
Overall, This isn't the best Warhammer 40,000 novel by Dan Abnett, but it certainly is a great one. So if you want a Novel with an interesting take on Space Marines, take a ride with the Snakes of Ishtaka.
March 19, 2015
I think it's a fix-up. Not just because it's a series of episodes, neatly marked off by the "undertakings" they are about, but because at some points, the characters are info-dumping stuff that we just read in the last episode, albeit very neatly. And I think he was still finding his voice for Priad in the first few stories, but he has the voice down pat for the rest.
Priad is a Space Marine, a superhuman warrior in the far future, and the book opens with a world that summoned an Iron Snake to help it against the horrors of the primuls -- the dark eldar, exceedingly nasty sorts of aliens, who are fond of taking prisoners in order to torture them. We see it all from the POV of characters from that world -- most of it through the eyes of Antoni, the primary clerk who actually sent the message. And having thus been introduced to him, we see the rest of his tale through his eyes.
Though somewhat episodic, it works because it's not unified by the incidence, but by watching the progress and development of Priad. (Which lets him plant a gun on the mantelpiece with greater ease; you aren't looking for it to be significant later, and many of them aren't, but some are.) I think Priad ascends the ranks a little quickly; he becomes a sergeant in the second episode, with only a single story set with him as a low-ranking battle brother. But he has a lot to do as a sergeant. Dealing an evil cult on one planet. Returning to Ithaka, their native planet, for replacements, and finding himself in the middle of a mystery. Doing a new king the honor of attending his coronation and finding that something else was going on. Training young aspirants and finding out that his squad has violated the rules. And leading up to an episode of climatic importance.
A good book.
Priad is a Space Marine, a superhuman warrior in the far future, and the book opens with a world that summoned an Iron Snake to help it against the horrors of the primuls -- the dark eldar, exceedingly nasty sorts of aliens, who are fond of taking prisoners in order to torture them. We see it all from the POV of characters from that world -- most of it through the eyes of Antoni, the primary clerk who actually sent the message. And having thus been introduced to him, we see the rest of his tale through his eyes.
Though somewhat episodic, it works because it's not unified by the incidence, but by watching the progress and development of Priad. (Which lets him plant a gun on the mantelpiece with greater ease; you aren't looking for it to be significant later, and many of them aren't, but some are.) I think Priad ascends the ranks a little quickly; he becomes a sergeant in the second episode, with only a single story set with him as a low-ranking battle brother. But he has a lot to do as a sergeant. Dealing an evil cult on one planet. Returning to Ithaka, their native planet, for replacements, and finding himself in the middle of a mystery. Doing a new king the honor of attending his coronation and finding that something else was going on. Training young aspirants and finding out that his squad has violated the rules. And leading up to an episode of climatic importance.
A good book.
January 28, 2017
Libro independiente del universo Warhammer 40.000.
Es ligero y simple. Sin complicarse demasiado. Usa elementos básicos de la ciencia ficción militar donde los guerreros son diseñados genéticamente y son bestias sobrehumanas. Los enemigos son… enemigos. Da igual lo que sean y por lo que luchen. Son los malos y el libro va de repartir estopa. También se cuenta una parte de la formación y entrenamiento militar que van unidas a unas tradiciones culturales inspiradas en la época griega (o romana). Salvo un par de personajes no hay ninguno muy especial (hay uno que está muy bien) y aún así el autor consigue que con un par de líneas se acaben diferenciando algunos.
Me ha gustado como se va construyendo el relato poco a poco. Las 5 partes (que igual son seis pero ahora no voy a buscar en el libro) en las que se divide van desde una inicial con un protagonista en solitario donde se muestran las habilidades del guerrero hasta la final con una batalla multitudinaria con explosión final.
Insisto en lo de que es simple y además tiene un buen ritmo y es fácil de leer gracias a que sus capítulos son cortos.
No es un gran libro, su trama es sencilla, sus personajes son todos masculinos y sus relaciones no pasan de la camaradería militar. Por el contrario me ha entretenido. Ideal para desconectar el cerebro y leer algo que no busca trascender.
Es ligero y simple. Sin complicarse demasiado. Usa elementos básicos de la ciencia ficción militar donde los guerreros son diseñados genéticamente y son bestias sobrehumanas. Los enemigos son… enemigos. Da igual lo que sean y por lo que luchen. Son los malos y el libro va de repartir estopa. También se cuenta una parte de la formación y entrenamiento militar que van unidas a unas tradiciones culturales inspiradas en la época griega (o romana). Salvo un par de personajes no hay ninguno muy especial (hay uno que está muy bien) y aún así el autor consigue que con un par de líneas se acaben diferenciando algunos.
Me ha gustado como se va construyendo el relato poco a poco. Las 5 partes (que igual son seis pero ahora no voy a buscar en el libro) en las que se divide van desde una inicial con un protagonista en solitario donde se muestran las habilidades del guerrero hasta la final con una batalla multitudinaria con explosión final.
Insisto en lo de que es simple y además tiene un buen ritmo y es fácil de leer gracias a que sus capítulos son cortos.
No es un gran libro, su trama es sencilla, sus personajes son todos masculinos y sus relaciones no pasan de la camaradería militar. Por el contrario me ha entretenido. Ideal para desconectar el cerebro y leer algo que no busca trascender.
February 27, 2018
This is very nearly a four and I think it probably will be a four in my memory as the good parts stand out and the poorer elements are forgotten over time. (For reference I'm trying to be more conservative in my ratings becasue I was giving everything fours)
For the looping relationship between Priam and the mortal woman which bookends the story, for an interesting view of Space Marines from a mortal perspective, for the very strong greek-influenced culturation of the Chapter and the stars under their protection (I feel like Dan Abnett read the Illiad and then did this pulp version in response.
Negatives; its very episodic (I think that might have been part of the original design?) and though in some aspects this aids the story, in others some drama-elements are rather quickly and easily forgotten.
Abnett can craft a solid story and the concentation of illusory detail, if not quite at Graham McNeil levels, is good. His prose runs back and forth across the quality boundary like a galloping horse. He is at his best when dealing with the monsters, ocean and culture of the Ocean world of the Iron Snakes. His grasp of the fine differences in characters who all mark an 11 on the machismo scale is tight.
There is a Khorne/Corn joke in this, from an Inquisitor, which I'm not sure how to feel about.
I ate this book like chocolate over two days and now I'm done.
For the looping relationship between Priam and the mortal woman which bookends the story, for an interesting view of Space Marines from a mortal perspective, for the very strong greek-influenced culturation of the Chapter and the stars under their protection (I feel like Dan Abnett read the Illiad and then did this pulp version in response.
Negatives; its very episodic (I think that might have been part of the original design?) and though in some aspects this aids the story, in others some drama-elements are rather quickly and easily forgotten.
Abnett can craft a solid story and the concentation of illusory detail, if not quite at Graham McNeil levels, is good. His prose runs back and forth across the quality boundary like a galloping horse. He is at his best when dealing with the monsters, ocean and culture of the Ocean world of the Iron Snakes. His grasp of the fine differences in characters who all mark an 11 on the machismo scale is tight.
There is a Khorne/Corn joke in this, from an Inquisitor, which I'm not sure how to feel about.
I ate this book like chocolate over two days and now I'm done.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 166 reviews