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Warhammer 40,000
There Is Only War
Across mankind's Imperium, battle rages. From the lowly troopers of the Imperial Guard to the elite Space Marines, humanity's defenders are ever beset by threats. Alien races encroach on the edges of mankind's realm, bringing worlds to ruin with blade, gun and claw. On countless worlds, mutated servants of dark gods seek to do their masters' bidding and bring ruin to all that the Emperor sacrificed himself to build. And in the nightmare realm of the Eye of Terror, the archtraitors who tore the Imperium apart ten millenia ago still lurk, plotting their revenge...
In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only war.
1241 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 19, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
September 5, 2019
Didn't read all of the stories in the collections, just the ones from my favorite authors (that weren't part of other omnibi). Read this as a way to stoke my own creative energies for my own Black Library submission (which will get rejected), and my own work.
Some of these stories were really quite good, others were passable. Your mileage may vary.
Overall it was ok.
Some of these stories were really quite good, others were passable. Your mileage may vary.
Overall it was ok.
October 25, 2018
A collection of stories from the warhammer 40k universe. Some good, average and bad stories mixed in but I'm not complaining that much since I just love 40k. If you're a fan of 40k and the imperium in particular pick this one up!
May 4, 2022
The quality of writing varies from writer to writer when it comes to The Black Library, not only in skill but also the essence of the 40k universe. But there are so many of the writers who get it right in this anthology that it's worth picking up, even if you'll inevitably skip quite a few.
January 6, 2021
This stuff is so boring.
February 14, 2021
The overall singlemindedness of the stories wore me out. One thing I'd like?......give me a story from the enemies perspective.
August 10, 2023
So hit and miss. I read this as an intro to the 40k universe and it was ok for that. Overall, much of the writing was meh but there were standouts. Abnett is truly underrated.
July 17, 2014
This one was a little disarming. The blurb and cover have you thinking it will be an anthology of small Space Marine stories. Untrue. They are 40k Imperial war stories. Space Marines aren't the focus at all here.
Also, the Space Marines stories that do result... are derived from other books elsewhere. I counted 4 that I had already read elsewhere. So there's that.
The other facets of Imperial society have their own stories though, and I rather enjoyed some of them. The story of the elite air force of the regional PDF was particularly a solid read in here (you'll find it if you look hard enough).
All in all, these were decent, well-assembled stories. But the advertising is such that you feel like a bait-n-switch has taken place. More damning for me is that I read four of these elsewhere, and you really should be getting entirely new content for the enormous price tag that GW puts on this line of reading (the omnibus collection style they so favor now).
I recommend some of the stories, but caveat emptor.
Also, the Space Marines stories that do result... are derived from other books elsewhere. I counted 4 that I had already read elsewhere. So there's that.
The other facets of Imperial society have their own stories though, and I rather enjoyed some of them. The story of the elite air force of the regional PDF was particularly a solid read in here (you'll find it if you look hard enough).
All in all, these were decent, well-assembled stories. But the advertising is such that you feel like a bait-n-switch has taken place. More damning for me is that I read four of these elsewhere, and you really should be getting entirely new content for the enormous price tag that GW puts on this line of reading (the omnibus collection style they so favor now).
I recommend some of the stories, but caveat emptor.
August 10, 2016
The aptly titled There Is Only War provides the reader with hours of gory military sci-fi set in the bleak Warhammer 40,000 universe. With over 40 short stories, the reader gets to see a little bit of everything that "The Imperium of Man" has to offer (various chapters of space marines, guardsmen, inquisitors, eldar, tyranids, chaos lords, etc.).
It make for good escapist reading when you're in the mood for something dark/violent, but if you read too much of it at a time it all starts sounding the same...I spread it out over 7-8 months just reading now and then. Having some acquaintance with the Warhammer 40K universe can be helpful (http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/), but isn't essential for the most part. There were a few stories where I could tell I was missing some of the punch because I didn't know anything about the main (apparently recurring) character, but there weren't too many of those.
Overall, good escapist stuff if you like your sci-fi dark and gory.
It make for good escapist reading when you're in the mood for something dark/violent, but if you read too much of it at a time it all starts sounding the same...I spread it out over 7-8 months just reading now and then. Having some acquaintance with the Warhammer 40K universe can be helpful (http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/), but isn't essential for the most part. There were a few stories where I could tell I was missing some of the punch because I didn't know anything about the main (apparently recurring) character, but there weren't too many of those.
Overall, good escapist stuff if you like your sci-fi dark and gory.
October 11, 2016
About a third of the way through this book (I go straight for the space wolves ones first) and im finding it really good. The two wolves ones i've read are cool and capture the wolves character very well.
The other story i found great was 'orphans of the kraken' which was about hive fleet kraken and the salvage squads of the scythes chapter.
Well worth picking up if you like your short stories in the 40k universe.
The other story i found great was 'orphans of the kraken' which was about hive fleet kraken and the salvage squads of the scythes chapter.
Well worth picking up if you like your short stories in the 40k universe.
May 6, 2014
Great collection of stories covering various groups in the Warhammer 40K universe. There are stories dealing with the inquisition, the youth of one of the Imperiums' most famous Commisars, Space Marines, Imperial Army, Chaos Marines, Eldar and others.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews