What do you think?
Rate this book
The Horus Heresy #Audio Drama
The Binary Succession
Even as the Imperium faces the renegade Legions of the Warmaster, the ruling Council of Terra is becoming paralysed from within by increasingly petty bureaucracy. Fabricator General Kane has seen his fellow Mechanicum adepts dismissed again and again by the High Lords – with his traitorous predecessor Kelbor-Hal still at large on the Red Planet, the political status of the tech-priesthood remains ambiguous. New alliances must be forged from the old, if Mars and Terra are to survive the final battle.
1 pages, Audible Audio
First published March 1, 2017
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
March 30, 2017
Candidate for my favorite Horus Heresy audio drama. An almost complete absence (not lack) of action, heavy on politics, tension and all wrapped in a fantastic audio production. I'll be relistening to this one a couple more times, for the sheer pleasure of it.
August 24, 2018
A wonderful story, my favorite part of The Burden of Loyalty anthology. An important piece of lore. We learn how the Adeptus Mechanicus came to be a powerful force within the Adeptus Terra. Very well written, extremely engaging.
July 13, 2020
Easily the best between quality and gravity. Every moment weighs on the present moment and future of Mankind in its darkest hour, not one second without substance.
January 16, 2024
May 2024 Re-Read using the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project Reading Order Omnibus XVIII Omnissiah II End of Empires (https://www.heresyomnibus.com/omnibus...) as part of my Oath of Moment to complete the Horus Heresy series and extras.
I stand by my old review and that it's intriguing to get some politics and intrigue, as well as seeing just how much of an omnishambles the Imperium is that sometimes you really have to bring a Titan to work to actually action the points on the agenda, but I was a little less enamoured this time round.
This is undoubtedly well written and performed, and it's awesome to see the Adeptus Mechanicus be born from the Martian Kerfuffle and the old Mechanicum, but I do think this could have been a little more weird and a touch less dry. Just a a bit more Annandale.
Through using the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project (www.heresyomnibus.com) and my own choices, I have currently read 39 Horus Heresy novels (including 1 repeat and 4 anthologies), 22 novellas (including 2 repeats), 118 short stories/ audio dramas (including 6 repeats, but not including a number of additional repeats for clarity), as well as the Macragge's Honour graphic novel, All 17 Primarchs novels, 4 Primarchs short stories/ audio dramas, 2 Characters novels, and 2 Warhammer 40K further reading novels and 1 short story...this run, as well as writing 1 short story myself (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1t...). I can't say enough good about the way the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project suggestions. I'm loving it! Especially after originally reading to the releases and being so frustrated at having to wait so long for a narrative to continue.
***
Initial review 5/5
Witness the fraught birth of the Adeptus Mechanicus...and me apparently being some hypocritical hipster who was kinda meh on Dark Compliance for being a bit too Prequels Trade Federation politics mixed with Starkiller Base on the Hosnian System, but loved this Senator Amidala versus an entire senate of Jar Jars.
Following the civil war on Mars and the Loyalists getting the boot, tensions are high in Terra as the War Council, in truly fine fettle as the apotheosis of central circle of a dictatorship grown lazy and overconfident in their authority, dismiss and denigrate the Mechanicum.
With political machinations, pompous sessions, a mini civil war, and the most epic game of chicken ever Terra is made to see how important and powerful the Mechanicum is and how essential it becoming a new Adepta is.
I sometimes forger that the Imperium, beyond being a horrifying fascist colonial entity, was an absolute shit show, long before the 41st Millennium. I focus too much on just how awful the Emperor is (my gal with daddy issues perogative) and know that Shitty Sigilite Strange is a weird, creepy arsehole actively working against the Emperor and the elements of the Imperium, even his own personal forces, for his view or the good(?) of the Imperium, but I had not considered that the War Council and Lords of Terra would be the aristo-chucklefucks they are already, at least not to this extent. I genuinely though the death of the Emperor and the defeat of Horus lead to all manner of machinations when things go absolutely to uber authoritarian nightmare millenia, which is absolutely what happens, I just didn't think about how the taper was lit and some barrels were already exploding. Like, add worst head of state/ leader to the worst dad ever assertions to the Emperor for actually letting this go down on his watch.
Anyways, my nerdy ranting aside.
This is a great audio drama with realised (for Horus Heresy side characters) characters, tensions, motives, great, writing and performances, and a nice mix of ridiculous politics and huge dangerous machines and machine people.
This is one more than many others where your mileage may vary, as this is a loooong way from being 'bolter porn'.
I stand by my old review and that it's intriguing to get some politics and intrigue, as well as seeing just how much of an omnishambles the Imperium is that sometimes you really have to bring a Titan to work to actually action the points on the agenda, but I was a little less enamoured this time round.
This is undoubtedly well written and performed, and it's awesome to see the Adeptus Mechanicus be born from the Martian Kerfuffle and the old Mechanicum, but I do think this could have been a little more weird and a touch less dry. Just a a bit more Annandale.
Through using the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project (www.heresyomnibus.com) and my own choices, I have currently read 39 Horus Heresy novels (including 1 repeat and 4 anthologies), 22 novellas (including 2 repeats), 118 short stories/ audio dramas (including 6 repeats, but not including a number of additional repeats for clarity), as well as the Macragge's Honour graphic novel, All 17 Primarchs novels, 4 Primarchs short stories/ audio dramas, 2 Characters novels, and 2 Warhammer 40K further reading novels and 1 short story...this run, as well as writing 1 short story myself (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1t...). I can't say enough good about the way the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project suggestions. I'm loving it! Especially after originally reading to the releases and being so frustrated at having to wait so long for a narrative to continue.
***
Initial review 5/5
Witness the fraught birth of the Adeptus Mechanicus...and me apparently being some hypocritical hipster who was kinda meh on Dark Compliance for being a bit too Prequels Trade Federation politics mixed with Starkiller Base on the Hosnian System, but loved this Senator Amidala versus an entire senate of Jar Jars.
Following the civil war on Mars and the Loyalists getting the boot, tensions are high in Terra as the War Council, in truly fine fettle as the apotheosis of central circle of a dictatorship grown lazy and overconfident in their authority, dismiss and denigrate the Mechanicum.
With political machinations, pompous sessions, a mini civil war, and the most epic game of chicken ever Terra is made to see how important and powerful the Mechanicum is and how essential it becoming a new Adepta is.
I sometimes forger that the Imperium, beyond being a horrifying fascist colonial entity, was an absolute shit show, long before the 41st Millennium. I focus too much on just how awful the Emperor is (my gal with daddy issues perogative) and know that Shitty Sigilite Strange is a weird, creepy arsehole actively working against the Emperor and the elements of the Imperium, even his own personal forces, for his view or the good(?) of the Imperium, but I had not considered that the War Council and Lords of Terra would be the aristo-chucklefucks they are already, at least not to this extent. I genuinely though the death of the Emperor and the defeat of Horus lead to all manner of machinations when things go absolutely to uber authoritarian nightmare millenia, which is absolutely what happens, I just didn't think about how the taper was lit and some barrels were already exploding. Like, add worst head of state/ leader to the worst dad ever assertions to the Emperor for actually letting this go down on his watch.
Anyways, my nerdy ranting aside.
This is a great audio drama with realised (for Horus Heresy side characters) characters, tensions, motives, great, writing and performances, and a nice mix of ridiculous politics and huge dangerous machines and machine people.
This is one more than many others where your mileage may vary, as this is a loooong way from being 'bolter porn'.
January 20, 2021
Great quality (except for the "background crowd" sounds, didn't like those), especially the distinct voices for the Mechanicus characters. Unfortunately didn't move the overall plot in any direction, but I still found it entertaining.
October 3, 2025
40k in 40 words: *Binary Succession* is a riveting dive into fracturing loyalties and mechanicus intrigue. Much like the rest of the book, it’s insightful — revealing infighting, power shifts, and total indecision. A bleak, intricate tale of conspiracies and internal collapse.
October 4, 2020
Very good but it makes me sad that we won't see more full mars related books taking place in the Horus Heresy. What we got outside of Mechanicum was just shortstories.
July 20, 2025
One of my favourite Heresy Audio dramas. Very little in the way of action, but heavy on political drama and intrigue.
The Mechanicum of Mars and the Imperium of Terra were a united force drawn together into a single entity by the Treaty of Olympus Mons. But at the onset of the Heresy, a schism in the Mechanicum saw Loyalists to the Emperor fleeing Mars in search of refuge. Now on Terra, the Mechanicum hold little sway in the politics of the Lords of Terra. Worse there are two beings who both proclaim to be the Fabricator-General of Mars. To reconcile these problems, drastic actions must be taken. The Mechanicum must become the Adeptus Mechanicus and be folded into the administration of the Imperium.
Very well written and engaging.
The Mechanicum of Mars and the Imperium of Terra were a united force drawn together into a single entity by the Treaty of Olympus Mons. But at the onset of the Heresy, a schism in the Mechanicum saw Loyalists to the Emperor fleeing Mars in search of refuge. Now on Terra, the Mechanicum hold little sway in the politics of the Lords of Terra. Worse there are two beings who both proclaim to be the Fabricator-General of Mars. To reconcile these problems, drastic actions must be taken. The Mechanicum must become the Adeptus Mechanicus and be folded into the administration of the Imperium.
Very well written and engaging.
December 27, 2019
Short with no bite. Political bickering between the Cult of the Machine and Terra, taking place sometime after the fall of Mars. Nothing really resolves here and if you are going to have a story this short, set in this universe, it can't be this dull.
February 20, 2024
A fun, fully casted audio drama about the creation of the Adeptus Mechanicus/Adeptus Titanicus. It's a very cool look at the internal schism with the Cult Mechanicus, how they're handling the loss of Mars and how they view the Imperium as a whole.
April 3, 2017
'Caught between two destinies, it is the actions of the Exiles on Terra that will shape the future of the Martian Priesthood...'
David Annandale plunges us into the politics of Terra and the frustrations of the Mechanicum, a searing cauldron that threatens to explode. The Mechanicum chafes at the loss of Mars and at the increasing demands of Terra, while Ambassador Vethorel serves as Fabricator-General Kane's voice to the Council of Terra itself.
Annandale pairs his hauntingly effective depiction of Martian grief, desperation and frustration with some superb narration from Gareth Armstrong alongside a cast who embody everything from the almost purely human to the depths of augmentation.
I'm of the opinion that there are too few stories of politics and intrigue in Warhammer fiction. More 'domestic' stories that peek behind the curtain and show us life and struggle seperate from combat have held my fascination since Eisenhorn's superlative worldbuilding.
The key conceit of this story is that the Mechanicum cannot serve two masters, and the "Binary Succession" between Kane and Kelbor-Hal must be resolved. The methods sought to resolve this are actions which resonate even to the present of the setting; shoring up the Imperial line.
When violence does erupt, though, it is intense and direct; slicing through the Gordian knot of dialogue and debate. Tech Priests and Titan Princeps each contribute their own ideas and opinions, their own contributions to the spasms of loyalty and disunity.
Great odds and great sacrifices are needed (and indeed made) as the fate of the Imperium and the Treaty of Olympus hang in the balance, as we lurch towards the endgame of the Heresy and the pieces fall into place for great and terrible things.
In each case, Annandale weaves an effortless tapestry; warring politics and civil discord flow together with sharp incisive violence. A necessary story, told through an effective use of the audio medium leads to an altogether satisifying entry into the Heresy.
David Annandale plunges us into the politics of Terra and the frustrations of the Mechanicum, a searing cauldron that threatens to explode. The Mechanicum chafes at the loss of Mars and at the increasing demands of Terra, while Ambassador Vethorel serves as Fabricator-General Kane's voice to the Council of Terra itself.
Annandale pairs his hauntingly effective depiction of Martian grief, desperation and frustration with some superb narration from Gareth Armstrong alongside a cast who embody everything from the almost purely human to the depths of augmentation.
I'm of the opinion that there are too few stories of politics and intrigue in Warhammer fiction. More 'domestic' stories that peek behind the curtain and show us life and struggle seperate from combat have held my fascination since Eisenhorn's superlative worldbuilding.
The key conceit of this story is that the Mechanicum cannot serve two masters, and the "Binary Succession" between Kane and Kelbor-Hal must be resolved. The methods sought to resolve this are actions which resonate even to the present of the setting; shoring up the Imperial line.
When violence does erupt, though, it is intense and direct; slicing through the Gordian knot of dialogue and debate. Tech Priests and Titan Princeps each contribute their own ideas and opinions, their own contributions to the spasms of loyalty and disunity.
Great odds and great sacrifices are needed (and indeed made) as the fate of the Imperium and the Treaty of Olympus hang in the balance, as we lurch towards the endgame of the Heresy and the pieces fall into place for great and terrible things.
In each case, Annandale weaves an effortless tapestry; warring politics and civil discord flow together with sharp incisive violence. A necessary story, told through an effective use of the audio medium leads to an altogether satisifying entry into the Heresy.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews