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Forges of Mars #3
Götter des Mars (Forges of Mars 3)
Jenseits des Randes der Galaxis findet Erzmagos Kotovs große Fahrt ihr Ende. Er hat sein Ziel erreicht - den letzten Ruheort des seit langer Zeit verschollenen Vettius Telok. Doch Telok lebt noch, und während die mutigen Exploratoren aus Kotovs Flotte über die Wunder staunen, die vor ihnen liegen, entfalten sich düstere Pläne. Als die Realität selbst durch unmögliche Technologien vom Anbeginn der Zeit bedroht wird, ist es an einer kleinen Gruppe Helden, einen wahnsinnigen Plan zu vereiteln, der das gesamte Universum vernichten könnte.
479 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 17, 2014
44 people are currently reading
489 people want to read
About the author
Graham McNeill
334 books894 followersHailing from Scotland, Graham McNeill narrowly escaped a career in surveying to work for Games Workshop as a games designer. He has a strong following with his novels Nightbringer, Warriors of Ultramar, Dead Sky, Black Sun and Storm of Iron.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
November 30, 2014
It seems to me that the whole Warhammer book franchise is now all about taking as much money as possible from its fan base. 30 or so books and counting in the Horus Heresy saga and three books for this story (set long after the heresy).
The story was acceptable in its own right, however I don't think it needed three books to tell it and for me (if we are to put it into the Warhammer universe) it has a major issue.
The characters were not particularly engaging and here was the strange thing. Something must have radically changed in the Warhammer universe, because the Mechanicus who I understood to replace their human parts with machine, seem to be the most emotional or "human" of all the characters in the story; and thats not the only thing.
Space Marines forget about the Eldar killing their leader and seemingly link up with no problems in order to defeat the enemy. I know there have been alliances in the past, but when the whole Space Marine and "God Emperor" is based upon a twisted pseudo faith, would the Marines be so easily swayed to form an alliance? I found this far fetched.
Then we have the descriptions of conciousness flying around cyberspace, in scenes reminiscent of the lawn mower man, the narrative confuses as much as it describes and I'd suggest you'll get lost quickly even if your Warhammer knowledge is great (unless you are a techie)
This should not have been a 3 book set.
My time with the Warhammer universe is coming to an end. I thought the Heresy to have been drawn out overly, but when other titles outside that series are doing the same thing, I've got better things to read and ones that don't stretch themselves into a series for what I can only believe is a way to get even more money from fans.
I have a few books from Warhammer remaining that were bought as presents and added to my reading list. After these then I can't see myself returning to the Warhammer universe any time soon.
The story was acceptable in its own right, however I don't think it needed three books to tell it and for me (if we are to put it into the Warhammer universe) it has a major issue.
The characters were not particularly engaging and here was the strange thing. Something must have radically changed in the Warhammer universe, because the Mechanicus who I understood to replace their human parts with machine, seem to be the most emotional or "human" of all the characters in the story; and thats not the only thing.
Space Marines forget about the Eldar killing their leader and seemingly link up with no problems in order to defeat the enemy. I know there have been alliances in the past, but when the whole Space Marine and "God Emperor" is based upon a twisted pseudo faith, would the Marines be so easily swayed to form an alliance? I found this far fetched.
Then we have the descriptions of conciousness flying around cyberspace, in scenes reminiscent of the lawn mower man, the narrative confuses as much as it describes and I'd suggest you'll get lost quickly even if your Warhammer knowledge is great (unless you are a techie)
This should not have been a 3 book set.
My time with the Warhammer universe is coming to an end. I thought the Heresy to have been drawn out overly, but when other titles outside that series are doing the same thing, I've got better things to read and ones that don't stretch themselves into a series for what I can only believe is a way to get even more money from fans.
I have a few books from Warhammer remaining that were bought as presents and added to my reading list. After these then I can't see myself returning to the Warhammer universe any time soon.
November 17, 2014
Following directly on from the bombshells left in the wake of Lords of Mars, the latest novel by McNeill is a very strange tome indeed. On the one hand it’s the perfect example of a possible angle for Warhammer 40,000 novels to approach, focusing away from the battlefields in favour of a space opera and ongoing tale of conflicting agendas and secrets. Brighter than the average setting of the universe, more akin to Gotrek and Felix than the Ultramarines series, the Adeptus Mechanicus books are a clear way to break away from the perpetual grimdark style some readers have come to hate. With a plethora of fascinating characters, the rare 40k setting of a true space opera and a wealth of new opportunities, it should be a shining example to all of Black Library. On the other hand, it never seems to truly embrace all of this and many points keep trying to be less Battlestar Galactica and more Star Trek: Into Darkness, often pulling back into familiar territory. This is taken to the next level in Gods of Mars and it badly hurts the series as a result.
Having finally arrived in orbit over the stronghold of the enigmatic Magos Telok, survivor of an ill fated expedition and keeper of the legendary Breath of Gods, the remaining ships of the Explorator fleet lick their wounds. On the world below the Black Templars, Rogue Traders, Mechanicum Adepts and Imperial Guardsmen find a realm of wonders. Telok’s creations are far in advance of anything the modern Imperium retains, but the decades of isolation have taken their toll on his mind. Even as the various factions aboard the Speranza deal with internal feuds, one truly realise the true threat which awaits them below…
Those of you who read the previous review of Priests of Mars might recall that one point praised was the restraint when it came to mass violence. While the novel offered a full blown fleet battle and calamitous events of fire and shrapnel, the main drive came down to its characters. Backstabbing, personal ambitions, old grudges and apparent curses were rife throughout, and these allowed the series to remain head and shoulders above the usual bolter porn seen in Black Library. Unfortunately this seems to be forgotten here and Gods of Mars switches things around.
All of a sudden the violence is front and centre, with many personal events being quickly wrapped up or shoved entirely into the background in favour of battles. Several secondary figures are abruptly killed off early on, the Legio Sirius are barely in the book, and many thrilling ideas are suddenly squashed. Chief among these is the ambition and drive of Archmagos Kotov and his compromises to join up with Telok. Throughout prior books we have seen him deal in very shady acts and even outright heresy to chase after Telok, but the book resolves this entire point within a chapter. He just sees the light of his actions and then goes hardline against them, going all-out to stop further heresy and preventing any further drama from this angle. The same goes for a few other characters as well. The conclusion of the previous novel ended with Captain Surcouf and Linya Tychon undergoing severely traumatic events, with one being turned into a potential sleeper agent and the other torn from her body. These really cranked up the wham moments from the end of the book, but they’re almost forgotten here. Linya is important but the horror of her situation is subdued to a ridiculous degree and Surcouf’s manipulation is all but forgotten.
As this was a part of an ongoing tale, with each book leaning directly into the next one, Gods of Mars itself seems to be treated as a third act. It’s more action packed, trying to tie up events and giving many explosions. On this at least it delivers in spades, but it’s nothing we’ve really seen before and the unique and unusual situation of being trapped on a rogue Mechanicus world is something we’ve seen done before. While Kotov’s band is amazed and horrified by what they find, it’s nowhere near as well done as similar ideas found in Ben Counter’s Dark Mechanicus. To stand out this needed to be the Warahmmer version of The Island of Doctor Moreau or give more initial ambiguity to Telok, but McNeill’s use of him as a shallow doomsday villain merely robs much of the story of its potential.
All this said though, there was enough here to keep anyone who has seen the story before now reading. Foremost among these was how the story continues to treat machine spirits as something potentially real rather than the mere superstition they are so commonly regarded as, and this is taken to the next level. Further concepts and ideas are added here, which are obviously more spiritual in nature than merely misunderstood technology, and this adds a great deal of variety to the universe. It’s worked into the plot’s very core, and even as it discards its main strengths this one remains constant throughout.
In addition to this the main battles themselves hold up surprisingly well. While the enemy consists largely of faceless drones without much personality, there are enough hints and discoveries made by Kotov’s crew to give them some real interest. Suggestions are made that they might be of necrotyr origin or perhaps even some other creation, but completely unlike anything seen from that race before. There’s always slight suggestions here and there which keep them intriguing, the same elements which help the likes of the true necrons and tyranids over other variations. Plus it helps that, even when he’s eroded the main foundations of his storyline, McNeill always knows how to stage a huge battle, last stand or major skirmish.
Ultimately Gods of Mars is ridden with many of the same problems Vengeful Spirit was. It needed to have a much clearer focus, less emphasis upon the huge battles and a far better balance throughout its spanning storylines. What we have here is only really excused as the tale itself does not end with this story and there are suggestions the series will keep going onto future installments, hopefully getting back to what was successful prior to this. If you’ve read Priests and Lords of Mars, the third part of this series will keep you going until the last page, but it lacks many of the strengths of its predecessors. Pick it up if you want to keep going with this story, but keep your expectations firmly grounded.
Having finally arrived in orbit over the stronghold of the enigmatic Magos Telok, survivor of an ill fated expedition and keeper of the legendary Breath of Gods, the remaining ships of the Explorator fleet lick their wounds. On the world below the Black Templars, Rogue Traders, Mechanicum Adepts and Imperial Guardsmen find a realm of wonders. Telok’s creations are far in advance of anything the modern Imperium retains, but the decades of isolation have taken their toll on his mind. Even as the various factions aboard the Speranza deal with internal feuds, one truly realise the true threat which awaits them below…
Those of you who read the previous review of Priests of Mars might recall that one point praised was the restraint when it came to mass violence. While the novel offered a full blown fleet battle and calamitous events of fire and shrapnel, the main drive came down to its characters. Backstabbing, personal ambitions, old grudges and apparent curses were rife throughout, and these allowed the series to remain head and shoulders above the usual bolter porn seen in Black Library. Unfortunately this seems to be forgotten here and Gods of Mars switches things around.
All of a sudden the violence is front and centre, with many personal events being quickly wrapped up or shoved entirely into the background in favour of battles. Several secondary figures are abruptly killed off early on, the Legio Sirius are barely in the book, and many thrilling ideas are suddenly squashed. Chief among these is the ambition and drive of Archmagos Kotov and his compromises to join up with Telok. Throughout prior books we have seen him deal in very shady acts and even outright heresy to chase after Telok, but the book resolves this entire point within a chapter. He just sees the light of his actions and then goes hardline against them, going all-out to stop further heresy and preventing any further drama from this angle. The same goes for a few other characters as well. The conclusion of the previous novel ended with Captain Surcouf and Linya Tychon undergoing severely traumatic events, with one being turned into a potential sleeper agent and the other torn from her body. These really cranked up the wham moments from the end of the book, but they’re almost forgotten here. Linya is important but the horror of her situation is subdued to a ridiculous degree and Surcouf’s manipulation is all but forgotten.
As this was a part of an ongoing tale, with each book leaning directly into the next one, Gods of Mars itself seems to be treated as a third act. It’s more action packed, trying to tie up events and giving many explosions. On this at least it delivers in spades, but it’s nothing we’ve really seen before and the unique and unusual situation of being trapped on a rogue Mechanicus world is something we’ve seen done before. While Kotov’s band is amazed and horrified by what they find, it’s nowhere near as well done as similar ideas found in Ben Counter’s Dark Mechanicus. To stand out this needed to be the Warahmmer version of The Island of Doctor Moreau or give more initial ambiguity to Telok, but McNeill’s use of him as a shallow doomsday villain merely robs much of the story of its potential.
All this said though, there was enough here to keep anyone who has seen the story before now reading. Foremost among these was how the story continues to treat machine spirits as something potentially real rather than the mere superstition they are so commonly regarded as, and this is taken to the next level. Further concepts and ideas are added here, which are obviously more spiritual in nature than merely misunderstood technology, and this adds a great deal of variety to the universe. It’s worked into the plot’s very core, and even as it discards its main strengths this one remains constant throughout.
In addition to this the main battles themselves hold up surprisingly well. While the enemy consists largely of faceless drones without much personality, there are enough hints and discoveries made by Kotov’s crew to give them some real interest. Suggestions are made that they might be of necrotyr origin or perhaps even some other creation, but completely unlike anything seen from that race before. There’s always slight suggestions here and there which keep them intriguing, the same elements which help the likes of the true necrons and tyranids over other variations. Plus it helps that, even when he’s eroded the main foundations of his storyline, McNeill always knows how to stage a huge battle, last stand or major skirmish.
Ultimately Gods of Mars is ridden with many of the same problems Vengeful Spirit was. It needed to have a much clearer focus, less emphasis upon the huge battles and a far better balance throughout its spanning storylines. What we have here is only really excused as the tale itself does not end with this story and there are suggestions the series will keep going onto future installments, hopefully getting back to what was successful prior to this. If you’ve read Priests and Lords of Mars, the third part of this series will keep you going until the last page, but it lacks many of the strengths of its predecessors. Pick it up if you want to keep going with this story, but keep your expectations firmly grounded.
January 1, 2017
An exceptional end to an exceptional series. I think the word might be 'explosive'. The finale to the OF MARS series is, after some opening moves, essentially all combat and after the slow cranking up of tension of the first two novels it's predictably breathtaking stuff. It's easy to suffer from battle fatigue, but there's no worry of that here as every battle means something to someone and I don't think I could name a single character I didn't care about by the end. Plus there's revelations aplenty to keep the pages and then the chapters turning.
There's been several stand-out characters as the series has gone on. Surcouff was my favourite in PRIESTS, overtaken by Abrehem Locke in LORDS, but to my the character that I think is going to stick with me for longest is Tarkis Blaylock. Oh Tarkis. So complicated, so layered. The ending wasn't kind to him, but he's survived worse. I have hope for him. Speranza means Hope, after all.
There's been several stand-out characters as the series has gone on. Surcouff was my favourite in PRIESTS, overtaken by Abrehem Locke in LORDS, but to my the character that I think is going to stick with me for longest is Tarkis Blaylock. Oh Tarkis. So complicated, so layered. The ending wasn't kind to him, but he's survived worse. I have hope for him. Speranza means Hope, after all.
August 19, 2018
Gods of Mars was a decent enough story, but it just didn't do it for me. I am not saying that it was bad, it is actually quite decent. Perhaps the fact that this was the third book in a series I had not read was what truly threw me off. I wish they had labeled it "Book Three" or something. I didn't realize till I started reading that there were two other books that had come before.
On top of that, the subject matter- the Adeptus Mechanicus trying to stop an ancient rogue Arch-Magos from destroying reality with a xenos machine, just wasn't all that exciting. They do try- from Galatea, the monstrous AI, to Archmagos Telok, the insane Archmagos who seeks to destroy Mars and Terra, even the motley array of Eldar, Deathwatch Astartes and a Rouge Trader to round of the cast of characters didn't draw me in.
In essence Arhmagos Telok has found an ancient Xenos weapon called the Breath of the Gods. With it he intends to destroy Terra and Mars and set himself up as some new God-Emperor. Trying to stop him is Archmagos Kotov and the previously mentioned grouping of Deathwatch Marines and Eldarin the service of Farseer Bielanna Faerelle who seek to preserve the universe. That is the story. It was good enough, but I never developed any kind of understanding or truly liking any of the characters. Even the Deathwatch Astartes weren't all that exciting. So a good enough story but far from the usual Warhammer story that I enjoy.
On top of that, the subject matter- the Adeptus Mechanicus trying to stop an ancient rogue Arch-Magos from destroying reality with a xenos machine, just wasn't all that exciting. They do try- from Galatea, the monstrous AI, to Archmagos Telok, the insane Archmagos who seeks to destroy Mars and Terra, even the motley array of Eldar, Deathwatch Astartes and a Rouge Trader to round of the cast of characters didn't draw me in.
In essence Arhmagos Telok has found an ancient Xenos weapon called the Breath of the Gods. With it he intends to destroy Terra and Mars and set himself up as some new God-Emperor. Trying to stop him is Archmagos Kotov and the previously mentioned grouping of Deathwatch Marines and Eldarin the service of Farseer Bielanna Faerelle who seek to preserve the universe. That is the story. It was good enough, but I never developed any kind of understanding or truly liking any of the characters. Even the Deathwatch Astartes weren't all that exciting. So a good enough story but far from the usual Warhammer story that I enjoy.
August 19, 2024
Graham McNeill closes out his 'Forges of Mars' trilogy with an action-packed story which has perhaps a few too many characters - none of them super-memorable - and certainly too many factions. The giant stompy robots, cyborgy engineer-clerics and emperor-bothering crusade-marines are among the least interesting of the setting's many cultures, the Cadians are frustratingly dull and the space-elves, while awesome, don't really need to be there.
There are some fantastic ideas including a gestalt being and and excellently entertaining if not terribly believable culmination to the slave rebellion subplot, but the few exceptionally strong action scenes are overwhelmed by the many banal ones. As a whole this book and the trilogy are enjoyable and well worth a look for anyone intruiged at the ideas of rogue traders exploring beyond known space, but in an alternate reality where the publisher asked for the whole story to be covered in a single volume the result is almost certainly a tighter, more focussed and compelling work.
There are some fantastic ideas including a gestalt being and and excellently entertaining if not terribly believable culmination to the slave rebellion subplot, but the few exceptionally strong action scenes are overwhelmed by the many banal ones. As a whole this book and the trilogy are enjoyable and well worth a look for anyone intruiged at the ideas of rogue traders exploring beyond known space, but in an alternate reality where the publisher asked for the whole story to be covered in a single volume the result is almost certainly a tighter, more focussed and compelling work.
June 8, 2025
This is a fantastic end to an incredible trilogy. The characters both loved and hated, were woven together to create an addictive and amazing story, leading to a satisfying and unexpected conclusion.
All Hail the Omnissiah and All Hail Graham McNeill.
All Hail the Omnissiah and All Hail Graham McNeill.
October 16, 2024
No pity, no remorse, no fear
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 10, 2022
Vitali Tychon best dad in the galaxy
August 6, 2021
It's kinda sad. The first book, Priests of Mars, was the best. The second was a bit worse. And this final volume is the shittiest of the three. It's still a good book in the sense that it's a nice read, there's some action going on, some disturbing things happen to some main characters and all in all the book gives some closure to the series. But still.
After three books, the techno-nonsense becomes stupid. It's all fun to get you into the atmosphere of a techno-cult in the 41st millenium, but if half the book becomes gibberish, you have to ask what you are spending your time on. The enemies in the book are flat characters, soulless nameless crystal-things that just spawn and die. The main villain has no depth, he just went "insane".
There are some satisfying sub-plots in the book (I appreciated Lydia and Galatea, and some dynamics with the Black Templars) but most of it is pretty basic. It doesn't help that this book isn't that big on interpersonal relationships. The first book took it slow, it was all about fleshing out the characters. This book is the opposite, it's pretty much one big action-packed battle with characters I couldn't care less about. Especially the Cadians. I don't know why they got such a big focus in the book, possibly because they are "baseline" humans and thus supposed to be most relatable? I couldn't find myself in their hero-complex at all. "We're from Cadia so of course we're super soldiers, we never give up, Cadian soldiers are the best. Btw, did we tell you we're Cadian?" Give me a break.
Perhaps after three books the Adeptus Mechanicus doesn't feel special anymore. In some way the trilogy of Mars reminds me of Game of Thrones. It starts of amazing, but then the ending is just some generic action thing that leaves you unsatisfied. It's still a nice read, but nothing special.
After three books, the techno-nonsense becomes stupid. It's all fun to get you into the atmosphere of a techno-cult in the 41st millenium, but if half the book becomes gibberish, you have to ask what you are spending your time on. The enemies in the book are flat characters, soulless nameless crystal-things that just spawn and die. The main villain has no depth, he just went "insane".
There are some satisfying sub-plots in the book (I appreciated Lydia and Galatea, and some dynamics with the Black Templars) but most of it is pretty basic. It doesn't help that this book isn't that big on interpersonal relationships. The first book took it slow, it was all about fleshing out the characters. This book is the opposite, it's pretty much one big action-packed battle with characters I couldn't care less about. Especially the Cadians. I don't know why they got such a big focus in the book, possibly because they are "baseline" humans and thus supposed to be most relatable? I couldn't find myself in their hero-complex at all. "We're from Cadia so of course we're super soldiers, we never give up, Cadian soldiers are the best. Btw, did we tell you we're Cadian?" Give me a break.
Perhaps after three books the Adeptus Mechanicus doesn't feel special anymore. In some way the trilogy of Mars reminds me of Game of Thrones. It starts of amazing, but then the ending is just some generic action thing that leaves you unsatisfied. It's still a nice read, but nothing special.
July 8, 2017
There is a lot of interesting stuff happening here and overall, I enjoyed the series.
Some criticisms:
- A LOT of over-the-top description of tech-fluff that really just goes nowhere. The author needs to delete the word noospheric from his vocabulary. Since much of the external conflict has a technological focus (as it should be), the whole theme gets oversaturated very quickly. Each confrontation boils down to "This mysterious old technology might counteract that mysterious old technology. Let's check the noosphere."
- I actually liked a lot of the characters, eventually, other than the actual tech priests, but I guess they are supposed to be flat and uninteresting? The space elfs were very clichéd and cheesy for the first two books, but props for making them interesting in the last volume. The subplot about the Astartes worked well.
- Really, really clichéd villain. Since he is the focus of this last volume, that's an issue.
Still, there is a crap ton of interesting lore, and enough decent story to make it a worthwhile read between other books.
Final verdict: Much better than some of the generic WH fantasy stuff; not as good as the better Horus Heresy volumes or the Eisenhorn series.
Some criticisms:
- A LOT of over-the-top description of tech-fluff that really just goes nowhere. The author needs to delete the word noospheric from his vocabulary. Since much of the external conflict has a technological focus (as it should be), the whole theme gets oversaturated very quickly. Each confrontation boils down to "This mysterious old technology might counteract that mysterious old technology. Let's check the noosphere."
- I actually liked a lot of the characters, eventually, other than the actual tech priests, but I guess they are supposed to be flat and uninteresting? The space elfs were very clichéd and cheesy for the first two books, but props for making them interesting in the last volume. The subplot about the Astartes worked well.
- Really, really clichéd villain. Since he is the focus of this last volume, that's an issue.
Still, there is a crap ton of interesting lore, and enough decent story to make it a worthwhile read between other books.
Final verdict: Much better than some of the generic WH fantasy stuff; not as good as the better Horus Heresy volumes or the Eisenhorn series.
February 22, 2023
Gods of Mars is better than Lords of Mars, but I’ve given them both two stars because they really should have been just one book. Maybe the entire trilogy should have been just one book, but on the other hand, priests of mars is sort of good on its own. Lords and Gods aren’t good on their own, and they are not particularly good together either.
Maybe it’s because they author had a bit too much material for just one book, but there just isn’t enough for two, and it shows. The story is interesting enough, but I went though large parts of both books that just felt like boring filler stuff.
That being said, it has some rather refreshing Eldar movements and it’s always nice to see some Xenos perspectives in Black Library literature.
I’m not sure the two stars is really earned for this book, but I’m not going to give it more because it should have been one book, and I think the only reason that it isn’t is money and not because the Author has enough to say. If I’m wrong about that, then I’m sorry!
Maybe it’s because they author had a bit too much material for just one book, but there just isn’t enough for two, and it shows. The story is interesting enough, but I went though large parts of both books that just felt like boring filler stuff.
That being said, it has some rather refreshing Eldar movements and it’s always nice to see some Xenos perspectives in Black Library literature.
I’m not sure the two stars is really earned for this book, but I’m not going to give it more because it should have been one book, and I think the only reason that it isn’t is money and not because the Author has enough to say. If I’m wrong about that, then I’m sorry!
October 26, 2024
I read this trilogy for the lore and I loved that in the first 2 books
However I really don't like the way the battle scenes are written. I don't know, I just kept falling asleep while reading so I switched to the audiobooks. I ended up having to listen to some chapters 2 or 3 times because the battle scenes were so boring I dozed off. Great book for insomnia I guess 😂
I loved the first book and the 2nd one was great (apart from the battle scenes) but this one had 0 of the things I liked and 300 pages of those which I don't so...
******* was also my favorite character and he got done dirty in the end for no reason so extra salt.
I'd honestly recommend just skipping to the end (last 5-6 chapters) for the lore since there were some cool stuff there if you were reading for that.
If you liked the battles in the first 2 books I'm sure you'll enjoy this one.
However I really don't like the way the battle scenes are written. I don't know, I just kept falling asleep while reading so I switched to the audiobooks. I ended up having to listen to some chapters 2 or 3 times because the battle scenes were so boring I dozed off. Great book for insomnia I guess 😂
I loved the first book and the 2nd one was great (apart from the battle scenes) but this one had 0 of the things I liked and 300 pages of those which I don't so...
******* was also my favorite character and he got done dirty in the end for no reason so extra salt.
I'd honestly recommend just skipping to the end (last 5-6 chapters) for the lore since there were some cool stuff there if you were reading for that.
If you liked the battles in the first 2 books I'm sure you'll enjoy this one.
December 30, 2023
Loved this series. So well researched when it comes to the science side of it. Though it’s theoretical/fictional it’s all so plausible! Great mix of characters and races and gritty unlike the space marine books. It’s got everything from Eldar, rogue traders, space marines, imperial guard and adeptus mechanicus. The least plausible thing was the choice of Black Templars as they’re probably the least likely chapter to fight alongside Xenos, whatever the desperate circumstance may be! I especially like the ethics around tampering with technology and the various attitudes around it and how even good intentions can lead folk astray.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 14, 2023
The trilogy that began with the Speranza's journey from Imperial space has stuck the landing in all the correct ways.
For existing fans of 40k(especially Mechanicus enjoyers), all of the main characters built upon in the first two books are given satisfying conclusions. The battles in this book alone reach even greater scale and intricacy. Addictive, and thought-provoking. Anyone who makes their way through the first two books, owes it to themselves to finish this one.
For existing fans of 40k(especially Mechanicus enjoyers), all of the main characters built upon in the first two books are given satisfying conclusions. The battles in this book alone reach even greater scale and intricacy. Addictive, and thought-provoking. Anyone who makes their way through the first two books, owes it to themselves to finish this one.
August 6, 2025
A disappointing last book.
The story wasn't great and the plot kept switching to other protagonists every few pages if not paragraphs, which didn't help to be engaged.
There are a lot of fights and reading them was a drag.
Storm of Iron was a nice book, but the Forges of Mars has too much padding.
The story wasn't great and the plot kept switching to other protagonists every few pages if not paragraphs, which didn't help to be engaged.
There are a lot of fights and reading them was a drag.
Storm of Iron was a nice book, but the Forges of Mars has too much padding.
January 23, 2023
A dull, drawn out book in which nothing interesting happens very loudly and bloodily for around 90% of the runtime. Mercifully, you can skim most of it and skip the rest. This whole trilogy hasn't been worth the time investment.
November 29, 2023
Book 3 of a great 40K series. Possibly my new favourite. Series ends in a battle that feels weighty and earned where lots of 40K novels tend to overdo the battles, making them boring. Fast paced with good characters. A satisfying ending to the trilogy.
May 17, 2019
Excellent ending to a great series.
May 22, 2019
A resolution that leave more questions than answers and longing for fringe characters that are superbly interesting.
October 17, 2019
wow the final battle was amazing, talk about technology!!!!!
April 2, 2023
Satisfying end to the trilogy!
April 8, 2023
great trilogy, good plot with twists
June 20, 2023
This is the end of what can be described as the worst WH series ever written.
September 7, 2024
Such a pain to finish, every faction has to have their moment to shine. In the end the story was pointless, characters lived and died for nothing.
October 17, 2024
Not a bad read. It’s just one big hack and slash extravaganza.
December 23, 2024
A great end to an grandiose trilogie. A must read for every admech fan or a rouge trader fan
August 24, 2025
Once again, this book starts out slowly but ends up with a lot of action at the end. I think from the three books of the series this created the most emotions in me. A good read.
May 29, 2024
A good ending to the forges of mars books. I realize this was written before the admech where fully in the game so some things are different but overall I think it was a good introduction to admech in 40k
September 15, 2015
Gods of War closes off what was, in my opinion, the second best Warhammer 40,000 series of all time. Second only to the Eisenhorn trilogy in terms of setting, mood, plot, and overall feel.
It has enough Space Marines to get your bolter porn fix. It has Guardsmen, Titans, Necrons, Eldar, Hrud...
It mixes all of these elements in a believable adventure that was a blast from start to finish. I loved how it took the setting out of the war-torm Imperium and went beyond the edge of the galaxy, where all the rules are gone. Most 40k stuff tends to fall into a very predictable pattern.
Some kind of Chaos is behind everything, and while it can still be fun, it tends to be a little redundant.
Taking these characters literally exploring beyond the edges of the fiction allowed for a tremendous breadth of character and imagination that I felt were very lacking in most Black Library stuff.
The Mechanicus are also humanized in a very interesting way. They are still machines, for the most part, but Graham added hidden layers of depth to their character that allowed them to still be interesting. They spurt angry binary, and interact with machines and each other in a way that makes them fun. Technology is really couched in mysticism here, and is treated almost like magic, or "the Force" in some ways.
And thank the Emperor that there is NO Chaos in any of these books... what a refreshing change.
My only concern for people going into this would be the fact that at some points, especially in this third book in the trilogy, things go full-on 'magic'. There is some psychic and machine trickery that just cannot be explained, and has to be taken at face value. It's a little Deus Ex Machina in some ways, but it was definitely no more intrusive than most of the 'demon' or 'psyker' explanations that fans of the setting are used to.
Highly recommend, and given the very, VERY cliffhanger ending, I wouldn't be surprised if we saw more.
It has enough Space Marines to get your bolter porn fix. It has Guardsmen, Titans, Necrons, Eldar, Hrud...
It mixes all of these elements in a believable adventure that was a blast from start to finish. I loved how it took the setting out of the war-torm Imperium and went beyond the edge of the galaxy, where all the rules are gone. Most 40k stuff tends to fall into a very predictable pattern.
Some kind of Chaos is behind everything, and while it can still be fun, it tends to be a little redundant.
Taking these characters literally exploring beyond the edges of the fiction allowed for a tremendous breadth of character and imagination that I felt were very lacking in most Black Library stuff.
The Mechanicus are also humanized in a very interesting way. They are still machines, for the most part, but Graham added hidden layers of depth to their character that allowed them to still be interesting. They spurt angry binary, and interact with machines and each other in a way that makes them fun. Technology is really couched in mysticism here, and is treated almost like magic, or "the Force" in some ways.
And thank the Emperor that there is NO Chaos in any of these books... what a refreshing change.
My only concern for people going into this would be the fact that at some points, especially in this third book in the trilogy, things go full-on 'magic'. There is some psychic and machine trickery that just cannot be explained, and has to be taken at face value. It's a little Deus Ex Machina in some ways, but it was definitely no more intrusive than most of the 'demon' or 'psyker' explanations that fans of the setting are used to.
Highly recommend, and given the very, VERY cliffhanger ending, I wouldn't be surprised if we saw more.
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