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Space Marine Battles #Audio Drama
Mortarion's Heart
The daemon prince Mortarion has emerged from the Eye of Terror at the head of a vast plague-horde, intent upon the corruption of the Imperium he once served. Under Supreme Grand Master Geronitan, the Grey Knights finally meet the daemon army in battle on the plains of Kornovin - a mobilisation of the Chapter the likes of which few have ever seen. Kaldor Draigo and his fellow brotherhood masters lead from the front, trusting to their lord's secretive plan... until Geronitan is unexpectedly struck down by the Death Lord. With the eyes of the Inquisition upon them and the arcane path of destiny broken forever, the Grey Knights must cast aside thoughts of anything so petty as revenge. The Supreme Grand Master's successor must be named, or all may be lost.
Read it Because
It's the definitive story of how the daemon primarch Mortarion came to have a Grey Knight's name carved on his heart. It also shows the Grey Knights in massed battle and the rituals by which they elect a new leader – in short, it's necessary listening for all fans of the silver-armoured daemon hunters
35 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 21, 2014
8 people are currently reading
99 people want to read
About the author
L.J. Goulding
66 books43 followersL. J. Goulding is a British novelist, scriptwriter and editor, living and working in Los Angeles, California. His credits include 'League of Legends: Realms of Runeterra', the Black Library audio dramas 'Malcador: First Lord of the Imperium', 'The Heart of the Pharos', 'Scythes of the Emperor: Daedalus', and 'Mortarion's Heart', the novel 'Slaughter at Giant's Coffin', and many short stories for publishers in the UK and US.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
February 14, 2014
If you have been reading my reviews on this site for some time now, you’ll likely know my opinion of the recent Codex: Grey Knights. Along with punching plot holes the size of the Eye of Terror into an otherwise relatively stable canon, I regard the lore as not only childishly simplistic but completely misunderstanding even the most basic aspects of the universe.
What’s the point of all this? Because I want you to know where I am coming from when I say Mortarion’s Heart is a genuinely great story.
Set during the Battle of Kornovin in M41, the vast bulk of the Grey Knights chapter has been gathered to combat a massive daemonic incursion. Many worlds have been sacrificed and gambits played out to bring their leader, Mortarion, to a place where he might be defeated and destroyed. Fighting on the frontlines, Draigo is frustrated at the idea of missing such a foe’s end but when Geronitan is unexpectedly slain everything is thrown into doubt…
What immediately shows this story has been written in the right way is that there is a clear awareness of the major criticisms of the Grey Knights latest incarnation. Dreadknights are kept to a few sentence cameo well away from the heroes. Draigo does not merely steamroll Mortarion within seconds to meeting him, and his victory is reminiscent of something Justicar Alaric would pull off. The Grey Knights are notably puratical, not only balking at the idea of using heresy, even using true names with extreme care, but seeming all things xenos as impure. Unlike what the codex might say, it’s hard to imagine them willingly obeying a man with a dozen daemonhosts at his command.
This understanding extends to the story itself. Draigo’s introduction seems to be following the exact style of the original but this is only so such expectations can be quickly subverted. It introduces legitimate reasons of why he fought Mortarion alone, why his ascension to Grand Master was so swift, and even plays out a few fan criticisms. Geronitan and his bodyguard are brought down in seconds by Mortarion decaying them from within thanks to a horrific mistake.
So it corrects many things, but what about the story itself?
Along with maintaining a steady momentum and enough combat to please most 40K fans, there is a great emphasis upon character and lore.
Draigo himself proves to quickly be likable. He’s a character here with vastly more personality than seen in the codex or Knight of Titan. There’s a degree of arrogance to his character, perhaps even glory seeking, but he’s beloved by his men and has more than simple power. Displaying both skill and intelligence in his battles, and ultimately winning them through those qualities.
While the majority of the focus is placed upon him, there is a wide assortment of figures present in the tale. Along with Librarian Torvus, an aged warrior of the chapter and the only other viewpoint character, each of the Brother-Captains are included. Meeting in a council following Geronitan’s death, you’re given a general impression of each warrior’s personality without it overshadowing the plot. While they are not given enough time to truly stand out, there are plenty of nice moments here. Notably Mordrak is shown to mourn his old ally’s death more than the others, indicating just how heavily each loss weighs upon his shoulders.
The Grey Knights themselves are shown to think in the long term. The battle here was not something they engaged at random, and had far more thought put into it than others would guess. The chapter guided Mortarion to this world, sacrificing others and displays qualities of thinking in the extreme long term. Relying as much on prophecy and hidden truths found within Warp prophecies and fate as much as battlefield logic.
Both the structure and voice acting are strong here. Mortarion’s Heart has been written in the exact manner it needs to, letting the vocal direction take the emotional weight and place emphasis on words while including plenty of descriptive moments. While not overly long, they give some idea of the battle at hand and the weight behind events, building up to just how much is at risk. This also sees the return of a number of prominent names recognisable within Warhammer 40,000 audio tales with Chris Fairbank and Martyn Ellis standing out. Each performs well with their role, though one or two do feel miscast.
While Draigo himself may sound a little young, that can be excused by his rapid ascension. Mortarion meanwhile has an actor who simply does not match with the character. Despite being described as having a voice “like cracking bones” he speaks with loud booming tones and bellowing, wheezing laughter. It would be fine for anyone else, but not for how the part has been written.
Unfortunately Mortarion’s problems do not stop here and he is definitely the weak point of this whole audio. While treated with vastly more dignity than the first story, and a clear threat, there are a few too many failings. The descriptions never really impress the true scale of the incursion or how much has been lost just for this one chance to destroy Mortarion.
Furthermore, his appearance is fairly unimaginative. Seemingly barely changed from his mortal self, he’s just a tall humanoid figure with robes, baroque armour and a scythe. Compared with the towering monstrosities Magnus, Angron and Fulgrim became he seems very underwhelming. Nothing like the alien horror creatures of the Warp should be. Even once Mortarion is taken down, it still feels more than a little too easy. This is likely due to the novel’s length, but there is a simple lack of preparation or impact to his fall. As a result it ends up feeling like a weaker version of what Alaric pulled off in Grey Knights.
Some other characters also feel superfluous, such as an Inquisitor who appears purely to cause problems but little else. He ultimately adds nothing to the story and his removal could have freed up time to flesh out more prominent elements. Perhaps even dealing with one small plot hole surrounding the titansword which is never truly resolved or commented upon. Otherwise his role seems to only be to play out a clichéd bureaucrat who gets in the soldiers’ way.
Speaking of clichés, there’s also Geronitan’s death. While the early elements work fine, his eventually death among his soldiers feels a more than a little ham handled. The descriptions of him convulsing, bleeding out and dying try to convey how massive a blow his death is but it feels like a mentor death from some B-movie in its handling. Admittedly this is something not helped by Mortarion laughing evilly in the background.
Finally, there are not nearly enough environmental descriptions. Some terms do help to outline certain scenes and define where a character is at that moment, but all too often they focus too much upon the armies. Take those away and there isn’t much to the scenes themselves. This is especially clear during a psychic council meeting, with few descriptions of just how unearthly such a scene would truly be.
Despite a few failings however, this is actually a decent story. L J Goulding truly crafted something great out of the most abysmal source material imaginable, rewriting huge chunks of it from the ground up. It combines great lore with well-handled characterisation and revelations which make it meaningful. If you have become jaded or disliked Draigo up to this point, Mortarion’s Heart will likely change your mind about the character. Let’s hope this is the first of many Grey Knights stories with this author.
What’s the point of all this? Because I want you to know where I am coming from when I say Mortarion’s Heart is a genuinely great story.
Set during the Battle of Kornovin in M41, the vast bulk of the Grey Knights chapter has been gathered to combat a massive daemonic incursion. Many worlds have been sacrificed and gambits played out to bring their leader, Mortarion, to a place where he might be defeated and destroyed. Fighting on the frontlines, Draigo is frustrated at the idea of missing such a foe’s end but when Geronitan is unexpectedly slain everything is thrown into doubt…
What immediately shows this story has been written in the right way is that there is a clear awareness of the major criticisms of the Grey Knights latest incarnation. Dreadknights are kept to a few sentence cameo well away from the heroes. Draigo does not merely steamroll Mortarion within seconds to meeting him, and his victory is reminiscent of something Justicar Alaric would pull off. The Grey Knights are notably puratical, not only balking at the idea of using heresy, even using true names with extreme care, but seeming all things xenos as impure. Unlike what the codex might say, it’s hard to imagine them willingly obeying a man with a dozen daemonhosts at his command.
This understanding extends to the story itself. Draigo’s introduction seems to be following the exact style of the original but this is only so such expectations can be quickly subverted. It introduces legitimate reasons of why he fought Mortarion alone, why his ascension to Grand Master was so swift, and even plays out a few fan criticisms. Geronitan and his bodyguard are brought down in seconds by Mortarion decaying them from within thanks to a horrific mistake.
So it corrects many things, but what about the story itself?
Along with maintaining a steady momentum and enough combat to please most 40K fans, there is a great emphasis upon character and lore.
Draigo himself proves to quickly be likable. He’s a character here with vastly more personality than seen in the codex or Knight of Titan. There’s a degree of arrogance to his character, perhaps even glory seeking, but he’s beloved by his men and has more than simple power. Displaying both skill and intelligence in his battles, and ultimately winning them through those qualities.
While the majority of the focus is placed upon him, there is a wide assortment of figures present in the tale. Along with Librarian Torvus, an aged warrior of the chapter and the only other viewpoint character, each of the Brother-Captains are included. Meeting in a council following Geronitan’s death, you’re given a general impression of each warrior’s personality without it overshadowing the plot. While they are not given enough time to truly stand out, there are plenty of nice moments here. Notably Mordrak is shown to mourn his old ally’s death more than the others, indicating just how heavily each loss weighs upon his shoulders.
The Grey Knights themselves are shown to think in the long term. The battle here was not something they engaged at random, and had far more thought put into it than others would guess. The chapter guided Mortarion to this world, sacrificing others and displays qualities of thinking in the extreme long term. Relying as much on prophecy and hidden truths found within Warp prophecies and fate as much as battlefield logic.
Both the structure and voice acting are strong here. Mortarion’s Heart has been written in the exact manner it needs to, letting the vocal direction take the emotional weight and place emphasis on words while including plenty of descriptive moments. While not overly long, they give some idea of the battle at hand and the weight behind events, building up to just how much is at risk. This also sees the return of a number of prominent names recognisable within Warhammer 40,000 audio tales with Chris Fairbank and Martyn Ellis standing out. Each performs well with their role, though one or two do feel miscast.
While Draigo himself may sound a little young, that can be excused by his rapid ascension. Mortarion meanwhile has an actor who simply does not match with the character. Despite being described as having a voice “like cracking bones” he speaks with loud booming tones and bellowing, wheezing laughter. It would be fine for anyone else, but not for how the part has been written.
Unfortunately Mortarion’s problems do not stop here and he is definitely the weak point of this whole audio. While treated with vastly more dignity than the first story, and a clear threat, there are a few too many failings. The descriptions never really impress the true scale of the incursion or how much has been lost just for this one chance to destroy Mortarion.
Furthermore, his appearance is fairly unimaginative. Seemingly barely changed from his mortal self, he’s just a tall humanoid figure with robes, baroque armour and a scythe. Compared with the towering monstrosities Magnus, Angron and Fulgrim became he seems very underwhelming. Nothing like the alien horror creatures of the Warp should be. Even once Mortarion is taken down, it still feels more than a little too easy. This is likely due to the novel’s length, but there is a simple lack of preparation or impact to his fall. As a result it ends up feeling like a weaker version of what Alaric pulled off in Grey Knights.
Some other characters also feel superfluous, such as an Inquisitor who appears purely to cause problems but little else. He ultimately adds nothing to the story and his removal could have freed up time to flesh out more prominent elements. Perhaps even dealing with one small plot hole surrounding the titansword which is never truly resolved or commented upon. Otherwise his role seems to only be to play out a clichéd bureaucrat who gets in the soldiers’ way.
Speaking of clichés, there’s also Geronitan’s death. While the early elements work fine, his eventually death among his soldiers feels a more than a little ham handled. The descriptions of him convulsing, bleeding out and dying try to convey how massive a blow his death is but it feels like a mentor death from some B-movie in its handling. Admittedly this is something not helped by Mortarion laughing evilly in the background.
Finally, there are not nearly enough environmental descriptions. Some terms do help to outline certain scenes and define where a character is at that moment, but all too often they focus too much upon the armies. Take those away and there isn’t much to the scenes themselves. This is especially clear during a psychic council meeting, with few descriptions of just how unearthly such a scene would truly be.
Despite a few failings however, this is actually a decent story. L J Goulding truly crafted something great out of the most abysmal source material imaginable, rewriting huge chunks of it from the ground up. It combines great lore with well-handled characterisation and revelations which make it meaningful. If you have become jaded or disliked Draigo up to this point, Mortarion’s Heart will likely change your mind about the character. Let’s hope this is the first of many Grey Knights stories with this author.
July 26, 2016
Full review also found here!
I apologize if this review is a bit lengthy and referencing other works in the franchise; my perspective is certainly based on being a long-time fan of the lore, and I feel that it will be most valuable to people already well-invested in the background material. As a newcomer to the franchise, please walk away and start elsewhere.
Mortarion's Heart has been a hotly debated topic ever since the story surrounding it had been introduced in the 5th Edition Codex: Grey Knights, back in April 2011. The short new piece of lore involving Primarch Mortarion and newcomer Kaldor Draigo was deemed inplausible, unworthy of being considered canon to the Warhammer 40,000 lore.
I can understand the fans' outcry, for Kaldor Draigo's new history appeared nothing if not over the top; a wishlist of deeds added to a new character, who I often saw described as a silly Mary Sue.
Among other tales of glory, Draigo was told to have beaten the Daemon Prince M'kar the Reborn (featured in Graham McNeill's The Chapters Due and his novella "Calth That Was" and Dan Abnett's "Unmarked" from the Mark of Calth Horus Heresy anthology) in single combat, repeating the feat centuries later. In the meantime, he also became the Supreme Grand Master of his Chapter, and carved the name of his predecessor into the Primarch Mortarion's heart.
Many just considered it "fan-wanking" by the Codex's author, and I will not blame them, for a new character to the lore to make such an amount of buzz, defeating the big archenemies left and right, must certainly rustle some jimmies among fans.
With that context in mind, I was both excited and fearful of this release; it has been quite some time in the making, having been announced at the Black Library Weekender 2012.
Of course I hoped that L J Goulding, being one of Black Library's Editors and Loremasters, would take the tidbits of lore surrounding Kaldor Draigo and craft them into something more plausible, less ridiculous, and overall satisfying that fits into the universe.
Having listened to the audio drama twice since yesterday, I can confirm that, in my eyes and ears, Goulding has succeeded in delivering a story that easily beats what expectations I had, and may be even better than what I had hoped to receive.
Mortarion's Heart goes all-in on this piece of new lore. It shows the death of one Supreme Grand Master, the election of another and the victory of the latter. It roots itself into the background by referencing a lot of other works, including the Horus Heresy series. It even hints at future HH revelations, making me eager to learn more of specific side-plots of the long-running series.
Without spoiling the plot of the audio drama, I can tell you that the actual act of humbling Mortarion is not the single focus of the work. It is the character of Kaldor Draigo who, unsurprisingly, is the star of the drama, and we get to hear how he ascended to the rank of Supreme Grand Master, and what aided his duel with the Death Lord.
As told by the Codex it would appear that Draigo, on his very own, crushed a whole force of daemons before banishing the Daemon Primarch - this is not what actually happens according to this audio drama. It was not as simple as that. While not physically aided in his task, Kaldor Draigo received other means of help from his fellow Grand Masters - all of which feature in the drama.
Above all, however, Mortarion's Heart makes sense of an odd and unexplained bit of lore. It turns the glory-tale of Kaldor Draigo into a relatable, believable thing, at least in context of the franchise. The humbling of the monstrous Primarch is not depicted as a one-sided battle, but as a struggle Draigo was fully equipped to subject himself to and stand a chance.
All of this is also presented by a big cast of voice actors, all of which did a fantastic job bringing life to the setting and characters. While I was not immediately convinced by the deep, rumbling (and a bit cliched) voice for Mortarion himself, it grew on me, as did Draigo's. The audio production was, once again, top notch, with a lot of sound effects throughout. Mortarion's Heart is a high quality product, continuing the upwards trend of Black Library's audio dramas.
I salute Laurie Goulding for turning this drama into a gem. He added a lot of nuance to a bland piece of writing, without contradicting the source material. Fans of Kaldor will still find a heroic tale, whereas disgruntled fans should be put more at ease through this work.
Considering Goulding also wrote an micro eShort for the Black Library Advent Calendar 2013 eBundle, Kaldor Draigo: Knight of Titan, I hope to read more in the future.
Both C.Z. Dunn's Pandorax and L.J. Goulding's recent work have turned Kaldor Draigo from a ridiculously over the top character I would not ever have expected to like into one I can very well live with and appreciate.
While some gripes about his lore still exist in my mind, I hope they will be put at rest by an equally satisfying story as Mortarion's Heart at some point in the future.
I apologize if this review is a bit lengthy and referencing other works in the franchise; my perspective is certainly based on being a long-time fan of the lore, and I feel that it will be most valuable to people already well-invested in the background material. As a newcomer to the franchise, please walk away and start elsewhere.
Mortarion's Heart has been a hotly debated topic ever since the story surrounding it had been introduced in the 5th Edition Codex: Grey Knights, back in April 2011. The short new piece of lore involving Primarch Mortarion and newcomer Kaldor Draigo was deemed inplausible, unworthy of being considered canon to the Warhammer 40,000 lore.
I can understand the fans' outcry, for Kaldor Draigo's new history appeared nothing if not over the top; a wishlist of deeds added to a new character, who I often saw described as a silly Mary Sue.
Among other tales of glory, Draigo was told to have beaten the Daemon Prince M'kar the Reborn (featured in Graham McNeill's The Chapters Due and his novella "Calth That Was" and Dan Abnett's "Unmarked" from the Mark of Calth Horus Heresy anthology) in single combat, repeating the feat centuries later. In the meantime, he also became the Supreme Grand Master of his Chapter, and carved the name of his predecessor into the Primarch Mortarion's heart.
Many just considered it "fan-wanking" by the Codex's author, and I will not blame them, for a new character to the lore to make such an amount of buzz, defeating the big archenemies left and right, must certainly rustle some jimmies among fans.
With that context in mind, I was both excited and fearful of this release; it has been quite some time in the making, having been announced at the Black Library Weekender 2012.
Of course I hoped that L J Goulding, being one of Black Library's Editors and Loremasters, would take the tidbits of lore surrounding Kaldor Draigo and craft them into something more plausible, less ridiculous, and overall satisfying that fits into the universe.
Having listened to the audio drama twice since yesterday, I can confirm that, in my eyes and ears, Goulding has succeeded in delivering a story that easily beats what expectations I had, and may be even better than what I had hoped to receive.
Mortarion's Heart goes all-in on this piece of new lore. It shows the death of one Supreme Grand Master, the election of another and the victory of the latter. It roots itself into the background by referencing a lot of other works, including the Horus Heresy series. It even hints at future HH revelations, making me eager to learn more of specific side-plots of the long-running series.
Without spoiling the plot of the audio drama, I can tell you that the actual act of humbling Mortarion is not the single focus of the work. It is the character of Kaldor Draigo who, unsurprisingly, is the star of the drama, and we get to hear how he ascended to the rank of Supreme Grand Master, and what aided his duel with the Death Lord.
As told by the Codex it would appear that Draigo, on his very own, crushed a whole force of daemons before banishing the Daemon Primarch - this is not what actually happens according to this audio drama. It was not as simple as that. While not physically aided in his task, Kaldor Draigo received other means of help from his fellow Grand Masters - all of which feature in the drama.
Above all, however, Mortarion's Heart makes sense of an odd and unexplained bit of lore. It turns the glory-tale of Kaldor Draigo into a relatable, believable thing, at least in context of the franchise. The humbling of the monstrous Primarch is not depicted as a one-sided battle, but as a struggle Draigo was fully equipped to subject himself to and stand a chance.
All of this is also presented by a big cast of voice actors, all of which did a fantastic job bringing life to the setting and characters. While I was not immediately convinced by the deep, rumbling (and a bit cliched) voice for Mortarion himself, it grew on me, as did Draigo's. The audio production was, once again, top notch, with a lot of sound effects throughout. Mortarion's Heart is a high quality product, continuing the upwards trend of Black Library's audio dramas.
I salute Laurie Goulding for turning this drama into a gem. He added a lot of nuance to a bland piece of writing, without contradicting the source material. Fans of Kaldor will still find a heroic tale, whereas disgruntled fans should be put more at ease through this work.
Considering Goulding also wrote an micro eShort for the Black Library Advent Calendar 2013 eBundle, Kaldor Draigo: Knight of Titan, I hope to read more in the future.
Both C.Z. Dunn's Pandorax and L.J. Goulding's recent work have turned Kaldor Draigo from a ridiculously over the top character I would not ever have expected to like into one I can very well live with and appreciate.
While some gripes about his lore still exist in my mind, I hope they will be put at rest by an equally satisfying story as Mortarion's Heart at some point in the future.
December 14, 2018
Quick caveat that I read the eBook version and haven’t heard the audio version.
I love Games Workshop have played both Warhammer Fantasy and Warhammer 40,000 on and off for years. I’m currently building a Death Guard army so took a quick pit stop from the other book I’m reading to learn about their Primarch - Mortarion.
The Warhammer 40,000 universe is such a rich background full of incredible characters and original ideas that was in no way enriched by this book.
Nothing happens and despite being in the title Mortarion barely makes an appearance. It’s not badly written more blandly written. It���s especially boring considering how awesome the assets are. It’s almost impressive that this book made a Demon Prince with a Legion of zombie marines and other abominations at his back facing off against the God-Emperor of mankind’s most elite and devoted warriors a complete non-event.
If you’re into 40k and want more fluff on the Death Guard I recommend the Codex. I can’t see any reason to read this if you’re not already a 40k fan.
I love Games Workshop have played both Warhammer Fantasy and Warhammer 40,000 on and off for years. I’m currently building a Death Guard army so took a quick pit stop from the other book I’m reading to learn about their Primarch - Mortarion.
The Warhammer 40,000 universe is such a rich background full of incredible characters and original ideas that was in no way enriched by this book.
Nothing happens and despite being in the title Mortarion barely makes an appearance. It’s not badly written more blandly written. It���s especially boring considering how awesome the assets are. It’s almost impressive that this book made a Demon Prince with a Legion of zombie marines and other abominations at his back facing off against the God-Emperor of mankind’s most elite and devoted warriors a complete non-event.
If you’re into 40k and want more fluff on the Death Guard I recommend the Codex. I can’t see any reason to read this if you’re not already a 40k fan.
April 1, 2021
For the full review, please visit Bits & Pieces - https://bitsandpieces.games/2021/03/3...
Mortarion’s Heart by L.J. Goulding is an audio drama that’s part of the Space Marine Battles series of Warhammer 40,000 stories. As you might expect it follows the Daemon Primarch Mortarion of the Death Guard, but what you might not have known is that it also involves the Grey Knights. In fact, this is more a Grey Knight’s story than a Death Guard one. I’m going spoiler-heavy on this one because it’s so short and the direction the story takes will determine whether you want to listen to it or not.
Mortarion’s Heart by L.J. Goulding is an audio drama that’s part of the Space Marine Battles series of Warhammer 40,000 stories. As you might expect it follows the Daemon Primarch Mortarion of the Death Guard, but what you might not have known is that it also involves the Grey Knights. In fact, this is more a Grey Knight’s story than a Death Guard one. I’m going spoiler-heavy on this one because it’s so short and the direction the story takes will determine whether you want to listen to it or not.
November 20, 2017
Wonderful voice acting, intense atmosphere, it was a pleasure to listen to, yet I am confused by Kaldor and his powers. Among other questions, where exactly did he learn Mortarion's "true name"?
October 13, 2020
Wasn’t what I expected and seemed really implausible, which for 40K is saying something. As a fan of both Grey Knights & Death Guard, really thought it did a disservice to both.
November 15, 2022
A fun listen.
May 20, 2025
It was alright
April 23, 2014
A mostly pretty slow audio dramatisation of Mortarion being taken down by recent edition Mary Sue, Kaldor Draigo.
Mortarion who is able to wipe out whole squads of Grey Knights by flapping his wings at them one second and inexplicably unable to handle a single terminator the next is handily defeated by using the most effective weapon against any primarch, Daddy Issues, in this case taking the form of his true name given to him by the Emperor and now known only by the Gray Knights who keep a vast store of such deus ex machina which can instantly defeat the greatest threats to galaxy which they don't use for very good reasons that they can't get into right now.
The action is mostly pretty decent but the majority of the story is more of an office dramedy about a psychic conference call between Gray Knights captains and an Inquisitor getting pissed off about being kept on hold while they choose a new Grandmaster.
It was actually pretty cool to see the interaction between a typically arrogant Inquisitor and the Gray Knights who he considers to be his subordinates and who definitely do not agree. Another good bit is Mortarion hinting around about the now revealed origins of the Gray Knights which remain a mystery to most of their number.
Despite some characters having considerable effects on their voices Mortarion in particular, no one was hard to understand and the music was only the expected amount too loud, also contained the now standard bits of unnecessarily out of order storytelling.
Mortarion who is able to wipe out whole squads of Grey Knights by flapping his wings at them one second and inexplicably unable to handle a single terminator the next is handily defeated by using the most effective weapon against any primarch, Daddy Issues, in this case taking the form of his true name given to him by the Emperor and now known only by the Gray Knights who keep a vast store of such deus ex machina which can instantly defeat the greatest threats to galaxy which they don't use for very good reasons that they can't get into right now.
The action is mostly pretty decent but the majority of the story is more of an office dramedy about a psychic conference call between Gray Knights captains and an Inquisitor getting pissed off about being kept on hold while they choose a new Grandmaster.
It was actually pretty cool to see the interaction between a typically arrogant Inquisitor and the Gray Knights who he considers to be his subordinates and who definitely do not agree. Another good bit is Mortarion hinting around about the now revealed origins of the Gray Knights which remain a mystery to most of their number.
Despite some characters having considerable effects on their voices Mortarion in particular, no one was hard to understand and the music was only the expected amount too loud, also contained the now standard bits of unnecessarily out of order storytelling.
February 24, 2015
The idea behind Black Library’s series of Space Marine Battles novels and audios is that they showcase some of the most famous actions featuring the Imperium’s finest, but while Space Marines are fundamentally cool, there’s often a risk of these stories being a little…well, a little silly. Step forward Mortarion’s Heart, the story of a single Grey Knight battling a daemon primarch and (SPOILERS) emerging victorious. It’s all well and good having things like this as colour text for a codex, but as a full story there’s a definite whiff of the preposterous. So how does LJ Goulding do as he tackles this particular tale?
Read the rest of the review at https://trackofwords.wordpress.com/20...
Read the rest of the review at https://trackofwords.wordpress.com/20...
July 14, 2014
This was an action packed short story about the circumstances surrounding the elevation of Kaldor Draigo to the position of Supreme Grand Master of the Grey Knights. The previous Chapter Master fell when the Grey knights failed to close a massive military trap for the Daemon Primarch Mortarion. Draigo and the Grey Knights recalibrate their plans and successfully banish Mortarion. The end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 17, 2014
Anything with a primarch or the great Kaldor Draigo is going to be awesome...
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews