Fabius Bile: Clonelord

Fabius Bile #2

by Joshua Reynolds

Once a loyal son of the Emperor’s Children, Fabius Bile now loathes those he once called brother. But when a former comrade requests his aid on a mission he cannot refuse, Bile is drawn once more into the sinister machinations of his former Legion. Now, accompanied by new allies and old enemies alike, Fabius Bile must travel deep into the wilds of the Eastern Fringe, in search of a world unlike any other. A world which might hold the key to his very survival. A world called Solemnace…

Read it BecauseIt's another outing for everyone's favourite mad scientist Space Marine, as he gets mixed back up with the Emperor's Children, and something altogether deadlier.

Genres: 40k, Science Fiction, Fiction, Audiobook, Fantasy, Military Science Fiction, Novels

230 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 9, 2017

About the author

Josh Reynolds’ work has previously appeared in such anthologies as Historical Lovecraft from Innsmouth Free Press and Horror for the Holidays from Miskatonic River Press, and his novel, Knight of the Blazing Sun, is currently available from Black Library. He can be found at: http://joshuamreynolds.wordpress.com

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.

Reviews

[Sud666 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book. I see now that this is the 2nd book and will have to hunt down the first one. Still- superb story!

In the Warhammer 40K world there are certain Chaos Space Marines (or Legion Marines vs the modern Chapters) that have become powers/legends to rival their fallen Primarchs. Fell personalities like Lucius the Immortal or Ahriman or, ironically perhaps most of all- Abbadon, have become characters as complex and powerful in their own rights. Add to this diabolical list of heretics- Fabius Bile. Clone Lord, Primogenitor, Manflayer (he wears a cloak of his skinned enemies). He is the Chief Apothecary and Lieutenant Commander, or was rather, of the III Legion, The Emperor's Children.

But there is so much more to Bile than just that. Strange as this may seem, especially in light of his being a Heretic Marine, Bile is something of an atheist. More on that later. The Emperor's Children, led by their Primarch Fulgrim, fell to overweening pride in their drive towards "perfection". In thrall to Slaanesh they have become supreme hedonists in search of the next high either through conflict or drugs or pain. This led to a splintering of the once mighty Legion (think about it-of all the other Legions, these guys were allowed to call themselves the "Emperor's Children" and wear Imperial Purple-they were once a great Legion). Then in the aftermath of the Heresy and the retreat, during the Scouring, into the Eye of Terror with the rest of the Heretic Legions, once more, Bile does the unthinkable. On their fortress world of Harmony, the remnants of the III Legion, and Bile use Horus's corpse in a plan to resurrect the Warmaster. This leads to Abbadon, supprted by many of the other Heretic Legions, dropping a cruiser on top of their headquarters. Much of the remaining III Legion is wiped out.

Many thousands of years later, now in the "current" 40K, Bile (a mix between Dr. Frankenstein and Dr. Moreau) leads a 100 Marine detachment of the 12th Millenial of the III Legion. What he truly leads is a group called the Consortium. It is composed of like-minded Apothecaries from a variety of Heretic Legions. Skalgrim Phar (Sons of Horus); Arrian-Zorzi (World Eaters and Equerry to the Cheif Apothecary); Saqqara Ur-Damak Thresh (Word Bearer and Diabolist of the Seventh Choir) and Khorag Sinj (Death Guard and former Grave Warden).

I won't spoil too much of the plot save to say this is about Bile's attempt to save his Legion by capitalizing on a pure gene-tithe that could be used to replenish the Legion. Bile also has a grand scheme to elevate his "New Men" mutant project. The motivations behind this give Bile a great deal of depth versus the stereotypical madman story. Also his experiments and understanding of the relationship dynamics between himself and the Fulgrim clone are quite interesting. The ending is excellent and you can almost feel for Bile and his dreams of a reordering of what was. But in a never ending circle it seems the flaws manifest to his Legion would once again come around with the "new" Fulgrim. Somethings just have a way of being destiny. Bitter pill for an atheist like Bile to swallow.

But there is so much more. This story has Commander Eidolon of the IIIrd (BTW the "judgement" scene where Slaanesh's envoy adjudicates Bile's "treason" is awesome); it has Eldar Harlequins; Space Marines of the Red Scimitars and the Necron Lord Trazyn the Infinite and you have a great story already. But the implications for the atheist Bile in the game being played by the Dark Gods is the one that is most interesting. Especially with the lessons he finally learns about Fulgrim and Primarchs as well as the nature of mankind. New Man, human and Astartes. Great book, great story, great plot. A must read for any 40K fan.

[Xavier Virsu · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it, but not as much as the first one. The ending was kinda...I don't know.

[Sarah Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

4 1/2 stars
Almost everything I adore in a warhammer book. This had, well built characters, both predictable and unpredictable outcomes.

I’d highly recommend this to anyone into 40k books. I didn’t think I could like Fabius Bile but he has grown on me.
I look forward to seeing were the next book goes [obligatory comment about only the laughing god knows here].

[Tarl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the first book in this series, so I was curious to see where the second one would go. From the cover, I had seen that the Necrons were involved, and I had a bit if reservation about that as I am not a fan of this race in 40k, and have yet to see them handled well in any of the fiction.

This book was pretty good. It does a number of things really well. We get to see a good look at where the Emperor's Children have evolved to over the years and that though they are multiple warbands, they aren't as scattered as once thought. We also get to see some of the infighting among their varying ideals which creates a certain amount of draw to anyone who has ever liked the legion.

The Harlequins are back, and even more annoying than they were in the last book. I have to say that they are the least interesting aspect of this novel, and though fulfill the roll of exposition dumps, don't really do much else other than fill time and space, fattening out the novel itself. They even provide a deus ex machina escape for Fabius, which just felt like lazy writing.

Now the Necrons... for the first time in reading them on the page, I feel as it they were handled fairly well. This is in part to having a fully sentient character among them to actually interact with the other characters, other than being a simple force of nature that generally attacked things. The sheer scope of things that the Necron shows Fabius is both amazing and very Lovecraftian in the horror it brings. I thought it was a nice touch and elevated the race in my mind.

In the end, this was a fairly enjoyable book. The writing was solid and the action was handled deftly with an experienced pen. Nothing really got bogged down and each of the various characters had a believable motivation that drove them onward. I am curious as to where the next book will lead, as this one and the previous have both captured a very grand scope of the 40k universe and have the potential to give us an even larger glimpse of events going forward.

If you are a fan of chaos space maries or Fabius himself, I recommend this book and series to you. If you are a Necron player, this book will help you to find some love for that race and perhaps present them in a new light to you. All in all, an enjoyable read that has me looking to the next book in line.

[Dalan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best book in the series in my opinion. The return to Harmony and dealing with Eidolon is pure cinema. The entire book Fabius is weaponizing his Atheism even when he cannot logically deny what is happening. There are so many good moments of irony in this book, having Fabius be “observed” directly by the gods only for the story to end with Solemnace and the Necrons was beautiful. His struggle with Clone-grim and the way the book constantly makes you feel like its nodding to the similarities between Bile and the Emperor of Mankind. Everything to do with Diomat is so tearjerking, everyone calls him mad but really he’s an ancient Dreadnought that never rebelled against the emperor but has been stuck and enslaved by his own legion and just wants to die was never not sad. The best character by far in this book to me was Khorag, a death guard apothecary with the little Nurgling-esque beast Paz’uz. I listened to the audio book and i cannot stress this enough but John Banks portrayal of Khorag was the most memorable of all his character voices, buddy ATE. Watching Fabius struggle between his devotion to his great work and the posibility of literally rebuilding the III’rd legion becomes a tug of war that pulls the heartstrings by the end of the book.


*Super spoiler ahead*

I also love the way the book adds to the lore of the 40k universe that becomes things everyone just knows. For instance i always knew that Trazyn had a “perfect clone of Fulgrim” but never knew why or how or what it meant and this book really made me go “oh….OOOHHH”

[Callum Shephard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perhaps the most surprising thing about Clonelord was that we even got one. That's hardly a knock against the quality of Primogenitor, nor the skills of its author, simply that the first Fabius Bile book seemed like an open and shut case. It granted a detailed look into Bile's life, established a very elegantly pieced together depiction of the villain's life, goals and ambitions, then closed it out on a perfect note. It seemed like there was little else to tell, and any sequel would be superfluous. Clonelord thankfully proves that assumption to be utterly wrong.

Synopsis

Set a relatively short time after the events on Lugganath, Bile's small assembly of former Apothecaries have returned to their lives. While the daily status quo is disrupted by the odd power grab from new arrivals, the former leader of the Emperor's Children seeks to focus once more upon gathering lost knowledge. Yet, a being of his creativity and skill rarely goes unnoticed by more powerful forces. The Harlequins still seek him out at every turn, and an ancient figure from his past seeks to bring him before his brothers. One whose power and authority is second only to Fulgrim himself.


The Good

The most obvious point to celebrate about Clonelord is how easily the book gets back into the swing of things. It can be remarkably difficult for some series to have an easy transition from one tale to the next, and even the likes of Gaunt's Ghosts has suffered from the odd jarring transition. Clonelord, however, quickly uses its atmosphere and presentation to pull you back into its world of eloquent words and body horror. Before the first major challenge of the book is done, you remember just what stood out in its predecessor and where it managed to push the envelope on so many Chaotic concepts. This is as much due to Bile's oddly pragmatic yet polite nature as it is the descriptions of his ship and companions.

Everything from remnants of the Eldar Empire to the power struggles of mortals arises through the book, and it often touches on subjects most authors would either avoid or ignore entirely. Much like Talon of Horus, the Eye of Terror is treated like a disturbingly altered world of lords, leaders and power hungry minions, but there's a twisted internal logic to it all. This makes it far more engaging than some works which simply throw a few Bloodthirsters into the mix and call it a day. Especially when Bile's past comes back to haunt him in more ways than one. While the actual problem cannot be revealed due to considerable spoilers, the bombshell dropped at the first act's conclusion is one few people would have ever seen coming. Fewer still would have trusted any authors to tackle it, but in this case it worked out for the best.

Warp mutations and modifications were always going to be a key part of the book, but Josh Reynolds has elevated the body horror in his books to a fine art. It's over the top, highly detailed and creatively disturbing, but he manages to make sure it never seems gratuitous. Even if it's something so minor as serving as a conversation piece, it's either worked into the world at large or the plot ahead. While many points are worked cleanly into the ongoing prose and major story, the book isn't afraid to stop and explore a few points at any one time. In a manner somewhat akin to how Graham McNeill will occasionally have paragraphs at a time delving into the larger situation or describing an environment, Clonelord manages to explore its settings. It creates vivid yet surreal imagery of ruined bastions, lost cities and even Bile's down ship in these moments. These are often used to kill time or cover the general passing of events, giving some sense of wait and weight (No, I will not apologise for that) to preparations and the length of journeys. It works as it favours Bile's meticulous and focused nature in a way, focusing upon the incredibly detailed qualities of his world above all else.

More interestingly, however, while the book does explore and examine far more than many would expect of it, there's a sense that it knows just where to draw the line. Rather than delving so deep or delivering so solid a depiction of a single subject that there is no room to further explore it, the subjects here seem to only follow them up to a set point. This means that there is a room for creativity or thought on the part of tabletop gamers still to be had, for anyone who does wish to explore its ideas or build upon them. It's a welcome change from some of the more unfortunate trends of the past few years, and it's the sort of depth-with-room-to-maneuver that Warhammer 40,000 has always benefited from.

Perhaps the most curious quality here is Bile himself though. In the previous book, the tale largely followed another former Apothecary, Oleander, and depicted events through his eyes. While Oleander himself was a brilliantly realised figure, and the use of him allowed Bile to retain a legendary quality which suited his reputation, there's no denying that his removal for a sequel has definitely helped the book. We see far more events from Bile's perspective, and more pages are spent on his relationships with others and thoughts on their environment. While it rarely stops to have him reflect on his past for chapters at a time or drive the story away from ongoing events, there's a definite sense of history to his behaviour and a "seen it all before" personality more irritated at the Long War than anything else. He's less the sympathetic monster Talos Valcoran proved to be or Byronic villain that Marduk evolved into than he is a classical figure. He's a Hammer Horror creation paired with the creativity and nightmarish imagination of a John Carpenter film - Utterly polite and remarkably reasonable, right up to the point where he removes your legs in the name of his scientific studies.

The secondary figures are granted a level of depth that the previous book lacked in some areas. While it did offer a number of interesting points on them, it was clearly favouring the members of some legions over others. This could be largely put down to Oleander's personal biases and histories with certain figures. By switching over to Bile, we get to see far more of the individuals who were otherwise overlooked, giving them more well-rounded personalities.


The Bad

More than anything else, the issues with Clonelord stem primarily from how it is forced to work itself around other creations now. Exploring the past it a two-edged sword, and even the greatest of stories can have negative repercussions in the long run. This is true of the aforementioned Talon of Horus, as a substantial part of Clonelord's first act is spent referring back to that book. We need to see Bile thinking back to those events, referring to key figures and the experiments which were taking place at that time. Normally this would not be an issue, and it does tell you all you need to know to keep going. Unfortunately, it manages to suffer the strange flaw of being too detailed. As if it's referring so clearly to events and ideas, that they might as well have been in a previous chapter of this book. So, it ends up making you feel as if you are missing out on something or even overlooking a crucial thing. It's like the book has phantom narrative syndrome in a sense, where it refers to something so repeatedly and in such detail, you're irked to find it not there.

Another definite mark against the work is how a few key sub-plots are so rapidly set up and resolved surprisingly quickly. We have three major events arise at the end of act one across a few brief paragraphs and separate events. They're short, arise quickly and are clearly intended to lead into a much larger work, but a couple, in particular, are so rapidly resolved that you might end up thinking you missed out on some notable subtext or idea within the work. The middle is certainly good and it helps to hook in the reader for the next section, yet it can seem as if the resolution is just too easy in some ways.

Another definite issue which mars Clonelord somewhat is how it needs to handle its villains. They seem to be more of a tool, and a general means to an end than anything else here, present primarily to drive the story onward. With the Eldar in the previous book you could at least cite some of their more entertaining moments and the benefit of a surprising twist at the end. With this lot though, not only does the cover, unfortunately, spoil a very atmospheric reveal, but most of the interesting character elements stem from other figures entirely. The use of one of the lesser seen factions of the universe in this book is certainly something to be praised and celebrated, but it nevertheless still makes them feel too much like a tool to make way for bigger things.

Finally and most prominently, the conclusion seems like it is setting up for later stories here. It resolves many of its points and it offers a single cohesive plot, but the closing chapter seems a little too-sequel baity for a story. The issues stem more from how it keeps hinting and promising more rather than leaving existing ideas unresolved, but it's hard not to feel cheated in a few ways that there's such a notable emphasis placed upon these areas. Admittedly, above all the others, this is a very much an opinionated flaw, so if you have no issues with this quality then that's one less problem for you.


The Verdict

There's very little to seriously hold back Clonelord from becoming a modern classic, and it's still a very strong follow up to Primogenitor even with its issues. Like any good sequel it takes what worked best and opts to try an enhance it as best it can, and careful efforts are made to avoid retreading the same territory time and again. It's also self-contained enough from its direct predecessor that you could likely start here and - aside from the issue cited above - enjoy it just as much from the start as with prior knowledge of the past book. Overall, if you have the slightest interest in Chaos and a brilliantly (and unrepentantly) villainous take on the Traitor Legions while still making you want to root for them, definitely buy this one before the month is up.

[Callum Shephard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perhaps the most surprising thing about Clonelord was that we even got one. That's hardly a knock against the quality of Primogenitor, nor the skills of its author, simply that the first Fabius Bile book seemed like an open and shut case. It granted a detailed look into Bile's life, established a very elegantly pieced together depiction of the villain's life, goals and ambitions, then closed it out on a perfect note. It seemed like there was little else to tell, and any sequel would be superfluous. Clonelord thankfully proves that assumption to be utterly wrong.

Synopsis

Set a relatively short time after the events on Lugganath, Bile's small assembly of former Apothecaries have returned to their lives. While the daily status quo is disrupted by the odd power grab from new arrivals, the former leader of the Emperor's Children seeks to focus once more upon gathering lost knowledge. Yet, a being of his creativity and skill rarely goes unnoticed by more powerful forces. The Harlequins still seek him out at every turn, and an ancient figure from his past seeks to bring him before his brothers. One whose power and authority is second only to Fulgrim himself.


The Good

The most obvious point to celebrate about Clonelord is how easily the book gets back into the swing of things. It can be remarkably difficult for some series to have an easy transition from one tale to the next, and even the likes of Gaunt's Ghosts has suffered from the odd jarring transition. Clonelord, however, quickly uses its atmosphere and presentation to pull you back into its world of eloquent words and body horror. Before the first major challenge of the book is done, you remember just what stood out in its predecessor and where it managed to push the envelope on so many Chaotic concepts. This is as much due to Bile's oddly pragmatic yet polite nature as it is the descriptions of his ship and companions.

Everything from remnants of the Eldar Empire to the power struggles of mortals arises through the book, and it often touches on subjects most authors would either avoid or ignore entirely. Much like Talon of Horus, the Eye of Terror is treated like a disturbingly altered world of lords, leaders and power hungry minions, but there's a twisted internal logic to it all. This makes it far more engaging than some works which simply throw a few Bloodthirsters into the mix and call it a day. Especially when Bile's past comes back to haunt him in more ways than one. While the actual problem cannot be revealed due to considerable spoilers, the bombshell dropped at the first act's conclusion is one few people would have ever seen coming. Fewer still would have trusted any authors to tackle it, but in this case it worked out for the best.

Warp mutations and modifications were always going to be a key part of the book, but Josh Reynolds has elevated the body horror in his books to a fine art. It's over the top, highly detailed and creatively disturbing, but he manages to make sure it never seems gratuitous. Even if it's something so minor as serving as a conversation piece, it's either worked into the world at large or the plot ahead. While many points are worked cleanly into the ongoing prose and major story, the book isn't afraid to stop and explore a few points at any one time. In a manner somewhat akin to how Graham McNeill will occasionally have paragraphs at a time delving into the larger situation or describing an environment, Clonelord manages to explore its settings. It creates vivid yet surreal imagery of ruined bastions, lost cities and even Bile's down ship in these moments. These are often used to kill time or cover the general passing of events, giving some sense of wait and weight (No, I will not apologise for that) to preparations and the length of journeys. It works as it favours Bile's meticulous and focused nature in a way, focusing upon the incredibly detailed qualities of his world above all else.

More interestingly, however, while the book does explore and examine far more than many would expect of it, there's a sense that it knows just where to draw the line. Rather than delving so deep or delivering so solid a depiction of a single subject that there is no room to further explore it, the subjects here seem to only follow them up to a set point. This means that there is a room for creativity or thought on the part of tabletop gamers still to be had, for anyone who does wish to explore its ideas or build upon them. It's a welcome change from some of the more unfortunate trends of the past few years, and it's the sort of depth-with-room-to-maneuver that Warhammer 40,000 has always benefited from.

Perhaps the most curious quality here is Bile himself though. In the previous book, the tale largely followed another former Apothecary, Oleander, and depicted events through his eyes. While Oleander himself was a brilliantly realised figure, and the use of him allowed Bile to retain a legendary quality which suited his reputation, there's no denying that his removal for a sequel has definitely helped the book. We see far more events from Bile's perspective, and more pages are spent on his relationships with others and thoughts on their environment. While it rarely stops to have him reflect on his past for chapters at a time or drive the story away from ongoing events, there's a definite sense of history to his behaviour and a "seen it all before" personality more irritated at the Long War than anything else. He's less the sympathetic monster Talos Valcoran proved to be or Byronic villain that Marduk evolved into than he is a classical figure. He's a Hammer Horror creation paired with the creativity and nightmarish imagination of a John Carpenter film - Utterly polite and remarkably reasonable, right up to the point where he removes your legs in the name of his scientific studies.

The secondary figures are granted a level of depth that the previous book lacked in some areas. While it did offer a number of interesting points on them, it was clearly favouring the members of some legions over others. This could be largely put down to Oleander's personal biases and histories with certain figures. By switching over to Bile, we get to see far more of the individuals who were otherwise overlooked, giving them more well-rounded personalities.


The Bad

More than anything else, the issues with Clonelord stem primarily from how it is forced to work itself around other creations now. Exploring the past it a two-edged sword, and even the greatest of stories can have negative repercussions in the long run. This is true of the aforementioned Talon of Horus, as a substantial part of Clonelord's first act is spent referring back to that book. We need to see Bile thinking back to those events, referring to key figures and the experiments which were taking place at that time. Normally this would not be an issue, and it does tell you all you need to know to keep going. Unfortunately, it manages to suffer the strange flaw of being too detailed. As if it's referring so clearly to events and ideas, that they might as well have been in a previous chapter of this book. So, it ends up making you feel as if you are missing out on something or even overlooking a crucial thing. It's like the book has phantom narrative syndrome in a sense, where it refers to something so repeatedly and in such detail, you're irked to find it not there.

Another definite mark against the work is how a few key sub-plots are so rapidly set up and resolved surprisingly quickly. We have three major events arise at the end of act one across a few brief paragraphs and separate events. They're short, arise quickly and are clearly intended to lead into a much larger work, but a couple, in particular, are so rapidly resolved that you might end up thinking you missed out on some notable subtext or idea within the work. The middle is certainly good and it helps to hook in the reader for the next section, yet it can seem as if the resolution is just too easy in some ways.

Another definite issue which mars Clonelord somewhat is how it needs to handle its villains. They seem to be more of a tool, and a general means to an end than anything else here, present primarily to drive the story onward. With the Eldar in the previous book you could at least cite some of their more entertaining moments and the benefit of a surprising twist at the end. With this lot though, not only does the cover, unfortunately, spoil a very atmospheric reveal, but most of the interesting character elements stem from other figures entirely. The use of one of the lesser seen factions of the universe in this book is certainly something to be praised and celebrated, but it nevertheless still makes them feel too much like a tool to make way for bigger things.

Finally and most prominently, the conclusion seems like it is setting up for later stories here. It resolves many of its points and it offers a single cohesive plot, but the closing chapter seems a little too-sequel baity for a story. The issues stem more from how it keeps hinting and promising more rather than leaving existing ideas unresolved, but it's hard not to feel cheated in a few ways that there's such a notable emphasis placed upon these areas. Admittedly, above all the others, this is a very much an opinionated flaw, so if you have no issues with this quality then that's one less problem for you.


The Verdict

There's very little to seriously hold back Clonelord from becoming a modern classic, and it's still a very strong follow up to Primogenitor even with its issues. Like any good sequel it takes what worked best and opts to try an enhance it as best it can, and careful efforts are made to avoid retreading the same territory time and again. It's also self-contained enough from its direct predecessor that you could likely start here and - aside from the issue cited above - enjoy it just as much from the start as with prior knowledge of the past book. Overall, if you have the slightest interest in Chaos and a brilliantly (and unrepentantly) villainous take on the Traitor Legions while still making you want to root for them, definitely buy this one before the month is up.

[Dean Philipoom · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. If I could give it more than 5 stars, I would. This book is better than the first. My only nit pick would be the end, but this book series got my inner fan boy jumping around. I find myself looking for stuff I don't like just to settle my inner fan boy. A great book in other words

[Marc Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clonelord is a book more focussed on the journey than the destination, taking the time to weave a confusing nest of rivalries and ambitions that spans the galaxy.

At its heart, however, it is a story about stories and our place within them. Whether it is the strands of destiny or the narratives which the Harlequin clades live, these stories often strive to define us.

They do not define Fabius Bile.

Following a more than 100 year time leap, Clonelord thrusts us back into Fabius' Consortium to confront faces old and new. Playing off of previous stories and references, Reynolds creates a living tapestry which relies heavily on Fulgrim: The Palatine Phoenix, as well as introducing some other classic legion characters.

Tasked with chasing down their own history by a previous Commander, Fabius has to struggle with his crew, his new "allies", an interesting loyalist chapter, and of course the hinted meeting with Trazyn the Infinite.

Events take place in this novel that defy expectations but which never overshadow the narrative. In addition to some wonderful returning and new legion characters (including a cheerfully vile Death Guard apothecary) there is also much to be said for the female presence in this novel. Playing off of Primogenitor and Prodigal, there are a host of female characters who form a useful connective tissue within the story; more than human but often just less than Astartes. Whether determined warrior or fragment of fate, they bring a unique flavour to the proceedings.

Steeped in ancient knowledge and literary aside, Reynolds continues to make Fabius into a vilely fascinating creature- even as we grow to hate his philosophical dilemma and the solutions he chooses. At once he is the epitome and the outcast of his legion, favourite and despised, saviour and destroyer. If I have any complaint it is simply that we do not get enough time with him, nor spend enough watching him pitted against his metallic foil.

I can only hope that Black Library commission Manflayer (which of course book 3 should be called), given where the cliffhanger ending leaves us poised towards.

[Tim Van Lipzig · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Until my work is done.” Thus ends Josh Reynolds first novel about the most infamous mad scientist of the grim darkness of the far future, Fabius Bile – Primogenitor, Manflayer, Clonelord. Fabius’ mission statement to keep going and let nothing – even death, on multiple occasions - stop him from finishing his great work of creating a New Mankind already proved to be as much of a burden as an unquenchable motivational force in Fabius Bile: Primogenitor, even more so in the sequel, ‘Clonelord’. In the vein of sequels with a darker tone than their predecessors, Reynolds sets out to question this and other pillars of Fabius’ character as well as everyone around him. Grumpy, atheistic genius Fabius himself is propably the best at pointing out the hypocrisies of those he encounters on his travels, be it enemy or ally, but gets some well-deserved scrutinizing himself from other characters and the novel itself. Reynolds sticks to his darkly humorous and dialogue-driven style and pens a longer and bleaker sequel to the exceptional ‘Primogenitor’ that has me thinking about it since I finished it a week ago.

The novel in general seems to be much more interested in the psychology of its characters than in a complex plot or galaxy-shaking battles. Accordingly, the plot itself is relatively stream-lined, with the characters starting at point A and travelling over B and C to point D at the end, with most of the story happening on board the Vesalius. The novel is far from simple, though, and unfolds its complexities and much of its drama in the hearts and minds of is characters. Reynolds tells his story mostly through dialogue and monologue, and especially the second third of ‘Clonelord’ could well work as a stage play instead of prose (with some elements carried over from ‘Primogenitor’ enhancing the theater-like feel of the novel even more). Therefore most of the drama comes from characters shifting in their allegiances, plotting against each other or questioning their core beliefs. Fabius himself gets confronted with more than one moral dilemma, one which builds on the most exciting and, to me, surprising twist of the novel near the end of its first third (no spoilers). As such, the novel is light on the usual bolter-porn and heavy on introspection and snarky conversations, which might throw off some fans of the setting, but is an oh-so-refreshing change of pace - exactly as ‘Primogenitor’ before – from your run-of-the-mill-40k-novel, and certainly more sophisticated in its execution.

Character-wise, the surviving members of the Consortium from ‘Primogenitor’ are back and as interesting and delightful as ever (with the slightly disappointing exception if Oleander, who only gets mentioned briefly), with two additions being made to the existing cast in form of Death Guard Khorag and “Twice-Damned” Son Of Horus Skalagrim, both of course, as every other member of Fabius’ retinue, in some way estranged from their Legions and primarchs and bound to Fabius by a tangle of motivations. Certain former associates-turned-enemies and enemies-turned-associates of the Clonelord (well, who isn’t one or the other?) mix things further up and kick off the actual plot along the way. Fans of the setting might already know who awaits Fabius et al. on the “world unlike any other” mentioned on the back of the book, and the cover already shows which Xenos-faction will make an appearance, yet the slow reveal of said world is exciting and atmospheric (though it would still have been even cooler if the reader had no idea what was coming. But hey, it’s marketing, and the novel doesn’t really suffer for it), and the choice of the antagonist encountered on said world is a wonderful case of no-brainer-in-hindsight. As basically every inhabitant of the Vesalius is interesting and/or entertaining enough to warrant his or her own storyline, I could have done with ‘Clonelord’ being even longer, as due to the size of the cast some of the ones I am most curious about get short shrift (though I see how it could have hindered the pacing if even more time was spent with every character). Indeed, much more than ‘Primogenitor’, ‘Clonelord’ seems confident – and more reliant on the fact – that the series will get a third entry. The novel certainly ends with a more or less literal “Next stop:…”-sign and leaves a good chunk of character arcs and conflicts unresolved for a sequel. Still, ‘Clonelord’ can proudly stand on its own and has its own story to tell, with fully formed beginning, middle and end.

The novel certainly rewards a familiarity with other works of the setting, mostly the themes of the Horus Heresy and the general state of the Traitor Legions in the Eye, and I don’t think that most of ‘Clonelord’s drama works to its full potential if one doesn’t recognize the repetitions and inversions of the themes of that setting-defining conflict, especially regarding the four-way-relationship between Emperor, Primarchs, Astartes and mankind. Beyond that, Reynolds likes to tie in his work with that "of better authors than [himself]” (his unjustly self-deprecating words, not mine), and especially The Talon of Horus by Aaron Dembski-Bowden works nicely as a companion-piece to ‘Clonelord’. Reynolds first novel for the Primarchs-series, Fulgrim: The Palatine Phoenix, also nicely complements ‘Clonelord’s themes and its’ characters’ struggles with past and future by showing the distant past of the Legion, when the Phoenician was still building up his perfect Legion and the future still held hope, albeit a false one. Reynolds has further written a few short-stories about Fabius as well, available so far only as eBooks, and especially Fabius Bile: Prodigal is getting called back to. That said, none of the specific stories mentioned are required reading to understand the plot, though it helps to make informed assessments of characters’ thoughts and motivations, which is what this novel is all about.

All of that said, the battle for the Throne of Infamous-Chaos-Space-Marine-Series between John French’s’ Ahriman: The Omnibus, Aaron Dembski-Bowden’s ‘Black Legion’ and Josh Reynolds’ ‘Fabius Bile’ is still hot and, to me, entirely undecided. Josh Reynolds proceeds to build upon the wonderfully weird and beneath the black humour oftentimes deeply melancholic and sad world of Fabius Bile, and I for one can’t wait for the next and final (?) entry. (Though I wouldn't mind for a short-story-series about the Consortium á la Ahriman: Exodus in-between. Just sayin'.)

[Luke Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Fabius Bile continues to haunt the galaxy, carrying on his mission to perfect his New Men, hated and hunted by those he once called brothers. But when an old comrade summons him with an opportunity like no other, Bile finds himself drawn into the web of ambitions and deceit that is his former Legion. Dispatched to find his prize on a distant world called Solemnace in the far East of the galaxy, Fabius must contend with his erstwhile brothers, alien enemies with scores to settle and even the wilfulness of his own creations... "

Josh Reynolds continues to bat it out of the park with the second novel of the Fabius Bile trilogy, fleshing him out and making him a far more nuanced, almost sympathetic character. The supporting cast of characters (both familiar faces like Arrian, Saqqara, Igori and Savona, and new additions like Skalagrim and Khorag) all do an amazing job adding to the story, giving their own perspectives on the fractured genius that is Fabius, and Reynolds does a great job threading the narrative with nods to prominent figures and events from the Warhammer 40,000 backstory, along with a cameo I did not expect! The dialogue is also pitch perfect, with some brilliant quotes and one liners I'd love to find an excuse to use in real life!

Reynolds also does a great job in showing Fabius as a flawed genius: he can make living beings, but he cannot understand them. He wants to complete his work, but cannot grasp that his perfectionist tendencies mean he will never be satisfied with it. And in trying to protect his creations, he will only drive them to chafe against his authority, to want to stand on their own two feet without the shadow of their overbearing father figure looming over them. Reynolds continues to do wonderful work making Fabius more than the one-dimensional evil mad scientist he was in Warhammer 40,000 for years, and he's made Fabius a firm favourite of mine, as well as writing some of the best Chaos Space Marine-related scifi I've read in a long time...

[PJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must confess i was not a fan of the first book, but this follow up blows it out of the park.

Engaging throughout including some unexpected ruminations on perfection and self - incidentally these were never realised so overtly as to be clumsy or detract from their point which was nice!

Bonus points for surprise feature of everyones favourite kleptomaniac towards the end.

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved Primogenitor but unfortunately its sequel has a LOT of filler.

[Jess Big Cat · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was somewhat lukewarm on this one but holy crap that ending was awesomely Fabius

[Heinz Reinhardt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fabius Bile, Chief Apothecary of the Third Legion, and fleshcrafter is a morality tale of immediate significance.
A transhuman warrior, designed by The Emperor (an allegorical stand in for God) to be supreme warriors, their goal to unite the galaxy under the Emperor's reign and usher in a golden age of mankind.
However, like Lucifer leading the third of the Heavenly Host in rebellion against their very Creator (one of the literal allegories drawn by Warhammer), Horus lead half the Legions in rebellion against the Emperor.
Fallen Angels indeed.
Amidst this meta narrative, both a hallmark of post modern philosophical nihilism, as well as a retelling of both Norse mythology as well as Christian origins reworked as modern myth, Fabius Bile is perhaps the penultimate transhuman.
A creation who fancies itself the creator. A creation who, through it's own logic and reason, by it's own standards less than that of it's designer, it concludes that 'God is dead', and attempts, in it's own mortal frailty, to mimic, but only ever poorly, the creation of the Creation. To stand in as the Creator, even though it eschews all allegiance to it's parent.
And yet as an end result of it's own tinkering and science, it creates a race lesser than itself, which in order to survive must see it, him, as their own Creator God and worship him accordingly.
Much like actual transhumanist philosophical thought, this uncovers the reality of the ideology: usurpation of divine authority in favor of establishing ones own self as divine.
Clonelord is very much a tale of this allegorical morality tale. Fabius, laughing at the notion of both the Chaos gods and the authority of Him on the Golden Throne, in the name of forging a new path, vows to creat the New Man, and in so doing sets himself up as a god.
And yet, like anything lesser attempting to mimic the glory of that which supercedes it, it fails. And does so spectacularly.
In the first novel you couldn't help but like, even if just a little, Fabius Bile. In this one, Reynolds ends it in a way designed to force you to see Fabius for the cruel, selfish, inwardly fearful bastard that he is.
A man trapped in a cycle of his own sins and failings, flailing about for a way out, but only ever digging his own hole deeper.
Excellent read, as always Reynolds crafts a wonderful tale, and Fabius Bile is easily his best work.
Even if a shared universe isn't your thing, or if you aren't big on the, oft times overwrought, Biblical and Mythological themes of Warhammer, you really should give this trilogy a try.
Third volume may come out later this year or early next.
Highly recommended.

[La Criatura]

SO full disclosure: I did know a good amount about the central conceit of this novel going into it, as I’d been informed by multiple friends of “Fabius Bile Son Who Is Also His Dad”. Which is already nuts but somehow?? Somehow the reality of it is actually crazier than I thought was possible. What do you MEAN, acquiring said “son who is dad” happens almost exactly as if Fabius is giving birth, down to his water breaking and anxiety before/after over whether he should have aborted it?? I’ve been saying since I read Angel Exterminatus like six months ago that he’s kind of mommy with it and I legitimately thought I was just crazy but like. Okay! I guess!!

Anyways, besides that. I’ve certainly said before that so much of M41 40K is tragic in that it’s about how the Golden Age has come and gone and every attempt to return to it is ultimately futile, and it feels so on the nose here it’s almost painful. The IIIrd’s glory days are over, despite how the remnants rage and struggle against that reality- and even with *everything* they’d need to truly, legitimately remake themselves, it’s fated to be for naught.

It’s bleak! It’s a universe that punishes you for thinking better things might ever be possible, or even worse, for actually trying to bring those “better things” about. The irony is that if you reduce it to just that sentiment- “a better world is possible”- both Bile and the rest of the renegade IIIrd struggle for the same thing, and their struggles are equally futile. That neither realize this while thinking the other’s attempts are stupid is. Not quite funny, but it’s sure something.

Funny also that probably the best parent in 40K still surrendered his child like a dog he didn’t want to take care of the moment said child demonstrated a degree of free will. You can rebel against the Emperor but “I can’t believe my children are people with minds of their own instead of extensions of me that just do what I tell them” is, apparently, quite genetic!

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this because my son in law, who is into the whole Warhammer 40K Universe – novels, gaming, miniatures, lore, etc – bought me an Omnibus edition because he believed I'd like the character of the titular Pimogenitor – Fabius Bile. We're genuinely so lucky to have him (Cal, not Fabius!)
Honestly it's pretty good, even for a non-aficionado. My goodness me, it's a dark Universe and if anyone is vaguely likeable it's probably by accident. There is a huge (and I mean HUGE) body of lore (with literally hundreds of books as part of the Black Library) that means it can be difficult to keep up or enter into the Universe. Also the language is all a bit overwrought – however that is absolutely earned by the subject matter and genre.
The characters, whilst not likeable, are surprisingly well drawn, and Fabius himself – whilst clearly a monster by any standards – has proper motivation and is the best sort of anti-hero who thinks and believes fervently that he is the good guy doing what's needed to be done.
Here he is drawn back into the machinations of his now largely defunct legion of space marines and seeks a McGuffin from a hitherto lost world, whilst trying to maintain his ship and his various allies, creations and enemies on board/
Surprisingly politically astute, with lots of action (the latter's hardly surprising given the subject matter.) I'll certainly be reading the final book, whether I have the energy to get into the rest of the Universe, given the commitment (literally 100's of books) required is a more difficult question, but I could see me reading more as the opportunity and time allows.

[Ṛta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clonelord me gustó mucho más que Primogenitor. De esta novela sale el famoso diálogo entre Fabius y el questor, un demonio de Slaanesh que lo confronta con la atención de este dios: un semblante que no es una cara, pues una cara está inscrita en límites y ángulos, sino ojos que lo estudian desde la distancia y una grieta retorcida como la sonrisa de un amante.

Acá vemos esa distancia de carácter entre Fabius y el Cónclave del Fénix, una conjura de Hijos del Emperador que buscan reunificar la Legión. Quieren a Fabius en sus filas, como un señor de la guerra más, pero ignoran que Fabius no es uno de los últimos hombres como ellos; él es la sublimación del espíritu fáustico, un eco del Emperador. Así, Fabius entra en conflicto con personajes célebres de la Legión, como Eidolon, Alkenex y otros.

La novela contrapone la posición de Fabius frente a la Legión, una orden muerta según él, con un proyecto secreto: un clon perfecto de Fulgrim. Se sugiere que incluso un cínico como Fabius cree en las ascuas de grandeza aún presentes en sus hermanos. Pero la resolución sugiere también que los viejos caminos, personificados por Clonegrim, aparentemente perfecto, compasivo y libre de las máculas del Caos, llevarán de forma irrevocable a la misma caída. Esto ocurre después de que Fabius notara en el rostro de Fulgrim, un rostro que encarnaba la más ideal y absoluta compasión, la sombra de la arrogancia.

Una vez más, Fabius rechaza el trono que Oleander y los Arlequines le han ganado, y ahora solo le queda la consumación de su gran obra, su opus nigrum, sabiendo bien que su tiempo es limitado. Este cuerpo morirá en décadas, y cada cuerpo subsiguiente durará menos y menos.

[Patrick Correal-Winters · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reynolds' continuation of Fabius Bile's story never quite felt so engaging as its predecessor, but it was still a great book filled with strong character work, insane Warhammer silliness, and deftly crafted intrigue.
The story follows Fabius' journey to recover the Emperor's Children's ancient Lost Gene Tithe at the behest of Lord Commander Primus Eidolon and with the scheming company of Prefect Flavius Alkenex. As a III Legion fanboy, seeing all these characters, as well as allusions to other favorites like Lucius and obviously Fulgrim, was perfectly in line with what I was hoping for jumping in here. The natural downside of this is the previous fiction needed to really get all of the fanservice(I really think to get the full hit off this book you need to have already read: Fulgrim, the Palatine Phoenix, Fulgrim, Reflection Crack'd, Angel Exterminatus, Eidolon: the Auric Hammer, and obviously Fabius Bile: Primogenitor)
Most of the missing star accounts for its relatively uneventful second act, where we see a lot of character work and escalation in the politicking of Fabius and Alkenex. I was into this stretch, but again I think a big part of that came from my familiarity with the central players in a way that makes it less accessible than Primogenitor.
Fabius Bile: Clonelord is a very strong book that is held back only by its place in a much larger story and its inability to surpass its predecessor. Reynolds is as brilliant a writer here as in his other works, and its ending was an exciting cliffhanger for the finale of the trilogy.

[Michael Dodd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Josh Reynolds’ 2016 novel Fabius Bile: Primogenitor provided an unexpected injection of variety into Black Library’s 40k output, which is continued with the sequel – Fabius Bile: Clonelord. Picking up a fair amount of time after Primogenitor, we catch up with Chief Apothecary Fabius just as he’s about to set out for a darkened spur of the Webway in search, as always, of knowledge. When his exploration of a long-abandoned Craftworld is interrupted by familiar, if unwelcome, faces he ends up drawn closer to an old brotherhood than he’d really like, and persuaded to risk much…for great reward.

It’s another fascinating book, which doesn’t suffer in the slightest for a decreased focus on action compared to many Black Library titles. It won’t be to everyone’s tastes, but the dry, cynical, world-weary characters and sharp dialogue continues to set this apart from pretty much anything else out there. If you enjoyed Primogenitor, chances are you’ll enjoy this.

Read the full review at https://www.trackofwords.com/2017/12/...

[Brendan Connelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent read.
The characterization and humanization of Fabius Bile continues in Clonelord. Fabius is tasked with a difficult quest by the remnants of the establishment of his former legion; travel to the ends of the known galaxy to secure a future for the Emperor's Children. Throughout the story we see that Fabius lives in a state of near catastrophe, always relying on those that may betray him at any time. Why then does Fabius persist in his experiments and expeditions? To perfect the human race so that it may survive the horrors of the galaxy. This book demonstates that although Fabius is a monster, experimenting on and discarding living things, he is a monster with an honorable goal. In a galaxy full of daemons and angels, Fabius might be able to do some good with all the bad he has done.

[Brett Bricker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joshua Reynolds strikes again with another compelling tale about Fabius Bile. I was certainly a fan of the first volume in this series and I am even more so of the this second offering. Clonelord is a great example of science fiction at its best. Deep, interesting, and believable characters charged with a spell-binding plot. Reynold's adds even more color the canvas of the Emperor's Children and Fabius Bile, as well as opens the door for further interesting tales. I found this book to be quite introspective and the story was one of great creativity. The ending is a great twist as well.

If you have read Fabius Bile: Primogenitor and have yet to pick up Clonelord, do not delay any longer.

5/5 highly recommend.

[Kyle T · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fun installment in the Fabius Bile series. This novel sees the return of many characters from the first novel and introduces newer and much more deadly obstacles for the Vesalius' crew to overcome. The last 4 or so chapters were really great. The tension is very high. And I loved the run-in the gang has with the Imperium. I won't give any big spoilers for the story, but I will say our favorite mad scientist finds himself in a bind when Eidolon sends thugs to track him down. They have a task just important enough, and deadly enough to specifically need the Clonelord's special skills. But Eidolon and his crew aren't the only ones harboring secrets after the gang makes a stop at the ruins of Canticle City...

[Bob · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second book in the Fabius Bile series is somehow better than the first. It is a fantastic continuation of the series.

I'm this book we delve more into the mind of The Manflayer and he is a complex person. He is cruel, arrogant, sadistic but he is also kind, likeable and charismatic.

We get to see more of Fabius' relationship with The Emperors Children and just how complicated it is. He is hated and loved by so many. We also see more of his relationship with the 40k universe at large and its amazing.

This book also delves more into Fabius' and Fulgrim's relationship. We learn a lot about how Fabius views Fulgrim and his desicion at the end is really well explained.

[Lee Herridge · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn’t love Primogenitor - Bile is a great character but I felt that while it has many of the same themes of this book, it just didn’t quite land them. Clonelord handles them in a much more interesting way, though if I’m being honest, the final act has some pretty janky plot elements - although it was fun as hell, it would be hard to argue against the idea that Reynolds shoehorned in other big 40K characters without any real setup in the final part.

Still I think it all interfaced with the nature of Bile’s obsession, his relationship to the 3rd Legion, and his desire to escape fate, as well as just being rollicking good fun.

[Kdawg91 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think Fabius might be my favorite character in this universe. I am pretty convinced he is House M.D. in space. Good and bad is relative to him and THE ONLY THING..that means a thing is his goals.

I really like his crew of characters and honestly most of the Emperor's Children are kinda hard to like. But this story is great and I loved it more than the first book. Also it had a bit of a twist that I really didn't see coming but it cemented my like of the character.

good stuff (I am slowly working my way back up to longer reviews, be patient with me)

[Patrick Hayes · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a huge letdown. I've read several Warhammer 40,000 novels and have loved the action and was expecting more of the same. No. There's no action in this 488 paged novel until Page 319.

Behind the scenes drama of characters plotting against others for power, to get it or maintain it, is the bulk of this novel. Was it readable, yes. Was it enjoyable, no.

The ending is a whimper, with neither an explosion nor a bang. It ends flatly.

I would not seek out other books with this character or by this author.

So disappointed.

[Oliver Eike · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always found Fabious Bile interesting in the 40k universe, but Joshua Reynolds has managed to take that interest and make me a full blown believer and fan.

Bile continues his journeys to perfect his New Men, and that brings him into the crosshairs of the 3rd Legion big time, with the Harlequins hunting him as well. With a guest appetence of many a mystic and special characters as well.

The writing by Joshua Reynolds is exceptional and id love it if the ending scenes were maybe 20-30 pages longer. But i will gladly take what i get.

[Merenwen Inglorion · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid 4 stars!

Things I liked:
-fleshed out characters
-plenty of butting heads because everyone has their own schemes
-hubris
-Fabius' dry wit
-Khorag
-surprise encounters
-just enough lore/hints at previous events that someone with extensive knowledge can get excited, but not so much that a layman (such as myself) gets bogged down

Things I didn't like:
-as always with Warhammer, quite a bit of gore/wound description and violence

[Frank · Rating 5 out of 5]

Josh's writing is absurd. Delves into all the weird and exciting and "taboo" (to corporate interests) areas of the lore, but does it in such a breezy and light way that - I hope - less esoteric (less fussy, less obsessive!) readers probably wouldn't even notice the diversion, and get the fast-paced highly characterful stories you'd almost all want. Funny, heartfelt, shocking, weird. What's not to love?