Sons of the Emperor

The Horus Heresy: Primarchs #Anthology

by John French (Contributor), Aaron Dembski-Bowden (Contributor), Nick Kyme (Contributor)

A Primarchs anthology

The primarchs, nigh-immortal sons of the Emperor of Mankind, are laid bare in a series of short stories that showcase great deeds and hideous acts they performed, from the Great Crusade and the Horus Heresy.

READ IT BECAUSE
Whether you see them as heroes, villains or victims of the Emperor's machinations, these tales will give you new perspective on a host of primarchs, including Angron, Vulkan, Magnus the Red and Horus himself.

DESCRIPTION
From their shadowed origins to the desperate battles that ensued when half of them rebelled against their father, the Sons of the Emperor – the vaunted primarchs – were among the greatest of humanity's champions, warriors without peer and heroes whose deeds became legend. From the Angel Sanguinius, who took the sole brunt of his Legion's most brutal acts, to Vulkan, whose humanity made him unique amongst his brothers, and from dour Perturabo, architect, inventor and murderous warlord, to Horus, whose shining light was eclipsed only by the darkness that grew within his soul, this anthology covers eight of the primarchs and their greatest – or darkest – deeds.

CONTENTS
The Passing of Angels by John French
The Abyssal Edge by Aaron Dembski-Bowden
Mercy of the Dragon by Nick Kyme
Shadow of the Past by Gav Thorpe
The Emperor’s Architect by Guy Haley
Prince of Blood by L J Goulding
The Ancient Awaits by Graham McNeill
Misbegotten by Dan Abnett

Genres: Science Fiction, 40k, Anthologies, Fiction, Audiobook, Fantasy, Short Stories

247 pages, Hardcover

First published February 3, 2018

About the author

John French is a writer and freelance game designer from Nottingham, England. His novels include the Ahriman series from Black Library, and The Lord of Nightmares trilogy for Fantasy Flight. The rest of his work can be seen scattered through a number of other books, including the New York Times bestselling anthology Age of Darkness. When he is not thinking of ways that dark and corrupting beings could destroy reality and space, John enjoys talking about why it would be a good idea... that and drinking good wine.

Reviews

[Gianfranco Mancini · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alepheo bowed his head, and knelt to pick up the silver helm.
Then he stood, the bowl of black-stained water still held in his other hand.
'I will become death,' he said, and poured the seventh bowl onto the stone floor.

The Passing of Angels by John French ☆☆☆☆

When the non compliant world of H____ reacts to the nascent Imperium of Man unleashing forbidden heinous weapons from the Dark Age of Technology, it falls to the Blood Angels to fight fire with fire, Sanguinius gathers the Legion's Destroyer Host and their deadliest weapons. As his sons of the Legion's Destroyer Host wage war behind their death masks, hiding the taint of their bloody deeds behind them, Sanguinius alone must bear the burden of the souls he has reaped.

The Night Lord stared down, his inhuman eyes offering a gaze of passionless, unblinking blackness. When he spoke, his voice was the sound of an avalanche somehow given the power to sneer.
'Greetings,' said First Captain Jago Sevatarion. 'You and I are going to have a conversation.'

The Abyssal Edge by Aaron Dembski-Bowden ☆☆☆☆

With his career of starfighter pilot prematurely ended after a fateful crashing, an accidental discovery about two of the Emperors’ sons coming to odds and nearly going to war one against the other on the world of Zoah puts crippled archivist Ulatal in grave danger after coming to the attention of Jago Sevatarion, First Captain of the Night Lords, the dreaded "Prince of Crows" himself.

The Imperial assault, when it came, swept across all six continents as relentless as a hurricane. Still, the Ranknar had endured, buoyed by their perverse faith, the reason for the Imperium's proclamation of extinction.
And so the Emperor had unleashed His Dragon, and the lands had burned. Only then, slowly swallowed by fire, had the Ranknar showed any signs of defeat.

Mercy of the Dragon by Nick Kyme ☆☆☆☆

After the Emperor of Mankind comes to Nocturne in the guise of the Outlander, He tells Vulkan about his destiny in the stars as one of His Primarchs. It is Vulkan's destiny to lead a Space Marines Legion into the stars and conquer the galaxy in his father's name. But the Lord of Drakes, ever caring for his folk, is hesitant to leave his world unprotected and so the Emperor must convince him of the worthiness of His Crusade.

'Perhaps we have made them too docile,' he remarked, slashing open the slave's throat. Blood fountained across his armour as he tossed the rag doll of a carcass away. 'The gods thrive on pain and fear, ambition and despair.'
'They exist without hope, Apostle,' said Isaikash. 'With nothing to live for, perhaps their souls are too weak to please the gods.'
Kalta-Ar considered this as he beckoned for another.

Shadow of the Past by Gav Thorpe ☆☆☆1/2

Dark Apostle Kalta-Ar seeks to raise a religious monument to gain his Primarch's favor. But when the warriors of the XVII Legion begin to die in suspicious circumstances, he learns something has come hunting. Its prey is not the Legionaries slaughtered by its hand, but their gene-father himself, the Daemon Primarch Lorgar.

'Olympia!' she said with breathless awe. 'Home world of Perturabo, primarch of the Iron Warriors. See Olivier, it is a beautiful world. Beautiful.'
'Yes,' he said without conviction. 'Beautiful.'
For Marissa, a near holy duty drew closer. For Olivier, a punishment.
She kissed her aquila pendant when she thought he wasn't looking. The ship began its descent.
'The Emperor protects,' she whispered.

The Emperor’s Architect by Guy Haley ☆☆☆☆☆

A pair of Remembrancers tasked with chronicling the lives and histories of the Primarchs journey to Olympia to meet with the Perturabo, the Lord of Iron himself. But they are ill-prepared for what they find, however, as they discover the real hidden truth about the Hammer of Olympia and his intimidating legend.

'Then you remember enough to know that it did not end well, sire? We tried to learn of your past, and you killed us for it. We tried to celebrate the breaking of chains, and you killed us for it. We tried to teach you how the Imperium wages war, and instead you hammered the Butcher's Nails into our skulls so that we would eventually kill one another, and spare you the effort.'

Prince of Blood by L J Goulding ☆☆☆☆☆

Aboard the flagship Conqueror, the bloodthirsty Legionaries of the XII Legion and their mortal crew face a slow and terrible death, driven insane by thirst or to ever increasing acts of violence and mayhem. Their only hope lies with First Captain Khârn, who will risk anything to save the World Eaters fleet and their slowly succumbing to madness Daemon Primarch. For Khârn knows the blood must flow and Angron needs a sacrifice of blood if the fleet wanna be able to reach the Throneworld and unleash slaughter on it at last

The tension between Akhtar and Vistario drained.
'Forgive me, brother,' said Akhtar. 'The fires of the great war may have cooled, but mine still burn.'
Vistario nodded. 'The great war may be spent, but the long war goes on. We are yet part of it and I believe the Crimson King has a plan for how it can be won.'
'You really believe that?' said Akhtar.
'I have to,' replied Vistario. 'It is all I have left.'

The Ancient Awaits by Graham McNeill ☆☆☆☆☆

On a quest assigned by the Crimson King himself, Chaos Sorcerer Malin Vistario of the Thousand Sons journeys to a nameless world with his fellows, where they find the ruins of a city lost to myth and a labyrinth of catacombs harboring a long forgotten secret. Because the Ancient Awaits, but for whom?

'Tell them it will come,' Horus told Maloghurst, his equerry. 'Ullanor awaits, and Ullanor will give them the test they seem to long for. But tell them too… they should not wish for it. That we can bring our kin together, and no blood spilled, is the way my father would prefer. We are sensible beings, so we have prepared ourselves for war better than any species in the sea of stars. But though we are well made for battle, we always must desire it least of all possible outcomes.'

Misbegotten by Dan Abnett ☆☆☆☆☆

After months of peaceful Compliance actions, as worlds willingly and gratefully accept the Imperial Truth and the benevolent auspice of the Emperor of Mankind, the feral outpost of Velich Tarn refuses to submit to 63rd Expeditionary Fleet without bloodshed. Its subjugation falls to Captain Sejanus of the Luna Wolves, but when the enemy's resistance proves to be the equal of even this vaunted commander of the XVI Legion, it’s time for the Warmaster Horus Lupercal himself to enter the fray.

A solid anthology from the Primarchs series featuring eight page turning tales ranging from the Great Crusade to the post Horus Heresy, starring eight of the Emperor’s sons and a few of their greatest and darkest deeds.
A mixed bag as expected, but nearly all of the stories included were far above average and very enjoyable in my opinion, ranging from very good to shining little gems.

Highly recommended to all fans of the Horus Heresy saga.

[RatGrrrl · Rating 5 out of 5]

May 2024 Read using the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project Reading Order (https://www.heresyomnibus.com) as part of my Oath of Moment to complete the Horus Heresy series and extras - Now in Immaterium of everything outside the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project working on the Primarchs and other stories, beige the Siege of Terra.

I almost always say that the Horus Heresy anthologies are awesome. They might have vacillating quality across the entries, but they usually have a bunch of great stuff to go round. In fact, I think Born of Flame and Cthonia's Reckoning are the only ones I haven't given full marks to based on the concentration of quality.

This is actually one of the stronger and most consistent anthologies I've read, with an interesting and decidedly moody tone that I thoroughly enjoyed.

I reviewed all the stories I could on their own entries, but I will say the book ends of The Fall of Angels by John French and Misbegotten by Dan Abnett are both phenemonal. Angels, is one of the most beautifully bleak stories in the serious in my opinion, but I am an unrepentia French fan girl and my take from Misbegotten was that everyone is bad in the galaxy and individual actions and choices are the only source of good because the Primarchs and Space Marines are just as, if not more, horrific and monstrous than making a big horrible flesh robot because of the untold destruction and indoctrination than can enforce across the galaxy, so what do I know?

Sorry, its very late and I'm still losing my mind over people who thing the Imperium is good and it's just bad 'woke' writers making the Emperor look bad. Lol. LMFAO.

Great anthology is great! Hope the other two compare!

I'll review the stories without their own entries below:

The Emperor's Architect by Guy Haley 4/5

This was absolutely fascinating and I nearly gave it full marks.

Told through a dual narrative of Perturabo's early life, from the moment he gained consciousness to the moment the burgeoning intelligence genecoded into his brain overwhelmed his memory, before he was found on the mountain with nothing but his name, and a married couple of biographer Remembrancers. The couple have a lot of experience with chronicling Primarchs and, while Perturabo isn't present, they are taken around to historic sites and meet with one of his relatives. Also, their marriage is falling apart as philosophical and theological divides comes between them...

Outside of Kurze's Primarchs book and pretty much the first third of each of his Horus Heresy book, I haven't had the best experience reading Haley before this, but I really liked this. I would say I am very close to loving it and probably would genuinely adore it if it wasn't for one element that I just need to address up top, so I can say nice things.

The husband is the POV for the book and he is just the worst. He's the sour old guy at the bar drinking all night every night because he hates his wife and doesn't want to do anything about it. Having an incredibly unlikeable lead is absolutely a valid thing and that's great. I found the POV character in The Beekeeper of Aleppo very difficult for a lot of that book, although there's a lot more going on there and, yeah, no spoilers, but I loved it and it ruined me. The thing about Mr Remembrancer is he's got real 2000s-2010s mopy, cynical, entitled, bitter leading man syndrome, and he's the only one who gets it and sees what's going on, man! He's the one guy who's not and sheep and he's stuck with his awful, sweet, sensitive, admittedly hugely brainwashed and vapid in her worship of the great almighty golden boot on her face...

It's a real case of the John Cusacks and Generic Partners and a continuation of a pattern of subtle and overt misogyny and bias in Haley's writing, and the Black Library in general, and it sucks. Stop it.

It also sucks because other than that and getting real worried this was about to get into some potential anti-choice stuff for a minute there (it didn't), I genuinely thought this was an excellent story!

The Perturabo POV coming to consciousness and being 'born' from his pod sequences were beautifull weird and wonderfully bizarre, the almost parable-like rhythm of his early years with him repeatedly receiving gifts and thinking he could do better is great, the heartfelt and brutal recitation of the relative and the striking imagery, the tone, and prose are all great.

I just wish this wasn't a 2D 'stupid wife' and brainy, bitter not-wife-guy. She just needs a touch of shading and agency and this would be really something special!

The Ancient Awaits by Graham McNeill 4/5

A lot of unexpected and good fun.

In a bit of a change for this anthology, this story takes place at least a few thousand years after the outbreak of the Horus Heresy. A squad of Thousand Sons are sent by Magnus to follow a signal without anything else to go on. It leads them to a dead world covered in ruins. Buried deep beneath the detritus of a slaughtered world the signal's source remains and remembers...

This was a very surprising and entertaining tale that provides some well deserved closure...as well as the nightmare of such a protracted solitude.

It's very difficult to discuss this without spoiling things, so I'll just say that, while it didn't blow my mind and I can't rule out how much the novelty of the unexpected callback influenced my enjoyment, I had a lot of fun. Also, I've heard of a deadman's switch, but that was ridiculous! And very funny.

A well deserved bit of catharsis, as a treat.

Through the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project and my own additions, I have currently read* all 54 Horus Heresy main series novels (+1 repeat), 25 novellas (+2 repeats), Cthonia's Reckoning, as well as the Macragge's Honour graphic novel, all 17 Primarchs novels 1 Primarchs anthology, 3 Characters novels, and 168 short stories/ audio dramas across the Horus Heresy (inc. 11+ repeats). Plus, 2 Warhammer 40K further reading novels and 1 short story...this run, as well as writing 1 short story myself.

I couldn't be more appreciative of the phenomenal work of the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project, which has made this ridiculous endeavour all the better and has inspired me to create and collate a collection of Horus Heresy and Warhammer 40,000 documents and checklists (http://tiny.cc/im00yz). There are now too many items to list here, but there is a contents and explainer document here (http://tiny.cc/nj00yz).

*My tracking consistently proves shoddy, but I'm doing my best.

[Marc Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sons of the Emperor is a hard one to pin down, mostly because I'm not sure it does what it does what it says on the tin...But moreso because it makes me wonder if "The Primarchs" series does what it says on the tin.

With "Grandfather's Gift" as an ebook and "The Atonement of Fire" in the Events Anthology, we've seen stories that veer from the Crusade era stories we've come to expect from the Primarchs books. In "Sons of the Emperor" we get that and more, with stories which are either flatout Heresy stories (Like "Prince of Blood") or stories that -really- ought to be (Like "The Ancient Awaits").

Beyond this niggle, however, the stories are of a decent quality. Most of the authorial choices are predictable, with only one pleasant surprise (John French) and one breath of fresh air from lack of practice (remember when Laurie wrote that awesome Kharn story?). It doesn't necessarily take away from the stories but it is...A little disappointing. Look at Advent; we had Robbie MacNiven write a great Perturabo story and Ian St Martin blow Curze out of the park. Going ahead the series could do with more inspired choices and odd pairings. Put people outside of their comfort zone, or better yet into a comfort zone they never knew they had!

Without further adieu, we'll move onto the review phase.

"The Passing of Angels" by John French.
'And even in the myths of the past, angels were not created for kindness.'

I love John French. There's no finer wielder of first person prose in the Heresy team, and no one more skilled at weaving in the Forge World background into the narrative. Here he crafts a sharp story full of little flourishes, like the censuring of the enemy's name. The interplay between the internal and external views of Sanguinius really exemplify what we expect from this collection.

Forced to fight a civilisation which uses unspeakable weapons, Sanguinius leads the Destroyer Host of the Blood Angels to war. Sanguinius and his sons are forced to acknowledge the dichotomy of their beings as creators and destroyers, effortlessly contrasted. French balances the meditative and the frenetic to craft something that feels true and personal to the Legion.
5/5

"The Abyssal Edge" by Aaron Dembski-Bowden.
'The law is the law.'

An archivist discovers an occasion when two Primarchs nearly went to war, and the Legion reacts accordingly.

This is a strong story, driven by character, gallows humour and the inevitable confrontation. Both sides have strong arguments, driven by the contrast between Primarchs and First Captains. The only complaint I really have is that the story is more of the same; we've come to expect a strong showing from Aaron but it almost seems a waste to go with the obvious. He does, however, do a good job of capturing this snapshot of Legion politics and conflict. It's also peppered with Sevatar's wonderfully bluntly sociopathic thoughts, and inability to understand why people feel things, but responding by rote to them anyway. It could have done with being slightly longer, but its more than worth the admission fee.
5/5

"Mercy of the Dragon" by Nick Kyme
'They had promised the truth, but had come cloaked in lies.'

It's a real shame. "Mercy of the Dragon" has some good moments and some wonderful world building, a feudal blood-cultist world resisting the coming of the Imperium. The parts set on their side of the fence are compelling. The book even has a decent early portrayal of Ferrus, one that the author could have made so much more were it his story.

Instead we are again battered over the head with how special Vulkan is; told, and not shown. Vulkan has been boiled down to a sadly tired cliche. Where other Primarchs are allowed to stretch and breathe, he is only ever the fiery humanitarian blacksmith with a destiny. After "Old Earth" this rings increasingly hollow. The segments with the Emperor after finding Vulkan are well-crafted, if slightly clunky.

This is another story that would have benefited from a fresh pair of eyes, as the Vulkan novel is going to.
2/5

"Shadow of the Past" by Gav Thorpe
'I see no daemon.'

Shadow of the Past veers away from what we know and from the Great Crusade, even from the Heresy. Not only does it do so, it offers up tantalising promise for what the Imperium will face when its prodigal sons return.

What starts as almost a murder-mystery/supernatural slasher story (plucky band picked off one by one) quickly veers. Soaked in Anthony Reynolds' terminology and with a cameo or two along the way.

The time jump is slightly jarring and the story starts fairly predictably, but the twist at the end almost redeems it. Primarchs don't just stop after the Heresy, and their clashes going forward offer insight and intrigue for the new normal of the Dark Imperium.
3/5

"The Emperor's Architect" by Guy Haley
'How could you like any of them? The primarchs might be awesome beings, but they are awful people.'

Guy Haley writes a story without a primarch, where ultimately it is perception that is the key. Propaganda vies with bias, to cast up an interesting and measured companion piece to "Hammer of Olympia."

Ultimately it's the focal characters that sell this narrative. We see so few people who are properly married (pair-bonded, in the story), that even an unhappy and crumbling one stands out in a galaxy of mere lovers, widows and orphans. The clash of their cynicism and idealistic worship form the plot in microcosm, and make for a compelling back-and-forth.

Cut through it are flashbacks that evoke "Hammer of Olympia" and "Angel Exterminatus", playing with Perturabo's earliest days, before he found himself clinging to a cliff. His acclimation to the world and his early forays are a beautifully evocative read.
4/5

"Prince of Blood", by LJ Goulding.
'We are following you, sire. We will follow you into eternity.'
'Why?'
'Because you are our father.'

Laurie Goulding loves continuity, that much is clear.

Playing off of his own earlier "The Weakness of Others", he dives back into a story of Kharn and the wider World Eaters, caught in the bloody orbit of an ascended Angron. It is a pure Heresy story, subtitle aside. It follows on directly from "Heart of the Conquerer", references "Chosen of Khorne", "Betrayer", "Eightfold Path", "After Desh'ea", and winds back round its own triumph rope to reference "The Weakness of Others".

Laurie loves continuity, and it pays off. He has characters down. Lotara Sarrin is tightly coiled will and snark, Kharn is fighting his madness and losing. Angron is a force of nature, as much losing himself as his sons are. Goulding injects an elemental tension into the story that makes it taut and electric. Repetition hammers it home, like mantras to stave off insanity.

Definitely a sleeper hit of this anthology.
4/5

"The Ancient Awaits" by Graham McNeill
'No, not the closing curtain...The opening act...'

This is the only story in this anthology that feels out of place, almost forced into the anthology when it could have taken any other spot, in any other Heresy anthology. It should be a Heresy story, but instead veers into an entirely other chronological direction that I'm not sure it really needs.

It comes across as, essentially, housecleaning. Tidying up plot threads that had, apparently been forgotten about. The interjection of the primarch in question is so fleeting as to almost not matter. The confrontation is alive and redolent with emotion, and yet it feels forced. Almost staged.

Sometimes addressing a specific plot beat can be a good thing, but this comes across as nostalgia for the sake of it, which lessens the impact of what would otherwise be a very solid story.
3/5

"Misbegotten" by Dan Abnett
'Two days before his death, Horus Lupercal is said to have cried out that all hope was gone.'

A story of the Great Crusade which pitches Horus and Sejanus together is always a fun thing. In much the same vein of "The Wolf of Ash and Fire", you can feel the camaraderie come alive between them.

This story starts out a bit disjointed, taking a broader and more philosophical musing tone that plays to Abnett's mythic strengths, but feels disconnected. Hollow. It's only when the narrative centres in on Horus that it becomes more real, more earthy. Certain flourishes of language remain, but the story churns on in short order.

The inhumanly human evil that they face down is wonderfully presented. A slice of body horror and calculated cruelty that bleeds in even in its short presentation. The end tightens the beginning and we're left with a ruefully apt set of bookends.
5/5

[Lenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredibly varied collection of short stories exploring the psyche of the Primarchs all of them written by a selection of Black Libraries finest.

The Passing of Angels by John French 4/5
Probably the hardest story to read due to the way it hobs around between storylines and the hazy introduction. But once it gets going it's such a great read. When Sanguinius is described it's easy to forget that Gabriel Seth is just as much a reflection of his father as Lord Commander Dante. This story goes deeper in on that aspect of the "Great Angel".


The Abyssal Edge by Aaron Dembski-Bowden 3/5
A story about a crippled pilot taking on an archival assignment while wrestling against his freshly broken body. The assignment is however one that might paint the legion he's attached to in a less than favourable light. Iskandar Khayon has filed a barbed report of how the Nightlords an the Thousand Sons almost came to blows.

Mercy of the Dragon by Nick Kyme 4/5
The Emperor tries to convince Vulkan to join him in his crusade. He tells him why he needs him in this endeavour. During this conversation we get a great example of this very reason.

Shadow of the past by Gav Thorpe 5/5
I was looking forward to this one. All I will say about it is: We now know where Corax has been the last couple of millennia.

The Emperor's architect by Guy Haley 5/5
Two Remembrancers are tasked with recording the histories of the Primarch. For this task they venture to Olympia . But their timing for trying to piece together the mindset of the "Lord of Iron" could have been better. I'm impressed by Guy Haley's depiction of Perturabo during the Primarchs series. Even though McNeill's depiction is much more likeable.

Prince of Blood by L J Goulding 4/5
A great depiction of the "Red Angel" and how his Legion reacts to his demonic transformation.

The Ancient Awaits by Graham McNeill 5/5
A trio of Thousand Sons are drawn towards the ruins of a long forgotten battlefield by prophetic visions. The catacombs of this place harbour an Ancient entity that is out for revenge.

Misbegotten by Dan Abnett 5/5
One of the scarce stories about the Luna Wolfs before the Heresy. It sheds an interesting light on Horus as he deals with a horror of Old Night during the Great crusade.

[DarkChaplain · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though uneven, the anthology is worth reading for Guy Haley's The Emperor's Architect alone already.

It serves as an exceptional companion piece to Perturabo: Hammer of Olympia, further characterizes the Primarch and gives a good look at the state of Olympia as rebellion brews. It's told in a fashion that I wish the series had returned to more frequently, because it allows for both reader interpretation and gets us closer to ground level, revitalizing the transhuman awe that has gone missing since the earliest days of the Horus Heresy series.

While the other stories range from nothing to write home about to pretty enjoyable illustrations of Legions and Primarchs, it's The Emperor's Architect that I'll fondly recall as one of the best short stories in the entire HH range.

[LEGO Yoda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really strong anthology. All the stories within this are honestly all really stellar.

I preferred the stories that actually featured the Primarchs rather than just being about them, but all of them were good anyways

[Mohammed Khalifa · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a really nice variety of stories and characters, getting to have a glimpse of some primarchs, and their history

[Thomas Langley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read prince of blood and it doesn't have an entry on goodreads because it is that obscure. Was good though.

[Lou · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sons of the Emperor is an anthology about several Primarchs and their legions, wonderfully narrated by Christopher Tester. Personal favourites include The Passing of Angels, The Abyssal Edge, Prince of Blood, and The Ancient Awaits. I will definitely go back to experience these stories again.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm sure a lot of people dug into this one purely for The Ancient Awaits, which is a rightfully interesting story though I do believe StringStorm's musical rendition succeeded in capturing more of the emotion and drama than the very brief segment it occupies in here. The section about Perturabo comes in long winded and flat in my opinion, just kind of a clunker right in the middle of the book. The rest though are excellent reads, from the nearly comical story about differences in opinion between Kurze and Magnus, to highlighting the humanity of Vulkan as well as portraying a friendly version of Ferrus Manus. A brief show stealer comes from Lorgar getting a nasty surprise when Corax comes looking for him. The best entry, in my opinion, has to deal with a slightly vulnerable Angron and the predicament Kharn finds himself in while attempting to deal with his Primarch, a theme echoed again during the Siege Of Terra books. Good read overall.

[Pavle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great anthology. I wish we get more from the Great Crusade era Primarchs. A few takes: Magnus and Konrad was an exceptional duo to read about and rather comical. I want to see more Primarchs outside of their comfort zone and mixed with their brothers they were less than fond of or really we never have been exposed to said interaction. I love Misbegotten. Abnett just creates the Luna Wolves in such a lovely light and the true heorism of Horus is shown.

All in all - lovely read.

[Michael Botterill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, it was fairly interesting.

Although some of the stories inclusion was a bit odd, some clearly belong in the main series while some are very much post Heresy stories.

The biggest disappointment was Prince of Blood, whilst it was a good story, it wasn’t as well written as I would have wanted.

[Alessandra Di Giovanni · Rating 1 out of 5]

Niente contro questo libro, ma le antologie non sono roba mia.

[Gamer Gamersson]

I don't like reading anthologies front to back, especially when they're so disconnected, so I'll be updating this review as I read more of the stories in this. For future reference, I am reading (most of) the Horus Heresy, loosely following the Horus Heresy Omnibus project.

The Emperor's Architect, by Guy Haley. 5/5

Delightful prologue to the fall of Olympia, narrated from the perspective of a man as petulant as Perturabo, who accurately critiques the primarchs for what they are: monsters of awesome power, with the emotional development of temperamental children. It's a really nice dive into journalism during the "Golden Age" of the Imperium, where things weren't nearly as rosy as characters in 40k make it out to be. Sprinkle in some Emperor-worship, and you've got yourself a delicious story about hypocrisy, censorship and world-ending tantrums. Genuinely amazing.

Misbegotten, by Dan Abnett. 2/5

Honestly, I found it kind of mid. I love reading more of Sejanus in action, especially next to Horus, but it is unfortunate there's not much to this short story. The parallel between horrible monsters and space marines/primarchs is done much better elsewhere. Not horrible, but ok at best.

The Ancient Awaits, by Graham McNeill. 4/5

Certified hood classic. This short story is legendary in the community, and for good reason. Rylanor is an absolute gigachad, and his spite is something us mere mortals can only aspire to recreate.

Mercy of the Dragon, by Nick Kyme. 3/5

Not a fantastic short story by any means, but one that gets its point across well. Nothing really special to speak of here, but I did like the paralleled perspectives moving next to each other. This ranks higher in my eyes for its portrayal of the Emperor as benevolent, and as caring about mercy; it goes against the narrative of him as a ruthless manipulating warlord, and I do believe disjointed characterization is an essential part of his character.

[Michael Dodd · Rating 4 out of 5]

First released at the Horus Heresy & Necromunda Weekender in February 2018, Sons of the Emperor is a Horus Heresy Primarchs anthology comprising eight brand new short stories ranging from the earliest days of the Great Crusade to long after the end of the Heresy, each taking a different approach to representing one (or more) of the primarchs and their legionary sons. Featuring eleven primarchs and even the Emperor, chances are there’s a story here for every Heresy fan.

It’s a collection that doesn’t take too many risks stylistically – excepting Abnett’s unusually told Misbegotten – with stories that largely follow their authors’ usual approaches, but does stray a little from the norm in terms of the way in which some characters are portrayed. Some debate remains as to whether certain of these stories should be included in the Primarchs series or the main range. Forget about that, however, and enjoy eight interesting stories which do a great job of expanding the Heresy and digging deeper into some fascinating characters.

Read the full review (and individual reviews of each story) at https://www.trackofwords.com/2018/02/...

[Zare · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting collection of stories about the Primarchs. Although transhuman in everything, from mental to physical power, we can see that in their core they still remain very much human. They have inner insecurities (Perturabo and his competitions to prove he is best and brightest), can be quite a demagogue (Lorgar), tend to petty bickering and quarrels (Curze), seekers of knowledge and unable to see that quest for the ultimate knowledge can be a path to Hell (Magnus), destroyer of worlds for a noble cause (Vulkan) and destroyer of worlds for practical reasons, no matter how bloody and cruel (Sanguinius).

As is case with every anthology, downside is that every story looks like a teaser because it just stops when it becomes the most interesting. Each of these could very well be developed into a novel. On the upside we are given a brief glimpse into the world of these powerful beings and the very roots that are source of their power but ultimately also are seed of their corruption and destruction.

Good stories, recommended to all fans of Horus Heresy.

[Conall Crowley · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent mix bag of Primarch-centred short stories. Like all Warhammer writing, quality varies markedly between author. Here's my personal ranking from best to worst.

1. Misbegotten - a certified Dan Abnett banger starring pre-corruption Horus against a terrible foe from the Dark Age of Technology.
2. The Emperor's Architect - an interesting story about the clash of fact vs truth set on Perturabo's Olympia.
3.The Abyssal Edge - Night Lords vs Thousand Sons by ADB. Excellent
4. Prince of Blood - we love a good Lotara and Kharn story
5.Shadows of the Past - interesting in that it shows some Word Bearers's shenangans, and a cool horror plot, but ending flopped.
6. The Ancient Awaits - honestly, very anticlimactic, considering how much this interaction has been built up in the lore...
7.Mercy of the Dragon - one of my favourite Primarchs, one of the most 'meh' stories.
8.The Passing of Angels - the first story in the collection and my least favourite. Tries to make Sanguinius out to be mildly edgy, doesn't succeed.

[Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5**

the passing of angels: 10/5
- WOW. so so so good. reading after this ‘the end and the death’ also really got me in my feels. i’m sorry sanguinius :(

the abyssal edge: 5/5
- adb and sevatar are a better combo than pb and jelly.

mercy of the dragon: 3/5
- i liked the premise! just wish it was written by a more ‘experienced’ author..

shadow of the past: 4/5
- so i’ve already read this, cause i was sick and tired of the meme lords talking about corax and what he ‘became’ in the warp. this should be a mandatory 40k read to shut up all the people that get their lore through reddit.

the emperors architect: 5/5
- incredible. another incredible read.

prince of blood: 5/5
- my heart will never not break for kharn and angron :(

the ancient awaits: MUST READ/5
- go into this blind and be ready to fucking feel all the emotions!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

misbegotten: 5/5
- dan abnett. enough said.

[Ross Cudmore · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Passing of Angels +++++
‘If gods did not exist mankind would conjure them into being. If god did exist He would will monsters into life and cloak them in the light of heaven.’

The great and terrible rage of the Blood Angels is unleashed as Sanguinius lets loose his Destroyer Host. The Destroyers are a weapon of last resort, used not to conquer, but to leave nothing alive and salt the earth. Here Sanguinius becomes an angel of ruin in his father’s name, his sons wear silver dead faces as they unleash nuclear weapons to exterminate a world. They are dark and terrible, they are death.

Wonderful prose by John French, as well as great characterisation of Sanguinius and his Legion. The story is dripping with drama and deep emotional turbulence.

The Abyssal Edge +++++
‘And so it comes to be that we stand here in the ashes, sifting through the powdery remains of revelation. It is too late to change a thing. Too late to do anything but mourn what was lost. Everything is gone. All is dust.’

Honestly an amazing short story. An ace-pilot, horrifically injured now works as an archivist. Finding a damning tale of the Night Lords from an officer of the Thousand Sons, he heads for the Night Lord’s flagship to find the truth.

Sevetar and the Night Lords are refreshingly different from the other Legionnaires of the Heresy. Honour is a foreign concept to them, they joke and chide, speaking with sarcastic venom and their words drip with sadistic violence. So of course there would be tensions when they must work with the Thousand Sons, who pride themselves in being honest and strive to act with integrity in all matters.

ADB’s writing is addictive, his characters can be the most flawed, cruel monsters, but you can’t help but root for them. His characters have a sort of humanity baked into them that makes you connect with them.

Mercy of the Dragon ++++

A story of Vulkan’s first meeting with the Emperor, intercut with a story of Vulkan waging war for the first time with his brother Ferrus.

An interesting insight into Vulkan’s nature and personality. He comes across as significantly humbler and more grounded than most of his brothers. A builder unsure of taking on the role of general. He speaks to his father the Emperor in a manner that is straightforward and honest but not without insight and thought.

The action points to the terrifying strength of Vulkan, that stands at odds with his kind and gentle nature. Overall a fun story that serves as a strong introduction to Vulkan as a character.

Shadow of the Past ++++

It is difficult to explain the appeal of this story without spoiling it entirely, but suffice to say this is very very cool. Like bashing two action figures against each other but with a satisfying back-story to explain the emotional depth of the combat.

The Emperor’s Architect +++++

The protagonist is a dissatisfied remembrancer, travelling with his wife who he has grown to depise, as they chronicle the lives of the Primarchs. The protagonist was notably different than the standard human presented so far in the Heresy. He is resentful of the Primarchs, feeling that they make him appear inadequate. His wife’s admiration for them only makes him feel smaller and has turned him into a bitter creature who looks upon his wife disdainfully.

The story begins as the pair of remembrances arrive on Olympia to chronicle the life of Perturabo. The story gives more depth to the world and politics of Olympia, while the protagonist acts as a foil to the Primarch. Perturabo is a bitter man, looking down on others, and is quick to anger. That the protagonist is so similar in temperament, highlights Perturabo’s humanity, even if it is the uglier side of humanity.

Perturabo’s Primarch novel already did a fantastic job developing his character, and that continues with this short story.

Prince of Blood +++++
“We will walk the Eightfold Path. We will wear the mantle of the caedere remissum, even though the primarch forbade it. We will rebel, just as he rebelled. We will kill not because we are ordered to, but because we live for it. Blood, and pain, and nothing more.”

Following the events of “Betrayer” the crew of the Conqueror struggle to carry on, the Warp growing heavy around them and the ship. Lotara, one of the coolest human characters in the Heresy has to fight to keep the bridge together as Kharn feels the nails grow tight in his mind.

A great story detailing the fall of the World Eaters. Kharn is clad in the red and bronze with a kill-counter in the top left corner of his visor, and the Legion makes war for the pure reason of slaughter. A broken Legion falls deeper into madness.

The Ancient Awaits +++++
“I once knew all the things that mattered – names, dates, places. Things of moment. The oaths taken. The oaths broken. The litanies of the faithless. I am he who remembers. I am the Ancient of Rites.’”

A son reunites with his father after centuries have passed. One of my favourite short stories from the Heresy.

Misbegotten +++++
“Years later, long after the Triumph of Ullanor, and the great bloodshed of the Heresy, and the darkness of the Fall that ended it, men forgot the hope they had once shared.”

Dan Abnett opened the series with “Horus Rising” painting the Warmaster as a noble, intelligent man capable of charm and guile. All that changed on the Moon of Davin, and from that point on Horus was ruthless and ferocious.

This story takes place before Horus Rising, before Ullanor and the title of Warmaster, when Horus was still honourable. Sejanus favoured son of Horus is dealing with a difficult compliance, and his father comes to aid him.

The conclusion to the story is perfect, drawing not just this story, but the entire book to a satisfying close.

[Kelvin Hawkes · Rating 5 out of 5]

there are to reactions to the ancient awakes


the first 14 times: "Join us my son. and i shall sculpt you into something beautiful." "Never! All we have left between us is that we shall die together!
I AM RYLANOR OF THE EMPERORS CHILDREN!
ANCIENT OF RITES!
VENERABLE OF THE PALENTINR HOST!
AND PROUD SERVANT OF THE EMPEROR OF MANKIND, BELOVED BY ALL!
I REJECT YOU NOW AND ALWAYS!!"
*explodes a fuckin nuke with his own hands*




now everytime that i think about it: *Rylanor* "this is the faggot the prophecy foretold?"

idk i have seen too many memes about it since my last read, so I'll reread this again

[Wesley Fleure · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised with this collection and it was that rare beast in the black library; a collection of short stories with consistent quality!

Without going into detail I felt all stories were either interesting tales in their right and or added to the lore and understanding of the primarchs and their legions and that’s what I was hoping for!

I think the weakest stories are the McNeil and French ones and my fav was the Perturabo and Angron ones but I also really liked the Abnett story

[Gordon Ross · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aaah, an anthology of short tales focusing on the pseudo-deific Primarch 'children of the emperor'. Readers of the Horus Heresy series will be very familiar with this sort of collection, but this particular set benefits from a greater focus on character and context than on advancing a plot narrative.

It's inevitably a bit of a mixed bag but helped tremendously by a focus on the more interesting Primarchs and excellent work by McNeill and Debski-Bowden in particular.

[Chris Dennison · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent anthology of stories from some of Black Library's best authors. These stories, set both pre and post heresy, provide a glimpse at the Primarch's through the eyes of others.

If you get a chance to pick this book up you will not be disappointed.

[Christian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a collection of generally above average writing looking at a few Primarchs. There are some very interesting revelations about other Primarchs and characters from early on in the Horus Heresy series. It was entertaining.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first Black Library book, but I'm pretty well versed in the setting lore. I love short stories and thought I'd start with those. It was a good intro to some of the different Primarchs. I wouldn't recommend reading it without some basic lore knowledge though.

[Cody Day · Rating 5 out of 5]

Often times, fandoms have a way of talking something up and having it reach this level of hype that it can't live up to. The Ancient Awaits is everything that the memes say it is and makes this whole collection worth it alone. The rest is definitely good, but wow, what a masterpiece.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent short story collection that dives into some of my favourite legions and Primarchs in some really interesting ways.

It also serves to fill in a few gaps for the Horus Heresy line.

My favourite story being the exploration of writing propaganda for the Imperium.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

All in all quite good, actually!

Not sure Nick Kyme could have put the word "blacksmith" in that story more times. We get it, Vulkan knows the forge, now find a different aspect of him to detail, please.

The one with the bitter remembrancer was absolutely fantastic.

[Sverre Wimplingher · Rating 5 out of 5]

fantastic compilation, and the Audiobook is done such justice with Chris Tester reading it. I wish GW would employ him in more.

His rendition of Kharne the Betrayer is absolutely phenomenal, and the way he reads from a logical mind such as Perturabo was so greatly done.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best GW anthologies yet.

HOW DO YOU MAKE ME FEEL SORRY FOR THE WORLD EATERS?!