Spear of the Emperor

Warhammer 40,000

by Aaron Dembski-Bowden

The Emperor's Spears are a Chapter on the edge of destruction, last watchmen over the Elara's Veil nebula. Now, the decisions of one man, Amadeus Kaias Incarius of the Mentor Legion, will determine the Chapter's fate…

READ IT BECAUSE

Aaron Dembski-Bowden has turned his attention to creating (and maybe destroying) a Space Marine Chapter in detail, and this lavishly luxurious limited edition – available six months before the standard hardback – contains a host of extras that will deepen your understanding of the Emperor's Spears and allow eager hobbyists to recreate them on the tabletop!

THE STORY

The scattered worlds of the Elara's Veil nebula were once protected by the oath of unity sworn by three mighty Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes. The Star Scorpions were undone by flaws in their genetic coding. The Celestial Lions were ravaged by the Inquisition for sins they did not commit. Now, after hundreds of years, only the Emperor's Spears still keep their vigil. They are barbarian watchmen against the Outer Dark; bloodied but unbroken in their long duty. Amadeus Kaias Incarius, a brother of the Mentor Legion, is commanded to cross the Great Rift and assess the Spears' war-readiness, only to be drawn into the chaotic plight of a depleted crusade on the Imperium's benighted frontier. The decisions he makes, far from the God-Emperor's light, will decide the fate of the war-torn Chapter.

Written by Aaron Dembski-Bowden

ABOUT THIS EDITION

This limited edition contains a plethora of fantastic collectables that will help immerse you in the world of the Emperor's Spears and bring them to the battlefield in your games of Warhammer 40,000:

- Magnetic presentation box
- 352-page hardback novel
- Includes a preface, additional short story 'The First Primaris' and afterword
- 16-page background book with lore about the Emperor's Spears
- Transfer sheet with icons for the Chapter to use on your Citadel miniatures
- Chapter Trait rules card to use in your games
- Metal coin to use as an objective marker
- Coloured enamel pin badge
- Bookmark designed to look like a purity seal
- Three A5 art prints

With just 1,500 copies available, this is an incredible artefact from the 41st Millennium for all readers and Warhammer 40,000 hobbyists.

Genres: 40k, Science Fiction, Fiction, Fantasy, Audiobook, Military Fiction, Space Opera

Hardcover

First published November 24, 2018

Reviews

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

The cover of Spear Of The Emperor is a dynamic portrayal of a Space Marine of the titular chapter, standing in full regalia in a hail of bullets, aiming his spear at the unknown enemy before him, proudly displaying his bright blue-and-white armour and red plume before the flames of an explosion, crumbling ruins adorned with Imperial Eagles in the background. In the prologue of the novel Anuradha - historian, scribe and narrator - writes that this 'is a story of war, of brotherhood, of victory and loss'. And that is true enough. But Spear Of The Emperor is all those things in very different ways than it's exciting, flamboyant artwork promises.

I could tell you that it's characters are well-drawn, that the world-building is engaging and well-thought out, that the action is visceral, that the pacing is perfect, that it engages with aspects of the new, post-8th-Edition-lore in creative and refreshing ways, and all of that would be true, but it would feel superfluous in the face of what ADB has aimed for and achieved here.

'Spear' is a tale that refuses to go the easy way. That plays into all of the strengths of it's author's previous works about humans and Space Marines in the 41st millenium and teases well-trodden, pleasing roads of story, just to pull the rug out under you and engage with the raw, emotional reality of the situations that humans have to face in those circumstances. If it's a story about victory, it's one about those most personal victories that are so much more common, but that much harder to achieve than furious triumphs in battles for the fate of humanity: those that are won in a war not for the soul of mankind, but for one's own. It is a novel about slavery and freedom, about loss and sorrow, about trauma and recovery, and, most of all, about change. I cried three times while reading it, two of those times in the same chapter.

ADB has said that he did extensive research for this story, speaking with soldiers, nurses, fire-fighters, cops, surgeons and more - people that actually lived through extreme, life-threatening circumstances - to get this novel right, and has also said that this story felt to him 'a lot more personal, somehow'. I believed both of those statements while reading his book.

It felt personal to me, too.

[Swords & Spectres · Rating 2 out of 5]

There were several things with this book that just left me feeling disappointed. The first would be that I found the blurb to be VERY misleading. The blurb claims the decisions made by Amadeus will (not could, will) determine the chapter's fate. But it becomes painfully obvious, really quickly might I add, that no opinion Amadeus has can possibly have any real bearing on anything. The blurb also claims ADB creates (in detail) a chapter ... what detail there was was scant. So that just kind of feels like click bait. If anything the chapter kind of just feels like what would happen if a group of Space Wolves were left alone to go half-feral.

Another thing that kept my interest low was that the whole thing, from start to finish was just very tedious. I'll not lie, it was interesting tedium for good chunks, but then the author seemed to realise he was giving too much interest away and stopped it real quick.

It's also told from the point of view of one of Amadeus' human thralls. So you don't get the up-close and hectic space marine battles with bolters, chainswords and savage fury. You get a bit of a bland retelling about battles she witnessed from relative safe distances. She also had next to no character to speak of, so it just added to the already present tedium. I have read other reviews that claimed there was lots of action and I am left wondering just what these reviewers class as fast-paced, 40k action.

I also felt that the Space Marines felt far too human. They did not feel like Space Marines at all. I don't know if other readers got this same opinion, or whether it was just me being very nitpicky. But I just couldn't get the Adeptus Astartes vibe from any of them (I mean, for example, one of the most straight arrow, hard-lined Space Marines in the book takes his primarch being insulted in relatively good stead. Absolute madness.)

The ending was relatively good but I just had nearly no enthusiasm by that point so it just felt lukewarm rather than red hot. All in all, for a variety of reasons, I was just left feeling incredibly underwhelmed. The epilogue was written in such a way that I could tell I should have been desperate to see what happened next and where this series is going ... but I just don't have any enthusiasm for finding out.

The fact that it flowed relatively well and that there was quite a bit of interesting points throughout helped this score a two instead of a one. And I never thought I'd not enjoy an Aaron Dembski Bowden Warhammer novel. But then, everyone else seems to love this book, so perhaps I am just the incredibly one one out. That's reading tastes for you.

[Callum Shephard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dembski-Bowden is someone who favours the past. Really, the chances are that if you have read any of his more famous series, they are situated firmly before the end of M42. There's a good reason for this, as he favours tragedies and dark endings where there is little to no hope for tomorrow. That and, well, his use of previously established history is one of his more common storytelling elements. So, to see him writing a book which is set in the modern age of the Imperium Nihilus was a remarkable break from his typical tends. As was his choice of an otherwise unknown, and seemingly unnoteworthy, chapter without any established history to them.

So, does this pay off? That depends heavily on how much you enjoy his usual themes, in all honesty.

The Synopsis

On the fringes of Imperial space, the Emperor's Spears stand vigil over the Emperor's domain. As the last of three once mighty chapters tasked with guarding their territory against the outer dark, their numbers are stretched thin beyond measure. Yet as the Imperium Nihilus spews forth ever greater numbers of heretics, daemons and rebels, they continue to hold the line.

The Spears' isolation is broken only by the arrival of a heavily damaged frigate, bearing a representation of the Mentor Legion. Tasked with judging the Spears and the state of their territories by Guilliman himself, Amadeus Kalus Incarius is given the duty of deciding their future. As war continues to grip the sector, Amadeus finds himself facing animosity for not only his duty, but his very origins...


The Good

This is very much both a narrative and a lore story in one. Much like Brothers of the Snakes before it, the book seeks to both offer a chapter to flesh out and highlight the very nature of space marines. Yet where Abnett focused upon elements of nobility and what separated them from humans, Dembski-Bowden went in the opposite direction. This one yangs for every time that book yinged, but it does so with an obvious goal behind it. We see how the Spears are both extremely atypical of both Ultramarines successors and chapters as a whole, giving new dimension to the Adeptus Astartes. This is especially noteworthy as they retain a much closer relationship to their citizenry, but they are almost scorned because of it.

Many essential details within the story are easily established and developed as you might expect, through the plot itself. While this is commonly commented upon and praised when an author does it well, Dembski-Bowden should be highlighted as a master of this style. There is never a single moment where the story drags itself to a halt in order to explore things or even feels the need to divert everything to focus on one idea. Even in those few moments where it is diverted to explore an idea through a scene, both character development and greater narrative impact more than excuses it.

What might also be surprising to many readers - especially after that introduction - is that the viewpoint character himself is not an astartes. Instead of Amadeus or even a member of the Spears, it is instead one of Amadeus' accompanying humans who we follow throughout this. Anuradha Daaz, a heavily augmented helot, serves as the viewpoint character. We see events through her eyes, and gain a better impression of both chapters because of this. Along with a commentary on how the Mentors act through both her upgrades and relationship with her master, we see how the Spears subvert ideas. Her predictions and attitudes towards the astartes emulate common views both in and out of the universe. This helps to more easily display just how the Spears differ from conventional chapters, and to make their personalities more distinct. This is evident not only in how they treat humans, but also in how they regard themselves or other groups.

Lastly, however, the book also takes full advantage of the setting's desperation. A problem with the new edition is how it seemed to so often treat the latest development in the setting as a new stage in a bigger battle, with each side gaining new toys. It lacked that "oomph!" factor in a few key areas, and never quite gained the edge that the new developments needed. However, Spear of the Emperor manages to fully convey it for what it is: Hell burst open. The galaxy itself was split by a wound of unreality down the middle, splitting the Imperium in two and engulfing whole worlds in the Warp. This is a time of miracles, but it also drew in far more infernal forces as well, which relentlessly taxes the Imperium at every turn. This is the best example of how an isolated world on the frontlines would be rocked by this revelation, and how the Imperium would struggle to support them. It's a bleak outlook within the story itself, but there is an odd beauty and engagement in their relentlessly fighting.

Unfortunately, Dembski-Bowden goes a bit too far with this...


The Bad

Now, before we get into the criticisms, let's make one thing clear: Aaron Dembski-Bowden has made two things evident in his writings - In his mind the Imperium would fail, and the Emperor was a monstrosity along with no redeeming qualities. He tends to beat this message into his stories repeatedly, and even in personal commentaries his idea that the Imperium would die at the dawn of M42 was something he held as an ultimate truth. This was often taken further and further, to the degree where it constantly seemed like he saw the Imperium as enduring thanks to the momentum of the Great Crusade, and never having any real successes or glories past that point. The reason this is worth mentioning is that Spear of the Emperor is set well after the time he felt it should fail, and he seems to use it as an opportunity to say "No, I am right, and here is why!"

The book's very introduction establishes that things have become far worse in the decade or two past the book's events, to the point of Chaos holding total dominion over the book's setting. When there's a chance to establish that the Imperium will fail, the writing will emphasise it in every way possible, and it even goes out of its way to add in more failings. Entire batches of Primaris marines dying, exaggerating the malice of the Inquisition to the point of stupidity, denying prior victories; it's all in here. The problem is that this colours the entire book, to the point where it goes from being bittersweet to downright nihilistic. Hell, it almost revels in its nihilism at multiple points, and how the Imperium is falling to bits in this version. While viewpoints like this are welcome in order to balance out more pro-Imperial ones, with the benefit of unreliable narrators on both sides, Dembski-Bowden keeps writing it in a manner of only his one being fact set in stone. This makes it, even given his exceptional talent as an author, very difficult to enjoy at points.

On a more specific book note, the bittersweet angle means that many scenes are robbed of anything to offset the more dour tones of the work. There's nothing like the benefits of the Night Lords trilogy or Word Bearers books to keep things going, and unless you're grabbed by the ideas behind it, it just isn't fun after a while. It's certainly engaging, but it can reach the point of being overwhelming. It's a problem only made worse by how, in the case of most characters, there's little to get you fully invested in them. Looking through Daaz's eyes means that she is not on the same level as the astartes, and as such it's far more difficult to depict them on the same level her. Unfortunately, this means that she is unable to get inside their minds or judge their personalities in the same way as another space marine, making them distant and unengaging. The same is true of her fellow helots, and as a result, it's difficult to fully care about the characters within the book so much as the events surrounding them.

Daaz herself is also not a very engaging protagonist. While, much like the above point, there are ideas which certainly benefit her, she lacks the backstory or qualities to help her stand out. Say what you will about Prospero Burns' flaws, but Kasper Hawser's personality and history made him quite memorable. I cannot say the same about Daaz, who seems far too much like a blank slate. I can comment upon her bionics more than her personality, even with all the moments where her thoughts come across clearly to the reader. It's a damn shame, as she simply lacks the benefits which made Dembski-Bowden's other first-person tales work so well.

The Verdict

Spear of the Emperor isn't a bad book, but it's a very hard one to like unless you enjoy this author's personal view on the setting. While I personally don't regret reading it, and will likely re-read it again, it lacks the enjoyment or investment that I would typically associate with a novel so well crafted. If you are curious about this one, reading a preview or renting it from a library is highly advised prior to purchase it, but don't ignore it entirely by any means.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good book about a warrior of the Mentors legion, a later founding of the Ultramarine Chapter. Amadeua and his followers make it to a cut off region of the Imperium where a terrible even fractured a legion into a Fallen Legion who turned to Chaos and a group of Barbarians who are a chapter known as the Spears of the Emperor. The chaos space marines fight a constant war after a warp rift fuels them and the twenty or so planets watched over by the Spears become a playing piece in a much bigger incursion to come.
This is a stranger book about Space Marines and yet not about them. They are prominently featured and yet the minions of Amadeus are figured in the foreground. What they go through and what they are cursed to endure is very apparent. It is sad and heartbreaking in parts and yet the loyalty to their Space Marine masters is shown strongly here. The culminating war that unfolds and the treacheries and triumphs on the way to the end act are so very interesting to read. This one kept me turning pages after the second act of the book. This author is one of my favorites and this is a unique take in showing how Primaris Marines are built (in some fashion) and where they are different from the standard Space Marine. Really good book, this one!

Danny

[Jared · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, ADB has done it again. Written a great story.

The various authors of the Black Library all have their individual strengths. Another of my favorites, Dan Abnett, is able to (among other things) portray the hellscape that passes for life for untold trillions of people in the Imperium of Man in ways that makes that life seem both normal and yet so horrific at the same time. Aaron Dembski-Bowden's strengths are are different.

ADB does Space Marines like no one else. His Space Marines are the Space Marines I have always imagined ever since I played Dawn of War on the PC for the very first time. Superhuman. Implacable. Unstoppable. Fearless. And yet, underneath it all, eminently human. The other thing ADB does so well is portray the lives of the humans who live in proximity to, serve and die for and along side those same Space Marines.

If science fiction and/or the grim dark future of the Warhammer 40k universe aren't necessarily your thing, that's OK and I respect that. However, I feel like you would be doing yourself a disservice if you didn't read at least one of ADB's novels. This one or maybe the First Heretic or perhaps Soul Hunter, the first of the Night Lords trilogy. Give one of those a shot. What do you have to lose?

[Michael Dodd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Over a century after the Great Rift, the Imperium sends Amadeus Kaias Incarius of the Mentor Legion to assess the status of Elara’s Veil’s defences, in Imperium Nihilus. The Star Scorpions are long gone, the Celestial Lions crippled, so the Spears of the Emperor hold the line almost alone. Despite a cold welcome from the Spears, Amadeus recognises that there’s no way back to the Imperium, so resolves to stay and fight, and help the Spears however he can.

This is a book which can be enjoyed on so many levels, not least as an exploration of a complex, characterful Chapter forced into an impossible situation (arguably two Chapters, as the Mentors come across as genuinely intriguing too), an introduction to the wider context and history of the Adeptus Vaelarii, and a glimpse of the stark realities of the Dark Imperium. It’s endlessly thought-provoking, sometimes (enjoyably) challenging, and deeply satisfying.

Read the full review at https://www.trackofwords.com/2018/11/...

[Peter Larson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not your usual Space Marine novel; this is told from the viewpoint of an augmented human helot/thrall/slave/servant of a space marine, and that itself is part of the intriguing nature of the novel. Interior thoughts of the marines are revealed only in what they tell the narrator. The result is the view of someone who knows space marines better than anyone else. That provides for excellent character development and a different way of looking at space marine fight scenes.

The two chapters, the Emperor's Spears (not tridents) and the Mentor Legion are done very well.

In the preface the author refers to the late Alan Bligh and the book makes me think of his work - mix of mystery and detail, humanity and inhumanity, and a setting that pulls you in. It's a novel so some secrets are reveled but there are still teasers there for speculation.

[Xavier Virsu · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one is great. Pick it up, you won't be disappointed. I'm at work now, I'll try to write a better review later. Just know, this is one of the best black library novels.

[Jimmy Brady · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best Warhammer book I’ve read thus far, and one of the best overall books I’ve ever read in my life.

[Ben Minarelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just incredible, if there's never a sequel I will riot

[James Fishwick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aaron Dembski-Bowden is consistently 40k's most interesting and philosophical author, and is also great at including female characters despite writing mostly about the all-male Space Marines. This book is no exception, exploring a fascinating new Space Marine chapter and what life is like in the Imperium Nihilus, from the viewpoint of a woman working for a Marine sent to investigate them. Rollicking story with some excellent fun plot-twists, and (as always for AD-B) left me wanting to start a new army...

[Gregory Wells · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not just a fantastic 40k book, but a fantastic book in general. The character and world building are astounding. I finished it in two sittings and am already picking it up to read again. There’s so much hidden there I’m sure I missed the first read through. I must know and appreciate it all.

[Nynniaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

[Received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review]

Framed as the memories of an ancient thrall in service of the Mentors Chapter, Spear of the Emperor tells the story of an expedition that has braved the Straits of Epona, crossing the Cicatrix Maledictum to reach the Darkened Imperium beyond and establish communications with the Adeptus Vaelari stranded there.

Seen through the eyes of Anuradha, Helot Secundus to Amadeus Kaias Incarius, the story brims with some of the themes that make Warhammer 40k such an interesting setting to read about: Hope in the face of hopelessness, freedom in the face of slavery, defiance in the face of impossible and heart-breaking odds. It is a heartfelt and beautifully-executed look at the cogs of the machine, so to speak- the Astartes, their thralls, the worlds they come from. Their tales are painfully their own, as they always are on the best stories, but they are also evocative of the larger universe they live in, of an Imperium perpetually on the brink, and of the many sacrifices that must be made in the name of keeping it running, as one characters put it, from day to day, sometimes from hour to hour.

There is no endless orgy of blood to be found here. Blatant violence, when it happens, its usually swift and brutal, a punctuation sign to that which preceded and that which will follow, but the book is all the better for it, for the focus are unashamedly the characters, not the arsenals, their triumphs and their tragedies as they strive to eke out some manner of personal meaning in such a hostile world.

[William Spencer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very different take on the space marine story. Told from the point of view of a thrall rather than a marine. It sets a different way of thinking about astartes and how their ways would look from a humans point of view. The story has lots of twists that build up nicely, some easy to see and some not so. Also some sombre moments that are rare for warhammer book where usually the heroes gain the upper hand at the last minute. I also liked how it was written as if it was the first book in a series.

[Spaced Out Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5 A book so good, I had to jump right back into the start after I finished. This was my first 40k novel and most certainly will not be my last.

ADB has instantly become one of my favourite authors with this incredibly gripping standalone tale from the WarHammer universe. You don’t get your hand held as you venture out through the great rift and discover new worlds, Space Opera action, and betrayal and intrigue…

[Rhoë · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great read, with lots of insight into the setting without the burden of requiring an encyclopedic knowledge beforehand.

A human's perspective allows for a more relatable story than one told from the view of an Astartes.

[Attila · Rating 5 out of 5]

ADB delivers another 5*, nothing new or surprising :D

[Jacob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Damn. Good. A case of the author selecting the perfect POV character to tell the story! Excellent Military SciFi with incredible world building and quality suspense. Highly recommend!

[Panagiotis Kostidis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for a 40k fan.

[Emerson Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably the best book from the 40k series Ive ever read. I really hope a sequel is planned and out soon.

[Michael Haspil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good 40K novel from a different POV than we're normally accustomed to for a Space Marine yard.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was pretty good up until about 3/4 of the way through, and then it got REALLY good. But by then it was the end of the book. I'd like to see a follow up, though I suspect with the way it ended that might not come to pass. A perfect blend of bolter porn and actual character development. I really enjoy these types of books where they go in-depth on a particular chapter or legion and flesh them out (See: Brothers of the Snake by Dan Abnett).

[Stephen Mullin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it. Best 40k novel I have read in ages and the best account of space marines I have come across! Highly recommended! Keep it up!!

[Nick · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like Aaron Dembski-bowden's style. His depiction of the world of warhamer 40k captures that teetering on the edge of abyss so perfectly but in this novel his talent felt a bit less.

Aaron is very keen to point out how far removed space marines are from humans and how this separation impacts humans that surround them and have to assist them. Fans of his work will tend to notice a few similarities between this book and the nightlord triology; in particular the relationship between space marine master and thrall. Like in the Nightlords triology the book uses the human thrall to tell the story from a true human standpoint. Like the nightlords triology the bond between the thrall and master is one of growing trust and understanding, the demilord becomes more human and because of that he reevaluates his assistants who become more human because of it. However unlike the nightlord trilogy where the human point of view is intermixed with the point of view of the (chaos) space marines this book sticks to the point of view of one; Anuradha while her master mentor space marine (gosh i really dislike that chapter name) Amadeus Kaias Incarius (Love the unsubtle icarus reference but seriously amadeus? two references like that are a bit much no?) never gets his point of view. I could not help but wonder;, why is he even here from a story telling point of view and why is so much time spent on this frankly uninteresting character? I could not help but compare him to Talos or any first claw marine from the nightlords novels and felt him severely lacking in every regard.

But lets talk about space marines and those who actually made it to the cover and title, the spears of the emperor; i liked them. their culture, lore, personalities, interactions are all interesting and compliment each other; it feels like a fleshed out entity and that is what really fun and interesting; to put it frankly I wished it could have been a book about them. Even though I applaud Amadeus ending; he wasn't relevant; this was not his story heck even Anuradha's interactions with the spears marines was a lot more interesting then those between Amadeus and the spears. If you come to view him like that, an irrelevance to the story, then it is hard to not want him out of the picture. Maybe that is why we never get his point of view, because it did not really matter .

Maybe that was what Aaron wanted to do originally. Maybe he wanted to write a story of a human thrall finding a place in this outpost of the imperium but how could that happen without a Space marine to guide her on? to open the doors she would never open on her own? Why would she ever be present with the other space marines if not while serving her master? It is a bit of an obstacle and I see why Aaron chose this approach to bad it did not quite work.

So in the end; I liked the idea behind it, i liked the lore the connections made with existing lore concerning the celestial lions chapter who make brief but meaningful appearance and the plot was delightfully unexpected. But to bad that the idea did not quite live up to its potential making the book less then the sum of its parts.

[Liz (Quirky Cat) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of Spear of the Emperor through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The Spear of the Emperor, written by Aaron Dembski-Bowden is another Space Marine novel for fans to dive into; but it’s also unlike anything I’ve read so far. Following The Emperor’s Spears and the Mentor Legion, this novel takes place in the Elara’s Veil nebula. Where their war is far from over.
The Emperor’s Spears have been isolated for over a century. And yet they fight on. Their war in the Elara’s Veil has been a bloody one, but that hasn’t slowed them down any. They’ve received no contact from the other legions in a hundred years, so when Amadeus Kaias Incarius passes through the Great Rift for a status report, they’re understandably quite suspicious.

“This is the tale of Amadeus Kaias Incarius and the Spears of the Emperor. It is a tale that has yet to end, but began many years ago, in the reign of the swordking Arucatas, as a warship set sail for the Elara’s Veil nebula and into the Great Rift.”


Warnings: These are Space Marines we’re talking about. They’re going to throw themselves headlong into danger, and sometimes that means they’re going to be graphically killed or wounded. Alongside that, Spear of the Emperor includes scenes depicting slavery, torture, and some graphic detailing about infections and wounds.

The Spear of the Emperor was absolutely nothing like what I expected. It was brilliant and intense, and shockingly moving at time. I think what surprised me most about this book (aside from all of the shocking events of the story itself) is the main perspective of the novel.
Anurahda is not a Space Marine. Not even close, but she is the Helot Secundus to Amadeus Kaias Incarius. Which is basically a pretty or nice way of calling her his thrall or slave. She’s an augmented human, and while she is nothing like the Space Marines, she (and her companions) does a surprisingly decent job of keeping up.
This novel starts out with devastating numbers of lives lost and damages taken. Then it throws the surprising twist of the main character, and from there it’s a series of surprises, battles, and dramatic elements. It all combined beautifully into one novel. And I’m not at all ashamed to say that I was sad to see it all end.
In short: The Spear of the Emperor was nothing less than thrilling. It was full of dynamic characters of all varieties. It had a surprising amount of intrigue and mystery. And it had a strong sense of honor and ethics woven throughout. It was exactly the sort of novel I’ve always been hoping to see, and best of all, it gave me insight into a chapter I’ve known almost nothing about. And now I feel compelled to continue reading the rest of this saga.

For more reviews check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks

[Rakib Khan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am more of a modern 40k reader. And the first time I fell in love with the setting was through the novel ‘Talon of Horus’ by Aaron Dembski-Bowden. Since then I have been going back and forth through the ‘Black Library’ catalog. Despite loving my first foray into the writing of ADB, I haven’t read much from him since barring some short stories. It’s about time I got back into his brilliant character driven storytelling, and compelling and gripping prose.

‘Spear of the Emperor’ tells the story of a region called Elara’s Veil, situated in the Imperium Nihilus. It takes a rather unique approach as it takes the thrall of a space marine from the Mentor legion as the viewpoint character in telling this rather tragic yet poignant tale of the titular legion.

It’s hard to describe how powerful a character builder ADB is in words, rather it’s something to experience. In a setting filled with powerful beings and demigods ADB takes a simple augmented human and tells his very personal story. But with it, he depicts the history of a unique and interesting space marine chapter, while adding his own personal flavors for strong character development and world building.

Anuradha is someone who needs a bit of time to grow on you, but slowly the author will make you become deeply invested in her plight and struggles. Among other characters Amadeus is someone that was quite annoying and mechanical initially, but gradually developed into an almost human character. Through the poignant prose of the author, other characters, even minor ones were brilliantly fleshed out. Even the big bad guy, the main antagonist is fleshed so brilliantly that the author makes you think maybe anyone would have done what he did when put on his shoes.

The story did lack action sequences compared to other 40k fiction, but with ADB it’s never about the action only. Yet again, he has written one of the year’s best black library novels that will make you reminisce bits and pieces long after you are finished and wish for a sequel that couldn’t come sooner. It is really hard for any reader to not want to learn what happens to these characters.

I can probably write lots more about the incredible characters and emotionally charged beautiful prose, but I would rather you stopped wasting your time reading this review and go read this amazing book instead.

Rating – 9.5 out of 10.

Find other reviews and stuff for 'Black Library' fiction on my blog - https://theoctedpath.wordpress.com/

[Tullus Stefan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the different take this book has on the Space Marines story model. I think one of the best ways to narrate a 40k Space Marines story is through the 1st person of a non Space Marine character as it makes it much more relatable and... human for lack of a better word. I also love how the book depicts Imperium Nihilus and the warp horror.
That being said, the story didnt hit me as hard as it hit others. It is absolutely a 5, but to me, it just barely escaped a 4. I didnt feel as connected to the characters and I always felt like I should care more, but I didnt really. Amadeus, as a concept, is a solid character, but I feel like something was lacking there. Like a great car that works perfectly, but something about it doesnt click with you. I cared more for characters like Grimaldus than Amadeus. Anuradha is a great character, and is written brilliantly. I love that the author chose her to be the narrator. She reminds me of Ysentrud from the Lazarus book, one of my favorite. But compared to her, Anuradha is just a little less... interesting. She feels rougher, less... "human" than Ysentrud, probably because she lived all her life around space marines. Nonetheless, she is a great character I will remember.

PS. A lot of people felt like the audiobook needed a second, male voice actor, due to the main one being female. I do not agree. Yes, it takes a chapter or two to get used to her male voices compared to a natural male space marine voice, and yes, she could probably have one or two more character voices, but once you do, you will start to appreciate the story a little more. The book is written by Anuradha, thus it is with her voice that we hear the story, which makes it much more personal. Additionally, among all the other Warhammer books, a female voice actor, speaking the words of a female narrator, is a great break sometimes.
Yes, yes, no girls allowed, praise be to Space King, but that's not what that is about. No female space marines, no female custodes. Full stop. But there are many great female guards...women and Sisters of Battle and Sisters of Silence. Their presence, their story and their voices have their place and are more than worthy of the spotlight. Space Marines are overrated, if you think about it. A great female presence should find its own place, not steal another. It's smarter than female Space Marines.

[Glyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an exceptional piece of WH40K fiction by the ever excellent Aaron Dembski-Bowden.

I got the limited edition version so I got the benefit of the author's foreward where he eplains what makes this book tick and why he took the (quite risky) narrative decision he did. Essentially, he was coming off writing about Abaddon and the Emperor and wanted to play in a more generous part of the sandbox where his imagination was not so tempered by decades of canon and experctation. So he found the "Emperor's Spears" Chapter with their nice brightly coloured armour and zero background.
This is a perfect choice as he creates a Chapter which is far from any of the standard archetypes but conststent with them. All his Marines have character and a vivacity that few of these genetically enhanced psychopathic killing machines seem to generate. They are simply interesting in their own right and they have quirks that amuse and inform equally. There is a scene with the statue of a long dead Spear whose squadmates extoll his bravery in charging forward when he had been ordered to stay in cover, but acknowledge they had not lost a great thinker. His obliterated helmet sits as a momento at it's base. The POV character cannot help but laugh and nor can you.

It is in the choice of POV character that Dembski-Bowden is most courageous. He avoids the idea of yet another Space Marine Battles like episode of pure Bolter Porn and uses a female Helot (Don't call me a mere thrall!" as she tells a Tech Priest) These are Mentor Legion Chapter slaves who are militarily trained to enhance the efficiency of various Legion officers on mission. This allows Dembski Bowden to present the Astartes as suitably "other"seen through the eyes of one who knows them far better than most, but is not one of them, and can never really hope to understand them but will merely loyally serve her Master. Because of this viewpoint, many of the action scenes are more detached but no less well written.

This is a great insight into the way that the post 8th Edtion lore is panning out and shows the enormous tensions within the "Dark Imperium" where Guilleman is not as popular or respected as you may think for a Primarch reborn.

Any fan of good sci fi and WH40K should read this

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

For something from Aaron Dembski-Bowden, I am pretty disappointed in this one. Normally ADB's stories are filled with scenes of thrilling suspense or excitement, some kind of intrigue with plenty going on to keep you hooked. But this story fell flat.

And I will say, the book has a cover of a Primarus marine thrusting a spear in what seems to be an intense conflict in front of some grand Imperial structure; this does not happen in the book.

The story is based around a human thrall retelling her events with her master, a Space Marine of the Mentors Legion, crossing the Great Rift into Imperium Nihilus and reporting on a conflict in a system called Elara's Veil, where three Space Marine chapters are warring against a threat. The main theme in this story is how the human thrall assimilates into Space Marine culture, which was interesting to see.

From the very beginning though, the pacing was a dull tapping rhythm, and the atmosphere throughout the entire book was a solemn melancholy. There was never anything really exciting, nothing that kept me hooked other than to see how it might end. From meeting the Emperor's Spears, to learning about their culture and even through the conflicts and action sequences, I was never really drawn in. It was the same slow tapping pace through all of it and I never found myself that interested. It also seemed to be setting up for a sequel, which I was not expecting.

What this book does well is dive into the culture of the Emperor's Spears Chapter, explain some important lore behind Primaris marines, and explore the growing trend of questioning the Imperium's methods. All of the characters were unique, and there were also some very emotional points in the book, which I was surprised by and loved.

If you are looking to experience a casual tale not really expecting anything but a simple story, this might be the book for you. There are mild ups and downs yet never really being invested, and the story goes where it wants without much climax or a real ending.

I probably wouldn't read this one again, as I was looking for a book with a more exciting pace or even a slow buildup to something thrilling. This had neither.

[Gianni Dewaele · Rating 4 out of 5]

8/10 (Very Good)

Spear of the Emperor was my first Warhammer 40K novel, and I really enjoyed it. While the beginning was slow, the atmosphere and characters were immersive, and once the story picked up, it delivered great action sequences.

One thing that stood out is how the book is often described as being about Amadeus from the perspective of his thrall, Amandua. But in reality, the story belongs to the thrall herself. Her life does revolve around the Astartes she serves, but the narrative remains hers. I was engaged with the story because of Amandua, not because of how cool and stoic Amadeus is. Our central character isn’t just a lens through which we see Amadeus—she’s the true protagonist, with her own struggles, agency, and perspective.

In addition, the characters were generally strong, though I clearly enjoyed Amadeus and Amandua the most. That said, I wouldn’t consider characters the novel’s main strength. Instead, it relies more on its suspense, atmosphere, and action—elements it executes exceptionally well.

As for the action, I didn’t find it lacking at all, though I’ve heard this book has significantly less action than typical 40K novels. If that’s true, I’m curious just how action-packed those books must be, because Spear of the Emperor certainly didn’t feel empty in that regard. There were multiple chapters of pure action, written exceptionally well, and they were balanced effectively with introspective sections that explored the consequences of past battles or built anticipation for future ones.

Overall, this was a very good read. I don’t have any major critiques, and the small ones I do have aren’t even worth mentioning. The story, for what it set out to do, accomplished its goals exceptionally well. I know Aaron Dembski-Bowden is considered one of the stronger writers in the 40K universe, and this book has made me excited to explore more of it.