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The Horus Heresy: Primarchs #6
Фулгрим: Палатинский Феникс
Фулгрим, владыка Кемоса, носитель палатинской аквилы и примарх Детей Императора, твердо намерен занять подобающее ему место в Великом крестовом походе. Несравненный мечник, он долго изучал искусство войны и нетерпеливо ждал возможности понастоящему проверить в деле не только себя, но и своих верных последователей. Теперь Фениксиец пытается привести непокорный мир к Согласию при помощи всего лишь горстки лучших воинов легиона. Ему предстоит узнать, что за любую победу нужно платить, и чем грандиознее триумф, тем выше цена...
240 pages, Hardcover
First published January 9, 2018
53 people are currently reading
1029 people want to read
About the author
Joshua Reynolds
313 books339 followersJosh 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.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 71 reviews
October 25, 2017
The Palatine Phoenix is a novel as ambitious as its protagonist.
To summarise: Fulgrim seeks to conquer a world with only seven warriors accompanying him. Even for a primarch, that's pushing things. What this leads to is a wonderfully minimalist narrative that plays to Reynolds' strengths; where world-building, character and intrigue play far more of a part that out and out warfare.
What really drives this narrative is Fulgrim's feelings of inadequacy. Only ruling one world when found, he's thrust into a galaxy where primarchs found since have had more holdings to begin with. His own Legion's struggles with the geneblight that almost destroyed them has left its mark, with him constantly considering the "what ifs" had he been present. It's a small part of the background refrain, but it affects enough of the characters to flavour the story as it progresses.
Fulgrim wants to show himself as capable of not only standing on his own two feet, outside of Horus' shadow, but also of being better than the "blood and fire" attitudes his brothers hold towards the progress of the Crusade. He seems particularly incensed by Russ, whose jibes have made him strike out alone sooner than some expected.
The warriors he brings with him are a mix of old and new. As a huge fan of the Katara Xenocide aside in the FW background on the Emperor's Children, it was a joy to see Lord Commander Abdemon brought to life (NB: Please let Josh write a Katara Xenocide story). He's a stern but fair commander, personable if comparatively blunt; considering war his art and so sitting aside from the more cultured norm of the Third. He's by no means stupid, nor bland, nor one dimensional, but instead is compelling in his presentation.
Narvo Quin is similarly new; more of a brawler than his fellows, but glorious with an axe. A Terran who chafes against brothers old and new, he's a fiery presence. Flavius Alkenex is haughty and judgemental, "just on the bearable side of arrogant." Grythan Thorn is similar, a Chemosian with ambitions.
The familiar faces, or the known quantities, are interesting in their own right. Kasperos Telmar, far from the heights he will achieve in "Primogenitor" is the more argumentative side of arrogant, certain of his own opinion and dismissive of even his betters. He's a grating presence, constantly setting off the others around him, which works in the narrative. Crucially the interactions and banter between the warriors never feels forced, but has a natural flow for soldiers/brothers/rivals.
Cyrius is a name familiar to all who know the story of Lucius but outside of a spectral presence in "The Faultless Blade", this is the first time we've seen him as a character. An accomplished swordsman (well he'd have to be), he is far from the command he will hold, and is still learning the lessons that will see him through.
And of course, of course, Fabius comes along. Fabius looms large in the history and future of the Third but Reynolds never lets him outshine the primarch. Here Fabius is still finding his feet, chafing against the legion hierarchy and more concerned with his experiments in the aftermath of the blight. Nicknamed "The Spider", by his fellows, he does spend a lot of time dragging tidbits back to the centre of his web; though forcing him to leave it and engage may be more trouble than it's worth.
Rounding out the Imperial contingent there is Herodotus Frazer; a commander of the Imperial Army and immense skeptic of Fulgrim's plans, much more keen to rain down fire and blood. He's a bellicose presence, though enjoyable as things progress.
And then there is Golconda Pyke. There's not enough that can be said about Golconda Pyke; Primary Iterator, diplomat, spymistress and general badass. Though advanced in years, she's still able to talk straight with Fulgrim and his lot. An old school Iterator, almost a Rogue Trader in demeanour (and through her skill in words and bringing worlds into the Imperium, is almost considered amongst its warlords), she despairs of the moderates who will follow after her; forced into a clean-up and education role as the duty of war becomes almost solely the domain of primarchs and legions.
These characters are hurled into a literally Byzantine web; though one which never feels overdone or too "Planet of Hats". Rather you get something of an impression of a planet of people who are very good at doing things very badly. Where even their plots have corroded to almost uselessness. The historical asides and flourishes are enough to provide flavour, but never to overwhelm; a nest of poisoners, plotters and revolutionaries, with suitably baroque punishments waiting in the wings.
The brevity of action and the focus on intrigue, move and countermove, serves the novel very well. Rather than being a gimmick, the self-imposed restriction allows the novel a slow burn, and a satisfactory ending. Ultimately it becomes almost a cautionary tale, about the dangerous recklessness of hope, the impossibility of utopia, and the cost the enemy can inflict on you despite your best plans.
As an aside; there are a number of interesting tidbits towards the beginning, especially regarding how many primarchs were found by the point of the novel (and quite interestingly who was amongst them), as well as an especially interesting interjection by one of them. I shall say no more.
I heartily recommend this book, which sits as one of the most entertaining, fluid and smooth reads of the Primarchs series thusfar. One which exemplifies Fulgrim's graces and failings, while remaining utterly true (and perhaps more incisive than before) as to what shapes the Third.
To summarise: Fulgrim seeks to conquer a world with only seven warriors accompanying him. Even for a primarch, that's pushing things. What this leads to is a wonderfully minimalist narrative that plays to Reynolds' strengths; where world-building, character and intrigue play far more of a part that out and out warfare.
What really drives this narrative is Fulgrim's feelings of inadequacy. Only ruling one world when found, he's thrust into a galaxy where primarchs found since have had more holdings to begin with. His own Legion's struggles with the geneblight that almost destroyed them has left its mark, with him constantly considering the "what ifs" had he been present. It's a small part of the background refrain, but it affects enough of the characters to flavour the story as it progresses.
Fulgrim wants to show himself as capable of not only standing on his own two feet, outside of Horus' shadow, but also of being better than the "blood and fire" attitudes his brothers hold towards the progress of the Crusade. He seems particularly incensed by Russ, whose jibes have made him strike out alone sooner than some expected.
The warriors he brings with him are a mix of old and new. As a huge fan of the Katara Xenocide aside in the FW background on the Emperor's Children, it was a joy to see Lord Commander Abdemon brought to life (NB: Please let Josh write a Katara Xenocide story). He's a stern but fair commander, personable if comparatively blunt; considering war his art and so sitting aside from the more cultured norm of the Third. He's by no means stupid, nor bland, nor one dimensional, but instead is compelling in his presentation.
Narvo Quin is similarly new; more of a brawler than his fellows, but glorious with an axe. A Terran who chafes against brothers old and new, he's a fiery presence. Flavius Alkenex is haughty and judgemental, "just on the bearable side of arrogant." Grythan Thorn is similar, a Chemosian with ambitions.
The familiar faces, or the known quantities, are interesting in their own right. Kasperos Telmar, far from the heights he will achieve in "Primogenitor" is the more argumentative side of arrogant, certain of his own opinion and dismissive of even his betters. He's a grating presence, constantly setting off the others around him, which works in the narrative. Crucially the interactions and banter between the warriors never feels forced, but has a natural flow for soldiers/brothers/rivals.
Cyrius is a name familiar to all who know the story of Lucius but outside of a spectral presence in "The Faultless Blade", this is the first time we've seen him as a character. An accomplished swordsman (well he'd have to be), he is far from the command he will hold, and is still learning the lessons that will see him through.
And of course, of course, Fabius comes along. Fabius looms large in the history and future of the Third but Reynolds never lets him outshine the primarch. Here Fabius is still finding his feet, chafing against the legion hierarchy and more concerned with his experiments in the aftermath of the blight. Nicknamed "The Spider", by his fellows, he does spend a lot of time dragging tidbits back to the centre of his web; though forcing him to leave it and engage may be more trouble than it's worth.
Rounding out the Imperial contingent there is Herodotus Frazer; a commander of the Imperial Army and immense skeptic of Fulgrim's plans, much more keen to rain down fire and blood. He's a bellicose presence, though enjoyable as things progress.
And then there is Golconda Pyke. There's not enough that can be said about Golconda Pyke; Primary Iterator, diplomat, spymistress and general badass. Though advanced in years, she's still able to talk straight with Fulgrim and his lot. An old school Iterator, almost a Rogue Trader in demeanour (and through her skill in words and bringing worlds into the Imperium, is almost considered amongst its warlords), she despairs of the moderates who will follow after her; forced into a clean-up and education role as the duty of war becomes almost solely the domain of primarchs and legions.
These characters are hurled into a literally Byzantine web; though one which never feels overdone or too "Planet of Hats". Rather you get something of an impression of a planet of people who are very good at doing things very badly. Where even their plots have corroded to almost uselessness. The historical asides and flourishes are enough to provide flavour, but never to overwhelm; a nest of poisoners, plotters and revolutionaries, with suitably baroque punishments waiting in the wings.
The brevity of action and the focus on intrigue, move and countermove, serves the novel very well. Rather than being a gimmick, the self-imposed restriction allows the novel a slow burn, and a satisfactory ending. Ultimately it becomes almost a cautionary tale, about the dangerous recklessness of hope, the impossibility of utopia, and the cost the enemy can inflict on you despite your best plans.
As an aside; there are a number of interesting tidbits towards the beginning, especially regarding how many primarchs were found by the point of the novel (and quite interestingly who was amongst them), as well as an especially interesting interjection by one of them. I shall say no more.
I heartily recommend this book, which sits as one of the most entertaining, fluid and smooth reads of the Primarchs series thusfar. One which exemplifies Fulgrim's graces and failings, while remaining utterly true (and perhaps more incisive than before) as to what shapes the Third.
March 17, 2020
"They all had their secrets, their hidden passions. What was a man but a tangle of secrets? Not that they were men. But demigods were as entitled to secrets as the mortals who worshipped them.
He flinched back from the thought. Worship was a taboo word in his father's kingdom. There was no worship, for there were no gods. No demigods. Only the Emperor and His sons, and the Imperium they would rule together."
Maybe more a four stars, but this pre-heresy tale of Fulgrim on a quest to bring a rebellious world into compliance with just seven astartes and one (soon to be in-famous) apothecary, lightly inspired by Xenophon's Anabasis main theme where a lean and disciplined army can defeat an army many times its size, totally blown my mind.
"He indicated Fireblade. 'I fear that I will be forced to draw this blade in anger. I fear that I will be forced to destroy what I desire only to save.' He swung a hand back, indicating Abdemon and Cyrius. 'I fear to unleash my sons, for their wrath, once stoked, is a fire which would surely claim this entire world. I fear all of these things, honourable patricians.'"
The author just nailed for good the Phoenician's character, apparently just a vain and arrogant peacock, but under that facade a master manipulative genius and, in the end, a child in a demi-god's body, a being able to break steel and lift mountains bare-handed but struggling to fight for position on his brothers and being worthy of his legion name, earned together with the right to wear the Imperial Aquila insignia after saving the Emperor's life from a deadly trap during the Proximan Betrayal, only at the cost of so many legionaries' lives that left the III crippled.
"'Eight, against the assembled might of a world,' Fulgrim said. 'Leman boasts of eight hundred. Horus, eighty. We shall show the wolves of Luna and Fenris both what true killers look like. Here, in this fire, shall we be reborn. Here, all old sins will at last be forgiven. All failures expunged.' He turned back, meeting Fabius' gaze.
'We approach the final ascent. Let us climb it swiftly, and with grace.'"
Just one of the most favourite Primarchs novels I've read, and I really hope to see sooner or later more books about Fulgrim's past on Chemos and the events of the Proximan Betrayal.
A great insight about the past of Fulgrim, and Fabius Bile too, before his fall of grace, a page-turning tale of war and betrayal, and a real must read if you are a fan of the Emperor's Children.
January 14, 2018
Again, six books in I simply cannot say much more than I have already about The Primarchs books.
But I will...
Fulgrim leads his sons, just a handful of them to the world of Byzas. This challenge is a personal quest for the Primarch of the Emperor's Children chapter. His brothers, Russ, Guilliman, Ferrus Manus and the others have hounded the glory and awards handed down from their father, and yet Fulgrim feels inadequate, imperfect. He and his chapter are known for their pursuit of perfection and in the taming of Byzas, with only 8 of his legion, Fulgrim believes he will achieve that level of outstanding merit that his brother and father will finally see that his chapter is beyond doubt.
Fulgrim is a noble amongst nobles and his sons know it. He arrives on Byzas and immediately he and his sons are poisoned during a dinner with the Hereditary Governor. Of course it does them no damage due to their superhuman constitution. n fact they find it funny and then the assassins come out. The Emperor's Children make an example out of them, and yet in doing so cement their reputation to this loss world of simply being another tyrant on a world run by tyrants.
Fulgrim launches into a many headed campaign of meeting the other wealthy landowners who enslave and work their menials to their deaths, exactly as his mother and father were worked to death on Chemosh, home of the Emperor's Children. Fulgrim justified and changed Chemosh to a beautiful and prosperous world, and so he shall with Byzas.
Several minor skirmishes break out and include the meeting of Fulgrom with the Sons of Sabazius, a legendary hero who was a commoner and yet fought the tyrants and restored hope to the menial population of the world. Fulgrim accepts no one's word to entreat with him, his vision and development of Byzas into an Imperium compliant world his only goal, above all things. He seeks to bring Byzas into the fold with not even a full squad of space marines, where his brothers would need hundreds or thousands of marines to do it.
Betrayal and war erupt and Fulgrim has to switch roles from the patrician and orator to the blooded warrior and monster to his foes to get the final blow dealt to bring Byzas back into the fold of the aquilla. And he does it with perfection, though his own judgement and practices are called into question from without and within.
This was a great book and another awesome entry into this series. I have up until this book despised Fulgrim for the foppish and petty Primarch that he is. What is depicted here is another facet of this character that is deeper and explains why he feels as he does and also shows the steps he followed to turn to Horus' side during the Heresy. There are many new things put to paper here about Fulgrim. He is the only Primarch that admitted to being wed to mortals, not once but several times, according to him. He outlived all his brides, as he said, and has not entered into bond aith another since the last one passed away. This gives Fulgrim a decidedly human trait and shows his need to be loved and adored and worshipped. His vanity is only eclipsed by his ego, and it is on display here. There seems to be a vein in these books where the truly special trait among the Primarchs is explained. Fulgrim's is his bladesmanship and speed. It is written here that he "moves faster than the human eye can follow", which makes him unique even amongst his brothers, for all their powers and abilities.
This was a quick read for me and I cannot wait for the next entry in the series!
But I will...
Fulgrim leads his sons, just a handful of them to the world of Byzas. This challenge is a personal quest for the Primarch of the Emperor's Children chapter. His brothers, Russ, Guilliman, Ferrus Manus and the others have hounded the glory and awards handed down from their father, and yet Fulgrim feels inadequate, imperfect. He and his chapter are known for their pursuit of perfection and in the taming of Byzas, with only 8 of his legion, Fulgrim believes he will achieve that level of outstanding merit that his brother and father will finally see that his chapter is beyond doubt.
Fulgrim is a noble amongst nobles and his sons know it. He arrives on Byzas and immediately he and his sons are poisoned during a dinner with the Hereditary Governor. Of course it does them no damage due to their superhuman constitution. n fact they find it funny and then the assassins come out. The Emperor's Children make an example out of them, and yet in doing so cement their reputation to this loss world of simply being another tyrant on a world run by tyrants.
Fulgrim launches into a many headed campaign of meeting the other wealthy landowners who enslave and work their menials to their deaths, exactly as his mother and father were worked to death on Chemosh, home of the Emperor's Children. Fulgrim justified and changed Chemosh to a beautiful and prosperous world, and so he shall with Byzas.
Several minor skirmishes break out and include the meeting of Fulgrom with the Sons of Sabazius, a legendary hero who was a commoner and yet fought the tyrants and restored hope to the menial population of the world. Fulgrim accepts no one's word to entreat with him, his vision and development of Byzas into an Imperium compliant world his only goal, above all things. He seeks to bring Byzas into the fold with not even a full squad of space marines, where his brothers would need hundreds or thousands of marines to do it.
Betrayal and war erupt and Fulgrim has to switch roles from the patrician and orator to the blooded warrior and monster to his foes to get the final blow dealt to bring Byzas back into the fold of the aquilla. And he does it with perfection, though his own judgement and practices are called into question from without and within.
This was a great book and another awesome entry into this series. I have up until this book despised Fulgrim for the foppish and petty Primarch that he is. What is depicted here is another facet of this character that is deeper and explains why he feels as he does and also shows the steps he followed to turn to Horus' side during the Heresy. There are many new things put to paper here about Fulgrim. He is the only Primarch that admitted to being wed to mortals, not once but several times, according to him. He outlived all his brides, as he said, and has not entered into bond aith another since the last one passed away. This gives Fulgrim a decidedly human trait and shows his need to be loved and adored and worshipped. His vanity is only eclipsed by his ego, and it is on display here. There seems to be a vein in these books where the truly special trait among the Primarchs is explained. Fulgrim's is his bladesmanship and speed. It is written here that he "moves faster than the human eye can follow", which makes him unique even amongst his brothers, for all their powers and abilities.
This was a quick read for me and I cannot wait for the next entry in the series!
July 11, 2018
Pyke:
'And their philosophy?'
Fulgrim:
'What of it?'
Pyke
*sighed and picked up one of the books*.
""The search for perfection is a subtle drug. It draws the mind along circuitous routes, deeper and deeper into itself, until nothing can be seen except the ideal. Desire blinds one to purpose, and thus renders true perfection impossible."'
Fulgrim:
'But is attainment of the ideal not worth such a torturous journey?' Only through desire can perfection be imagined, and attained.'
Pyke:
'Some would say that the journey itself is more important.'
Fulgrim:
'Some have more patience than me.'
Pyke:
'Then you must ask yourself this - is the idea you seek worth the cost?' She hesitated. 'This could have all gone very wrong, Fulgrim. You were almost killed at Sabazius-Ut-Anabas, whether you admit it or not. You let your pride blind you, and walked into a trap designed to kill a demigod.'
'And I walked out again.' Fulgrim said softly. He didn't look at her.
'But Cyrius almost didn't. Corynth and his fellows almost killed him'
Fulgrim:
'Casualties are the price of victory.'
Pyke :
'And that is the very excuse those bureaucrats you so detest use to reason away the neglect of your sons. Their lives were spent like bullets, one after the next, to buy victory after victory. I thought you wanted to find a better way Phoenician.'
In this book I finally take back my words about Fulgrim being an arrogant. His more like an insecure person that been given a burden that he almost can’t handle. He grow up on a planet that the nobility constantly slaves people to death yet he manage to take control of it and try to make it a better place. When the emperor took him, he suddenly given a task and just given less men and resource compare to his other brothers. He tried to make it better, but simply seeing other primarch accomplishments (especially Guilliman) making him think that his not doing enough and simply say that his jealous to them. Striving to perfection that he could never have, he to do what his brothers can with more men and time.
His going to take a planet for the emperium with only 6 marines, 1 aphotecary, an old yet wise advisor and him a Primarch, a child on a god’s body.
So did he accomplish what he wants?
No – well for me it’s a NO. He can simply bring a entire legion to him and the outcome will be still the same. He never thinks about the process only the outcomes. Just like Corynth said "His a child on a god's body". He do what he want and think of the cost. But the best part of this book that he personally admit his mistake and manage to learn something on it, making his outcome in Horus Heresy much more tragic.
'And their philosophy?'
Fulgrim:
'What of it?'
Pyke
*sighed and picked up one of the books*.
""The search for perfection is a subtle drug. It draws the mind along circuitous routes, deeper and deeper into itself, until nothing can be seen except the ideal. Desire blinds one to purpose, and thus renders true perfection impossible."'
Fulgrim:
'But is attainment of the ideal not worth such a torturous journey?' Only through desire can perfection be imagined, and attained.'
Pyke:
'Some would say that the journey itself is more important.'
Fulgrim:
'Some have more patience than me.'
Pyke:
'Then you must ask yourself this - is the idea you seek worth the cost?' She hesitated. 'This could have all gone very wrong, Fulgrim. You were almost killed at Sabazius-Ut-Anabas, whether you admit it or not. You let your pride blind you, and walked into a trap designed to kill a demigod.'
'And I walked out again.' Fulgrim said softly. He didn't look at her.
'But Cyrius almost didn't. Corynth and his fellows almost killed him'
Fulgrim:
'Casualties are the price of victory.'
Pyke :
'And that is the very excuse those bureaucrats you so detest use to reason away the neglect of your sons. Their lives were spent like bullets, one after the next, to buy victory after victory. I thought you wanted to find a better way Phoenician.'
In this book I finally take back my words about Fulgrim being an arrogant. His more like an insecure person that been given a burden that he almost can’t handle. He grow up on a planet that the nobility constantly slaves people to death yet he manage to take control of it and try to make it a better place. When the emperor took him, he suddenly given a task and just given less men and resource compare to his other brothers. He tried to make it better, but simply seeing other primarch accomplishments (especially Guilliman) making him think that his not doing enough and simply say that his jealous to them. Striving to perfection that he could never have, he to do what his brothers can with more men and time.
His going to take a planet for the emperium with only 6 marines, 1 aphotecary, an old yet wise advisor and him a Primarch, a child on a god’s body.
So did he accomplish what he wants?
No – well for me it’s a NO. He can simply bring a entire legion to him and the outcome will be still the same. He never thinks about the process only the outcomes. Just like Corynth said "His a child on a god's body". He do what he want and think of the cost. But the best part of this book that he personally admit his mistake and manage to learn something on it, making his outcome in Horus Heresy much more tragic.
March 2, 2020
The Third Legion. During the Proximan Betrayal, a cohort of the Third sacrificed their lives to protect the Emperor. In thanks, The Emperor gave them the name of The Emperor's Children and they were allowed to wear the Imperial Aquilla as their personal Legion symbol.
In the "current" 40K universe, the Emperor's Children are amongst the most feared of Traitor Astartes. Servants of Slannesh, the decadent Emperor's Children seek pleasure in all its myriad forms. This was not always the case. This story takes place in 30K.
Flugrim, the IIIrd's Primarch, has come to Byzas to force it into compliance. A great look into the mind of the Phonecian before his fall. Fulgrim tries to blend politics, diplomacy and war into a combined plan. Showing his difference from his more violence prone brothers, Fulgrim seeks to make a name for his Legion and for himself. Yet, Byzas will have much to teach him about himself and his legion.
This is a story that shows what the IIIrd could have been, but the hints about their future are there as well. Their quest for perfection will lead them down a dark path. A path made all the more dark, since it did not have to be. But that is a story for another time.
A great blend of political intrigue, as well as a good look at what a conquered world faces in Compliance with the Imperium. Any 40K fan will enjoy this look at the Pre-Heresy Emperor's Children.
In the "current" 40K universe, the Emperor's Children are amongst the most feared of Traitor Astartes. Servants of Slannesh, the decadent Emperor's Children seek pleasure in all its myriad forms. This was not always the case. This story takes place in 30K.
Flugrim, the IIIrd's Primarch, has come to Byzas to force it into compliance. A great look into the mind of the Phonecian before his fall. Fulgrim tries to blend politics, diplomacy and war into a combined plan. Showing his difference from his more violence prone brothers, Fulgrim seeks to make a name for his Legion and for himself. Yet, Byzas will have much to teach him about himself and his legion.
This is a story that shows what the IIIrd could have been, but the hints about their future are there as well. Their quest for perfection will lead them down a dark path. A path made all the more dark, since it did not have to be. But that is a story for another time.
A great blend of political intrigue, as well as a good look at what a conquered world faces in Compliance with the Imperium. Any 40K fan will enjoy this look at the Pre-Heresy Emperor's Children.
April 13, 2023
A satisfying read, if a little predictable, as Fulgrim aspires to take the world of Byzas in a month with only 6 of his finest warriors, all while battling corrupt politicians and revolutionaries... Finally decided to give this a go after reading Josh Reynolds' Fabius Bile trilogy (it was good to see familiar faces, or at least earlier incarnations of characters from that series: Kasperos Telmar, Flavius Alkenax, Narvo Quin) and while it would have been good to see at least one Space Marine fall, this was a thoughtful read that hints to the pride and desire for perfection that will see Fulgrim and the Emperor's Children plunge headlong into Slaanesh's gaping maw...
February 19, 2024
February 2024 Read using the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project Reading Order - Omnibus IV Shattersong (https://www.heresyomnibus.com/omnibus...) as part of my Oath of Moment to complete the Horus Heresy saga and extras.
This is my fifth Primarchs novel and it is the most perfectly imperfect so far, I was eager for any Lorgar lore, but disappointed by Bearer of the Word, found Lord of Ultramar well-written but truly an unpleasant reading experience, Master of Prospero was an utter shock, becoming one of my favourite past/ side stories of the Horus Heresy, and The Great Wolf was bolter porn as art until it all came together perfectly at the end and left me sobbing.
Fulgrim and the III Legion are in their early days with incredibly low numbers, after being devastated to only 200 due to a geneseed flaw during a difficult campaign (I think) with Fabius Bile being one of the few original Emperor's Children, and they have come to bring planet autocratic capitalism to Compliance. Charisma and guile are the weapons the Phoenician would most like to bring to bear...
This seems to be a novel that knows exactly what it is trying to do and executes it perfectly. While this doesn't hit the exalted heights of parts of Graham McNeill's Fulgrim, it doesn't come anywhere near the lows, misogyny, and, in my personal opinion, utter mess of the handling of significant tertiary storylines either.
The Earth didn't move for me in the way it did for McNeill's Prospero Burns and Annandale's The Unburdened, but I genuinely had an awesome times with this novel and the way Reynolds makes perfect use of telling a tale much earlier on in Fulgrim's career that does a wonderful job of illuminating elements of the Primarch, his Palatine progeny, and the future Chief Apothecary's past, personality, and shedding light on their initial motivations and how they ended up as they did.
I genuinely felt sympathy for Fulgrim and Fabius and feel I understand their characters and arcs far more than I ever have from the main Horus Heresy series. This is not surprising with Reynolds having written about the Repairer of Ruin for a decade now. The bullying Bile receives from his battle brothers is heartbreaking and he really does seem to be trying to do good, haunted by losing so many of his First Founding fraternity, which makes his fall to becoming the Dark Millennium's Mengler and the galaxy's foremost Rocky Horror Picture Show fan, cosplaying Riff Riff 24/7 all the more tragic. Just as with the burning desire to prove himself and self-assurance in Fulgrim that will fester into preening narcissism, the zeal for vivisection is there, but this is one of those wonderful glimpses of what could have been.
This book also manages to do the main thing I want from Warhammer, and especially the Horus Heresy--humanising and making its mythological figures sympathetic, showing their attempts to not be the worst, and then circumstance and the cruelty and inhumanity of the Imperium being evident as it forces them to kill the parts of them that makes them feel and become the monsters they were created to be.
Bloody brilliant, if non-essential for the main Horus Heresy storyline, book I thoroughly recommend and would consider essential reading for any fans of Fulgrim, Fabius, or the Emperor's Children.
Through using the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project (www.heresyomnibus.com) and my own choices, I have currently read 10 Horus Heresy novels, 11 short stories/ audio dramas, as well as the 2 Betrayal at Calth novellas and the Macragge's Honour graphic novel, 5 Primarchs novels, 3 Primarchs short stories/ audio, dramas, and 2 Warhammer 40K further reading novels...this run. I can't say enough good about the way the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project suggestions. I'm loving it! Especially after originally reading to the releases and being so frustrated at having to wait so long for a narrative to continue.
This is my fifth Primarchs novel and it is the most perfectly imperfect so far, I was eager for any Lorgar lore, but disappointed by Bearer of the Word, found Lord of Ultramar well-written but truly an unpleasant reading experience, Master of Prospero was an utter shock, becoming one of my favourite past/ side stories of the Horus Heresy, and The Great Wolf was bolter porn as art until it all came together perfectly at the end and left me sobbing.
Fulgrim and the III Legion are in their early days with incredibly low numbers, after being devastated to only 200 due to a geneseed flaw during a difficult campaign (I think) with Fabius Bile being one of the few original Emperor's Children, and they have come to bring planet autocratic capitalism to Compliance. Charisma and guile are the weapons the Phoenician would most like to bring to bear...
This seems to be a novel that knows exactly what it is trying to do and executes it perfectly. While this doesn't hit the exalted heights of parts of Graham McNeill's Fulgrim, it doesn't come anywhere near the lows, misogyny, and, in my personal opinion, utter mess of the handling of significant tertiary storylines either.
The Earth didn't move for me in the way it did for McNeill's Prospero Burns and Annandale's The Unburdened, but I genuinely had an awesome times with this novel and the way Reynolds makes perfect use of telling a tale much earlier on in Fulgrim's career that does a wonderful job of illuminating elements of the Primarch, his Palatine progeny, and the future Chief Apothecary's past, personality, and shedding light on their initial motivations and how they ended up as they did.
I genuinely felt sympathy for Fulgrim and Fabius and feel I understand their characters and arcs far more than I ever have from the main Horus Heresy series. This is not surprising with Reynolds having written about the Repairer of Ruin for a decade now. The bullying Bile receives from his battle brothers is heartbreaking and he really does seem to be trying to do good, haunted by losing so many of his First Founding fraternity, which makes his fall to becoming the Dark Millennium's Mengler and the galaxy's foremost Rocky Horror Picture Show fan, cosplaying Riff Riff 24/7 all the more tragic. Just as with the burning desire to prove himself and self-assurance in Fulgrim that will fester into preening narcissism, the zeal for vivisection is there, but this is one of those wonderful glimpses of what could have been.
This book also manages to do the main thing I want from Warhammer, and especially the Horus Heresy--humanising and making its mythological figures sympathetic, showing their attempts to not be the worst, and then circumstance and the cruelty and inhumanity of the Imperium being evident as it forces them to kill the parts of them that makes them feel and become the monsters they were created to be.
Bloody brilliant, if non-essential for the main Horus Heresy storyline, book I thoroughly recommend and would consider essential reading for any fans of Fulgrim, Fabius, or the Emperor's Children.
Through using the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project (www.heresyomnibus.com) and my own choices, I have currently read 10 Horus Heresy novels, 11 short stories/ audio dramas, as well as the 2 Betrayal at Calth novellas and the Macragge's Honour graphic novel, 5 Primarchs novels, 3 Primarchs short stories/ audio, dramas, and 2 Warhammer 40K further reading novels...this run. I can't say enough good about the way the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project suggestions. I'm loving it! Especially after originally reading to the releases and being so frustrated at having to wait so long for a narrative to continue.
February 19, 2018
Loved it! Fulgrim truly is one of the most entertaining Primarchs to follow and this story provides a proper portrayal of the Phoenician. We get to see earlier development stages of his personality, goals and ideas. A worthy match, lady Golconda Pyke, was a real highlight of the story. She reminds me of Olenna Tyrell, one of the best characters from A Song of Ice and Fire series, a wise, witty and truly fascinating woman. We get to meet a bunch of Emperor's Children we've never seen before, some of them could've used a bit more personality, but it's well compensated by an exciting glimpse on the younger days of Fabius Bile. A little saddened there were no Fulgrim/ Ferrus interraction, fingers crossed there will be some in Gorgon's book. I appreciate the bits of insight on Fulgrim's days on Chemos. Overall a very nice read, one of the stronger novels in the Primarchs series.
June 14, 2018
Very happy with the Primarch’s series. Unlike the Space Marine Battles series which was hit and miss this series has been largely consistent in quality. Interesting side story about Fulgrim on the edge of oblivion because of the blight and how the Third was used in the crusade before his discovery. Enjoyable story with more discussion and plotting than action and explosion. I will say though, I love it when the BL library authors let the Primarchs be the demigods they are. There is a great climax of this story with just that sort of primarch action. Recommend.
March 26, 2019
So Prince Lotor decides to conquer a world with a token force of marines to showoff to the Emperor...
It's not a horrible story, but it takes a long time to resolve some relatively petty political maneuvering. In the end, it really doesn't tell us much about Fulgrim besides he's exactly what you thought he was before cracking open this book.
It's not a horrible story, but it takes a long time to resolve some relatively petty political maneuvering. In the end, it really doesn't tell us much about Fulgrim besides he's exactly what you thought he was before cracking open this book.
April 11, 2018
I didn't like this one. Predictable story, shallow characters and only brief sequences, where something thrilling happens. This story showed us who Fulgrim is, how he thinks and how he acts. I didn't like him either.
September 20, 2025
Fulgrim my baby 😭💜
February 4, 2021
Well thought out and interesting to the end. I dislike the Legion and the primary characters so that makes reading tricky. A little more convoluted than needed. But still a good story.
November 17, 2020
I feel a bit embarrassed.
I’ve always looked down on concepts such as “fan-fiction” or “headcanon”. I’ve seen them as attempts to re-cast characters and stories in the reader’s own image, a claiming back of what the reader infantilely thought the author owed them.
Yet here I am, wanting to reclaim Fulgrim, the fanciest boy of the Primarchs in a panoply of amethyst and gold.
The main thread of Fulgrim: The Palatine Phoenix is that we have an insecure demigod with an undersized legion. He wants to prove he can do things a bit differently than his brothers and conquer a world with eight men:
Compliance was forged in fire and cooled in blood, they said. Skies of ash and fields of bone. Fire and blood. A monotonous philosophy, lacking in even the crudest artistry.
The story requires:
(a) Belief in the idea that massacring great swathes of your allied soldiers, both covertly and overtly, is a good way to make the rest fight better.
(b) That it is possible for you to infiltrate an alien society in a manner that is (understandably) elided over to identify and eliminate potential threats. This takes you about a month while you also deliberately leave large numbers of them untouched as part of your great plan.
(c) That you can set an elaborate trap that somehow attracts those that shouldn’t be, while simultaneously be completely ignorant of the concept of traps.
It does not read right when Fulgrim complains that:
The weight of it all sat heavy on his shoulders, and sometimes he wanted nothing more than to return to the fortress-factories of his you. He had been content then, and his strivings simple. It a seemed too big, these days. His every waking hour seemed devoted only to the difficulties of his new existence.
…when all his difficulties feel fake. He pretends his legionaries have personal quirks that might be problematic when they can, barring the Spider, be swapped out from scene to scene. After an apparent fright at the end he tells himself that:
I’ve accomplished what would have taken my brothers months and hundreds – if not thousands of warriors.’ It was a boast, but a truthful one.
…when 95% of the damage his opposition caused to his legion was flecking the paint on their armour. I like Fulgrim, he’s an interesting guy who’s often preening slightly or trailing his fingers across the hilt, but his assessments of the situation are, frankly, unbelievable. The author has fit a novel’s worth of scheming in a novella and it just requires too much suspension of disbelief.
So here’s my headcanon:
Fulgrim comes to a world that can only offer the most pathetic resistance to a demigod. He would be enough, let alone eight men, so there has to be a challenge beyond that.
So he fucks up, deliberately. Infiltrations and targeted assassinations by his associates? In fact, they are just random killings. Murder your own troops regardless of whether they were potential defectors. Pretend you’ve fallen into a “trap”, which you can disarm by just firing your gun. Then he pretends it was more difficult than he expected and he has learnt some valuable lesson.
The complaints by an apparent collaborator turned traitor:
This has never truly been about us, I think. We are nothing more than a - a test. A challenge.
…is then less about Fulgrim not doing things the “proper” way, instead it's exasperation that Fulgrim is constantly shitting the bed for a laugh. Fulgrim is magnitudes of order more powerful than any threat. His enemies are ants he lines up in some semblance of a threat before applying bug spray, setting them on fire, then stamping them out, while pretending to be inconvenienced by some of their ash he got on his shimmering boot.
Am I right? Almost certainly not. But it makes me happier with this book.
I’ve always looked down on concepts such as “fan-fiction” or “headcanon”. I’ve seen them as attempts to re-cast characters and stories in the reader’s own image, a claiming back of what the reader infantilely thought the author owed them.
Yet here I am, wanting to reclaim Fulgrim, the fanciest boy of the Primarchs in a panoply of amethyst and gold.
The main thread of Fulgrim: The Palatine Phoenix is that we have an insecure demigod with an undersized legion. He wants to prove he can do things a bit differently than his brothers and conquer a world with eight men:
Compliance was forged in fire and cooled in blood, they said. Skies of ash and fields of bone. Fire and blood. A monotonous philosophy, lacking in even the crudest artistry.
The story requires:
(a) Belief in the idea that massacring great swathes of your allied soldiers, both covertly and overtly, is a good way to make the rest fight better.
(b) That it is possible for you to infiltrate an alien society in a manner that is (understandably) elided over to identify and eliminate potential threats. This takes you about a month while you also deliberately leave large numbers of them untouched as part of your great plan.
(c) That you can set an elaborate trap that somehow attracts those that shouldn’t be, while simultaneously be completely ignorant of the concept of traps.
It does not read right when Fulgrim complains that:
The weight of it all sat heavy on his shoulders, and sometimes he wanted nothing more than to return to the fortress-factories of his you. He had been content then, and his strivings simple. It a seemed too big, these days. His every waking hour seemed devoted only to the difficulties of his new existence.
…when all his difficulties feel fake. He pretends his legionaries have personal quirks that might be problematic when they can, barring the Spider, be swapped out from scene to scene. After an apparent fright at the end he tells himself that:
I’ve accomplished what would have taken my brothers months and hundreds – if not thousands of warriors.’ It was a boast, but a truthful one.
…when 95% of the damage his opposition caused to his legion was flecking the paint on their armour. I like Fulgrim, he’s an interesting guy who’s often preening slightly or trailing his fingers across the hilt, but his assessments of the situation are, frankly, unbelievable. The author has fit a novel’s worth of scheming in a novella and it just requires too much suspension of disbelief.
So here’s my headcanon:
Fulgrim comes to a world that can only offer the most pathetic resistance to a demigod. He would be enough, let alone eight men, so there has to be a challenge beyond that.
So he fucks up, deliberately. Infiltrations and targeted assassinations by his associates? In fact, they are just random killings. Murder your own troops regardless of whether they were potential defectors. Pretend you’ve fallen into a “trap”, which you can disarm by just firing your gun. Then he pretends it was more difficult than he expected and he has learnt some valuable lesson.
The complaints by an apparent collaborator turned traitor:
This has never truly been about us, I think. We are nothing more than a - a test. A challenge.
…is then less about Fulgrim not doing things the “proper” way, instead it's exasperation that Fulgrim is constantly shitting the bed for a laugh. Fulgrim is magnitudes of order more powerful than any threat. His enemies are ants he lines up in some semblance of a threat before applying bug spray, setting them on fire, then stamping them out, while pretending to be inconvenienced by some of their ash he got on his shimmering boot.
Am I right? Almost certainly not. But it makes me happier with this book.
February 11, 2018
"An oath to a fool was no oath at all"
Not the usual battlefield Warhammer read. Diplomacy and intrigue with small scale action.
Great Crusade era Fulgrim very different than the insane Daemon Prince of the Dark Imperium era.
Not the usual battlefield Warhammer read. Diplomacy and intrigue with small scale action.
Great Crusade era Fulgrim very different than the insane Daemon Prince of the Dark Imperium era.
January 10, 2018
This is the first of the "Primarchs" series that I enjoyed. Wanting to prove the strength of his Legion, Fulgrim enacts a compliance with only himself, his Lord Commander (who is not Eidolon), and six legionaries. He is accompanied by Golconda Pyke, a KICK ASS OLD WOMAN who is in the employ of Malcador the Sigillite, and she is the best thing in the book.
Josh Reynolds prefers diplomatic and cultural scenes over bolter porn, which I do as well. There's still some good action amidst the politics, and a lot of insight into Fulgrim's past.
Josh Reynolds prefers diplomatic and cultural scenes over bolter porn, which I do as well. There's still some good action amidst the politics, and a lot of insight into Fulgrim's past.
May 19, 2022
He’s just like me fr fr
January 18, 2026
It is not often that I see a good book be elevated to fantastic by its last couple chapters.
It took me until the end of this novel to understand how Josh Reynolds conceptualized the tragedy of Fulgrim. In fact, after the disappointment that was Fulgrim (for me, at least), I could not figure out how Fulgrim could ever even be likeable. Reynolds builds his character on one single struggle: desire versus purpose. In his striving for perfection, would he embrace his desire to establish his superiority and his aesthetic greatness, or would he hold true to his true purpose of bringing greatness and perfection into the world? Would he sacrifice his desire to fulfill his purpose?
Belleros Corynth is an amazing foil to Fulgrim. Thus, the tragedy of Fulgrim: he is a bio-engineered monster, a prideful, ruthless conqueror by design, who genuinely strives to find a way to be better. He becomes redeemable, simply through the fact that he does not want to simply accept his defect, like all his brothers do.
Making Fulgrim's character make sense after the last few books about him I've read is truly a monumental achievement.
Additionally, the supporting cast is incredibly strong (at least by Horus Heresy standards). It helps that Josh Reynolds already wrote many of them in their corrupted form in the 41st millennium, and they worked as a nice prequel to their characters in the Fabius Bile trilogy.
All in all, fantastic read. Completely blew my expectations out of the water. I might even be a Fulgrim fan now.
It took me until the end of this novel to understand how Josh Reynolds conceptualized the tragedy of Fulgrim. In fact, after the disappointment that was Fulgrim (for me, at least), I could not figure out how Fulgrim could ever even be likeable. Reynolds builds his character on one single struggle: desire versus purpose. In his striving for perfection, would he embrace his desire to establish his superiority and his aesthetic greatness, or would he hold true to his true purpose of bringing greatness and perfection into the world? Would he sacrifice his desire to fulfill his purpose?
Belleros Corynth is an amazing foil to Fulgrim. Thus, the tragedy of Fulgrim: he is a bio-engineered monster, a prideful, ruthless conqueror by design, who genuinely strives to find a way to be better. He becomes redeemable, simply through the fact that he does not want to simply accept his defect, like all his brothers do.
Making Fulgrim's character make sense after the last few books about him I've read is truly a monumental achievement.
Additionally, the supporting cast is incredibly strong (at least by Horus Heresy standards). It helps that Josh Reynolds already wrote many of them in their corrupted form in the 41st millennium, and they worked as a nice prequel to their characters in the Fabius Bile trilogy.
All in all, fantastic read. Completely blew my expectations out of the water. I might even be a Fulgrim fan now.
January 23, 2018
You can read the full review over at my blog:
https://shadowhawksshade.wordpress.co...
Not all of the Space Marine Legions created equal in the same way that not all the Primarchs were created equal. Each had different strengths and weaknesses and that created a brilliant tapestry for the tale of the Great Crusade and the Horus Heresy to be woven upon. I’ve read and reviewed three of the Primarchs novels before, and each has been rather instructional about the characters of these superhuman demi-gods. Demi-gods who wrote the history of the Imperium in blood, whether as brothers united or as enemies. It has been a wild ride so far and with the release of the latest, it doesn’t look like that’s going to change in any way.
Josh Reynolds’ Fulgrim: The Palatine Phoenix is his first full-length feature in the Horus Heresy series, and the off-beat nature of the Primarchs mini-series certainly suits him well. Here, we see a Fulgrim well before the events of Graham McNeill’s Fulgrim, at a time when the Emperor’s Children are still recovering from their genetic defects and their Primarch is still looking to carve out his own victories. It presents a very different viewpoint than we’ve seen before, and ends up being one of the best Fulgrim stories we’ve seen to date, and we’ve seen some golden ones by Graham.
The history of the Emperor’s Children during the Great Crusade is one of great tragedy, matched perhaps only by the Thousand Sons, for both legions suffered from debilitating issues with their gene-seed before their Primarchs were discovered. As such, Josh taking us back in time to a point where the Third Legion took its first steps out of the shadows of other Legions to strike out on its own was a perfect choice, so to speak. It is a wonderful opportunity to see how Fulgrim’s personality took shape in those early days of the Great Crusade and how he changed and affected his sons and the culture of the Third as it would later develop.
One of the really enjoyable things about Fulgrim: The Palatine Phoenix was that it had a cast of mostly new characters. Apart from the Primarch himself and the infamous Apothecary Fabius Bile, none of the legionaries we see are ones I recall reading about before, and the same goes for the “civilian” characters we see, particularly the Primary Iterator Puke, who was as delightful as only Josh Reynolds’ best characters can get. The mix of personalities was fun to read about, particularly Lord Commander Abdemon, the senior-most warrior of the Third and practically Fulgrim’s equerry. There’s a lot of play and counter-play to all the characters and I enjoyed reading the ups and downs of Fulgrim’s past. The novel shows how his hubris can both aid him and take away from his accomplishments. Josh is particularly insistent throughout that Fulgrim’s desire for perfection is a flawed goal and that he is too caught up on the destination itself rather than exploring where he is at that point in time and why. This extends down further to his sons, such as Abdemon, Narvo Quin and others, even Fabius Bile.
https://shadowhawksshade.wordpress.co...
Not all of the Space Marine Legions created equal in the same way that not all the Primarchs were created equal. Each had different strengths and weaknesses and that created a brilliant tapestry for the tale of the Great Crusade and the Horus Heresy to be woven upon. I’ve read and reviewed three of the Primarchs novels before, and each has been rather instructional about the characters of these superhuman demi-gods. Demi-gods who wrote the history of the Imperium in blood, whether as brothers united or as enemies. It has been a wild ride so far and with the release of the latest, it doesn’t look like that’s going to change in any way.
Josh Reynolds’ Fulgrim: The Palatine Phoenix is his first full-length feature in the Horus Heresy series, and the off-beat nature of the Primarchs mini-series certainly suits him well. Here, we see a Fulgrim well before the events of Graham McNeill’s Fulgrim, at a time when the Emperor’s Children are still recovering from their genetic defects and their Primarch is still looking to carve out his own victories. It presents a very different viewpoint than we’ve seen before, and ends up being one of the best Fulgrim stories we’ve seen to date, and we’ve seen some golden ones by Graham.
The history of the Emperor’s Children during the Great Crusade is one of great tragedy, matched perhaps only by the Thousand Sons, for both legions suffered from debilitating issues with their gene-seed before their Primarchs were discovered. As such, Josh taking us back in time to a point where the Third Legion took its first steps out of the shadows of other Legions to strike out on its own was a perfect choice, so to speak. It is a wonderful opportunity to see how Fulgrim’s personality took shape in those early days of the Great Crusade and how he changed and affected his sons and the culture of the Third as it would later develop.
One of the really enjoyable things about Fulgrim: The Palatine Phoenix was that it had a cast of mostly new characters. Apart from the Primarch himself and the infamous Apothecary Fabius Bile, none of the legionaries we see are ones I recall reading about before, and the same goes for the “civilian” characters we see, particularly the Primary Iterator Puke, who was as delightful as only Josh Reynolds’ best characters can get. The mix of personalities was fun to read about, particularly Lord Commander Abdemon, the senior-most warrior of the Third and practically Fulgrim’s equerry. There’s a lot of play and counter-play to all the characters and I enjoyed reading the ups and downs of Fulgrim’s past. The novel shows how his hubris can both aid him and take away from his accomplishments. Josh is particularly insistent throughout that Fulgrim’s desire for perfection is a flawed goal and that he is too caught up on the destination itself rather than exploring where he is at that point in time and why. This extends down further to his sons, such as Abdemon, Narvo Quin and others, even Fabius Bile.
April 23, 2022
The Primarchs is a series dedicated to the eponymous sons of the Emperor. There's a bunch of them already and this one dedicated to Fulgrim is my first contact with the series.
The book deals with the conquest of Byzas which was the first planet brought into compliance by Fulgrim and his Legion without the participation of any of his brothers.
This is a very atypical Warhammer novel. There is precious little action, rather it is a much more introspective read into Fulgrim's personality and his relationship with both his warriors and his brothers. It is rather flimsy taken by itself, but in the larger context of the Horus Heresy lore it serves as an added bit of background to Fulgrim's actions later in the chronology as well as setting the stage for the philosophy followed by the Emperor's Children.
I would not recommend it for someone not already neck deep into 40k lore, but for those of us who are already invested in this Universe and familiar with its stories it is a good enough read. Deciding on a rating is difficult since there's not a lot wrong with the book but not a lot good either. It's a pleasant way to spend a bit of time but it is entirely unremarkable. It would give it a 3.5 if I could.
The book deals with the conquest of Byzas which was the first planet brought into compliance by Fulgrim and his Legion without the participation of any of his brothers.
This is a very atypical Warhammer novel. There is precious little action, rather it is a much more introspective read into Fulgrim's personality and his relationship with both his warriors and his brothers. It is rather flimsy taken by itself, but in the larger context of the Horus Heresy lore it serves as an added bit of background to Fulgrim's actions later in the chronology as well as setting the stage for the philosophy followed by the Emperor's Children.
I would not recommend it for someone not already neck deep into 40k lore, but for those of us who are already invested in this Universe and familiar with its stories it is a good enough read. Deciding on a rating is difficult since there's not a lot wrong with the book but not a lot good either. It's a pleasant way to spend a bit of time but it is entirely unremarkable. It would give it a 3.5 if I could.
November 11, 2022
An interesting political thriller that digs in some of the early facets and events of Fulgrim.
The Palatine Phoenix was, surprisingly, a very political and contriving read that shows you a different way of conquering: Through diplomacy, or rather, intimidation. It has a small cast but memorable enough that you understand their actions and motives. Sadly, not a lot going on with the Astartes characters, but you do get plenty of scenes with Fulgrim and understand his though process.
I don't really have any issues with this novel when it comes to its narrative and storytelling, but my main issue is probably the lack of expectations met: I was hoping to read a story about the early days of Fulgrim, his rise in power and him being found by the Emperor. Instead, we only get various flashbacks about it without any of the real juice. This story is supposed to be a pivotal event in his development, yet it feels like just another tale in the grand scheme of the Horus Heresy series.
It's a fun read and has memorable scenes, particularly the political intrigue, but it fails to actually show you the depths of Fulgrim. By the end of the novel, you really don't learn anything you already did not knew.
The Palatine Phoenix was, surprisingly, a very political and contriving read that shows you a different way of conquering: Through diplomacy, or rather, intimidation. It has a small cast but memorable enough that you understand their actions and motives. Sadly, not a lot going on with the Astartes characters, but you do get plenty of scenes with Fulgrim and understand his though process.
I don't really have any issues with this novel when it comes to its narrative and storytelling, but my main issue is probably the lack of expectations met: I was hoping to read a story about the early days of Fulgrim, his rise in power and him being found by the Emperor. Instead, we only get various flashbacks about it without any of the real juice. This story is supposed to be a pivotal event in his development, yet it feels like just another tale in the grand scheme of the Horus Heresy series.
It's a fun read and has memorable scenes, particularly the political intrigue, but it fails to actually show you the depths of Fulgrim. By the end of the novel, you really don't learn anything you already did not knew.
November 5, 2018
Having only read the first two books in the 50+ HH books a couple of years ago, I decided to give it a go at reading the entire HH series in chronological order. Starting with the "Last Church" audiobook set in 30,800. I am using https://sites.google.com/site/tymells... as a guide on which books to read in chronological order.
Having no idea who Fulgrim and the emperors sons are before reading the book, I must admit that I quite liked the book. I didn't find it difficult to follow. However I did find it helpful to look up in advance of reading the book http://wh40k.lexicanum.com to give an overview of the characters.
The book takes place around 30,850-30,860, after Fulgrim has been reunited with his legion. The book focuses around Fulgrim and a handful of the Emperors children making Byzas compliant in 1 month in order to outdo the other fellow primarchs. It does set the stage nicely for Fulgrims obsession with perfection. The story has a couple of twists and turns resulting in the near death of Fulgrim. Overall an entertaining read but felt a bit light on the action.
The audiobook version was very well read and the voices for the characters are well done.
Having no idea who Fulgrim and the emperors sons are before reading the book, I must admit that I quite liked the book. I didn't find it difficult to follow. However I did find it helpful to look up in advance of reading the book http://wh40k.lexicanum.com to give an overview of the characters.
The book takes place around 30,850-30,860, after Fulgrim has been reunited with his legion. The book focuses around Fulgrim and a handful of the Emperors children making Byzas compliant in 1 month in order to outdo the other fellow primarchs. It does set the stage nicely for Fulgrims obsession with perfection. The story has a couple of twists and turns resulting in the near death of Fulgrim. Overall an entertaining read but felt a bit light on the action.
The audiobook version was very well read and the voices for the characters are well done.
February 1, 2018
For this, the sixth book in the Primarchs series, we see the primarch of the Emperor’s Children embark upon his first solo compliance mission, to Twenty-Eight One, or Byzas. Though ostensibly welcoming of the Imperium, Fulgrim knows he must still work hard to bring Byzas and its people to compliance. Stung by perceptions of him and his legion, he sets out with just seven of his sons to demonstrate his methods and prove his worth to his brothers.
Reynolds has done a great job of telling an interesting, exciting story while illustrating the core concepts of Fulgrim and the Emperor’s Children, with the added bonus of exploring the fascinating non-military side of compliance. It might not be what you expect, but it’s a really smart and effective story that’s a must-read for Heresy fans and 40k fans alike.
Read the full review at https://www.trackofwords.com/2018/01/...
Reynolds has done a great job of telling an interesting, exciting story while illustrating the core concepts of Fulgrim and the Emperor’s Children, with the added bonus of exploring the fascinating non-military side of compliance. It might not be what you expect, but it’s a really smart and effective story that’s a must-read for Heresy fans and 40k fans alike.
Read the full review at https://www.trackofwords.com/2018/01/...
September 26, 2018
I am not familiar with the Emperors Children and always thought of them as a pretty disturbed, sadomasochistic personalities. They act outright, no holding back, just driven by thirst for more sensory overload of any kind.
That is why I was taken back by this novel - Fulgrim and Emperor's Children (chosen 6 warriors Fulgrim took to place planet Byzas into full Imperial compliance) are acting more like Alpha Legion, even Custodes. Underhand strategy, luring out assassins and revolutionaries to strike them down, covert missions and assassinations..... very very black-ops-like actions.
Fulgrim's actions and especially his conversations with Imperial envoy Pyke (and this madam is one of the most deadly female characters I've seen) and local politicians from Byzas are excellent and provide means to flesh out Fulgrim ever so more ("Hubris, your name is Fulgrim").
Highly recommended for all fans of W40K and Horus Heresy.
That is why I was taken back by this novel - Fulgrim and Emperor's Children (chosen 6 warriors Fulgrim took to place planet Byzas into full Imperial compliance) are acting more like Alpha Legion, even Custodes. Underhand strategy, luring out assassins and revolutionaries to strike them down, covert missions and assassinations..... very very black-ops-like actions.
Fulgrim's actions and especially his conversations with Imperial envoy Pyke (and this madam is one of the most deadly female characters I've seen) and local politicians from Byzas are excellent and provide means to flesh out Fulgrim ever so more ("Hubris, your name is Fulgrim").
Highly recommended for all fans of W40K and Horus Heresy.
February 9, 2018
Fulgrim is the Primarch of my favorite traitor space marine Legion, the Emperor’s Children. It is so sad to read about them pre-heresy and compare them to how far they have fallen in the current lore. I guess that’s the point. In this novel, Fulgrim is generally likeable and his legionnaires are intensely proud and competitive with the bad seeds for the future already in them. There is some philosophical musings about perfection and desire without being navel gazing. The novel clearly demonstrates transhuman over human fighting superiority and Fulgrim seems like he could find a roster spot on the Avengers. It was a short, fun read.
May 16, 2019
This is perhaps a very harsh 3/5 rating. This book was nearly a 4 for me, but was just missing something to it.
I liked the fact it was not just drawn out bolter fire scenes, however the politics of the story could have been more interesting. I mostly enjoyed the scenes with Fulgrim and his legion, especially the interactions between Fulgrim and Fabius. I think more of that dialogue could have made this a 4/5 for me but the heavy focus on the compliance of the world was the main focus of the book sadly.
I did enjoy this book to an extent, it had a lot of potential, I just wish the areas that were done well we got to see more of!
I liked the fact it was not just drawn out bolter fire scenes, however the politics of the story could have been more interesting. I mostly enjoyed the scenes with Fulgrim and his legion, especially the interactions between Fulgrim and Fabius. I think more of that dialogue could have made this a 4/5 for me but the heavy focus on the compliance of the world was the main focus of the book sadly.
I did enjoy this book to an extent, it had a lot of potential, I just wish the areas that were done well we got to see more of!
October 4, 2025
Enjoyed the opportunity to learn about how the legion operated and interacted with Fulgrim prior to the heresy. However, I think it would have been better suited to cover Fulgrim after the heresy as the EC descended further into chaos.
The writing almost tried to follow a Batman style thriller novel and not as much about the emperors children and their primarch in a real conflict.
With all this said, I do not regret reading the book and it is a valued addition to my collection. It did not fail to show how Fulgrim operated as a primarch with his legion or humans he is trying to bring into the folds of the imperium.
The writing almost tried to follow a Batman style thriller novel and not as much about the emperors children and their primarch in a real conflict.
With all this said, I do not regret reading the book and it is a valued addition to my collection. It did not fail to show how Fulgrim operated as a primarch with his legion or humans he is trying to bring into the folds of the imperium.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 25, 2020
This was a fantastic character driven story, that really delved into what makes the Primarch Fulgrim tick. Also, all of the characters within were extremely well written and made me want to know more about them, especially Fabius the Apothecary and Iterator Pyke. No one within the story felt left out, and everyone worked to bring the piece together.
This is definitely up there with my favourite Primarch novels that I've read so far.
I would definitely recommend this book if you're a fan of the 40k universe, or just have an appreciation for epic sci-fi stories.
This is definitely up there with my favourite Primarch novels that I've read so far.
I would definitely recommend this book if you're a fan of the 40k universe, or just have an appreciation for epic sci-fi stories.
February 3, 2024
HOLLY WOW WHAT A NICE CHANGE OF PACE!!!
I Find the Emperors children annoying and one note a lot of the time, but this book does an amazing job at showing then in a very different light.
Yes still ambitious and in search of perfection, but a more vulnerable squad of so few and so young of a legion under Fulgrim.
The story itself shines in the dark being so different compared to the grand scale war of 30k and actively trying to avoid it all.
Thoroughly enjoyed it and makes me want to like the characters more.
I Find the Emperors children annoying and one note a lot of the time, but this book does an amazing job at showing then in a very different light.
Yes still ambitious and in search of perfection, but a more vulnerable squad of so few and so young of a legion under Fulgrim.
The story itself shines in the dark being so different compared to the grand scale war of 30k and actively trying to avoid it all.
Thoroughly enjoyed it and makes me want to like the characters more.
January 9, 2026
🖋️ Critique Complète :
➡️ https://reclusiam.net/fulgrim-phoenix...
Fulgrim : Le Phénicien Palatin est un roman frustrant. Sur le papier, tout semblait réuni : un Primarque mythique, un thème central (la quête de perfection) et une Légion rongée par la dégénérescence.
Mais Josh Reynolds ne parvient jamais à transcender ces éléments. Il effleure la surface du Primarque sans oser plonger dans sa folie latente, ni dans la beauté morbide qui fera de lui l’archétype du déchu magnifique.
➡️ https://reclusiam.net/fulgrim-phoenix...
Fulgrim : Le Phénicien Palatin est un roman frustrant. Sur le papier, tout semblait réuni : un Primarque mythique, un thème central (la quête de perfection) et une Légion rongée par la dégénérescence.
Mais Josh Reynolds ne parvient jamais à transcender ces éléments. Il effleure la surface du Primarque sans oser plonger dans sa folie latente, ni dans la beauté morbide qui fera de lui l’archétype du déchu magnifique.
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