Eye of Terra

The Horus Heresy #35

by Aaron Dembski-Bowden, David Annandale, John French (Contributor)

The galaxy burns at Horus’s command, and a billion more lives are lost with each passing moment – though it was not always so. Once, the title of Warmaster stood for honor, loyalty and a fierce pride in the strength of the Space Marine Legions. But perhaps by following the myriad lines of destiny and defiance that were already woven around the primarchs and their sons, we may yet come to understand the bitterness that can eat away at even the most steadfast of souls…

This Horus Heresy anthology contains fifteen short stories by authors such as Graham McNeill, Nick Kyme, Gav Thorpe and many more. Also, Aaron Dembski-Bowden’s acclaimed novella Aurelian revisits Lorgar’s pilgrimage within the Eye of Terror, and examines just what could convince a true servant of the Emperor to embrace the powers of Chaos once more.

12hrs. and 18mins.

©2016 Games Workshop Limited (P)2016 Games Workshop Limited

Genres: Science Fiction, 40k, Fiction, Audiobook, Anthologies, Short Stories, Short Story Collection

Audible Audio

First published October 4, 2016

Reviews

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Wolf of Ash and Fire **** Cool to see the Emperor destroy some green-skins, but it seemed really contrived and bounced between too many storylines for no reason. Nice nod to the first book in this massive series at the beginning.
Aurelian ***** Not sure others would feel this way. Story was good. I rate it 5 stars simply because it was Lorgar.
Massacre **** Solid story. The ending was very good. Interesting to see some other Night Lords.
Brotherhood of the Moon ** Kind of disappointing. Picks up after Scars and does little to expand the story. It was more like a deleted scene that was cut for time.
Inheritor **** Looks at some oddities within their respective legions. Fun read.
Vorax ** Mechanicum.
Ironfire **** I try to tell myself I don't like the Iron Warriors but its stories like these that completely disprove that. Great story of redemption.

Red-Marked ***** Theil and other censured Ultramarines really can't ask for more.
Master of the First ** Seemed repetitive to earlier works.
Stratagem *****Theil again. No action but some great moments.
The Long Night ***** Great story. I was a bit confused because I thought the main character had died in an earlier novel. Glad he hadn't.
Sins of the Father *** Good.
The Eagle's Talon **** Really good told in a different format which was confusing at first but unique. Paired with the next story it was cool. I would suggest reading Tallarn before but you don't have to.
Iron Corpses ***** Amazing.
The Final Compliance of Sixty-three Fourteen ***Interesting look at how worlds viewed the heresy.
The Herald of Sanguinius *** Not a bad origin story about the Herald.

[Gianfranco Mancini · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid Horus Heresy anthology and I really enjoyed reading/re-reading the stories here collected previously published in novella/e-book/audio format.

Some are real dark gems, a few not, but most of all it was a real good read.

[Alan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Great artwork, but Black Library's continued reusing of novellas is taking the biscuit. They aren't clearly labelling anthologies with the individual titles. Waste of money

[Javir11 · Rating 3 out of 5]

6.75/10

Los que me conozcan ya sabrán que no soy un gran fan de las antologías de relatos, y en este caso no iba a ser menos.

Me ha gustado que muchos de los relatos están conectados con las últimas novelas que he leído, algo que se agradece, porque a veces te ponen relatos sobre historias ocurridas 10-12 libros atrás y no recuerdo nada de nada, en este caso no es así por fortuna y la gran mayoría de las tramas se centran en el momento "actual" de mis lecturas sobre la Herejía.

En su contra, pues lo de siempre, algunas historias me sobraban bastante y otras me han parecido notables, aunque ninguna alcanzaba la máxima nota.

Voy por la 35 y me deben de quedar como 25-30 novelas todavía, vaya locura, si la termino me debería convalidar como una carrera 🤣

[Christian Freed · Rating 4 out of 5]

An unexpected trip to the hospital and I wound up reading this in one day. I normally stay away from the anthologies but this was pretty good. Not only did it show Horus fighting alongside the Emperor, it gave reasons for why half of the Legions turned traitor. A worthy addition to the timeline.

[Veronica Anrathi · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the strongest Horus Heresy anthologies on my opinion. Most stories here did not seem like a filler, bringing interesting insight and not relying too heavily on the novels.

[Blair · Rating 4 out of 5]

A strong collection with no real bad short stories, full of hidden gems.

Well, look at that, an anthology from the Horus Heresy that is pretty damn solid, entertaining, and sheds some light on some lesser-known events that help expand the depth and scope of the overall event. Eye of Terra (doesn't actually feature Terra, nor an eye) collects a variety of stories that are from all over the place, chronologically speaking. They form a rather loose narrative that requires some heavy reading before diving into it, but also packs some great tales that enthralled me with their unique twists and structures, particularly the audiodramas turned into prose.

I don't really have anything negative to say about this one other than the collection of stories being from all kinds of places and events (which can make it a pain in the ass if you are trying to read chronologically), and I was quite pleased with the quantity-to-quality ratio balance, with lots of great stories, and not a single bad one. At worst, you just get a fun bolter-porn short story, and at best you get some great characterization, awesome events, and strong foundations that help you understand the lore better. Some of my favorites:

Red-Marked: A fantastic story following Aeonid Thiel, a rebellious Ultramarine who was punished for creating tactics to fight astartes, before the Heresy even began. Now he has to lead a squad of similarly "red-marked" astartes to find out what happened to one of their bases. Well-written and breaks the mold by presenting us a ragtag team of astartes that have committed several crimes.

The Long Night: Focused on Jago Sevatarion and his time while being captured by the Dark Angels. Builds great depth and even makes you feel sympathy for a Night Lord, making you question if he is truly a traitor at all. He is, of course, but there's more to it than simply wanting to kill. Great story.

Stratagem: A very short one that also follows Aeonid Thiel and the primarch of the Ultramarines himself, discussing the tactics that got Aeonid censored in the first place. Lovely story that tells you the origins of the infamous Codex Astartes.

The Eagle's Talon: Proper grimdark right here with a very unique prose; adapted from an audiodrama, most of the story is told through encrypted vox logs, following a squad of Imperial Fists as they try to destroy a mass carrier from the Iron Warriors during the battle of Tallarn. Very grim and with fascinating dialogue. Loved it.

The Final Compliance of Sixty-Three Fourteen: A short story that features not a single astartes! This one is focused entirely on the mortal humans who rule over the planets conquered during the Great Crusade. It is a clash of ideals and shows you a more obscure side of humanity during the war. Very enjoyable.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the 35th book in the Horus Heresy series. What you have here is another short story and novella collection. Some of these stories are good and some are great. All are worthy of a read if you follow 40K and this series. The interesting thing I enjoy about these anthologies is that many of the stories flow right into the the next books or follow after one of the previous novels. Ultramarines are featured here, as well as Night Lords and some of the Primarchs from Imperium Secundus, where Sanguinius, Primarch of the Blodd Angels holds power. The Ruinstorm is still in effect and the lies of the death of the true Emperor of Mankind have not been reverted, so Guilliman asked his brother to be the new Emperor, as he asked his brother The Lion, Primarch of the Dark Angels to be the Lord Protector.
There are stories of the Traitor Legions, and stories of worlds fallen under sway of Horus and his armies. There are stories of triumph and tragedy here and they are all entertaining. One particular story, Brotherhood of the Storm, kind of leads into the 36th book in the series, Path of Heaven, which I am reading now. Its about the White Scars and it's awesome!
Great book and can't wait to get back to what I'm reading!

Danny

[RatGrrrl · Rating 5 out of 5]

May 2024 Read using the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project Reading Order (https://www.heresyomnibus.com) as part of my Oath of Moment to complete the Horus Heresy series and extras.

With The Eagle's Talon and Iron Corpses that's a brutal and perfect way to finish another anthology off!

Having made these ridiculous documents to keep track is actually paying off!

You know the drill by now--the quality of the stories vacillates across every anthology, but each one is filled with phenemonal stories that make me love each and every one...with the exception of having respect for Born of Flame, if not love.

I feel like I've been saying this a lot too, but this might genuinely be my favourite anthology because it is absolutely stacked with belters from The Wolf of Ash and Fire, which is McNeill truly on top form and just phenomenal to see Horus and the Emperor going full beast mode on the serious nightmare Horus Heresy version of Orks in the battle that lead to Ullanor, Aurelian, which had to be included somewhere as it's basically essential DLC for The First Heretic and anything ADB and Word Bearers is everything, same with The Long Night, ADB and the Night Lords, and the Tallarn twosome from my wonderfully stark, weird and glorious Annandale and French, to name a few.

Through the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project and my own additions, I have currently read 46 Horus Heresy novels (inc. 1 repeat and 8 anthologies), 24 novellas (inc. 2 repeats), 136 short stories/ audio dramas (inc. 10+ repeats), as well as the Macragge's Honour graphic novel, all 17 Primarchs novels, 4 Primarchs short stories/ audio dramas, 3 Characters novels, and 2 Warhammer 40K further reading novels and 1 short story...this run, as well as writing 1 short story myself.

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

[scafandr · Rating 3 out of 5]

Рассказ - довольно сложная форма повествования. За 10-50 страниц необходимо раскрыть сюжет и персонажей, заинтересовать и удовлетворить читателя. И поэтому некоторым авторам проще написать огромный талмуд на 1000 страниц, чем постараться кратко описать задуманное.
В сборнике "Око Терры" собраны рассказы, которые когда-то выходили в виде аудиокниг и электронных новелл. Просто небольшие "шалости" на тему Ереси Хоруса. В основном это, конечно, описание столкновений, боёв и сражений. К сожалению, на мой взгляд, большинство рассказов в сборнике проходные. Они мало что раскрывают, не интригуют сюжетом. Просто как будто вырезан кусок из большого романа или наоборот большой роман ужали до короткого рассказа (ведь в Вахе полным-полно книг про один масштабный бой).
Из целого сборника я могу выделить лишь 2 рассказа, которые действительно хороши и ради мог можно прочитать эту книгу. Забавно, что оба рассказа написал Аарон Дембски-Боуден.
"Аврелиан" - Лоргар, попав в Око Ужаса, смотрит на все происходящее и уже произошедшее со стороны, переоценивая события. По ходу дела цепляются и несущие слово, и Пожиратели миров, и Ультрамар.
"Долгая ночь" - Яго Севатарион, первый капитан Повелителей Ночи, сидит в темнице у Темных Ангелов и разговаривает с якобы душой умершего человека, который на самом оказывается совсем не умершим. Про Повелителей Ночи всегда интересно читать, потому что они весьма интересно ушли в Ересь, стараясь не поддерживать никого, или наоборот быть против всех.
Искренне хотелось бы, чтобы именитые авторы постарались всунуть интригу, какой-то необычный твист в свои рассказы, чтобы поднять градус интереса. Весьма ровный, но не очень интересный сборник. 6/10.

[Andrew Ziegler · Rating 3 out of 5]

You get three stars. More than half of this is pre-published eBooks, audiodramas, or novellas. I love having a physical copy of Aurelian, it is excellent. The rest of the shorts were nice, but I am kind of getting sick of the anthology vs novel publication for this series. These really test my ability to stick with this.

[Richard Samuel · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were a few good stories, and others that were fillers. My favorite was Lorgar finding out that Fulgrim was possessed by a demon and his ventures through the warp.

[Matthew Hipsher · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book focuses on the struggle between the White Scars and their place in the Horus Heresy as it pertains to the Khans' pull from Terra, their honor in facing those that had tried to kill them and their collective need to seek vengeance. It's a great book, but probably a non-essential read in the HH series.

[Jacob · Rating 4 out of 5]

This shirt story collection came to close to another and it appears another is only a couple books away again in the series. That said this was one of the better short story collections yet in this series. Still I’d rather have novels.

[Simon Mee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Victrus Krugeran gave the warsmith a hard glare. ‘I don’t know that such a plan convinces me of your sanity.’
‘You are not here to be convinced,’ Krendl told him. ‘You are here to rain destruction down upon that fortress. Bring forth your gunners.’

The Eye of Terra is an above average short-story complication blessed with the Heresy’s best novellas at its core. What Aurelian shows us is why not every story needs to be 400 pages in length, serving as a separate viewpoint, while remaining interdependent.

The archetype

My point about separation rests on my view that Lorgar’s perspective in Aurelian wouldn’t work in The First Heretic. In the The First Heretic, Lorgar’s weaknesses bookends the story: disgraced by the EMPEROR OF MANKIND at Monarchia, nearly killed by Corax at Isstvan V. Lorgar also comes off as a tool of his subordinates throughout and somewhat colourless compared to Argel Tal. Aurelian instead gives Lorgar his due – a strong character with relatively high levels of self-control compared to the Primarchs.

Lorgar did something none of his brothers would have done in his place. He released the weapon, leaving it undrawn, and took a calming breath. ‘I am here to learn the truth of the gods, Ingethel. And you are here to show it to me, Please do not force my temper.’

The portrayals are not inconsistent, but threading Lorgar’s journey into Argel Tal’s would have caused tonal issues, whereas keeping their stories separate gives better insight into who those characters are, and how they perceive each other.

This leads onto the concept of interdependence. Aurelian relies on The First Heretic to carry the main plot points that occur around Lorgar, allowing Aurelian to focus on an individual character study. Aurelian explains the Lorgar of The First Heretic without walking you through every event that occurs in the latter, which would be kind of dull.

Because it would be misleading for me to omit: Aurelian should not be in this collection. At least, from a timing standpoint. Major plot points/character development foreshadowed in Aurelian occur in books such as Betrayer and Vengeful Spirit. Aurelian was sold separately at a year after The First Heretic and, to maintain the thinnest sense of propriety to those who paid up at the time, Games Workshop held off putting it in a compilation until Eye of Terra a further four and a bit years later. It’s an understandable marketing decision that ruins the overall storyline: a reminder that business is more valuable than coherence. It’s not the only story like this, but probably the most egregious one.

The archetype applied (sort of)

‘You broke command, intervened. That’s why you and your squad were censured.’
Drenius shakes his head. His voice barely has the strength of a whisper.
‘No, brother. Actually, we didn’t. We obeyed our orders and did nothing, That was how we earned the mark.’

To immediately undercut my point of good novellas/short stories being separate but interdependent: there are many valid approaches other than Aurelian Most of the short stories in Eye of Terra exist to simply move the chess pieces for later novels rather than being concurrent character studies. Ironfire debuts the siege weapons that will feature at Terra. Clearly there is to be an epic confrontation at Tallarn, that requires multiple events to synchronise into one overarching narrative, so a couple of them are squeezed into the Eye of Terra to avoid the improbabilities piling up in one book. Caliban is kept on the slow burn towards its post Heresy rebellion without anything really happening. Despite this, these stories are still similar to Aurelian in that they allow the authors to not have to embed the events into a longer narrative (separate) while preparing the ground for those stories (interdependent). I just find Aurelian the most natural example of this.

To further undercut myself, there are those where it’s too much of a stretch to apply this framework. The The Final Compliance of Sixty-Three Fourteen isn’t really interdependent with anything, nor would it matter if it was in a longer novel or not. Rather, it is about the moment of choosing loyalties. To me that is fine, the story has a clear point, and makes it in a way consistent with the literary universe in which the story resides. The Longest Night forms part of a daisy chain of short stories that elevates Sevatar into the figure of wistful memories in the Night Lords trilogy, because it is easier to drop in and out of that character rather than trying to fully develop him through a proper novel. The Wolf of Ash and Fire is mostly fan service, giving us a preview of the “epic” soul blast of the EMPEROR OF MANKIND, which is probably why I find it the least interesting. Inheritor is backstory padding for a videogame, albeit a solid one.

‘For a guide, you are doing precious little guiding.’

While I have held out an exemplar and then cast it down, it is fun to try and guess what an author is seeking to achieve within tight constraints of space, while avoiding continuity errors. Some make points within the main thread of the Horus Heresy, others make points parallel or even tangential to it. Eye of Terra is a good collection, with Aurelian showing what can really work, without forcing you to agree that its style is the only thing that works.

[Richard Stuart · Rating 3 out of 5]

As usual with a Horus Heresy Anthology there is a mix of good and bad stories, but luckily, 'The Eye of Terra' deliveries a couple of real quality ones as well.

The best story in my opinion is Aurelian, followed closely by The Long Night, and The Wolf of Ash and Fire. I thought good stories were Red Marked, Master of the First, and Ironfire.

The rest are the rest. And the worst by far was Vorax.

[Ross Cudmore · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Wolf of Ash and Fire" by Graham McNeill *****
‘The stars are our birthright,’ said Horus. ‘Wasn’t that what you said? Make no mistakes and they will be ours.’ ‘I said that?’ ‘You did. On Cthonia, when I was but a foundling.’ The Emperor stood and put a mailed gauntlet upon Lupercal’s shoulder, the gesture of a proud father. ‘Then I must prove worthy of your trust,’ said the Emperor.

The story is set during the Gret Crusade before Ullanor and long before the poisoned dagger on the moon of Davin. Horus is still the loyal son, his Legion sworn to the Emperor’s vision.

The Heresy particularly the opening trilogy, plays out like an operatic tragedy. Despite not appearing in the flesh in the first three books, the Emperor looms over the narrative, ever present even when he is not mentioned, almost as if his absence is a character. He has left the Crusade, and it will never be the same again.

This story gives us a chance to see the relationship between father and son. To see what it was like when they waged war together. McNeill captures not only Horus’ more admirable attributes, but also that which would drag him down.

An interesting bit of lore was mentioned in the story, that being the betrayal of Vatale Gerron Terentius. In the Horus Heresy Black Books, Terentius was an Imperial General who was respected by many Primarchs as well as the SIgillite. However, he turned on the Imperum, seizing territory of his own. He would be slain by none other than Horus. In this story, Terentius’ betrayal seems to have had a profound impact on the Mournival, Horus’ advisors we first met in “Horus Rising”. It was an interesting little allusion to the history of the Great Crusade, and the symmetry of Horus slaying the traitor, only to become one himself many years later.

“Aurelian” by Aaron Dembski-Bowden *****
"All I ever wanted was the truth. Remember those words as you read the ones that follow. I never set out to topple my father's kingdom of lies from a sense of misplaced pride. I never wanted to bleed the species to its marrow, reaving half the galaxy clean of human life in this bitter crusade. I never desired ang of this this, though I know the reasons for which it must be done. But all I ever wanted was the truth"

Bridging the gap between "The First Heretic" and "Betrayer" both by ADB. this story goes a long way to developing Lorgar as a character and in particular his relationship with "Chaos". Rather than a devout adherent from the jump, he is sceptical, questioning. There is an internal conflict as he struggles with what is being presented to him. It represents a shift or rather growth in his character. Really this story is demonstrating how Lorgar is coming into his own with the Heresy, which was shown in "Betrayer" with his increased powers.

Great read and pretty essential to the overall story of the Heresy.

"The Long Night" by Aaron Dembski-Bowden *****
“Crows feed on corpses, and I make a lot of corpses”

“Nostramo is a lawless and sunless place. that burned not because it was guilty but because we failed to keep it innocent.”

Jago Sevetarion, Prince of Crows is languishing in captivity. He is haunted by a ghost of a young girl.

It showed a different side of Sevetar that I hadn’t seen before. He was gentle with the ghost, there was a softness to him that was never shown before. But that softness is contrasted sharply with his madness, his mind unravelling as his psychic powers have reawakened.

In his eyes is not a soldier, he is justice, he is judgment, he punishment. Or rather maybe that is what he wishes to be. Sevetar here is presented as a conflicted individual, not sure who he is, or what he wants.

The story is also quite funny. Sevetar uses humour as a shield, making cut jabs and remarks in the face of his captivity.

As awful as he is, I can't help but like Sevetar. He is tragic but murderous, gentle but sadistic. He is complex and demands my attention. Great work by ADB.

"Massacre" by Aaron Dembski-Bowden *****
“Sons of our Father, stand in midnight clad. We bring the night.”

ADB’s Nightlord Trilogy is probably one of the most popular BL collections and so it is only natural that he would return to the characters for a short story set during the Heresy. Talos, Malcharion, Anthrati, Xarl, and Cyrion all make appearances.

A fantastic, atmospheric short story, that provides a quick look at the Night Lords on Isstvan V, and also hints at what is to come in the future.

"Brotherhood of the Moon" by Chris Wraight *****
A member of the White Scars is interrogated by his brothers over his allegiance. The White Scars were ever independent, warriors on their own path. It is not strange that with the schism of the Imperium, there would be various views of the path to take. I enjoyed the way Wraight drew out this story, of White Scars battling alongside the Luna Wolves, the initiation into the Lodge. It adds to the story of Torghun Khan that began in “Brotherhood of the Storm”.

"Inheritor" by Gav Thorpe ****
Taking place before "Betrayer" during the Shadow Crusade, Eliphas the Inheritor of the Word Bearers has dedicated himself to the Dark Powers, building a grotesque cathedral of flesh and bone in their honour. He is joined by Captain Eres of the World Eaters.

I really enjoy the Shadow Crusade because of the uneasy alliance between the Word Bearers and World Eaters. Neither side has much respect for each other, and violence always appears imminent.
Gav Thorpe wrote this short with great style and detail. The imagery was appropriately grotesque and the characters had enough going on to stand out and appear interesting.

I quite liked the ending, as it shows Lorgar's growth as a character. Where once he was consumed with revenge, now his ambitions are loftier. He serves the powers not for personal satisfaction, but because of genuine belief, which almost makes him scarier than if he did it for revenge against Guilliman.

Eliphas is actually an old character, introduced as the antagonist in the Dawn of War expansion Dark Crusade, which I thought was a fun addition rather than an entirely new character.

"Vorax" by Matthew Farrer ***
In the orbital shipyards of Mars facing an Imperial Fist blockade, the predator becomes prey.
An Adept of the Dark Mechanicum has grown lax torturing and experimenting on loyalists, and is not prepared to face a more equal foe. This short story follows the events of “Mechanicum” which saw Mars seized by traitors.

I enjoyed the details and description in the story, it really put me into the world of the Dark Mechanicum above Mars. But the story was a bit too brief, which didn’t allow the tension to rise.

"Ironfire" by Rob Sanders ****
Idriss Krendl Warsmith of the Iron Warriors was last seen in “The Iron Within” as he unsuccessfully waged a campaign against Loyalist Barbarus Dantioch.

Krendl had to return broken in body and mind absorbed in shame to his father. Now he has been tasked with a “mock” test to prepare for the Siege of Terra. A beautiful fortress, grand in scale and design has been seized by the Emperor’s Children, and the Iron Warriors will turn their guns on their allies.

Broken, beaten, and bitter, Krendl represents the worst excesses of his Legion, but in the worst of excesses he develops a brutal and aggressive method of bringing war to Terra.

I really enjoyed the action throughout the story, it was well characterised by Krendl’s desperation and shaken psyche, the combat had personality and life to it that made it fun to read.

The story also includes a fun reference to “Fallen Angels” in which the Lion gifted Perturabo highly advanced siege guns, which of course would be used on Isstvan V against the Loyalists. Those same guns appear again in this story.

"Red-Marked" by Nick Kyme **
First appearing in “Know no Fear” and again in the audio-drama “Censure”, Sergeant Thiel of the Ultramarines continues to battle against the traitors in the outer reaches of the Ultima Segmentum.
The story is supposed to be about a bunch of Ultramarines who have been censured by their Legion, and now are on a desperate mission to either win back the respect of the Legion, or perhaps earn back their own internal sense of honour and pride.

I think there is a good concept there, of censured warriors trying to regain a sense of honour, but the story is just so action packed it all begins to blur together. The story isn’t told in a chronological narrative, which makes all the action more distracting and harder to follow.

Thiel later reappears in "Nightvane" “Stratagem” and “Deathfire” alongside his Red-Marked warriors.

"Master of the First" by Gav Thorpe ****
Chapter Master Astelan was just a boy when he saw the Thunder Warriors conquer his homeland in the name of the Emperor, He was of the first 5000 Space Marines to be recruited, making him among the oldest veterans of the Great Crusade.

During the short story “Call of the Lion” Astelan tried to bring a world into peaceful compliance, but his attempts were stymied by Caliban-born Chapter Master Belath. Belath scorned Astelan as a coward, stating that to honour the Lion meant using oppressive form to destroy those who would not submit.

Shortly after this incident Astelan was transferred to Caliban as seen in the story “Fallen Angels”.
Treachery begins to take hold on Caliban, as there is a divide between the Terran veterans, and the younger Caliban recruits. Conspiracy abounds and many seek to remove Luther from power.
Really fun story of betrayal and resentment that sets up “Angels of Caliban”.

The story opens with the mention of Zaheriel and Lord Cypher leaving on a shuttle to the Northwilds, which is contained in the audio “Cypher Guardian of Order”. Just an interesting connection to another story.

Castelan as a character also appears in the “Legacy of Caliban” series by Gav Thorpe, taking place long after the Heresy.

"Stratagem" by Nick Kyme ****
It has been a long road to this story, “Know no Fear”, “Calth that Was” “Censure” “Red Marked” and “Nightfane”. But now Sergeant Aeonid Thiel stands before his father once more.

The story opens with a reference to Unremembered Empire mentioning the Alpha Legion assassins that disguised themselves as Sergeant Aeonid Thiel and Ultramarines.

This is a much quieter more personal story than most of the other Sergeant Thiel story. It is the conversation between father and son who have been separated for many years. It also gives us the introduction to the Codex Astartes that will define Space Marines in the 41st Millenium.

"Sins of the Father" by Andy Smillie *****
"In my darker moments, I do not love my sons".

The twin of the story "Virtues of the Sons". Both stories focus particularly on Amit "The Flesh Tearer" and Azkaellon chief of the Sanguinary Guard. The Wrathful Destroyer and the Divine Protector. They reflect the dual nature of their Legion and their Primarch's soul.

This was a far more melancholy Sanguinius than what is typically depicted. He is fearful that his sons will not live up to the virtue he espouses and will instead fall to the curse of their blood. He suffers from a black mood, maudlin after his encounter with Ka'bandha in "Fear to Tread".
Sanguinius is cursed (or is it blessed?) with visions of the future. He knows he will die, but what he fears is not death but what will become of his sons. Andy Smillie does a great job capturing the intetnal darkness that plagues Sanguinius, and the tragedy of his Legion.

"Herald of Sanguinius" by Andy Smillie *****
Taking place after "Unremembered Empire", Sanguinius has been crowned Emperor of Imperium Secundus, and the duty of safeguarding the Emperor weighs heavily on Azkaellon chief of the Sanguinary Guard. Sanguinius is also weary, the crown sitting uncomfortably on his brow.
Dark and perverse, this feels like an example of when the ideals of the Great Crusade become tainted by treachery and paranoia, and something darker takes its place as we are introduced to the Sanguinor, Herald of Sanguinius.

The Eagle's Talon" by John French ****
Another fantastic Heresy Audio Drama. A unique framing device, as this story is told from the point of view of a character listening to the recorded comms from an Imperial Fist operation aboard a Traitor Ship.

Tallarn was a pivotal moment in the Heresy, and three teams of Imperial Fists aboard the Traitor ship "Eagle's Talon" fight in the shadows to ensure the battle turns in their favour. The Imperial Fists aren't known for working in the shadows, and the Battle Brothers seem uncomfortable and questioning of their role. Interesting character dynamics and fun action.

"Iron Corpses" by David Annandale *****
Tallarn was the site of one of the largest Titan/Tank battles in the Heresy. The death toll was unimaginable as the God-Machines strode to war. Now their metal corpses litter the planet’s surface.

A lone surviving Iron Warrior strides along this bleak environment, exposed to an environment that is slowly killing, with little to no resources. He is bitter and angry that he should die here, so close to the end, alone on a battlefield. He is resentful of the Emperor and is looking for one last act of defiance.

This is a brutal and grim story, very atmospheric and full of character. There is an ugliness to the soul of the protagonist, as he looks to hurt the Loyalists one last time. But the nature of the story is so intimate, I can’t help but admire his stubbornness, his refusal to give up and die. He keeps going, his will is iron, and he will have revenge on the False Emperor.

"The Final Compliance of Sixty-Three Fourteen" by Guy Haley *****
‘I request your fealty. We bring no rebellion against righteous authority, but make a stand against a tyrant who cares only for himself. Join with us. You have been deceived. Throw down your arms and follow me as a peacemaker upon the path of truth. Pledge yourselves to our cause and be free of the great deception. The Imperial Truth is a rank falsehood. The Emperor has lied to you.’
An elderly veteran turned Imperial Governor must stand down in the face of Horus’ demands to fealty. But not before he reflects on the wars he fought, and the compliances made in the Emperor’s name.

This was a very human side of the Heresy, looking not just at the titanic battles between giants, but of the “normal” people who must make difficult decisions in a galaxy beset by civil war. There was something very intimate and personal about this story that I loved, it was a great character study not only of the Governor, but of Horus, of how he presents himself and has grown more heavy-handed with the onset of the Heresy. This short story really adds to the overall world of the Heresy.

[Christian · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the prose collected version of the audio dramas or over priced novellas I would never buy from Black Library. I am very glad to have his collection to catch me up or fill me in on some Horus Heresy blind spots I have. The writing is generally satisfying but I wish these stories had been incorporated into longer works.

[Xavier Virsu · Rating 5 out of 5]

More gems than duds

This is a pretty good anthology, one of the better one's in this series. Aurelian, Iron Corpses, The Eagles Talon, The Wolf of Ash and Fire, and The Long Night are the best ones. Worth the price of admission!

[Alexandre · Rating 1 out of 5]

Half the stories were published before ...

[Stefan Popovici · Rating 4 out of 5]

An anthology of short stories alongside a very important novella.

1. The Wolf of Ash and Fire
Short story about Horus and the Emperor fighting together against a ton of orcs before the Ulanor campaign. A rare glimpse into the relationship between Horus and his father before the start of the Heresy, full of action and a very good intro for the book (also providing the cover art).

2. Aurelian
The biggest and most important part of the book. I tells the story of Lorgar's pilgrimage into the Eye of Terror. It shows the exact moment when Lorgar decided to follow the path of Chaos and presents his reasons and what compelled him to do that. It gives a ton of insight into Lorgar's character as well as his relationship and opinion of Chaos. Easily the best part of the anthology.

3. Massacre
The events of Istvaan 5 seen from the perspective of the Night Lords. Ruthless, blody and disturbing from start to finish.

4. Brotherhood of the Moon
A sequel of sorts to Scars. Tells the story of how the warrior lodges started in the White Scars legion from the point of view of Torghun Khan. Interesting and unique format but a kinda simplistic story overall.

5. Inheritor
Origin story for the infamous Eliphas the Inheritor of Dawn of War fame. Basically the Word Bearers and World Eaters lure some Ultramarines to Kronus in order to use the bloodshed to fuel some sort of Chaos engine. Fun and especially relevant to fans of the video games.

6. Vorax
On Mars a Dark Mechanicum Ratiomancer wants to use a corrupted piece of code to sabotage the loyal forces within the Solar system. However, some ravenous Vorax have other plans. Nothing really special besides some nice dismemberment scenes.

7. Ironfire
Sequel to Iron Within. After his shame in the previous story, Warsmith Krendl wants to earn back the favor of Perturabo by staging a simulation of an assault on the Holy Palace. Has plenty of action but overall I had the feeling that something was missing.

8. Red-Marked
Sergeant Aeonid Thiel fights to eliminate the Traitor forces still remaining within the 500 Worlds of Ultramar. Typical Ultramarines are the best story. Kept hoping for a twist which never came.

9. Master of the First
Internal strife brews between the Dark Angels stationed on Caliban. Keeps you guessing throughout, has a nice twist but on its own it is quite confusing in the grand scheme of things.

10. Stratagem
Sequel to Red-Marked. Thiel is summoned to Guilliman in order to explain his actions which form the basis for the future Codex Astartes. Short and basic story. Nothing special besides providing the moment when the idea of the Codex Astartes appeared for the first time.

11. The Long Night
Sevatarian, the First Captain of the Night Lords is held prisoner by the Dark Angels. He gets help and compassion from an unlikely source which helps him come to terms with his past and who he has become. Dark and grim but a typically fascinating rendition of Traitor Space Marines from Aaron Dembski-Bowden

12. Sins of the Father
Sanguinius ruminates on the nature of his sons and the duality of Azkaellon and Amit and how their strengths and weaknesses will rule their futures. Great for fans of the Blood Angels.

13. The Eagle's Talon
An Imperial Fists strike force attempts to sabotage an Iron Warriors ship above the skies of Tallarn. Tries to be dramatic but it stumbles a bit.

14. Iron Corpses
Sequel to The Eagle's Talon. After the destruction caused by the fall of the ship in the previous story, a lone Iron Warrior tries to bring a dormant Titan back to life. A very nice twist ending.

15. The Final Compliance of Sixty-Three Fourteen
The Sons of Horus arrive to demand the fealty of the planet 63-14. The planetary governor has a short time to decide the fate of this world. Short and tragic and very good.

16. Herald of Sanguinius
The origin story of the mysterious Sanguinor. A bit confusing and lacking context but again, great for Blood Angels fans


Overall a decent anthology, worth reading solely for Aurelian, the rest is of varying quality but acts as a nice bonus on top.

[Jordan · Rating 3 out of 5]

the wolf of ash and fire: 3/5
- just okaaay. i have a hard time with some of the stories with the emperor. because he is a god (yeah. call me a heretic), to see a god “struggle” in battle just seems odd. it’s the misfortune of having a character that’s “the strongest person ever”. they’ll never have any struggle and when they do, it doesn’t feel right. (btw. the fight between the emperor and horus is appropriate because horus reaches his level. so don’t call me a hypocrite haha)

aurelian: 4/5
- think of this as a extra few chapters to the first heretic - it highlights lorgars pilgrimage. ADB may be the best ability to keep you hooked in terms of dialogue!! also… there a quite a few wildly important lore things in here that may be overlooked or never read cause it’s a short story

massacre: 3.5/5
- always a fan of the night lords - but this felt like a “chapter 1” to me. i wanted more!! which is a good thing?

brotherhood of the moon: 4/5
- again. perfect example of what short stories should be. did we need this? no. did it help the narrative? no. BUT it grew the emotional connection with a character or their decisions.

inheritor: 3/5
- meh. not much to say about this one. cliffhangjng short stories aren’t my thing.

vorax: 2/5
- ?????

ironfire: 3.5/5
- for someone that doesn’t necessarily love just “war” stories (but ironically love the iron warriors), this was good! i abrupt ending killed it though.

red marked: 2/5
- damn. i was starting to build up hope for kyme as an author.. BUT… then this happened.

master of the first: 3/5
- just a little back story for astelean. just read angels of caliban.

stratagem: 3.5/5
- i mean “lore wise” - this seems wildly important!!! I didn’t realize thiel had such an influence on guilliman that he essentially gave him the idea of successor chapters!?

the long night: 6/5
- god dam perfection!! you can tell how much ADB cares about Sevatar. easily the best written character in all of warhammer.

sins of the father: 5/5
- again. give me EMOTION. what an excellent short story. and sanguinius is still.. just a sad guy.

the eagles talon: 4/5
- the story itself was alright but bonus points for the uniqueness of the writing style itself. i’m obsessed with brand new perspectives like this.

iron corpses: 4/5
- i love the iron warriors. i haven’t read tallarn yet so im excited to see these with more context but this was still quite good.

the final compliance of sixty-three-fourteen: 5/5
- again. is a short story like this needed? not at all. and does it drive a narrative forward? no. but it adds depth!! and that’s what a short story should be in 40k. i promise that is the last time i say that hahah.

the herald of sanguinius: 5/5
- damn. that’s a metal ass ceremony. the sanguinor lore is still confusing as hell to me. cause here we know who he is - but in 40k????? we got questions. but confusion aside, an excellent story!

[fasz · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Wolf of Ash and Fire **

Nothing. I felt nothing, except boredom.

Aurelian ****

Apart from the usual vision upon vision, this was very insightful, and well written when it comes to demon interactions. WTF I like Lorgar now? No, but he is a good character.

The Long Night ***

Initially I wanted to give this **, as it was not that well written as a book, even if the content was intriguing. But then I read that this is supposed to be an audio drama. That makes sense, it's extremely dialogue heavy. Good stuff about the Night Lords.

Massacre *

Despite the good stuff in the previous Night Lords product, and this having the same author, I didn't feel this at all. Nonsensical, I don't even know what was supposed to happen.

Brotherhood of the Moon ***

Overall good story about the Scars (and the Lunar Wolves), but the framing (the interrogation) was really badly written, I would rather just not have it.

Inheritor ***

The plot was a bit dumb, but I have a soft spot for well written World Eaters, and humiliated Word Bearers, and this has both.

Vorax ***

The story itself is good, you can really feel the pov of the Chaos tainted tech priest. But I still have no idea what a Vorax is, and why it was immune to scrapcode.

IronFire *

Holy hell what a piece of garbage. The dude discovers basic warfare like it's the second coming of Christ, everyone is utterly retarded, and then the usual talking during battle, but even worse, across a battlefield, not even during close combat.

Into the trash.

Red-Marked ***

Decent action, decent dialogue, but as usual, some characters have to act way dumber than is justifiable.

Master of the First ***

Decent conspiracy drama about Caliban.

Stratagem **

Long winded, very unnecessary dialogue between Gorillaman and the first redhead.

Sins of the Father ***

Quite an unorthodox way of showing off the Angel's foresight and philosophical stances. Good read.

Herald of Sanguinius *

What did I even listen to. 0, nothing.

The Eagle's Talon ****

Good Fists drama. Duty, service, sacrifice. Good action. Good dialogue. Lots of destruction.

Iron Corpses **

It's not exactly badly written, but even considering 40k's ridiculousness it's a giant stretch that a Warsmith, not even a techmarine can rewire a Titan to such a degree. Nah, not taking it. Also, killing viruses with radiation, what the hell.

The Final Compliance of Sixty-Three Fourteen ****

Really cool, old badass dude. Real cool.

[Lee Vernon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another solid, but ultimately forgettable 40k/HH read. I enjoy these books, especially as a palette cleanser or when I don't have the brain capacity for anything heavier, I tend to always enjoying dipping into another HH book in my drive to get to the end. EoT is another anthology with nothing that I would say is essential reading, but certainly a little something for everyone and picking up where some secondary characters left off from earlier books. More Iron Warriors story is always a plus as well! Few one line reviews below:

The Wolf of Ash and Fire - Emperor & Horus team up to kill some Greenskins and a slight tie in I think to the later "The Beast" books.

Aurelian - Possibly the best and main short story detailing some of Lorgar's experiences when he was in the Eye of Terror and then discussing them post Istaavan.

Massacre - A few shots of a Night Lords Apothecary in the run up to Istaavan. Was cool with an ending that might interest a few.

The Long Night - Severatian of the Night Lords is captured and in a Ultramarine prison ship. Is he going mad or something else? Again, interesting view of the Night Lords as monsters but sometimes wielding a perverse sense of justic.

Brotherhood of the Moon - read this less than a week ago and totally forgotten this story.

Inheritor - crazy (by there standards) Word Bearer builds a big tower out of bodies in order to summon a daemon. Bleak.

Red-Marked - Probs my favourite. Ultramarine takes a handover of disciplined brothers on a traitor hunt & mark their helmets in distinction. Was very cool.

Stratagem - follow up to the last story as Guilleman rethinks his strategy and no doubt a prelude to his rewriting the entire SM structure and a new codex. A cool extract.

[Nathaniel Rawes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will own up and admit I went into this thinking ‘ah yes here we go, yet another anthology of Horus Heresy short stories’ and in fairness it is that. If you are looking for significant plot points or advancement you can easily skip this and leave it to those of us foolish enough to be trying to read the whole damn epic!

Having said that, I found myself enjoying this anthology significantly more than some of the previous ones. There are definitely some throw away shorts, especially towards the beginning but for me several stood out more so than usual:

Red Marked - Another short about Aeonid Thiel, I felt this story gave the character further room to develop beyond Calth and show why his unorthodox methods are of use to the legion.

The Long Night - An oddly moving story focusing on Sevetar of The Night Lords. Whilst little story progression is made, this story does provide an interesting look into the psyche of the Prince of Crows.

Aurelian - The one novella in the anthology, I knew going in that this one had received a lot of critical praise. I’ll admit it didn’t blow me away as the hype had suggested but non the less it added considerable more depth to the Word Bearer Primarch and the continued exploration of why these Primarchs fell to Chaos continues to be the highlight of the series.

Unlike previous anthologies I would say I enjoyed the majority of the stories contained here, even if only a few will stay with me. At the end of the day it’s certainly not essential to the series but if you want a light read it’s definitely one of the better collections they’ve released.

[Matthew Gilliland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall this is the best Anthology in the Horus Heresy. I liked all of the stories except for 2 of them.

The Wolf of Ash and Fire: Finally explains how the Emperor fell to Orks and Horus "saved" him.

Aurelian: is about The Word Bearers Primarch talking to Greater Deamons when he first went into the Eye or Terror.

Massacre: is The Night Lords answering the call to go to Istan V.

Brotherhood of the Moon: White Scars teaming up with Luna Wolves pre-heresy.

Inheritor: Word Bearers do a massive ritual to summon "Answers?"

Vorax: Traitor Ad Mech isn't as cool as he thinks he is.

Iron Fire: Iron Warriors use Artillery and Heavy Ordinance to breach a fortification as practice for Terra.

Red-Marked: Ultra-Marines / Dirty Dozen smash-up.

Master of the First: Terran born Dark Angels try to stop Luther.

Stratagem: Guiliman rewards the Dirty Dozen and begins rewriting the Codex to the modern version with Tactical squads and Chapters.

The Long Night: Sevetar of the Night Lords has been captured and makes a new friend and has some prison fun.

Sins of the Father: The Blood Angels prepare for after the Heresy. Or maybe they are just sparing...

The Eagle's Talon: All vox cast story about Imperial Fists infiltrating a ship. (creative, but honestly annoying)

Iron Corpses: An Iron Warrior "hot wires" an Imperator Class Titan.

The Final Compliance of 6314: Will they bow to Horus or stay loyal. I believe 6314 was conquered in the first trilogy.

The Herald of Sanguinius: The Blood Angles create the Sanguinor.

[Jiří Pavlovský · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tohle nebylo pro mě. Tedy, abych to upřesnil, nebylo to pro někoho s mou chabou pamětí. Tohle chce fakt znalce Warhammeru 40.000, kteří si vedou poznámky o všech postavách. Kniha povídek (která, jak jsem se dočetl, částečně recykluje věci, které vyšly jako audiodramata či jako samostatné práce) skáče mezi různými postavami a legiemi, a dovypráví věci, které jsme v minulých knihách nemohly vidět, představuje zrody postav, události, které ovlivnily jejich rozhodování, a já to četl a většinou přemýšlel: „Kdo to sakra je? Měl bych ho znát? Je to postava, která už někde vystupovala, nebo se teprve připravuje ke svému startu?“

Většina z patnácti povídek je hodně krátkých a tak třetinu knihy zabírá novela Aurelian, co napsal Aarona Dembski-Bowden a která se věnuje lákání Lorgana na temnou stranu síly. Podle mě vždycky líp funguje, když je něco jen nakousnuto a zahaleno tajemstvím, než když vidíme ty scény rozepsané a říkáme si „vážně?“.

Pořád je to solidně napsané, pořád jsou tu pěkné bitevní scény a dobré nápady, ale celkově jsou to spíš takové drobné dílky do obrovského puzzle. Dílky, které jsem si většinou odložil stranou, protože jsem neměl nejmenší tušení, kam patří.

Čili, berte tenhle můj názor ještě subjektivněji, než všechny mé všechny ostatní názory.

[Jake LeCount · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Eye of Terra adds interesting side stories to the vast universe of The Horus Heresy.

The Eye of Terra is composed of 16 short stories by 11 different authors: the largest portion being dedicated to “Aurelian” by Aaron Dembski-Bowden. It’s a wonderful addition to the Horus Heresy storyline, adding many plot points to the main story, particularly surrounding the events around Lorgar’s Shadow Crusade into the 500 worlds of Ultramar. I, personally, enjoy these short story compilations in the main book line because it adds valuable insight to the personal level interactions at major events, as well as demonstrates how huge the Imperium is and how the ripples of major events affect individual lives.

Loyalty and betrayal are the central themes of the stories, and after what seems like an impossible wave of heresy crashing over the loyal worlds of the Imperium, you can finally see the alliances of Horus begin to fragment.

While not a required read in order to understand the later books in the series, it’s definitely worth a read if you enjoy the 40k universe to the grand expanse it is.

4/5 stars, would read again and recommend to others.

[Gareth · Rating 4 out of 5]

*sigh* another anthology - and even though the stories in here are generally pretty good, especially Aurelian and Iron Corpses, it just feels like almost an annoyance at this point to have so many anthologies near each other at the moment.
It is good that started to gather together the stories that had to get elsewhere otherwise, so don't have to seek out various audiobooks, novellas, short stories etc, but does raise question of whether there was too much other stuff being produced at same time, or whether some of these could have perhaps been packed into special editions of other novels to allow for reading them, but not having to read so many at once as such. Having every second book at the moment an anthology since Legacies of Betrayal, with another one still upcoming in The Silent War, just feels like too many. Happily after Silent War looks like might be a bit of a gap until next anthology in Shattered Legions if I'm reading the list right.
Otherwise a good selection of stories that make for good reading.

[Huw Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

Horus Heresy books are variable in accessibility and readability. Some are good, some are bad, and a few are excellent. Interspersed amongst the full novels are the collections of short stories, and this is one of them.

And this is a good one.

The collection is full of engaging and enthralling stories, all which stand well on their own but some which interlink brilliantly. In particular I have enjoyed a couple of short stories that have extended the lore further and left questions unanswered.

An enjoyable way to pass the time.