The Regent's Shadow

Watchers of the Throne #2

by Chris Wraight

Book 2 in the Watchers of the Throne series

A new day has dawned for the Imperium, but not everyone sees the light. The Custodian Guard and Sisters of Silence must battle not just Chaos, but those who do not share Regent Guilliman's vision…

READ IT BECAUSE

See how enemies lurk everywhere in the Imperium – even on Terra itself – and discover how the Adeptus Custodes excel at rooting out the darkness that lurks on the Throneworld and bringing it to light.

THE STORY

As Guilliman, Regent of Terra, heads off to lead the Indomitus Crusade, he leaves behind a world still in turmoil, beset by cult activity. Stripped of its huge armies for the galactic offensive, recovery is precarious. The Custodians do what they can while keeping the Palace secure, and the Sisters of Silence rebuild their citadel on Luna. When the warship Phalanx returns, it seems that stability will at last be assured. However, as reconquest forces push out further into the slums, they come across signs that another mysterious foe is active. The truth dawns – not every enemy is corrupted by Chaos, for there are many on Terra who do not share Guilliman’s vision of a new order, and the prospect of a Terran civil war looms...

Written by Chris Wraight

Genres: 40k, Science Fiction, Audiobook, Fiction, Fantasy, Action, Science Fiction Fantasy

327 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 29, 2020

About the author

Chris Wraight is a British author of fantasy and science fiction.

His first novel was published in 2008; since then, he has published books set in the Warhammer Fantasy and Stargate:Atlantis universes, and has upcoming titles in the Warhammer 40K setting.

He is based in the south-west of England.

Reviews

[AA_Logan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book, and the series it is now part of, is *really* good.

I was a bit disappointed to see that Tireon was no longer a PoV character, as he was one of my favourite parts of the first book, but Jek stepped up to the plate in terms of both her promotion and her role in telling the story. The use of three distinct voices and an oral history style approach really pushes this series into the higher echelons of BL fiction. The characters are very well written and since it was an audio, I have to say well performed- I’m happy to see the continuation of canonically Yorkshire Imperial Fists.

Throughout the book, Chris adds layer upon layer of Terra- there’s no equivalent of the vellum chapter here, but in terms of politicking and the uneasy way the various agencies of the Imperium rub against each other, it’s fantastic.

Early on, Chris Wraight totally nails life on Terra with Jek’s declaration that she was ‘privileged enough to have leant a little history’ (apologies for the rough quote from memory); so much of the Imperium’s existence has seen them repeating the mistakes of the past, and having such a high-ranking member of the upper echelons of government say that is so very revealing.

Aleya’s Shania Twain-esque initial reaction to meeting Guilliman also delighted me- effectively thinking “you’re tall. That don’t impress me much” (apologies once again, this time for the reference and resulting earworm). As the earlier discussion covers, the book does acknowledge the importance of physical bulk and martial prowess but also recognises that however militaristic the Imperium is, it needs more than just strength of arms to govern it. She acknowledges on that, on paper at least, it’s reckless in the extreme for the Primarch to be out leading the crusade- he’s such a valuable asset, why is he risking himself on the battlefield, which has always struck me as pertinent, but this is pretty well justified.

In the audio, I’d say that the atmospheric closing music came in a touch too early as it almost overshadowed the impact of the book’s closing lines.

[Jackson · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Regent's Shadow, as a second book in a duology, falls a little flat for me after the exciting first entry.

A great big chunk of this book is simply handling the fallout of the first book, which to my mind at least, could have been boiled down to an epilogue at the end of book #1.

The two (arguably three) primary characters have less agency, less control, less chemistry and less interaction with each other this time around as well.
I think this is also the perfect book to describe the counter-phenomenon that is; simply putting Space Marines in a 40k book doesn’t automatically make it a better story.

I’d highly recommend reading Book #1, ‘The Emperor’s Legion’, as standalone, as this one adds almost nothing to the story, and only a little to the world-building, while actively detracting from the complexity and nuance of the POV characters.

2 stars

As the kids says; "womp womp"

[Lensvol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well-written Warhammer 40K book without much bolter porn.

[Paul Sparks · Rating 5 out of 5]

A outstanding second book in the watchers of the throne series, action, intrigue, political machinations, naïveté and innocence (as much as is possible in the grim dark future) I listened first and then read this book and both experiences were tense, exciting and moving in equal parts, I wait avidly to see the silent sister and the custodian hunt the lacrimosa

[Zare · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an excellent read. In my opinion, entire plot is like this SF thriller was written by Follett or Forsyth [of old, newer stories being a big disappointment]. It is such great world building novel, I say we definitely need third book in the series.

So, how to approach the review without ruining the experience for others......

Let me tell you just the basics - Guilliman is venturing off Earth with his armies. Behind he leaves a mish-mash of political actors on various levels to govern the Throne World. He has made the initial steps for reforms but doubt remains if his reforms will survive without him present. After all Terra has managed to calcify political-wise so any change is suspicious at best, especially when one considers many enforcement, religious and political bodies vying for dominance and operating in the balance of power where no-one is given an edge over the others, they are forced to live and work together.

So, Gulliman's departure to battlefields amongst the stars leaves everybody thinking and plotting. And in the middle of all of this we find the Custodes, still trying to find their place under new regime where they are more active [and in some places proactive than before], and Sisters of Silence, reactivated by Guilliman's decree and rebuilding their order on the dark side of the Moon.

And this is where I will stop..... Although I can mention shadowy Space Marines chapter acting like I would expect Alpha Legion to act in pre-Heresy period....... now I will stop :)

Story is told by three main characters - Jek (new Imperium Administration Chancellor appointed by Guilliman), Valerian, member of Custodes, and Aleya, member of Sisters of Silence.

Narrative is broken up in blocks of chapters where we first follow the first, then second and then third character [followed then by next chapter by Jek etc] as they chase up their clues and execute missions on war-torn Terra, place completely shaken by multiple insurrections after Lions Gate battle and on Luna that has its own share of turmoils to handle.

Best part if you ask me? All narrations are in past tense, with lots of hints about how events moved on after the events from this book. This opens so much more space for more truly beautiful stories about Talons of the Emperor and in general political development and infighting on Terra and Sol system, under influence of Guilliman.

This is second book in series, and I highly recommend to read the first one first just to be able to comprehend what is going on.

Excellent action thriller, highly recommended to fans of W40K and action thriller SF in general.

[Jack Neighbour · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bit of a slow start. But my god was it worth it at the end. Such a brilliant twisting tale.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Marc Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved every minute of this

For me this book got better and better. All the frustrations I had around the Custodes answered in ways I wasn’t expecting but also was still very much enjoyable

This was a great read!

[Dmitry Freyger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Regents Shadow: Will you Bawl and Shriek Fist? WILL YOU BAWL AND SHRIEK?? (a Spoiler filled review)

Sequels tend to suck, there I got that out of the way, be it in novels, movies or books, sequels tend to leave you scratching your head and thinking “Wow, this isn’t as good as the first one”. However, on rare occasions you get something phenomenal, something that lets you not only enjoy returning characters and plot-lines, but also has the benefit of introducing new individuals to a story which actually benefit it. I had high hopes when I heard that Chris Wraight was doing a sequel to the Emperors Legion, Hell I even loved the two miniatures that Black Library released in the form of Valerian and Aleya…but I was cautious about this, not because I did not trust the authors ability to do work, but because I believed that the book would need to be something special to match the previous one.

You can imagine how shocked I was to find myself enjoying Regents shadow far more than the original book.

Throne of sacred Terra, Chris has truly outdone himself, the level of political intrigue and manipulation that the main cast encounter is phenomenal. The references thrown out throughout the novel connect it to the wider universe we all know and love. We see hints of the Heresy and the secrets of Luna, we are reminded of the War of the Beast and Vangorich, and yet these things do not distract us from the main plot. They are part of the history of the world that for the longest time seemed to be more of a background piece in 40k. Chris has given us a version of Terra that is bleak and horrendous, and yet it has a strange beauty to it, you see the planet as being still the center of power, but now it is no longer “untouched”, it is now an even more ruined Hell-pit.

Thus, we see the key difference, even the Imperial palace lacks the feeling of significance now, and that is where we are allowed to be reunited with our beloved protagonists. Valerian and Aleya are characters who are impossible not to like, both are living examples of what happens when one is forced to change because the universe around them changes. You see the struggles of Valerian, who now realizes that he simply does not belong on Terra, you see him admiring the work of Roboute Guilliman, of wishing to fight out in the void at the Lord of Ultramars side. In Aleya you have a sense of connection to a wider history, remember she’s essentially a hate filled anti-psionic battering ram, and so for her to learn to trust and care about something is truly fascinating. Their respective stories are about personal development as much as they are about killing deluded cultists.

Which leads us to one of the more interesting additions to the book, Jek the new Doorkeeper for the High Lords, the character is arguably one of Chris Wraights more interesting changes from the previous novel. See, the beautiful thing about the Emperors Legion was that we saw the mortal world through Tieron, who was as much a symbol of the static and unchanging politics of Terra. The character thankfully only appears briefly in this novel, allowing Jek to shine, not because she is perfect at her role, but because she is new and believes in Guillimans vision. She makes mistakes because she is in uncharted territory and that is what makes her so compelling, she doesn’t have all the answers, she gets frustrated, she gets worried, because ultimately, she knows that the Primarch has put her in an almost unwinnable situation.

You would think that would be enough to cement the awesomeness of this book, but no….Chris managed to give us something beyond amazing.

First, let’s get this out of the way, when a new model is released the authors do sometimes put the characters into the books. This is partly the reason one of the two surprises that we get is Tor Garadon and the Imperial Fists being recalled to Terra. Now I should point out, this is Tor before he crosses the Rubicon, this is when the Primaris program is only just revealed and is still a wonder to the majority of the Imperium. Garadon is exactly what you expect from a scion of Dorn, truthfully, he reminds me Pollux back in Unremembered Empire, he is exactly what you'd expect from an Imperial Fists captain. However, he is overshadowed by another presence, someone who I had not remotely expected to see in this book.

Asterion Moloc

That’s right folks, the Minotaur's had come to Terra, and the way Chris writes them is perfectly, see for those who have paid attention you will note that Chris has often made mention of the IVth Legion and the Lord of Iron. Hell, he had Valerian kill and Iron Warrior in the Emperors Legion during one of the blood games, those who read Path of Heaven, Scars and Warhawk of Chogoris will have also caught the little moments. Now we get to see Chris write the bastard children of the IVth Legion (before you jump down my throat, yes, the Minotaurs are made from Iron Warriors gene-seed and yes it has been confirmed by someone who worked with Alan Bligh at Forge World).

What does that mean though, well to put it bluntly, Asterion Moloc is an asshole, the Minotaurs are assholes, their assholery likely surpasses that of their parent legion by a factor that can only be calculated by the Lord of Iron himself. You are instantly made aware that Moloc is not simply just another Chapter Master, specifically when Valerian openly states that he could only imagine Trajaan Valoris and Guilliman as being able to actually kill this bastard. That’s right, the Shield Captain openly admits that he does not know if he can defeat the Chapter Master. We also essentially get the answer as to who the Minotaur's actually answer to, and in a strange way it makes sense.

So, after finishing this book in one sitting, I am encouraging everyone to buy it, BUY IT NOW!!!

5 out 5 Bolt shells

Warsmith Freyger signing Off, Iron Within Iron Without.

[Andy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Every now and then, Black Library throws up a surprise. This is one. I wasn't expecting a political thriller, but here we are.

Of course, this is undermined by the fact that everything is solved by SHOOTING AND STABBING, RIP AND TEAR, but you get what you pay for in the 40k universe.

Worth a read. Nothing that'll change your life, but it's an enjoyable enough read.

[Derek Kamal · Rating 4 out of 5]

It may be worth noting that I listened to the audiobook of Regent's Shadow, instead of reading the book. So, the voice acting may have had some influence over my response to the book. It's just very good.

Even without the hypnotic utterings of Emma Gregory, though, there is much to enjoy here. It's loaded with all the stuff you expect from a Warhammer novel and then some. That the Space Marines are tertiary characters seen through a first-person perspective is excellent. It reinforces that they are a rarity, even on earth, and that they are (at their core) destroyers and not much else.

Also shifting perspectives between a Custodian, a Null Maiden, and a bureaucrat works very, very well as it did in the first book. They are, largely, on the same side but see the same events from varying points of view - both positionally and philosophically. Those differing philosophies make for good storytelling and for a good insight into the world of humanity in the far future. I am decidedly an Aleya stan, and while she is less than singularly heroic (as she was in the first book), she remains the rash and cynical foil to Valerian and has plenty of great moments in the spotlight while holding firmly the gray we expect from a Warhammer story. More on that later.

There is little for me to critique in the writing and structure of the book. It flows well, even covering so much ground as it does. And I think that is a strength of Warhammer 40,000 and other "soft" science fiction settings; it doesn't get bogged down in being physically correct. Even in the void or on the moon the action is still as intelligible as it would be on Terra (Earth).

And, as I said, it hits all the gray morality and dystopianism of Warhammer. Some people think that the worlds of Warhammer have gone soft, as they have tried to take on a more mainstream aesthetic, not unlike a super hero movie, but I don't think they're right. The gory violence is there as is the absolutely awful power grubbing of the inherently authoritarian Imperial government. There are no goodies. We don't know who to root for. I mean, we do; the narrators are the obvious protagonists. But even they are worthy of suspicion, all the way to the top.

Does Guilliman really have any right to hold power over the entire Imperium as regent and enact all of these reforms? Are the protagonists on the wrong side for supporting him? Are the antagonists really the baddies when they simply want to keep things as they were before the Primarch, even if they go to bloody lengths to do so? Is Aleya, my beloved, in the right to just start hacking people up because her base on Somnus was attacked? Does the lex ("law" in Warhammer Latin) even matter if people are just going to get armies and do what they want anyway?

This is the kind of ambiguity that is the hallmark of Warhammer, especially Warhammer 40,000, and I'm glad that this book (one that is rather important in the overall narrative) clings to it.

So all in all this is a great read, especially if you enjoyed The Emperor's Legion. If you are a non-Warhammer fan, I'm not sure this series is the best introduction but you could certainly do a lot worse.

[Taylor Kenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had a great story, with characters I was rooting for all along the way, overall a fantastic addition to the Warhammer 40k universe.

The Regent’s Shadow follows the story of two characters, Aliyah and Valerian, we already know from the Emperor’s Legion and one brand new character Jeck. All three characters must deal with the reality that the Primarch Robute Guilliman is heading back to the stars to begin the Indomitus campaign. Part of me wanted Aliyah and Valerian to go with him, but I was happily surprised that the story that followed on Terra was just as intriguing as a trip to the stars.

Valerian and his custodian brothers struggle to purge the remaining corruption from Terra but find that things are not as straightforward as they thought they’d be. They’ve had a taste of what it’s like to be fully unleashed on the forces of chaos… and they enjoyed it. Now they are being held back once again as they must seek permission from the High Lords of Terra to follow through on what was started at the Lions Gate.

Aliyah joins her Sisters of Silence to rebuild their base on Luna, only to find that they’re not as welcomed as they would hope to be. She remains as proud as ever and does what is necessary to prove that the Sisters of Silence are a force to be reckoned with.

Jeck was an interesting character, through her the audience gets a deeper look into the political side of Terra. Jeck is taking over Tieron’s role now that he’s retired in his old age and she finds that the High Lords are not interested in being cooperative.

The first half of this book I wasn’t sure about the story. It felt a little too straightforward for my liking. Kill some heretics, build a base, mend some broken alliances etc. etc. but as I reached the second half and final quarter of the book, the plot developed into something much deeper than I originally anticipated. The final few chapters had me flying through pages. What a great ending.

Looking back, I think the Sister’s of Silence could have been fleshed out a little more. I wanted to know more about their base and the secrets it held. After it was attacked in the first third of the book Aliyah is off to Terra and we never get back to that base. It felt like we were on the edge of another story on Luna but it never got explored. I’ll hope to see more of it in book 3 (if there is a book 3?).

Also the tensions between the Imperial Fists, Custodes and a new Astartes faction… led to some incredibly tense stand offs. Who doesn’t love a little competition between the Emperor’s finest? The new space marine chapter that’s introduced really added another level of intrigue to the book. I’m not the biggest 40k lore historian but I had never heard of them so I found myself off to the 40k wiki to dig through and read all I could about them.

Chris Wraight did a great job with this novel. I feel a lot closer to Terra now in this new Indomitus era. If you’re a 40k fan this series is a must read.

[Michael Dodd · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the wake of Roboute Guilliman’s departure to lead the Indomitus Crusade, Terra begins the process of returning to some kind of new normality. With a reshuffled council of High Lords and a populace still suffering, however, discontent and disorder is growing on the Throneworld. Sister of Silence Aleya, Custodian Valerian and new Imperial Chancellor Anna-Murza Jek each find their roles fundamentally changed in Guilliman’s wake, and set out in their own ways to understand what those changes mean.

This is a book about Terra as a whole, its endless complexity and what it represents to the Imperium. In many respects it’s more of the same as The Emperor’s Legion, but with its characters all coming from a place of considerable doubt and uncertainty this time around. The action takes a little more of a back seat to the politics, interspersed throughout the book rather than directly driving the plot, and it doesn’t quite have the grand scale or earth-shattering conclusion of the first book, but this is still 40k so there’s plenty of violence where appropriate, and there are a few surprises along the way too. Crucially, the narrative, character development and continued exploration of Terra are all deeply satisfying, and in typical Wraight fashion it continues to fill some of the gaps in recent 40k history in a powerful, very human way. In short, it’s another must-read.

Read the full review at https://www.trackofwords.com/2020/04/...

[Ben Amos · Rating 4 out of 5]

A follow up to The Emperor's Legion, The Regent's Shadow picks up shortly after where the first entry finished up, as the newly awakened Primarch Roboute Guilliman has returned once more, and for better or for worse, brought many changes to the Imperium, ushering in the Era Indomitus. Giving us this perspective, and the many changes brought in such as the unsure role of where the Custodes stand, the newly reformed Sisters of Silence, and the High Lords Council, we follow a fitting POV for each, with the returning POVS of Valarian, Alaya and the new councilor of the High Lords, Jek, each of which are interesting enough characters with even more interesting storylines each to keep one invested. As I have mentioned in my other reviews for Chris Wraight's Vaults of Terra series, he does an excellent job in really capturing the feel of the throne world (and Luna), as well as really letting us feel just how different each of these POVs are from our usual boots on the ground guardsmen, Inquistors and Space Marines even that we see.

Although I can't say I enjoyed this one as much as the previous entries, or his Vault of Terra series, it is still well worth a read, especially if you're like me and looking for more information you can get on the iconic golden guardians of the Emperor, as well as the upper workings of the Imperium's dysfunctional government. Overall, if you enjoy Custodes, Sisters of Silence, the political backstabbing and maneuvering of bickering high lords, or just looking for a solid, fast paced read, you can certainly do worst.

4/5, a fun time and read.

[Kyle T · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second book in the Watchers of the Throne series. The massive battle for the Throne world has ended and the Imperium is safe, but the problems on Terra are long from over. A new threat emerges as the planet begins to rebuild. Guilliman has dropped the (war)hammer and made sweeping changes to the governing body of the Imperium which sees many employment changes—including members of the High Lords of Terra. Civil unrest both in the ruined slums of the world and up high in the pampered mansions of the elite threaten to destroy the still bleeding human empire.

This second book is just as enjoyable and engrossing as the first, but it suffers from one trivial but real problem: You can't have higher stakes than the first novel which means there's no where to go but down. A battle that threatens to destroy the throneworld and Imperium being followed up by civil unrest because people don't enjoy being fired is a little underwhelming.

That small gripe aside, The Regent's Shadow is genuinely a good book. It follows the same format of 3 main characters that all have alternating chapters where they describe what they're doing and thinking. This time it's not jarring at all, because we've gotten used to that format in the first novel. The arrival of two separate space marine chapters is a fun addition to the story. Finally when all is said and done and the story reaches its end, it's exciting to hear that there's more work to be done for everyone's favorite custodian!

[James Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

Guilliman has come back to the Imperium and taken up the title of Regent of the Imperium. But no sooner has he arrived (well many months later) then he is leaving at the head of the Indomitus Crusade to try to save the rest of the Imperium that's been split by Abadon's successes.

For Jek (taking over from Tireon as chancellor) that means she has to deal with an Imperial Senate that's been shaken up by the Regent's changes.

Valerian meanwhile is dealing with a Terra still in a state of chaos with armed insurrections occurring planet wide. It's for the Custodes who've been left on the planet to assist in handling them though are the rebels operating on their own?

Aleya meanwhile is helping her sister reestablish their fortress on Luna. But within their tower there are mysteries to be solved beginning with, why did they leave in the first place?

I really enjoyed this book, I like the three separate stories each giving glimpse into the workings of the Imperium both revealing more and raising more questions. This works particularly well if you've read the Horus Hersey books. And the way the stories all come together is brilliant. Oh and the Minotaurs are just so cool.

[Bastiaan Vergoossen · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5 out of 5 stars.

A good, enjoyable book by Wraight. Again, great world building on Terra, some nice political intrigue and stuff, the book feels like an detective set on Terra during the first stages of Indomitus crusade.

The book has some nice twists and turns, some of which I predicted, most of which you totally could not see coming, which is some credit to the author.

Tossing the Minotaurs chapter into all of the intrigue on Terra between the high lords was a very good and enjoyable choice. It gave the book even more tension. Liked the first, perhaps I like this even better, hoping for a third.

[Tony Sherifali]

Not as gripping as the first book. Apart from the last few chapters of the book and valerians story, I actually found it quite boring. Aleya is more sidelined in this book and she's had absolutely no character progression despite everything that's happened. Jek is not as interesting as Tieron and she does not really do anything of significance in the whole book. While the first book seemingly moved quickly seeing a story from each perspective, the same structure makes this book feel like it is moving a lot slower as the story seems to stall a lot more when switching between the different character POVs. On the other hand, I like valerians story and the Minotaurs are pretty cool.

[Remembrancer S Stone · Rating 4 out of 5]

well I don't think it's as good as the original, but it was certainly an enjoyable ride.

we once again get three narrators breaking down different reactions to what's going on.
I honestly like this a lot and wish more 40K books would do it.
far too many books have way too many POV characters that just seem to jump around at random.
but limiting it to three and being very specific where they skip over to, made this a much more fluid listen.

it did get a bit slow towards the middle I will admit, but the ending.... oh boy the ending is worth the read all on its own!

here's hoping they put out a third book in this series set after the crusade.

[Arx · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book, especially for anyone whop likes the Adeptus Custodes. I thought the revealing intrigue was well done, and the relations between all the different factions and characters were intricate and well fleshed out. Obviously the Custodians were my favourite part, and specifically the sections where we see a little glimpse of what an Eye of the Emperor does were intriguing for me. As characters I liked Trajann Valoris and Valerian the most, although I also loved reading Aleya's chapters and seeing the Sisters of Silence begin rebuilding (If feel kind of bad she did not get the revenge she wanted).

[Christopher Aldrich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed the follow up to The Emperor’s Legion. While it was more political and cloak and dagger type action for most of the story, it fit well with the fallout from the Great Rift and the beginnings of Indomitus. The story and pacing were great. It was nail biting all the way. The story twists were excellent and had me fearing for the decisions made and what could happen. I loved how it ended. Very satisfying. I hope Mr Wraight writes a third book in the Watchers of the Throne series. There is the Lachrymosa loose thread after all. :)

[Jeremy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another brilliant installment in the Watchers of the Throne series for WH40K. This takes place not too much longer after the Chaos incursion onto Terra in The Emperor's Legion. There's a new regent, however, and a new power-broker on Terra. Everyone is doing the best they can to stave off civil war and mass uprisings. But Terra is shell-shocked from violence and conspiracies are afoot.

Read this if you want to know more about the the inner-workings of Terra in Warhammer 40,000.

[Jackson Steele · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Regent's Shadow picks up where the previous book left off, but with a (in my opinion) more compelling political intrigue story. If there's one thing I appreciate in my 40k books, it's a demonstration of the Balkanization of the Imperial government and just how dysfunctional and factional it can be to the detriment of humanity, and this is a perfect example of that. It covers a coup brewing within the High Lords of Terra, and once again plays with the role Custodians should play in the internal power struggles of the Imperium.

[Christian · Rating 5 out of 5]

That was a straight out masterpiece about the high politics of the Imperium. People sleep on Wraight but he is a superlative storyteller in the same rank as ADB, Abnett, and McNeill. This is the Game of Thrones of Warhammer: cults rise up on Terra and factions unhappy with the Primarch’s plans to shake things up use the distraction to seize power. It was a great combination of characterization, plot, lore, and action. More in this series please!

[Lawrence · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good. Maybe slightly worse than the first one. It takes a while to get going, and has less novelty of setting and character to pull the reader forward. But I still like Aleya and Valarian, and Jeck is a neat addition. The ending is clockwork tight, which I appreciated, and it has a healthy cynicism and disdain for the Imperium (always a plus, since many Black Library books kind of forget that the Imperium is a hellish dystopia.)

[JAMES AMOR · Rating 5 out of 5]

Roboute guilliman is always ten steps ahead

I read the two watchers of the throne books after i read inquisitor books set on terra at the same the books interconnected beautifully give an idepty sweeping look at the pivotal timeframe in the rebirth of the 40k universal. But being introduced to the custodians and sisters of silence so intensely and smoothly was a exceptional read.

[Man D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mysteries and intrigue, this book has it all!

A story that thoroughly showcases Guilliman's ability as a statesman in which he appears once and is never seen again. There is also plenty of bolter action for the fans. Watching the Imperial Fists and Minotaurs come head to head was ALMOST as satisfying as it could have been!

A must read for those interested in the political state of Terra with the return of a Primarch (very much in turmoil).

[Christian Freed · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first person jumping between chapters style killed me. It did not feel fluid or organic at all but kudos to the author for making the transition between 3 characters smoothly in his writing. That being said, I have been reading the Horus Heresy for so long it is nice to see what happened to the Imperium in the future and now that some of the primarchs are returning, the future is wide open.

[Lord Nouda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wanted to like this more but there was a scene that was pretty similar to the Outcast Dead where an unarmored Astartes punched straight through a Custodian's armor and chest to grab his spine. It's not as bad but considering the established feats of Custodes in recent and more modern lore, it's just ridiculous to see a repeat of this. Otherwise the book was pretty ehhhh. Not much added lore-wise.

[Marek Pawlowski · Rating 3 out of 5]

Still a rather mediocre story that didn’t really captivate me in any way. I have to admit that the entire series just didn’t resonate with me. I think I need to take a break from this universe for a while.

Wciąż stosunkowo przeciętna opowieść, która w żaden sposób mnie szczególnie nie porwała. Przyznam, że cała seria do mnie nie trafiła. Chyba muszę na jakiś czas odpocząć od tego uniwersum.