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Dawn of Fire #2
The Gate of Bones
Book 2 of the Dawn of Fire series
As the Indomitus Crusade spreads across the Imperium Sanctus, the cardinal world Gathalamor is caught in the grip of war – but when an ancient evil is unearthed, the entire crusade is threatened…
READ IT BECAUSE
With the crusade in full flow, get your first look at the full scale of the horrors inflicted upon the Imperium and the determination of Guilliman to defeat them and reunite the Emperor's realm.
THE STORY
As the Indomitus Crusade begins, fleets of mighty warships leave Terra on a vital quest to stabilise Imperium Sanctus in the wake of the Great Rift. The returned primarch, Roboute Guilliman, leads a huge force towards the shrine world of Gathalamor, where stable warp routes will allow the flotilla to spread across the beleaguered southern half of the Imperium.
But grave tidings reach the Imperial Regent’s ears. Warnings from an ancient race, and eerie silence from the army tasked with holding Gathalamor until his arrival, lead Guilliman to send a reconnaissance mission to the world, at its head, Shield-Captain Achallor of the Adeptus Custodes.
Achallor discovers a world on the brink: a beaten Imperial force and sinister agents of Abaddon the Despoiler who have unearthed an ancient evil – a weapon that when harnessed not only threatens the primarch, but perhaps the holy Throne of Terra itself…
As the Indomitus Crusade spreads across the Imperium Sanctus, the cardinal world Gathalamor is caught in the grip of war – but when an ancient evil is unearthed, the entire crusade is threatened…
READ IT BECAUSE
With the crusade in full flow, get your first look at the full scale of the horrors inflicted upon the Imperium and the determination of Guilliman to defeat them and reunite the Emperor's realm.
THE STORY
As the Indomitus Crusade begins, fleets of mighty warships leave Terra on a vital quest to stabilise Imperium Sanctus in the wake of the Great Rift. The returned primarch, Roboute Guilliman, leads a huge force towards the shrine world of Gathalamor, where stable warp routes will allow the flotilla to spread across the beleaguered southern half of the Imperium.
But grave tidings reach the Imperial Regent’s ears. Warnings from an ancient race, and eerie silence from the army tasked with holding Gathalamor until his arrival, lead Guilliman to send a reconnaissance mission to the world, at its head, Shield-Captain Achallor of the Adeptus Custodes.
Achallor discovers a world on the brink: a beaten Imperial force and sinister agents of Abaddon the Despoiler who have unearthed an ancient evil – a weapon that when harnessed not only threatens the primarch, but perhaps the holy Throne of Terra itself…
416 pages, Hardcover
First published February 13, 2021
165 people are currently reading
596 people want to read
About the author
Andy Clark
47 books50 followersAndy Clark is a background writer for Games Workshop.
Librarian note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Andy^^^^^Clark
Librarian note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Andy^^^^^Clark
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
February 6, 2021
The Avenging Son *felt* important- gathering the forces required for the Crusade, mustering support for the new undertaking, wandering around Terra; these are Significant-with-a-capital-S. Clarke has a trickier job here; he’s telling a largely brand-new story here, so can be forgiven for making the reading feel events are Significant in the same way largely by stating that they are. We know all along that the Chaos forces are going to be thwarted- Guilliman is due to star in another dozen books after all, so it is full credit to the author that he managed to imbue the story with the degrees of peril that he does. The focus of the book mirrors the cover; the returned Primarch is not the focus of this book, and one’s expectations should match this fact.
As I’ve said, the scope of this novel is less grand than the previous, but we do get good character work. The Mordian Iron Guard make, by my reckoning, their third ‘lead’ appearance in a BL novel or novella and are very human; far more than just sticklers for well-pressed uniforms- the regimental and possibly planetary psyche is explored, and they are distinct from other Astra Militarum regiments. Clarke has written Battle Sisters before, and arguably better in Celestine, but those we do meet here are very much led by their faith. Likewise, he’s written Knights before, and demonstrates once again a good feel for these- their duels with an increasingly warped heretic tank squad in particular stand out. A book like this will never feature the Chaos antagonists to the extent that I’d like, but the Word Bearers and Iron Warriors are both great fun, and the book has some of the best descriptions of warp-infused technology since the original Word Bearer trilogy. The characters carried over from book one are presented consistently, and some big hitters from other series make appearances. Primaris marines are given distinct personalities from their firstborn brethren, which adds an interesting dimension- Lucerne, in particular, is a really interesting character.
It’s not wall-to-wall action either; we get characters musing on the inherent hypocrisies that sustain the Imperium, as well as the chaotic nature of Chaos and futility and ennui of the Long War. Unusually for a BL novel, it had me consult a dictionary on several occasions; Clarke drops beautifully obscure words incredibly well- prate being a personal favourite.
Overall, a solid continuation of BL’s latest series.
As I’ve said, the scope of this novel is less grand than the previous, but we do get good character work. The Mordian Iron Guard make, by my reckoning, their third ‘lead’ appearance in a BL novel or novella and are very human; far more than just sticklers for well-pressed uniforms- the regimental and possibly planetary psyche is explored, and they are distinct from other Astra Militarum regiments. Clarke has written Battle Sisters before, and arguably better in Celestine, but those we do meet here are very much led by their faith. Likewise, he’s written Knights before, and demonstrates once again a good feel for these- their duels with an increasingly warped heretic tank squad in particular stand out. A book like this will never feature the Chaos antagonists to the extent that I’d like, but the Word Bearers and Iron Warriors are both great fun, and the book has some of the best descriptions of warp-infused technology since the original Word Bearer trilogy. The characters carried over from book one are presented consistently, and some big hitters from other series make appearances. Primaris marines are given distinct personalities from their firstborn brethren, which adds an interesting dimension- Lucerne, in particular, is a really interesting character.
It’s not wall-to-wall action either; we get characters musing on the inherent hypocrisies that sustain the Imperium, as well as the chaotic nature of Chaos and futility and ennui of the Long War. Unusually for a BL novel, it had me consult a dictionary on several occasions; Clarke drops beautifully obscure words incredibly well- prate being a personal favourite.
Overall, a solid continuation of BL’s latest series.
February 14, 2021
Damn good piece of writing. Avenging Son floundered a little from being mired in set-up and not having an overall lead physical conflict driving things. Gate of Bones takes all the set up done in the preceding book and delivers and excellent self-contained story that slots into the overarching narrative perfectly.
What feels like too many viewpoints and characters to start with crystallises about a quarter of the way in to give a wonderful multilayered and contrasting view of the battle for Gathalamor, in a way few Black Library books do. The way the viewpoints and voices of the warriors on the traitor side contrast with the loyalists throughout the book as they race towards their inevitable, final in-person confrontation is incredibly satisfying and, without exception, legitimately surprising in their resolution, and I’m loathe to mention any characters by name for fear of spoiling those moments of shock. I genuinely hope we see some of these characters again throughout the Dawn of Fire series because it’d be a shame for them to linger in obscurity after the excellent character work. As much as I enjoyed Andy Clark’s previous Black Library work in the Knightsblade / Kingsblade series I think he’s definitely hit a new high with Gate of Bones
Addressing the obvious comparison to Black Library’s previous ongoing long-form series, Avenging Son and Gate of Bones are leagues ahead of the opening books of The Beast Arises in I Am Slaughter and Predator, Prey. It’s very hard to compare with Horus Rising and False Gods, simply because of the expectations and excitement around the opening books of the Horus Heresy and the momentous events therein, but as individual books I’d say while Dan Abnett deftly blended set-up and action in Horus Rising in a way that Avenging Son failed to do, but Gate of Bones is every bit as (or even more) entertaining and well-written as False Gods, even if it lacks anything that impacts the overarching narrative on the same level as Horus’ temptation or Magnus doing nothing wrong.
What feels like too many viewpoints and characters to start with crystallises about a quarter of the way in to give a wonderful multilayered and contrasting view of the battle for Gathalamor, in a way few Black Library books do. The way the viewpoints and voices of the warriors on the traitor side contrast with the loyalists throughout the book as they race towards their inevitable, final in-person confrontation is incredibly satisfying and, without exception, legitimately surprising in their resolution, and I’m loathe to mention any characters by name for fear of spoiling those moments of shock. I genuinely hope we see some of these characters again throughout the Dawn of Fire series because it’d be a shame for them to linger in obscurity after the excellent character work. As much as I enjoyed Andy Clark’s previous Black Library work in the Knightsblade / Kingsblade series I think he’s definitely hit a new high with Gate of Bones
Addressing the obvious comparison to Black Library’s previous ongoing long-form series, Avenging Son and Gate of Bones are leagues ahead of the opening books of The Beast Arises in I Am Slaughter and Predator, Prey. It’s very hard to compare with Horus Rising and False Gods, simply because of the expectations and excitement around the opening books of the Horus Heresy and the momentous events therein, but as individual books I’d say while Dan Abnett deftly blended set-up and action in Horus Rising in a way that Avenging Son failed to do, but Gate of Bones is every bit as (or even more) entertaining and well-written as False Gods, even if it lacks anything that impacts the overarching narrative on the same level as Horus’ temptation or Magnus doing nothing wrong.
July 4, 2023
Less is More
Whether you like Gate of Bones will depend on your expectations of the Dawn of Fire series. At one point, it was advertised as the Horus Hersey in 40K, detailing the Indomitus Crusade and retaking of Imperium Sanctus. Gate of Bones sets its aims much, much lower… telling a plot-centric tale filled with narrative viewpoints in service of a classic Black Library story. The author also cleverly weaves in some character moments as they reel from relevations unleashed from the Throneworld, and manages to succeed where its predecessor failed.
Gate of Bones is focused on Gathalamor to the exclusion of all else. Those coming from Avenging Son will find a much less epic tale, with little in the way of galactic politics or recurring characters. After finishing the novel, you might question its place as a sequel. They key is that it cleverly works in the Indomitus Crusade. We see the impact on the rank and file when they learn that a Primarch walks, the Custodians have left Terra, and the Primaris Marines are legion. All this while using a plethora of viewpoints to present both the attackers and defenders of Gathalamor, resulting in a very satisfying read.
As well, this is one of those novels that proves a wide variety of characters can work, as it’s the plot that is the star. Like multiple angles of the same sports match, the narrators provide a cohesive picture of the planet through many viewpoints. I was surprised at how intriguing the traitor Astartes were. Part of it is the use of Horus Hersey lore, which instantly provides history to characters like a Mechanicum Magos. The other was giving them purpose beyond offering the main characters a named target to shoot, and their reactions to the same revelations are just as enjoyable.
Then, just like in-universe, Custodian Achallor appears and becomes the focus of everything. The arrival of the Shield-Captain to a Cardinal world populated with Sisters of Battle is absolutely perfect, and this is why Gate of Bones is exceptional. I loved the Adeptus Sororitas; from their dogged defense of the world to the way the Canoness interacts with the Imperial Guard. After all, you might outrank your priest in the military, but they outrank you in faith. If you’re open-minded, you might even laugh at some of the dry humour.
Gate of Bones isn’t the sequel I expected, with none of the enormous fleets or mind-numbing logistics of its epic predecessor. It eschews character arcs and rather focuses on emotional moments while simultaneously dealing with bits of lore that deserve to be lavished over. By returning to the basics and focusing on a tale against the odds, my interest in this series has been renewed.
Recommended for Warhammer 40K fans.
Whether you like Gate of Bones will depend on your expectations of the Dawn of Fire series. At one point, it was advertised as the Horus Hersey in 40K, detailing the Indomitus Crusade and retaking of Imperium Sanctus. Gate of Bones sets its aims much, much lower… telling a plot-centric tale filled with narrative viewpoints in service of a classic Black Library story. The author also cleverly weaves in some character moments as they reel from relevations unleashed from the Throneworld, and manages to succeed where its predecessor failed.
Gate of Bones is focused on Gathalamor to the exclusion of all else. Those coming from Avenging Son will find a much less epic tale, with little in the way of galactic politics or recurring characters. After finishing the novel, you might question its place as a sequel. They key is that it cleverly works in the Indomitus Crusade. We see the impact on the rank and file when they learn that a Primarch walks, the Custodians have left Terra, and the Primaris Marines are legion. All this while using a plethora of viewpoints to present both the attackers and defenders of Gathalamor, resulting in a very satisfying read.
As well, this is one of those novels that proves a wide variety of characters can work, as it’s the plot that is the star. Like multiple angles of the same sports match, the narrators provide a cohesive picture of the planet through many viewpoints. I was surprised at how intriguing the traitor Astartes were. Part of it is the use of Horus Hersey lore, which instantly provides history to characters like a Mechanicum Magos. The other was giving them purpose beyond offering the main characters a named target to shoot, and their reactions to the same revelations are just as enjoyable.
Then, just like in-universe, Custodian Achallor appears and becomes the focus of everything. The arrival of the Shield-Captain to a Cardinal world populated with Sisters of Battle is absolutely perfect, and this is why Gate of Bones is exceptional. I loved the Adeptus Sororitas; from their dogged defense of the world to the way the Canoness interacts with the Imperial Guard. After all, you might outrank your priest in the military, but they outrank you in faith. If you’re open-minded, you might even laugh at some of the dry humour.
Gate of Bones isn’t the sequel I expected, with none of the enormous fleets or mind-numbing logistics of its epic predecessor. It eschews character arcs and rather focuses on emotional moments while simultaneously dealing with bits of lore that deserve to be lavished over. By returning to the basics and focusing on a tale against the odds, my interest in this series has been renewed.
Recommended for Warhammer 40K fans.
February 11, 2025
More self-contained - both in scope and characters - than Avenging Son, this excellent story gives us our money's worth: Heretic Astartes, sorcerers and cultists, Sisters of battle, Imperial Knights, Astra militarum - including Luther Dvorgin's excellent character - and last but least Adeptus Custodes!
So is that a deal or what?
So is that a deal or what?
July 6, 2025
The first quarter gripped me, but the rest dragged; the stakes felt strangely low, but I can’t quite put my finger on why. The Chaos forces felt infused with cliché more than with the ruinous powers of the Dark Gods. Is the ‘Hand of Abaddon’ actually Voldemort? No, of course not (but probably).
Even the small things like the bad-guy mannerisms were just so stereotypical. And yet, there was this beautiful moment that caught me really off guard:
—
“But before you came, I was thinking of the night you saved me. Do you remember it?’
‘I do,’ said Kar-Gatharr.
‘That night you pulled my body from that wrecked tank, my brothers slaughtered all around me. I thought I was going to die.’
‘I knew you were not, though it took me hours to find you.’
‘Yes,’ said Lokk. ‘You have told me a thousand times you went there because the gods sent you?’
Lokk looked up into his friend’s eyes. They were a solid black now, like those of the Lord of Ravens.”
—
Would you believe me if I told you that not only are these two Traitor Astartes, but one’s a Word Bearer and the other an Iron Warrior? I’ll walk back my “cliché-bad-guy” gripe, since it’s pretty rare to see Traitor Marines make friends, especially across legions. But friends with benefits (cause they’re totally fucking, I mean come on)… damn, that’s crazy.
Even the small things like the bad-guy mannerisms were just so stereotypical. And yet, there was this beautiful moment that caught me really off guard:
—
“But before you came, I was thinking of the night you saved me. Do you remember it?’
‘I do,’ said Kar-Gatharr.
‘That night you pulled my body from that wrecked tank, my brothers slaughtered all around me. I thought I was going to die.’
‘I knew you were not, though it took me hours to find you.’
‘Yes,’ said Lokk. ‘You have told me a thousand times you went there because the gods sent you?’
Lokk looked up into his friend’s eyes. They were a solid black now, like those of the Lord of Ravens.”
—
Would you believe me if I told you that not only are these two Traitor Astartes, but one’s a Word Bearer and the other an Iron Warrior? I’ll walk back my “cliché-bad-guy” gripe, since it’s pretty rare to see Traitor Marines make friends, especially across legions. But friends with benefits (cause they’re totally fucking, I mean come on)… damn, that’s crazy.
January 4, 2026
Exceptional setting to have a 40k novel based within, and with a heaping handful of characters it's difficult not to care for -- even the ones with the spikes.
November 7, 2024
The last third and ending was unexpectingly grey and grimm. Plus, Mordian Guardians: GOATS!
November 1, 2021
This entry in the Dawn of Fire series had some strong characters (Dvorgin was a standout) and strong moments, but overall felt like a bit of a slog. I think perhaps I was a bit disappointed after the strong start of book 1. I think that maybe if the narrative had drilled down just a bit more and focused on a slightly smaller group of characters, it would have been a real winner, but as it is, I struggled to get to the end.
February 15, 2024
I enjoyed this book far more than the first one. The story is more focused to a single plant and the point of view characters are more connected to one another. As far as a series goes, this book could be read without having read the first one. Only two characters carry over from the first book and one of them is pretty much a new character. The story focus on the war taking place on the key world of Gathalamor and we follow different groups through the long war. This is also the first book I read with traitor space marines as point of view characters. It was interesting to see into their minds and how they view the long war. Overall, the story was good, however I have no idea what from this book will appear within the next book.
Some of the point of view characters: Beside a few one-off point of view characters below is only a few of the overall characters. Oddly enough on the character guide pages at the start of the book the knights are not present, despite the princess being a major point of view character.
Luthor Dvorgin = The general of the defenders and one of the more interesting characters. He leads the ground forces of the guardsmen a faction I have not seen much from beside the first Dawn of fire book. Unlike the member of the guardsmen, we followed in the first book we spend far more time and get a far better idea of who Luthor is. His shame in his eyes and his relationship with Kelsh. One of the best characters in the book.
Achallor = It was really cool to see from the point of view of a custodian. The custodians are pretty much demigods created by the emperor himself, beings so great every battle they take place in is immediately assumed to be a victory. Thier power is well shown and their care for humans is really great. Honestly his care for Kelsh, a regular human who in most eyes would be so far below him is really good. Her almost dying towards the end of the book and him feeling like he failed her hurts.
Torvann Lokk and Kar-Gatharr = Two chaos space marines and together their point of view was a threat. There is a odd sorrow to these decade old solders who continue to fight a war who they have long since felt disconnected from. They only go on in hope that it ends at some point. I prefer Lokk mainly because of his clash with the knights towards the end of the book. Him vs the princess was a really great fight.
Fabian = The only point of view character who is carried over from the first book. He plays a minor role in the set up and wrap up of the story. Of the characters in the first book, he would have not been my first pick, however I am happy to see him in this book. Each book does end with a summary of how the crusade is going. I'm assuming this is written by Fabian and I am hopping he shows up in the next book.
Some of the point of view characters: Beside a few one-off point of view characters below is only a few of the overall characters. Oddly enough on the character guide pages at the start of the book the knights are not present, despite the princess being a major point of view character.
Luthor Dvorgin = The general of the defenders and one of the more interesting characters. He leads the ground forces of the guardsmen a faction I have not seen much from beside the first Dawn of fire book. Unlike the member of the guardsmen, we followed in the first book we spend far more time and get a far better idea of who Luthor is. His shame in his eyes and his relationship with Kelsh. One of the best characters in the book.
Achallor = It was really cool to see from the point of view of a custodian. The custodians are pretty much demigods created by the emperor himself, beings so great every battle they take place in is immediately assumed to be a victory. Thier power is well shown and their care for humans is really great. Honestly his care for Kelsh, a regular human who in most eyes would be so far below him is really good. Her almost dying towards the end of the book and him feeling like he failed her hurts.
Torvann Lokk and Kar-Gatharr = Two chaos space marines and together their point of view was a threat. There is a odd sorrow to these decade old solders who continue to fight a war who they have long since felt disconnected from. They only go on in hope that it ends at some point. I prefer Lokk mainly because of his clash with the knights towards the end of the book. Him vs the princess was a really great fight.
Fabian = The only point of view character who is carried over from the first book. He plays a minor role in the set up and wrap up of the story. Of the characters in the first book, he would have not been my first pick, however I am happy to see him in this book. Each book does end with a summary of how the crusade is going. I'm assuming this is written by Fabian and I am hopping he shows up in the next book.
May 7, 2025
Pleasantly surprised by this one, better than I thought it would be. These lore books that take place in established universes that seek to add to their mythology are always a bit iffy to me. Usually some C-list writers do a whack job at fiction and manage to sell just enough copies to the fandom fanatics to make a living, but there’s not much substance to them.
Gate of Bones isn’t very different from the formula, but it knows what it’s doing and does it well. It wants to provide some context on the beginning of the Indomitus Crusade, and at the same time provide some background on the history, characters and institutions of the Imperium. Through a host of stock characters, it does this quite well, and the world building element here is strong, especially the choice to set it on the shrine world of Gathalamor. This gives it some great ambiance, which combined with the fact that the author is pulling NO punches on the gore and violence, mean the Warhammer 40k fan is going to probably enjoy this for what it is, some good old fun on a setting they love.
The novel lacks depth though, and is held back by the intensely plot-driven narrative. I think it was Game of Thrones which made all modern fantasy/sci-fi writers think they need like 27 PoV’s in their novel, but it’s a trend that seriously needs to die out. In this one I was so lost by the vast amount of (frankly very basic) characters that I almost put it down. As I carried on and started to familiarise myself with them, the going got much easier, but aside from one or two characters, the rest are very forgettable. I think this novel would’ve done much better with the battle for Gathalamor being shown from just a single PoV, or at a stretch two or three.
If you like WH40k, you’ll probably enjoy this. If not, you probably won’t. It’s the unfortunate thing with these sorts of novel spin-offs; this one is just good enough though to maybee convince me to pick up another in the series.
Gate of Bones isn’t very different from the formula, but it knows what it’s doing and does it well. It wants to provide some context on the beginning of the Indomitus Crusade, and at the same time provide some background on the history, characters and institutions of the Imperium. Through a host of stock characters, it does this quite well, and the world building element here is strong, especially the choice to set it on the shrine world of Gathalamor. This gives it some great ambiance, which combined with the fact that the author is pulling NO punches on the gore and violence, mean the Warhammer 40k fan is going to probably enjoy this for what it is, some good old fun on a setting they love.
The novel lacks depth though, and is held back by the intensely plot-driven narrative. I think it was Game of Thrones which made all modern fantasy/sci-fi writers think they need like 27 PoV’s in their novel, but it’s a trend that seriously needs to die out. In this one I was so lost by the vast amount of (frankly very basic) characters that I almost put it down. As I carried on and started to familiarise myself with them, the going got much easier, but aside from one or two characters, the rest are very forgettable. I think this novel would’ve done much better with the battle for Gathalamor being shown from just a single PoV, or at a stretch two or three.
If you like WH40k, you’ll probably enjoy this. If not, you probably won’t. It’s the unfortunate thing with these sorts of novel spin-offs; this one is just good enough though to maybee convince me to pick up another in the series.
September 7, 2025
A minuscule relief force sent ahead to support the under-siege world of Gathalamor focuses on my favourite faction: Custodes! Andy does a fantastic job of detailing the uniqueness of different units, quality between factions, the strength of faith and sacrifice and difference in ideology between brothers in arms.
World's under siege are always a favourite of mine and this is no different. The Gate of Bones introduces us to the first threat towards the Indomitus Crusade, giving a strong introduction to the antagonists and setting a satisfactory future story
7/10
World's under siege are always a favourite of mine and this is no different. The Gate of Bones introduces us to the first threat towards the Indomitus Crusade, giving a strong introduction to the antagonists and setting a satisfactory future story
7/10
March 3, 2024
Bello epico, ottimi protagonisti e anche gli antagonisti, Thorvar Lokk dei guerrieri di ferro l ho trovato davvero interessante!
August 1, 2025
The Dawn of Fire series continues to deliver! With great characters and genuinely some surprising ends to characters. No one feels safe in this one.
Can't wait to continue the series.
Can't wait to continue the series.
March 25, 2021
The Gate of Bones is the second book of Black Libraries newest major series “A Dawn of Fire”, this is being toted as the Indomitus Crusades version of the Horus Heresy series and I’m super excited to see what we get from a brand-new storyline that doesn’t contain as much pre-existing Lore. The first book, Avenging Son, was a fantastic entrance to the series, introducing us properly to Roberte Gulliman, which was a massive bonus for those that haven’t paid a massive amount of attention to Games Workshop newest story arc (such as myself), introducing the new Primaris Marines in all their glory, and setting the grandeur and scale for the task that was being taken by the Imperium. I would recommend reading up a little on the events that happened just before this however it isn’t fully necessary – https://warhammer40k.fandom.com/wiki/....
I always find it interesting reading these mega series from Black Library because you often get a different author each time, not only taking the resources of previous books, reintroducing old characters, and sharing story arcs as they become canon, but you also tend to get in some cases very different writing styles. Guy Haley and Andy Clark are both in my opinion very good at character development, both books did incredibly well at building the humanity behind the godlike figures that walk among us and delivering the absolute despair and grimdark nature of regular humans, both writing interesting POVs that don’t leave you bored when reading someone other than your favourite, and honestly that’s hard to do, especially when you look at the scope of these stories and the amount of time and space that they tend to cover. The Gate of Bones was my first story containing the Astarte Custodes, described as the children of the Emperor in the way the Space Marines are children of their Primarch’s, they share the Emperor’s blood line, they are in all ways more Impressive than the regular Astartes and Andy did a really impressive job of showing this. He managed to really show the difference between the Custodes and the Space Marines, up till this point there had been nothing in 40k that really made me see the Space Marines as anything but the almost invincible warriors they are. If the Space Marines are the Angels of Death, what are the Custodes? On top of these demi-gods Andy had to write characters from the side of Chaos which is always such a stark contrast from the Emperor loving Imperium forces, you get to see their hatred for the so-called Corpse God and what drives them towards their end goals. We also got a full Lance of Knights, the mini-Titans of the 40k universe, the fanatical Sisters of Battle and fantastic characters coming from the classic Imperial Guard that just bring the levelling needed so you remember the grimdark nature of 40k even with beautiful Golden Gods that stride across the fields of battle.
Andy’s writing style made this book a lot more of an interesting read for me over Avenging Son, the first book at times felt full of very unnecessary prose that just felt a little over the top, I understand it’s a hard balance because the world of 40k really does need the grandeur to properly explain it sometimes, Gulliman striding into a room demands the attention to detail that is warranted by a Primarch and Guy Haley did a fantastic job of writing Gulliman and the people surrounding him, but that isn’t maybe needed at every turn. Andy felt a lot more to the point, sparing no detail when needed but instead spending more time focusing on the plot and character development, this led to me feeling no inclination to skim over paragraphs like I did in the first book. He also did a great job of writing a tense and exciting plot, which I imagine is a struggle when your main character has full plot protection and a already summarised ending to the Era Indomitus supplied by Games Workshop codex’s, so to still write in a way that gives the reader concern’s about what might happen to Gulliman and to the crusade as a whole is something I find really impressive, and in general this is always something the Black Library authors have done so well, writing something that feels fresh and exciting when you already know the end game really shows the talents of these writers.
This book really had everything needed to meet the demand of the Black Library standard, tons of incredible action but also plenty of really strong character development that never felt boring or like you were being pulled away from the excitement. I can’t wait for the next story in this saga and will continue to follow the Dawn of Fire series eagerly.
Give Black Library a chance, regardless for your interest in the tabletop game the stories themselves are so good that they deserve the attention, and I can almost promise you will not be disappointed. Also, if it makes it helps, as far as I’m aware there are zero love triangles in any of the 40k books and if that isn’t a reason to read it I don’t know what is.
I always find it interesting reading these mega series from Black Library because you often get a different author each time, not only taking the resources of previous books, reintroducing old characters, and sharing story arcs as they become canon, but you also tend to get in some cases very different writing styles. Guy Haley and Andy Clark are both in my opinion very good at character development, both books did incredibly well at building the humanity behind the godlike figures that walk among us and delivering the absolute despair and grimdark nature of regular humans, both writing interesting POVs that don’t leave you bored when reading someone other than your favourite, and honestly that’s hard to do, especially when you look at the scope of these stories and the amount of time and space that they tend to cover. The Gate of Bones was my first story containing the Astarte Custodes, described as the children of the Emperor in the way the Space Marines are children of their Primarch’s, they share the Emperor’s blood line, they are in all ways more Impressive than the regular Astartes and Andy did a really impressive job of showing this. He managed to really show the difference between the Custodes and the Space Marines, up till this point there had been nothing in 40k that really made me see the Space Marines as anything but the almost invincible warriors they are. If the Space Marines are the Angels of Death, what are the Custodes? On top of these demi-gods Andy had to write characters from the side of Chaos which is always such a stark contrast from the Emperor loving Imperium forces, you get to see their hatred for the so-called Corpse God and what drives them towards their end goals. We also got a full Lance of Knights, the mini-Titans of the 40k universe, the fanatical Sisters of Battle and fantastic characters coming from the classic Imperial Guard that just bring the levelling needed so you remember the grimdark nature of 40k even with beautiful Golden Gods that stride across the fields of battle.
Andy’s writing style made this book a lot more of an interesting read for me over Avenging Son, the first book at times felt full of very unnecessary prose that just felt a little over the top, I understand it’s a hard balance because the world of 40k really does need the grandeur to properly explain it sometimes, Gulliman striding into a room demands the attention to detail that is warranted by a Primarch and Guy Haley did a fantastic job of writing Gulliman and the people surrounding him, but that isn’t maybe needed at every turn. Andy felt a lot more to the point, sparing no detail when needed but instead spending more time focusing on the plot and character development, this led to me feeling no inclination to skim over paragraphs like I did in the first book. He also did a great job of writing a tense and exciting plot, which I imagine is a struggle when your main character has full plot protection and a already summarised ending to the Era Indomitus supplied by Games Workshop codex’s, so to still write in a way that gives the reader concern’s about what might happen to Gulliman and to the crusade as a whole is something I find really impressive, and in general this is always something the Black Library authors have done so well, writing something that feels fresh and exciting when you already know the end game really shows the talents of these writers.
This book really had everything needed to meet the demand of the Black Library standard, tons of incredible action but also plenty of really strong character development that never felt boring or like you were being pulled away from the excitement. I can’t wait for the next story in this saga and will continue to follow the Dawn of Fire series eagerly.
Give Black Library a chance, regardless for your interest in the tabletop game the stories themselves are so good that they deserve the attention, and I can almost promise you will not be disappointed. Also, if it makes it helps, as far as I’m aware there are zero love triangles in any of the 40k books and if that isn’t a reason to read it I don’t know what is.
March 18, 2021
For the full review, please head over to Bits & Pieces - https://bitsandpieces.games/2021/03/1...
Dawn of Fire, Warhammer 40,000‘s epic new series of novels, finally has a follow up with The Gate of Bones by Andy Clark. If you missed my review of the first book, Avenging Son, go and read that because it lays a lot of the groundwork for the events and characters in The Gate of Bones. However, unlike other instances, I don’t think you need to have read Avenging Son to enjoy The Gate of Bones. Instead, it holds up as a stand-alone story and as part of a wider narrative. The big question, though, is whether this series is shaping up to become a worthy addition to the Warhammer canon?
For me, The Gate of Bones is a difficult book. On one hand, it does a lot right. We have interesting and relatable human characters, the Custodes are hulking demi-gods that barely resemble humanity and the Chaos characters are more than moustache-twirling villains. All of which I love. However, for all of that, The Gate of Bones is about as standard a Warhammer 40,000 story as you can get. The basic premise of the narrative is that Chaos has taken hold of a world, the Imperium doesn’t like that and wants to rid it of this corruption. At which point there’s a lot of shooty bangs, dead characters and honourable last stands. It’s very safe and never strays too far from the expected path. This feels like a massive shame because it meant that the twists weren’t really twists and the turns felt more like the author was turning to the reader saying “You know that thing that happens in most Warhammer fiction? Well that’s what’s going to happen here”. And I’m not saying every book needs to be some earth-shattering revolution, but The Gate of Bones rarely put its own stamp on the 40k universe.
Dawn of Fire, Warhammer 40,000‘s epic new series of novels, finally has a follow up with The Gate of Bones by Andy Clark. If you missed my review of the first book, Avenging Son, go and read that because it lays a lot of the groundwork for the events and characters in The Gate of Bones. However, unlike other instances, I don’t think you need to have read Avenging Son to enjoy The Gate of Bones. Instead, it holds up as a stand-alone story and as part of a wider narrative. The big question, though, is whether this series is shaping up to become a worthy addition to the Warhammer canon?
For me, The Gate of Bones is a difficult book. On one hand, it does a lot right. We have interesting and relatable human characters, the Custodes are hulking demi-gods that barely resemble humanity and the Chaos characters are more than moustache-twirling villains. All of which I love. However, for all of that, The Gate of Bones is about as standard a Warhammer 40,000 story as you can get. The basic premise of the narrative is that Chaos has taken hold of a world, the Imperium doesn’t like that and wants to rid it of this corruption. At which point there’s a lot of shooty bangs, dead characters and honourable last stands. It’s very safe and never strays too far from the expected path. This feels like a massive shame because it meant that the twists weren’t really twists and the turns felt more like the author was turning to the reader saying “You know that thing that happens in most Warhammer fiction? Well that’s what’s going to happen here”. And I’m not saying every book needs to be some earth-shattering revolution, but The Gate of Bones rarely put its own stamp on the 40k universe.
October 21, 2022
Custodes, Mordian Guard, Sisters of battle, Imperial knights and chaos space marines of the iron hands/ word bearers make up this novel. Each is handled great and really sets the tone for each of there points of view.
We get the rigid loyalty of the Mordians following a general. What amount of bloodshed will make him question that loyalty? Is it the death of a world or the death of a single soldier?
A Custodes of the emperor comes to grips with what he knows to be true and the orders he is given.
An Iron warrior who has lived for nothing but war wants it all to end.
The Cannoness of the sister of battle shows compassion and a human emotion to war which the other characters seem to lack but then you are reminded of her zealous fervor for the god emperor.
Also imperial knights are really cool. They feel like the only ones here who are morally good and doing what they can for the planet they have sworn to protect
All this culminates in the last 3rd of the book and ends with my favorite character of the series: the Humble Historater.
overall: Good read for a fan of 40k
8/10 for a black library novel
6/10 compared to all books everywhere
We get the rigid loyalty of the Mordians following a general. What amount of bloodshed will make him question that loyalty? Is it the death of a world or the death of a single soldier?
A Custodes of the emperor comes to grips with what he knows to be true and the orders he is given.
An Iron warrior who has lived for nothing but war wants it all to end.
The Cannoness of the sister of battle shows compassion and a human emotion to war which the other characters seem to lack but then you are reminded of her zealous fervor for the god emperor.
Also imperial knights are really cool. They feel like the only ones here who are morally good and doing what they can for the planet they have sworn to protect
All this culminates in the last 3rd of the book and ends with my favorite character of the series: the Humble Historater.
overall: Good read for a fan of 40k
8/10 for a black library novel
6/10 compared to all books everywhere
March 4, 2021
The storyline was great, I loved the characters and where this book is taking the dawn of fire series. However, the way that the Custodians were written, to me, really felt like their power and the superhuman nature of their physiology was completely nerfed, especially in the end chapters where the final confrontation took place. A certain one of these characters deaths I thought was completely unwarranted other than for the purpose of the custodies narrative that seems to be developing in the series - they had to kill said custodies so that they could make the point of custodians disagreeing with the religious zealotry of the 41st millennia Imperium, but see that it has value and power, as well as a galvanising effect it has within the 40K universe. I see that they needed to do this for the plot, but the custodian in question would most definitely have won the fight had it taken place outside the context of the story ark.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 13, 2021
I absolutely loved this second instalment in the Dawn of Fire series, it was an excellent continuation to the series about the Indomitus crusade.
There was a lot to love here, and for once I found the Sisters of Battle characters very well written, something I have found lacking in previous BL outings.
The enemy Iron Warriors and Word Bearers were suitably villainous, and they didn’t fall into some of the comic book villain tropes found in other works.
All in all a lot to love here, and I am excited for the series to continue on
There was a lot to love here, and for once I found the Sisters of Battle characters very well written, something I have found lacking in previous BL outings.
The enemy Iron Warriors and Word Bearers were suitably villainous, and they didn’t fall into some of the comic book villain tropes found in other works.
All in all a lot to love here, and I am excited for the series to continue on
May 17, 2021
This makes an interesting comparison to Avenging Son, as this feels like both a bit more action focused and yet also more slow-burn. I also like that we get to see more of the Imperial forces (no offence to Space Marines but they get a little bit boring after the 300th story centred around them) and have a meatgrinder of a battle which definitely feels rather pyrrhic in the end.
Although I appreciate that two seemingly dead characters are revealed to have survived through sheer blind luck.
I'm curious to see where Dawn of Fire goes next though.
Although I appreciate that two seemingly dead characters are revealed to have survived through sheer blind luck.
I'm curious to see where Dawn of Fire goes next though.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 20, 2021
Andy Clark continues to be a strong author in the Wh40k/WH sphere - The Gate of Bones continues the Dawn of Fire series with a strong push, full of the grimdark action and universe-enhancing lore that is the trademark of Clark's writing. I especially enjoyed seeing the various factions juxtaposed; it gives you a great feeling and understanding for the differences not only amongst characters, but amongst their respective Chapters and organizations. Definitely a great read - you also can pick this up as a stand-alone without too much difficulty.
April 11, 2021
Absolutely loved it!
It's a self contained book which does lead on from Avenging Son which had the harder task and setting out the story. Andy Clark has done a fantastic job here of building on that.
Some great characters and development, my personal favourite being General Dvorgin and the Order of the Argent Shroud battle sisters. Some very suspenseful moments and a great setting.
Can't wait for the next installment.
It's a self contained book which does lead on from Avenging Son which had the harder task and setting out the story. Andy Clark has done a fantastic job here of building on that.
Some great characters and development, my personal favourite being General Dvorgin and the Order of the Argent Shroud battle sisters. Some very suspenseful moments and a great setting.
Can't wait for the next installment.
March 12, 2023
The personal story of Luthor; his love, torment and unwillingness to have a child in a cruel universe, was the best of this book. In a fictional universe of gods, monsters and magic, this was the most alluring part of the novel.
The action in the mid to end of the story dragged on. Typical bolter-porn. Yet the final parts of the story was saved by a great final stand, reminiscent of the final battle scene in Zulu.
The action in the mid to end of the story dragged on. Typical bolter-porn. Yet the final parts of the story was saved by a great final stand, reminiscent of the final battle scene in Zulu.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 29, 2023
En esta ocasión el punto de visto o los puntos de vista cambian de personajes de forma bastante brutal, esto no es malo, pero cambia bastante y parece ser que toda la saga continua con este formato de mostrar varios lugares de la galaxia y no la evolución de la cruzada indomitus.
En español disponemos de dos libros traducidos y en ingles se han publicado al menso 6 que ya por portada tiene varios capítulos, el tercero corresponde a “Los lobos espaciales”
Dentro de este mismo libro nos encontramos con que Gathalamor esta siendo asediada por el caos, enemigo recurrente de la saga fijo (¿
Este mismo planeta es un planeta santuario con sus macrocatedrales que medien tres kilómetros e infinitas catacumbas, tendremos el punto de vista de dos marines del caos y su sequito, uno de ellos un portador de la palabra que cree en una verdad, la verdad de su primarca (si este estuvo en la herejia de horus) resulta que las creencias de este primarca (Lorgar) era un poco mejor que lo normal del caos.
Por su contra partida tendremos el punto de vista de los adeptus custodes, su líder no se termina de fiar de Guilliman que evita que vuelva a suceder la herejia? Por ese tiempo habían 18 primarcas y 9 traicionaron a la humanidad, hoy (en el libro) tenemos solo un primarca no hay quien le haga frente si llegara a ser traidor, los adeptus deben de ser el contra punto para evitar una nueva herejía (hoy en la vida real está anunciado que Lionel Jhonson también a despertado)
Asi con todos estos grises de por medio se desarrollara la historia donde se debe recuperar el planeta para que sea un punto de abastecimiento para la cruzada, pero las fuerzas del caos tienen un arma, un arma que se ha ocultado en esas catacumbas planetarias por miedo, el peligro es grande y puede hacer tambalear el futuro de la humanidad si no se garantiza este punto
Cinco adeptus custodes se infiltrarán en el planeta para que la victoria esté garantizada.
En español disponemos de dos libros traducidos y en ingles se han publicado al menso 6 que ya por portada tiene varios capítulos, el tercero corresponde a “Los lobos espaciales”
Dentro de este mismo libro nos encontramos con que Gathalamor esta siendo asediada por el caos, enemigo recurrente de la saga fijo (¿
Este mismo planeta es un planeta santuario con sus macrocatedrales que medien tres kilómetros e infinitas catacumbas, tendremos el punto de vista de dos marines del caos y su sequito, uno de ellos un portador de la palabra que cree en una verdad, la verdad de su primarca (si este estuvo en la herejia de horus) resulta que las creencias de este primarca (Lorgar) era un poco mejor que lo normal del caos.
Por su contra partida tendremos el punto de vista de los adeptus custodes, su líder no se termina de fiar de Guilliman que evita que vuelva a suceder la herejia? Por ese tiempo habían 18 primarcas y 9 traicionaron a la humanidad, hoy (en el libro) tenemos solo un primarca no hay quien le haga frente si llegara a ser traidor, los adeptus deben de ser el contra punto para evitar una nueva herejía (hoy en la vida real está anunciado que Lionel Jhonson también a despertado)
Asi con todos estos grises de por medio se desarrollara la historia donde se debe recuperar el planeta para que sea un punto de abastecimiento para la cruzada, pero las fuerzas del caos tienen un arma, un arma que se ha ocultado en esas catacumbas planetarias por miedo, el peligro es grande y puede hacer tambalear el futuro de la humanidad si no se garantiza este punto
Cinco adeptus custodes se infiltrarán en el planeta para que la victoria esté garantizada.
May 14, 2022
not really that engaging of a book, I am also quite sure that there are a few grammatical mistakes at least in my e-book version, given that I am not a native speaker, when even I could spot errors, there must be something seriously wrong with the editing I fear.
The story also doesn't seem to be that well thought out
The story also doesn't seem to be that well thought out
February 5, 2024
Gratamente sorprendido.
Recaí en La puerta de los huesos por interés sobre la narrativa de 40k en el timeline presente. Tras haber leído ocho libros del Asedio a Terra, y con una sensación de decepción absoluta, decidí ver si las cosas en el presente eran mejores.
Lo son.
El ritmo del libro es bueno. No hay pasajes de relleno; todo es relevante, ya sea para contar la historia, desarrollar personajes o ambientar. Los personajes son coherentes y creíbles, si bien quizá hay demasiados y no todos obtienen el protagonismo que merecen. Los caóticos no son (al menos todos) el típico malo de opereta tan común en los marines del caos, sino que hay hasta una escena de hermanamiento muy interesante entre dos de ellos.
La trama cumple. No va a darle la vuelta a tu vida pero te va a satisfacer en cuanto a algo de intriga, mucha acción y correcto desarrollo.
La traducción es mejorable, si bien compadezco a la traductora porque traducir algo de este universo es complejísimo. Traduce "bolt" por "rayo", cuando se refiere a proyectil de bólter. Trata a algunas hermanas de batalla como si fueran varones. Hay ciertas inconsistencias en algunas escenas que implican equipamiento astarte o custode. Como digo, es perfectamente comprensible y tampoco imposibilita la comprensión del texto.
En general, muy satisfecho con este libro y ha provocado que adquiera el anterior (comencé por el segundo porque soy un poco imbécil).
Recaí en La puerta de los huesos por interés sobre la narrativa de 40k en el timeline presente. Tras haber leído ocho libros del Asedio a Terra, y con una sensación de decepción absoluta, decidí ver si las cosas en el presente eran mejores.
Lo son.
El ritmo del libro es bueno. No hay pasajes de relleno; todo es relevante, ya sea para contar la historia, desarrollar personajes o ambientar. Los personajes son coherentes y creíbles, si bien quizá hay demasiados y no todos obtienen el protagonismo que merecen. Los caóticos no son (al menos todos) el típico malo de opereta tan común en los marines del caos, sino que hay hasta una escena de hermanamiento muy interesante entre dos de ellos.
La trama cumple. No va a darle la vuelta a tu vida pero te va a satisfacer en cuanto a algo de intriga, mucha acción y correcto desarrollo.
La traducción es mejorable, si bien compadezco a la traductora porque traducir algo de este universo es complejísimo. Traduce "bolt" por "rayo", cuando se refiere a proyectil de bólter. Trata a algunas hermanas de batalla como si fueran varones. Hay ciertas inconsistencias en algunas escenas que implican equipamiento astarte o custode. Como digo, es perfectamente comprensible y tampoco imposibilita la comprensión del texto.
En general, muy satisfecho con este libro y ha provocado que adquiera el anterior (comencé por el segundo porque soy un poco imbécil).
September 2, 2025
Tiene un ritmo bastante irregular. La historia sigue introduciendo nuevos personajes y puntos de vista hasta aproximadamente el 40% del libro. Hasta entonces no te sabría decir muy bien de qué va la trama principal. Parece que más adelante el argumento se encarrila pero da bastantes bandazos metiendo distintos puntos de vista en un mismo capítulo, o incluso narrando hechos en paralelo que no queda claro si están transcurriendo al mismo tiempo. El libro tampoco es muy bueno describiendo localizaciones físicas, por lo que a veces cuesta imaginarse dónde están los personajes o en qué momento.
Y en lo que respecta solo a la edición española: hay bastantes traducciones irregulares. Hay algunos casos bastante sangrantes como que de una página a la siguiente se menciona el mismo término y en una está traducida y en otra en inglés. Otras traducciones son bastante libres, lo cual no había ninguna necesidad habiendo libros de reglas y códices de Warhammer 40k donde ya les habían dado traducción oficial a ciertos términos.
Aparte de los errores de traducción también he visto unos cuantos errores ortográficos que me hacen pensar que Ediciones Minoaturo no ha tenido tiempo (o ganas) de revisar la traducción. Espero que en el futuro saquen una nueva edición en la que corrijan estos pequeños errores.
Si tuviese que destacar algo positivo diría que los puntos de vista más interesantes fueron los de Dvorgin (por su diálogo interno) y Lokk (por su relación con Kar-Gathar).
Y en lo que respecta solo a la edición española: hay bastantes traducciones irregulares. Hay algunos casos bastante sangrantes como que de una página a la siguiente se menciona el mismo término y en una está traducida y en otra en inglés. Otras traducciones son bastante libres, lo cual no había ninguna necesidad habiendo libros de reglas y códices de Warhammer 40k donde ya les habían dado traducción oficial a ciertos términos.
Aparte de los errores de traducción también he visto unos cuantos errores ortográficos que me hacen pensar que Ediciones Minoaturo no ha tenido tiempo (o ganas) de revisar la traducción. Espero que en el futuro saquen una nueva edición en la que corrijan estos pequeños errores.
Si tuviese que destacar algo positivo diría que los puntos de vista más interesantes fueron los de Dvorgin (por su diálogo interno) y Lokk (por su relación con Kar-Gathar).
October 4, 2023
The Gate of Bones feels like two books of very different quality battling it out.
On one hand you have a pretty engaging, relatively small-scale conflict between the Imperial Guard and a militia of normal, corrupted humans and Chaos Space Marines... but on the other hand, you've got the Adeptus Custodes and the wider story. The best parts of this book were the ones focused on the small players - especially in regards to Dvorgin's struggles to keep his men alive, and Lokk, a Iron Warrior on the verge of true corruption at the hands of the Chaos gods. The more personal nature of the conflict fuels the strongest parts of the books - a tale of vengeance, of desperation, a showcaseof the brutality inflicted upon both sides.
It's when the Adeptus Custodes turn up, filled to the brim with plot armour and being nearly impossible to actually kill, the stakes feel less earned, and the anxiety that Dvorgin and his troops will actually succeed begins to dry up. For the most part, though, I think the prose and character writing of this book is actually very strong - it's just the overall narrative, and the pretense of world-defining factions that poison the well.
As an aside, I also felt The Gate of Bones pull a little bit of a bait and switch, opening with a message from Imperial Nihlus, and I was hoping we'd get a bit more of that nightmare showcased in here, but we pretty rapidly move away from the plot point, likely to be explored in further novels.
The Gate of Bones at times is genuinely fantastic, especially in it's quieter, more introspective moments, and at it's best, frequently outstrips it's predecessor. Unfortunenetly, the elements of the large narrative caused me some level of frustration, degrading this book to 'just another' Warhammer novel. I do really hope some of the characters in this - especially Dvorgin and Lokk - return soon, as they really felt fleshed out compared to the rest of the cast, but as it stands, The Gate of Bones is fine.
On one hand you have a pretty engaging, relatively small-scale conflict between the Imperial Guard and a militia of normal, corrupted humans and Chaos Space Marines... but on the other hand, you've got the Adeptus Custodes and the wider story. The best parts of this book were the ones focused on the small players - especially in regards to Dvorgin's struggles to keep his men alive, and Lokk, a Iron Warrior on the verge of true corruption at the hands of the Chaos gods. The more personal nature of the conflict fuels the strongest parts of the books - a tale of vengeance, of desperation, a showcaseof the brutality inflicted upon both sides.
It's when the Adeptus Custodes turn up, filled to the brim with plot armour and being nearly impossible to actually kill, the stakes feel less earned, and the anxiety that Dvorgin and his troops will actually succeed begins to dry up. For the most part, though, I think the prose and character writing of this book is actually very strong - it's just the overall narrative, and the pretense of world-defining factions that poison the well.
As an aside, I also felt The Gate of Bones pull a little bit of a bait and switch, opening with a message from Imperial Nihlus, and I was hoping we'd get a bit more of that nightmare showcased in here, but we pretty rapidly move away from the plot point, likely to be explored in further novels.
The Gate of Bones at times is genuinely fantastic, especially in it's quieter, more introspective moments, and at it's best, frequently outstrips it's predecessor. Unfortunenetly, the elements of the large narrative caused me some level of frustration, degrading this book to 'just another' Warhammer novel. I do really hope some of the characters in this - especially Dvorgin and Lokk - return soon, as they really felt fleshed out compared to the rest of the cast, but as it stands, The Gate of Bones is fine.
August 9, 2025
Some great new characters and a clearer focus of where the plot is going now that the setup is done (from the first book - which had an excellent build up and pay off). This book really encapsulates “in the 41st millennium there is only war”. Really builds the universe and makes it feel vast
This continues the quality with characters that are just great to read (listen to, since I’m doing this series as audiobooks as I have for most 40k books)
The Word Bearers character and their quest is my favourite
I also like how, now that space marines are the norm from an audience POV, they deify Custodes to feel even more grand. It reminds me of the early characterisation in Horus Rising or the first Night Lords book
The flashback to the drop site massacre was quality
Also love a good final battle where the plot threads you’ve been following come together! My absolute favourite type of fight scene is one where you’re going for both sides because you’ve been following both along the way.
***SPOILERS***
I got burnt out of the recent Star Wars novel series the high republic when every character had a bait and switch fake death which eventually grew dull, especially when I realised none of the characters could die. When I started this series (this being book 2) I did wonder if this would be the same, considering there are 9 books in this story alone. NOPE. The two BEST characters introduced at the start and who we follow all throughout this book BOTH die and to each other. 👏👏👏
This continues the quality with characters that are just great to read (listen to, since I’m doing this series as audiobooks as I have for most 40k books)
The Word Bearers character and their quest is my favourite
I also like how, now that space marines are the norm from an audience POV, they deify Custodes to feel even more grand. It reminds me of the early characterisation in Horus Rising or the first Night Lords book
The flashback to the drop site massacre was quality
Also love a good final battle where the plot threads you’ve been following come together! My absolute favourite type of fight scene is one where you’re going for both sides because you’ve been following both along the way.
***SPOILERS***
I got burnt out of the recent Star Wars novel series the high republic when every character had a bait and switch fake death which eventually grew dull, especially when I realised none of the characters could die. When I started this series (this being book 2) I did wonder if this would be the same, considering there are 9 books in this story alone. NOPE. The two BEST characters introduced at the start and who we follow all throughout this book BOTH die and to each other. 👏👏👏
April 19, 2021
The Indomitus Crusade is finally underway. But as Fleet Primus sets sail a warning is given to the Primarch. A warning that is given by a farseer of the xenos species the aldari. If this warning is to be believed then there is a threat ahead of the crusade, a threat to the Primarch himself and hence the entire Imperium.
In an age of demi-gods it is nice to have a book focusing on the mortals. Though that was largely true of the previous book in this series too, it's perhaps even more the case here. While a Custodes and a Primarius Marine (the first time they have been let off the leash on their own) do have 'speaking roles' it is a Mordian Iron Guard general, a mortal human who has the staring role as he tries to defend the Cardinal world of Gathalamor from a mixed force of Iron Warriors, Word Bearers and Dark Mechanicum. The latter two are up to something more than just a simple mission of conquest.
A fun bit of military sci-fi that perhaps doesn't move the main story on quite as much as I would like.
In an age of demi-gods it is nice to have a book focusing on the mortals. Though that was largely true of the previous book in this series too, it's perhaps even more the case here. While a Custodes and a Primarius Marine (the first time they have been let off the leash on their own) do have 'speaking roles' it is a Mordian Iron Guard general, a mortal human who has the staring role as he tries to defend the Cardinal world of Gathalamor from a mixed force of Iron Warriors, Word Bearers and Dark Mechanicum. The latter two are up to something more than just a simple mission of conquest.
A fun bit of military sci-fi that perhaps doesn't move the main story on quite as much as I would like.
March 29, 2023
A really exceptional story from the 40k franchise. I think it touches on a wide variety of things fan are looking for without feeling like it's just fan service crammed into a novel. To give you an idea with no spoilers, you have essentially every kind of combat playing out here: space combat, tanks, titans, space marines, imperial guard, a great and horrible weapon of mass destruction, and more! I think this second novel in the Dawn of Fire series is leaps and bounds better than an already enjoyable first book. Lastly, you really get a feel for the horrible odds the Imperium is stacked against when even Custodes (I won't say who as there's multiple it could be) find their demise in this book!
Highly recommend this book. The only problem I had when listening to it (I had the audiobook version) was that the end just kind of happens. I can't go into specifics due to spoilers, but it's actually worked into the storyline which was interesting. I wish there was a more definite end, but at the very least it has me wanting to immediately start the third novel!
Highly recommend this book. The only problem I had when listening to it (I had the audiobook version) was that the end just kind of happens. I can't go into specifics due to spoilers, but it's actually worked into the storyline which was interesting. I wish there was a more definite end, but at the very least it has me wanting to immediately start the third novel!
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