Priests of Mars

Forges of Mars #1

by Graham McNeill, Joe Jameson (Narrator)

Book one in the Forges of Mars series

An Adeptus Mechanicus Explorator fleet ventures beyond the borders of the Imperium in pursuit of arcane technology. Who knows what perils may lie outside the dominion of mankind?

Listen to it because: it's a novel like nothing else from Black Library. Graham McNeill crafts a tale that only he could tell, beginning a mind-bending saga of the Adeptus Mechanicus, Chaos and more besides.

The story: legend tells of a foolhardy expedition, led by the radical Magos Telok, that ventured out into the unknown space beyond the Halo Worlds in search of the 'Breath of the Gods' - an arcane device with the power to unmake and reshape the very stars themselves. Thousands of years later, the ambitious Lexell Kotov musters his Adeptus Mechanicus Explorator fleet and sets out to follow in mad old Telok's footsteps. With the might of the Imperial Guard and the Space Marines to augment his own forces, he searches for the hidden clues that will lead him to greatest power that the galaxy has ever known. But who knows what ancient perils may yet lie outside the Imperium and the dominion of mankind?

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

12 pages, Audible Audio

First published July 1, 2012

About the author

Hailing from Scotland, Graham McNeill narrowly escaped a career in surveying to work for Games Workshop as a games designer. He has a strong following with his novels Nightbringer, Warriors of Ultramar, Dead Sky, Black Sun and Storm of Iron.

Reviews

[David Guymer · Rating 5 out of 5]

As I get busier and busier and my resolution to review every book I read starts to look ever more silly, my reviews are getting correspondingly later and much, much shorter.

To be very brief then, this book is amazing.

This book shows us every level of society aboard a Mechanicus ark ship and every one contains fascinating, distinct, sometimes alien, but always believable and relatable characters. The Imperial Guard and Black Templars were equally well portrayed, although my personal favourite was the Rogue Trader, Roboute. I was also reminded, while reading, of something I'd read ages ago in a 'how to' book on writing SF, about how the USS Enterprise or Moya can begin to feel like characters in their own right, and I definitely felt that with the ark ship, Speranza here. If I have a minor criticism it's that the Eldar presence felt a little undercooked, but I'm sure they'll come into things as the trilogy develops.

Graham McNeil may have ousted Guy Haley from top spot in my list of Black Library authors I'm most in danger of becoming embarrassingly fanboyish over

[Vincent · Rating 5 out of 5]

For those of you who do not follow Science Fiction, or turn your nose up at tie-in properties – get over it! The Horus Heresy series from the Black Library is a spin-off of their Warhammer 40,000 universe. It is also a perennial best-selling series with seven New York Times Best Sellers and always among the leaders on Bookscan’s list for Science Fiction. Now quantity does not always mean quality. In this case the series is written by multiple authors on different “histories” of the era and in most cases you are looking at quality. There are several outstanding authors, but Graham McNeill is among the best. This carry’s over over into the Black Library’s other books dealing with a later time of the 41st millennium. In The Priest of Mars, Graham McNeill does a good job in showcasing those skills.

The Priests of Mars in the title refers to the Adeptus Mechanicum, the tech geeks of the 41st century. They oversee the manufacture and design all the machines and equipment of the Imperium of Man. They also worship machines with a great reverence like cross between a 41st century AV crew – “No one but I can touch the projector!” and Mr. Spock from Star Trek. The higher up the members’ progress in leadership, the more they become more machine via augments and less human. Their reason for living is mechanical perfection and logic. They are constantly searching for technology lost during the great civil war to add to their knowledge. This brings us to the story of The Priests of Mars.

The story has several layers. On the broad level it is the story of an Adeptus Mechanicus exploratory fleet that is sent to the edges of the galaxy to seek lost technology. Below that it is several stories running parallel that shows the different levels of society, how they survive and the consequences of failure. There is an Adeptus Magos (higher rank Mechanicum), Space Marines, Rouge Star Pilots, giant fighting robots called “Titans”, foot soldiers and press-ganged ship crew. For fans of Mr. McNeill’s work there is a reprise of a character from his first work, Storm of Iron, who kicks some pretty serious butt. Opposing them are rouge Mechanicum, space pirates and bureaucracy. There are fights with War Gods, double crossing, mysteries within mysteries and discoveries that could help or destroy mankind.

Mr. McNeill weaves this story with humor and pathos (find the reference to Peter Pan). His characters are engaging and make you concerned about them, which makes any story something you want to read. As a little extra, Graham hides teasers in there that ties-in incidents from the Horus Heresy or refers to characters from other books to show this story does not exist in isolation and rewards loyal readers. If you are a fan of science fiction and space travel you will enjoy this. If you are new to the world of Warhammer 40,000 there may be some areas that are a little fuzzy, but for the most part the Black Library and Graham McNeill tells the story like a standalone novel. If you are a fan of the Black Library you will not be disappointed, if you are new to Mr. McNeill or Warhammer it is a great entry point.

[vonblubba · Rating 4 out of 5]

The universe of warhammer 40k is so rich and deep that you can find a little bit on everything SF literature has to offer. Here we're talking about tech-priests on mars, so there's even some cyberpunk added to the mix. What's not to like?

[Derek Weese · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had decided to take a break from BL books for a while, I was getting a bit burned out and there was lots of history and other fiction works I wanted to catch up on. For some reason, I saw this hardcover (and the rest of the trilogy) sitting in my collection and, with a sense of almost a divine call, I decided to give them a go.
Priests of Mars, the first in a new Mechanicus trilogy by Graham McNeill (he of the holy trinity of BL publishing, the other divine members being the Abnett and the Aaron) may just be the McNeill's (yes, his divine name) greatest work, his masterpiece.
Without giving any spoilers the story is about an Ark Mechanicus that, along with a supporting fleet, travels beyond the Halo Scar, in search of the lost fleet of Magos Telok and all the lost knowledge (and possible new knowledge) that may be out there. The expedition is guided by the whims of Magos Kotov, a man (machine?) looking for a chance at both redemption and regeneration of falling fortunes. He himself is guided by the knowledge contained within a data wafer, gained from the Eldar, by a rouge trader by the name of Roboutte Surcouf and his band of not always merry men, and women. Providing punch for the expedition is the 71st Cadian Regiment of the Imeprial Guard as well as a Legio of Titans (their part in the story is the only bit that goes, largely, unexplained or resolved, so its a mystery as to their role as of yet, then again this is a trilogy) and a squad of Black Templar Astarte's who may just be looking for a chance at redemption of their own. And, stuck in the bowels of the ship, are conscripted laborers who experience all the inhumanity of the Mechanicus and the inherent cruelty of the Imperium. Among them a central character from Storm of Iron makes a surprising return.
But what makes the book so great? Battles? Well, yeah the McNeill can do battles pretty much as well, if not better, than the masters of the genre from long gone literature past. But it's not the action that makes this a masterpiece.
Is it the characters? Well, yes, they certainly help. So then what is it?
Wonder. This is the first 40K book I've yet read, outside of one of the early Horus heresy volumes or the twisted wonder attached to the works of Ben Counter or Rob Sanders' 'Atlas Infernal'. The McNeill gives you something that few of the other authors provide in a universe filled with so much grimness...and darkness.
The McNeill displays, fully and unashamedly, a sense of wonder, excitement, exploration and, dare I say it, hope in this volume. Hope of a life lived free in the case of one. Hope of redemption for many. Hope for new technological wonders and the, (finally), advancement of the Imperium's and humanity's core knowledge.
In short, this is a wonderful beginning to what I feel will be an excellent trilogy. I bought the last volume in hardcover a couple of weeks ago as a Christmas gift to myself and decided, what the hell, I'll read the whole trilogy. The blessings of The McNeill have been bestowed upon me. If you are a 40K fan, a fan of military themes science fiction, or even action oriented hard science fiction, or just a fantasy fan looking for a little something different that still retains some familiar elements: then by all means, give this one a try.
A very easy 5 out of 5 stars.

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

More 40k novels should be this good. Graham managed to create actual characters that were more than two dimensional cut-outs with guns and a hatred of xenos. We get to explore more of the Mechanarium and the Magos, both who they are and what the believe in. Both the story and the environment are very intriguing, and I'm looking forward to the next book.

[Callum Shephard · Rating 4 out of 5]

If there’s one thing which is all too frequently forgotten about the Warhammer universes, it’s their diversity and depth of lore. For a franchise whose most recognisable tagline is “There is only war” and seems to only feature stories military campaigns against one enemy or another, there’s often a lot of opportunity squandered. All too often the content of Black Library’s novels emphasises upon warzones and crusades rather than the cultural differences or societies of worlds. Priests of Mars seems to be one of the exceptions to this.

Magos Lexll Kotov of the Adeptus Mechanicus is a desperate man. Having lost his forge worlds in uprisings or the hordes of the Great Devourer he is close to having his remaining assets seized by rivals. His only hope comes in the form of debris found by a Rogue Trader suggesting the survival of an expedition to find the mysterious technological artefact “The Breath of the Gods”. Using his remaining influence, Kotov gathers forces for an explorator fleet to pursue the expedition beyond the Halo Stars.

Now, just to be clear this is by no means a novel which outright avoids conflict. It’d be an extremely dull one if it did, but instead it treats war and bloodshed in the same way A Game of Thrones does. It’ll turn up in short bursts, occasional fights and eventually escalate into war; but the drive behind the narrative comes from the characters.

Along with having a huge ensemble of figures within the novel, Graham McNeill seems to have taken the time picking out representatives of the most diverse factions of the Imperium. Tech Priests, Cadian Imperial Guard, Black Templars, Legio Titanicus, Rogue Traders and even poor sods pressganged into running ships. Outside of Titanicus or Warriors of Ultramar this is probably the most widespread collection of figures you can get, many of who have an increasingly fractious relationship due to their contrasting differences and goals. While they might be working together the potential for personal agendas to lead to infighting and is always on the cards. Many clash with the Mechanicus over their mission, strategies or the actions of their leader. Others are haunted by their personal demons and past failures.

The novel always depicts unity between the characters but it’s a tense unity. One always in doubt due to the desperate, borderline insane, mission of Kotov and the natural opposition some characters easily have to one another. Let’s face it, just how long do you think a Rogue Trader and Black Templar Reclusiarch will remain on good terms for. This is just with those who meet however and in a few cases some focus characters are the stars of their own side-stories, completely detached from everything else but with signs of much greater importance coming later on. This is especially true with Julius Hawke (yes, THAT Julius Hawke) and the eldar or Beil-Tan.

The novel also goes a considerable way to dispel a lot of ideas about the universe in its own way such as the Imperium’s blind ignorance to basic logic or failing nature. That particular one is brought up a few times with the Mechanicus. While the novel does take the point of keeping their flawed opposition to creative thinking, it doesn’t portray them as so opposed to it or so logically driven that they are incompetent. Another great one is with the Imperial Guard who, contrary to frequent jokes, act here like a modern military force rather than hordes of cannon fodder sent into clog up the enemy’s guns.

Yet for all this good the it has flaws, some moderate and one very big one.

The initial problems come from two things: The number of characters and the need for conflict. While it’s understandable that some characters would be overlooked or have limited focus in their tales, some in particular feel as if they’re ultimately unneeded. This is especially clear with the internal power struggle within the demi-legion of Titans the explorator fleet carries. While the tech-priests and command crew are given enough scenes for the reader to care about them the princeps themselves, those who are trying to usurp control or are potentially being usurped, are mostly talked about. We don’t get much of a look into any of their minds and they seem to serve mostly as background figures, something which is a definite misstep on McNeill’s part with their story.

You could cut out their entire sub-plot and it wouldn’t be a loss to the novel. In fact it might be an improvement as it would remove one head-tilting event which, even after being suggested early on, feels like it comes out of left field.

To try and punch things up beyond just character issues and verbal sparring, a very large, very explosive event happens which affects everyone on-board the fleet’s flagship. Taking out not only some major resources but is an act which feels out of character with what we know, even with the aforementioned build-up. It feels so contrived, so obviously desperate to trigger conflict, the only thing which stopped me believing Brian Michael Bendis had briefly hijacked the novel was the lack of ignominious character deaths. Its inclusion is only made worse when an outright heretical decision is made by Kotov which would be far more natural for having characters on edge but is treated with nowhere near the severity it should be.

Still, these aren’t the biggest problems. No, the biggest problem is one painfully obvious thing: This is only half a novel. No matter how you look at it, the novel lacks the pacing and basic structure to be a full story. What we get is only the first and second acts up to a potential mid-point reversal and then it ends. Were this a TV series, this would be every episode up to the first part of a mid-series cliffhanger and then nothing else. It’s gallingly frustrating to have, especially when the story itself was very strongly written despite a few outlying flaws.

The fact it’s only Priests of Mars: Part 1 is what makes it so hard to really judge. On the one hand while great details on the Imperium were made and plots were given, the novel contains far more questions than it does answers. The lack of closure is a definite weakness and it’s hard to recommend without knowing the quality of the sequel. If you are planning on buying this, wait until you start seeing a few reviews of the second half of their story first. Until then, stick to some of the older Mechanicus novels.

[Vakaris the Nosferatu · Rating 4 out of 5]

all reviews in one place: night mode reading ; skaitom nakties rezimu

About the Book: Lexell Kotov’s last hope to save name and what little he has left came in a shape of a legend. A radical Magos who disappeared at the edge of known Universe a thousand years ago. And the arcane artefact he sought for. Smarter man would thus say that Lexell has no hope at all, but here he is, hurtling through space, towards the edge of Emperor’s rule, uncharted stars. And they’re about to show him why it was not a smart idea…

My Opinion: A colossal, seemingly living ship that gives perspective on why Cult Mechanicus would be a viable religion even under the God Emperor. Ship of this size needs a proportional crew to run it too, making it a world in itself: from leaders to warriors, from scientists to opportunists, from merchants to adventurers, from workers to prisoner-slaves. And each of these layers have their own version to tell of how the journey went, how they survived. It was fascinating to say the least. But wasn’t always easy to follow, clearer shifts would’ve been useful to those of us fantasy-names-impaired. Sometimes I do really wish all those big heroes of the galaxies were just, like, Johns and Marys, not Alamsdknfjs.

[Gordon Ross · Rating 3 out of 5]

Graham McNeill seems to have been allowed more creative freedom than is often given to Black Library authors in this, the first in a trilogy led by the Adeptus Mechanicus.

McNeill seems to have quite rightly realised that the followers of the machine god lack the substance to carry an entire trilogy so he cleverly sprinkles in other perspectives, including those of slaves, supersoldiers, adventurers and aliens, through which his AdMech characters can be viewed.

The central plotline, one of exploration and a quest for knowledge, feels different to the standard 40k-universe storytelling and allows the reader to imagine a more optimistic version of the (still very) grim darkness of the far future. The lead characters are well developed, distinct, have clear motivations, and are more than capable of both intentional and unintentional humor. Not everything clicks, but when it does it is great.

If there are perhaps one or two viewpoints and plotlines too many, benefit of the doubt can be given as the first novel is clearly setting up things to come. I'll look forward to catching up with the remaining two books, and in particular to watching out for creative references to sci fi and fantasy favourites after fantastic homages here to The Princess Bride and The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, amongst others.

[Michael T Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tons of reviews out there already, so I'll address something utterly different than the book, mostly. As to the book, very atmospheric, a wide variety of main characters (THANK GOD - I was really dreading this, as I cannot stand Adeptus Mechanicus tales, normally), and something near the end that really resets the "point" of the entire mission in a way that has me curious as to where things will go next.

What I really want to spend time on is ... what the hell is up with reviewers on the big-A site that shall not be named? Go over there & check out how multiple reviews bemoan the lack of an "ending" to this book. The book has a huge climactic firefight, something that makes you rethink everything that comes before, and an epilogue that gives you insight as to where nearly every character is at this point of their journey (figuratively & literally). It has almost TOO MUCH ending for part 1 of a trilogy. I am UTTERLY BAFFLED by these people and what they would expect an ending to look like. Certainly it COULD be 100% self-contained, but ... then it'd more likely be a SERIES, rather than a TRILOGY, right? It just ... I went into it expecting it to have an Abnett-esque abrupt ending, and it's NOTHING like that. All bows are neatly tied.

Highly recommended.

[Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great start to the "of Mars" trilogy and a must for Ad Mech fans. Loads of great details and great characters, all of them interesting with full personalities.

A big thumbs up too for not just being continuous boring battle scenes, it's mostly plot and character building with battles mixed in to add to the story, not just for the sake of it.

[William Spencer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great opening to this series. It's not as action heavy as most 40K books but that's a good thing. It lays the groundwork for all the characters and shows us the ship they are aboard which is almost it's own character. Its also a great insight into the adeptus mechanicus and their workings. Thoroughly recommend

[Bookish Barbarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic novel! As a fan of the 40K universe, this far exceeded my expectations. The enjoyable and engaging characters, coupled with a slow-burn start that ramps up the action while building the story, make it a must-read.

The only slight downside is that I now want to buy some Black Templar and Ad Mech models.

[John Blue · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the pop culture references. My favorite is the “Princess Bride” nod. Super fun!

[R. Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

An insanely slow start. Things picked up near the end, but not quite enough for me to care.

[Jamie Sawyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally published on my blog

PRIESTS focuses on the Adeptus Mechanicus – a secluded sect of machine-worshippers, based on Mars. The Mechanicus is perhaps one of the least-developed agencies in the 40k universe, and so this book immediately piqued my interest. Nominally Imperial, the Mechanicus as an organisation is very much driven by it’s own secret goals. Taken to their natural conclusion many of these appear at odds with those of the Imperium, but very few Black Library novels have explored these areas of potential conflict.

The story revolves around the journey taken by the Speranza, a starship which was liberated by Archmagos Kotov. The ship allows McNeill to explore the journey from several points of view: the outsider (Sergeant Tanna and his obligatory squad of Space Marines), the rogue (free trader Roboute Surcouf), the Imperialist (Ven Anders and his Cadian contingent), and even the menial (Abraham Locke and his drafted bondsmen). The multiplicity of POVs isn’t daunting, however, and grants an intriguing insight into all aspects of the running of the Speranza. Indeed, the ship itself is a character: with a unique backstory, as detailed as many of the organic characters…

Characterisation trumps plot here, with lots of time spent on the histories of the characters and what drives them. There is a common thread amongst most of the willing participants of the expedition: most of McNeill’s characters are running from something. Many of them don’t necessarily know this yet!

Dan Abnett is often quoted as having created the “Daniverse” (based around the Sabbat Worlds subsector), and there is a sense here of McNeill doing a similar thing: seeking to describe aspects of the 40k universe that have not previously been touched upon. I liked this aspect of the book very much, and it is probably PRIESTS’ biggest strength. Characters like the female tech-priest Linya Tychon, and the infatuation that one of Surcouf’s crew has with her, are themes that you just don’t find in a regular BL novel. McNeill, like Abnett, pours humanity into characters that are basically, well… inhuman!

There’s obviously action here, as is to be expected, but that isn’t the focus of PRIESTS. I was fine with that but readers should be aware that it isn’t a Space Marine-centric novel. There’s a lot to enjoy here for both new and veteran readers of the 40k universe, and the Speranza’s journey through the Halo Scar continues in LORDS OF MARS and GODS OF MARS.

[Danny R · Rating 2 out of 5]

(this review covers all three books in the Mars series)

it's competent enough, but despite some high moments ("Where are all the skulls?"), the story as a whole is pretty forgettable. character-wise, i only found myself interested in the servitor-turned-Messiah guy and his buddies. the rogue trader and his crew are eye-rollingly bad, going so far as to include a twink "skilled with the blade" who accomplishes nothing of consequence and gets merked in the second or third book. can't be fucked to remember. everyone else is arrogant or incompetent beyond belief, and none of it is played for laughs like it probably should be.

plot-wise, the asspull density increases steadily towards the finale. everything else just makes my eyes glaze over. frankly, with a LOT of fat-cutting, it could make a solid comic series, but as a trio of novels, it ain't all that.

if you're really jonesing for a book about the nerds in red, and you've already read Titanicus, this is one of your only options. if you haven't read Titanicus, read it instead.

[Joseph · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really good story in the Warhammer universe. The last book about Warhammer I picked up didn't catch my attention but I had read some good reviews about this one so I decided to get it. The writing is heavy on technical jargon, but get passed that and the story is solid. It took a half way through that I didn't see coming and it added more depth to the story. I really enjoyed this book. Plus it had some funny one liners. Thor's Balls!!

[Russell Tassicker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actually quite compelling sci-fi hidden in a Warhammer 40k novel! This is one of the best Black Library novels I've read and definitely my favourite by McNeill.

[Thomas Margot · Rating 5 out of 5]

+++ INLOAD REVIEW +++

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[Станислав · Rating 4 out of 5]

Одиссея капитана Котова
Название мало отражает происходящие. Цикл Мак Нилла рассказывает о разных участниках экспедиции Архимагоса Котова за пределы известной Галактики в Шрам Ореола, где много веков назад пропал загадочный магос Телок, по легендам обнаруживший оружие Древних или что-то такое мистическое.
Книга не богата действием и скорее представляет собой знакомство с участниками экспедиции. Главным участником является чудо Тёмной эпохи технологий: крупнейший Ковчег Механикус, и возможно крупнейший корабль Империума - Сперанца, мобильный Мир-кузня со своим интеллектом. Экспедицию Котова составляют различные жрецы Механикус, скитарии, сервы и сервиторы, вербовка которых осуществляется старыми добрыми методами: накрыть разную портовую шелупонь и отправить в трюм. Боевую поддержку осуществляют кадианцы, отделение Чёрных Храмовников и деми-легио титанов и экипаж Вольного торговца. Чем Мак Нилл отличается от многих других писателей Black Libraly ? Тем, что добрую половину книги никаких боевых действий нет, идёт знакомство всех со всеми, усушка, утряска, упаковка, размещение - читать это интересно. Есть натуральные описания, живые, запоминающиеся персонажи.
Боевых действий в книге, по вархаммерским меркам почти нет: примерно на середине книги междусобойный эпизод, некоторые бои на космической станции на границе Шрама, немного в конце, когда оказывается, что Телока ищет не только Котов.
Я на самом деле раньше уже читал "Боги Марса" и хотя многое подзабыл, чем всё в общем кончится знаю.

А да, небольшое дополнение, то что я раньше не заметил. В экипаж "Сперанцы" попал единственный выживший гвардеец с Гидра Кордатус, который там героически партизанил в тылу у Железных Воинов в "Storm of Iron".

[Damaride · Rating 4 out of 5]

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[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enda sedan jag som 11-åring för första gången öppnade regelboken för Warhammer 40k och började insupa denna enorma värld så har Adeptus Mechanicus varit en central krydda till den mörka och beska skapelse som Warhammer 40k är. Mina förhoppningar var därför kanske orättvist stora när jag plockade upp den här boken som fokuserar just på Adeptus Mechanicus. Men oj vad den leverade! McNeill lyckades till och med slänga in min favorit order av space marines, plus en hel del annat. Den har spännande plot, bra tempo, intressanta karaktärer och konflikter.

Det är tyvärr mängden karaktärer och konflikter som drar ner den från en femma till en fyra. Det känns som McNeill vill berätta så mycket men varit tvungen att korta ner.

Dock är detta första delen i en trilogi, som jag utan tvekan kommer fortsätta på. Jag misstänker att de delar som fick få sidor i denna bok kommer få många fler i de andra böckerna.

[Sergio Longoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great book.

“A fight is about more than just technique and skill,’ said Yael. ‘It is about heart and courage. About a willingness to suffer pain, a realisation that even the greatest warrior can still be humbled by a twist of fate, a patch of loose ground, a mote of dust in the eye...’

‘I account for random factors in my calculations,’ said Dahan, still unwilling to concede that his combat subroutines could be in error. ‘My results are certain.’
‘Therein lies your error,’ said Kul Gilad. ‘There is no such thing as certainty in a fight. Even our greatest bladesman could be felled by a lesser opponent. To be a truly sublime warrior, a man must realise that defeat is always possible. Only when you recognise that can you truly fight with heart.”

Excerpt From
Forges of Mars
Graham McNeill

[Sandra]

I got quite lost in this book. I found myself drifting off in my own thoughts more than I remember doing with basically any other book. It feels like very comforting background nonsense all the talk of mechanicus this and vast sprawling that and such. But at one point I discovered that some characters turned out to be opposing some other characters instead of being another faction on the same ship-world... fleet...? And that's just because of some unique characteristics, definitely not by names. Those are all the same to me in this. Now I'm not sure if I should re-read it assuming I was maybe too tired to listen to it, or go on to listen to the next one, and just float in it without following plot.

[Ethan S · Rating 4 out of 5]

First in a trilogy, really has everything you want in a 40K book, Adeptus Mechanicus, Rogue Traders, Titans, Space Marines, Imperial Guard, Xenos, and written by one of the best authors in the Black Library.

An Adeptus Mechanicus Explorator fleet supported by troops from every branch of the Imperium heads of beyond known space to find a lost Archmago’s who disappeared trying to find some forgot and powerful tech and of course things go wrong.

I really enjoyed how many different viewpoints and factions are represented. This is my favorite type of 40K story, we all like Space Marines, but they can be a little boring as the sole protagonists.

Excited to see where the story goes over the next three books.

[Kyle T · Rating 4 out of 5]

Had a great time reading this book. If someone told me I was about to read a few hundred pages about a space ship traveling through space I'd be worried it would be really boring... but the Speranza is very very very big. McNeill does a good job showing the different groups that inhabit the ship (and the wider fleet that is following them). You bounce between these groups of people and as "ground" shaking events happen you get to see how this affects the different levels—from the laborers keeping the warp drives running, to the management level who don't care how many people die... so long as they reach their destination! Solid book.

[Tory Thai · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is honestly so time wasting with its BS pacing of monotonous fluff. I do not appreciate a book that did not respect my time.
This was not fun and jumped around at the start too often to find my footing with one group before it jumps to another.
The characters are hard to distinguish. No time goes into describing them and reinforcing their description to help with figuring out the cast or to care about them. So I felt like i was drowning trying to get some details to help with the cast.
I want to rage on how stupid this book was but honestly I have better things to do and need to move on. It wasted enough time.

[Victor Ward · Rating 2 out of 5]

Priests of Mars is really well written but clearly an incomplete work. I don't mean that the book sets up for a sequel, I mean the book stops suddenly like a train off the tracks as the author suddenly tries to stop everything and set up the next book in about 10 pages. I like Graham McNeill and his description and action for the great Ark Fleet was fantastic, but the sudden stop at the end is confusing. I honestly thought the book had a text error at first until I compared it with a paper copy.

[Alexander Sherman · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was interesting because it was the first book that I had read that had such a massive universe to back it up. It is based loosely off a board game, meaning that the characters and such sort of have a place in the game. Furthermore, the book adds additional depth to the game so it is basically a give and take type of thing on both sides. I gave it a low rating because the book was difficult to follow for many reasons, and subsequently it eventually turned into a kind of chore to finish. Overall I enjoyed it though

[Pallav · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is for die-hard fans of the lore of Warhammer. Not a good starting point into the lore and neither a book for the casual reader. In all, a heavy book that gets difficult to read at times. Despite there being no negative characters or character arcs, the book maintains a breakneck pace once it gets going and that is a fantastic way to tell a Warhammer story. I enjoyed reading this one. Loved the Black Templars. Loved the idea of the ships and loved the whole journey to the Halo Scar.
Fantastic story.