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Space Marine Battles #4
The Purging of Kadillus
The Dark Angels battle the might of an ork Waaaagh!, led by the feared warboss Ghazghkull Thraka. Faced with an ork invasion of Piscina IV, the 3rd Company of the Dark Angels believes the threat to be minimal. As enemy numbers continue to increase, their commander, Captain Belial, insists that his Company are strong enough to resist. But Scout-Sergeant Naaman knows just how dangerous this foe can be, and when a renewed greenskin offensive takes the Dark Angels by surprise, the orks swarm towards Kadillus Harbour. Little do the Dark Angels know of the technological power available to the xenos, and the true scale of the threat they face. Belial, Naaman and their fellow Astartes fight a desperate siege at Kadillus, knowing that they must hold out until Imperial reinforcements arrive or the planet will be lost.
416 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2011
32 people are currently reading
524 people want to read
About the author
Gav Thorpe
377 books581 followersGav spent 14 years as a developer for Games Workshop, and started writing novels and short stories in the worlds of Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000 when the Black Library imprint was launched in 1997.
He continues to write for Black Library, and his first 'homegrown' novel series The Crown of the Blood has been released via Angry Robot.
Currently living in Nottingham, Gav shares his home with his loving and very understanding partner - Kez, and their beautiful little boy - Sammy.
He continues to write for Black Library, and his first 'homegrown' novel series The Crown of the Blood has been released via Angry Robot.
Currently living in Nottingham, Gav shares his home with his loving and very understanding partner - Kez, and their beautiful little boy - Sammy.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
September 12, 2017
The Purging of Kadillus was a rather fun read. This time we are treated to the Dark Angels having to defend the Imperial world of Kadillus from an Ork invasion. This was my first time reading about the Orks of the WH40K world.
What was truly interesting is that this is a story about some rather smart Orks (this being a relative term). Ghazghkull, the Beast of Armageddon, and his new ally- Warlord Nazdreg have joined their forces. They also have access to a new technology that allows them to warp onto a planet without using drop ships. The two warlords decide that the world of Kadillus has some important technology that they want.
What is also interesting about this story was that it focused quite a bit on the 10th Company. This is the Scout Company. Scouts are made up of the youngest recruits of the Astartes. Once they prove themselves worthy, are the secondary improvements made. Thus a senior scout is nearly ready to become a full armored battle brother of the Astartes, whilst the younger ones have not even had the second round of treatments. Scouts are used for recon work and sniper style missions. Still, since the initial incursion uses tech Orks normally do not have, the first part of the book shows the Scout units operating against an unknown Ork invasion force and trying to figure out what they are doing. I also appreciated the tactical ability of the Ork warlords. As Orks are often depicted as brutal and stupid, it was rather interesting to see Orks that outwitted some senior Space Marines.
A good and exciting read. I enjoyed this exciting tale of the Defense of Kadillus. A good look at the Dark Angels chapter and some interesting side tales of how they interact with ordinary human soldiers.
What was truly interesting is that this is a story about some rather smart Orks (this being a relative term). Ghazghkull, the Beast of Armageddon, and his new ally- Warlord Nazdreg have joined their forces. They also have access to a new technology that allows them to warp onto a planet without using drop ships. The two warlords decide that the world of Kadillus has some important technology that they want.
What is also interesting about this story was that it focused quite a bit on the 10th Company. This is the Scout Company. Scouts are made up of the youngest recruits of the Astartes. Once they prove themselves worthy, are the secondary improvements made. Thus a senior scout is nearly ready to become a full armored battle brother of the Astartes, whilst the younger ones have not even had the second round of treatments. Scouts are used for recon work and sniper style missions. Still, since the initial incursion uses tech Orks normally do not have, the first part of the book shows the Scout units operating against an unknown Ork invasion force and trying to figure out what they are doing. I also appreciated the tactical ability of the Ork warlords. As Orks are often depicted as brutal and stupid, it was rather interesting to see Orks that outwitted some senior Space Marines.
A good and exciting read. I enjoyed this exciting tale of the Defense of Kadillus. A good look at the Dark Angels chapter and some interesting side tales of how they interact with ordinary human soldiers.
February 24, 2015
Although far from Gav's best efforts like "Malekith" or "Path of the Warrior", this is a very fun book about a planetary war between Space Marines and Orks. The moments about the ordinary humans, caught in this struggle were prescious and add more dimension to the story. The book could and should have been a little bit thinner - sometimes the strategy details and even the fighting were monotonous.
October 23, 2012
'The Purging Of Kadillus' was one of the first 'Space Marine Battles' novels I ever read. I had feared that this new series of novels would consist of simple "Bang Bang Your Dead" story lines, meaning boring and predicable. But Gav Thorpe has been one of my favourite authors for a while and he really GETS the Warhammer 40K universe, but maybe that's because he spent 14 years as a Game Developer for Games Workshop?
Anyway, rather than go into detail about the book (most of my friends on here won't know what the hell I'm talking about) here is just a short, abridged extract from the book. This is like THE speech from the book, the "I'm Spartacus" or "We'll Fight Them On The Beeches" speech. It's awesome and just encapsulates what it means to be a Space Marine:
“We all have our orders, trooper. A better question would be to ask why are you not hunting the orks. As you have agreed, it is your homes that need defending. Perhaps the Piscinans would prefer that my brothers and I left them to fight this war by themselves?
You said, ‘They can just leave if they wanted to, while we ain’t got no choice. I mean, if things were starting to get really dangerous, they could just up and go, and leave us to do the dying.’ That you would make such an accusation betrays your lack of understanding of what it is to be an Astartes.
Your weapons are inferior because better would be wasted on you. It takes as much effort to create one round for my bolt pistol as it does a whole lasgun. Would you entrust that one shot to such a poor marksman?
My armour is many thousands of years old, from before the Dark Angels came to Piscina. Would you have it dishonoured by a wearer that flees from battle? Would you entrust the days of labour that go into its maintenance to a warrior that thinks only of protecting himself?
There is a selfishness in men to protect what is theirs alone. It is a short-sighted belief; for all a man is, he owes to the Emperor. The Astartes swear oaths to be the protectors of the Emperor’s realm and His servants, beyond any personal desire or ambition. We have the armour and the weapons you desire because we are the few who are worthy of them. Such riches would be squandered on lesser men; frail, frightened men like you.
Which of you would leave this world, travel across the galaxy and lay down his life for the home of a family he had never met? Which of you would place yourself directly in danger, to save the lives of others? And do so not just once, on a spur of heroism, unthinking, but for a whole life, time after time, in full knowledge that one day you will die, and it will be a painful, bloody death. Which of you would not only do this thing, but embrace the sacrifice of the self it entails, not just dedicating one’s death to the Emperor, but one’s whole existence? You cannot answer these questions, and thus you cannot know what it is to be Astartes.”
THE PURGING OF KADILLUS by Gav Thorpe. Brilliant!
Anyway, rather than go into detail about the book (most of my friends on here won't know what the hell I'm talking about) here is just a short, abridged extract from the book. This is like THE speech from the book, the "I'm Spartacus" or "We'll Fight Them On The Beeches" speech. It's awesome and just encapsulates what it means to be a Space Marine:
“We all have our orders, trooper. A better question would be to ask why are you not hunting the orks. As you have agreed, it is your homes that need defending. Perhaps the Piscinans would prefer that my brothers and I left them to fight this war by themselves?
You said, ‘They can just leave if they wanted to, while we ain’t got no choice. I mean, if things were starting to get really dangerous, they could just up and go, and leave us to do the dying.’ That you would make such an accusation betrays your lack of understanding of what it is to be an Astartes.
Your weapons are inferior because better would be wasted on you. It takes as much effort to create one round for my bolt pistol as it does a whole lasgun. Would you entrust that one shot to such a poor marksman?
My armour is many thousands of years old, from before the Dark Angels came to Piscina. Would you have it dishonoured by a wearer that flees from battle? Would you entrust the days of labour that go into its maintenance to a warrior that thinks only of protecting himself?
There is a selfishness in men to protect what is theirs alone. It is a short-sighted belief; for all a man is, he owes to the Emperor. The Astartes swear oaths to be the protectors of the Emperor’s realm and His servants, beyond any personal desire or ambition. We have the armour and the weapons you desire because we are the few who are worthy of them. Such riches would be squandered on lesser men; frail, frightened men like you.
Which of you would leave this world, travel across the galaxy and lay down his life for the home of a family he had never met? Which of you would place yourself directly in danger, to save the lives of others? And do so not just once, on a spur of heroism, unthinking, but for a whole life, time after time, in full knowledge that one day you will die, and it will be a painful, bloody death. Which of you would not only do this thing, but embrace the sacrifice of the self it entails, not just dedicating one’s death to the Emperor, but one’s whole existence? You cannot answer these questions, and thus you cannot know what it is to be Astartes.”
THE PURGING OF KADILLUS by Gav Thorpe. Brilliant!
April 6, 2014
It has taken me over 10 years of dabbling on-and-off in the Warhammer hobby to finally give the fiction a try. To be honest I was hesitant because I expected the Warhammer 40,000 novels to be little more than poorly written fan fiction. Having been exposed to the Warhammer 40,000 universe through the rule books and codexes, I find the setting intriguing with great potential for exploration through the medium of prose fiction. My fear was that this potential would be squandered, that this unique universe full of provocative characters would be exploited and even abused.
Two factors led to "The Purging of Kadillus" being my first Warhammer 40,000 novel. Firstly, if I was going to take a leap of faith then I would go with my favourite army: the Dark Angels. Their mystery and secretiveness appeals to me. There is so much for an author to explore with this Space Marine chapter. Secondly, Gav Thorpe is a name I recognise. He is arguably the most famous Warhammer 40,000 author. Combining Thorpe's fame with my interest in the Dark Angels made "The Purging of Kadillus" a seemingly perfect first choice.
Sadly, I was wrong.
After reading "The Purging of Kadillus" I have one theory that explains Thorpe's fame in Warhammer circles: he must be a prolific writer. This is just a theory and I say this without knowing how many work of fiction Thorpe pumps out each year. This assumption is based upon the elimination of all other possibilities. Is it that the name Gav Thorpe's name resonates because of the quality of his writing? Unless "The Purging of Kadillus" is a misrepresentation of his true potential, I must say no. What of the plot? The characters? Unfortunately, both are bland, predictable and underdeveloped. What about Thorpe's understanding of the Warhammer 40,000 universe? Yes, he seems to understand the terminology quite well, though this could simply add credit to my "prolific theory" as the more he writes the more he should understand the workings of the universe in which his stories are set.
Why am I so harsh on Thorpe? There are a few reasons.
His writing style is clunky. During actions scenes he overused the word "as": e.g. "As this happened, this happened." Once or twice this is fine, but there was even a point where two consecutive sentences employed this same formula. It makes for awkward reading and disrupts the flow of the story.
Thorpe's descriptions were bland clichés and sometimes non existent. Being my first Warhammer 40,000 story I can guess that it's written for fans and it is assumed that vehicles, armour, weapons, etc. are known and therefore not described. I would have still liked to read some unique descriptions so I could get a feel for the characters, setting, etc.
The characters' personalities were underdeveloped. The story is set out with chapters designated to different members of the Dark Angels, and even the local Free Militia. Swapping between the characters' points of view offered little. They all lacked mannerisms or other unique features that made them striking individuals. I didn't really care for any of them. It seemed to me that swapping between the characters was the only way to write a complete novel as a focus on one lead character would have proven even more unbearable due to their lack of personality. And the Orks as the enemy offered so much, but delivered so little. These guys can be hilarious. We hardly got to see things from their perspective at all. I understand that this was primarily a story from the Dark Angels' perspective, but when the Dark Angels did interact with the green skins, the Orks were limited to yelling and shooting.
One of my biggest gripes: this is a Dark Angels novel. That might seem obvious since it's promoted as such and has a Space Marine in green Dark Angel armour on the cover. Still, if you do read "The Purging Of Kadillus" you'll most likely forget that they're Dark Angels most of the time, until Thorpe mentions in passing that they're wearing a robe. I found myself picturing them in blue armour until I was told that they're Dark Angels or that the mud coated their robe. The Dark Angels are a unique chapter, and they need to be written as such. If the publishers had said to Thorpe after he had completed this novel, "Sorry, Ultramarine novels sell better than Dark Angel novels. You have to change your whole novel," then it would have been half an hour maximum of using the "replace all" feature to change the names of characters and then it would have been an Ultramarines novel.
The plot meanders along: a lot of battles, not much else. That's to be expected for a Warhammer 40,000 novel, but even the battles aren't exciting. The ending was an anticlimax; no sense of danger or achievement. I wanted the Dark Angels to overcome vast odds, and even though technically I think they did, it didn't feel like it.
Overall, I was greatly disappointed with 'The Purging of Kadillus". All my fears were confirmed. It's poor fan fiction. I hope that this isn't Gav Thorpe's best work, but it has tainted my opinion of his fame. Thankfully, I have read Graham McNeill's High Elf novels and though he had some minor plot flaws, I found his writing style to be of a high standard. This gives me hope that not all Warhammer fiction is of the same terrible quality as "The Purging of Kadillus".
So, should anyone read "The Purging of Kadillus"? Maybe. What about die hard Dark Angels fans? Only the most die hard, "I have to read everything Dark Angels" type should bother. Honestly, I'd give this novel a miss. I pushed through to the end just to see if there were any gems, perhaps a shockingly clever ending, but there were none.
Poorly written, slow and unmemorable, "The Purging of Kadillus" is a failed attempt to explore a richly established universe and potentially intriguing characters.
Two factors led to "The Purging of Kadillus" being my first Warhammer 40,000 novel. Firstly, if I was going to take a leap of faith then I would go with my favourite army: the Dark Angels. Their mystery and secretiveness appeals to me. There is so much for an author to explore with this Space Marine chapter. Secondly, Gav Thorpe is a name I recognise. He is arguably the most famous Warhammer 40,000 author. Combining Thorpe's fame with my interest in the Dark Angels made "The Purging of Kadillus" a seemingly perfect first choice.
Sadly, I was wrong.
After reading "The Purging of Kadillus" I have one theory that explains Thorpe's fame in Warhammer circles: he must be a prolific writer. This is just a theory and I say this without knowing how many work of fiction Thorpe pumps out each year. This assumption is based upon the elimination of all other possibilities. Is it that the name Gav Thorpe's name resonates because of the quality of his writing? Unless "The Purging of Kadillus" is a misrepresentation of his true potential, I must say no. What of the plot? The characters? Unfortunately, both are bland, predictable and underdeveloped. What about Thorpe's understanding of the Warhammer 40,000 universe? Yes, he seems to understand the terminology quite well, though this could simply add credit to my "prolific theory" as the more he writes the more he should understand the workings of the universe in which his stories are set.
Why am I so harsh on Thorpe? There are a few reasons.
His writing style is clunky. During actions scenes he overused the word "as": e.g. "As this happened, this happened." Once or twice this is fine, but there was even a point where two consecutive sentences employed this same formula. It makes for awkward reading and disrupts the flow of the story.
Thorpe's descriptions were bland clichés and sometimes non existent. Being my first Warhammer 40,000 story I can guess that it's written for fans and it is assumed that vehicles, armour, weapons, etc. are known and therefore not described. I would have still liked to read some unique descriptions so I could get a feel for the characters, setting, etc.
The characters' personalities were underdeveloped. The story is set out with chapters designated to different members of the Dark Angels, and even the local Free Militia. Swapping between the characters' points of view offered little. They all lacked mannerisms or other unique features that made them striking individuals. I didn't really care for any of them. It seemed to me that swapping between the characters was the only way to write a complete novel as a focus on one lead character would have proven even more unbearable due to their lack of personality. And the Orks as the enemy offered so much, but delivered so little. These guys can be hilarious. We hardly got to see things from their perspective at all. I understand that this was primarily a story from the Dark Angels' perspective, but when the Dark Angels did interact with the green skins, the Orks were limited to yelling and shooting.
One of my biggest gripes: this is a Dark Angels novel. That might seem obvious since it's promoted as such and has a Space Marine in green Dark Angel armour on the cover. Still, if you do read "The Purging Of Kadillus" you'll most likely forget that they're Dark Angels most of the time, until Thorpe mentions in passing that they're wearing a robe. I found myself picturing them in blue armour until I was told that they're Dark Angels or that the mud coated their robe. The Dark Angels are a unique chapter, and they need to be written as such. If the publishers had said to Thorpe after he had completed this novel, "Sorry, Ultramarine novels sell better than Dark Angel novels. You have to change your whole novel," then it would have been half an hour maximum of using the "replace all" feature to change the names of characters and then it would have been an Ultramarines novel.
The plot meanders along: a lot of battles, not much else. That's to be expected for a Warhammer 40,000 novel, but even the battles aren't exciting. The ending was an anticlimax; no sense of danger or achievement. I wanted the Dark Angels to overcome vast odds, and even though technically I think they did, it didn't feel like it.
Overall, I was greatly disappointed with 'The Purging of Kadillus". All my fears were confirmed. It's poor fan fiction. I hope that this isn't Gav Thorpe's best work, but it has tainted my opinion of his fame. Thankfully, I have read Graham McNeill's High Elf novels and though he had some minor plot flaws, I found his writing style to be of a high standard. This gives me hope that not all Warhammer fiction is of the same terrible quality as "The Purging of Kadillus".
So, should anyone read "The Purging of Kadillus"? Maybe. What about die hard Dark Angels fans? Only the most die hard, "I have to read everything Dark Angels" type should bother. Honestly, I'd give this novel a miss. I pushed through to the end just to see if there were any gems, perhaps a shockingly clever ending, but there were none.
Poorly written, slow and unmemorable, "The Purging of Kadillus" is a failed attempt to explore a richly established universe and potentially intriguing characters.
November 21, 2023
A really good battle with a bit more than just action going on. Maybe I payed more attention than usual, or maybe Thrope just really knows his business in narrating a battle so that you actually comprehend the tactical twists and turns of everything that happens.
It was a very entertaining read because the grim piety and sobriety of the Dark Angels is pitted against the hilarious lunacy of the Orks, with not an insignificant amount of fragile Imperial Guard in between! So we get to see brutish kunnin', incredible valor and true selfless sacrifice, all put together in this incredible stand-off of armies.
Reading it in the Omnibus "Legends of the Dark Angels", it was weird to find this story taking place before the first story in the book, "Angels of Darkness". I think there were reasons for this decision, but at some points it set poorly for me to know what was going to happen to places and people in the long run.
It was a very entertaining read because the grim piety and sobriety of the Dark Angels is pitted against the hilarious lunacy of the Orks, with not an insignificant amount of fragile Imperial Guard in between! So we get to see brutish kunnin', incredible valor and true selfless sacrifice, all put together in this incredible stand-off of armies.
Reading it in the Omnibus "Legends of the Dark Angels", it was weird to find this story taking place before the first story in the book, "Angels of Darkness". I think there were reasons for this decision, but at some points it set poorly for me to know what was going to happen to places and people in the long run.
March 18, 2024
Listened to this straight after Lazarus and what a pleasure this book was, superbly narrated by Andrew Wincott i enjoyed it immensely
February 28, 2011
Only 50 pages in, but so far I think this will be a good read. Unfortunately, it's an Orks vs Space Marines battle again, which I think is the standard for Warhammer 40k novels. Coming from the video games canon I'm used to conflicts with the Eldar, Tau, Tyrannids, etc. Oh well.
"The Purging of Kadillus" is another entry into the Space Marine Battles Series of novels set in the Warhammer universe. I have two (Helsreach & Rynn's World) of the previous Space Marines Battles novels (I don't understand what purpose Black Library has for creating a sub-category, other than giving insight to other SM Chapters?), and this one topped them both. The battles are frequent, most, if not all, leading into grisly, melee combat.
Mid-way I found myself lost and having to go back a paragraph to re-read, perhaps I was tired, but it was a little hard to follow. There are a lot of characters to follow, the significant ones (4 I think) having the chapter titles named after them.
Thorpe shows the dedication a Space Marine has to fulfill their task and if it comes down to being surrounded, sometimes all a marine can do is make them pay for his death.
The ending left something to be desired as well. More Warhammer 40k fluff was introduced to me: was unknown before that their names are given or handed down rather from fallen Space Marines, after becoming a full SM.
"The Purging of Kadillus" is another entry into the Space Marine Battles Series of novels set in the Warhammer universe. I have two (Helsreach & Rynn's World) of the previous Space Marines Battles novels (I don't understand what purpose Black Library has for creating a sub-category, other than giving insight to other SM Chapters?), and this one topped them both. The battles are frequent, most, if not all, leading into grisly, melee combat.
Mid-way I found myself lost and having to go back a paragraph to re-read, perhaps I was tired, but it was a little hard to follow. There are a lot of characters to follow, the significant ones (4 I think) having the chapter titles named after them.
Thorpe shows the dedication a Space Marine has to fulfill their task and if it comes down to being surrounded, sometimes all a marine can do is make them pay for his death.
The ending left something to be desired as well. More Warhammer 40k fluff was introduced to me: was unknown before that their names are given or handed down rather from fallen Space Marines, after becoming a full SM.
November 22, 2020
Mediocre Characters, Combat and no revelations!
I love the Warhammer universe and I am a fan of Gav Thorpe, but this book was mediocre at best.
This was the first book that I have read on the Dark Angels, aside from those in the Horus Heresy. So I was looking for some greater insight or revelations into the Dark Angels, but there were none. In fact, I probably wouldn't have known this was a Dark Angels novel, if there weren't repeated references to the Dark Angels. Which gets to the next point, the characters are totally uninspiring and forgettable. Which is a travesty, because this novel has an ICONIC character in it who becomes Grand Master of the Dark Angels in the future! The characterization of company master Belial, as an indecisive commander who constantly questions his own decisions and is paranoid delusional that those in his command are second guessing or judging him, is unbefitting a such a legendary space marine. This was a big turn off for me. Lastly, even the combat descriptions are mediocre. So with that, I am not sure what the point of reading this novel would be, when there are so many other Warhammer novels to read!
I love the Warhammer universe and I am a fan of Gav Thorpe, but this book was mediocre at best.
This was the first book that I have read on the Dark Angels, aside from those in the Horus Heresy. So I was looking for some greater insight or revelations into the Dark Angels, but there were none. In fact, I probably wouldn't have known this was a Dark Angels novel, if there weren't repeated references to the Dark Angels. Which gets to the next point, the characters are totally uninspiring and forgettable. Which is a travesty, because this novel has an ICONIC character in it who becomes Grand Master of the Dark Angels in the future! The characterization of company master Belial, as an indecisive commander who constantly questions his own decisions and is paranoid delusional that those in his command are second guessing or judging him, is unbefitting a such a legendary space marine. This was a big turn off for me. Lastly, even the combat descriptions are mediocre. So with that, I am not sure what the point of reading this novel would be, when there are so many other Warhammer novels to read!
February 17, 2012
I really wanted to like this book.
Gav's previous Dark Angel novel is one of my absolute favourite 40K novels. It gets a cameo mention in this novel.
Plus it has Orks. I play orks. WIN! or so I thought
So what's the issue with the novel?
Honestly I think it doesn't play to Gav's strengths. Gav gets to play with some iconic DA characters Like Scout Sargent Naaman and Belial but it's a straight up fight with Ghazkull. It's kinda hard to drop the Fallen into that. It's also kinda hard to make the DA be more than "wow Space marines"
It's a good battle book, some nice cameo's and old hands will appreciate Naaman's appearance and fate. It's just not got that extra something to make it one of Gav's better Novels
Gav's previous Dark Angel novel is one of my absolute favourite 40K novels. It gets a cameo mention in this novel.
Plus it has Orks. I play orks. WIN! or so I thought
So what's the issue with the novel?
Honestly I think it doesn't play to Gav's strengths. Gav gets to play with some iconic DA characters Like Scout Sargent Naaman and Belial but it's a straight up fight with Ghazkull. It's kinda hard to drop the Fallen into that. It's also kinda hard to make the DA be more than "wow Space marines"
It's a good battle book, some nice cameo's and old hands will appreciate Naaman's appearance and fate. It's just not got that extra something to make it one of Gav's better Novels
March 19, 2022
Really enjoy this book! I’m surprised how well it holds up now. Never been a fan of the dark angels but this sold them to me!
May 30, 2019
I received this book from a friend. I was pretty hesitant to blindly walk into the Warhammer universe with the extant of my knowledge being knowing that a video game exists. I was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed the book. I'm not going to stop my re-read of GoT to read all 40 or so Warhammer books, but I'm open to the idea of reading the series at some point in the future and even went and bought the game. The world building seems interesting and wasn't a huge impediment to my reading. There were quite a few times that I could tell that, had I understand the background information, I would have appreciated certain parts more. I think my only complaint, and it may be due to my ignorance, was the seemingly volatile abilities of the Astartes. They seem vastly overpowered for much of the book and I remember thinking it isn't that interesting reading about battles where these dudes are invincible. But then suddenly a dude would die, the actual event usually taking place off-screen, and I would be left wondering why his power armor suddenly failed him when it usually seems so impregnable. All in all, this was a fast read that, while it won't blow you away or make you forget to eat, I was able to quickly get interested in and maintained momentum.
May 18, 2020
I liked this book, didn’t love it, just liked it.
It wasn’t nonstop action and blood, which was a good thing, there was a lot of downtime where we got to read about the inner misgivings that the various characters had and how those misgivings didn’t just go away with quick rousing speech.
Of the negative points of this novel, there is one that I had a problem with. The author made the regular human soldiers far too weak and afraid. As our own history of war has taught us, some of the most determined fighters are rebel or militias (french resistance in ww2) who are fighting for their loved ones. That’s the only negative that really detracted from my enjoyment of the story.
If you like the Warhammer 40000 universe then you’ll like this story.
It wasn’t nonstop action and blood, which was a good thing, there was a lot of downtime where we got to read about the inner misgivings that the various characters had and how those misgivings didn’t just go away with quick rousing speech.
Of the negative points of this novel, there is one that I had a problem with. The author made the regular human soldiers far too weak and afraid. As our own history of war has taught us, some of the most determined fighters are rebel or militias (french resistance in ww2) who are fighting for their loved ones. That’s the only negative that really detracted from my enjoyment of the story.
If you like the Warhammer 40000 universe then you’ll like this story.
July 10, 2024
Very boring first third or so of this book, bordering on a 2/5. The book ends with a very solid conclusion. Tauno really carries the story once he's introduced and single-handedly brings the rating up to a 3.
This reads like a really really big Battle Report, where the players felt it necessary to detail the exact units they had arrayed on the table in front of them. Lots of passages where they just talk about what units are present, the weapons they have, and etc. Big sections of "top down" story telling where you're more focused on the battle overall, instead of the individual. Naaman, Belial, Boreas, and of course Tauno are focused on for their specific actions during the novel, but really only Boreas and Tauno have anything compelling. Their stories keep this novel from being bad.
This reads like a really really big Battle Report, where the players felt it necessary to detail the exact units they had arrayed on the table in front of them. Lots of passages where they just talk about what units are present, the weapons they have, and etc. Big sections of "top down" story telling where you're more focused on the battle overall, instead of the individual. Naaman, Belial, Boreas, and of course Tauno are focused on for their specific actions during the novel, but really only Boreas and Tauno have anything compelling. Their stories keep this novel from being bad.
May 14, 2025
I have been ofter pointed away from space marine focused battle books and I can see why, at least in this case. Except for the part of Sg. Naaman, and maybe the bit of Apothecary Nestor, the book was very boring. Never cared for anyone, never cared for any place. The story does not even have a great arc. It's just a 'orc on planet, orc said wagh daka daka kill the humies, humies daka daka back, humies push orks back, they win, orcs go meh, just fun and training, time to dip'. I hope Helsreach, the other space marine battle book I have, which people seem to priase, will be better than this. It is the last chance I am giving to books like this from 40k. The only reason I got this is because I wanted as many Dark Angels books as I could, because they are my favorite chapter. Shame.
April 27, 2024
Another Gav Thorpe book! While this is by no means the best sci-fi book I’ve ever read. It is by far the best Gav Thorpe book I’ve ever read (so far). It is a fun well paced read that doesn’t require to much of the reader, no convoluted plot lines forced together. It is just orcs versus marines in an awesome battle. This book was the perfect means for me to relax after a tiring day. Had a lot of fun with it.
September 14, 2025
pretty fun, not sure whether ill go back to it any time soon but I did enjoy it. Just a tight little popcorn narrative, lots of fights and action and some neat character moments; it was also really fun seeing the Dark Angels away from the whole narrative, and the little overarching characters from the last Gav Thorpe Dark Angels novel was a cool feature. the ending felt too quick, but besides that nothing much was wrong with it.
looking forward to reading some propa litrature next ennit bruv
looking forward to reading some propa litrature next ennit bruv
November 3, 2019
I really enjoyed this novel. Gav Thorpe has done it again and produced some great storytelling - so much so that I cried near the end as it was so poignant. I've decided that I like reading about the Dark Angels but also about general infantry. Looking forward to the next Space Marine Battles Novel and any books by Gav.
December 5, 2022
Not really my kind of 40k novel, but I have committed to reading the DA stories and this is where they start. This was perfectly fine bolter porn, with bonus Ghaz, and if that’s up your street you’ll love this.
July 2, 2015
Bookworm Speaks!
Warhammer 40’0000
The Purging of Kadillus
by Gav Thorpe
****
The Story: The Dark Angels battle the might of an ork Waaaagh!, led by the feared warboss Ghazghkull Thraka. Faced with an ork invasion of Piscina IV, the 3rd Company of the Dark Angels believes the threat to be minimal. As enemy numbers continue to increase, their commander, Captain Belial, insists that his Company are strong enough to resist. But Scout-Sergeant Naaman knows just how dangerous this foe can be, and when a renewed greenskin offensive takes the Dark Angels by surprise, the orks swarm towards Kadillus Harbour. Little do the Dark Angels know of the technological power available to the xenos, and the true scale of the threat they face. Belial, Naaman and their fellow Astartes fight a desperate siege at Kadillus, knowing that they must hold out until Imperial reinforcements arrive or the planet will be lost.
The Good: The Dark Angels are a very fascinating chapter of the Adeptus Astartes and it is quite nice to be able to see them march to war and move away from the persistent plot of hunting the fallen members of their brethren. It is important to give depth to any faction and/or characters in order to make it more than just a one-hat factor. This book always the audience to experience another facet of the Dark Angels, one where they are doing what Adeptus Astartes do best: Making battle and war.
Something that is really cool is the inclusion of the local army as characters. A favorite event in these books is when the Adeptus Astartes interact with ordinary humans. It serves two purposes: the first is that it illustrates the extent of the differences between the Astartes and the human forces. Astartes are so strong and the humans seem so frail. The second reason is that serves to show how similar they still are to ordinary humans. Astartes are not perfect and sometimes they forget that and they look down upon the multitudes of ordinary humans, but occasionally they are reminded of the courage of humanity and this book shows us that every now and then.
One of the best parts of the whole book is the beginning and the ending. Without giving too much away, it is here that we see the face of the enemy, Ghazghkull Thraka himself. Normally, prologues and epilogues are a hit and miss. Either they are useful towards the plot or they are a waste of time. Some authors advise to cut those parts out during editing. Anyway, we see the extent of Ghazghkull’s abilities compared to lesser Ork and for those who are unfamiliar, we see why he is one of the greatest foes ever faced by the Imperium of Man.
It makes Bookworm eager to read more about him.
The Flaws: This one was a bit of dud compared to classics of the Space Marine Battles series such as Rynn’s World or Death of Integrity. It is hard for Bookworm to pin down the exact factor that led to his lack of appreciation. There are several things to take into account…
The Dark Angels themselves lends to the book’s flaws. This chapter is known for its dour character and that does not lead to an interesting story. Character is half the battle when writing any work of fiction and the Dark Angels lack a lot of it. The only at times to differentiate one Space Marine from the other was by their name and rank and nothing else. There are one or two tender moments but they are overshadowed by the rest of the story, which is lacking or simply lost among all the generic action scenes.
Orks are a favorite enemy of Bookworm but they felt underutilized in this volume. After reading several books that feature Ork onslaughts known as a WAAAGH!, the Orks in this book did not feel like part of a WAAAGH! Ork onslaughts are supposed overwhelming things, like tidal waves of violence sweeping over the land and whatever defenders were there. Mountains of crude machines to be rendered into scraps and fire by bolt shell and las fire. The orks are more a like a storm than an army. In this book, the orks were an army and it felt…lacking compared to the all but unstoppable forces of other tales of the Black Library.
The ultimate problem is that the whole volume is too formulaic. The Space Marines are just that: Space Marines (tm) and nothing else, no certain quirk of their biology like the Blood Angels or the Space Wolves. No memorable characters to spice up the squads and only fleeting moments that prove they are still human. They are simply generic Adeptus Astartes and they lack significant character development. They fight the orks, alongside the local planetary defense force and the orks put up a good fight but nothing exceeding what most of the Dark Angels can handle. There is small twist about the orks near the end that serves as a climax for a preceding mystery about them but even then it lacks gravity.
Even the trademark illustration in the center of the book is lacking. Very generic and quite probably from some older codex (game manual).
Final Verdict: If you are a fan of the sons of the Lion, this book is worth checking out but don’t get your hopes up for something extraordinary.
Three out of Five Stars
thecultureworm.blogspot.com
Warhammer 40’0000
The Purging of Kadillus
by Gav Thorpe
****
The Story: The Dark Angels battle the might of an ork Waaaagh!, led by the feared warboss Ghazghkull Thraka. Faced with an ork invasion of Piscina IV, the 3rd Company of the Dark Angels believes the threat to be minimal. As enemy numbers continue to increase, their commander, Captain Belial, insists that his Company are strong enough to resist. But Scout-Sergeant Naaman knows just how dangerous this foe can be, and when a renewed greenskin offensive takes the Dark Angels by surprise, the orks swarm towards Kadillus Harbour. Little do the Dark Angels know of the technological power available to the xenos, and the true scale of the threat they face. Belial, Naaman and their fellow Astartes fight a desperate siege at Kadillus, knowing that they must hold out until Imperial reinforcements arrive or the planet will be lost.
The Good: The Dark Angels are a very fascinating chapter of the Adeptus Astartes and it is quite nice to be able to see them march to war and move away from the persistent plot of hunting the fallen members of their brethren. It is important to give depth to any faction and/or characters in order to make it more than just a one-hat factor. This book always the audience to experience another facet of the Dark Angels, one where they are doing what Adeptus Astartes do best: Making battle and war.
Something that is really cool is the inclusion of the local army as characters. A favorite event in these books is when the Adeptus Astartes interact with ordinary humans. It serves two purposes: the first is that it illustrates the extent of the differences between the Astartes and the human forces. Astartes are so strong and the humans seem so frail. The second reason is that serves to show how similar they still are to ordinary humans. Astartes are not perfect and sometimes they forget that and they look down upon the multitudes of ordinary humans, but occasionally they are reminded of the courage of humanity and this book shows us that every now and then.
One of the best parts of the whole book is the beginning and the ending. Without giving too much away, it is here that we see the face of the enemy, Ghazghkull Thraka himself. Normally, prologues and epilogues are a hit and miss. Either they are useful towards the plot or they are a waste of time. Some authors advise to cut those parts out during editing. Anyway, we see the extent of Ghazghkull’s abilities compared to lesser Ork and for those who are unfamiliar, we see why he is one of the greatest foes ever faced by the Imperium of Man.
It makes Bookworm eager to read more about him.
The Flaws: This one was a bit of dud compared to classics of the Space Marine Battles series such as Rynn’s World or Death of Integrity. It is hard for Bookworm to pin down the exact factor that led to his lack of appreciation. There are several things to take into account…
The Dark Angels themselves lends to the book’s flaws. This chapter is known for its dour character and that does not lead to an interesting story. Character is half the battle when writing any work of fiction and the Dark Angels lack a lot of it. The only at times to differentiate one Space Marine from the other was by their name and rank and nothing else. There are one or two tender moments but they are overshadowed by the rest of the story, which is lacking or simply lost among all the generic action scenes.
Orks are a favorite enemy of Bookworm but they felt underutilized in this volume. After reading several books that feature Ork onslaughts known as a WAAAGH!, the Orks in this book did not feel like part of a WAAAGH! Ork onslaughts are supposed overwhelming things, like tidal waves of violence sweeping over the land and whatever defenders were there. Mountains of crude machines to be rendered into scraps and fire by bolt shell and las fire. The orks are more a like a storm than an army. In this book, the orks were an army and it felt…lacking compared to the all but unstoppable forces of other tales of the Black Library.
The ultimate problem is that the whole volume is too formulaic. The Space Marines are just that: Space Marines (tm) and nothing else, no certain quirk of their biology like the Blood Angels or the Space Wolves. No memorable characters to spice up the squads and only fleeting moments that prove they are still human. They are simply generic Adeptus Astartes and they lack significant character development. They fight the orks, alongside the local planetary defense force and the orks put up a good fight but nothing exceeding what most of the Dark Angels can handle. There is small twist about the orks near the end that serves as a climax for a preceding mystery about them but even then it lacks gravity.
Even the trademark illustration in the center of the book is lacking. Very generic and quite probably from some older codex (game manual).
Final Verdict: If you are a fan of the sons of the Lion, this book is worth checking out but don’t get your hopes up for something extraordinary.
Three out of Five Stars
thecultureworm.blogspot.com
September 5, 2017
4.5 STARS
October 12, 2018
Brilliant storylines, gripping battles, as well as private moments of doubt and tremendous courage from both the Astartes, and the human defenders.
March 15, 2019
The Dark Angels have to purge the Orks from Kadillus.
March 24, 2021
Great plot with twists and an unexpected ending, relating to another dark angels book (which isn't common with battles books)
October 23, 2021
Uninteresting.
June 14, 2024
Run of the mill 40k action novel. Okay if you need something on audio for the gym or before sleep. Otherwise not recommended, even in the context of 40k and wider pulp.
July 8, 2024
Not the worst Dark Angel book
January 16, 2013
First off can I just say how awesome this front cover looks!
Anyway, as some of you guys may know, I have quite recently gotten into the amazing world that is Warhammer. I love painting the miniatures, so much so that I even started another blog that shows off the miniatures that I have painted. With the miniatures come a lot of history and back story about the various factions in the Warhammer 40k game. Because of this, I decided to read The Purging of Kadillus because the story is about the faction I play in Warhammer 40k; the Dark Angels.
The book is based on the planet of Piscina IV where the 3rd Company of Dark Angels is stationed. The planet is important to the Dark Angels because many of its members are recruited from the neighbouring planet of Piscina V. That is why when the infamous Ork Ghazkull or as he’s known to the Dark Angels, the Beast of Armageddon attacks, the Dark Angels are ready to defend the planet and their H-Q against the horde of Orks Ghazkull brings with him. The Dark Angels think that the Ork invasion poses no significant threat. Yes, the Orks have much bigger numbers, but the Dark Angels have the Astartes- the Space Marines, the most powerful fighting machines in the universe.
However, Ghazkull is not like any other Ork. He has escaped other Space Marine factions before, including the Blood Angels, the Ultra Marines and the Salamanders. Ghazkull, along with his allies have a cunning plan to capture Piscina IV. The only person that notices the real threat of the Orks is Scout-Sergeant Naaman. Naaman knows that the Orks are better organised than usual and notices that their reinforcements are arriving at regular intervals, even though there is no Ork ship in the atmosphere. Naaman takes it upon himself to find out where the Ork reinforcements are coming from. What he finds however, is not what he or his fellow Space Marines are expecting and the future of Piscina IV looks bleak as the odds turn against the Space Marines!
I thought this book was immense, not just because it features my favourite chapter, but because it was full of action, fighting, humour and amazing gadgets and inventions that I love to read about in a sci-fi novel. It was so fast paced! The Space Marines fought off waves and waves of Orks to protect Piscina IV from imminent destruction. For someone like me who is just getting into Warhammer, the book is also great because it teaches you about how the Dark Angels faction works and what the hierarchy is of all the different units, from the Space Marine all the way up to the Deathwing. Plus, it teaches you some history of the Chapter which made me just want to read more Dark Angels novels and more novels by Gav Thorpe!
I would suggest this book to anyone who is a fan of Warhammer 40k, especially if like me you play Dark Angels. I’d also suggest it to anyone who is into sci-fi novels like Wolf Dawn because even without the link to Warhammer, the novel is still a great sci-fi book!
For more book reviews check out http://adam-p-reviews.blogspot.co.uk/
Anyway, as some of you guys may know, I have quite recently gotten into the amazing world that is Warhammer. I love painting the miniatures, so much so that I even started another blog that shows off the miniatures that I have painted. With the miniatures come a lot of history and back story about the various factions in the Warhammer 40k game. Because of this, I decided to read The Purging of Kadillus because the story is about the faction I play in Warhammer 40k; the Dark Angels.
The book is based on the planet of Piscina IV where the 3rd Company of Dark Angels is stationed. The planet is important to the Dark Angels because many of its members are recruited from the neighbouring planet of Piscina V. That is why when the infamous Ork Ghazkull or as he’s known to the Dark Angels, the Beast of Armageddon attacks, the Dark Angels are ready to defend the planet and their H-Q against the horde of Orks Ghazkull brings with him. The Dark Angels think that the Ork invasion poses no significant threat. Yes, the Orks have much bigger numbers, but the Dark Angels have the Astartes- the Space Marines, the most powerful fighting machines in the universe.
However, Ghazkull is not like any other Ork. He has escaped other Space Marine factions before, including the Blood Angels, the Ultra Marines and the Salamanders. Ghazkull, along with his allies have a cunning plan to capture Piscina IV. The only person that notices the real threat of the Orks is Scout-Sergeant Naaman. Naaman knows that the Orks are better organised than usual and notices that their reinforcements are arriving at regular intervals, even though there is no Ork ship in the atmosphere. Naaman takes it upon himself to find out where the Ork reinforcements are coming from. What he finds however, is not what he or his fellow Space Marines are expecting and the future of Piscina IV looks bleak as the odds turn against the Space Marines!
I thought this book was immense, not just because it features my favourite chapter, but because it was full of action, fighting, humour and amazing gadgets and inventions that I love to read about in a sci-fi novel. It was so fast paced! The Space Marines fought off waves and waves of Orks to protect Piscina IV from imminent destruction. For someone like me who is just getting into Warhammer, the book is also great because it teaches you about how the Dark Angels faction works and what the hierarchy is of all the different units, from the Space Marine all the way up to the Deathwing. Plus, it teaches you some history of the Chapter which made me just want to read more Dark Angels novels and more novels by Gav Thorpe!
I would suggest this book to anyone who is a fan of Warhammer 40k, especially if like me you play Dark Angels. I’d also suggest it to anyone who is into sci-fi novels like Wolf Dawn because even without the link to Warhammer, the novel is still a great sci-fi book!
For more book reviews check out http://adam-p-reviews.blogspot.co.uk/
February 26, 2011
So I finished this book the other day. I must say, I am really enjoying the Space Marine Battles books. It could be because I am a huge Space Marine Fanboy, or it could be because they are excellent books. I'm betting its a little of both.
This story, like the others, centers around one major engagement for a Space Marine chapter (well the Hunt for Voldorius had two chapters, but I digress). This chapter being the Dark Angels. If I had picked up this book before I had picked up William King's Rangar books, I probably would have been a Dark Angels player, I've always thought they were a cool chapter.
One of the first thing I want to say that I liked about this book is the fact that the Fallen, were only mentioned in passing. I am happy about this because it sometimes seems like the Black Library can do a Dark Angels book if they are dealing with the Fallen. It was nice to see them concentrate on something else.
This book also had a very cool opening. Orks fighting squats, er, demiurg only to be set upon by another warband of orks. There was some pretty hot warboss on warboss action. It didn't hurt that one of them was Ghazghkull mag uruk Thraka. Him and the Bad Moonz warboss decide to work together to smash some humies.
One of the things I liked about this book is that it felt like a bunch of short stories. I'm not sure why I enjoy short stories, but I do enjoy them. The first story is about a Chaplain that is trying to regain control of a Dark Angles chapel from the orks. Very well done. The Chaplain is a bit of a jerk, but you still have admire him for his determination. The second story is about a veteran scout Sergent. This one shows that all Space Marines are not the same. They all don't blindly follow order. Namaan does follow his orders, but he doesn't follow them blindly. The third story is about an Apothecary. I really enjoyed this one because there are not many stories from this point of view. I thought the scenes of battlefield triage were particularly well done, except for one part where he decides to get a dead space marine's progenoid gland by going through the back of his armor. It just seemed a bit odd. I don't understand why that would be easier.
One of the only things that bugged me about the book was how many times the space marines would say a phrase in "high gothic". Another was when they would say finish talking to a battle brother and end the conversation with "You are truly the shield of the Lion." And the other would say, "And you are truly his unsheathed sword," or something. I do believe that space marines talk that way, but it just got old after doing it again and again and again.
After a fun read, I give this book four deep striking Deathwing terminators out of five.
This story, like the others, centers around one major engagement for a Space Marine chapter (well the Hunt for Voldorius had two chapters, but I digress). This chapter being the Dark Angels. If I had picked up this book before I had picked up William King's Rangar books, I probably would have been a Dark Angels player, I've always thought they were a cool chapter.
One of the first thing I want to say that I liked about this book is the fact that the Fallen, were only mentioned in passing. I am happy about this because it sometimes seems like the Black Library can do a Dark Angels book if they are dealing with the Fallen. It was nice to see them concentrate on something else.
This book also had a very cool opening. Orks fighting squats, er, demiurg only to be set upon by another warband of orks. There was some pretty hot warboss on warboss action. It didn't hurt that one of them was Ghazghkull mag uruk Thraka. Him and the Bad Moonz warboss decide to work together to smash some humies.
One of the things I liked about this book is that it felt like a bunch of short stories. I'm not sure why I enjoy short stories, but I do enjoy them. The first story is about a Chaplain that is trying to regain control of a Dark Angles chapel from the orks. Very well done. The Chaplain is a bit of a jerk, but you still have admire him for his determination. The second story is about a veteran scout Sergent. This one shows that all Space Marines are not the same. They all don't blindly follow order. Namaan does follow his orders, but he doesn't follow them blindly. The third story is about an Apothecary. I really enjoyed this one because there are not many stories from this point of view. I thought the scenes of battlefield triage were particularly well done, except for one part where he decides to get a dead space marine's progenoid gland by going through the back of his armor. It just seemed a bit odd. I don't understand why that would be easier.
One of the only things that bugged me about the book was how many times the space marines would say a phrase in "high gothic". Another was when they would say finish talking to a battle brother and end the conversation with "You are truly the shield of the Lion." And the other would say, "And you are truly his unsheathed sword," or something. I do believe that space marines talk that way, but it just got old after doing it again and again and again.
After a fun read, I give this book four deep striking Deathwing terminators out of five.
August 5, 2013
With fond memories of Gav Thorpe and co.'s short stories in my monthly copy of White Dwarf, I felt like giving the Space Marine Battle Novels a go. I wondered whether 400 pages of battle planning and warmongering would actually be somehow interesting or whether the Warhanmer stories were best left as 'short' stories.
After the first thirty pages or so, I began to think the novel would prove to be extremely repetitive. However it largely escapes this point for two reasons. Firstly, the changing points of view make the action seem less linear and provide an overview of many different Space Marine classes in the Chapter (Chaplain, Scout, Apothecary, etc.). This came off as interesting both for its informative value (insight on the functions, thoughts or values of the said classes) and for the plot in itself, as it allowed the reader to truly immerse himself into the deepest corners of the chapter. Secondly, despite the omnipresence of war and battle planning ("In the grim future of the 41st century, there is only war."), Thorpe's writing is so vivid and graphic that it is impossible to not be taken in by the same bloodlust that fills the Space Marines or by the same anticipation for battle to commence.
Overall I enjoyed this novel. While I may not refer to it as 'great literature', I believe it served its purpose, that is to say it provided both entertainment and an immersion into the Warhammer 40K universe. Will be likely to look into the others in the series.
After the first thirty pages or so, I began to think the novel would prove to be extremely repetitive. However it largely escapes this point for two reasons. Firstly, the changing points of view make the action seem less linear and provide an overview of many different Space Marine classes in the Chapter (Chaplain, Scout, Apothecary, etc.). This came off as interesting both for its informative value (insight on the functions, thoughts or values of the said classes) and for the plot in itself, as it allowed the reader to truly immerse himself into the deepest corners of the chapter. Secondly, despite the omnipresence of war and battle planning ("In the grim future of the 41st century, there is only war."), Thorpe's writing is so vivid and graphic that it is impossible to not be taken in by the same bloodlust that fills the Space Marines or by the same anticipation for battle to commence.
Overall I enjoyed this novel. While I may not refer to it as 'great literature', I believe it served its purpose, that is to say it provided both entertainment and an immersion into the Warhammer 40K universe. Will be likely to look into the others in the series.
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