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The Horus Heresy #16
Age of Darkness
After the betrayal at Isstvan, Horus begins his campaign against the Emperor, a galaxy-wide war that can lead only to Terra. But the road to the final confrontation between father and son is a long one – seven years filled with secrecy and silence, plans and foundations being formed across distant stars. An unknown history is about to be unveiled as light is shed on the darkest years of the Horus Heresy, and revelations will surface that will shake the Imperium to its very foundation...
Rules of Engagement - Graham McNeill
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
Liar's Due - James Swallow
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
Forgotten Sons - Nick Kyme
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
The Last Remembrancer - John French
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
Rebirth - Chris Wraight
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
The Face of Treachery - Gav Thorpe
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
Little Horus - Dan Abnett
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
The Iron Within - Rob Sanders
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
Savage Weapons - Aaron Dembski-Bowden
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
Rules of Engagement - Graham McNeill
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
Liar's Due - James Swallow
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
Forgotten Sons - Nick Kyme
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
The Last Remembrancer - John French
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
Rebirth - Chris Wraight
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
The Face of Treachery - Gav Thorpe
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
Little Horus - Dan Abnett
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
The Iron Within - Rob Sanders
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
Savage Weapons - Aaron Dembski-Bowden
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
416 pages, Paperback
First published April 26, 2011
270 people are currently reading
2247 people want to read
About the author
Christian Z. Dunn
140 books62 followersChristian Dunn, sometimes credited as C.Z. Dunn, is a senior editor for Black Library.
Librarian note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Librarian note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 199 reviews
July 11, 2022
This was not bad at all. As many others, I tend to enjoy the Horus Heresy entries which are short story collections less than the actual novels, even though I think the concept is fantastic. While the main novels typically have a constrained focus on events within one legion or surrounding one major character, the anthologies explore the wider universe in little tidbits from around space, expanding on the impact of the Heresy the core to the corners of the series' environment. Age of Darkness was the best example of this so far
While it seemed a little strangely put together sometimes, and lacking an overall theme, there were some gems in here, and I particularly enjoyed James Swallow's Liar's Due for its emphasis on warfare through subterfuge rather than the classic gore-filled battles the series is known for.
My favourite story, however, was John French's The Last Remembrancer. While it is a fascinating read about the origins and development of the Remembrancer order, it also feels like one of the pieces of the puzzle which pictures the atmosphere around the transition at the heart of the series the best; namely the change from the illuminated golden age of the Great Crusade, to the bleak and hopeless era of Warhammer 40k's main setting.
While it seemed a little strangely put together sometimes, and lacking an overall theme, there were some gems in here, and I particularly enjoyed James Swallow's Liar's Due for its emphasis on warfare through subterfuge rather than the classic gore-filled battles the series is known for.
My favourite story, however, was John French's The Last Remembrancer. While it is a fascinating read about the origins and development of the Remembrancer order, it also feels like one of the pieces of the puzzle which pictures the atmosphere around the transition at the heart of the series the best; namely the change from the illuminated golden age of the Great Crusade, to the bleak and hopeless era of Warhammer 40k's main setting.
April 13, 2012
Some bad, others excellent. Worth it for the Iron Hands short story alone.
March 11, 2020
Another great book of short stories offering glimpses of what the Heresy, now about two years in, has done to the universe. Every story was at least very good, as usual some were better than others, but there were no bad ones. Shit is now getting complex and there are a LOT of characters and names to keep track of but its all still coherent and clear and very very entertaining. Each author brings something different to the table and that's what is keeping this series and these books fresh and enjoyable. Very well done and thought out story line that reminds me of the Marvel Universe and what they did over there organically for the past ten-eleven years.
April 18, 2018
-Escenas de relleno.-
Género. Relatos.
Lo que nos cuenta. El libro La era de la oscuridad (publicación original: Age of Darkness, 2011) es una antología de relatos de ciencia ficción, con Christian Dunn como responsable de la edición, que tratan distintos escenarios y momentos del inicio de las hostilidades de Horus contra el imperio en el universo del juego Warhammer 40.000. Decimosexto libro de la línea narrativa La herejía de Horus.
¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...
Género. Relatos.
Lo que nos cuenta. El libro La era de la oscuridad (publicación original: Age of Darkness, 2011) es una antología de relatos de ciencia ficción, con Christian Dunn como responsable de la edición, que tratan distintos escenarios y momentos del inicio de las hostilidades de Horus contra el imperio en el universo del juego Warhammer 40.000. Decimosexto libro de la línea narrativa La herejía de Horus.
¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...
April 28, 2024
April 2024 Read using the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project Reading Order (https://www.heresyomnibus.com) as part of my Oath of Moment to complete the Horus Heresy series and extras.
I have no idea when I actually finished this, as I currently have every one of the main series anthologies at various stages with the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project and only just started putting a document together so I can actually keep track.
I have reviewed each other the stories separately on here, but all the Horus Heresy anthologies have a real mix of quality of stories that add up to each of them being a phenemonal time, even if every story isn't phenemonal.
In this one I particularly enjoyed:
The Last Remembrancer by John French, which fits in nicely towards the end of the Knights Errant storyline before Vengeful Spirit. I think Solomon Voss is an incredibly compelling character and was thrilled to see him again in Sigismund: Eternal Crusader by John French. It's fascinating to see just how much of a toadie the Half Heard becomes on his own with a Primarch.
Little Horus by Dan Abnett is among one of my favourite Horus Heresy short stories and one that has stayed with me. Honestly, I thought it was John French, rather than Abnett, due to how beautifully bleak it is. This is one of two stories that share one amusing techniques in this anthology.
The Iron Within by Rob Sanders is another one of my favourites and the one that shares the amusing technique with Little Horus. The is one I have always remembered and appreciated, only more after reading Perturabo: Hammer of Olympia by David Annandale and I love following Dantioc's story across Unremembered Empire and Pharos.
Through using the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project (www.heresyomnibus.com) and my own choices, I have currently read 35 Horus Heresy novels (including 1 repeat and 2 anthologies), 22 novellas (including 2 repeats), 112 short stories/ audio dramas (including 6 repeats), as well as the Macragge's Honour graphic novel, 16 Primarchs novels, 4 Primarchs short stories/ audio dramas, 2 Characters novels, and 2 Warhammer 40K further reading novels and 1 short story...this run, as well as writing 1 short story myself (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1t...). I can't say enough good about the way the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project suggestions. I'm loving it! Especially after originally reading to the releases and being so frustrated at having to wait so long for a narrative to continue.
I have no idea when I actually finished this, as I currently have every one of the main series anthologies at various stages with the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project and only just started putting a document together so I can actually keep track.
I have reviewed each other the stories separately on here, but all the Horus Heresy anthologies have a real mix of quality of stories that add up to each of them being a phenemonal time, even if every story isn't phenemonal.
In this one I particularly enjoyed:
The Last Remembrancer by John French, which fits in nicely towards the end of the Knights Errant storyline before Vengeful Spirit. I think Solomon Voss is an incredibly compelling character and was thrilled to see him again in Sigismund: Eternal Crusader by John French. It's fascinating to see just how much of a toadie the Half Heard becomes on his own with a Primarch.
Little Horus by Dan Abnett is among one of my favourite Horus Heresy short stories and one that has stayed with me. Honestly, I thought it was John French, rather than Abnett, due to how beautifully bleak it is. This is one of two stories that share one amusing techniques in this anthology.
The Iron Within by Rob Sanders is another one of my favourites and the one that shares the amusing technique with Little Horus. The is one I have always remembered and appreciated, only more after reading Perturabo: Hammer of Olympia by David Annandale and I love following Dantioc's story across Unremembered Empire and Pharos.
Through using the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project (www.heresyomnibus.com) and my own choices, I have currently read 35 Horus Heresy novels (including 1 repeat and 2 anthologies), 22 novellas (including 2 repeats), 112 short stories/ audio dramas (including 6 repeats), as well as the Macragge's Honour graphic novel, 16 Primarchs novels, 4 Primarchs short stories/ audio dramas, 2 Characters novels, and 2 Warhammer 40K further reading novels and 1 short story...this run, as well as writing 1 short story myself (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1t...). I can't say enough good about the way the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project suggestions. I'm loving it! Especially after originally reading to the releases and being so frustrated at having to wait so long for a narrative to continue.
August 11, 2022
Of course, once they reattached his face, all he ever really looked was angry.
I started out thinking this was a miss. Tedious gap filling. References to events that haven’t occurred yet, such as the attack on Calth and Imperium Secundus.
So Roboute Gulliman is aware the Codex Astartes might not cover every situation? Yawn.
The Alpha Legion sure are sneaky. Boring.
Rogal Dorn sure is sad that things didn’t turn out the way he hoped. Give me a break.
Only the reappearance of Iacton Qruze, “The Half-Heard”, interests me. I like all three authors (McNeill, Swallow and French respectively) and the writing is good. Yet, they just don’t serve goals that I find interesting.
The Ascent
Nestled amongst these early stories is an effort by Kyme about a Salamander and Ultramarine performing diplomacy. The story asks too much from you. Space Marines suck at diplomacy and there isn’t really a way to write them to make them good, because why would they be good at it? The Traitors’ plan is a gibbering, contradictory mess. The Loyalists’ plan is possibly worse. But…
It was a fact the Ultramarine didn’t take well. ‘The Legiones Astartes do not surrender their arms. Prise my weapon from my cold, dead fingers – that is the only way a warrior of Ultramar would give up his bolter, so says my Lord Guilliman.’‘And my Lord Vulkan counsels temperance in the face of impasse. That pragmatism not pride is the solution to seemingly irreconcilable discord.’
…he gets across what it is like to be an Ultramarine who cannot serve in the front line. He makes the Salamander interesting beyond their default and over-repeated “I like the humans” character trait. And Kyme also shows why the Imperium aren’t quite the good guys of the Horus Heresy, as portrayed by the Traitors:
(i) The destruction of Monarchia because the EMPEROR OF MANKIND had a tizzy about divine worship of him.
(ii) Isstvan Three is a scrap between his unloved and unattended sons.
(iii) Dagonet is an attempted murder by deranged assassins.
(iv) Prospero is, well:
Wolves unleashed on a cultured world and a son that desired only to please his father. The subsequent razing of the planet was made to show the Emperor’s inability to forgive or grant mercy.
It’s not that you can counter these portrayals, it’s that these portrayals plausibly exist within the universe. It’s a dark form of liberalism – in Warhammer 40K, every individual has his own defensible viewpoint about the atrocities they commit.
Moving on, the sojourn of the World Eaters on Prospero by Wraight and the saving of the Raven Guard at Isstvan Five by Thorpe are also better without being outstanding. While they are box ticking exercises – Khârn needs to become mean and Corax needs to be rescued – the elements of misdirection (the Alpha Legion actually do something interesting) and reflection (was there a chance that Khârn could have been saved?), mean they work, if not much more than workmanlike.
The Ascension
Is it a good idea to put the best stories at the end? Are they meant to be a treat for working through the shuffling of pieces on the chessboard?
“Little” Horus Aximund has been on the sidelines since the original trilogy. He was the least interesting of the Mournival. Now back in the hands of Black Library’s best(?) author, Abnett, he is redeemed.
By having his face cut off.
It was the visor and snout section of his own helmet, the entire faceplate. It had been sheared off, peeled cleanly away, as though shaved by an industrial slicer. And it was not empty.
It’s a simple story, but Little Horus, haunted in his dreams by a faceless man until his own face is restored (conceded, Warhammer 40K will never have subtle or complicated analogies) becomes an interesting and talented villain worth killing. Abnett reveals who will (eventually) kill him at the same moment Little Horus is reassured of the impossibility of that person killing him:
A man could not be afraid of the dead.
Penultimately, Sanders’ handling of a renegade unit of Iron Warriors manages to be faithful to the nature of that Legion (siege experts), fun (blowing up a fortress and seizing the besiegers’ flagship) and touching (the interactions between hrud survivors Dantioch and Vastopol nearly brought tears – a commendable effort in a pressurised cabin at 30,000 feet).
‘Our honoured brother is taking his leave,’ Dantioch said. His words were hollow and shot through with loneliness and the simple sadness of loss.
Then again, once they reattached his face, all he ever really looked was invincible.
I’m not sure how to describe Dembski-Bowden’s effort, which closes the collection.
‘I am Alajos,’ he told them. ‘Captain of the Ninth Order of the First Legion. Brother to all knights, son to one world, sworn to one lord.’ Sevatar lowered his halberd with a lance’s intent. The whirring teeth chewed air with a petulant whine. ‘I am Sevatar the Condemned,’ he growled, ‘and I will wear your skin as a cloak before dawn ruins the sky.’
It’s a talk. It’s two talks. It’s a fight. It’s two fights. It’s between a knight and a murderer, but it’s the knight who cheats.
‘For such a dishonourable blow,’ the Lion whispered into Curze’s pale, bleeding face. ‘I do not care who knows the truth now, tomorrow, or in ten thousand years. Loyalty is its own reward.’
…and it’s the knight who loses, saved only by a subordinate who fled his own fight, who condemned his own comrade to death in doing so. The set up; the horrific wit of Curze and Servatar; the execution; the callbacks to Dembski-Bowden’s trilogy; the absoluteness that the Lion and Curze are fated by the laws of good storytelling to face off once more, carrying the weight of this battle with them…
…it’s fantastic.
‘So which are you, a traitor or a fool?’
The Night Lord’s voice revealed his own smile, even if his soulless helm did not.
‘Both.’
I started out thinking this was a miss. Tedious gap filling. References to events that haven’t occurred yet, such as the attack on Calth and Imperium Secundus.
So Roboute Gulliman is aware the Codex Astartes might not cover every situation? Yawn.
The Alpha Legion sure are sneaky. Boring.
Rogal Dorn sure is sad that things didn’t turn out the way he hoped. Give me a break.
Only the reappearance of Iacton Qruze, “The Half-Heard”, interests me. I like all three authors (McNeill, Swallow and French respectively) and the writing is good. Yet, they just don’t serve goals that I find interesting.
The Ascent
Nestled amongst these early stories is an effort by Kyme about a Salamander and Ultramarine performing diplomacy. The story asks too much from you. Space Marines suck at diplomacy and there isn’t really a way to write them to make them good, because why would they be good at it? The Traitors’ plan is a gibbering, contradictory mess. The Loyalists’ plan is possibly worse. But…
It was a fact the Ultramarine didn’t take well. ‘The Legiones Astartes do not surrender their arms. Prise my weapon from my cold, dead fingers – that is the only way a warrior of Ultramar would give up his bolter, so says my Lord Guilliman.’‘And my Lord Vulkan counsels temperance in the face of impasse. That pragmatism not pride is the solution to seemingly irreconcilable discord.’
…he gets across what it is like to be an Ultramarine who cannot serve in the front line. He makes the Salamander interesting beyond their default and over-repeated “I like the humans” character trait. And Kyme also shows why the Imperium aren’t quite the good guys of the Horus Heresy, as portrayed by the Traitors:
(i) The destruction of Monarchia because the EMPEROR OF MANKIND had a tizzy about divine worship of him.
(ii) Isstvan Three is a scrap between his unloved and unattended sons.
(iii) Dagonet is an attempted murder by deranged assassins.
(iv) Prospero is, well:
Wolves unleashed on a cultured world and a son that desired only to please his father. The subsequent razing of the planet was made to show the Emperor’s inability to forgive or grant mercy.
It’s not that you can counter these portrayals, it’s that these portrayals plausibly exist within the universe. It’s a dark form of liberalism – in Warhammer 40K, every individual has his own defensible viewpoint about the atrocities they commit.
Moving on, the sojourn of the World Eaters on Prospero by Wraight and the saving of the Raven Guard at Isstvan Five by Thorpe are also better without being outstanding. While they are box ticking exercises – Khârn needs to become mean and Corax needs to be rescued – the elements of misdirection (the Alpha Legion actually do something interesting) and reflection (was there a chance that Khârn could have been saved?), mean they work, if not much more than workmanlike.
The Ascension
Is it a good idea to put the best stories at the end? Are they meant to be a treat for working through the shuffling of pieces on the chessboard?
“Little” Horus Aximund has been on the sidelines since the original trilogy. He was the least interesting of the Mournival. Now back in the hands of Black Library’s best(?) author, Abnett, he is redeemed.
By having his face cut off.
It was the visor and snout section of his own helmet, the entire faceplate. It had been sheared off, peeled cleanly away, as though shaved by an industrial slicer. And it was not empty.
It’s a simple story, but Little Horus, haunted in his dreams by a faceless man until his own face is restored (conceded, Warhammer 40K will never have subtle or complicated analogies) becomes an interesting and talented villain worth killing. Abnett reveals who will (eventually) kill him at the same moment Little Horus is reassured of the impossibility of that person killing him:
A man could not be afraid of the dead.
Penultimately, Sanders’ handling of a renegade unit of Iron Warriors manages to be faithful to the nature of that Legion (siege experts), fun (blowing up a fortress and seizing the besiegers’ flagship) and touching (the interactions between hrud survivors Dantioch and Vastopol nearly brought tears – a commendable effort in a pressurised cabin at 30,000 feet).
‘Our honoured brother is taking his leave,’ Dantioch said. His words were hollow and shot through with loneliness and the simple sadness of loss.
Then again, once they reattached his face, all he ever really looked was invincible.
I’m not sure how to describe Dembski-Bowden’s effort, which closes the collection.
‘I am Alajos,’ he told them. ‘Captain of the Ninth Order of the First Legion. Brother to all knights, son to one world, sworn to one lord.’ Sevatar lowered his halberd with a lance’s intent. The whirring teeth chewed air with a petulant whine. ‘I am Sevatar the Condemned,’ he growled, ‘and I will wear your skin as a cloak before dawn ruins the sky.’
It’s a talk. It’s two talks. It’s a fight. It’s two fights. It’s between a knight and a murderer, but it’s the knight who cheats.
‘For such a dishonourable blow,’ the Lion whispered into Curze’s pale, bleeding face. ‘I do not care who knows the truth now, tomorrow, or in ten thousand years. Loyalty is its own reward.’
…and it’s the knight who loses, saved only by a subordinate who fled his own fight, who condemned his own comrade to death in doing so. The set up; the horrific wit of Curze and Servatar; the execution; the callbacks to Dembski-Bowden’s trilogy; the absoluteness that the Lion and Curze are fated by the laws of good storytelling to face off once more, carrying the weight of this battle with them…
…it’s fantastic.
‘So which are you, a traitor or a fool?’
The Night Lord’s voice revealed his own smile, even if his soulless helm did not.
‘Both.’
June 16, 2025
Nah, fk it. I really enjoyed all of these. 5-stars
October 28, 2022
Rules of Engagement - Graham McNeill
[1 star] Incredibly boring ultramarine story about how Guillimans space marine rulebook is always correct. But dont use it as a sure success for warfare! Even though it always works in the end!
Liar's Due - James Swallow
[3 stars] Interesting little take on a farming world and how the normal people are influenced by the war at large.
The Last Remembrancer - John French
[3 stars] Some old characters return and a fairly interesting interrogation takes place.
Rebirth - Chris Wraight
[3 stars] cool aftermath thousand son story with a twist.
The Face of Treachery - Gav Thorpe
[1 star] completely forgot what this one was even about. I remember a trial and some dumb decisions being made. I ended up skimming through most of it.
Little Horus - Dan Abnett
[4 stars] Dan Abnett writes a pretty cool story about Horus Aximand and some returning sons of horus characters, and we get to know why he looks the way he does now.
The Iron Within - Rob Sanders
[3 stars] I enjoyed this one pretty okay, it had a slow start but it was mostly a pretty intense battle. Seeing that not every iron warrior turned traitor is also nice.
Savage Weapons - Aaron Dembski-Bowden
[4 stars] Suprisingly enjoyed this one? I dont know why exactly because it didn't do all that much special but I hadn't read about Curze much before and to see the Lion and Curze clash off a bit was entertaining. I enjoyed the differences between the two and how Curze is more a psychopathic killer.
[1 star] Incredibly boring ultramarine story about how Guillimans space marine rulebook is always correct. But dont use it as a sure success for warfare! Even though it always works in the end!
Liar's Due - James Swallow
[3 stars] Interesting little take on a farming world and how the normal people are influenced by the war at large.
The Last Remembrancer - John French
[3 stars] Some old characters return and a fairly interesting interrogation takes place.
Rebirth - Chris Wraight
[3 stars] cool aftermath thousand son story with a twist.
The Face of Treachery - Gav Thorpe
[1 star] completely forgot what this one was even about. I remember a trial and some dumb decisions being made. I ended up skimming through most of it.
Little Horus - Dan Abnett
[4 stars] Dan Abnett writes a pretty cool story about Horus Aximand and some returning sons of horus characters, and we get to know why he looks the way he does now.
The Iron Within - Rob Sanders
[3 stars] I enjoyed this one pretty okay, it had a slow start but it was mostly a pretty intense battle. Seeing that not every iron warrior turned traitor is also nice.
Savage Weapons - Aaron Dembski-Bowden
[4 stars] Suprisingly enjoyed this one? I dont know why exactly because it didn't do all that much special but I hadn't read about Curze much before and to see the Lion and Curze clash off a bit was entertaining. I enjoyed the differences between the two and how Curze is more a psychopathic killer.
September 9, 2016
Probably a 4.5 as a whole
Rules of Engagement **** Interesting to see how the Great Work of Guilliman came about. Plus Remus is in it.
Liar's Due ***** Not your knock down drag out Space Marine battle story. It showcases the subtle war of the Alpha Legion and the relationship of fathers to their sons and vice versa. Really enjoyed it.
Forgotten Sons*** Not my favorite. Good idea, interesting storytelling.
The Last Rememberancer **** Good to see some old characters show up again.
Rebirth***** Thousand Sons! I found myself wanting more and Wraight does a great job leading the reader so that the twist is a surprise.
The Face of Treachery ***** Great story. Bit of a rehash but from a different perspective.
Little Horus *** Wanted more.
The Iron Within**** I liked it even though I am not an Iron Warriors fan.
Savage Weapons ***** Dark Angels and Night Lords. Great story, great action.
Rules of Engagement **** Interesting to see how the Great Work of Guilliman came about. Plus Remus is in it.
Liar's Due ***** Not your knock down drag out Space Marine battle story. It showcases the subtle war of the Alpha Legion and the relationship of fathers to their sons and vice versa. Really enjoyed it.
Forgotten Sons*** Not my favorite. Good idea, interesting storytelling.
The Last Rememberancer **** Good to see some old characters show up again.
Rebirth***** Thousand Sons! I found myself wanting more and Wraight does a great job leading the reader so that the twist is a surprise.
The Face of Treachery ***** Great story. Bit of a rehash but from a different perspective.
Little Horus *** Wanted more.
The Iron Within**** I liked it even though I am not an Iron Warriors fan.
Savage Weapons ***** Dark Angels and Night Lords. Great story, great action.
August 12, 2020
It's been a while since I finished this one (probably back in March), so I can't go into too great of detail here. I do remember it being another short story collection that starts on a weak note - calling your collection "Age of Darkness" and then having your first story be almost... silly? is an odd choice. Looking back at it, I think I liked about half of the stories quite a bit, and sort of disliked the other half, so... 3 stars it is!
June 21, 2018
A decent collection of short stories in the Warhammer 30k universe. Rather disjointed.
January 6, 2023
This anthology of Horus Heresy short stories takes place several years into the civil war. "Rules of Engagement" by Graham McNeill was o.k.. It was about the Ultramarines doing wargames. "Liar's Due" by James Swallow explores how minor worlds would be effected by the Heresy. "Forgotten Sons" by Nick Kyme was interesting; it featured some espionage elements. "Little Horus" by Dan Abnett was nostalgic. It hearkens back to the first three novels. It was intriguing to experience the pov of the Sons of Horus again. "The Iron Within" was an interesting story of a siege, and there is a cool Dreadnought. Overall, this was a pleasurable read.
February 22, 2023
Ah yes, just one of the many, many, many useless anthologies that have little to nothing to do with the main plot.
Still, much more enjoyable that the previous abomination of a book called Prospero Burns (read my review).
Iron Within and Savage Weapons are top-notch stories. The other seven, ehh, are completely forgettable.
N.B: Johnathan Keeble is the most boring narrator ever.
Still, much more enjoyable that the previous abomination of a book called Prospero Burns (read my review).
Iron Within and Savage Weapons are top-notch stories. The other seven, ehh, are completely forgettable.
N.B: Johnathan Keeble is the most boring narrator ever.
August 16, 2023
Un compendio de relatos cortos en los que ya se conoce de la Herejía y en los que los Ultramarines tienen gran protagonismo. Los autores son de los mejores y se nota en que están muy equilibrados. Salvo alguno que se me ha hecho pesado, todos los demás han despertado en mí un interés de lectura, e incluso, alguno me ha hecho olvidarme de que terminaría pocas páginas después.
September 14, 2023
Mi aventura en el mundo de Warhammer 40.000 continúa, esta vez con la décimo sexta entrega de la Herejía de Horus. Y esta novela es en realidad una colección de relatos de diferentes autores y con diferentes protagonistas, a lo largo de todo el imperio. Algo que explica bien la sinopsis: el camino que lleva al enfrentamiento entre padre e hijo es muy largo: siete años llenos de secretos y de silencios, de planes y de proyectos.
El primer relato se titula Reglas de combate, de Graham McNeill. Lo cierto es que me parece el mejor relato para comenzar, pues nos narra varios combates que involucran a la XIII legión, los Ultramarines, de la que poco hemos sabido a lo largo de toda esta guerra. Además me ha encantado su final. De mis favoritos.
El legado del mentiroso, de James Swallow. En un pequeño pueblo agrícola las noticias sobre la rebelión de Horus comienzan a llegar con cuentagotas y la gente se hace preguntas a las que nadie da respuestas. Parece además que el último anuncio oficial es lo suficientemente impactante como para que por fin haya que tomar decisiones en la colonia. Me gustó mucho el desarrollo.
Hijos olvidados, de Nick Kyme. Viajamos en una nave que intenta aterrizar para llevar a un par de astartes en misión diplomática. Un mundo hasta ahora perteneciente al imperio desea escuchar a emisarios de ambos bandos para decidir a quién serán leales de ahora en adelante. Horus ha enviado políticos, sin embargo el Emperador envía guerreros. Estos deberán moverse fuera de su zona de confort, o quizás no tanto ? Entretenido relato que tiene de todo.
—Sólo con la muerte se acaba nuestro deber hacia el sueño del Emperador, y sólo con nuestra muerte morirá ese sueño. No pienso permitir que ese sueño muera. ¡¿Y vosotros?! La Cuarta Compañía respondió como un solo hombre. —¡Jamás!
El último rememorador, de John French. Una nave con la insignia de Horus llega a la galaxia, es interceptada y dentro solo un ocupante sobrevive. El título nos hace spoiler sobre su identidad, pero la trama que gira a su alrededor me resultó interesante por los temas que trata, tanto filosóficos, como éticos. Es sencillo, corto y los personajes escogidos siempre resultan interesantes.
Renacimiento, de Chris Wright. Menes Kalliston, marine de los Mil Hijos, regresa a un Próspero ya arrasado por la lucha con los lobos. Este relato se narra en dos tiempos, tenemos al marine de la XV legión recién apresado por un misterioso captor, contando en primera perona como está siendo interrogado. Y por otro lado se nos cuenta en pasado como es que sucedió para que terminara en dicha situación. Resulta interesante en gran parte gracias al uso de los dos tiempos y las ganas de conocer la identidad del interrogador.
La cara de la traición, de Gav Thorpe. Este relato se desarrolla en Istvan, en los momentos posteriores a la gran masacre. Nos sitúan primero en una nave de los traidores Devoradores de mundos, y después con la Guardia del Cuervo. Unos están persiguiendo a una nave de los Salamandras por el sistema, aunque esto cambiará a lo largo del tiempo. Y otros desean descubrir qué ha pasado y conocer el estado de su primarca, Corvus Corax, por lo que se mueven silenciosos por el sistema esperando cumplir su misión. Tiene tensión y un buen final.
—Cualquier persona cuerda debe preocuparse por lo que deparará el futuro, pero si algo he aprendido, es que no puedes dejarte llevar por lo que quizá es posible que pase. Una existencia vivida a la sombra de posibilidades que no se han cumplido es limitada y demasiado centrada en uno mismo.
Pequeño Horus, de Dan Abnett. Horus Aximand es el protagonista de este relato. Hay dos cosas a saber, como ha resultado herido y quienes serán los nuevos integrantes del Mournival después de las bajas de nuestros queridos Loken y Torgaddon. Una invasión nos servirá de excusa para conocer a los implicados y de paso divertirnos un rato.
Hierro por dentro, de Rob Sanders. Un capitán de la legión de los Guerreros de Hierro de Perturabo continua fiel al emperador en su bastión, Schandehold. Y cuando sus propios compañeros le vienen a imponer las nuevas órdenes del primarca, este no dudará en defender la base hasta el final. Me gustaron mucho todos sus personajes y toda la acción, incluido su final.
Armas salvajes, de Aaron Dembski-Bowden. El León intenta mantener los planetas del Imperio con su legión de Los Ángeles Oscuros peleando contra las tropas de su hermano y antiguo camarada, Konrad Curze. Llevan así más de 2 años, en parte debido a que las tormentas de la disformidad no le dejan regresar a Terra, pero ha surgido la oportunidad de tener un parlamento con su hermano y no la desaprovechará. Está bien, pero es el que menos me ha sorprendido.
No me importa quién sepa la verdad, hoy, mañana o dentro de diez mil años. La lealtad es mi propia recompensa.
Son 9 relatos en total que navegan por todo el espacio con diferentes ambientaciones y todas profundizando en las diversas formas en que se está llevando a cabo esta guerra. Tenemos el punto de vista de diversas legiones, leales y traidoras, y varios relatos muy humanos. Esto es algo que me ha gustado sobremanera, dado que te acerca más al sentir que puede tener la gente llana ante estas cosas de escala cósmica y que muchas veces parecen reducidas a puentes de mando y astartes en acción, pero esto afecta a toda la humanidad.
6/10
Puesto que este es el primer libro de relatos de la saga, no tengo con qué comparar, pero si puedo decir que me ha resultado muy entretenido. Cada relato tiene su punto, su estilo y eso resulta muy interesante. A cada hora de lectura tienes una nueva perspectiva, y aunque por contra no hay tanto tiempo para empatizar con los peronajes. si he sentido que aquí consiguen esto de forma realmente efectiva con muchos de los protagonistas.
En resumen, para mi esta antología de relatos de la guerra del milenio 30.000 resulta recomendable si te está gustando la Herejía de Horus. Tiene algún relato sencillamente pasable, la mayoría interesantes y alguno ciertamente notable. Seguramente no sea imprescindible, pero yo pasé un buen rato y el tiempo invertido ha merecido la pena.
Un saludo.
January 28, 2019
Another well placed collection of short stories to remind the reader that there is a much bigger universe going by as you read each new book in the series. These short stories are full of minute details that will play much larger roles later and we even get several instance of Primarch interactions along the way. Some of the stories are less meaningful than others, but all in all, the stories are very good.
April 26, 2021
I always tend to find the collection of stories less enjoyable. They appear either too rushed, or leaving you wanting more. I appreciate the lore reasons for filling in the blanks, but this was just not my cup of tea.
Read
January 14, 2025First book of the year! Took me forever because I accidentally started playing a game that ate up a ton of the time I'd planned to use to read this over my holiday break, but that happens sometimes. Anyways since this is a shorts collection and I read it as an anthology rather than everything separately I figured I'd get into some thoughts regarding the individual stories.
1. Rules of Engagement
Prefacing this by saying I am not a huge Ultramarines fan. I'm trying very hard, though, and stories like this do a lot to endear me to them and also to Guilliman, who I am warming to on the basis of "his stress response to anything is 'writing rulebooks'". It really does betray how rigidly he thinks- if I remember correctly it was Alpharius who mentioned people get annoyed with him because he believes he's "solved war" or what have you. It's equal parts cute and infuriating, quite frankly.
Was fun to see Venatus again also, though I suppose if you're reading these books in the intended order it's actually seeing him for the first time(?) since Know No Fear came out after this one did. Definitely one of the more interesting Ultramarines, though I suppose there's something to be said also about how consistently the most interesting ones are those who absolutely do not adhere to the chapter's most rigid tenets.
Solid. Does make me want to read more of Guilliman's backstory related stuff, so certainly a W.
2. Liar's Due
LOVED this one. It's always a lot of fun getting a break from the generally assumed perspectives in Horus Heresy- people that are really at the center of it in one way or another- to focus in instead on Shit Eating Peasant Number 463258 and his gravel farm in the middle of nowhere. Probably better if you go into it knowing nothing about who or what it's about but it does become obvious (or at least fairly easy to guess) pretty soon. That's not an insult, though, it lends another layer to everything happening here for absolute certain.
I think generally speaking this author is better at writing short stories than long-form. I thought this was great and thought Lantern's Light was also quite nice, and was not as impressed by the two full-length novels of his I've read. Just my opinion though
3. Forgotten Sons
This one... I liked a lot of the individual parts and concepts here. I think the idea of sending any given Astartes (especially an Ultramarine) to essentially be a lawyer is genuinely hilarious, and the fact that the Astartes in question is depicted candidly as terrible at it- both because he's not really a person enough to appeal to people, and because the opposing counsel makes legitimate, sensical points- is great. I also do like conceptually the idea of Astartes struggling with their version of PTSD, something that should by all rights be a biological unknown to them that still manages to affect those who witnessed something horrible enough. Many thoughts in my mind about how a population of soldiers who would generally not even have to acknowledge trauma as a thing would have no resources available to them- even extremely basic common knowledge ones- to help them deal with it.
I was not as entirely enthused about this short as a sum of its parts, however. It would have been better in a lot of regards if it had more solidly stuck to the courtroom drama conceit. Maybe that's just because I really like courtroom dramas in general, but I loved every bit of that part of the story.
Still- good stuff to chew on.
4. The Last Remembrancer
Remembrancers as a caste in Warhammer- and historians, archaeologists, et. cetera- always make me feel... really some kind of way, when they're introduced in a story. Even as early as the first Heresy novel, every time you meet one of them you have to do so with the knowledge that their life's work is some of the most important stuff there is, and also ultimately meaningless. There is nothing they create that won't be destroyed, censored, or heavily propagandized to the point where it's basically unrecognizable by the time the 41st Millennium rolls around, and you read about these people with the dramatic irony of knowing their existence might as well amount to them trying to hold back the tide. (Literally the only exception I can think of off the top of my head is the fact that despite all odds Kynska's music survives the next 10,000 years, and even then it seems like the only person around who knows the significance of it and also actually appreciates it is Fabius Bile. Which isn't nothing, but isn't much either.)
This story is kind of symbolic of that idea, both in and out of universe. We're moving on from an era where truth matters, inasmuch as it ever did, into one where ignorance is considered a virtue and humanity has forgotten far more than it knows, and not only is the light of knowledge dying, it is actively being killed- by the Imperium's enemies, but also in HUGE part by the Imperium itself. It may be inevitable- we all know what the universe looks like in M41- but that doesn't make it any better to witness. Or to cause, as the case is for Dorn.
Really liked this one. Also fun to see Qruze again, even if it did make me extremely sad. Funny that a huge part of his thing in the first few books was how much older and frailer he was than his brothers, and that he managed to outlive no small number of them despite that.
5. Rebirth
I have hired this dog to stare at you.
This was touched upon a bit in Forgotten Sons from the other direction and also comes up a lot with various dreadnought characters in a few separate books (very notably Betrayer, if I'm remembering correctly) but I do find the idea of "wow I was incapacitated/otherwise removed from current events for a bit due to factors beyond my control and when I came back suddenly we're having a civil war" to be, like. Tragically hilarious. It's not good! Thousand Sons it seems are especially unfortunate in this regard. Coming out of the warp to suddenly discover your house has been burned down, your dad is missing, and your cousins are all trying to kill you for one reason or another... sure is something. It's not even specifically Magnus' fault, either (something which has been relitigated for actual years at this point- you know how it is).
Not my favorite in the collection, something in it kind of fell flat for me, but... premise quite interesting. I like getting stuff from the perspective of Tsons, too, their occultism from their POV is always a good time.
6. The Face of Treachery
As far as just the story itself goes, probably the weakest one in the collection. To me, at least. Just not super compelling to me. I DID, however, really love the end of it, which I will avoid talking about in specifics for spoiler reasons. Mostly notable for that, and in how it fills in a few "okay so clearly something happened here that I just don't know about" gaps in the timeline. Let's move on.
7. Little Horus
I MISSED THIS GUY. I have a bit of a soft spot for Aximand in the same way I have a soft spot for the entire HH 1-3 Mournival just by virtue of them being some of the first Space Marine characters I really got to actually know and spend time with, but there's just something about him that I find very cute. Maybe it's the "little" epithet, which is frankly kind of adorable (made all the moreso by the fact that the Other Horus calls him "little one", goodness gracious) or just the fact that he's usually standing next to Abaddon, who directly contrasts him by virtue of being huge and surly. Whatever it is, I do love him, the kinslaying traitorous bastard that he is.
And as per usual, I simply love Abnett's style of writing. What can I say that I haven't already said? The guy just knows how to craft compelling prose. The way he writes the other Horus is also still my favorite- as a father and mentor figure that you can still understand why people look up to and are ceaselessly loyal to, despite every objectively terrible thing he's done thus far (and every terrible thing we as the audience know he's going to do in the future). The bit where he's playing the not-chess game with Aximand is genuinely quite cute, and feels shockingly normal against the backdrop of. Well. Everything.
I like the scope of HH, I like that it's a story about so many different factions and people, but it does make me sad sometimes to have to leave behind characters I like and am invested in simply because they're not always the most important part of it. It's really nice to be able to return sometimes and spend a little more time with certain ones I haven't seen in a while, and this is a quite good little character study of one of those. Also contains a description of something unpleasant happening to Aximand that, despite being not graphic at all, did make me viscerally, physically cringe in real life. Yeeeowch.
(Also, as a side note, and a direct consequence of the specific way in which I am crazy-- l am feeling deeply unhinged about the way this short story starts with one of Lady Macbeth's most famous quotes. What did they mean by this. I guess it's symbolic of the way Aximand appears or seems a lot more gentle/less threatening than he actually is, but... thinking very hard.)
8. The Iron Within
I feel very bad for authors who have to describe intra-legion warfare, it always reads so disorientating, which is I suppose part of the point. But still!
Love Iron Warriors. I think I find them more interesting from a traitor perspective, just given what their whole deal is, though. The way the legion as a whole is slowly ground down and broken over the course of the crusade and as a reflection of their father... but I kind of like Dantioch as a reverse of that too, where instead of feeling discarded or overlooked by the Emperor, he (justifiably) feels that towards Perturabo instead. I always am a little weak for narratives where the Primarchs fail their own children in almost the exact same way as their father failed them.
(I may have to reread Perturabo's Primarch novel at some point, because I did extremely forget who Dantioch was, unfortunately. But that's not a bad thing, I love that novel.)
9. Savage Weapons
Every time I see ADB's name on something I know it's about to make me feel demented about like, Space Marines as a concept. This story is especially impressive because the pull quote before the actual text of it began was enough to make me feel that way. Wow! I want to chew on a 2x4. Recontextualizing the term "Emperor's Angels" in a way that's less "these are blessed protectors" and more "in getting closer to divinity you've estranged yourself from humanity" is CRAZY, I can't believe it didn't parse to me like that before now but it's something I'm never going to be able to not think about going forwards. And going right from that to the main character of this short, a guy who is a dyed-in-the-wool loyalist, having an internal monologue about how Caliban escaped being tithed in money or resources by instead "selling its sons into willing slavery".
Of course it also goes without saying that I'm an enjoyer of Night Lords, and it's always especially delightful to watch Sevatar just Be Sevatar. There's something not right about that guy, and I like when it's explored from his perspective but I equally love when it's someone else (non-NL) looking at him and he just comes across as a horrible little asshole. Imagine being such a persistent dickhead that you get a rise out of Lion El'Jonson, of all people. Unbelievably funny guy.
It's fun to see Lion's dynamic with his brothers explored a little too, since before this point I think I've only really gotten to see him speak with Perturabo VERY briefly and had it mentioned a few times in passing that he's fought various other brothers. I'll be reading the Imperium Secundus stuff at some point in the future so I'm sure I'll be inundated with that whenever I do, but for now this is what I have... it's kind of charming that Lion's basis for seeking friendship or at least true brotherhood with Curze in the past was out of a sense of kinship from them both living such a long time in isolation. I would have liked to be a fly on the wall when all that was going on.
Having read both Night Haunter the novel and Prince of Crows it's not really surprising where all of this went, but I really like the angle this story takes on Curze and Lion's battle here as well. It's so much less a clash of warriors and so much more a messy, emotional spat between brothers. The way they have to literally be dragged apart like they're children having a fight on the playground evokes less of a feeling of awe and more of the kind of sadness owed to a story that's ultimately a family drama. They do feel like oversized kids, unable to handle their dispute in any meaningfully diplomatic way, their communication doomed to break down because they've both got too much of an emotional investment in it to be objective. AUGH!!!! Painful!!!
1. Rules of Engagement
Prefacing this by saying I am not a huge Ultramarines fan. I'm trying very hard, though, and stories like this do a lot to endear me to them and also to Guilliman, who I am warming to on the basis of "his stress response to anything is 'writing rulebooks'". It really does betray how rigidly he thinks- if I remember correctly it was Alpharius who mentioned people get annoyed with him because he believes he's "solved war" or what have you. It's equal parts cute and infuriating, quite frankly.
Was fun to see Venatus again also, though I suppose if you're reading these books in the intended order it's actually seeing him for the first time(?) since Know No Fear came out after this one did. Definitely one of the more interesting Ultramarines, though I suppose there's something to be said also about how consistently the most interesting ones are those who absolutely do not adhere to the chapter's most rigid tenets.
Solid. Does make me want to read more of Guilliman's backstory related stuff, so certainly a W.
2. Liar's Due
LOVED this one. It's always a lot of fun getting a break from the generally assumed perspectives in Horus Heresy- people that are really at the center of it in one way or another- to focus in instead on Shit Eating Peasant Number 463258 and his gravel farm in the middle of nowhere. Probably better if you go into it knowing nothing about who or what it's about but it does become obvious (or at least fairly easy to guess) pretty soon. That's not an insult, though, it lends another layer to everything happening here for absolute certain.
I think generally speaking this author is better at writing short stories than long-form. I thought this was great and thought Lantern's Light was also quite nice, and was not as impressed by the two full-length novels of his I've read. Just my opinion though
3. Forgotten Sons
This one... I liked a lot of the individual parts and concepts here. I think the idea of sending any given Astartes (especially an Ultramarine) to essentially be a lawyer is genuinely hilarious, and the fact that the Astartes in question is depicted candidly as terrible at it- both because he's not really a person enough to appeal to people, and because the opposing counsel makes legitimate, sensical points- is great. I also do like conceptually the idea of Astartes struggling with their version of PTSD, something that should by all rights be a biological unknown to them that still manages to affect those who witnessed something horrible enough. Many thoughts in my mind about how a population of soldiers who would generally not even have to acknowledge trauma as a thing would have no resources available to them- even extremely basic common knowledge ones- to help them deal with it.
I was not as entirely enthused about this short as a sum of its parts, however. It would have been better in a lot of regards if it had more solidly stuck to the courtroom drama conceit. Maybe that's just because I really like courtroom dramas in general, but I loved every bit of that part of the story.
Still- good stuff to chew on.
4. The Last Remembrancer
Remembrancers as a caste in Warhammer- and historians, archaeologists, et. cetera- always make me feel... really some kind of way, when they're introduced in a story. Even as early as the first Heresy novel, every time you meet one of them you have to do so with the knowledge that their life's work is some of the most important stuff there is, and also ultimately meaningless. There is nothing they create that won't be destroyed, censored, or heavily propagandized to the point where it's basically unrecognizable by the time the 41st Millennium rolls around, and you read about these people with the dramatic irony of knowing their existence might as well amount to them trying to hold back the tide. (Literally the only exception I can think of off the top of my head is the fact that despite all odds Kynska's music survives the next 10,000 years, and even then it seems like the only person around who knows the significance of it and also actually appreciates it is Fabius Bile. Which isn't nothing, but isn't much either.)
This story is kind of symbolic of that idea, both in and out of universe. We're moving on from an era where truth matters, inasmuch as it ever did, into one where ignorance is considered a virtue and humanity has forgotten far more than it knows, and not only is the light of knowledge dying, it is actively being killed- by the Imperium's enemies, but also in HUGE part by the Imperium itself. It may be inevitable- we all know what the universe looks like in M41- but that doesn't make it any better to witness. Or to cause, as the case is for Dorn.
Really liked this one. Also fun to see Qruze again, even if it did make me extremely sad. Funny that a huge part of his thing in the first few books was how much older and frailer he was than his brothers, and that he managed to outlive no small number of them despite that.
5. Rebirth
I have hired this dog to stare at you.
This was touched upon a bit in Forgotten Sons from the other direction and also comes up a lot with various dreadnought characters in a few separate books (very notably Betrayer, if I'm remembering correctly) but I do find the idea of "wow I was incapacitated/otherwise removed from current events for a bit due to factors beyond my control and when I came back suddenly we're having a civil war" to be, like. Tragically hilarious. It's not good! Thousand Sons it seems are especially unfortunate in this regard. Coming out of the warp to suddenly discover your house has been burned down, your dad is missing, and your cousins are all trying to kill you for one reason or another... sure is something. It's not even specifically Magnus' fault, either (something which has been relitigated for actual years at this point- you know how it is).
Not my favorite in the collection, something in it kind of fell flat for me, but... premise quite interesting. I like getting stuff from the perspective of Tsons, too, their occultism from their POV is always a good time.
6. The Face of Treachery
As far as just the story itself goes, probably the weakest one in the collection. To me, at least. Just not super compelling to me. I DID, however, really love the end of it, which I will avoid talking about in specifics for spoiler reasons. Mostly notable for that, and in how it fills in a few "okay so clearly something happened here that I just don't know about" gaps in the timeline. Let's move on.
7. Little Horus
I MISSED THIS GUY. I have a bit of a soft spot for Aximand in the same way I have a soft spot for the entire HH 1-3 Mournival just by virtue of them being some of the first Space Marine characters I really got to actually know and spend time with, but there's just something about him that I find very cute. Maybe it's the "little" epithet, which is frankly kind of adorable (made all the moreso by the fact that the Other Horus calls him "little one", goodness gracious) or just the fact that he's usually standing next to Abaddon, who directly contrasts him by virtue of being huge and surly. Whatever it is, I do love him, the kinslaying traitorous bastard that he is.
And as per usual, I simply love Abnett's style of writing. What can I say that I haven't already said? The guy just knows how to craft compelling prose. The way he writes the other Horus is also still my favorite- as a father and mentor figure that you can still understand why people look up to and are ceaselessly loyal to, despite every objectively terrible thing he's done thus far (and every terrible thing we as the audience know he's going to do in the future). The bit where he's playing the not-chess game with Aximand is genuinely quite cute, and feels shockingly normal against the backdrop of. Well. Everything.
I like the scope of HH, I like that it's a story about so many different factions and people, but it does make me sad sometimes to have to leave behind characters I like and am invested in simply because they're not always the most important part of it. It's really nice to be able to return sometimes and spend a little more time with certain ones I haven't seen in a while, and this is a quite good little character study of one of those. Also contains a description of something unpleasant happening to Aximand that, despite being not graphic at all, did make me viscerally, physically cringe in real life. Yeeeowch.
(Also, as a side note, and a direct consequence of the specific way in which I am crazy-- l am feeling deeply unhinged about the way this short story starts with one of Lady Macbeth's most famous quotes. What did they mean by this. I guess it's symbolic of the way Aximand appears or seems a lot more gentle/less threatening than he actually is, but... thinking very hard.)
8. The Iron Within
I feel very bad for authors who have to describe intra-legion warfare, it always reads so disorientating, which is I suppose part of the point. But still!
Love Iron Warriors. I think I find them more interesting from a traitor perspective, just given what their whole deal is, though. The way the legion as a whole is slowly ground down and broken over the course of the crusade and as a reflection of their father... but I kind of like Dantioch as a reverse of that too, where instead of feeling discarded or overlooked by the Emperor, he (justifiably) feels that towards Perturabo instead. I always am a little weak for narratives where the Primarchs fail their own children in almost the exact same way as their father failed them.
(I may have to reread Perturabo's Primarch novel at some point, because I did extremely forget who Dantioch was, unfortunately. But that's not a bad thing, I love that novel.)
9. Savage Weapons
Every time I see ADB's name on something I know it's about to make me feel demented about like, Space Marines as a concept. This story is especially impressive because the pull quote before the actual text of it began was enough to make me feel that way. Wow! I want to chew on a 2x4. Recontextualizing the term "Emperor's Angels" in a way that's less "these are blessed protectors" and more "in getting closer to divinity you've estranged yourself from humanity" is CRAZY, I can't believe it didn't parse to me like that before now but it's something I'm never going to be able to not think about going forwards. And going right from that to the main character of this short, a guy who is a dyed-in-the-wool loyalist, having an internal monologue about how Caliban escaped being tithed in money or resources by instead "selling its sons into willing slavery".
Of course it also goes without saying that I'm an enjoyer of Night Lords, and it's always especially delightful to watch Sevatar just Be Sevatar. There's something not right about that guy, and I like when it's explored from his perspective but I equally love when it's someone else (non-NL) looking at him and he just comes across as a horrible little asshole. Imagine being such a persistent dickhead that you get a rise out of Lion El'Jonson, of all people. Unbelievably funny guy.
It's fun to see Lion's dynamic with his brothers explored a little too, since before this point I think I've only really gotten to see him speak with Perturabo VERY briefly and had it mentioned a few times in passing that he's fought various other brothers. I'll be reading the Imperium Secundus stuff at some point in the future so I'm sure I'll be inundated with that whenever I do, but for now this is what I have... it's kind of charming that Lion's basis for seeking friendship or at least true brotherhood with Curze in the past was out of a sense of kinship from them both living such a long time in isolation. I would have liked to be a fly on the wall when all that was going on.
Having read both Night Haunter the novel and Prince of Crows it's not really surprising where all of this went, but I really like the angle this story takes on Curze and Lion's battle here as well. It's so much less a clash of warriors and so much more a messy, emotional spat between brothers. The way they have to literally be dragged apart like they're children having a fight on the playground evokes less of a feeling of awe and more of the kind of sadness owed to a story that's ultimately a family drama. They do feel like oversized kids, unable to handle their dispute in any meaningfully diplomatic way, their communication doomed to break down because they've both got too much of an emotional investment in it to be objective. AUGH!!!! Painful!!!
February 4, 2025
Completely skippable anthology.
November 17, 2023
Rules of engagment - Imagery of the Hypothetical battle was interesting, the rest was surprisingly lackluster. 2/5
Liar's due - Again had interesting elements but lacked anything truely gripping. I enjoyed seeing what it was like for an unimportant world during the heresy and how they viewed the imperium as a whole but the rest was forgettable. 2/5
Forgotten sons - very standard 30k / 40k fair with a pretty bad ending and an iron warrior getting bitched. 2.5/5
The last rememberancer - its a weird time when dorn is sympathetic and relatable. 4/5
Rebirth - Rebirth, which could do with a better name, is one of the best in the book. It went by really quick but in that time somehow got me invested in all of its characters 5/5
Little Horus - a very oddly structured yet pretty good short story that is, thematically appropriately, dream like in quality. 3/5
The Face of Treachery - could have made its own book honestly, in the vain of flight of the eisenstein. Makes me excited to read deliverance lost. 4/5
The iron within - Warsmith Dantioch is one of the best charecters in this collection. 4/5
Savage weapons - I see they saved the best for last. So good dude. Dembski-Bowden is a fantastic writer. 5/5
The average score of this collection came to 3.5 but the quality of the last few makes me wanna bump it to 4.
Liar's due - Again had interesting elements but lacked anything truely gripping. I enjoyed seeing what it was like for an unimportant world during the heresy and how they viewed the imperium as a whole but the rest was forgettable. 2/5
Forgotten sons - very standard 30k / 40k fair with a pretty bad ending and an iron warrior getting bitched. 2.5/5
The last rememberancer - its a weird time when dorn is sympathetic and relatable. 4/5
Rebirth - Rebirth, which could do with a better name, is one of the best in the book. It went by really quick but in that time somehow got me invested in all of its characters 5/5
Little Horus - a very oddly structured yet pretty good short story that is, thematically appropriately, dream like in quality. 3/5
The Face of Treachery - could have made its own book honestly, in the vain of flight of the eisenstein. Makes me excited to read deliverance lost. 4/5
The iron within - Warsmith Dantioch is one of the best charecters in this collection. 4/5
Savage weapons - I see they saved the best for last. So good dude. Dembski-Bowden is a fantastic writer. 5/5
The average score of this collection came to 3.5 but the quality of the last few makes me wanna bump it to 4.
March 28, 2022
I really have mixed feelings on Short Story compilations. They lack the growth and development that tends to get me invested in a book, but the variety of perspectives here was pretty solid.
I would rate the last two stories, Iron Within and Savage Weapons as my favorite and must reads. Each explore their respective legions in compelling and interesting ways, while also addressing some of the wider events of the Heresy.
Rebirth was also pretty good. I enjoy anytime we see interplay between potential loyalists and traitors. It also has the Thousand Sons which is always a perk.
The rest were mostly a variety of interesting, but not amazing, but one stood out as particularly boring.
Liar's Due tries to do something unique, but ends up being rather bland and uninspiring. It focuses on a backwater planet, with characters that are basic imperial citizens. In doing so it wants to show the ways this conflict is spreading to smaller imperial worlds and outposts, but it also means this story is rather slow, and in my opinion, rather boring.
Overall, this is about what I come to expect from short story compilations, a few standouts, most ok, and 1-2 ones I don't like.
I would rate the last two stories, Iron Within and Savage Weapons as my favorite and must reads. Each explore their respective legions in compelling and interesting ways, while also addressing some of the wider events of the Heresy.
Rebirth was also pretty good. I enjoy anytime we see interplay between potential loyalists and traitors. It also has the Thousand Sons which is always a perk.
The rest were mostly a variety of interesting, but not amazing, but one stood out as particularly boring.
Liar's Due tries to do something unique, but ends up being rather bland and uninspiring. It focuses on a backwater planet, with characters that are basic imperial citizens. In doing so it wants to show the ways this conflict is spreading to smaller imperial worlds and outposts, but it also means this story is rather slow, and in my opinion, rather boring.
Overall, this is about what I come to expect from short story compilations, a few standouts, most ok, and 1-2 ones I don't like.
August 1, 2024
The last two short stories are the best ones in my opinion. Corswain (ma boi) and some stoic dudes.
Iron Within:
You follow a loyalist Iron Warriors Warsmith through a long siege against his traitor brothers. And damn! Loyalist Iron Warriors are one of my favourite Horus Heresy Space Marines. They are stoic like Dark Angels, better organized then Ultra Marines and posses cunning like White Scars. A very good short story.
5/5
Savage Weapons:
Okay, here we go....The short story for which I bought this book! This particular story follows Corswain (ma man), Paladin of Ninth Order of the Dark Angels Legion and a parlay mission between his Primarch The Lion and Conrad Curze Primarch of the Night Lords and a man with no spine (pun intended). A very good short story with great dialogue and action. Corswain is so badass and funny. It's truly a joy to read to read stuff about him.
5/5
In the end, this collection of short stories was a solid read. There are some decent one, two brilliant ones, and one which left me utterly cold.
3/5
Iron Within:
You follow a loyalist Iron Warriors Warsmith through a long siege against his traitor brothers. And damn! Loyalist Iron Warriors are one of my favourite Horus Heresy Space Marines. They are stoic like Dark Angels, better organized then Ultra Marines and posses cunning like White Scars. A very good short story.
5/5
Savage Weapons:
Okay, here we go....The short story for which I bought this book! This particular story follows Corswain (ma man), Paladin of Ninth Order of the Dark Angels Legion and a parlay mission between his Primarch The Lion and Conrad Curze Primarch of the Night Lords and a man with no spine (pun intended). A very good short story with great dialogue and action. Corswain is so badass and funny. It's truly a joy to read to read stuff about him.
5/5
In the end, this collection of short stories was a solid read. There are some decent one, two brilliant ones, and one which left me utterly cold.
3/5
September 11, 2025
oye, pues que me ha gustado, pensaba que me daría más igual por qué las antologías dentro de la saga dan la sensación de estar entorpeciendo el ritmo con relatos que pueden estar mejor o peor pero que no vienen a cuento de nada y de repente... booom aquí tenemos el momento en el que los miembros de la guardia del cuervo que se habían retrasado llegan a istvaan para rescatar a corax y los supervivientes o el putisimo primer duelo entre Johnson y kurze O: entre otros, lo guay es que todo está temporalmente bien situado (con alguna cosa se adelantan, pero bueno) y eso lo hace interesante. Como siempre y desafortunadamente será interesante para fans o gente interesada en la saga el mundillo o el lore de Warhammer 30k, a ti no te va a interesar mucho, pero a mí me ha gustado. Quería decirlo.
Perdón por el ladrillo.
Perdón por el ladrillo.
June 26, 2022
The second short story collection in the Horus Heresy.
Rules of Engagement by Graham McNeill
4.25/5 - An Ultramarines story
Liar's Due by James Swallow
3.5/5 - mainly humans on a remote agricultural planet
Forgotten Sons by Nick Kyme
3.75-4/5 - mainly Salamander
The Last Remembrancer by John French
4.75/5 - Awesome Iron Fist story without giving too much away
Rebirth by Chris Wright
4.25/4 - Thousand Sons
Face of Treachery by Gav Thorpe
4/5 - World Eaters, Raven Guard
Little Horus by Dan Abnett
3.75/5 - Sons of Horus/Luna Wolves
The Iron Within by Rob Sanders
3.5-3.75/5 - Iron Warriors
Savage Weapons by Adam Dembski Bowden
4.25/5 - Dark Angels and Night Lords
Rules of Engagement by Graham McNeill
4.25/5 - An Ultramarines story
Liar's Due by James Swallow
3.5/5 - mainly humans on a remote agricultural planet
Forgotten Sons by Nick Kyme
3.75-4/5 - mainly Salamander
The Last Remembrancer by John French
4.75/5 - Awesome Iron Fist story without giving too much away
Rebirth by Chris Wright
4.25/4 - Thousand Sons
Face of Treachery by Gav Thorpe
4/5 - World Eaters, Raven Guard
Little Horus by Dan Abnett
3.75/5 - Sons of Horus/Luna Wolves
The Iron Within by Rob Sanders
3.5-3.75/5 - Iron Warriors
Savage Weapons by Adam Dembski Bowden
4.25/5 - Dark Angels and Night Lords
July 19, 2021
Some great short stories in here. Better even than the full length novel that came before this book. Some or even most of the stories take place while the Heresy is already old news while it is still not that well known at the point we were going into this one. It had a bit of a “should be a later book in the series” feel to it. Great shorts though!
November 27, 2023
One of the best short story collections in the Horus Heresy with some really strong stories, unfortunately it is just the first story in the collection that brings it down a bit...it isn't a bad story but it doesn't hold up to the others here.
May 7, 2023
Great short stories. They get better towards the end, with "The Iron Within" being my favorite from the book.
October 17, 2024
Rules of Engagement (3.4/5) - Interesting and straightforward just like Ultramarines.
Liar’s Due (3/5) - Not much to say at least.
Forgotten Sons (3.8/5) - The meeting between loyalists and heretics trying to persuade the neutral world is quite entertaining.
The Last Remembrancer (4.2/5) - This is one of the two best works out of this book.
Rebirth (3.4/5) - Eh.
The Face of Treachery - (3.5/5) - This just grew my love for Alpha Legion.
Little Horus (3.1/5) - Meh.
The Iron Within (4.5/5) - Iron Within. Iron Without.
Savage Weapons (3.7/5) - The ending gave me quite a chill. I love that interaction between Lion and Curze.
Liar’s Due (3/5) - Not much to say at least.
Forgotten Sons (3.8/5) - The meeting between loyalists and heretics trying to persuade the neutral world is quite entertaining.
The Last Remembrancer (4.2/5) - This is one of the two best works out of this book.
Rebirth (3.4/5) - Eh.
The Face of Treachery - (3.5/5) - This just grew my love for Alpha Legion.
Little Horus (3.1/5) - Meh.
The Iron Within (4.5/5) - Iron Within. Iron Without.
Savage Weapons (3.7/5) - The ending gave me quite a chill. I love that interaction between Lion and Curze.
August 7, 2021
Opowiadanie niektóre lepsze inne gorsze. Totalnie nic nie wnoszą do serii. Motywem przewodnim zbioru chyba miał być fakt że nie można nikomu teraz ufać, nie wiadomo kto jest bad guy a kto jest wporzo. Szkoda czasu. Pierwsza antologia z Herezji którą czytałem a zarazem najgorsza cześć. Nuda fest
October 7, 2024
Final story is worth reading because of a beef between Curze and Lion but otherwise skippable.
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