Red Fury by James Swallow

(Be warned the Inquisitor-Text spoils most of the book!)

Vital Stats:
Page Count: 284

Era: 40k (no specified year)
Perspective: Blood Angels, Flesh Tearers, Angels Sanguine, Angels Vermillion, Blood Drinkers, Angels Encarmine
Major Characters: [Inquisitor-text]Brother Sergeant Rafen, Mephiston the Lord of Death, Chapter Master Dante, Corubolo, Chapter Master Seth, Brother Sergeant Noxx, Corubolo, Caecus

Special Guest Stars: [Inquistor-text]Fabius Bile

Location: Baal

One Sentence Review: A family reunion of Blood Angel successors gets crashed.

A Few Musings: James Swallow is quickly becoming a favorite of mine. He seems to get better with each 40k novel. Although I enjoyed his first two Blood Angels books - they suffered from being short. I think having both in an "omnibus" is a good thing because I have always suspected they were a single novel cut in half. Faith & Fire was a decent book and something from a Sisters of Battle perspective was a welcome change. However I think his Flight of the Eisenstein is one of the better Horus Heresy books and so I was looking forward to Red Fury.

What makes Red Fury highly recommended is that Swallow does something that few Black Library authors have done (or perhaps were allowed to do)...use the icons of 40k as major characters. He did a great job of this in Flight of the Eisenstein. Almost more so than in the first three Horus Heresy books, Swallow grabs the reader with fast pacing and then throws in major characters from the canon and uses them as major characters. This is repeated to great effect in Red Fury.

The basic plot is [Inquisitor-Text] that after the events of the first two Blood Angels books, the Blood Angels are greatly diminished in numbers. They call their successor chapters to Baal to discuss in a great conclave the future of the chapter. Since this is the 40k universe, this of course goes horribly wrong.

While I won't reveal in the regular text (read the invisotext at your own peril!), the use of characters such as [Inquisitor-Text] Mephiston and Dante is expertly handled. It makes a fairly mundane science fiction story [Inquisitor-Text] that seems straight out of Judge Dredd, Leviathan or any sci-fi story with clones and genetics really compelling.

There were a few canonical points in the novel that were new to me and very compelling. [Inquisitor-Text] In particular, the genetic experiments and failures of Corax in replenishing his Legion was news to me. However I have never paid a lot of attention to the Raven Guard. I hope that there is a Heresy era novel or short story that goes into this in greater detail.

The only criticisms I would make are that again I felt the novel was too short. This is not to say that there was more story to tell at this point, but the sub-300 page novels just have a general feel of being too short. But I must say that the ending does not feel rushed which is the cardinal sin of most Black Library books. The other criticism is that Swallow is better with the downtime between action sequences then his description of actual battle. This is almost the opposite of Abnett but in a novel about a "family reunion gone wrong" it works.

This novel is clearly a set up for a second novel (and hopefully third [Inquisitor Text] what is beneath the masks of the Angels Sanguine?). Personally, I can't wait. I just hope that [Inquisitor-Text] after dispatching his brother in the first two novels and the dreadnought sized bloodfiend at the end of this one that Rafen gets promoted to Captain or given a gold helmet at least!

This is one of the better offerings from the Black Library this year. I highly suggest it.

Bolters (Out of Five): Four

Update Coming Soon

I have read the first two stories of Planetkill. A full review is coming soon. The surprise so far was the story concerning the Relentless. It wasn't a "planet kill" story per se. But I really liked it. I am also reading the new Blood Angels book. I suspect I will have a review in the next week or so. So far so good.

Double Eagle by Dan Abnett

Vital Stats:
Page Count: 415
Era: 40k (773.m41)
Perspective: Phantine XX (Imperial Guard - Fighter Wing)
Major Characters: [Inquisitor-text] Commander Bree Jagdea, Captain Oskar Viltry, Vander Marquall, Obarkton

Location: Enothis (Sabbat Worlds Crusade)

One Sentence Review: Top Gun/Memphis Belle Meets Gaunts Ghosts

A Few Musings: I am admittedly a big fan of Gaunts Ghosts. However with some trepidation I bought this book about a fighter wing (who made an appearance in The Guns of Tanith) that is actually an Imperial Guard regiment during the Sabbat Worlds Crusade. I can say with reservation that it is one of Dan Abnett's best.

[Inquisitor Text]The basic plot line is that the Phantine XX is deployed to Enothis. This includes both Thunderbolts (fighters) and Marauders (bombers). During the sorties a deadly chaos fighter (Obarkton) begins picking apart the imperial lines. As the chaos forces press ahead there are sorts of "classic" fighter scenarios - bombing runs, parachuting to safety, an elite "top gun" cadre, there is even a pseudo romance with a local (french accent??).

I particularly liked the plot line for the eponymous Thunderbolt (which coincidentally friends have named my car).

Overall, this book is well conceived, well written and does not feel rushed at the end. Abnett deftly handles combat (that is a hallmark of his writing). I was very impressed with the descriptions of the air battles. The entire book feels like an old world war 2 movie with a tinge of 40k tragedy. Unfortunately I can't give this book a perfect score because there are some flaws and dead spots. However I do recommend it very highly to fans of Abnett and 40k in general.

Bolters (Out of Five): Four

Desert Raiders by Lucien Soulban

Vital Stats:

Page Count: 245 (so short!)
Era: 40k (no specified year)
Perspective: Tallarn Desert Raiders
Major Characters: [Inquisitor-text]Battallion Commander Lieutenant Colonel Turk Iban, Colonel Nisri Dakar, Commissar Torrent Rezail, Kamala Noore
Location: Khadar, Barrases System

One Sentence Review: Twilight zone meets Baghdad

A Few Musings: This is the fourth Imperial Guard series - one shot books (although Rebel Winter felt like the first of a trilogy) focusing on different guard regiments. Speaking of where is the Mordian Iron Guard book where the first 100 pages are field drills. This book follows Fifteen Hours, Death World and Rebel Winter. Unfortunately this is the weakest of the lot.

[Inquisitor-text]The basic premise (similar to Fifteen Hours) is that two disparate groups of Tallarn Desert Raiders are marooned on a desert world (convenient enough). After landing and a dust storm, the navy pulls out. Unfortunately the two groups are both a backstabbing lot and only a wily commissar is able to keep them from killing each other. (Wait a minute wasn't this the plot to the first Ciaphas Cain book?!).

Well an overriding and compelling force enters their lives as they fight to survive on the desert planet. Nope it isn't his holiness the Emperor. It is of course the tyranids. The tyranids make fast work of the Tallarns (hence the short page count). There are a few twilight zone moments involving an underground cave. I would spoil the end - but only if it would mean you didn't waste your time with this one.
The book is actually well written. I liked a few of the ideas the author tried out. I also very much liked that each chapter had a day associated with it and the cast of characters at the end of the book. Of course ever since I read Dune 25+ years ago (sheesh), I have been a sucker for glossaries and character lists.

Overall the book fails unfortunately. Despite some well conceived ideas and good writing, the overall plot was not very imaginative and I wasn't intrigued with the Tallarns. I have to recommend that you pass on this one.

Bolters (Out of Five): One

Coming Soon Update - Assault on Black Reach

Thanks to Spencer at 40kradio...

40kradio will be doing an interview with Nick Kyme to discuss his new novel Assault on Black Reach. This will be a tie in to the new 40k starter set. It is set to debut (out of the blue!) next month. Here is a link to Black Library for more info http://www.blacklibrary.com/product.asp?prod=60100181092&type=Book

Note that it will only be available through the Black Library website or at your friendly local...Games Workshop store.

Angels of Darkness by Gav Thorpe

Vital Stats:

Page Count: 279

Era: 40k (no specified year)

Perspective: Dark Angels

Major Characters: [Inquisitor-text]Interrogator-Chaplain Boreas, Chapter Master Astelan, Zaul, Nestor, Hepaestus

Special Guest Stars: Two in non-speaking parts. (Can't say! It would be giving it away).

Location: Piscina System

One Sentence Review: Definitive Dark Angels novel with Lost-esque* flashbacks.

A Few Musings: [Inquisitor-text]This is a re-release of Gav Thorpe's 2003 novel about the mysterious Dark Angels. The novel is the story of Interrogator-Chaplain Boreas and his hunt for Fallen. In alternating chapters, one story concerns a "present day" Boreas and his duties as overseeing a chapter keep in the Piscina system. This story has some interesting passages about recruiting new space marines, the functions of apothecaries and techmarines.

The "flashback" story concerns the Interrogator-Chaplain's "attentions" to a captured fallen named Astelan. The Astelan story is compelling as Astellan gives a history after his "awakening" and a history of living during the Great Crusade. It is these juicy bits about Luther, the Lion and the Emperor that are very well put together. The book also leaves a lot of room for interpretation and extrapolation. As discussed in a new afterword by Thorpe, this was intentional. It is also probably the best "thing" about the book.

Many of the action sequences are average. There is nothing particularly gripping about space marines dealing with sub-PDF humans fighting them. I also did not care for a few passages where things inexplicably happen without any discussion of their consequences. For example Boreas' conversion of the Dark Angels following him (to something greater) was something that left a bad taste in my mouth. I just could not see that happening the way it did. The better parts of the book are long monologues told by the characters discussing their beliefs or their past history.

Thorpe has a tendency to take popular 40k quotes and spice up his prose with them. Sometimes they work and sometimes it feels like a stretch.

The ending was good and did not feel rushed (which is always a pleasant surprise from BL books). Although I disagreed with the ending, that is "OK." It was well written however. In all, I would recommend this book to hard core 40k fans and especially fans of Dark Angels. For the casual 40k reader, I would pass.

Bolters (Out of Five): Three

* I know this novel was written well before the TV show Lost. I just thought this was a good description.

Coming Soon!

Here is a run down of what we can expect from the Black Library in the foreseeable future. For each I am rating (Must Have Now!, Looking Forward to It, Yawn) - each self expanatory. All dates are UK dates with US one month later.


Blood Angels : Red Fury byJames Swallow Sep 08 - Looking Forward to It. The third Blood Angels book. I heard an excellent interview on 40kRadio with Swallow about the book. He described it as a family reunion gone horribly wrong. It is supposed to include many of the Blood Angel successor chapters.

Only in Death (Softback) by Dan Abnett Oct 08 - Read it. Fair to middelin Gaunt's Ghost Book.

Titanicus byDan Abnett Oct 08 - Must Have Now! Giant sized Sabbat Worlds Crusade book plus a Titan legion! Also there are ties between this book and the next Horus Heresy book (Mechanicum)

Ciaphas Cain : Cains Last Stand by Sandy Mitchell Nov 08 - Must Have Now! I think Mitchell is one of the best authors in the Black Library. I have loved nearly every Ciaphas Cain book. I hope that this is not the last.

Horus Heresy : Mechanicum byGraham McNeill Dec 08 - Must Have Now! McNeill has written the best of the Horus Heresy. I can't wait (although his Mechanicum short story in the Collected Visions book was middelin).

Dark Disciple byAnthony Reynolds Dec 08 - Looking Forward To It. The second Word Bearer book. The first was a nice departure. Stars the worst of worse and true 40k bad guys- the Word Bearers.

Ice Guard by Steve Lyons Jan 09 - Yawn. Most of the IG books have been poor in my mind. There are positives for Fifteen Hours. But the other books have been poor. See the Catachan book (Death World) where the lone wolf hero is Sly Marbo (which funny enough is the same letters for Rambo and Sly for Stallone) and the Tallarn Book (Desert Raiders) which read like an agonizingly long short story. Rebel Winter was "just ok." Lyons has a tall order to have the Valahallans measure up to the Valhallans in Sandy Mitchell's books.

Innocence Proves Nothing bySandy Mitchell Feb 09 - Looking Forward To It. Sequel to Scourge the Heretic. I really like Mitchell's prose. I though Scourge the Heretic was mostly a succesful book. I look forward to this one.

Gunheads bySteve Parker Mar 09 - Yawn. "an armoured company is sent to recover a long-lost battle tank from a planet overrrun with orks." I feel like I have read this book before...twice.

Dawn of War : Dawn of War II by Chris Roberson Mar 09 - Yawn. I am struggling to get through the Dawn of War Omnibus. I don't think a novelization of a story built for a game will work a second time (it sure didn't the first).

Souldrinkers : Hellforged by Ben Counter Apr 09 - Looking Forward To It. I have enjoyed the adventures of Sarpedon and company. I want to see where Counter is going with it.

Horus Heresy : Tales of Heresy Nick Kyme, Lindsey Priestley Apr 09 - Looking Forward To It. I am not the biggest short story fan. However short stories on the Heresy should be good.

The Grey Knights Omnibus by Ben Counter May 09 - Read It. Mostly enjoyed it.

Gaunts Ghosts : Blood Pact by Dan Abnett May 09 - MUST HAVE NOW! Added the all caps. Of all the books on the list, this is the one I want. I can't wait.

What is not on the official list? Abnett said in a 40kRadio exclusive that he and Graham McNeill are working on companion Heresy novels concerning the sacking of Prospero. Abnett also said that he is doing a third trilogy on Inquisitors. He dubbed it "Eisenhorn versus Ravenor." I dub it (to be) the most anticipated book from Black Library since Horus Rising. Also Mike Lee is doing a Heresy novel on the Dark Angels.

Stay tuned...

Big Update - More to Come

I have updated nearly all of the Black Library books I have read this year (which is nearly all of the 40k books released). I still have reviews of Relentless, Ravenor Rogue and Brothers of the Snake to do. I am currently reading the re-release of Angels of Darkness.

My reviews are pretty short. This is mostly because when I read online reviews I usually skim them over to get "an idea" of the reviewers perspective - hence the few musings. If there are particular questions please post a comment and I will respond.

Enjoy.

Storm of Iron by Graham McNeill

Vital Stats:
Page Count: 413
Era: 40k (no specified year)
Perspective: Iron Warriors
Major Characters: [Inquisitor-text]Honsou (Iron Warrior), Forrix (Iron Warrior), Vaubun (Imperial Guard), Kroeger (Iron Warrior), Guardsman Hawke (IG), Magos Naicin (Adeptus Mechanicus), Leonid (Imperial Guard), The Warsmith, (Frankly I could go on and on).
Special Guest Stars: [Inquisitor-text]Alaric Eshara
Location: Hydra Cordatus

One Sentence Review: Definitive novel for the phrase "in the grim dark future there is only war."

A Few Musings: This is easily the best 40k book I have read this year. This one has it all (literally). If McNeill threw in a rogue inquisitor, he would be batting 1.000. The pacing in this book is nonstop once it gets going (which it does quickly). The twists and turns are surprising and welcome. The battles are well conceived and beautifully described. This was one I could not put down and had me guessing until the last page.

The book feels like a war epic from the 1950s and early 1960s. There is a David Lean-esque majesty to some of the battles and it feels like there is a huge cast of characters...because there is a huge cast of characters. There are a number of set pieces in this book and each feels special.[Inquisitor-text] I particularly liked anything involving a titan and especially one sequence involving a missile. You will know what I mean when you see them.

I am very happy Black Library re-released the book. I had always looked for a copy, but did not get one until this year. I am very glad I did. [Inquisitor-text]I really want to see more of Honsou or books with action of this scale. This book should be the manual for how big battles are described for the Horus Heresy books (which have too few such battles so far).

I generally don't re-read books. However this one is marked to do so in the future.

Bolters (Out of Five): Five

Ultramarines - The Killing Ground by Graham McNeill

Vital Stats:
Page Count: 320
Era: 40k (no specified year)
Perspective: Ultramarines
Major Characters: Uriel Ventris, Pasanius Lysane
Special Guest Stars: [Inquisitor-text]Leodegarius

One Sentence Review: A personal story and conclusion to the story started in Dead Sky, Black Sun.

A Few Musings: The Ultramarines novels started incredibly strong. They are almost as good as what is my mind the best Space Marine story – Space Wolf by William King. Graham McNeill took a departure with Dead Sky, Black Sun with a more personal story involving Uriel and Pasanius. It wasn’t a departure I liked ([Inquisitor-text]see Chaos Choo-Choo). This story seems to atone for the past as it is a bridge to what I am hopeful are great things with Uriel (leading Ultramarines into battle).

I like the cover artwork. Although I wonder if the artist realized he was painting [Inquisitor-text]the sidekick of the story. The story itself is well laid out and comes to a decent conclusion. There was no real mystery to this book, although it tries to play one out. [Inquisitor-text]The Killing Ground wasn’t a big surprise and that was disappointing. How the Unfleshed were fleshed out (insert groan here) was quite good. Also when Leodegarius shows up the book got a lot better. Frankly I would like to see a book just about him (although another author has that topic cornered).

Surprisingly, the "personal" story of Ben Counter's Grey Knight Justicar Alaric was better than this book. I say surprising because I generally enjoy McNeill's books more than any other Black Library author.

I wasn’t really happy with a 320 page hardback. This is partially because I rip through McNeill’s books I must admit. Overall it is a good read, but I would wait for paperback.

Bolters (Out of Five): Two.

Wolf's Honor by Lee Lightner

Vital Stats:
Page Count: 414
Era: 40k (no specified year)
Perspective: Space Wolves
Major Characters: [Inquisitor-text]Ragnar Blackmane, Madox, (The Mighty) Haegr, Gabriella, Torin, Wolf Priest Sigurd
Special Guest Stars: [Inquisitor-text]Bulveye, Berek Thunderfist

One Sentence Review: Strong conclusion to the Wolfblade Trilogy

A Few Musings: Despite the monumental task of filling in for William King, the two anonymous writers who go by Lee Lightner have done a very good job of capturing the flavor of the colorful characters King invented. The story bring full circle Ragnar Blackmane and describes[Inquisitor-text] how he became a Wolf Guard without being a Grey Hunter. I liked how King used an older and wiser Ragnar reflecting back on his life to tell his story. I think Lightner raised the bar with[Inquisitor-text] a great reveal at the end that left me wanting more. The 40k universe to me would not be the same without [Inquisitor-text]Ragnar and (The Mighty) Haegr (else I would receive a thrashing). There is a very good sequence where Ragnar meets Bulveye. Although this site is "spoiler lite", I won't give anything else away. Also the ending and end sequences were well executed.

Despite the flavor text on the cover stating "The gripping conclusion to the saga of Ragnar Blackmane", [Inquisitor-text]I am hopeful that Lightner will write a book about Bulveye (and the group he is with) and Ragnar in the very near future.

Bolters (Out of Five): Three

Hammer of Daemons by Ben Counter

Vital Stats:
Page Count: 415
Era: 40k (no specified year - presume M41.999 - 13th Black Crusade)
Perspective: Grey Knights (Justicar Alaric)
Major Characters: [Inquisitor-text]Justicar Alaric, Duke Venalitor (Khorne), Lord Ebondrake (Khorne), Raezazel the Cunning (Tzeentch)
Special Guest Stars: [Inquisitor-text]Disembodied Voice - presumably Tzeentch
Locations: [Inquisitor-text]Sarthis Majoris, Drakaasi

One Sentence Review: 40k meets Sparatacus.
A Few Musings: I have been a fan of this series by Ben Counter. I don't think it is the best Space Marine series, but it the best of the different Chamber Militant books (Deathwatch series and Faith and Fire being the others). The book opens [Inquisitor-text]with a large engagement and then continues with Justicar Alaric (the star of the series) becoming a gladiator on a Khorne world. Some of the characters are unique for 40k fiction ([Inquisitor-text]Lord Ebondrake - who is literally an ebon drake). The action is well described. When you discover [Inquisitor-text]what the Hammer of Daemons is (beyond the catchecism) it is a good reveal. My biggest criticism of Black Library books is that I usually feel that the author runs out of pagecount and quickly deus ex machinas the ending. This ending was very smooth and well conceived.

A positive to the book is that unlike the last two Grey Knights novels [Inquisitor-text]this one is only about Alaric. The Epilogue suggests an interesting turn for the series and where it is suggested that Counter will go is something I am hoping he skips as there are already enough series covering that topic as is. Personally I would like to see more of the Grey Knights fighting Chaos in all of its forms.

Bolters (Out of Five): Three

Horus Heresy: Battle for the Abyss by Ben Counter

Vital Stats:

Page Count: 416

Era: Heresy (30,000)

Perspective: Ultramarines

Major Characters: [Inquisitor-text]Brother-Captain Cestus (Ultramarines), Admiral Zadkiel (Word Bearers), Wolf Guard Brynngar (Space Wolves), Mhotep (Thousand Sons), Skraal (World Eater),

Special Guest Stars: [Inquisitor-text]Kor Phareon (Word Bearers), Kelbor-Hal (Fabricator General of the Mechanicum)

Locations: [Inquisitor-text]Sol System, The Warp, Ultramar System

One Sentence Review: 30k meets the Hunt for Red October sans Primarchs.

A Few Musings: This is the first Horus Hersey book[Inquisitor-text] without a primarch in it. I want to start the review there because it is the books greatest strength and biggest weakness. The basic plot is[Inquisitor-text] that the Fabricator General of Mars has devised the largest warship ever created in secret. Granted to the Word Bearers, the ship The Furious Abyss leaves space dock around Jupiter to destroy the Ultramarines Legion. After the ship leaves dock it performs a shake down by annhilating an Ultramarines vessel. Brother-Captain Cestus, the protagonist, is waiting to return home with an honor guard retinue of Ultramarines on a nearby space station. When the aforementioned Ultramarine vessel does not arrive, Cestus deduces that something is afoot. This is confirmed to him in a vision and the death scream of the astropaths aboard the Ultramarine ship. Assembling other space marines on the station (World Eaters, Space Wolves and a lone and mysterious Thousand Son), Cestus pursues The Furious Abyss across the galaxy.

If this book had been set in the 40k era, it would have been better in my opinion. Unlike the recent Horus Heresy novels with dramatic reveals and very interesting characters, this novel felt a step backward for the series. It isn't a bad book, but just not up to the calibur of the others in the series. Counter is generally better with the "big concept" than the execution. His action is stronger than his characters. Also many of his characters fall into stereotypes with which we are very familiar.

Bolters (Out of Five): Two