This one seemed to take a minute to get through, but it was as epic in scope as it was in duration. I keep thinking that I’ll grow weary of listening to the exploits of the Space Marines; that I’ll get inured to the endless descriptions of ultra violence. There’s only so many ways to describe the prosecution of war and the drama of stoic, grimdark heroes. Yet with each novel I find myself more invested, more satisfied with each callback, and grin whenever a recognizable figure takes the stage. I guess this is what it’s like to be the fan of a long-running television drama.
This was as strong as False Gods, and McNeill did something unusual with the Warhammer 40K pattern: he instilled a sense of hope. It was fleetingly brief, and by the end of things we’re brought crashing back down to the harsh realities of a galaxy at war, but the moments we spend with the players this time around felt especially poignant, particularly those with my personal favorites the Remembrancers.
Another lynchpin entry into the Horus Heresy that I would consider “required reading”.
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