Garro: Legion of One by James Swallow

Nathaniel Garro, loyalist Death Guard, and hero of the Eisenstein, has found a new calling in his service to the Emperor. Surrounded by a cloak of secrecy, Garro travels the galaxy in pursuit of his new goal. His quest will lead him to heart of the most destructive warzones, and reveal a secret that will change the course of the Horus Heresy itself...

Legion of One follows on from Oath of Moment, which I reviewed in December, and is released in April. Oath of Moment was brilliant, so when I transferred Legion onto my ipod my excitement was tempered with a note of trepidation. Fortunately, this was one of those too rare occasions where the sequel doesn’t suck.

Legion is set a year after Garro recruited Brother Rubio, and introduces another member of his team, Varen the World Eater, who like Garro had remained loyal in defiance of his erstwhile brethren. But now Malcador’s orders have brought them to a virus bombed shell of a planet, its surface home to nothing but ruined cities and the ghosts of those who called Istvaan III home.

Or so it would seem..

The backdrop of the ruined world evokes some great imagery, and when the revenant known as Cerberus made his appearance it made me grin like a madman.

It’s another strong performance by both James Swallow and Toby Longworth, and one that sets the bar very high indeed for those to follow. James is onto a winner here and I know I’m not alone when I say that the wait for the next instalment is going to feel very long indeed.

You can listen to an extract here.

Rynn's World - Steve Parker

The Space Marines of the Adeptus Astartes are fearless champions of humanity. Genetic modification and psycho-conditioning has made them superior to Men in all respects. These Superhuman weapons of war are mankind's most elite fighting force, and as such, their battles are iconic tales of xenos purges and desperate last-stands. Their deeds have become legendary, and the Space Marine Battle series recounts their most notorious front-line stories of heroism in graphic detail.

When the Ork hordes of the Warlord Snagrod, Arch Arsonist of Charadon, lay waste to the planet of Badlanding and devastate the Crimson fist forces sent to stop them, Chapter Master Kantor is forced into a desperate defence of the Fists’ home planet, Rynn’s World.

Tragedy strikes. An errant missile destroys the Space Marines’ fortress-monastery, killing most of the number outright. With a handful of battered survivors in tow, Kantor must cross a continent and reunite with his Second Company if he is to have any hope of defeating Snagrod’s orks and preventing his Chapter’s total annihilation.

Rynn’s World centres on the Crimson Fists’ desperate battle to defend their homeworld against the planetary assault launched by the devious Ork warlord Snagrod, a cunning adversary that will give them and the Imperium a shattering and unforgettable lesson in the dangers of underestimating your enemy.

The viewpoint is shared between several of the Space Marines, with the lion’s share split between the hot blooded Captain Cortez and Kantor, the beleaguered Chapter Master who must bear the burden of his devastated Chapter and a ravaged homeworld. This approach works as the Marines are scattered in the wake of the disaster that befalls their fortress and as the true extent of the Ork assault becomes evident.

To be honest, Cortez and Kantor’s characters aren’t perhaps as developed as you’d like them to be, but this is more than compensated for by the visceral, bonesnapping action that erupts as battle is joined and the surviving Marines give vent to their burning need for vengeance. It’s good to see an author showing Space Marines’ abilities off – sometimes it feels that some people gloss over their decades of training and the fact that they are deadliest warriors mankind has ever fielded. Cranium shattering headshots are de rigueur, and bolter shells rupture torsos and sever limbs by the score. I particularly enjoyed the descriptions of the close combat – it’s one thing to say that an Ork is put down with a powerfist, but when you start describing it as an uppercut it opens a whole new box of images and gives a far more satisfying idea of how that Marine is fighting.

Rynn’s World is part of the Space Marine Battles series, and it certainly does exactly what it says on the box- it's 536 pages stuffed full of explosive, graphic action and Space Marines doing what they do best.

And most importantly, it's damned fun to read.

Mechanicum, Graham McNeill

As the flames of treachery spread outwards through the Imperium, Horus mobilises those forces who are loyal to him, and plots to subvert or destroy those who stand agaist him. A battle is being fought for the heart and soul of all the Imperial forces – the Astartes, the Imperial Army, the Titan Legions and more. In this epic story, author Graham McNeill tells the story of the civil war on Mars, and the genesis of the Dark Mechanicum.

For those not familiar with the Horus Heresy, thee quick version is this (shamelessly borrowed from The Black Library):

Led by the Emperor’s superhuman progeny, the primarchs, the vast armies of Earth have conquered the galaxy in the Great Crusade. The Emperor’s elite warriors, the heroic and battle-hardened Space Marines, have smashed all aliens, tyrant despots and traitors into compliance. Gleaming citadels of marble and gold celebrate their many victories. Triumphs are raised on a million worlds to record their epic deeds, but such vainglory will not last…Rebellion looms when the Primarch Horus, he who once stood by the side of the Emperor, is tempted by the Chaos gods. Horus’s defection will shake the foundations of the nascent Imperium and take it to the edge of annihilation. As the flames of war spread across the galaxy, mankind’s champions will be put to the ultimate test, as brother faces brother and the universe trembles with the beat of war.

Mechanicum, the 9th book in the Horus Heresy series, picks up at the point where Horus’ treachery is coming to fruition, his plans in motion and the rebellion spreading.

We are introduced to the industrial wonderland that is Mars via Dalia Cythera, a hitherto unremarkable scribe, one of the faceless millions who keep the paperwork for the Imperium churning over. Singled out for her heretical habit of trying to improve the technology around her, she’s brought to Mars in the hope that her unique talents could help unlock the secrets of a secret project Adept Zeth had been ruminating over.

A project that could change the future of mankind forever.

At the same time, Horus’ minions have come to Mars, seeking those of a similar mind to corrupt and lead astray from the path laid out by the Emperor. Knowledge is power, but it’s also addictive, a weakness which Horus will not hesitate to exploit..

Graham has done a very good job of bringing his vision of Mars to life, which makes the brutality and unrelenting savagery of the civil war that erupts all the more vivid and engaging. War will engulf Mars, a war perpetrated by those who have access to the most lethal weapons and nigh on limitless resources; it’s a catastrophe of the highest order, an epic bodycount in the true spirit of the 41st millennium -and a very worthy addition to the series.

You can read a sample extract here.

Thanks to the generous minions team at the Black Library, I have a shiny new copy of Mechanicum to give away – all you need to do is email me (details on the right) before anyone else does!

Dark Apostle and Dark Disciple, Anthony Reynolds

If there was ever any doubt about the interpretation of the 40K tagline 'In the grim dark future, there is only war’, these books will put paid to that. Actually, they’ll tear it apart with mass reactive bolter shells, fuse the remains with a white hot blast of superheated plasma and char whatever’s left in a tide of burning promethium.

Dark Apostle introduces us to Marduk (good name!), the commander of a cohort of the Word Bearers. Under the command of Jarulek, the Dark Apostle, he leads his Word Bearers in the subjugation of the Imperial World Tanakreg.

The story unfolds at a good pace, and through the eyes of Varnus, an ex enforcer who is captured and forced into slavery, we get a glimpse into the grim reality of life on a planet overrun by Chaos. It goes without saying that it’s a bleak and harsh fate that awaits those (un)lucky enough to survive the initial assault, and Varnus' descent into this hellish existence is the vehicle Anthony uses to bring this to life in all its sordid glory.

Dark Disciple picks up the story smoothly after Apostle's earth shattering close, with Marduk at the centre of the action as he seeks to unlock the the secrets of the mysterious Orb, the prize a world died for. The action remains a bloody litany of rage and violence; what lifts it is that it’s not gratuitous- these are, after all, Space Marines, bred and conditioned for war. Mixing in the taint of Chaos and unfettered access to heavy weapons is simply throwing petrol on an already raging fire. And this time, Marduk and his troops have a plethora of equally deadly foes to test them; they need every ounce of skill and ferocity to survive, let alone emerge victorious.

These books are an utter smorgasbord if, like me, you enjoy your action thick and fast; I found the carefully considered poke around inside the collective head of a hitherto faceless enemy equally interesting too, and I think there's still a lot of mileage to be had from the mysteries of Lorgar.... rumour has it the third instalment is on the way- I'm going to be keeping an ear to the ground for that.. the unexpected twist at the end of Disciple made sure of that.

You can read an excerpt from Apostle here, and Disciple here.

If that's whet your appetite, email me (the usual rules)- the guys at The Black Library have kindly given me an extra pair of copies to give away. We'll announce winners on Friday, 13th! UK entrants only, I'm afraid.

Malekith - A Tale of the Sundering, Gav Thorpe

Far to the west of the Old World lies the fabled land of Ulthuan, island home of the elves. Thousands of years ago, when men were but fur-clad savages, elf civilization flourished; they were truly masters of the world. But even at the peak of its glory, a seed of corruption gnawed at the roots of elf society; Chaos had cast its shadow over Ulthuan. The elves would be plunged into a bitter and bloody civil war that would tear their nation apart, and ruin the very land they trod on; a time known as the Sundering.

Passed over to succeed as king, elf general Malekith is wracked by jealousy and bitterness. Under the pretence of rooting out the pernicious cult of pleasure that is corrupting elf society from within, Malekith plots his revenge. When he betrays Phoenix King Bel–Shanaar and attempts to seize power for himself, Malekith triggers a tragic sequence of events that plunges the realm of the elves into a civil war from which they will never recover.


And so begins Malekith, the third instalment of the Black Library’s Time of Legends series.

Malekith charts the rise of the titular character, the son of Aenerion, first of the Phoenix Kings of Ulthuan, the mythic battle-king who led the war and eventual triumph over the daemons of Chaos. It follows Malekith from his earliest days, charting his path from noble prince of Ulthuan to his fateful decision to strike out and wrest the crown from Bel-Shanaar's lifeless fingers.

Gav Thorpe has infused Malekith with a purpose and nobility that makes it nigh on impossible not to like him, despite knowing the dark destiny that awaits him and the tyrant he’ll become. It lends the base act that catapults the elven empire into civil war an air of tragedy, and the story is all the more richer for it.

Gav has over a dozen titles to his credit, including the Dark Elves army rulebook for Warhammer Fantasy, so there really couldn’t have been a better person step up and take on the challenge of bringing a tyrant like Malekith to life.

And that’s exactly what he does.

I immersed myself in the book and devoured it in four sessions; it reads extremely well, the story unfolding at a measured pace, gently (but repeatedly) coaxing you into reading ‘just to the end of this chapter’. Malekith’s character is given enough depth that when things begin to go awry, I could understand where he was coming from without the need for further exposition, and more importantly- I cared.

The supporting cast aren’t treated as lavishly but then, this is Malekith’s story and the focus is rightfully on him. All in, it’s a cracking read whether you’re a Warhammer fan or simply after a good fantasy novel; for fans of the Dark Elves though, it’s a must!

Roll on Part II !

You can read a sample extract here. Find Gav Thorpe's Weblog here .

**Malekith Competition News**

We are fortunate enough to have THREE copies of Malekith to give away, courtesy of Black Library. If you fancy a chance to win, all you have to do is email us at: myfavouritebooksatblogspot(@)googlemail.com with your name and snail (physical/postal) mail address.

The competition is open world-wide. One entry per household (we have sneaky software) and duplicate entries will be disqualified. The competition will run until the 5th of January 2009.

Get mailing!

Titanicus, Dan Abnett

"When the vital forge world of Orestes comes under attack by a legion of Chaos Titans, the planet is forced to appeal for help. Titan Legio Invicta, although fresh from combat and in desperate need of refit and repair, responds, committing its own force of war engines to the battle. As the god–machines stride to war, the world trembles, for the devastation they unleash could destroy the very world they have pledged to save."

Titans- 250ft tall metal gods of neural linked firepower duelling across kilometres of torn countryside, unloading carnage on an epic scale and smashing through cityscapes in the hunt for their adversaries with an ease that makes Godzilla look like an escaped parakeet.

The war for Orestes is seen from the perspective of various characters, whose storylines are interwoven throughout. Political intrigue, religious schisms, personal tragedy and simmering heroism all get a showing, and while all I really wanted to do was keep plunging back into the screaming action, it all comes together quite satisfyingly, delivering a healthy dose of the 41st millennium.

Dan has imbued the art of waging war with these armoured behemoths with a vivid and brutal energy, infusing the action with a palpable sense of tension that belies the seeming indestructibility of the machines.

Encore!


You can sample an extract here.