Book Review: Prospero Burns by Dan Abnett.

The Emperor is enraged. Primarch Magnus the Red of the Thousand Sons Legion has made a terrible mistake that endangers the very safety of Terra. With no other choice, the Emperor charges Leman Russ, Primarch of the Space Wolves, with the apprehension of his brother from the Thousand Sons home world of Prospero. This planet of sorcerers will not be easy to overcome, but Russ and his Space Wolves are not easily deterred. With wrath in his heart, Russ is determined to bring Magnus to justice and bring about the fall of Prospero.

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Prospero Burns is a difficult book for me to review. You see i found it to be simultaneously one of the most disappointing Horus Heresy novels and one of the best. Contradictory? You betcha.

You see after reading A Thousand Sons i was eagerly awaiting the Wolves side of things, what their point of view of the Prospero campaign would be and with a title like Prospero Burns i figured that the next Dan Abnett masterpiece would be focused upon this key campaign. But in fact it's not. The campaign on Prospero is barely featured in the book at all, crammed into the last couple of chapters. So rather disappointing in that regard.

However it's actual content is a contender for the best Black Library novel written so far and certainly ranks up at the top of Dan's personal work. This is the definitive Space Wolf novel. Whether your a fan of the space puppies or not, this is a must read for any 40k player. It delves into beginnings of their culture, their traditions their personalities. It thoroughly fleshes out their character to the extent that it is simply no longer valid to just label the sons of Russ as 'Vikings...in....SPAAAACE!'.

Focusing on a human character, we get an outsiders view of the Wolves that slowly crosses into an insiders view. This exploration of the Wolves is coupled with a mystery about just why this character ended up on Fenris and why Russ and Magnus ended up at loggerheads. It also has the most delicious twist at the end which slams home the fact that the demise of the Thousand Sons truly was a tragedy for all concerned.

The writing is of a high standard, as is to be expected from a Dan Abnett novel, certainly no complaints in this regard. Like i said the only criticism i can level against the book is that it's not quite what GW are advertising it to be.

I don't envy Chris Wraight at all when it comes to 'The Battle of the Fang', he's got some pretty darn big power armoured boots to fill when writing the next Space Wolf orientated novel. 'Prospero Burns' is most definitely a must buy.

But be warned, there is still no answer to the "There are no wolves on Fenris" riddle.

***** out of *****

Book Review: Soul Hunter by Aaron Dembski-Bowden

The Night Lords form an uneasy allegiance with the Black Legion in order to assault the valuable planet of Crythe Primus. The Imperial world puts up a stern defence, but the biggest obstacle to success will be the disunity and mistrust between the two Legions. Will their covenant last long enough for them to succeed in their mission?

****

I approached this book with mostly mixed feelings towards Aaron Dembski-Bowden's (ADB from now on so i dont have to keep checking the spelling) work. I'd read his first novel, Cadian Blood, and found it to be rather disappointing, although this was likely due to the hype that had surrounded it upon release and the way it was mismarketed as a Cadians vs. Zombies book rather than what it actually was.
But i had also read his short story, One Hate, which to be frank ranks as one of the best pieces of Space Marine fiction published thus far by the Black Library. So i was curious upon reading Soul Hunter to see which way his work would lean this time.

Following the (mis)adventures of a warband of Night Lords Chaos Space Marines, ADB does something few Black Library authors have achieved: he has given us a group of characters that are at once vile and certainly evil, but also rather likeable, dare i say even more likeable than the average loyalist marine. The normal level for Chaos Space Marines outside of the Horus Heresy books are a batch of frothing lunatics who like stapling babies to their helmets, whereas ADB has given us a group who are far more three dimensional in their characters. And no matter your personal tastes you will likely find yourself rooting for them rather than the staunch defenders of the Imperium.

The book also reveals the infighting present amongst the Traitor Legions and the Night Lords view of the others that sided with Horus, to say they are unimpressed with Abaddon and his lackeys is an understatement. ADB also provides a few hints into the mindset of the Night Haunter and his final days before his assassination by M'Shen, some of which provide unexpected revelations about Konrad Curze and his legion.

As usual, ADB's prose is exceedingly well written. His battle sequences, particularly the climatic events at the end of the novel, are superb and really draw you into the action and leave you rushing to finish the final 30 or so pages.

All this and it sets up a mystery for the next novel to continue as well.

So colour me impressed by ADB's second novel. He's improved upon the flaws present in Cadian Blood and is rapidly establishing himself as one of the best authors when it comes to tales of the Astartes. Definitely recommended.

*****/*****

Book Review: Desert Raiders by Lucien Soulban

When an Imperial listening station receives an enigmatic call for help from a farflung planet, a regiment of Tallarn Desert Raiders is sent to investigate. Pretty soon, the Imperial Guard find themselves locked in a desperate running battle with wave upon wave of tyranids. Is there any way they can ever triumph against such numberless alien hordes?

***

I've had Desert Raiders on my bookshelf for a couple of years, having picked it up during a moment of fascination with the Imperial Guard yet never getting around to reading it. After finishing off The First Heretic, i decided to rectify that and make it my first book review to boot.

The book follows the deployment of a Tallarn Imperial Guard regiment in response to a mysterious distress signal. Those looking at the cover may well believe they know the exact origin and reason for said signal, namely a Tyranid invasion yet appearances can be deceiving.

Despite the book art and the blurb, the majority of the book has very little indeed to do with the 'Nids, in fact they don't even appear in the first half of the novel. Instead this is very much about the Regiment itself and the internal strife caused by the culture of the Tallarn.

The Regiment in question is made up of the remnants of two decimated forces, both belonging to different and rival Tallarn clans. This leads to a great deal of conflict between the characters culminating in the regiment nearly tearing itself apart despite the efforts of their friendly neighbourhood Commissar.

As such it's a rather different tale to the usual Black Library fare, if you've picked it up expecting constant action then you will be sorely disappointed. Instead it's strength lies with its delving into the culture of the Tallarn and defining the way they see the Galaxy and their role within it.

I did have some issues with the novel however. Characters were often introduced simply to be killed off a paragraph later, while others would seemingly be introduced from nowhere into crucial roles as the plot demanded it. This led to me caring very little for the majority of the characters, they either had no time to develop or arrived as a deus ex machina to push the story a bit further, when an already present character could have taken their place and received more development to boot.

Nonetheless it was an enjoyable book, if a little difficult to get into. And once the Tyranids show up things escalate to a fast paced running battle that will keep a reader gripped to the end.

If you can find it on the shelves i would recommend it to those seeking further background about the Tallarn when they aren't in combat. If you are looking for an action heavy story i would look elsewhere however.

*** out of *****.