Is There a Continuation to Legion Horus Heresy
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If you want more Heresy-era Alpha Legion, see the novellas "The Seventh Serpent" by Graham McNeill and "The Serpent Beneath" by Rob Sanders. There is also a new primarch bio-novel, "Alpharius: Head of the Hydra" by Mike Brooks. Haven't read any of these yet, only know they exist. (hide spoiler)]
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For Abnett fans there are a few of his conventions present and correct: Action seen through the eyes of (relatively) ordinary humans, a focus on character at the expense of action and the odd jaw-dropping twist here and there. Abnett has clearly been wanting to write a James Bond-ish character into Warhammer 4 Just when it seemed as if the Horus Heresy series was about to go off the rails, Dan Abnett produces not only the best Heresy novel to date but possibly the best Black Library book, period.
For Abnett fans there are a few of his conventions present and correct: Action seen through the eyes of (relatively) ordinary humans, a focus on character at the expense of action and the odd jaw-dropping twist here and there. Abnett has clearly been wanting to write a James Bond-ish character into Warhammer 40K ever since his Eisenhorn novels, but here he pulls out all the stops with John Grammaticus, a somewhat reluctant spymaster. In actuality, this - practically alone in the Gothic Sci-Fi genre - is a book mostly about espionage. Abnett takes the mysterious Alpha Legion and makes them more mysterious still; the Imperium's last words in duplicity and deception.
If this wasn't enough (and it surely is), the background of war against a primitive but indomitable foe is fascinating to stand on its own two feet. The fact that Abnett makes every strand of the story as interesting as every other is a testament to his skill as a writer.
Ultimately of course this is a story about how and why the Alpha Legion turned traitor but even that isn't as black-and-white as it sounds.
As a standalone book, this is one of the best sci-fi stories ever written and as part of the Horus Heresy series, it sadly leaves many other attempts in the shade. ...more
The main sticking point with this book is the choice. It is hardly a secret that every Astartes legion faces an important choice throughout these books: do they support Horus' rebellion or do they remain loyal to the emper
Another solid, albeit again very different, Horus Heresy instalment. Intrigue and subterfuge make for an excellent change of pace, and the tension and suspense are practically soothing from the strange world of Nurth, where the enigmatic Alpha Legion is introduced to the story.The main sticking point with this book is the choice. It is hardly a secret that every Astartes legion faces an important choice throughout these books: do they support Horus' rebellion or do they remain loyal to the emperor? With Alpharius and the Alpha Legion, the deal struck, leading to the choosing of sides, is strange and somewhat unbelievable. There are a few things that could save it as a plot development, but all are highly dependent on what happens in future books. I will let my opinion simmer for a while until I find out more.
Horus Heresy reviews:
#1 Horus Rising
#2 False Gods
#3 Galaxy in Flames
#4 The Flight of the Eisenstein
#5 Fulgrim
#6 Descent of Angels
#7 Legion
I did enjoy the pants off this book, but it does definitely get ridiculous at points - there are so many levels of intrigue and mistrust that it basically becomes a parody of itself. That aside, I'd highly recommend this to any 40K/30K fan. One of my favourite Black Library titles. ...more
A 'compliance' undertaking ('compliance' being an euphemism for 'invasion') by the 670th Imperial Expedition on a backwater planet called N
This Warhammer 40K novel, the seventh installment of the Horus Heresy series, deals with the Alpha Legion. It was penned by Black Library's best-selling author and arguably the most talented (I say 'arguably' because there are other amazing authors in the BL ranks who are overlooked). Whatever the case, I expected from "Legion" to be nothing short of amazing.A 'compliance' undertaking ('compliance' being an euphemism for 'invasion') by the 670th Imperial Expedition on a backwater planet called Nurth is not going according to plan. That is in opposition to all the facts - since the inhabitants are a lowly and technologically under-developed strain of humans, and the Imperial Army is superior in every aspect. And yet, the campaign which was estimated to last but a few weeks had been prolonged to long months, reaching the point when outside aid had been summoned in the form of the Alpha Legion, the youngest and the most secretive of all the Legion Astartes. Their arrival seems to turn the tide of battle, but the Imperials are unaware there are several other parties involved in this conflict, and just to what lengths are the Nurthene prepared to go to defend their homeworld.
The tagline for "Legion" is indeed an accurate one - 'secrets and lies'. Those familiar with the usual 40K fare will undoubtedly be surprised at how this novel is presented. In essence, 40K is pulp military science-fiction. Although cleverer than it seems at first glance, when all said and done, the core of them is comprised of explosive battles and shootouts. 'Legion' is NOT like that. It is a full-blown sci-fi thriller set in the 40K universe. Well, for the most part - Dan Abnett gives us also a good measure of what made WH40K popular - the *boom boom bang bang* - but the bulk of the book consists of unraveling an intricate web of deceptions and conspiracies.
That is not so peculiar considering the facts (or better said, lack of facts) surrounding the Alpha Legion. The other Astartes legions are, in short, genetically-engineered brainwashed religious zealots whose only purpose is to serve the Emperor of Mankind. The Alpha Legion have not brainlessly given in to the Imperial doctrine. They follow the Emperor's grand design, but they are different in the fact that they question it, and d not follow it blindly. While the other legion's MO is shoot first ask questions later, the Alpha Legion are master of stealth and deception, using a network of undercover operatives and agents all over the Imperium do undo the enemy from within without excessive bloodshed.
It is also known, to the average WH40K fan, that they are labeled as a Traitor Legion, a legion which has sided with the betrayer Horus against the Emperor. But not everything is so black-and-white, and building upon the existing lore, this novel tells the story of how the Alpha Legion became in fact tragic and unsung heroes of the 40K universe.
What can be surprising is that, being namely a novel about the Astartes (the Space Marines), the majority of the novel revolves around ordinary humans and members of the Imperial Army, who are unknowingly drawn into machinations bigger then themselves and anything they've ever known. This was a welcomed step away from the gun-toting and unemotional Space Marines.
Dan Abnett has his characters masterfully fleshed out; not only their mannerisms and speech sound authentic, they are characters that you really come to care about. Abnett builds the bleak and dreary atmosphere of an overly-long campaign on an uninviting and hostile planet, and the toll such a dragging undertaking has on the minds of men who are in the thick of it.
Plot-wise, 'Legion' hooks you right from the start and reels you in hard, not letting go until the very end. To me, this novel was a true example of a 'page turner'; I devoured this novel in a matter of a few days. Usually, I try to pace myself with my reading, but this was like an extremely addictive drug.
Wasting words about the writing style is not necessary - you can't go wrong with Abnett, and he is rightfully considered one of the best at what he does. I do have a slight quibble, though, and it involves the presentation of a small skirmish early in the novel. That particular battle is conveyed in short sentences that read more like a screenplay than prose, which is uncommon for Abnett. It was as if he was having a bad day writing that particular chapter. However, the rest is usual quality Abnett.
Some may be disappointed by the presentation of the Alpha legionnaires, as they always seem more like background characters acting from the shadows, which they in act are. Abnett manages to shed some light on their workings, but still leave them for the most part an uncovered secret. Out of the other characters, one which stands out is John Grammaticus, a mystery figure and true badass in his own right and someone who definitely deserves a separate novel or two in the future.
To conclude: 'Legion' is a thinking man's WH40K material. It is outstanding, and my favorite Horus Heresy novel up to this point (though I've not read all of them). However, this is not what's really considered core 40K. If you are repelled by all the usual gun-ho of the WH40K universe, you will surely find this novel to be more to your liking. On the other hand, if you love WH40K solely because of the gun-ho, you'll probably be disappointed with 'Legion'. Nevertheless, if some smart military sci-fi is what you're looking for, you've found it! A must read!
(And don't worry; the novel is very self-contained and can be enjoyed even by those completely unfamiliar with the WH40K lore)
Rating: 9.5/10
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"Secrets and lies" indeed.
Dan Abnett's books really do stand out in this series. At the expense of action, he excels at world building and character development. This spy/sci-fi/thriller is presented quite differently than the earlier entries. The story is set before the very beginning of the Heresy, and is told mostly from the perspective of the common (?) soldiers dealing with espionage and intrigue. We get a glimpse at the inner workings of the mysterious Alpha Legion, and are
This was great!"Secrets and lies" indeed.
Dan Abnett's books really do stand out in this series. At the expense of action, he excels at world building and character development. This spy/sci-fi/thriller is presented quite differently than the earlier entries. The story is set before the very beginning of the Heresy, and is told mostly from the perspective of the common (?) soldiers dealing with espionage and intrigue. We get a glimpse at the inner workings of the mysterious Alpha Legion, and are left with many questions. John Grammaticus is an absolute favorite, but the book is filled with equally interesting characters. The story offers a few twists and turns, and is never dull.
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--THE GOOD--
1. The Alpha Legion is an automatic plus, being one of the most enigmatic legions in 40k lore. The general helpless feel of the book does well to try to convince us of the reason the Alpha Legion changes allegiances, though fa
Let me honest here: I'm a fan of Dan Abnett, though I haven't read his work in order. Perhaps he was still finding his feet when he wrote this, because it feels like an entirely different author. An author who doesn't know what he's doing. Let's keep this short:--THE GOOD--
1. The Alpha Legion is an automatic plus, being one of the most enigmatic legions in 40k lore. The general helpless feel of the book does well to try to convince us of the reason the Alpha Legion changes allegiances, though falls short in its attempt (see the bad section).
2. There are a few good parts in this book involving minor characters being swept up in all the events going on that kept me from skimming the whole thing.
--THE BAD--
1. There is so much jargon in this book. 40k has enough jargon as it is for the new reader, but this book simply comes off as a pretentious medieval fantasy novel wrapped in a sci fi cover.
2. The Alpha Legion changes allegiances because a group of Xenos who have no interest in preserving humanity whatsoever (in fact, advocate for its destruction) told them to? Seriously?
So, by the ultimatum they gave, the options were
A: Help the Emperor, and create a huge bureuacracy that sits on its haunches but nonetheless survives. Chaos wins...somehow.
B: Help Horus, and ensure the annihilation of all humanity. Chaos loses...somehow.
The logic is a catch-22, you doom humanity to save humanity. I'd doubt a group founded entirely on lies and finding the real deal would fall for this sort of nonsense.
3. The amount of people who end up being alpha legion agents ends up being pretty silly. It becomes trite instead of any sort of twist.
4. The book presents Hurtado bronzi as being a pivotal character of the book, when in fact he basically drops off after 1/3 of the story and doesn't really convince me as to his change of heart at all.
Ive enjoyed everything else of abnett ive read, but this just leaves me cold.
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The first three hundred pages was an amazing spy vs spy/espionage story ala John le Carre cloaked in the aesthetics of the Warhammer 40K universe, while the final one hundred pages had some of the most mind-blowing reveals of which more than a few tore out my heart and stomped on it and left it for dead. Pragmatism, honor, duty, loyalty, friendships and secrets were the themes here as slowly but surely the bigger picture is coming into focus. And the ending, JFC that
This was one hell of a book.The first three hundred pages was an amazing spy vs spy/espionage story ala John le Carre cloaked in the aesthetics of the Warhammer 40K universe, while the final one hundred pages had some of the most mind-blowing reveals of which more than a few tore out my heart and stomped on it and left it for dead. Pragmatism, honor, duty, loyalty, friendships and secrets were the themes here as slowly but surely the bigger picture is coming into focus. And the ending, JFC that ending. Books like these are why I love reading. It defies genre classification, it spends as much time developing the characters as it does with battles and fight scenes, and it flows organically while never straying into melodrama. The Horus Heresy is a tremendous series and this book continued with that tradition.
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Legion focuses on the campaign led by the Imperial Army on the world of Nurth. The imperials are struggling, and the arrival of Alpha Legion is only too welcome. The Emperor's 20th Legion is unlike the other Legions of Astartes as th
After having read several books in this series, I am starting to recognise the authors that I prefer. I have to say that Dan Abnett is perhaps the best writer who has contributed to this series so far. I would go as far as saying that his writing is poetic at times.Legion focuses on the campaign led by the Imperial Army on the world of Nurth. The imperials are struggling, and the arrival of Alpha Legion is only too welcome. The Emperor's 20th Legion is unlike the other Legions of Astartes as they are far more secretive and subtle with their activities.
Book 7 is far less action orientated than most of the previous novels I have read in this series so far, although there are still some quite breath-taking sequences. Large parts of the novel focus on intrigue and mystery. Perhaps Mr Abnett should consider writing some thrillers because I thought this was better than some of the novels written by some of my preferred thriller authors.
Another strength of this novel is that I felt most of the characters were really brought to life and given a good degree of depth, which is something I've found lacking in some of the previous novels I have read in this series. I really enjoyed the bond between Hurtado Bronzi and Peto Soneka. I also thought that John Grammaticus was an outstanding character and really shone throughout the novel.
A very entertaining book and perhaps the best I have read in 2020 so far. 5 out 5 stars without a doubt. I look forward to reading more novels in The Horus Heresy series and I wish that more authors had the talent that Dan Abnett has displayed here. Onto Battle for the Abyss.
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Most of the story details the struggle of the Cabal, a conglomera
Legion is without a doubt, the best book in the Warhammer 40k universe. The story is told from the viewpoints of mere mortals; primarily that of the genetically modified soldiers of the Geno Five-Two Chiliad, who are deep in the middle of a war with the human Nurthene. Little do they know that their struggles are being subtly manipulated by shadowy forces waging a proxy war involving powers beyond their knowledge and comprehension.Most of the story details the struggle of the Cabal, a conglomerate of xeno races including remnants of the Eldar and other unknown species, in order to get a hold of a Space Marine Legion to sway to their cause to overcome Chaos. After hundreds of years of failures, during which their human spies were killed or captured, they're finally at the end of the line because if this last gamble with the newest and latest space marine chapter to be formed, the Alpha Legion, doesn't succeed then all the sentient species in the Galaxy are doomed. Mankind holds the key to their collective fates. In order to do this, they've employed their last human agent, John Grammaticus; a powerful human psyker who has been alive (reincarnated by the xeno-tech of the Cabal) for over a thousand years, to seek out the Primarch Alpharius to convince him to make the right choice...even if it goes against everything the Imperium stands for.
Unlike most other Horus Heresy novels, the main underlying theme behind the story is espionage, especially that of the secretive Alpha Legion who operate as superhuman spies rather than battlefield combatants like their other Astartes brethren. Everything they do has a clandestine purpose beyond the knowledge or comprehension of mere humans. You never see the Alpha Legion engaging in massive conventional combat because to do so would mean that they have failed their mission to manipulate events through more covert means. The Alpha Legion does not fight in the open. Instead they use others to do it for them so that they don't have to get their hands dirty. When they have to fight, they're always prepared to show up in overwhelming force when their opponents least expect it and instantly control the situation so that it ends so fast, the other side never knows what hit them.
The Alpha Legion gave me the image of a bunch of superhuman CIA agents running around in the background, subtly manipulating events and people to get the information and outcome they desire. Obviously a bunch of giants waltzing around in power armor stick out like sore thumbs so instead they act as spymasters and intermediates for specialist human agents who do their dirty work for them. Legion reads more like a military/spy thriller than a typical Warhammer 40k novel. Prior to reading this book, I used to think that Mankind had a chance but now I've realized how deluded that wishful thinking was. The small flickering light of hope for the future was engulfed and snuffed out by the overbearing darkness and despair of the revelations at the end.
Scores:
Cover: 5
Characters: 9
Story: 9
Overall: 9/10 (5 Stars)
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While focusing on the Astartes of the Alpha Legion, The mystery of the genetically enhance
In my opinion, this dynamic book is more like a sci fi thriller than anything else. It delivers on all fronts, and the veteran storyteller does not disappoint. With vivid detailed scenery and intense battle descriptions, loads of intrigue, explosive action scenes and a truly unpredictable plot, Dan Abnett really sets the stage for the entire epic Horus series, giving the readers a glimpse of things to come!While focusing on the Astartes of the Alpha Legion, The mystery of the genetically enhanced soldier named Alpharius is a central theme in this exciting story, which takes the reader through a labyrinth-styled adventure while a dark future looms on the horizon. Apparently, the entire members of this powerful legion go by that same name, thus creating a secret identity for their true leader - this way, he cannot be ambushed or killed, since none of their opponents truly know who he is. This elusive manner of conduct is like a sworn oath of secrecy amongst the giant battle brothers. And this clandestine nature of the Alpha Legion and their ability to keep secrets attracts the attention of a mysterious alien race called the Cabal. And after centuries of planning and foresight, the Cabal send a gifted messenger called John Grammaticus to attract the powerful secretive Alpha Legion, in order to deliver a secret prophetic message to them regarding the pending doom of their race and those like them.
The adventures and journey of John [a master of disguises and linguistic manipulator] takes up a good part of the story, as he wonders upon the small alien world of Nurth, striving to attract the Alpha Legion's attention while battling against other military hordes and local mystic beings. His escapades are placed in a futuristic setting amidst the sandy rugged cityscape of Tel Utan. And throughout the well written story, you get the feel of a sense of urgency, tied to a grander scheme brewing steadily behind the scenes.
There are two other human soldiers in this story who are not part of the Alpha Legion; rather they are Hetmen commanding bands of soldiers loyal to them, and they are named Soneka and Bronzi. And these two captains get drawn into a mysterious conspiracy there on planet Nurth, which almost gets them killed on several occasions. Of course, the master manipulator John has something to do with this, as he inserts himself into the ranks of the Hetmen and their military superiors who are attempting to cleanse planet Nurth from the clutches of Chaos and dark magic [practiced by some of the savage Nurthene people].
Eventually John gets rescued/captured by a team of powerful soldiers who are Alpha Legion members - yet he doesn't know who is their true leader, since they all seem to go by the name of Alpharius. And with time, once John is able to gain the trust of the legion and direct them on a path that links them to the ancient Cabul aliens, the giant Alpha soldiers are now forced to make a crucial decision: do they accept the dark prophecy and act upon it [thus betraying their God Emperor], or do they reject it and carry on their present mission?
If you're a true Warhammer 40K fan then you won't regret buying this one!
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Did I dislike t
Whilst I enjoyed this entry into the Horus Heresy series more than I did its immediate predecessor ("Descent of Angels"), I almost feel like the first 300 to 350 pages or so are nothing but prologue for the actual meat/point of this story which occurs thereafter. It's almost as if the author felt he needed to fill in the backstory for a couple of characters we were going to meet so that we wouldn't ask "Who's this guy?", but that backstory ended up becoming a novel all on its own.Did I dislike the telling of the tale to bring Nurth into compliance? No, it was descent enough, although it did take a minute or three to get used to the military titles and terminology used in this book (markedly different from the previous six entries)...not to mention the completely different military vehicles and weapons on display: multi-legged crawlers? hover vehicles!? slug-throwers!?! what's all this then??? And I did exceptionally like the dive into actual Terran culture, to some extent. I'm getting the impression that the culture of Terra itself has almost been reclaimed, in a sense, by the cultures of ancient Earth...however, it all felt completely superfluous near the end. And I'm a big lover of exposition so, it's not that I disliked their inclusion, I just feel that this story spends 90% of its effort on the appetizer.
So, why the four stars? Because it's still a rollicking good tale. I have no idea where the character of John Grammaticus comes from and I feel like I'm supposed to, but I still liked him very much, nonetheless. I'm also left salivating over the members of the Cabal. I think that I had this initial impression that it was just the Eldar, but the description of the half dozen or so races represented at the meeting with Alpharius only whet my appetite. I'm also again surprised at the completely underwhelming nature of Alpharius Omegan, as yet another Primarch is displayed as just a normal person, albeit very tall and imposing, but not god-like. Although, given the nature of Alpharius, and the Alpha Legion in general, this could very well have been deliberate.
I also enjoy that *spoiler* the Alpha Legion turns traitor and joins Horus/Chaos to save the Galaxy from Chaos. As, according to the Cabal, if Horus wins, he'll proceed to wipe out the Human race in his rage and guilt and rob Chaos of its only/chief weapon. It's a nice little twist...although, since they ultimately failed, and the 10,000 years of stagnation and decay set in, you'd think they would have realized their error about 9,900 years ago and maybe tried to rejoin the Imperium, or at least oppose Chaos...but maybe they still feel that they can achieve their original objective??
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It may seem like I'm picking on Dan Abnett in these Horus Her
Having finished Legion, I realized I could have left most of my original remarks without losing accuracy. The book itself has a structural problem, it feels like two books grafted together. As if the substantially weaker sequel was appended to the end of the first book. The high point of Legion was the end of Part 1, and even then the climactic elements were removed. Part 2 had more Alpha legion, but was of substantially lower quality.It may seem like I'm picking on Dan Abnett in these Horus Heresey reviews. That's not intentional. The man just has a knack for creating characters that I can't stand. From those parts of the book that I can stand to listen to, the great tragedy of 'Legion' is that there are the elements of a four-star story in there, albeit all in Part 1. The problem is the author's pet gets in the way.
I cannot stand John Grammaticus. The character disgusts me on a visceral level, and after a few minutes I am driven to hold down the fast forward button until the book reaches a scene without him in it. During those spans of the book infested with Grammaticus, my hate and vitriol bubbles up and I go into ranting conniptions, seriously tempted to just keep hitting "track forward" until I reach "Battle for the Abyss" (The next book queued up). Then he goes away for a while and we get to spend more interesting time with the Chilead. My rage subsides and I note that from a technical standpoint there are components of this book that could have been salvaged to make something worthwhile. If only it were free from Grammaticus. His eventual demise was not as painful nor as definitively permanant as it should have been.
All the evidence points to Alpharius and Omegon being the least intelligent of all the Primarchs (less rational even than Angron, which is quite a feat given that he's been effectively lobotomized). As far as I can tell they're pathalogical in their compulsion to lie. They tell two lies whenever the truth would serve them better and I'm convinced that the Alpha Legion has zero impact on the galaxy as a whole because its members are too busy thwarting each other. The poor opinion generated by the depiction of the Primarchs of the Alpha Legion did have a humorous side effect. In one scene, Alpharius is stated as drawing his boltgun, dialogue is exchnaged and he fires. Logically, it's implied that he took aim at some point. However, my mental image still had the boltgun pointed at the floor, so when the scene ended with the weapon discharge, I was half convinced Alpharius just shot himself in the foot.
That is actually am apt metaphor for the book as a whole, Alpharius shooting himself in the foot.
...more I ve always loved Dan Abnett as an author and as the best the BL has to offer. I read this book years ago simply because DA wrote it, and, while i thought it was good, i failed to understand it as well as i could have. Having read the reviews hailing it as one of the best HH novels, i decided to give it another chance.
Having recently read the likes of 'Nemesis' 'Fulgrim', and 'Flight of the Eisenstein', all of which are well-ra
'Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practise to deceive!'I ve always loved Dan Abnett as an author and as the best the BL has to offer. I read this book years ago simply because DA wrote it, and, while i thought it was good, i failed to understand it as well as i could have. Having read the reviews hailing it as one of the best HH novels, i decided to give it another chance.
Having recently read the likes of 'Nemesis' 'Fulgrim', and 'Flight of the Eisenstein', all of which are well-rated HH novels, i expected this work to fit in with those works as a 'good' HH novel, essential a good bit of pulp action. But it doesnt. Legion is an absolutely masterful work, Abnett at his absolute best, combining plot, characters, and scope to an epic degree. It is an expert weaving of narratives, perspectives, beliefs and themes into one single work. I ve always struggled to believe the idea of an astartes legion, a byword for assault brutality and effectiveness, to be experts at espionagr and deception, but they are shown here as expert, shadowy masters of guile deception. TheAlpha Legio and the ideas of espionage, deception and human narratives intertwine brilliantly throughout this work. Abnett does a superlative job of making the humans in the book the real in-depth characters, rather than the Astartes, as you might expect. This deception fits perfectly into a work that would make Le Carre blush, an exercise in deception, action and lies. Abnett, as always, writes the action sequences masterfully, making you feel as if you in the thick of it, but he does even better in weaving the strands of the plot, with human and post-human characters spinning multiple webs of deception and deceit as the plot goes on.
Abnett makes use of elaborate symbolism and historical references in his work, hinting at the vast levels of research that have gone into this book. The Nurthene are a fascinating race, amd the Alpha Legion are a brilliant, nebulous lot, showcasing Abnett's masterful control of scenes and set pieces.
Its all here. Action, intrigue, great characters and epic scale. Abnett is a master at marrying galaxy-wide actions with the thoughts and feelings of individuals who either engineer or are caught up in them, and the result is a clear magnum opus that stands head and shoulders above most other HH works.
A superlative novel of espionage and action, a must read for the HH series.
Every time I read it, I discover something new and something I enjoy about it. Dan Abnett works his magic with this novel, creating a multi-character story that works extremely well as you move from each character to each character.
As far as stories go, this one feels very Alpha Legion. Probably more so than the later Alpha Legion novels that have come out since this book was written. The chapter is shrouded in intrigue
Out of all of the Horus Heresy books, this is the one I have read the most.Every time I read it, I discover something new and something I enjoy about it. Dan Abnett works his magic with this novel, creating a multi-character story that works extremely well as you move from each character to each character.
As far as stories go, this one feels very Alpha Legion. Probably more so than the later Alpha Legion novels that have come out since this book was written. The chapter is shrouded in intrigue and deception, and though you don't see them as much as the Imperial Guard, it's actually quite fitting for their chapter.
I still remember when I read the big reveal to this novel, I was blown away. Over the years it has lost its impact, but I still remember just what it felt like when I found out more about the primarch. I wanted my friend (who played Alpha Legion) to read this book so he could feel the same.
Abnett is good at what he does, and it shines in this novel. I didn't hate any of the characters, I agreed with all of their choices, and everything just clicked as events played out. I also thought the concept for the Imperial Guard was also a neat one, something that pushed the normally bland nature of the Guard into something unique and interesting with a deep cultural and regimental identity.
In the end, this is still one of my more favorite Horus Heresy novels, and if you are a fan of the Alpha Legion, it's worth reading. If you are an Abnett fan, this is one of the few books by him where it doesn't feel like he ran out of steam near the end. Now, the question is, with how the 40K universe is evolving, does everything that happened in this book still ring true...
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I understand the decision was a devastating one to make and really, no one should ever have to choose something like that, but I'm not sure I would have made the same choice. Fate is made up of trillions upon I like Alpha Legion because they do things differently... it is what I enjoy so much from the Series in general: its diversity. All the legions with there own lore and ways of doing things, some getting along famously and others infamously; all the while the Emperor holding it all together.
I understand the decision was a devastating one to make and really, no one should ever have to choose something like that, but I'm not sure I would have made the same choice. Fate is made up of trillions upon trillions of individual choices and naturally occurring divergences, so who's to say that the Cabal's farsight showed the only two visions?
Why trust a secret formation of xenos in the first place? Just because they have a single human member?
The more pragmatic choice, it seems like, for the Alpha Legion to make given their background and philosophy would have been to side with the Emperor so they could have more time to find/try myriad ways to counter/defeat Chaos. The hydra structure would seem to indicate that they have openly taken the side of the Cabal and Horus so they could secretly work to try and save the Emperor. And what better way to keep tabs on Chaos than to infiltrate them (if that is even possible)!!! One thing is for sure, you can never know exactly what they are up to until they want you to, and by then, it's too late!
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Overall, I think this succeeds in the same way as Robbie MacNiven's Red Tithe did: it puts a spotlight on one Legio
It's kind of amazing how disorienting a story becomes when you replace some common terms, like "captain" or "lieutenant" with Turkish (I think?) versions of those words. The first handful of chapters were difficult for me to get a grasp on, because I was too busy using context clues to figure out what everything was... What's an Uxor? What's a 'cept? A genewhip? A bashaw? A chiliad?Overall, I think this succeeds in the same way as Robbie MacNiven's Red Tithe did: it puts a spotlight on one Legion - in this case, the Alpha Legion - and highlights some of their cool, interesting aspects. Unfortunately, I assume in an effort to emphasize their mysterious nature, the Alpha Legion characters don't appear that often - more often, we follow the Imperial army soldiers that get embroiled in their machinations. So the best part of the book was also the least frequent.
Also, since it feels like I need to mention social justice for every book of the series, here's where this entry stands: there's very little macho posturing here (yay!), but also some pretty crappy depictions of women (boo!). Will we ever get an entry with two thumbs up on this front? Unlikely! But it's good to hold even over-the-top military SF to a high standard.
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If you're in such of a weekend read and you don't mind jumping into a universe that you have no idea about, BUT you just want to read then I would highly recommend this to you.
With that said, I will not be continuing on with the
WOOOOOW! Dan Abnett did it again. What an amazing read that will cast questions regarding what had occurred throughout the Heresy and what continues on in the 40K millenium. Alpharius Omegon and the Alpha Legion are probably my most favorite of the Primarchs and Legions.If you're in such of a weekend read and you don't mind jumping into a universe that you have no idea about, BUT you just want to read then I would highly recommend this to you.
With that said, I will not be continuing on with the Horus Heresy instead I will pick where I left off with other 40K novels (the Gaunt's Ghosts series or start Ravenor both written by Abnett) that I had shelved.
My assumption was that the Horus Heresy series would probably be 8-9 novels and would be awesome way for me to gain more knowledge about the Imperium during that time and what actually occurred (the 40K characters constantly mention the Heresy and what it had done to make the galaxy a mess). But now it appears that Black Library are going to continue on with the Heresy (pumping out audio dramas as well) series for quite awhile.
I hope to return to the Horus Heresy soon.
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Alpha Legion has many layers of secrecy inside its plans and everything one might think to know of them is only something they want that someone to know. You are in the position who is fooled and have to find your way towards the truth. It is not hard because the story tells parts of the "truth" from time to time and the conclusion at the end is somethi
In the story, mainly you'll be following humans, which is exactly the perspective Alpha Legion story should be told: "through an outsiders eyes".Alpha Legion has many layers of secrecy inside its plans and everything one might think to know of them is only something they want that someone to know. You are in the position who is fooled and have to find your way towards the truth. It is not hard because the story tells parts of the "truth" from time to time and the conclusion at the end is something that'll blow your mind up.
So don't you dare peek the ending before hand!
Some time ago I answered "none" when asked which one was my favorite Horus Heresy novel. From now on, I'll answer Legion.
Don't get me wrong, it has it's fair share of macabre, gore, and the usual bloody combat scenes but underpinning it all is a near-parody tale of spies and triple crossings and covert identiti
This book delves heavily into the "Alpha Legion", the mysterious final legion of Space Marines in the Warhammer 40k universe. Told mostly from the perspective of frontline human infantry and an immortal spy, it's one of the more refreshingly comic tales I've seen come out of this otherwise grimdark universe.Don't get me wrong, it has it's fair share of macabre, gore, and the usual bloody combat scenes but underpinning it all is a near-parody tale of spies and triple crossings and covert identities. Every Alpha Legionnaire you meet calls themselves Alpharius (the Primarch/leader) or pretends to be him in some sneaky double bluff, even at times when such deception affords no benefit. This whole charade is comical but fits well with a narrative in which every character is lying in some way or another.
For the first half of the book, each chapter will have you scratching your head as another layer of mystery or subterfuge appears or another wrench looks set to be thrust into all the schemes, which adds nicely to the tone of the narrative. Unfortunately the ending feels quite weak and unconvincing, the Primarch's decision seems based on weak information - out of character for a leader whose entire shtick is gathering intelligence and spotting+plotting subterfuge.
Overall, it's a great book for Warhammer 40k fans, particularly those interested in pre-Heresy canon, Primarchs, and less well-known Astartes legions. For outsiders or newcomers, it has enough primer in the first few pages that you'll get along but keep a link to the WH40k wiki's handy to explain some concepts.
Also: probably one of the first WH40k books I've read which featured Terra (Earth) cultures outside of Western ones. Characters are regularly described as being non-white and the human armies have a melting pot of different cultural background and customs.
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This story fee
I suppose if you're already well versed in 40K lore then the foretelling of the outcome of a war between The Emperor and Horus in this book will not be such a huge reveal to you as it was to me. Presuming that most readers will not be in my situation (learning only from the books as I read), this is a great account of how events were shaped to make the best possible future. Considering that I'm potentially not the only 40K noob reading through The Heresy, I'll say no more about it.This story feels completely different yet again and I'll acknowledge that I've commented on that in each review for the last three books in this series. However, Legion is not just a step aside from the events of The Horus Heresy it is also another example of Abnett's talent with words and especially for character building. In contrast to the last few books, which had interesting stories but characters that I didn't connect with, Legion excels on all accounts.
The shady business of lies within lies which the blurb prepares us for is masterfully delivered with strange psyker abilities that were new to me and a multifaceted plot involving not only a legion of secretive Astartes but also a shadow organisation known as The Cabal.
This is quite a diversion from the main line of The Horus Heresy events but sets things in place which will no doubt play a significant part in the continued story. Check out the author's afterword for more on that.
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Alpharius sheathed his gladius, and dragged the sabre out of his torso. He tossed it away, and walked through the liter of bodies to where Namatjira was kneeling on the deck.
"Please! My lord primarch! Please, I beg you!" Namtjira pleaded, his hands making a desperate namaste.
Alpharius drew his boltgun.
"Why?" shrieked Namatjira. "Why are you doing this?
"For the Emperor," said Alpharius, and pulled the trigger."
Hurtado Bronzi"
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