ALlen: A series of recent policy
changes by the Black Library have meant it will be a number of months before I
read Angel Exterminatus Betrayer or Mark of Calth (the Mass Market Paperback is not out til August and I’m
not wrecking the uniformity of my bookshelf for ANYONE). This therefore seemed
like an opportune moment to take stock and summarise the series thus far and
maybe look at the future. Myself and the esteemed Mr. Babcock will discuss this and more in a transatlantic Hour Heresy overview....
Mr. B: After 7 years, 24 novels, some collected works, and
many more stories and audio dramas, the Horus Heresy series is alive and
strong. Each story has a unique perspective as they’re written in a
pseudo-historical sense where the reader knows that Horus and his fall into the
grips of Chaos creates the world of the game Warhammer 40,000, so each novel
must present itself in the light of a “Warhammer 30,000” universe. My favourite
part of the series, and much of its appeal no doubt, is the glimpse of the
Space Marine Primarchs shared through the multifarious viewpoints of lesser
Space Marines, Imperial soldiers, and the “Remembrancers” or civilian crew
following the many arms of the Great Crusade so that they may spread the news
and glory of this achievement back to humanity.
ALlen: I agree that the Horus Heresy
series has done much to expand our knowledge of this period of the 40K
universe. The Remembrancers are one of my favourite new additions, the idea
that humans are assigned by the Emperor to catalogue and record the Great
Crusade. This allows for a human element to the series that may have otherwise
been missing as these books are very power armoured centric (understandably) Space Marines can actually become very boring if not supported with
other characters, although the Astartes characterisation in the Heresy series
is better than in most books. The Primarchs are also a large part of the series
and it is fair to say we are now blessed with more information on the Primarchs
than ever, sometimes with multiple authors giving different perspectives on
each Primarch. Again there has been some great characterisation of the
Primarchs and their various triumphs (and falls) been documented here like
never before. There have been some great books, some good books, and some books
that frankly probably should have not been printed, we're going to cover them all here.
So here we go! I've read every single
novel that the Heresy has to offer and Babbers has read all but the very latest
few so allow us to present you: the Horus Heresy Thus Far.
Opening Salvoes:
Mr.B: The entire Horus Heresy series opened with a bang in
2006 with a trilogy of books: Horus
Rising, False Gods, and Galaxy in Flames. These mainly follow
Garviel Loken, a Luna Wolves captain raised into the hallowed ranks of the
Mournival, which is an advisory council for the newly crowned Warmaster of the
Crusade, Horus Lupercal. These three books are required reading, it’s that
simple. The authors for these three novels (Dan Abnett, Graham McNeilll, and
Ben Counter) really scripted the events and characters evenly, so there is
little differentiation in behaviour or voice between novels. This opening
trilogy is a real testament to the spirit and energy behind the team of
creative geniuses the Black Library holds in its pens (pun intended). The
so-called High Lords of Terra seem to hold regular meetings together in order
to brainstorm and plan the series very well. It’s almost as if they were
planning a long term galactic siege of an ancient planet…
ALlen: I loved the 'Loken Trilogy.' I
almost consider these first three books as one entry despite being written by
different authors. You can tell that they were written with a lot of mutual
collaboration. Horus Rising, although
perhaps an unexpected and understated opener-offering was well written and
Abnett was a good choice to begin the series. Action takes a backseat for the
most part as characters are established and the central foundations of the
Crusade are laid down. This largely unexplored period of 40k history being fleshed out chapter by chapter. It’s really weird reading a series where the concept of
Chaos is completely unknown. The idea of an Astartes turning on a battle
brother is palpably written as anathema to them, and Daemons (even if they are not known as such) are something they
can barely deal with . It’s somewhat
refreshing having this liberation from the normal 40K tropes, which goes a long way to setting these books apart from all other Black Library series.
False Gods steps things up as Horus is
gravely injured leading the Mournival into making a decision on which the fate
of the entire galaxy will depend. This was actually the first time I was a
little disappointed with events in the series. I could live with the idea that
Horus wasn't the first to encounter the Chaos Gods and ultimately it is Horus's
own decision to turn his coat, but the circumstances of his corruption somewhat
diminishes the character somewhat. I can see that they were trying to portray
the good in the Warmaster to add another dimension to his character, but I
still couldn't see why he couldn't just want power and take it. That said, I
felt much the same about the Star Wars prequels and Darth Vader’s turning to
the Dark Side and I never got over that either (yeah I just compared the
Warmaster to Hayden Christensen, sacrilege I know, but deal with it). That said
I really liked some of the themes being presented as the Emperor’s intention to
create a grand enlightened Imperium free of theistic beliefs and cults unravels
despite his best efforts. Elsewhere, Horus' conflict as the title of Warmaster
weighs heavily on him is well explored and this goes some way to mitigating the
circumstances of his betrayal.
Galaxy in Flames is the first real epic
of the series as the proverbial shit hits the fan when brother turns on brother
and the legions that have turned traitor expunge the loyalist portions amongst
them. Some truly devastating consequences unfurl as the first great act of
betrayal at Istvaan is brought to life in horrific and vivid detail. Allegiances
and bonds are shattered and the sense of escalation is profound and brutal. By
far the most action packed of the Loken Trilogy, it is a non-stop ride of
treachery, travesty, and slaughter on a planetary scale. There are some really memorable scenes and
the chaos (if you'll excuse the use of the word) is very well portrayed as Horus finally makes
his play. It’s such a satisfying end to the opening trilogy and the kind of
thing that would work really well as the end to a first film if fans’ dreams
were ever to be realised and the book series make it onto the big screen.
The stage gets set here in a near perfect fashion. The first
line of the series is something along the likes of, “I was there the day Horus
slew the Emperor,” deliciously foreshadowing the entire Heresy itself with a
tale of a false emperor. The invention of the Remembrancers is a great addition
as a viewpoint and something the post-human Astartes are learning to adjust to
their involvement as the series opens. We really get to see some of the chief
revolutionaries in these tales: a great deal of Horus, Fulgrim, Angron,
Mortarion, Abaddon, Eidolon, Fabius Bile, Lucius, and the
wish-there-was-a-better-word-than-evil Erebus.
It’s also unique to think of the way things are established
for this WH 30K universe. The Astartes legions are huge, huge, HUGE. The Ultramarines
number in the hundreds of thousands. Primarchs, commanders, and space marines
are inexperienced or completely oblivious to the forces of chaos or the
existence of daemons. Imperial society is built upon science and progress.
Religion, especially divine aspects of the Emperor are frowned upon or openly
spurned as superstitious babble. Then there’s the horror of betrayal after
betrayal that feel real and world-ending to the characters involved. It’s like
these guys didn’t realize that Horus was a bad guy… oh.
Tremors:
Mr.B: After Galaxy in
Flames, the gig is up. Heresy and revolution are in the works, but only a
very small part of the Imperium is in the know, so we start to gather various
viewpoints from around the galaxy. The
Flight of the Eisenstein brings word back to Terra of Horus’ crime, Fulgrim explores the story of the
Emperor’s Children as well as their perfectionist and depraved Primarch, Descent of Angels introduces the world
of Caliban and the Dark Angels, Legion
explores the mysteries of the Alpha Legion, Battle
for the Abyss starts the conflict between the Word Bearers and the
Ultramarines, and Mechanicum blasts
the priests of Mars into full conflict as schisms build and divide the worlds
of men.
Descent of Angels
and Battle for the Abyss were nearly
unmemorable for me. I can see them on my shelf and I know I slogged through
them, but I cannot tell you who those stories revolve around. I have a glimpse in
my mind of a Dark Angel working his way up through the ranks and some space
marines fighting on a huge ship called the Abyss. These were the first duds of
the series.
Fulgrim and Legion on the other hand are FANTASTIC.
Both novels cement themselves as deeply as possible within their Astartes
chapter; you get the full treatment of life within the Emperor’s Children and
the closest glimpse of who exactly the Alpha Legion are. It’s actually hard to
discuss these two novels without blowing the huge events and colossal secrets
revealed within their pages. Want a marathon of epic? Read Fulgrim. Want a mystery wrapped in an enigma? Read Legion. I cannot go on any further.
ALlen: Totally agree with DOA (an
oddly fitting acronym, no?) and BFTA. Both snorefests. Descent of Angels pretty much ensured Mitchell Scanlon never wrote
for the Horus Heresy again. It was a horrifically dull experience that tried to
tell of the early days of Caliban, but merely ensured it to be one of the
poorest books in the series. I remember Battle
for the Abyss having some average bolterporn and decent boarding sequences,
but still nothing to recommend it over other entries. Perhaps the fact that it
technically precedes the far superior Know
No Fear gives you a reason to check it out, but I consider it eminently
skippable. I almost consider Flight of
the Eisenstien to be a part of the Loken Trilogy as it deals so directly
with the aftermath of the Istvaan Massacre (the first one). There are some
great elements to it; a real fight or flight aspect permeates the book and the
sequence as the Eisentein is attacked in the warp is outstanding as the Nurgle
Daemons finally make an appearance. It’s also the start of a whole sub plot
within the Heresy which is still being heavily explored to this day, most recently with anthology Mark of Calth so it’s
definitely one to read.
Things do escalate somewhat in Fulgrim, a delightful portrayal of the Emperor Childrens Primarch’s descent into madness, effectively told from a refreshingly human
perspective by Graham McNeill thanks to Fulgrim’s chief remembrancer. It’s a
bit twisted and dark, but since when was that a bad thing?! It also deals with
the first instance of Primarchicide (yeah its a word now). Fulgrim is a great
book full stop that really explores the relationship and strong bonds between
two brothers and the different paths they take that tear a schism between them.
It’s maybe the first true GREAT book of the series. So much happens within its
pages and Babbers is absolutely right to call it an epic. The back section
dealing with the drop pod assault would make the book worth reading alone. Dan
Abnett’s follow up, Legion, was even
better (DOA came in between, but I pretend it doesn’t exist) as it’s the first
time we really see the Astartes being covert as the Alpha Legion’s nature is
fully laid bare. Some fascinating concepts are presented and explored and it
becomes clear that the Alpha Legion specialises in deception and espionage as
their status quo. The books double whammy of revelations at the climax takes
nothing away from what comes before, but also overshadows it entirely. Jaws
dropped.
Mechanicum was another first in the
Heresy series as Graham McNeill dove into events on Mars exploring the origins
of the Dark Mechanicum. As with Fulgrim,
he keeps a human perspective in this largely Astartes-free outing. Some might
describe it as filler, but I found it fascinating to have this facet of the
Imperium explored as Horus corrupts Mars to gain access to the war-machines and
supplies he will need in his march to Terra. More of an oddity than anything
else, Mechanicum still sits in the
upper side of the scale of Heresy books, quality wise, and I'd quite like to
see it explored further at some point outside of short stories.
I’m also adding Tales of Heresy into this section, the first of the collected short
story books. Amongst the short stories, only a few stood out although all of
them were at least readable. Abnett's Blood Games was a cool story, Wolf at the
Door was shocking and brutal, and After Desh’ea was fantastic giving us a first
look at both Angron and Kharn. It starkly portrayed the World Eaters’ Primarch’s
savage fury and asked what would become of the World Eater marines when they met
their Primarch for the first time.
Phase 2
Mr B: We’re
currently entrenched in the middle of what I’d call Phase 2 of the Horus
Heresy. Bad things are happening all around, some know, some don’t, and
everyone’s going to be a part sooner or later. This is different from Phase 3
because then all the lines will be drawn and the major conflict will be on the
horizon. No one’s near the Siege of Terra now, so we’re in Phase 2.
To open, let’s discuss the duology novels: A Thousand Sons and Prospero Burns.
Of course now we really get down to the nitty-gritty, the
whole reason why these two legions hate each other, what created two forever-rivals
from this moment onwards: the destruction of Prospero. Graham McNeill does a
fantastic job with the Thousand Sons, especially the seemingly good and caring
Ahzek Ahriman. Magnus is awesome, of course, but the sorcerous details of the
Thousand Sons felt on-key and correct, I loved it. The whole first chapter of Prospero Burns with Abnett’s display of
life on Fenris is absolutely gripping. It’s an immensely visceral read.
The end of A Thousand
Sons felt very constrained and got me thinking. I wonder if the
pre-determined outcomes are hindering authors in the series. Prior to the fight
with Leman Russ, Magnus is penitent, so downtrodden by the realization of his
actions that his final act seems sudden and arbitrary. Graham McNeill does such
a good job at building Magnus’ character that the pre-determined outcome, the
fact that we knew there would be a duel between Russ and Magnus and then some
sort of sorcerous escape to the Eye of Terror, felt too Deus Ex Machina to me and required a lighter touch in my opinion.
For example, Mr. McNeill gets free reign to fill in some of the details as he
explores the triumph at Ullanor, the Council of Nikaea, and Magnus’ intrusion
at the Golden Throne and each of those scenes are striking parts of this book.
If the author were allowed to let their story flow the way it could have, then
there might have been a grander confrontation at the end and a more
satisfactory outcome. There’s been a change in the Black Library release
schedule, I wonder if they’re moving novels around and changing things to allow
for this sort of freedom?
ALlen: I really liked A Thousand Sons. I thought McNeill did a
great job of fleshing out Magnus's legion, I loved the different sects he established,
and his description of the way psychic powers worked. I felt he brought a lot
more to the series overall than many of his peers (but then, of course, he has
written the most books). Again, using remembrancers heavily, i felt McNeil really brought home
the anguish Magnus feels as the attempt to warn the Emperor brings everything
to ruin. I've ALWAYS felt that Magnus's fall was the most tragic of ALL the Primarchs
and I thought Graham nailed it. There’s some great telling of the Council at
Nikaea as well, the Emperor’s arrival portrayed in particularly flamboyant
style.
Prospero Burns, however, although well
written, really did come across as false advertising to me. They would have been better off sticking with
the subtitle: The Wolves Unleashed. Abnett does just as good a job of fleshing
out the Legion he is saddled with, but his telling of the destruction of the
home of the Thousand Sons is rushed and limited to about 40 pages. It’s very
traditional Abnett with lots of build up and a frantic ending, but Prospero
really took a backseat in my eyes and even the famous Abnett 'twist' left me
cold. Abnett was going through some serious personal issues at the time (Prospero Burns was heavily delayed), so
he gets a free pass from me on this one. What is there is very, very good and
the denizens of Fenris are explored as never before as Abnett really hammers
home the 'Norse in Space' aspects whilst still making them his own. It’s just a
shame that the actual sacking of Prospero is dealt with in such an offhand and
secondary manner.
Mr. B: Yes, Prospero
Burns goes off in a scattering of directions. I re-read the book recently
and I think it suffers from both Mr. Abnett’s delay (mid-life diagnosis of
epilepsy ruined his 2010) and the fact that it’s not the book that the reader
expects it to be. From the title, you expect this this novel to be a
full-scale, scorched-earth telling of the Wolves ripping Prospero apart. What
the novel actually is about is the secret war between the Space Wolves Rune
Priests and the Thousand Sons Sorcerers – and yet the story isn’t about that at
all. It’s a tale of identity – who is Kasper Hawser? Who are the Space Wolves
in relation to the other chapters? Who are the Thousand Sons and what would
they do to gain the most important part of warfare: information? The book goes
on several meta-physical trips to explore all of that and leaves the expected
slaughterfest behind. Again, the few chapters on Fenris are enough action for
the whole book in my opinion. The book’s main letdown is that it doesn’t
deliver the scene on its awesome cover art.
Nemesis is a
romping good story. Have you ever wanted to see one of each of the temples of
the Officio Assassinorum send an agent to kill a traitor? How about forming a
kill-team of deadly assassins to take down Horus? It’s those kinds of scenarios
and the real glut of action in Nemesis
that keeps me coming back to Black Library novels and the Horus Heresy. It’s
not a space marine book, but that makes it a great change of pace for the
series as a whole.
ALlen: Nemesis was a decent distraction, I felt. A very cinematic
distraction it must be said, it really was a dirty dozen (well quartet) style
affair and, although some characters were given short shrift in the attention
stakes, it rattled along nicely enough even if the whole thing did feel really superfluous.
Punchy and with a decent climax, but it didn’t really stick in the memory for
me.
Mr. B: The First
Heretic by Aaron Dembski-Bowden deserves great praise for exploring some of
the space and history of one of the murkier chapters of the Heresy through
Lorgar and the Word Bearers. I think it comes to no one’s great surprise that
Lorgar’s need to find a deity worthy of his worship drove him into the Chaos
Gods, but the full depravity and sensation of skipping over the line while
singing a jaunty tune that goes into this novel is a thrill. I really love when
we get to see some of the more obscure chapters and their Primarchs, so the
battle of Istvaan with Konrad Curze, Lorgar, and Corax was exhilarating.
ALlen: The First Heretic I REALLY enjoyed. Goes straight up into the top 5
of books for me with so many great sequences and I wish all books in the series
met that standard. I think this was Dembski-Bowden’s first Heresy book and
probably the most Custodes heavy entry in the series. This book really had it
all: some great action scenes, characterful protagonists, included (as Babbers
has said) a plethora of Primarchs, and a fantastic plot that meant once I
picked this book up I devoured it. It also has some great building of
characters and relationships that make the final scenes all that more stark and
powerful.
Mr. B: I do wish I had picked up Deliverance Lost prior to this review. Gav Thorpe isn’t one of my
favorite writers, but his Warhammer novels are great,so I’d like to see his
take on the Raven Guard. They’re a favourite of mine from a fluff perspective
and I cannot flog myself enough for not having picked it up yet.
Know No Fear, which
is promised to be a part one of the Word Bearers’s campaign against the
Ultramarines, got some great action and treatment by Dan Abnett. I had some
serious concerns about the boys in blue in WH 30K, but Señor Abnett did his homework. The Ults are passably
Grecian-Romano, stiff about the edges, and I didn’t hate Guilliman. I really
loved the structure of this story, but I went on and on about that in my blog (yes, shameless
plug).
ALlen: You should definitely
check out Deliverance Lost, Mr.
Babcock. Although it has one or two annoying niggles, it is one of the better
books. Thorpe does a great job of portraying Corax’s desperate efforts to
rebuild his legion after the devastation suffered at Istvaan. Some of the
characterisation is off, something that has been commented on in many a review
- his attempt to portray maybe the most important character of all, The
Emperor, comes off a bit flat. Weirdness and oddness aside there are loads of
action to go with an excellent telling of the misfortune to fall the Raven Guard,
partly brought about from within as malign forces seek to ensure Corax’s
failure.
Know No Fear is EXCELLENT. I
definitely recommend this one. Destruction and action on an immense scale
abound as the Word Bearers devastate Calth. This is one of my favourite Abnett
Heresy entries (up there with Legion) and totally restored my faith after the
disappointing Prospero Burns. Know No Fear also seems to be an
important book in the grand scheme of things, a branching novel that will have
many associated books to accompany it and even a planned graphic novel, no
less. That’s not bad seeing as the Ultramarines were no more than a footnote in
the original Horus Heresy lore. It’s an excellent book and grand in its scale.
Well worth checking out.
Mr. B: As I type this up, I’m only about 150 pages into Fear to Tread, but I’m really enjoying
the positioning and voice of the Blood Angels and Sanguinius. They’ve got the
same grandeur as the Emperor’s Children in Fulgrim,
but more practicality. James Swallow also wrote Nemesis, so I think he’ll do the Bloodies right.
I did an extensive review on Fear to Tread, but suffice
to say it didn't really impress me. Swallow showed a lack of awareness for the
era in which he was writing, worked in a hideous retcon, wrote two of the most
ridiculous villains ever to be committed to paper, and also failed to manage “epic”
without resorting to “bombastic.” That said, it’s not a total write off and
does have one or two redeeming values, it is at least more memorable than DOA
or BFTA. A mediocre book overall, I
thought the Blood Angels deserved better.
It was better than The Primarchs however, that was an
abomination of a book and easily the most disappointed I have read thus far in
the series. McNeill seems to totally lose the plot with his effort for Fulgrim,
‘The
Reflection Crack'd,’ although it started off
promisingly enough. Ferrus Manus is portrayed as an unlikeable imbecile (spoiler
alert!) making you quite glad he is dead. Rob Sanders failed to do justice to
the Alpha Legion with ‘The Serpent Beneath,’ a largely forgettable tale made to
look competent only due to the poor quality of what has preceded it. In fact,
it is Thorpe’s 'The Lion' that comes off best out of this anthology, at least maintaining
your attention for its duration. (Seriously, the Iron Hands story took me three
attempts to get through)
This leaves just a few books that
haven't been discussed. One of these is Outcast
Dead, much maligned amongst the community for having the MOTHER of all
continuity errors. The book itself is not too bad. A group of Astartes are
locked up for being members of the traitor legions or delinquents in general,
although their actual loyalty is undetermined. Needless to say, they escape
(when have Astartes EVER been forcibly detained successfully?) in a well
written sequence. However, the actual crux of the story is Kai Zulane, an astropath
dealing with incredible levels of guilt and becomes privy to a secret that
could alter the course of the whole Heresy. From here on out it becomes a bit
of a chase story as the outcasts meet up with the astropath and attempt to get
him off Terra. There are a few nice surprises and even a Thunderwarrior (Pre-Astartes
superhuman) turns up at one point. The book never really becomes more than the
sum of its parts however, even if it does break new ground by breaking away
from established heresy lore and introducing many concepts of its own including
the mysterious Cabal. A decent effort, but nothing amazing.
Also to be discussed are another
two collected stories books, Age of
Darkness and Shadows of Treachery.
I really like most of the short stories that have come from the Horus Heresy,
there have been some real strong entries. Age
of Darkness contains a few of these and one is ‘Iron Within.’ Even within the
traitor legions loyalist elements remain and this short story tells of a
Warsmith fending off against his brothers as they attempt to destroy his small
force. Elsewhere, there are a few character pieces. Chris Wraight, in what I
figure must be one of his first stories, takes on Kharn the Betrayer and Abnett
sheds more light on 'Little Horus.'
Shadows of Treachery deserves
mention as it is the first book to feature what had previously only been
available in audio format in print. Outside of these short stories are a couple
of gripping novella length entries, one dealing with the Imperial Fist
retribution fleet sent to take down Horus at Istvaan and the other telling of the Night Lords functioning
without the guidance of their Primarch under the command of 'The Prince of
Crows.'
So to the Future: Well, already
published are Betrayer and Angel Exterminatus, due in Paperback in June
and August respectively. Black Library is being incredibly coy about its Heresy
lineup, we know that the Ultramarines war against the Word Bearers on Calth is
taking centre stage with another short story anthology, Mark of Calth. Also on the horizon is another version of the Visions of Heresy book, allegedly due to
be updated with new material. A graphic novel focused around Ultramarines vs.
Word Bearers is also due at some point. In fact, for what was originally only a
subtext in the grand scheme of the Heresy, the Ultramarines have been a point
of much focus here as a whole section of the Heresy series seems to be put
aside just for them. There is even a book coming out called Unremembered Empire which is rumoured to
tell of Guilliman’s plan to reconstruct the Imperium if the Emperor were
presumed dead and Sanguinius heralded the new as the Master of Mankind,
although it would remain to see if that will be as any more than a figurehead.
It’s certainly an interesting concept and should allow the author (whoever that
may be) free narrative reign unburdened by the yoke of established fiction.
There are also a few audio books coming out including 'The Sigilite' by Chris
Wraight.
Further afield, it is Amazon that
yields answers. Although the “Coming Soon” section of the Black Library website
is barren of information, a quick search reveals two titles: Vulkan Lives and Censure, both by Nick Kyme due for release around October. Censure is an audio book and Vulkan Lives is listed as a paperback.
So the Salamanders will be heading to the Horus Heresy at last (barring a
couple of short stories and the Ltd edition ‘Promethean Sun').
Ah yes, the Ltd Editions. I HATE
these. Seriously. Making a premium version of something and making it more
expensive? That’s fine. Making it the ONLY way you can obtain this material?
Not so cool. Presumably this material will become eventually available in
another format, but it’s been quite some time now and no sign thus far of
seeing ‘Promethean Sun’ on a larger scale. Obviously what started as a desire
to flesh out the Horus Heresy as it is THE single grandest event in the 40K
background has become so much more over time. It is now a bonafide franchise for
the Black Library and Games Workshop. The books are regularly New York Times
Bestsellers and the series has reached a much larger audience than may have
initially been thought possible.
Mr. B: With you 1000% on the Ltd Editions. I have no issue
with limited print runs and deluxe versions, but that fact that some of these
stories aren’t rumoured to come out in another collected short work is a bit
off-putting. Some basic GW cash grab tactics, amiright? Vulkan Lives
intrigues me, but only if the Salamanders actually have interaction with
another chapter. They’re the little loners of the Astartes so far, the clique
no one wanted to play with and that’s weird.
Other legions that I want to see get a novel: White Scars,
Imperial Fists, Night Lords, Iron Hands, and the Death Guard again. The White
Scars have a unique position as both a loyalist legion and having a key role in
the Siege of Terra (which often gets overlooked in fending off the traitors)
and I want to know what the Khan is up to on the other side of the Galaxy.
Rogal Dorn has only had cameo appearances thus far and I’d like a look back at
his legion and how they were founded and grew, maybe something about the battle
to bring Necromunda into the Imperium and their rivalry with the Iron Warriors.
I think the Night Lords are getting some short story support
I haven’t read yet, but something needs to be written on Konrad Curze and why
none of the other Primarchs took a liking to him. Mr. Dembski-Bowden could probably
explore that quite well. The Iron Hands get hosed by the series for some
obvious reasons (see: Fulgrim), but
they must have had some heroic actions. The best parts involving them so far
are the many stories of Ferrus constructing weapons for his brothers on Terra.
Just put together 20 (ahem, 18)
stories of that, right? Then I’d also like to see a little more of the Death
Guard, definitely some more Mortarion. He shows up in the Loken Trilogy and in A Thousand Sons as an opponent of the use
of Librarians, but his motivations and decision to join the Heresy are up in
smoke. It seemed to me that he joins Horus in Galaxy in Flames just because the
Warmaster told him to – I want more.
But really, who doesn’t?
ALlen: So after 24 novels, a
handful of audio books and a few (spit) Ltd Edition Novellas, where are we with
the Horus Heresy? Out of 18 legions, the majority have been featured in some
capacity or another. Those that haven’t
are absent only because they have not featured chronologically in the narrative
or just never really featured a great deal in the Heresy at all. As we have
seen with the Ultramarines, this can be changed easily enough. Both Istvaan
massacres are out of the way and the slow march to Terra can finally begin (not
that I would expect the series to end any time in the next dozen books or so).
The Black Library has already demonstrated that they are not averse to looking
outside of established lore in the name of additional material. Surely the very
Siege of Terra itself will comprise a half dozen or so books, such is the scale
of the engagement.
And who is to say the series will
end with the Siege of Terra? I doubt very much that it was the case that the
traitor legions vanished upon Horus's destruction. Even after the aftermath of
the Heresy is documented, will they touch upon the creation of the Codex
Astartes? The fates of many of the Primarchs will also be ripe for use as
material for further books. Even after the Heresy ends I have no doubt that
this series of books will continue. The timeline of 40k is a stagnant one, in 5
editions of the game (I’m not counting Rogue Trader) events have barely shifted,
and although the latest books speak of Age of Ending little is changing in the
grand scheme of things. This makes the Heresy Era an absolute goldmine and if
the authors can establish further identity for this time I can see additional
material on a nearly unlimited scale still to come.
