In preparation for vol 2 (which I think got published today) I picked this one and I have to say what a book. This will allow me to have a normal wait period between books of couple of weeks (instead of waiting 6 months between publishing of vol 1 and vol 2) which is a plus since book is huge, lots of things take place and they will remain fresh in my memory so I can start with vol 2 ASAP.

I have developed a bit of a backlog when it comes to Siege of Terra story arc but decided to pick this one up out of order nevertheless. And what a book. I have to say it whetted my appetite for going through the rest of Siege books, if for no other reason then to learn more about the heroes mentioned in here.

When looked at from the context of the series, book (or should I say books, since volume 3 is expected in next 4 months) stands on its own. Knowledge of the universe and setting is of course a plus but it is not necessary to know absolutely everyone or everything mentioned to enjoy the story.

When you look at the book physically it is huge, 650+ pages. But to read it, it will take you a day or two (in a single sitting so to say) because it is written very well. Story flows very fast and once you start you will be glued to it until the end.

Aside from the main characters - Emperor, Malcador, loyalist Primarchs, Horus the betrayer - we are given glimpses of total war and horrors shaking the Terra and especially main Palace compound. We see never ending infantry bloody combat of the "mortal" army regiments, Titans and heavy armor combat with incredibly powerful weapons fired at ridiculously close ranges, Legionnaires fighting from huge closed areas once hosting thousands to claustrophobic bunkers and underground fortifications to defending the mountain peaks against the incoming hordes of unthinkable horrors.

All support characters - Oll, John, Malcador's Chosen - also come and go on these pages, people thrown into the fire, trying to find the solution, way how to help stem the tide of lunacy and carnage.

I especially liked the portrayal of Alpha Legion (I am really warming up to these guys), Dark Angels (splintering of the the Mighty First might not be as clear cut as one would expect) and of course Legio Custodes.

For the first time we see Custodes for what they are - secret army tasked with two most difficult tasks - defending the Emperor and keeping the darkest secrets in the universe. But they are not infallible. In communication between their various cadres they show very little patience and understanding even for their own comrades in arms if they see their duty or authority is questioned. Valdor as always is Titan in its own right, and here it seems that he is beginning to eye the Legions in a same way as Thunder Warriors - tools whose usefulness is more and more under question. Although they seem like automata, Custodes are much, much more and it shows - they scheme, play power politics and are identified as a very powerful force that has lots of influence on Terra. But can it be trusted, especially with the ever growing influence? In the time when everything is turned on its head, can any of the very powerful segments of Terran government and military be fully trusted?

You know with all of this in the play, role of formations like Alpha Legion becomes more and more interesting. I know this is way of thought that has nothing to do with the actual universe (just my mere projections) but I have a feeling that nothing in Emperor's plans is done by accident. For every force there seems to be a counter-force. And reading about Custodes in this book, Valdor's comment in Alpharius (another great book) comes to mind - when he (Valdor) says that while all other Primarchs are generals and soldiers in their own way, he (Valdor) is not sure what is Alpharius supposed to be. He definitely sensed danger, a force with shady objectives that can endanger the Custodes or people and organizations they protect.

Author manages to portray the level of devastation and loss of life in this apocalyptical war between Legions. Their downfall from which they will never recover and never again roam the stars in their hundreds of thousands. Having said that I still hope Thunder Warriors will appear from somewhere, that would truly be epic.

Book is very readable, very cinematic, main story chapters with lots of [what author calls] fragments sections in between. In these fragments sections we are given scenes from the battlefields, civilians escaping the city battlefields, we see actions of Abaddon and his troops, Horus' POV (which is hilarious) and finally Neverborne's thoughts and reactions on the Horus' progress. Chapters are relatively short so pacing is pretty fast. All in all very well organized, with only downside being author's use of some more exotic dictionary that made me scratch my head for a while.

Book achieved what it promised to be - a true epic, story about what definitely qualifies as the bleakest moment in a bleak SF setting. I did not expect story will span three books but OK :) I have to say that I did not find any of the chapters to play filler role - even short chapters have a very strong effect.

What more can W40K ask for - heroes greater than life, epic battles, small bits about personal life of Emperor and other secretive characters, plus portrayal how knowledge about the universe and Chaos was known to humanity for a long time (library scenes, pictures with thrones and Babel Tower, and then the hidden vault - I truly enjoyed this).

Highly recommended. If you want to read a truly epic story this is a book for you.

4 stars for the value of the good stuff... but really 3 stars because this still suffers from filler/fluff like the rest of the Horus era in the franchise.

Unfortunately elements of the filler characters from the rest of the Siege of Terra series are still included here, which does make it feel somewhat tedious to finally... FINALLY... get some actual value story time with Horus, the Emperor, etc... to then get slung back to some meat fodder conscripts. It is nowhere near as bad as most of the previous Siege books, but it still happens, and it makes you feel like things are getting dumbed down during those moments.

As some others have said, this book could have used a little extra editing to trim the fat. There are some descriptions of things that go on a little too much. You get the point of a "thing," and then it reinforces it several more times. Some of those are battle related descriptions that do feel like they are just starting to get away from the writer before he gets back to the plot. It happens to every writer, and much of it clearly should have been edited/trimmed.

BUT, this installment has enough interesting and intriguing concepts for the real power players involved that I was glad I made the effort to pick it up rather than stick to the "I'm done with this era of the franchise" aftertaste that the last few books left in me.

The "good bits" also serve as a fairly decent primer for what everyone has been holding out for... the ultimate encounter between Horus and the Emperor, and all of the complex influences and "consequences to come" that that battle will (hopefully) explore in depth.

What an absolutely roller coaster of a book.
Setting up the end of a truly spectacular series absolutely splendidly, without feeling like it was spinning the wheels at any point.
This is not a criticism of pacing what so ever, but the first half felt like it just kept on going, but every page or chapter I got through I was grateful for the moments I got with these characters and sad for the on coming end.
So many great moments of characters bracing for the inevitable, and this book truly was a prelude to The End and the Death!