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norseman_soul's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
drdihai's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
dans_library's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
nraptor's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
porge_grewe's review against another edition
2.5
Wavering between 2 and 3 stars - The first half of the last book of the epic Horus Heresy saga, a saga so long that this book also begins the end of the eight-book ending of this whole thing.
This book is defined by being that ending - This book needs to wrap up a lot of things, but more importantly for Warhammer 40,000, it needs to be bigger in every way than what's come before. And it manages it - The prose is a deeper shade of purple, the monologues are so dramatic that multiple chapters are just monologue, like wrestling promos, and the the gory imagery has got truly bizarre - tanks are beheaded, 50 foot mechs are crucified.
It works! We're reading Horus Heresy, there are certain expectations to be met, and this does so with aplomb. Some elements really do grate, though. In particular, with a series so long, decisions have to be made on which elements and books should be given focus, and for Dan Abnett the answer is any books which Dan Abnett wrote. The whole thing feels a bit... self-serving? Though I may be unduly skewed by the fact that Abnett is not my favourite Warhammer writer - His writing can get a bit pretentious, taking some of the silliest things too seriously and relying too much on quotations from well-respected books to lend gravitas to a moment. It can work, but for me it misses more often than it hits.
All in all, this is an admirable shot at an extremely difficult task.
This book is defined by being that ending - This book needs to wrap up a lot of things, but more importantly for Warhammer 40,000, it needs to be bigger in every way than what's come before. And it manages it - The prose is a deeper shade of purple, the monologues are so dramatic that multiple chapters are just monologue, like wrestling promos, and the the gory imagery has got truly bizarre - tanks are beheaded, 50 foot mechs are crucified.
It works! We're reading Horus Heresy, there are certain expectations to be met, and this does so with aplomb. Some elements really do grate, though. In particular, with a series so long, decisions have to be made on which elements and books should be given focus, and for Dan Abnett the answer is any books which Dan Abnett wrote. The whole thing feels a bit... self-serving? Though I may be unduly skewed by the fact that Abnett is not my favourite Warhammer writer - His writing can get a bit pretentious, taking some of the silliest things too seriously and relying too much on quotations from well-respected books to lend gravitas to a moment. It can work, but for me it misses more often than it hits.
All in all, this is an admirable shot at an extremely difficult task.
majorrawne's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
manthespace's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
sarareadsstuff's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
woody4595's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
foostickuk's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0