Prolific Black Library author Guy Haley continues to explore the ‘Dark Imperium’ era of Warhammer 40,000 with Belisarius Cawl: The Great Work, tackling not just the titular Archmagos Dominus and his idiosyncratic adventures but also the fate of the remaining Scythes of the Emperor. On the dead world of Sotha, Cawl meets with Tetrach Felix of the Ultramarines and Chapter Master Thracian of the Scythes to uncover the secrets of the Pharos, searching for knowledge amidst the ruins of the Scythes’ homeworld. Between Cawl’s apparently reckless pursuit of information and Thracian’s secretive motive for being there, Felix has a hard time keeping the mission on track and ensuring the safety of all parties as the dead world proves to still contain considerable dangers.
Never one to take the easy option, Haley draws together threads from his Dark Imperium series and his Horus Heresy novels Pharos and Wolfsbane, plus the Scythes of the Emperor arc created by Richard Williams and LJ Goulding, cleverly bridging the Heresy, pre-Dark Imperium 40k and the ‘current’ timeline. While the main thrust of the novel deals with Cawl’s plan to tap into the Pharos for answers (to say more would risk spoilers), along the way it covers multiple time frames to show Cawl, Felix and Thracian’s pasts as well as present. As well as exploring Cawl’s post-Heresy history and his strained relationship with Felix, it offers some big revelations regarding Sotha and the Scythes – why they fell so easily, what happened next with the survivors, and the nature of the Pharos along with how it relates to the ongoing meta-narrative of 40k.
It’s a book which has powerful implications for 40k as a setting (which rather begs the question why Black Library did so little marketing for it) and these characters in particular, but while there’s a lot to cover it’s all cleverly tied together in a neat but surprisingly complex plot. Sure, Cawl’s backstory could have been explored without the presence of the Scythes, but being set on Sotha it makes absolute sense to tell the story this way, while Felix’s inclusion allows for an external perspective on Cawl’s eccentricities, and a rather more sceptical viewpoint than Cawl’s own deeply immodest point of view. Thracian and the Scythes are perhaps a little hard to warm to, their stoic melancholy contrasting starkly with Cawl’s dry humour and the easy camaraderie of Felix’s Primaris bodyguard, but theirs is a suitably heroic arc and a fitting extension of what’s gone before.
Cawl himself is a joy to read about, whether seen from his own perspective or through other eyes. His wry, didactic manner – with Felix in particular – and his endearingly cavalier approach to risk-taking add a hugely enjoyable element of humour (although watch for the ‘middle ursine’ reference to see the bounds of credulity strained to the max), while the way Haley gradually reveals elements of the character’s backstory helps contextualise his blithe disregard for Mechanicus lore. Recurring themes of unexpected, dream-like visions, the costs attached to living wildly extended lives, and the conflicted nature of both the Imperium and the Mechanicus feature heavily in not just Cawl’s character arc but Felix’s too, and it’s endlessly enjoyable to explore their unusual relationship.
Whether you’re after an action-packed sci-fi adventure, a lore-rich continuation of the current 40k setting or an insightful exploration of some fascinating (and potentially divisive) characters, this should have something for you. In true Black Library fashion it doesn’t really try to offer straightforward, definitive answers to every question it tackles – there’s still some intriguing mystery regarding the dour Alpha Primus, for example, while the Scythes arc definitely rewards familiarity with a fair few other stories (and even then some questions remain open to interpretation) – but there’s more than enough juicy ideas and revelations to keep any 40k fan happy. All told this achieves the impressive feat of being a pacy, compelling read in its own right while balancing multiple existing story arcs in a cleverly constructed narrative packed full of creativity and character. Put simply, if you like 40k then this should be on your list of books to read.
Click this link to buy Belisarius Cawl: The Great Work (or this for the audiobook).
Michael! I am late to reading this review and am just now about 60% through the novel. This book has blown my mind with respect to writing for a wargame IP. If this were a different world, I think this book might have been more widely received by the public rather than by just fans of the Game Workshop. Your review definitely does it justice. The way Mr Haley balances the past and present; and character perspectives in past and present, is a tremendous accomplishment.
Hi Cliff! Thanks for reminding me of this, it feels like a long time ago that I wrote this review (I’ve just gone back and reread it, and I’m pretty pleased actually). Glad you’re enjoying the book – it’s great, isn’t it?! I would definitely read another Cawl story from Guy if he ever writes one.