Tag Archives: Sons of Horus

QUICK REVIEW: Misbegotten – Dan Abnett

Dan Abnett’s Misbegotten is a Primarchs short story set just prior to the Ullanor campaign, in which Horus joins Captain Hastur Sejanus to see out the bitter end of a grinding compliance action. Where other systems have welcomed the Imperium with open arms, Velich Tarn resists with deadly force, its tiny population utilising horrifying biomechanical constructs in battle against the Lunar Wolves. To Sejanus it’s a blot against the record of the 63rd Expeditionary Fleet, but Horus believes he sees the root of what would drive someone to fight so hard against an Imperium promising hope for mankind.

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Dark Compliance – John French

Having tackled the character of Horus in a short Horus Heresy audio drama before – the appropriately named Warmaster – John French takes a longer, darker look in Dark Compliance. A simple but effective portmanteau, it sees the ruler of one planetary system – defiant in the face of Horus’ demands – regaled with the horrifying tale of another system’s demise…over a single day. A statement of Horus’ intent as much as his military power, the story of Accazzar-Beta’s destruction, as told by Sons of Horus emissary Argonis, demonstrates the fate awaiting those who defy the Warmaster. As threats go, it’s pretty compelling.

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Horus Rising – Dan Abnett

This is where it all started, back in 2006 – Horus Rising by Dan Abnett, the first novel in Black Library’s ever-growing Horus Heresy series. It’s the start of the 31st millennium, and the Great Crusade is almost complete. A year after the Triumph at Ullanor, after the Emperor returned to Terra, the newly-elevated Warmaster Horus commands the 63rd Expeditionary Fleet and his Luna Wolves in the continuation of the Crusade and the promulgation of the Imperial Truth. Along their path are set two long-lost human civilisations, each wildly different, who react to being reunited with the rest of humanity in contrasting ways. Hope is still preeminent, but change is in the air.

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QUICK REVIEW : Twisted – Guy Haley

In a series the size and scale of the Horus Heresy, it’s inevitable that some characters’ involvement will wax and wane. Such has been the case with Maloghurst the Twisted; introduced at the beginning of the series, he was absent for much of the time up until his return in Vengeful Spirit. In Guy Haley’s Twisted, we look closer at Horus’ equerry as he sees the safety of his position crumble while the legion changes around him. Plagued by the whisperings of the Neverborn, he turns to a dangerous, unlikely source of support.

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QUICK REVIEW : The Final Compliance of Sixty-Three Fourteen – Guy Haley

On the first day of Christmas Black Library gave to us…a Horus Heresy short story by Guy Haley. The Final Compliance of Sixty-Three Fourteen takes a look at how a compliant world might react to Horus as he returns to to demand its fealty, claiming the Imperial Truth to be a lie. As the Sons of Horus fleet hangs in orbit as a blunt threat, and their emissaries wait impatiently, the Imperial governor must choose whether to turn away from The Emperor or defy Horus.

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Vengeful Spirit – Graham McNeill

From humble beginnings in 2006 Black Library’s Horus Heresy series has grown and grown, and we now have the 29^th book in the series in the form of Graham McNeill’s epic novel Vengeful Spirit. Epic in both scale and physical size, over 500+ pages we get titans, Imperial Knights, five (yes, five!) primarchs, Malcador’s Knights Errant and the return to the printed page of a fan favourite from the original trilogy. Speaking of the original trilogy, Vengeful Spirit is the first novel since those heady days where we see Horus as a main protagonist – after 20-odd books of lurking in the shadows he has finally come out into the spotlight once again. And boy, has he come out swinging!

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QUICK REVIEW: The Wolf of Ash and Fire – Graham McNeill

Black Library’s Horus Heresy series is a big beast, there’s no doubt about it. From fairly humble beginnings it’s grown and grown, to the point that there have now been over 50 separate releases in the series. As a nice gesture to those die-hard fans who have invested big bucks for the beautiful limited edition of the new graphic novel, Macragge’s Honour, each person who has bought a copy has received a free short story in ebook format. That story is a pre-Heresy tale featuring Horus and his Luna Wolves legion taking on an enormous ork scrapfleet. With the help of The Emperor of Mankind. And yes, it’s brilliant.

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