40k Book Review: Priests of Mars

When I picked out this book to read, I had done so out of curiosity. Before this book I hadn't read anything about the Adeptus Mechanicus outside what little is included in the codices for the game. This was a great vault of information about the Mechanicus, but it doesn't have a conclusive ending, which annoyed me.

PROS:

• Great idea for the plot with surprising side-stories.
• Wonderful insight for anyone who hasn't read much about the Mechanicus and wants to know more about them and their mindset.
• Colorful and varied characters.

CONS:

• Disappointing ending with practically no conclusion; No announced sequel that I am aware of.
• Two concurrent stories that I had expected to overlap at some point, but remained separate even at the end of the book.

In summary, I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn about the Mechanicus, but I would tag a warning about the ending to the end of my recommendation. An announced sequel would redeem this book for the most part, but the two concurrent stories were somewhat irritating in this book. I have read several books with concurrent plot-lines, but this one felt different for some reason.

Thanks for reading!

-Symmaccus

40k Book Review: Ahriman: Exile

I picked up this book on a whim as I rather enjoy the Thousand Sons, but know very little about them. Ahriman: Exile tells the story of Ahriman's path from his exile from the Thousand Sons to his current tabletop-gaming self. The book is full of unique and interesting characters (and my favorite character lived, which is new for books I read) and plenty of daemons.

PROS:

• Good, strong writing style
• Lovely setting in the Eye of Terror
• Mysterious characters with a strained trust held together only by a sense of survival and some malformed sense of honor
• Awesome psyker-fights that give a completely different impression as to what it takes to be a psyker in the dark future of the 41st millennium.

CONS:

• Seemed short, but it wasn't really. A better way to describe it may be that it left questions unanswered, which was probably necessary to leave Ahriman in his current codex-state.

In summary, this book is a great read. It is full of great fights, loads of chaos, interesting characters, and daemonic encounters that really shed light on the reality of life at the edge of the Eye of Terror. Of course, it is also very intriguing to 'meet' Ahriman outside of his codex-summary as the man he really is.

Thanks for reading!

-Symmaccus

40k Book Review: Path of the Incubus

I don't know how, but Andy Chambers has done it again! Path of the Incubus is a fantastic and satisfying sequel to Path of the Renegade. If you haven't read the first book you're already missing out, but there are also several short stories that accompany both books in this series: Bellathonis and the Shadow King, Treasures of Biel-Tanigh, and The Curse of Shaa-Dom.

To give a brief summary (without spoilers), Path of the Incubus follows the story of the Incubus, Morr (originally introduced in Path of the Renegade) as he tries to stop the dysjunction that is destroying the dark city. However, it also features several side-plots that run parallel to the main plot with several other characters from the last book (whose names shall be omitted for spoiler-issues).

PROS:

• Strong, satisfying writing
• Features Dark, Exodite, and Craftworld Eldar (and Harlequins too!)
• Provides a deep and intriguing insight into the structure of Dark Eldar society as it is falling to pieces around them.
• Also provides a view of the striking difference in mindset between the many types of Eldar.
• Decently long and full of delicious plot twists

CONS:

• Some people might have problems following the multiple simultaneous plot-lines, but I think that the complexity reflects the pandemonium of Dark Eldar society nicely.
• If your 40k universe revolves around the Imperium and its bland humanity, then this book is probably not for you.

To summarize, this book is a perfect follow-up to Path of the Renegade, maintaining the same dark, gritty feel of back-stabbing, treachery, and plotting that the Dark Eldar are so well-known for. In addition to this, it adds characters from the Craftworld and Exodite Eldar which set a great contrast to the Dark Eldar's malicious ways.

Thanks for reading!

-Symmaccus

(Hopefully there is another book in the series..)

40k Book Review: Mistress Baeda's Gift

     Despite the picture above, Mistress Baeda's Gift (Written by Braden Campbell and featured in the Fear the Alien anthology) has nothing to do with Orks.

     This short story features a Dark Eldar Archon who is lusting after a powerful woman and desperately wants her for himself. It is an interesting view into Dark Eldar romance and inter-gender relations among the high-ranking citizens of Commorragh.

     Being so short, it's very hard not to ruin it as any detail is important.

PROS:

• It's short, but the characters are authentic feeling and it feels concluded when it ends
• It presents an interesting perspective on Dark Eldar and 'Love'

CONS:

• It's short. It could have been a little longer and included more detail near the end concerning the actual emotions going on inside the heads of the characters. I didn't get as much of an insight into Dark Eldar 'Love' as I would have liked. It left me with one question: Was it really love, or just lust?

      In conclusion, Mistress Baeda's Gift raised the question of 'do Dark Eldar love?' but never really answered it concretely. It left me more thoughtful of the subject than before though, and that may have been the point.    

     Feel free to comment, I'm really interested in knowing what others thought about this one.

Thanks for reading!

-Symmaccus

40k Book Review: Path of the Renegade

     All I can say is wow. Path of the Renegade (by Andy Chambers) is the best 40k book I have ever read. Have you ever read a story in which there is a villain and a hero? Of course you have! Well this book takes an interesting twist because everyone is a villain: some are just more evil than others.

     This is one of those stories that you can't sit down. Centered in the dark city of Commorragh, it follows the tale of Dark Eldar conspirators trying to oust Asdrubael Vect, the current ruler of the city. Specifically, it follows two Kabals, a Wych Cult, and a rogue Haemonculus as they delve into dark and deadly secrets to bring themselves into power. The plot is filled with backstabbing, distrust, and an appreciation for pain that only the Dark Eldar could exhibit.

     I can't say too much else about it without ruining the plot, so I'll just get to the pros and cons. :}

PROS:

• Incredible setting in a massive and dark city
• Intense, conspiracy-centered plot
• Diverse and interesting characters
• Contains a Dark Eldar history lesson and tons of lore

CONS:

• This book NEEDS a sequel. There is a sense of completion at the end, but I'm dying to know what happens to several of the characters following the events in the book.

Also of note, this story has a short prequel/background story called Midnight on the Street of Knives (also by Andy Chambers) that is a must-read (in my opinion) before this book.

In summary, this book is an amazing insight into Dark Eldar society, culture, hierarchy, and mindset that isn't very common in the Imperium-centered 40k lore and I highly recommend this book to any fan of dark fiction  and/or Dark Eldar.

Again, thanks for reading!

-Symmaccus

40k Book Review: Imperial Glory

     Imperial Glory by Richard Williams tells the story of the weary veterans of the Brimlock Eleventh Imperial Guard as they near the end of their long campaign. Just when the Brimlock Eleventh thought they were off of the hook, they are sent to the jungle world of Voor in response to a distress call from the Planetary Governor concerning an Ork Rok that crashed down onto the planet's surface. The guardsmen expected to find dead Orks, but instead find themselves up against overwhelming numbers of feral Orks and an unwelcoming populace of anti-imperial colonists.

     The plot also features several internal power struggles within the regiment, but I won't ruin the excitement for you. :}

     To be honest, this best part of this story for me was the psychology of the veterans. Nearly all of the men presented have some form of erratic behavior or insanity developed over the course of their campaign. This book is as much a 40k story as it is an examination of the effects of warfare on the human mind and body.

     Also of note was a section of the book from the Ork perspective, including the life of an Ork from birth to Warboss. I hadn't expected this when I picked the book up (the book is titled Imperial Glory after all!), but it was a pleasant surprise and gave me a much better idea of Ork society and physiology.

PROS:

• Insight into the life of an Ork
• Colorful and interesting characters
• Focused and great plot

CONS:

• None really come to mind for this one.

     In summary, if you're looking for a good Imperial Guard book (or even Orks as there aren't many), I highly recommend this book.

     Next Tuesday I'll post a review for Path of the Renegade by Andy Chambers. 

Thanks for reading!

-Symmaccus

40k Book Review: Dead Men Walking

After reading another 40k book review (Blind Review by All Things Fett), I decided to try my hand at reviewing the last one I read.

Dead Men Walking by Steve Lyons is a wonderful read. It tells the story of the Death Korps deployed on Hieronymous Theta, a doomed world that doesn't yet realize its fate. Soon after the Death Korps arrive, all hell breaks loose on the planet's surface as the Necron rise from their subterranean tombs to retake their planet.

The story starts slow, but really picks up the pace and is full of action and death. Literally every page leaves you wondering what will become of the characters fighting for the imperium.

Speaking of the characters, the people presented in this book are believable and fully fleshed out. From a Death Korps Commissar to a lowly citizen of the planet's thriving cities, every character is a breathing and thinking being.

Both factions in this book are presented in intricate detail. The Necron are exactly as they should be: death incarnate. Squads of soldiers are killed at a time by these mechanical monstrosities, leaving nothing but ash and dust. The Death Korps are relentless and fearless in the face of these terrors, fighting to the death to achieve their superiors' goals. This book is full of epic battles and surprising twists as the city slowly falls from a beautiful haven of humanity to a ruined city filled with lurking metallic murderers.

PROS:

• Lots of battle with visceral detail.
• Masterful portrayal of the Death Korps and the Necron.
• Loads of supense and several heroic sacrifices for the Imperium.

CONS:

• Personally, I didn't feel the book was over when the pages ran out, but that might be because I could have read this story for weeks!
• Also, there were a lot of perspective changes. While that doesn't bother me, I think it might confuse some people as the story tracks several smaller stories within it.

In summary, I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Necron or the Imperial Guard (especially Death Korps). Even if you don't particularly like either faction, the book is still worth reading simply for the suspense and carnage of these two heartless armies facing off.

(Between this book and A Thousand Sons by Graham McNeill, I have a hard time picking a favorite 40k book!)

Again, the structure and inspiration for this review came from Blind Review by All Things Fett. Seriously, go give this review a read, I might go pick up the book now!

Thanks for reading, feel free to comment or ask questions!

Sym

P.S. - Let me know if there are any typos, had to type this up in a hurry!