Whatever the case, I expected from "Legion" to be nothing short of amazing.Ī 'compliance' undertaking ('compliance' being an euphemism for 'invasion') by the 670th Imperial Expedition on a backwater planet called Nurth is not going according to plan. It was penned by Black Library's best-selling author and arguably the most talented (I say 'arguably' because there are other amazing authors in the BL ranks who are overlooked). This Warhammer 40K novel, the seventh installment of the Horus Heresy series, deals with the Alpha Legion. Ultimately of course this is a story about how and why the Alpha Legion turned traitor but even that isn't as black-and-white as it sounds.Īs a standalone book, this is one of the best sci-fi stories ever written and as part of the Horus Heresy series, it sadly leaves many other attempts in the shade. The fact that Abnett makes every strand of the story as interesting as every other is a testament to his skill as a writer. If this wasn't enough (and it surely is), the background of war against a primitive but indomitable foe is fascinating to stand on its own two feet. Abnett takes the mysterious Alpha Legion and makes them more mysterious still the Imperium's last words in duplicity and deception. In actuality, this - practically alone in the Gothic Sci-Fi genre - is a book mostly about espionage. Abnett has clearly been wanting to write a James Bond-ish character into Warhammer 40K ever since his Eisenhorn novels, but here he pulls out all the stops with John Grammaticus, a somewhat reluctant spymaster. Cult Mechanicus Part 1 - The Lore (Warhammer 40,00.Just when it seemed as if the Horus Heresy series was about to go off the rails, Dan Abnett produces not only the best Heresy novel to date but possibly the best Black Library book, period.įor Abnett fans there are a few of his conventions present and correct: Action seen through the eyes of (relatively) ordinary humans, a focus on character at the expense of action and the odd jaw-dropping twist here and there.XCOM 2 Announced - Player Controlled Terror Missions.Space Bear Development - Galaxy Heist Interview.Cult Mechanicus Part 2 - The Rules (Warhammer 40,0.Bleak Rumours Surrounding Black Library.Space Hulk: Deathwing's Writer, Screenshots and Mu.Cult Mechanicus Part 3 - Direction And Storytellin.Space Marines Part 1 - The Lore (Warhammer 40,000.Codices Sentinels of Terra and Clan Raukaan Update.Warhammer 40,000 Eternal Crusade - 5th Space Marin.Space Marines Part 2 - The Rules, Formations and T.Post-End Times Warhammer Fantasy Images Leaked.Dark Angels Part 1 - The Lore (Warhammer 40,000 Co.Is anyone talking about this anywhere on the Internet? Delete What I'd be curious about is who could people talk to who could confirm (or contradict) your analysis. ![]() conversely, very few non-battle-centered novels along the lines of the Eisenhorn and Ravenor trilogies. ![]() most of the novels they have put out in the last couple of years have been very standard, unimaginative fare, obviously targeted at 10-15 year olds much more than adults, and very much with instructions to product place the game ("Look, there's a Punisher, look there's a 'master-crafted' power-sword") very few novels, instead pretty standard short stories or, at most, novellas, that are sold are a vastly-inflated prices ![]() no more Dan Abnett, who is clearly the best and most popular writer BL has maybe ever had Well, I don't read Age of Sigmar (WH Fantasy has never been my thing, even as genre fiction, with some very few fantastic exceptions from the late 80s/early 90s), but what you said a year ago definitely holds true: (for books reviewers paid for, as opposed to got free, as that doesn't happen any more). About a year ago, they went completely dark - not even perfunctory "thank yous" for sending through review links, etc. Then there seemed to be a string of shake-ups that left contacts vague. His replacement ended up being a BL author. One of their publicists was a (non-BL) published author in his own right, and he did a great job of courting reviewers and growing a non-dedicated-fan reviewer base. ![]() But, there is a certain poetic irony, given GW's own trigger-finger deployment of lawyers. The Dark Hunters saga is a real blow, as I really don't think anyone would have got the two series confused. Honestly, I think one of the main problems that has plagued BL since its inception is its disregard for publishing norms - they act as if they want all the benefits of being a "real" publisher (reviews, New York Times ranking, etc.), but at the same time brook no dissent - I know of at least two reviewers who were black listed for voicing criticism (and I'm not talking about the vitriolic bile that the internet can too often give rise to - this was reasoned, calm criticism).
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