Horus Rising (Warhammer 40,000 Novels: Horus Heresy) by Dan Abnett
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Book Reviews of Horus Rising (Warhammer 40,000 Novels: Horus Heresy)
Book Review: Much better than I thought it would be
Summary: 4 Stars
When author/editor Mark Charan Newton got involved in the tie-in fiction vs genre fiction debate, I decided to put my money where my mouth is and give a work from Black Library a shot. And since Newton seemed to imply that Dan Abnett was one of the best writers they had, I asked him to send me what he considered to be the author's best novels. One was an omnibus comprised of three books, and I was reticent to start something that big for fear of losing interest. The other was the opening chapter in The Horus Heresy sequence, Horus Rising. I've been told that this is probably one of the best and most entertaining sequences of books in the entire Warhammer 40,000 universe. The premise, that of a galactic civil war threatening to bring about the extinction of mankind, piqued my interest.
Here's the blurb:
It is the 31st millennium. The forces of humanity have reached the stars. Under the benevolent leadership of the Immortal Emperor and his superhuman sons, the primarchs, the Imperium of Man has stretched out across the galaxy. It is a golden age of discovery and conquest. But now, on the eve of victory, the Emperor leaves the front lines, entrusting the great crusade to his favourite son, Horus. Promoted to Warmaster, can the idealistic Horus carry the Emperor's grand plan? Worse still, this promotion has sown discontent amongst his brothers. How long before this escalates into all-out mutiny? Horus Rising is the first chapter in the epic tale of the Horus Heresy, a galactic civil war that threatened to bring about the extinction of humanity.
I'm not sure if it's the case with any other Black Library series, but what makes The Horus Heresy so accessible is the fact that it takes place about 10,000 years prior to most Warhammer 40,000 work. While I'm persuaded that being a newbie means that I likely missed a few nuances and foreshadowing, it by no means influenced my reading experience in any way. Hence, if like me you have always been curious about the Warhammer 40,000 universe but didn't have a clue where the hell to begin, or could not make heads or tails of the continuity, then Horus Rising is the perfect starting point for you. The Horus Heresy recounts a tale of epic proportions which will have grave repercussions in the future of the Warhammer 40,000 universe, yet you can read it as a stand-alone series without a glitch. At least thus far. . .
My biggest fear when I began reading Horus Rising was that it would be a seemingly endless sequence of genetically enhanced warriors blowing stuff up. After all, the story begins with a little summary telling readers that the vast armies of the Emperor of Earth have conquered the galaxy during the Great Crusade. Myriad alien races have been smashed by the Emperor's elite soldiers and wiped from the face of history, as the Great Crusade seeks to reunite the disparate stands of mankind under the rule of the Emperor. Understandably, given the tone of this series, yes there are battle scenes and plenty of action. And yet, Dan Abnett imbues this violent tale with much more depth than meets the eye. Beyond the blood and the gore, the author explores a number of themes, chief among them loyalty, duty, brotherhood, faith, and even philosophy.
It's difficult to assess the quality of the worldbuilding based on Horus Rising alone, as I have no prior knowledge of the universe and this novel drops us in the middle of a pivotal moment that will rock the foundations of the Great Crusade. I can only hope that subsequent installments will shine some light on Old Night and past eras during which events on Terra engendered the consolidation by the one who would become Emperor, and which in turn led to the galaxy-spanning Great Crusade. Having said that, Abnett nevertheless offers a number of glimpses that, once more, demonstrates that there is much more to what will become known as the Horus Heresy than meets the eye.
Speaking of Dan Abnett, I particularly enjoyed his writing style. His narrative flows well, and he sets a crisp pace when the plotlines demand it. Yet he creates a good balance by slowing down the rhythm when storytelling must take over, and the man is gifted when it comes to dialogue. Moreover, I was impressed by how he was a master of battle sequences, and still could create ambiguous three-dimensional characters forced to deal with moral dilemmas in these uncertain times. Since The Horus Heresy is a group effort being written by a number of authors, it remains to be seen if the rest of the gang can write as well as Dan Abnett. But one thing is for sure: I'll be sampling more Abnett works in the future.
The most satisfying aspect of this novel was the characterization. Given the premise, I was expecting a number of faceless warriors with no personality, with very few characters rising above the rest. I couldn't have been more wrong. Of course, not every character stands out. But there are quite a few that show a lot of depth and personality. Chief among them is Garviel Loken, principal POV character. Additional well-defined characters include the other members of the Mournival, Aximand, Abaddon, and Torgaddon. The presence and POVs of civilians such as the Primary iterator, Kyril Sindermann, and various remembrancers allow readers to see the events unfold from a totally different perspective. And though Horus Rising weighs in at only 412 pages, there is a surprising amount of character development and growth throughout it pages. The seeds of heresy are sown. . .
All in all, Dan Abnett's Horus Rising exceeded my expectations and made me want to discover what happens next! An interesting and intelligent blend of action and multilayered storytelling, Horus Rising should please a lot of science fiction fans out there.
At least where this title is concerned, tie-in fiction can indeed stand against most science fiction/space opera offerings found on the market today. Whether or not the rest of The Horus Heresy can live up to the expectations created by its opening chapter remains to be seen. But Dan Abnett got me; hook, bait, and sinker!
Give Horus Rising a shot. I have a feeling that most of you won't be disappointed.
Book Review: I Know What You're Thinking...
Summary: 4 Stars
I, too, often snear and turn up my nose at any fiction based on popular movies, television programs, or games of any sort--particularly science fiction. Some of the worst premises and most abhorrent writing I have ever been witness to are in Star Trek, Star Wars, and D&D based literature. So, much like you, it was with no small amount of apprehension that I approached Horus Rising.
Not only had I never played Warhammer, but I also knew precious little about what I soon learned was a rich and inticately woven tapestry of future history. I knew of Abnett's work from comics (of which I am an avid fan), and a quick look at the first chapter intrigued me, so I took a chance.
It paid of well. Though no one would confuse this with reputable literature, I found it absorbing. It was like opening a new bag of candy only to discover a few minutes later that you ate the whole thing. It is a well-written piece of science fiction that doesn't pretend to be anything other than what it is--pure entertainment without heavy philosophical undertones.
Horus Rising fills in a lot of blanks about the history of the future without being distracting or taking excessive side-tracks. It has ships, guns, aliens, and distant planets for the techophile. It has terror, chaos, and monsters for the horror crowd. It even has a few whiffs of sex and subversion to satisfy those driven by the id.
I was disappointed to learn that it was the first in a series of novels about the whole Horus rebellion that aren't all written by Abnett. Eisenhorn and Ravenor are good alternatives for those seeking more of the same calibur writing.
Overall, I recommend it for those looking for a fun read.
Book Review: A great warhammer 40k story
Summary: 4 Stars
The Horus Heresy has to be the most significant event in the Warhammer 40,000 universe's 'history'. Abnett gets the story off to a good start here. The opening is terrific, really gripping action. His choice of main character in the unknown Captain Loken is inspired; through this Space Marine hero's eyes we see the Primarch himself and other key characters (such as Abaddon).
Abnett excels at arc plots; mixing the action with a 'bigger story'. Hints and foreshadowings are here aplenty; Abnett is without doubt one of the Black Library's best writers and he uses his skills to good effect.
Character developement has been lacking in some of his works, such as the Gaunt's Ghost series, but here there is plenty of it, and I loved the way he built Horus up as the Heroic Primarch, the Emperor's favourite son, beloved by his men, rather than as a cookie-cut bad guy.
What was disappointing was the ending, which cut of very abruptly, the book trailing off rather than ending with a 'bang' or cliffhanger, and the few basic mistakes, such as repeated references to the '12 primarchs' (there were 20). Abnett is not as good at writing Space Marine combat as some of his fellows, especially Ben Counter, who writes the third book in this series, Galaxy in Flames. Nevertheless, this will not disppoint warhammer 40k fans, and Counter's contribution is worth reading the first two books for all by itself.
Book Review: Excellent Sci-Fi
Summary: 4 Stars
I was not familiar with the Warhammer or Warmhammer 40000 Universe when I picked this book up. I got it when I stopped over in London, because it was signed by the author and it looked interesting.
That has not kept me from thoroughly enjoying this book! It is very well written and well paced. Judging from the other reviews everyone seems to know how this story is supposed to go. I suppose it's as if I am that person who didn't know that Anakin becomes Darth Vader. The characters seem to have a well known destiny, but that was not a problem for me. The character development is very nice. Abnett somehow manages to infuse the Astartes - a genetic creation of mankind bred for war - with layers of depth which are belied by their introduction.
If you like gritty-military sci-fi with an Ancient Rome twist, get this book.
Book Review: Well-written book
Summary: 4 Stars
I enjoyed this book quite a bit. Characterization was credible and the plot moved along nicely, with a lot of expository writing about the astartes pre-heresy. There was plenty to keep me interested in the book, as it was a 'single sitting' book I refused to put down.
I assume abnett may have worked from an outline, as the 2nd and 3rd books in this series are coming out this year by 2 different authors, but in any event the odd action of erebus near the book's end was not explained or (as far as I can tell) shown as being in character, though maybe i missed something.
I can only hope the next 2 are up to the quality of abnett's work.
FWIW, I am not a gamer and know only what I have read about the 40k universe. I don't think it matters at all for enjoying abnett's work, he is a fabulous author.