Under the command of the newly appointed Warmaster Horus, the Great Crusade continues. Fulgrim, Primarch of the Emperor's Children, leads his warriors into battle against a vile alien foe, unaware of the darker forces that have already set their sights upon the Imperium of Man. Loyalties are tested, and every murderous whim indulged as the Emperor's Children take their first steps down the road to true corruption - a road that will ultimately lead them to the killing fields of Isstvan V...
Good read! Admittedly Graham McNeill can be a mixed bag. I generally like him though.
Fulgrim’s downfall was much better written than Horus’ and is far more tragic. The characters in this book were a little same-y and of course I wish there was more Tarvitz, but the descriptions of the Slaanesh corruption were top notch. My biggest complaint is that there were a couple references to gender essentialism in some of the remembrancer sections, which were pretty eye-rolling, even if you’re not into gender theory.
This is probably a three-star bumped up to a four because I love Slaanesh stuff.
One of the worst depictions of Fulgrim and the Emperor's Children. Written very black and white and with palpable contempt for the protagonists.
I don't know why Graham McNeill is writing any Emperor's Children-content. My best guess is he has some dirt on Nick Kyme and is blackmailing him. But that isn't explaining why he wants to write a Legion and a Primarch he so obviously despises?
It's a mystery.
If you want to get a real glimpse in the minds of the Third Legion, I strongly recommend Josh Reynolds' "Fulgrim - the Palatine Phoenix"-novel (yes, same name). And to get a feeling for the fall of the Legion, read Chris Wraight's "The Path of Heaven" and Nick Kyme's "Imperfect".
The depth that the authors of the series went to allow the tragedy of the Great Crusade and the Horus Heresy to be shown is to be applauded, abd this novel adds to that background and weaves the tapestry of destruction with a master's hands- even to the point of bringing forth questions to which this point there had been no answers. Though many authors write this series, the skill of the plotting makes it a magnificent whole. Because of that the books do not stand on their own, and in reading without the background of the other books, one is wont to get lost in the details. But for this along the ride, this is pretty amazing work.
Review of 'Fulgrim (The Horus Heresy)' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
The fall of Fulgrim, the Primarch of the Emperor's Children legion, is tragic and quite dramatic. It is a descent into madness driven by dark forces for a figure that was brilliant and good for starters. And like a good tragedy, you know that there is no stopping the fates once they get going.
Fulgrim is the Primarch of the Emperor's Children, one of the legions of the Emperor of Mankind fighting in the Great Crusade to unify the worlds of men. The Emperor's Children pride themselves in their pursuit of perfection. Unlike other legions, they seek the best and most perfect way to go into combat. They are also haughty and proud. We have met some of their members in previous novels. We met Lucius, the skilled but arrogant swordsman that, in my case, I keep waiting to see him get what is coming to him. Saul Tarvitz, the …
The fall of Fulgrim, the Primarch of the Emperor's Children legion, is tragic and quite dramatic. It is a descent into madness driven by dark forces for a figure that was brilliant and good for starters. And like a good tragedy, you know that there is no stopping the fates once they get going.
Fulgrim is the Primarch of the Emperor's Children, one of the legions of the Emperor of Mankind fighting in the Great Crusade to unify the worlds of men. The Emperor's Children pride themselves in their pursuit of perfection. Unlike other legions, they seek the best and most perfect way to go into combat. They are also haughty and proud. We have met some of their members in previous novels. We met Lucius, the skilled but arrogant swordsman that, in my case, I keep waiting to see him get what is coming to him. Saul Tarvitz, the captain of the 10th Company of the Emperor's Children who is seen as nothing more than a line officer. We have seen Saul in previous novels, so if you have read those, you know of his gallant fate. There are also some new people, and naturally, this is Fulgrim's novel, so he stands larger than life. But the tale is not only about Fulgrim; it is also about his bonds of brotherhood. He is close to Ferrus Manus, the Primarch of the Iron Hands. They are so close that in fact they forged weapons for each other at one point. Fulgrim betrays his brother in arms in a truly tragic way full of pathos. This is probably one of the best passages in the book leading then to their inevitable confrontation. And there are confrontations in this book.
We get to see the battle of Isstvan III, but McNeill glosses over it, and if you have read the previous novels, then you know of how Horus betrayed and massacred so many Astartes and their military support units. Now a new battle is coming to Isstvan V as legions loyal to the Emperor come to bring reckoning to Horus. But will they succeed in defeating Horus? Or will the wily traitor have yet another trap at hand? I leave that to the readers to find out saying it will be worth reading.
I did not give the book that fifth star because the text is a bit drawn out at times. The book clocks in a bit over 500 pages, and I found it a bit too long. I think a little editing could have made for a leaner, and still good, book. The strength of the book lies in the strong tragic sense of the fall of Fulgrim into darkness and his betrayal of Ferrus Manus. This is almost as good as any Shakespearean tragedy. But madness and darkness do not come to Fulgrim alone. His whole fleet, including the remembrancers are affected as well and fall as well into the darkness of Chaos (Chaos still something that we are gradually learning about in the setting of the 31st Millennium). Adding to this, McNeill does use some very good descriptive detail in the passages about the artists which reinforce the impending doom.
Overall, the book is a good addition to the series. It has a good blend of intrigue and action, though the intrigue is not as good as previous novels. I think this is no fault of the author. We already know as readers much of what is to happen already; we are seeing it from a different point of view. This on the one hand is interesting, but I can see where some readers might find it repetitive over time. Fulgrim is quite the figure, and his fall is really a tale worth reading. The author does manage to continue the style and feel of previous books, which means there is good consistency. For fans, I think this is a very good book. For those like me discovering the Horus Heresy series, I think this is a good addition and a good read. It is one I recommend, and I will certainly go look for the next one.
