I have not before heard of James Swallow, so was unfamiliar with his work. This handling of the events of the Horus Heresy makes me be on the lookout for more. Thoigh the book is no larger than the others in the series, it seems as if much more happens. Much of that can be attributed to the tight focus and pacing of the novel and much can be said about the groundwork already laid. But at the end, Mr Swallow executed o this near perfectly, and it's very much recommended.