| Title | : | Horus Rising (The Horus Heresy, #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 184416294X |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781844162949 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Mass Market Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 412 |
| Publication | : | First published April 25, 2006 |
Horus Rising (The Horus Heresy, #1) Reviews
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So on the one hand (i.e., the overly hairy, knuckle-dragging one), this is Manwich-sized chunk of meaty, SF gun-porn dripping with sweat and oozing locker-room musk. HOWEVER, on the other manicured, latte- holding hand, this is a quality, well written tale with surprising character depth and a layered plot with real complexity and an unusual amount of nuance for a popcorn page-turner.
At the risk of a DUH moment, let me point out that this is Warhammer 40000 tie in. I knew nothing about the Warhammer 40K universe before picking up this book…nothing. Therefore, if you’ve thought about checking out the series but didn’t know where to begin…TA DA…you have found your entry vehicle. If you haven’t thought about checking out the series, keep reading and you may change your mind.
Here’s a quick back-story and plot summary...
BACK STORY
This story is the first of a series that takes place 10000 years before the main Warhammer 40K events and explains how the galactic civil war (known as the Horus Heresy) got started. It’s the 31st Millennium. Thousands of years ago mankind scattered from Earth in a great Diaspora and populated the stars. For the last 2 centuries, the Imperium of Man guided by theiron-fisted, blood drippingbenevolent hand of the immortal Emperor has been conducting the Great Crusade in order to (1) reunite all of the various groups of humans (whether they want to or not) and (2) exterminate all alien life from the galaxy.
Assisting the Emperor in hisviolent conquestmighty endeavor are the Space Marines, Seven and a half foot tall, genetically enhanced, immortal super soldiers in battle armor that would make Boba Fett full of dark green envy. Chief among the Space Marines are the ruling “Primarchs,” NINE FOOT tall genetically enhanced, immortal super DUPER soldiers who eat bad-ass and crap awesome.
PLOT SUMMARY
The Emperor has unexpectedly left the front lines of the Great Crusade and returned to Earth (maybe for some celebratory rape and pillaging). In his place, the Emperor has raised his favorite Primarch, Horus, to the rank of War Master and put him in complete control over the mission and the other primarchs. This development does not sit well with some of the other 9 foot nasties and schemes, plots, rumors, conspiracies, machinations, cabals, ops and maneuvers ensue.
We following the Great Crusade under Horus through a series of conquests while learning about the back-story of the Imperium and watching the Space Marines in action (some very, very cool scenes by the way). At the same time, events begin to unfold that set the stage for the conflict that will develop as the series progresses, leading eventually to the split between Horus and the Emperor and the beginning of the great civil war.
THOUGHTS
This book is a blast and I had a lot of fun reading it. However, it was also quite a bit more and that’s what I found surprising. While there are certainly a number of stock characters and not everyone gets evenly developed, the main players are drawn with considerable depth and distinct personalities. This is not exactly an easy thing to do dealing with soldiers that physically are almost identical. In addition, the exploration of religion and philosophy and the arguments on these themes from multiple viewpoints added a nice layer to the plot.
The writing is certainly better than what I anticipated and was of high quality. Abnett has a crisp, easy flow to his prose and is able to write both with humor and the darker emotions as called for by the narrative. I was impressed enough with his writing that I will seek out other books he’s written as I enjoy his style.
Finally, I thought the idea of the Museum of Conquest (i.e., a huge starship where examples of every alien race exterminated are preserved for posterity) was diabolically cool. Didn’t have anything to do with the story, but was just one of those concepts that add to the overall back-story and that I found clever.
Overall, this is highly entertaining. This is one of those that if you think you would enjoy it based on the plot description or the subject matter, than I am confident that you will. It is an easy, breezy read loaded with action and enough depth to raise it above the norm.
4.0 stars. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!! -
"Perhaps we are cursed to crave something which does not exist. There are no gods, no spirits, no daemons. So we make them up, to comfort ourselves."
After centuries spent fighting to bring mankind out of its dark ages and campaigning to eradicate religion, the Emperor returns to Terra, leaving command of the Great Crusade to his loyal Warmaster, Horus. But the struggles are nowhere near done, as the threat of nefarious corruption lurks in the background.
Horus Rising is a remarkably good book. Surprisingly so, even. The reader can happily throw all predispositions aside and relish in the fact that this a spectacular story with intriguing characters, excellently written and filled with well thought out philosophical background. Not only is it a tale of space marines conquering world for the Emperor and the cause, it also sparks deep questions on religion, race, freedom, warfare and enlightenment.
The introduction to the Horus Heresy provides a brilliant background framing for the defining event of what is eventually to become the occult, twisted and Grimdark with a capital G Warhammer 40K universe. It truly is a seed-sowing book, as the description hammers in, although in addition to sowing the seeds of heresy, it sows the seeds of excellent worldbuilding and a unique and fascinating narrative.
More so than anything I have read from the Black Library, this book does not read like a tie-in novel. It reads like the first dip into an intelligent and captivating science fiction series. Possibly the best military science fiction series ever written.
Horus Heresy reviews:
#1
Horus Rising
#2
False Gods
#3
Galaxy in Flames
#4
The Flight of the Eisenstein
#5
Fulgrim
#6
Descent of Angels
#7
Legion -
I feel remarkably dirty giving a book about the Horus Heresy 4 stars. Some other things I've given 4 stars include:
On The Road,
Paradise Lost,
The Great Gatsby, and other classics spanning centuries of upper-middle and high literature--if there is such a thing, at least. So when I give this book, which is unabashedly pulp and a step away from fanfiction, 4 stars, I need to disclaim a good many things. You're not going to find layers of complexity here. The book sets out to do one thing and one thing only: to recount a momentous event in the Warhammer 40k timeline in an accurate and straightforward manner. Does it do this? Yes, and remarkably well at that.
This was a quick, fun, and easy read, which makes for a nice break from several years of English Lit stuff. I was interested in expanding my knowledge of the 40k universe, so where better to start than with the one thing that screwed humanity over more than a galaxy full of belligerent xenos? This book doesn't detail the heresy itself, but rather sets the stage. Things are looking good for mankind; we're unmatched at kicking ass, the Imperium is steadily growing and absorbing stray human cultures, and we're at a point of logic and reason thanks to the still-kickin' Emperor. However, there's serious foreshadowing every other page, and knowing what happens next gives the whole book an insidious, depressing tone. What a difference ten thousand years can make!
So yeah, I enjoyed it. Yeah, I'm going to pick up the next in the series. And yeah, I'm probably going to talk about it here. It's not great literature, but so what? It does what it sets out to do, and without pretense. When I want to read something that will make me question humanity or my own sanity, I'll pick up
Blindness again. When I want to read about the Adeptus Astartes doing the very same thing,
Dan Abnett works as good as anyone. -
Very entertaining read.
First of all if you are unfamiliar with Warhammer 40k it's set in distant future and it's combination of dystopian military sci-fi, Tolkein and H.P. Lovecraft .Next to fanatical humanity there are classical fantasy races like Orcs, Elfs (Eldar), Undead, Lovecraftian horrors like demons and malicious otherworldy gods and diverse menagerie of different sci-fi inspired races.
Prior to this book my knowladge of Warhamer 40k was limited. I mostly know about this setting from combination of Relic entretainment's Dawn of war games and Warhammer40k.wikia page.My obscure knowlage didn't stop me from enjoying this, in a fact this is great place to start with Warhammer 40k universe.
I came in expecting some good Warhammer 40k action but I got way more than that.Don't get me wrong this is sci-fi military novel set in Warhammer 40k universe but it's not cheap action blockbuster it's well written book with author who knew what he was doing. Characters are surprisingly well defined and distinctive considering most of main cast are (protagonist included) 2.5 meters tall, specially bred, genetically modified super-soldiers of Imperium. Super-soldiers are pointless without some super action and here action is delightful with tons of blood, guts, guns blazing and sword fights.
Recommendation if you are looking for some good sci-fi action whether you know about Warhammer universe or not. -
“I was there the day Horus slew the Emperor.”
Ten years ago amazing cover artist Neil Roberts, Dan Abnett and an host of other great authors started something epic.
The Horus Heresy is just the best sci-fi military saga ever, with good touches of fantasy and horror (orcs and elves are alien races here and there are demons and lovecraftian horrors too).
In ten years I've read this novel 3 times: first one when it was released, second one when it was translated in Italian (sadly the only one, but translations and editions of Black Library books here were never too much good so maybe is better this way) and now a third time in the omnibus collecting the first act of the saga.
Of my most favourite books this is the only one I remember reading thrice and it get better and better, maybe because in ten years I've read like 100 Black Library novels and my knowledge of the Warhammer 40000 lore raised a lot, but you really not need that to appreciate it.
Higly reccomended to all fans of military sci-fi and "sword & laser" sagas.
This novel is just a masterwork, read it and science fiction will never be the same for you. -
Another killer book in what is shaping up to be a really amazing and imaginative universe. I'm glad I did not start my Warhammer 40K reading with this book though, I read the Night Lords and Eisenhorn omnibuses prior to this, because there's a lot of information being thrown at you right from jump street and I probably would have been lost and a little confused. There's action, character development, intrigue, history, aliens, augmented-superhumans, secrets galore, and shit tons of good writing. This is not someone trying to make a buck off a generic low-quality tie-in, these books, at least the ones I've read so far, are carefully constructed novels written by authors who give a crap about what they're doing. Very cool and very cinematic book and I can't wait to dive into the next one in this massive series.
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Some time ago I stumbled over several Warhammer 40K (or 40,000) books in Mckay's books for like $.05 each. I had never played the game (nor had I played Warhammer Fantasy battles for that matter) but I am/was aware of them. The local game shop where I'd played D&D for years also had groups of these gamers (and a good friend of mine was also at one time REALLY into the game.)
So, anyway being a big fan of military science fiction I picked up the books...and now I've gotten around to reading one of the seemingly thousands of books in existence for this universe.
Well, it's always nice to know there are books out there waiting to be read...right?
Anyway what we have here is the book I was advised by all good authorities (you know...Wikipedia) as the best place to start my sojourn into the 41st millennium of humanity. This is the beginning of the Hours Heresy. It takes place at the ending of the Great Crusade (actually it seems to have been what brought the Great Crusade to an end...I think). the Imperium of Humanity (actually the books call it the Imperium of Man but I'm sure that will cause howls of rage from some of our more politically correct members) has some very LARGE internal problems during the Hersey...billions or trillions dead, you know, problems.
Anyway (did I say that before?) we get some interesting infighting here, some political maneuvering, some beginning disillusionment and some battles...you know, lots of Stuff.
I liked it, planning to go on to the next and maybe have a lot of good pointless reads ahead of me.
Cool. I can recommend them as brain candy...or possibly brain blood sausage. -
I waded into this book wearing a layer of scepticism as thick as that dude’s armour on the cover art. Now I’ve emerged from this haemic virulent bloodbath, I’m glad - and more than a little surprised - to report: it is awesome.
It begins with this messy large-scale war scene filled with military jargon and corny macho bravado that to me was almost instantly off-putting. But I noticed the writing quality was considerably better than that of certain highly acclaimed sci-fi novels I’d read this year (cough
Leviathan Wakes cough), and that was enough to peak my interest and keep me trudging through this first section... and boy am I happy I did.
The series has to start with an overblown action scene because, you know, it is a Warhammer novel, and that’s kind of its selling point. But once the compulsory OTT violence is out of the way and the politicking kicks off, it’s great. The course of events felt extremely natural and the story was told with much more narrative command than certain highly acclaimed sci-fi novels I���ve read this year (cough
Ancillary Justice cough).
Not only is the worldbuilding fantastic, the sheer scale of this thing is enough to make you crawl into a corner and cry. It’s quite clear this first book only scratches the surface of the sprawling monstrous mess that is the Warhammer universe, and it leaves one hungry for more.
This 50-or-so-book series, The Horus Heresy®, is a collaborative project written by several authors. I’m curious to see whether the quality and characters' personalities hold up in subsequent books penned by different authors. Dan Abnett, the guy responsible for this first delicious goreburger, clearly knows what he's doing. He can do alien, he can do gross, he can even do poetic. I detect the influences of Robert Heinlein, Dan Simmons and even Olaf Stapledon’s
Last and First Men.
You don’t even have to be into Warhammer to enjoy this series. If, like me, you're simply world-curious and want to give spending some time in a dark, war-ridden, extremely violent universe for a change, then clasp on your helm, grab your bolter and sink your genhanced fist into the pulp of these pages. Lupercal! -
Mangasm in print right here!!
What an opening "Horus Rising" has. I recall reading it for the first-time many years ago and thinking "surly the end can't be the beginning of the novel." I was so confused. How wrong I was, we're now thirty novels into the series, with no sign of it ending.
Dan Abnett introduces us to the Luna Wolves, Space Marines from the planet Cathonia. You could argue that "Horus Rising" becomes overawed by a type of celebrity-showcasing of a who's-who of the 30K universe. It really doesn't though. What really makes this book stand out are the foundations laid. There is great emphasis placed on a shared-brotherhood, a camaraderie we see lacking in current 40K novels (in my opinion), along the lines of honour and a resolute secularism. There's intelligent prose to be found here, it's not all about being a superhuman with unmatched strength and stamina - there's also a philosophy of being. Loken is certainly searching for this throughout.
That being said, there's bolter-porn to be found here also, from the outset in fact. Do not fear, this isn't a philosophical treatise to bore you to death. It's a novel about conquest, that being the crusade that the Emperor has tasked/burdened the Astrates and humanity with (let's be honest, it's a big world out there). What really was a joy to read was the foes arranged against the Space Marines. You'd think it would be Orks or Elder, no no. Dan Abnett comes up with some of his own races. The Megarachnid are a biological being, they breed and consume, they seem to be an earlier existence of the Tyranids. There is also the Interex, former colonists from Terra who have found themselves devoid of contact with their human brothers due to the Age of Strife (warpstorms stopping space travel).
Characters really make a novel, this being no expectation. Dan Abnett has created some of the best characters in both 30/40K to date. We're introduced to the concept of 'The Mournvial' who are akin to an advisory council to Horus. Made up of 'worthy' captains of merit, such as Abaddon, the first captain, Aximand, Loken and Torgaddon. They rather remind me of the A-Team. Abaddon as Hannibal, who comes across as a brilliant tactician, if a little hot headed. Torgaddon as the wise-cracking comedy relief, who becomes staunch friends with Garvial. Aximand is much more the level-headed member, so I guess that would make him Face. That leaves Garvial Loken, an individual who is the dissenting voice. He offers his own views, which help him to fit his role as devil's advocate within the Mournvial - he certainly isn't BA Baracus, but then I could see him saying "crazy fool" for my own amusement. He's too much of a starch arse for that.
There are some fantastic side characters of note. Eidelon, commander of The Emperor's Children, arrogant, aloof and altogether what I would call 'a tool.' Saul Tarvitz and Lucius are a wonderful foil, one being a pragmative and shall we say grounded captain and the other hot-headed and cock-sure. They really complement each other. Although the Space Marines are the centre stage, the more human characters that populate "Horus Rising" are just as interesting. A primary iterator Sindermann and the remembrancer Euphrati Keeler are both interesting and very well written. Obviously Abnett uses them to give effective contrast to the Astrates. Did I mention First Chaplain Erebus of the Word Bearers? No, fuck him then!
It's obviously worth mentioning Horus *sarcasm*. He is charismatic, a leader. He is both humble and aloof - without appearing so. The Primarch uses such tools as the Mournvial to maintain, if you like, a neutral perspective, especially when engaging with military personnel. This is shown throughout the book and works fairly well, but at times did make me think that a leader should speak his mind at all times.
"Horus Rising" is one of those benchmark books, not just in Black Library's arsenal, but in the whole science fiction genre. The series as a whole is getting more and more exposure, it's a New York bestseller. It's one of the best novels in the series, being the first, this is no small feat. Give it ago, even if you aren't a fan of Warhammer 40K, this series stands on its own. What do you have to lose? Do it, do it NOW. -
I know the target audience for this book are fans of the Warhammer 40k universe but I wish that being the first book of the series, the author would have taken more time to explain the different terminologies in the book. Abnett actually took more care detailing how the poet's notebook is made than most of the mythos that appears in the book.
The first quarter of the book is extremely confusing as there are just too many characters making a brief appearance and that sometimes they are referred to by their first name and sometimes by their last name so it was very hard to remember who's who. The author also likes to use overly complicated words to describe something simple which made it even more difficult to read when paired up with the unfamiliar terms in the Warhammer 40k universe.
The main character Loken feels like a kid or an extremely regimented soldier who does not know how to think for himself except when facing battle. I am looking forward to see if he will succumb to the seduction of Chaos in the latter books.
However what I feel redeemed the book are the battles that occur within the book, the corruption of Jubal; battles on Murder and with the Interex. You really feel sorry that the Imperium got into a mess with the Interex due to the manipulation of Chaos. It is also interesting to note the little banters and jibes between the Astartes. -
Although this is a franchise novel you don't need to understand the context to enjoy it.
-
Como muchos otros, siendo chaval tuve una fase rolera, pero me quedé en El señor de los anillos y el Warhammer fantasía. Hace un tiempo me cayó de rebote algo de Warhammer 40000, y aunque ahora no me llama mucho lo del rol, sí me llaman, y de qué manera, las historias de trasfondo del juego. Cuando me enteré de la saga llamada La herejía de Horus leí bastante en internet, pero era algo reticente a meterme en los libros (no dejan de ser 54 novelas más lo que aún queda por publicar) pero cuando Minotauro sacó este libro en esta edición no pude dejarlo pasar.
"Yo estaba allí - acostumbraba a decir después, hasta que después se convirtió en un tiempo que no producía ninguna risa. Yo estaba allí el día que Horus mató al emperador"
El Emperador, amado por todos, ha dejado su lugar en el campo de batalla espacial para volver a Terra a hacer algo importante. Ha dejado sus ejércitos imperiales (ejércitos regulares en enorme número) y sus Astartes (soldados creados genéticamente en menor cantidad pero de un tamaño y ferocidad superior) al mando de sus hijos, los Primarcas (seres aún más grandes que los Astartes, casi semi dioses), de entre los que destaca Horus, nombrado señor de la guerra para dirigirlos a todos en su misión de poner paz en el universo con los medios que necesiten.
Con esta premisa conocemos a uno de los más destacados protagonistas, el capitán Garviel Loken, de la Legión de los Lobos lunares, y con él seguiremos durante todo el libro, mezclando otros personajes que también aportarán su punto de vista. Les seguiremos en sus batallas, pero también en sus procesos de toma de decisiones, pues no todo va a ser entrar a machete sin miramientos. También les veremos enfrentar ciertas cosas que darán el toque de drama, aunque también hay algún chascarrillo divertido.
Hay que decir que está muy bien escrita, no escatima a la hora de narrar las refriegas, pero no usa el gore como elemento narrativo. Y también es de justicia decir que este libro está muy estudiado para que lo puedan leer todos los fans del juego de rol, pero también para que se pueda acercar cualquiera que no tenga tantos conocimientos sobre ello o incluso un neófito que se inicie en ello.
No se si leeré toda la saga, pero ya tengo echado el ojo a unos pocos que por ahora me interesan más, y quizá luego siga con los otros. Pero son muy buena opción para leer algo de sci-fi sin más pretensiones.
----------------
First of all, I've read the book translated, so some (or many) of the technical words may be wrong.
Like many others, as a teenager I had a role-playing phase, but I stayed with The Lord of the Rings and Warhammer Fantasy. Some time ago something about Warhammer 40,000 got on my radar, and although now the role-playing doesn't appeal to me much, the background stories of the game do appeal to me, and in what way. When I found out about the saga called The Horus Heresy I read a lot on the internet, but I was somewhat reluctant to get into the books (there are still 54 novels plus what is still to be published) but when it was released in this edition (just 7 euros) I didn't want to let it slip.
"I was there - he used to say later, until later became a time that did not produce any laughter. I was there the day Horus killed the emperor"
The Emperor, loved by all, has left his place on the space battlefield to return to Terra to do something important. He has left his imperial armies (regular armies in huge numbers) and his Astartes (soldiers genetically created in smaller numbers but of superior size and ferocity) in command of his sons, the Primarchs (beings even larger than the Astartes, almost demi-gods) among which Horus stands out, appointed warlord to lead them all in their mission to bring peace to the universe with the means they need.
With this premise we meet one of the most outstanding protagonists, Captain Garviel Loken, of the Luna Wolves Legion, and with him we will continue throughout the book, mixing other characters who will also contribute their point of view. We will follow them in their battles, but also in their decision-making processes, because not everything is going to be storming into the enemy without hesitation. We will also see them face certain things that will give the touch of drama, although there are also some funny jokes.
It must be said that it is very well written, it does not skimp when narrating the skirmishes, but it does not use gore as a narrative element. And it is also fair to say that this book is well studied so that all fans of the role-playing game can read it, but also so that anyone who does not have much knowledge about it or even a neophyte who is just starting out can approach it.
I don't know if I'll read the entire saga, but I've already had my eye on a few that interest me more for now, and maybe I'll continue with the others later. But they are a very good option to read some light sci-fi. -
This was my first exposure to anything Warhammer 40,000. When I was a kid I would often see the starter sets at the hobby/gaming shops I'd go to with my dad, but I never really had much interest for a few reasons...mostly that Warhammer tabletop stuff is expensive as fuck and the universe has always seemed kind of impenetrable, due to the fact that the history/setting seemed to be originally explained only in the manuals/codexes associated with the game. Thankfully someone had the great idea to start a 500-book series explaining one of the key events in the recent past of the 40k setting; the Horus Heresy. Obviously due to the size of this series book one isn't gonna explain everything, so while I'm completely sure yet I have a good idea of what the actual Heresy is. What I do know, however is that the 40k universe is a load of fun and surprisingly deep and detailed, and that Dan Abnett is a very good writer.
The 40k universe, characters and setting all make me often feel like a kid again--everything just seems so over the top and sensationally violent, dark and horrific. Every other page in this book contains something that can only be described as awesome; an Emperor that unites Earth and then proceeds to send legions of giant genetically engineered space marines all over the universe spreading the Terran ideals of secular rationalism via slaughtering stuff; man-eating biomechanical spiders that build giant stone trees that generate intense storms, preventing invasion from space; a strange dimension called the "warp" that seems to harbor sinister, parasitic energies that can corrupt living beings and fun stuff like that. It's all just so ridiculously cool. That said, while I would happily read 500 pages of space marines fucking shit up that's not what Abnett is all about here, at all. It's just the first thing that's gonna grab you.
Despite the over-the-top darkness and violence of the setting, Abnett does take the 40k universe seriously and approaches it as an intelligent, creative person would. The book certainly does touch on deeper topics like the morality of the Great Crusade, man's place in the stars and the nature of camaraderie in war. He also seems to make an effort to look at the book's world and events from a human perspective, rather than relying on the clearly superhuman space marines to deliver the narrative. To be honest, I kind of wrote this whole universe off as cheesy fluff existing only to support tabletop excursions. That was dumb of me, and consequently I've been missing out. I have to remind myself that even uber-serious and literate epics like Malazan Book of the Fallen started out as tabletop games. It's a rare thing to enjoy being exposed to oneself as a pretentious and close-minded douche! That said, it does kinda worry me that Abnett only writes a few entries in the entire Horus Heresy series, leaving the way open for inconsistency in all its ugly forms. I'm gonna stay optimistic, though.
Keeping with my thoughts on the author, I already bought the first three in the Gaunt's Ghosts series. I was very impressed with him; he's thoughtful, writes believable characters, and consistently paints thrilling action sequences. Kinda makes me wonder if he's written stuff outside of the 40k universe, but he certainly has written enough inside it to keep me happy for a good while, and I'll also be happily continuing with Horus Heresy. This book was relatively heresy-free, as it seems to start a decent ways away from...whatever happened happening. It's mostly setup-via-action, which is certainly a great way to introduce a novice to your universe. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to people who think the setting might yield some good times for them. It was a wonderful way to be introduced to the universe, and a hell of a lot of fun. -
I've finally found it. I've finally discovered what I have been looking for since I first picked up a book.
I read a lot. I've been reading a book then throwing it over my shoulder when I'm done to move on to the next one for years. I read with a fervor; as if I might be looking for something; as if I'm just waiting patiently to be swept away by the exact genre of storytelling I'm longing for. Well, I bloody well found it. This is my first 40k book, and you can consider me on board for this whole hobby. This is precisely the kind of narrative that I love the most. I'm jumping into this fandom and never looking back.
P.S. Nothing beats the Halo universe for me, but this is turning out to be a top contender for the future. -
I am really enjoying the Warhammer 40k books. I never played any of the games, so I feel like there's backstory that I'm missing. Who is the emperor? Where did his power come from? Why does everyone follow him? His goal was to rid the universe of religion and superstition (which sounds good to me), but then he makes himself a god and creates the Primarchs who are demi-gods and proceeds to wage war on any world or people that don't fall in line with his ideology.
I know the ultimate outcome of what happens with Horus and the emperor, which so far doesn't seem like such a terrible thing. I really liked Horus, although Torgaddon was my favorite. I'm trying not to get too attached to anyone since I figure it's going to end badly for a lot of them. The next book will be the first one I've read that isn't by Dan Abnett....hopefully it's still as good. -
Well this was an experience long time coming.
This novel is the first one in a 54 novel experience. This is where everything started. You know what's coming (If you know the minimum of 40K) and you know several names, mainly chaos names you should know like Abaddon, Lucius and all other primarch names. What you probably don't know is other names that had impact on imperium like... ahh you thought I was giving you spoilers? Nope.
In this novel you are expected to love Horus, Abnett ensure that you probably loved him more than the Emperor guy you heard so much about. As you read you see the similarities between Horus & Emperor as Jesus & God. Okay maybe that's a far fetch scenario but it exists. By the end he even says "Emperor why have you forgotten me?" I hope you recognize that from Jesus.
You have a Abaddon that wants to do Emperor bidding going clashing with Horus because Horus thinks that you shouldn't take the orders from the emperor quite literal. Although he is a violent guy (Abaddon) he really adores the Emperor - well everyone loves him dearly. There is Loken who has risen in ranks and is now in the Mournival (a small entourage that counsels Horus). You get to learn a bit more of Emperor's Children and you already know that they are going to Slaanesh, or Word Bearers's Erebeus. You get to see and learn that the best friends of Horus is Sanguinius (two sides of the same coin - very tragic) & Lorgar.
It's interesting to learn much about these people from another eyes that not the ones we know from the 40K universe. It's also interesting to see the politics behind everything and even some start of dissident between what humanity wants and the Emperor wishes. I see also this as the bible. Something was written there on the name of the God and then different religious interpret in one or the other.
Some batttle scenes happen here and they were okay - it's nice to see the reverence the SM (angels from 40K never bow to anyone) being in awe of Primarch. It's like troopers when seeing SM. Now I can't even imagine how the writer will talk about meeting the Emperor.
Another interesting point that will be talk more in the second novel and third I guess it's the Kaos/Chaos stuff. why did the emperor didn't tell the primarchs. Why did they fell to Chaos. before reading anything - I think this could have been avoidable, probably. Let us see.
Btw, 30K is a different from 40K. This is a time where Necrons, Tyranids or other alien races are almost non-existent (references to Eldar) While Orks are the main enemies of the crusade. In this novel there are no Orks. Only Humans and somekind of spider beings. -
If the quality of this story is anything to go by then I have a great deal to look forward to with this long Warhammer 40k series.
The only thing that didn't quite seem right to me was that a Titan was described as being over 100-meters-tall, and that seemed unlikely to me. A war-machine that tall would be too slow and top-heavy to be effective.
Thanks for reading. -
So after checking out the first Fabius Bile book in the 40k catalogue, I decided I wanted to try some others, and the Horus Heresy saga has always been interesting to me. So I asked a few friends and they came up with a reading list, somewhat predictably starting with book 1.
This is the story of the Space Marines and the rise of Chaos. More specifically it's about the rise and fall of Horus, the Emperor of Mankind's favourite son.
It's a fairly tough book to review in many ways as it's obviously part of a much larger franchise with books firing out all over the place, but I'll certainly give it a damned good go.
It's fantastically written for a start. Dan Abnett definitely knows his stuff and part of that is how to spin a good yarn. Extremely engaging and you get a real feel for the universe and technology. There's a fair amount of 40k porn, which is to say lavish descriptions of weapons/armour and what not, but it never really stands out as obtrusive, and it's quite cool to learn more about how some of the weapons work (not to mention the Space Marine physiology... they're kinda like humans+).
The pace varies pretty wildly. It's starts off blistering, slows to a crawl, then picks up, only to slow back to a crawl for the finale. And there isn't really a finale. Things just kind of happen, and then we get a few hints about how they're going to develop... in later books.
So what I'm saying is this. I really enjoyed Horus Rising. It kept me thoroughly entertained for all 12 hours of listening, but it's definitely a book that's setting up future volumes. So I guess I'll be getting book 2 next.
A quick note on the narration. Toby Longworth knocks it out of the park. His performance was brilliant and really fit with what little I know of the Space Marines. -
'But what of faith? Faith has a quality, even when religion has gone. We still need to believe in something, don't we? Here it is. The true purpose of mankind is to bear the torch of truth aloft and shine it, even into the darkest places. To share our forensic, unforgiving, liberating understanding with the dimmest reaches of the cosmos. To emancipate those shackled by ignorance. To free ourselves and others from false gods, to take our place at the apex of sentient life. That...that is what we may pour faith into. That is what we can harness our boundless faith to.'
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La ciencia ficción es uno de esos géneros que tímidamente he tocado hasta el momento y debido a la insistencia de mi pareja (que es un fan acérrimo de Warhammer 40k ya sea de los videojuegos como de los libros) pues decidí empezar por un libro un poco más "fuerte" en comparación con lo que había leído hasta ahora, cedí y comencé Horus, Señor de la Guerra —espera por mí Dune, pronto iré a por tí—.
A ver, como empiezo... el comienzo es terrible, de lo peor que he leído. Estuve a punto de abandonar en la página doce, así como suena. Lo siento pero ha resultado ser tal cual. Demasiado caótico y rápido son esas... ¿veinte, aproximadamente? primeras páginas. Pero una vez se "calma" todo un poco... viene lo bueno.
Debo mencionar que apenas probé un videojuego de Warhammer 40k por lo que mis conocimientos sobre el universo en el cual se desarrolla es casi nulo antes de leer este libro. Y me ha encantado, sin más.
La manera de pensar tan leal e inquebrantable del Imperio de la Humanidad (ojo, no quiero decir que esté de acuerdo con ella), como van de mundo en mundo y se enfrentan a lo que se avecina, como el humilde e inteligente Loken piensa ante las nuevas culturas y como peligrosamente puede "romper" todas sus creencias, algunos de los personajes presentados son realmente carismáticos (y no me refiero solamente al mencionado Loken o a Horus (quien está presente en el título del libro), la camaradería que hay entre personajes y algunos diálogos que me han encantado, las salvajes y sangrientas batallas...
Y, sobre todo, el amplio abanico de posibilidades que ofrece un universo así... porque después del final de Horus, Señor de la Guerra queda claro que esto es tan solo un "pequeño prólogo" para toda la riqueza que puede ofrecer este.
En resumidas cuentas, tras un comienzo un tanto decepcionante me alegro de haber continuado leyendo ya que me he topado con toda una sorpresa de saga. Desde aquí ánimo, seas fan de la ciencia ficción o no, independientemente de si conoces los videojuegos o no, que des una oportunidad a lo que puede ofrecer esta primera entrega de la serie. -
5/5
THE HORUS HERESY is a book series which is too big for me to read and I was disappointed to find out it was a series which was its own personal library. This is a shame because it's such an incredibly strong start to the series. Dan Abnett knows Warhammer 40K the same way Timothy Zahn knows Star Wars. Here, we get the prequel to the Warhammer 40K universe before the God Emperor of Mankind was a god, before Horus was a traitor, and before the forces of Chaos invaded reality through the Eye of Terror (which doesn't exist yet).
The funny thing about this book, I think 90% of how good it is comes from the fact it deconstructs a huge number of "traditional" ideas about Warhammer 40K. Fans have always believed the Emperor was a genius hero who, if he ever managed to heal from his brain damage or ascended to godhood, would become the savior of mankind.
Instead, this novel portrays the Emperor as a mega-Hitler. He is a genocidal, brutal, awful person who has outlawed religion as well as bent himself on a conquest of all human territory with his army of merciless fanatics. As bad as 40K is, I think the year 30K is probably worse because of how efficient a monstrous regime it is.
The forces of Chaos are definitely looming threats but they just underscore how corrupt and brutal the Imperium was at its so-called height. Horus and company loathe a Star Trek utopia of tolerance and peace because it isn't a fascist regime. It's a nice moment that reminds people that the worst elements of the setting aren't justified but were made by the bad guys making choices--and the bad guys are very often the protagonists.
I consider this to be a decent work of grimdark fiction because it is a work which has no real "good guys" in it. Horus may be the hero of the hour but he's someone who is racist, xenophobic, corrupt, and fanatical. His anger is as much for the Emperor returning to Earth and giving the crusade to him (abandoning him so to speak) as it is for the vision he has of the future. He's a spoiled and petty child who is, nevertheless, terrifying and impressive from a distance.
In conclusion, I recommend most Warhammer 40K fans pick up this book even if they don't have plans of reading the rest of the series. It is a nice little welcome check that even if we hate the xenos, heretics, and the mutant--we should beware the Emperor's servants more. -
A pretty good book-but it felt more like a series of short stories than a complete novel.
I'll be honest, I had no idea that a licensed book could reach these levels of quality. Abnett has a deft hand when it comes to writing characters, and he makes them interesting with just a few sentences or background details. I especially liked Torgaddon, Tarvitz and Lucius.
There's surprisingly little action, considering this is a Warhammer book. But I don't count that as a negative. The unfolding events and the engaging characters kept me engrossed in the book. And Abnett's prose uses an interesting blend of ultra-modern and archaic, perfect for the kind of universe that Warhammer 40K is setting up.
However, those events could have a better through line, and the character arcs could have been a little better defined. This is certainly an enjoyable book, but falls just short of being great. -
Horus, the newly appointed Warmaster and commander-in-chief of the crusade. He becomes the emperors proxy to the war effort and the crusade to bring all planets under one rule, The Imperium of Man. This book you will follow Horus and his unofficial war cabinet called the Mournivals and a few fellow Primarchs, loyal only to the Emperor himself. They embark on the crusade to crush an uprising in one world and without mercy, conquering another. This is solid military SF. This book touches upon topics like diplomacy, body politics, brotherhood, friendship, duty, and loyalty.
Good story, solid characters and a great ending.
Lupercal. -
If you're into scifi generally I'd really reccomend. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator was great and I thought the voices he does for the characters adds so much. It's not all 'suffer not the alien to live' brutal fighting all the time but when there is action it's fun and gratuitous. The other 50% is really nice characterisation intrigue and politics. Horus and Loken are interesting and believable characters and I think the author really effectively makes the differences clear between normal humans and the genetically enhanced astartes without making it too subtle or too hitting you over the head with a hammer. But more than anything it's just really fun to read/listen to
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Iskreno, knjiga je bolja nego sto sam ocekivao. Svako ko se barem malo upoznao sa Warhammer svetom, njegovim osnovnim pojmovima i bazicnom mitologijom spreman je da se upusti u ovo putovanje. Najveci kvalitet ove knjige je taj sto na jedan neposredan i veoma privlacan nacin siri znanje citaoca o Warhammer univerzumu i svojom pitkoscu ga uvlaci u svet rata, horora, politike....
Gledajuci snimke na youtubu, na raznim Warhammer kanalima, nisam bas uspevao da se povezem sa likovima i samim "svetom". Ova knjiga je na moje veliko zadovoljstvo promenila taj moj odnos i sada mnogo vise zelim da saznam kuda nas vodi beskrajni Warhammer ep! -
That was a hell of a ride. Seriously surprised me with the depth of the story. I hope the rest of this series is similarly well written. Loken is a damn badass.
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Horus. The Warmaster. First among equals amid the Primarchs, the superhuman lords of the Adeptus Astartes (Space Marines) Legions. Most beloved of the Emperor's children.
The tales of Horus are legendary. Yet, in the "current" timeline of the Warhammer 40K lore he is reviled as Horus the Arch-Betrayer. The Corrupted One. Spiritual founder of the Chaos Marines. How this tragedy happens is detailed in this wonderful series.
The Emperor has manged to unify the human worlds and have recreated the Imperium of Man. His Space Marine Legions, each led by a Primarch, have destroyed the xenos, crushed the rebels and brought order to the galaxy. The Emperor decides to return to Terra for the next phase of his plans for the Imperium and leaves the Great Crusade in the hands of his Primarchs. The greatest of the Primarchs is Horus. The Commander of the Luna Wolves Legion. After his resounding victory over the Orks on Ullanor, Horus is made Warmaster and put in charge of the military portion of the campaign.
While not all of the Primarchs are happy with Horus's elevation, his talents are undeniable. The story begins with the newly promoted Horus taking his Luna Wolves to defeat a false "Emperor". The story is told from the viewpoint of Captain Loken, the Captain of the 10th Company. Loken is promoted into the Mournival- an unofficial advisory group to the Warmaster.
It is very interesting to see what the world was like before the heresy. This was a time when everything seemed to be going well for the Imperium. Mankind stood nearly united and a golden age of science and technology was coming. Chaos, daemons and spirits were considered to be nothing more than folktales and myths.
The Horus that is described is a truly amazing person. Since this is 10K years before the "normal" timeline it is interesting to see how different everything could have been had Horus not fallen.
This first book details the campaigns on Sixty Three Ninteen. It is during a campaign on this world that there are the first signs of something supernatural happening. Though no one wants to belive it, on their comm system they keep hearing the words "I am Samus. Samus will devour you. Samus is all around you." The Space Marines think that this is a trick, but events show that something is very wrong and leads to the death of Jubal, a close friend of Loken. Yet, no one understand s really what they saw, much like in the real world where people don't want to admit things mjight not fit their definition of reality.
After those events the Luna Wolves go to the world of Murder and runs into the Interix. This is a great meeting between two similar human cultures. Yet, there may be a serpent in the mix. It is on this world that Chaos related events begin to warp and twist the loyal Space Marines.
Beautifully written and exciting, this was a great addition to my library. If you are a fan of the Warhammer 40K stories or are a big fan of the Imperium of Man-then this is a great book for you. Even if you've never heard of any of this, the world and the characters are memorable. It is a great action sci-fi story, but there is a lot more going on. If you are familiar with the storyline then this will fascinate you, since we hear such a different version of Horus in the "normal" story time. -
My husband and son play Warhammer 40K. I love to paint the miniatures, but have never really gotten into miniature games. Too many rules -- when a game requires entire books filled with rules and complicated army configurations, I just sort of walk away quietly while they aren't paying attention. :) This year -- since 2020 is such a S-Show -- they talked me into making my own army. I chose Death Guard and have been happily painting my models and learning to talk the talk....and trying to learn the rules. Strangely enough....I actually like it. (But don't tell them I said that, or they will be after me to make a 2nd army, add tanks, etc. I'm putting that off as long as possible. All I can do to learn the rules for ONE faction...let alone add-ons.)
I do realize this is a book review and that I should talk about the book. I'm getting to that...I promise.
When I found out there were books based in the Warhammer universe with action packed tales involving the very armies I'm trying to understand, I decided that the books might very well be my gateway to giving a crap about learning all those rules. So I went online to find out which series I should start with as a noob (because there are LOTS of Warhammer books). A lovely YouTuber pointed me in the direction of the Horus Heresy books....with the Eisenhorn series following a close second.
I let my son listen first.....he is now on book 4. And I just finished book 1 -- OMG! I loved this book from start to finish. Action. A lot of descriptive battle scenes. Great characters. And intrigue, treachery.....just lots of great stuff! And, now I get it -- the lore is important!
Not only was this a great listen, but it's also made for lots of great discussions with my teenager. We take a long walk each night....and usually we end up talking about what I think about the characters, what I think might happen next, who my favorite characters are, etc etc. This coming from a 16-year old who normally does not like to read (dyslexia issues). Audio books have really opened up the world of reading for my son who has difficulty tracking printed words...so usually avoids reading. Now he requests books....so I purchase extra credits to make sure I can provide the books he wants. And I purchase books assigned at school in audio so he can listen as he reads....it makes a HUGE difference for him!
But...back to this book. Now that I've finished book 1, my husband is going to listen to it. I'm moving on to book 2....and my son is continuing with book 4. I love it when we all have a series to discuss! It used to be television shows that we all watched...but our TV watching is way down. I think I prefer book discussions to the television anyway!
Definitely full stars from me -- loved it! There are lot of books in the Horus Heresy series, and off-shoots. Upwards of 60 books in total. It will take some time, but I will listen to them all! And my son was correct.....the story really has motivated me to learn the rules and field my models! -
There really isn't enough that can be said about how awesome the entire "Horus Heresy" series is. The early history of the Imperium of Man and the roots of it's millennial long struggle with the Ruinous Powers of Chaos is fascinating, illuminating, entertaining, and enlightening. Dan Abnett really brings it to life in a way few authors can.
If any fictional nation were to embody my hopes, dreams, and ideals, it would be the Imperium of Man just as it is depicted in this book; brutally secular, viciously logical, and fanatically rational. -
as a kid I grew up with games workshop the black library and white dwarf magazine. I loved it. but I never read any full length novel until this one. it was very very good why did I wait so long.
