| Title | : | The First Heretic (The Horus Heresy, #14) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1844168840 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781844168842 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 502 |
| Publication | : | First published October 26, 2010 |
The First Heretic (The Horus Heresy, #14) Reviews
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Well all the other teenage girls where worshiping Twilight, I was on a Pilgrimage with the Word Bearers to find the true gods.
My first experience with Aaron Dembski-Bowden was Helsreach. By far not his best book and also...I've lately come to realize I really hate the Black Templers. So to say I was excited when I found out Aaron was the writer for this book would be a lie, I was mad. The story really interested me however and I bought the book.
I am sorry I judged Aaron D-B on Helsreach, The First Heretic was amazing. Honestly, it is one of the best heresy books. I'd put it aside Horus Rising, (which takes a lot for me to say) the tale of the Word Bearers was sotragic.
It is really cool to see that the first heretic wasn't actually the Horus and the Luna Wolves. It was Lorgar and the Word Bearers, who had to wait for the time to be right because no one but me likes them enough to follow them into heresy.
The opening of the book is the discipline of the Word Bearers for there over zealous nature. Well actually they weren't over zealous they flat out worshiped the Emperor as a god. (Which they need to wait about 60 years before its accepted as normal to worship him.)
So the Emperor of Mankind didn't like this, so instead of manning up and acting like a parent and going to spend sometime with his son and explain to him that he never should worship him he decided using his amazing intellect to set his sons against each other and ordered the Ultramorons and Robert Girlyman to totally destroy Lorgar's favorite city on his home world, Monarchia.
The Emperor is so brilliant. Really, what kind of dipwad does that and expects his kid to be a better guy from it? *facepalm*
This book was filled with wonderful details of Lorgar's character, it was a very unique experience to get into a primarchs mind and see how he thinks. Also personally this was one of the most creepy Horus Heresy novels I've read.
All the demon stuff and the extensive lies that had to be told, the double crossing and betrayals. By the end you almost begin to like Custodians. Almost.
A must read for anyone who likes heresy. -
You get not only an excellent and tragic story from ADB here, but also a lot of insight and straight-up explanations into the hows and whys Chaos does what it does. Dembski-Bowden is obviously a mature and self-assured writer and this shows in the way he structures and presents his story lines, never resorting to the generic, formulaic, three-act, ABC, here ya go style. He jumps all over time-wise, he gives you tons of info then walks you back filling in how you got there, his dialogue is heroic without being melodramatic, and he never skimps on action. Five, I'm-running-out-pf-superlatives-with-this-series, stars.
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Like Fulgrim, A Thousand Sons, and the short story Butcher's Nails in Tales of Heresy, this book largely follows one of the traitor primarchs and his fall into Chaos. This time Lorgar Aurelian the Word Bearer: Most devoted son of the Emperor, first convert to Chaos.
The result is... Mixed. What you realize after a couple of books is that The Emperor is a shitty dad. And just about all problems in the Heresy stems out of his inability to consider the emotional and psychological needs of his gaggle of genetically engineered supersons. Lorgar for instance, loves his father, and initially instructed his Word Bearers (and the planets he conquered) to worship him as a God. Something daddy emperor does not approve off, and let's just say he overreacts in a way only the Emperor of Mankind can do.
Thus far it works very well, Lorgar's hurt and feelings of betrayal feel real, and not unjustified. As does his wish to be something other than a conquering warlord. It's when the entire human sacrifice and having your subordinates possessed by daemons thing starts that I'm kind of losing track here. Now, there's always been this feeling of "Why on earth would anyone actually worship Chaos?" thing going on in WH40K (although "Because you'll die anyway and at least you'll get a spiffy new pair of tentacles." has always been the go-to answer) but Lorgar's decision feels particularly weak, now, partially that might be because the bit where his actual "conversion" takes place is a separate novella, Aurelian which I haven't read. But that still leaves this book. Which is... Mixed.
Some bits are very strong, but they're not very well-connected, simple as that. Now, I've always been the kind of guy who can forgive relatively large flaws as long as they deliver on some point, but I know others are more discerning, so I hesitate to actually recommend it as anything more than an average 40K novel. -
Arguably the best Horus Heresy book I've encountered thus far, but I still withhold the five star rating as it still doesn't quite feel up to the highest standards. Maybe I've just become too demanding...
I do wish though, that we had gotten some more screentime for Cyrene. It is so rare to see a central female character in Warhammer 40K, let alone one who is perhaps the most interesting character in the book. -
Where to start with my review of this book? I guess, the first stop will be the author. I have not read anything by Aaron Dembski-Bowden yet, neither in the 40K universe or in any other alternate universe of fiction that he has written in. Wait, scratch that, rewind, yes, I belong to his blog, and remember very distincly his amazing blog about pitching an idea to Dan Abnett and the other 40K mucky-mucks. It was hilarious. That besides the point. Aaron is legit. This was out of the norm for me. Normally the Heresy series has painted pictures of fallen and faithful in equal measure, usually giving you at least ONE faithful main character to hang your hat on. This book...had none. The main Word Bearer marine was fallen until the end. And although I applaud the author for this stance and by doing this he holds a light up to the question, who IS the bad guy...REALLY? Which is amazing, but I was left sad all I had was Aquillon and his hated Custodes. As for the story, it was amazing. Aaron fleshes out parts of the heresy that have always been glossed over in all the 40K back story, and for that I am really grateful. I very much enjoyed his story telling style, the way that every part of the book was interesting and with its own unique mood. Part 1 to me was just so sad, the fall of Lorgar would not have happened in the 40K universe where the Emperor IS revered as a God. Part 2 was horrifying. And Part 3 was heart wrenching. Kudos to Mr. Dembski-Bowden for bowing into this series with his first excellent entry. Part 14 of the Heresy takes you back to its roots with a bang, and a twist in your heart. I am hoping the story begins to propel itself to the final confrontation after Age of Darkness and Prospero Burns...and moves onto a similar Trilogy style ending mirroring its amazing opening. My dream team for the final three books, where it happen this way? Abnett, MacNeill, and now Dembsi-Bowden.
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I’ve been reading the books in the official ‘suggested reading order,’ and it was very hard not to skip ahead and read this one because I wanted to know more about the machinations of Erebus, Kor Phaeron, and of course, Lorgar. It did not disappoint. (And was worth waiting for). I am truly addicted to this massive series; I remember reading all the ‘bits of fluff’ I could in the rulebooks and Codices when I was a teen. This series is the long-awaited culmination of those snippets.
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Fascinating novel, which trascends the genre with metaphysical discussion about the role of religion in a supposedly enlightened society and the perception of Heaven and Hell in the mind of the believer, all of this interwoven into an enthralling and epic space opera with gargantuan battles and level of gore, which is not for the squeamish. Detailed review in Bulgarian here:
http://citadelata.com/the-first-heretic/ -
This is a great Horus Heresy novel. It tells the story of the 17th legion, the Word Bearers, and their Primarch, Lorgar, his shameful censuring by the Emperor of Man, and his fall to chaos. Like a lot of Horus Heresy novels, this captures an epic and even mythic spirit. At this point in the series the overall structure of the heresy has been established. Each novel is a microscopic glance into a vast saga of galactic unwinding/entropy. Central to this novel, the character of Argel Tal is really compelling. Dembski-Bowden is able to create a character who is heroic and who, in their attempt to be faithful and true, descends into evil. It's truly tragic. Even near the end you are questioning whether Tal is evil or good. This sort of character dynamism pulls you through the 500+ page story. Another great feature is Dembski-Bowden's depictions of chaos and evil in this novel. The daemons of chaos and their influence on humanity just reek with brimstone here. Tal's slow physical transformation is one of the most terrifying parts of the Horus Heresy so far.
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About the only thing holding this back from 5 stars is a not-insignificant number of typos and editing oversights. Otherwise, this entry is the best in the series so far.
It's hard to go into all of the reasons why I think this is the best entry, because so many of them require the context of other books, or at least context of the setting. Put simply, this entry is more tragic, more self-aware, more nuanced, and more honest than most. All too often, the Horus Heresy gets boiled down to a simple "tragic fall," and worse, Warhammer fiction gets boiled down to "good vs. evil." It's disappointing watching so much of the depth of the setting cast aside, with a simple "Here, don't think too hard... there's plenty of people shooting each other!"
Every entry prior has depicted the Word Bearers as mustache-twirling villains, but The First Heretic makes them almost sympathetic. Not an easy feat. -
Fascinating explanation of how the seeds of Chaos were planted in the Word Bearer's legion and their Primarch Lorgar decades before the Horus Heresy began. Narrative begins at the humiliation and reprimanding of Lorgar at the hands of the Emperor for enforcing worship of the Emperor as God, and culminates in the drop site massacre of Isstvan 5.
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My first Dembski novel and what a novel it was! I have no idea what i will be writing for my review blog review yet...
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Considering I am not a fan of the Word Bearers, this book sucked me in completely. I was reading and not trusting anything, and loving that. I was completely confused at first by the beginning of the second part, but once I understood what was going on I couldn't stop reading, and pretty much read the last 300 pages in one sitting. Dinner was rather late, but I had words to consume!
Speaking of words, Aaron Dembski-Bowden has such a way with them. Really painting you a picture (often a disgusting one which made me say yuck out loud with a chuckle). I felt like I was seeing it all happen in front of me, very cinematic.
The odd bit of confusion stopped me from giving this five stars, but that is probably just me. Overall a brilliant book of the heresy. -
Almost 50 years before the Dropsite Massacre, the XIII legion (Ultramarines) forcibly evacuated the city of Monarchia, capital of Khur. The XVII Legion (Word Bearers) respond to Monarchia's distress call, and are ordered to descend to the planet's surface. There, the Emperor of Mankind orders Lorgar and his children to kneel. Lorgar is guilty of the heinous crime of worshipping the Emperor as a god, which is contrary to the Imperial Truth. As the Word Bearers prepare to leave Khur forever, Argel Tal, captain of the seventh assault company, rescues Cyrene Valantion, a young priestess who was blinded when she witnessed the city being destroyed from orbit.
Lorgar is beside himself as his foster father, Kor Phaeron, master of the faith, and First Chaplain Erebus argue that perhaps the Emperor doesn't deserve their worship. But if the Emperor is a false god, does this mean there are real gods? Of course, there must be, all Lorgar has to do is seek them out! As the Word Bearers blur the line between right and wrong, and then shatter them forever, Cyrene is there, always there, to hear them confess their sins and grant them absolution. In the same way that Euphrati Keeler laid the foundations of the Imperial Cult that would dominate the Imperium post-heresy, Cyrene made the rebellion possible. There is no Horus Heresy without her. The Word Bearers would've split torn themselves apart, loyalists vs traitors, and the story would've ended there.
I can't tell if Argel Tal is tragic or contemptible. He knows what's happening is wrong, but nowhere does he act with courage and honour. No, he's not a friggin' Ultramarine, but neither was Nathaniel Garro or Saul Tarvitz! All Argel Tal does is waddle along like he has no choice. But isn't the whole point of being a space marine that you can force a way forward when the situation looks impossible?
The scene where Lorgar realizes Ferrus Manus, primarch of the X legion (Iron Hands), is about to die is heart-breaking. It didn't occur to him to reflect on his personal connections to his brothers before putting into motion plans to kill them all? Also too, how can Lorgar say he's no fighter when he fought like a daemon in
Aurelian? Maybe I'm a little confused by the timeline and I need to re-read both.
One of the recurring themes of the Horus Heresy is that it didn't have to be this way. All the Emperor had to do was find a way to discipline his wayward son without humiliating Lorgar in front of his sons. This book reveals a horrible truth behind the Horus Heresy: The Emperor was a terrible father, meaning this tragedy wasn't as avoidable as it seemed. -
There are two characters in this entry into the Horus Heresy series that can be labeled tragic. First is the primarch (general/son of the Emperor of Mankind [EOM]) Lorgar (Space Jesus...and later Space Judas), who, after 200 years (just go with it) has just now been chastised for promoting the religious worship of the EOM (who espouses an atheistic world/galaxy/universal view). This chastisement takes the form of the EOM sending an army and destroying one of Lorgar's best examples of ability and mental recondition of a population, using the forces of the primarch Guilliman (Julius/Augustus Caesar...in SPACE!). The rest of Lorgar's time in the book is him refusing to give up the idea that mankind needs religion and seeking proof of god(s) at the edge of known space. All the while he has two two underlings whispering in his ears - Erebus (again, just go with this) the Chaplin and Kor Phaeron, his second in command. And along for the ride is...
Argel Tal, the second tragic character who acts as point man to Lorgar's Pilgrimage, and who's humanity really depends on his devotion to (and protection of) Cyrene, one of the survivors from Guilliman/EOM's destruction of Monarchia. For my money, Argel Tal is the better character, but his story compliments/completes Lorgar's so completely, allowing the reader a glimpse at the EOM's process of creation - not only of the Primarchs but of the Empire - and focuses on the drive to be...not liked. Beloved.
Dembski-Bowden clearly had alot of fun fleshing out his corner of the Warhammer 40k universe - characters from the "Night Lords" series show up, as does Cadia - land of badasses who gave us half the cast of the Guard v. Zombies novel "Cadian Blood". I recommend reading "Deliverance Lost" right after you finish "The First Heretic" - which is a different take on the theme of fatherhood, and the sins incurred and passed on to the children. -
OK, this is THE book that makes EVERYTHING, the whole heresy deal and Chaos, make sense! It's the one that tells you everything you need to go on with pretty much any heresy book now. You thought you had "The Aether" all figured out in "Thousand Sons" eh? Whateva! This takes the Empyrean to a whole new level on a different scale! I LOVED all the deamons in this one!(even if it might have been "too gory" for your weak, lesser mortal minds.) Creep me out all you want I LOVE THIS!!!
I'm glad it didn't leave me so depressed in the end, even though I probably should have been,... I mean, everybody's still screwed in every impossible way they can't fix,... Khaos's viewpoint on things does that I guess.
The Author's (yes I can spell his full name fine without the book, I just choose to respect his hard earned, awesomeness title) choice of words made things so interesting... my vocabulary has boosted by the thousands I swear(even though I probably don't demonstrate it well in this instance but I wrote all the odd words down for dictionary "look up" later, and punctuation is the real issue here)... Many times I nearly busted up laughing over something as stupid as an arrangement of prose. Ah that dry sarcasm kills me, Tarik did it the worst though:)
I find no fault in the writing that any idiot can't deal with. An amazing ride, back to front. So in the "words of Wyrdmake"(no pun intended) I'll stop "wasting my time with fancy words"....
It was flat out A.W.E.S.O.M.E.! Read it! -
Great story. As someone who was new to the Warhammer 40k universe before reading this, it was a great introduction. I'm reading another book set in the universe now by a different author and it just doesn't have the same reverence for the world. The way Aaron describes the Primarch in the first few chapters is amazing, the story of the Blessed Lady is gripping, the transformation of Argal-Tal is heartbreaking, but also captivating. The combat scenes are full of action and described in gritty, gorey detail, with nuances in strategic forms of combat between different units. The individualist methods of the custodes contrasted against the word-bearers was a memorable theme; I still think of the Lion vs Wolf mentalities of strategy and use them both in my personal life to determine how to tackle different situations. The themes on religion, existentialism, hypocrisy and corruption are very powerful and made me see both the Chaos Gods and the Emperor as morally grey entities. I find myself rooting for the Word Bearers, even while reading the other books in which they are clearly intended to be the enemies of humanity. I was not expecting such a great novel to come from a game-world book, after having read Arthas, and Drizzt novels from the WoW and D&D game-worlds and being very underwhelmed by them. This book was a refreshing surprise that has sparked my interest in an entirely new universe and set of characters. Will be looking to read all of Dembski's 40k novels in the future!
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An incredibly compelling look into why it could be argued humanity NEEDS religion and is hardwired for belief in the spiritual. It's a tragic and heart breaking drama that asks the questions: What do you do when you find out that God is really the devil? And do you preach and hope for heaven even if you know your place is in hell?
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The First Heretic covers the Word Bearers legion getting an unsatisfactory job review from the EMPEROR OF MANKIND…
+Yet your conquests are the slowest, and your victories ring hollow.+
…and how the Word Bearer’s Primarch Lorgar dealt with it.
The most salient point of The First Heretic is Dembski Bowden manages the most accurate portrayal of the EMPEROR OF MANKIND so far.
He’s a dick.
The First Heretic is a complicated book in that Lorgar may have his flaw, but he’s in genuine danger. He knows that two Primarchs stepped far enough out of line to be ethered from existence. The EMPEROR OF MANKIND genocided one of Lorgar’s conquests just because its inhabitants did what Lorgar told them to do. Stuff is grim, so we need a grim Space Marine to get us through it.
The First Villain
Generally, our major space marine characters in the Horus Heresy have been bros. Loken, Tarvitz, and Garro are your archetypes. Ahiriman a complicated psyker variant but still mostly so. Lucius and Zaheriel are exceptions but one’s a Johnny-come-lately opportunist, and the other is on a complicated path that will have limited interaction with the main insurrection.
Enter Argel Tal.
‘So, at last, comes the Crimson Lord.’ Aquillon’s voice was biting in its insincerity. ‘Revealing his true self to those he has betrayed.’
Now there’s some “bro-ness” to Tal, which is ironically the weakest part. I’m not sure why anyone particularly likes him. Why the Custodes trust him over any other Word Bearer is inexplicable.
There are also some similarities between his relationship with Cyrene and Loken’s with Euphrati Keeler in
Horus Rising, but that is not my main point of interest.
What does interest me is that Argel Tal is evil.
We have seen it happen, as it happened before. The cycle of life in a galaxy owned by laughing, thirsting gods.
Yes, there’s a whole bunch of complications. Tal ends up sharing his body with a daemon. There’s uncertainty over what motivates his loyalty to his Primarch Lorgar, and whether it would be right to go against the EMPEROR OF MANKIND. But he is evil. He volunteers for the Eye of Terror, he willingly condemns a ship’s crew to death and he drinks the blood of other Word Bearers he has murdered.
It’s also worth comparing his journey with Lorgar’s post daemonic awakening. Lorgar needs to be pushed along by his subordinates as “Indecision gripped him for months” whereas Argel Tal spends decades getting on with what he is meant to, including horrific torture of astropaths.
There are plenty of sympathetic aspects to Argel Tal’s character and actions. He’s a fully fledged character. But his evil is believable – even with his doubts – which explains why he betrays those willing to trust him.
Crafted Coolness
While it is “grimdark”, Dembski-Bowden gets a few clever bits in. I mentioned in
Nemesis that Swallow liked to create “cool” moments. So does Dembski-Bowden, but I want to credit a bit more craft here with some of the minor characters.
Xi-Nu 73’s pride warred with his unfading irritation. Praise to the Omnissiah for the blessing of his own Conqueror Primus being accepted into an Astartes Legion’s ranks, but curse the influence such a loyalty was having on its cortex.
It’s one thing to have a team of elite Custodes walk into a booby trap. It’s another thing to have threaded that booby trap’s eccentric form of sentience through the main plot. He’s respected by the Word Bearers and accepted into their ranks. He may be on the side of “evil” but when he starts blasting, you cheer for him. He’s been trusted with an essential role – the booby trap.
Sythran had smiled as the other five descended upon him. He considered his vow of silence complete given the circumstances, and he laughed at the warrior he’d killed. ‘I always hated you, Xaphen.’
In the climatic engagement, the last Custodes, who’s vow of silence has featured multiple times, deliberately chooses to throw away his weapon to kill the guy he hated, a guy we know to be an extra flavour of evil to Argel Tal. Sythran speaks that feeling for the reader, and The First Heretic ends on that.
Neither example is original (the guy who’s been loudly silent speaking something at the last moment being a particularly well worn trope), but I’ve mentioned before that Dembski-Bowden has a way with cliches, fitting them into the story to make even minor characters have moments of nobility.
The Word Bearers didn’t get their full due in
Battle for the Abyss. To me The First Heretic does not conflict with their earlier portrayal (they are zealots), but it adds critical context and a rationale for adopting Chaos. A must read to me. -
The First Heretic has, quite honestly, restored my faith in the Horus Heresy series! Such a long-running series is bound to have its highs and lows, and the 14th instalments, I am happy to report is one of the former.
Through the eyes of Captain Argel Tal, we’re introduced to the uniqueness of the Word Bearers Legion and their Primarch Lorgar. The First Heretic gives exacting details of how the Word Bearers Legion goes from being the Emperors most loyal Legion and how they fall from his graces into the open arms of Chaos.
The Word Bearers make the honest mistake of worshipping the Emperor as a God, spreading the word of his divinity to the worlds which they bring to Imperial Compliance; only to be told off and humiliated rather spectacularly with the destruction of Monarchia, the Capital city of the planet Khur, which the Word Bearers had instated as a shrine to the Emperor of Mankind. The Ultramarines destroy the ‘Perfect City’ in order to teach the Word Bearers a lesson about worshipping false-gods and dedicating themselves to religious purposes. The scene in which Lorgar is brought back to the desecrated Monarchia is humbling, humiliating, devastating and, somewhat humorous, all at once.
The First Heretic is a book of ‘three halves,’ the first being the build-up towards the breaking down of the Word Bearers Legion; and a solid start for the books weighty narrative. We’re given the essence of the Legion and a clear understanding of what makes them function. We’re introduced to characters with as much charisma and personality to them as characters that feature early on in the Horus Heresy. The complicated relationship between Captain Argel Tal and First Chaplain Erebus adds a complexity of mystery to the otherwise conventional Space Marine brotherhood that the Word Bearers share; of course, there are the usual grievances between individuals and their banter is well-crafted and enjoyable as ever. The second half gives a bit of a downward lull in pace as Lorgar, understandably, licks his wounds and feels adrift without his religion to cling to. The storys ‘third half,’ completes the circle back with renewed vigour and once again picks up in the pacing department and turns it into a book that ‘cannot be put down.’
A part of this is due to the use of broken narrative; something that Aaron Dembski-Bowden has used expertly. The First Heretic isn’t a simple book in terms of timeline. Firstly, we’re taken way back before Horus has become the Warmaster and, eventually, re-shown the events that transpire alongside Horus’ fall. There is a massive fifty-year coverage in The First Heretic and events that have already been covered elsewhere are given new mileage from the Word Bearers perspective; while this is all interesting in its own way, I am starting to wonder when the books will take the next step in the overall timeline. Having fresh insight into the same events can only remain captivating for so long. There is an element of broken narrative within subsections of The First Heretic also; adding to the overall feel of chaos within the book. Leaving the reader with gaping questions, only to be walked back through the answers in real-time a bit further down the line. I took particular enjoyment in these aspects for their novelty over a linear plot.
Alongside the Astartes characters are a handful of Custodes, there to keep a watchful eye on the Word Bearers and keep them from repeating the same mistakes of religious worship. These characters are the only balancing perspective to the outright heresy in which the Word Bearers inevitably commit; this made for an interesting juxtaposition. In previous Horus Heresy books there has been more of a balance between loyalist and heretic, whereas the lack of positive loyalist perspective in The First Heretic helps to paint the Word Bearers in a much more sympathetic light; their fall from the Emperor's Grace. This is aided by the inner thoughts of the Word Bearers, with the exception of Argel Tal, on the Custodes not being all that favourable!
There is a human element to The First Heretic brought about, not only by Lorgars desire to not be a fearsome warmonger but by The Blessed Lady; a lone survivor of the Monarchia disaster. The role in which she plays spans the length of the novel and adds another element to a book that could otherwise become a bit of a dirge. She adds yet another layer of sympathy to the Word Bearers Legion and its overall fate.
What I found riveting about The First Heretic is the themes of religion, hypocrisy and corruption. These are plot elements that I have found the most enjoyable at the heart of all the Warhammer reads I have encountered and this book has it in bucket loads! The questionings of morality and devotion that come to the surface within are superbly presented; and questions about the Space Marine Primarchs, their origins and fates surrounding these topics, are touched upon without delving too weightily into them.
All this drama wouldn’t be complete without a good, old-fashioned battle, which the reader is treated to in the form of returning to the dreaded Istvaan V. While combat isn’t the primary focus of The First Heretic – echoing the desires of the Word Bearers Primarch – what combat there is, is well crafted and expertly presented, but unlike other Horus Heresy novels, it’s not the primary focus of the book, often foregoing detailed combat scenes in lieu of deeper meanings; the aforementioned topics.
My only issue with The First Heretic was the number of typos that managed to escape the editing phase. Normally, I’m unaffected by such things and don’t often mention grammatical or typographical errors in my reviews, but when a characters name changes from Xi-Nu 73 to Xi-Nu 37 in the same paragraph I feel my gripe is justified. However, these didn’t have too much of an impact on my enjoyment of the book as a whole.
My other issue is that I didn’t fully understand why Lorgar chose the path he did initially; there are reasons given after his choice is made for him to remain on his path to Chaos, but what made him pick this path is sadly left lacking. The running theme seems to be ‘Primarch enters a cave and comes out in league with Chaos.’ I understand what transpires within this particular cave is written in the accompanying story; Aurelian – which I might pick up as a quick read to have my questions answered – this is a bit of an insult to the readers of The First Heretic who are left in the dark in regards to wanting to know the reasons behind such dramatic and drastic choices that are at the heart of the novel.
After the diabolical representation of the Word Bearers in Battle for the Abyss, I have a renewed interest in the Legion and the role it will continue to play in The Horus Heresy. -
Definitely one of the most vital of the HH saga so far.
The First Heretic takes a large step back from the current events of the Horus Heresy. I've been quite adamant that I'd like the books to actually make some progress rather than stall out at the battle of Istvan, replaying it over and over again from different perspectives... And this book is most definitely one of those in the stalled holding pattern. However, I really enjoyed it... for the most part.
In this novel we get to learn about Lorgar and the Word Bearers legion. What they're all about, how they fell from grace, and how they essentially started the whole damned heretical rebellion. It is a vital part of the lore behind the Horus Heresy and is told extremely well with a host of interesting characters, development both subtle and bombastic, and roaring action sequences.
Honestly for the most part it's really well told and both fun and interesting, with a lot of good drama. However, it's a bit of a jumble at times. We get a few point of view characters that really serve no other purpose than to die horribly, and toward the end Lorgar (the driving point of the whole tale) is just kind of... forgotten about. Also, as I have pointed out, it doesn't actually move the story of the Horus Heresy along any further. It's basically a prequel.
I'm giving this one 3.5 and rounding it up to 4. A good book, very enjoyable. But we're 14 books in and it feels like the HH saga has made no actual progress since book 5. -
This is solid science fiction, worthwhile even if you've never been into Warhammer 40k before. It's the story of Lorgar and his failure to live up to the warlike expectations set by his father and brothers. Instead he dreams of being a philosopher and priest and after being castigated for his work tries to find new divine inspiration, potentially leading to the damnation of humankind across the galaxy.
It's mostly told through the perspective of other warriors and people variously under Lorgar but this doesn't hamper the book in any way, if anything it helps outline the figures of Lorgar, the Emperor, and his brother Primarchs as larger than life gods in their own right.
One of my favourite aspects of the book is knowing how so much of what is unfolding is horrible and will scar the galaxy forever but also being able to understand the motivation and identify with Lorgar, the unloved child who worshipped his father.
If you are a fan of WH40k and want to get an amazing look at some of the great turning points in the Horus Heresy then you cannot miss this book. -
"This betrayal would stain forever the honour of the Astartes, no matter the outcome. Men will fear us from this day onward, and they will be right to."
– Ferrus Manus
Almost flawless, hadn't been for the insertion of yet another useless and completely forgettable human character near the last part of the book. As if ADB, just like other BL authors, suddenly got lazy mid-writing and decided to cut the plot short and make it a little bit inconsistent.
Nevertheless, it's an important and emotional entry in the HH series, and definitely on my "re-read shelf". In fact, it's even more developed and balanced than McNeill's 'Fulgrim', another masterpiece that bears Shakesperean, tragic, aesthetics.
The Dropsite Massacre hittin' my feelings like a hammer :(. -
I was told Bowden was good much anticipating the Night Lords series as I heard good things. What I wasn't expecting was one of the best Heresy novels with an incredible look into Lorgar as a character and the changes of his legion. Before reading this, I was always under the impression the Word Bearers were just crazed saturday morning cartoon villains but this book adds much needed depth and makes them one of the more interesting legions.
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ADB is a good boy.
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I love the Word Bearers! They are my army which I play on the tabletop! It was amazing to finally read theory backstory, the terrible betrayal Lorgar and his legion went through and the events to shaped them into arguably the most important traitor legion of them all - very much recommend for all fans of the Word Bearers, it makes you look at Lorgar in a much different way and the Gal Vorbak are just awesome
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(Some spoilers)
This was the first Warhammer novel I've read and it did an excellent job of setting the scene for the start of the Horus heresy. I'd known bits of lore from various sources but knew little about characters.
This is the story of how the Word Bearers, a legion of warrior monks who consider themselves most devoted to the Emperor of Humanity fall from grace and into heresy.
It tells of how the Primarch (a demigod leader figure) of the Word Bearers, desperate to fill the void after having his worship of the Emperor rebuked goes on a pilgrimage that was a part of the ancient religion (that he had replaced with worship of the Emperor) on his homeworld, this pilgrimage would give him his answers and lead him to the divinity he craved to worship.
The story follows a warrior known as Argel Tal and his squadmates as they come to terms with their treatment by the Emperor and adapt to the new truths brought to them. It involves betrayal, possession and setting the stage for great upheaval.
Being a fan of the Word Bearers, both in their loyalist and heretic stages this book was a great read for me and I recommend it for those who want to get a gist of what Chaos is and the role it plays in the Warhammer universe. -
The First Heretic is the 14th book in the series, and is written by Aaron Dembski-Bowden ('easily the coolest name' according to a clip from the DLT podcasts). He's written a few other books for Black Library, but I don't believe I've read any of them yet.
The novel covers Lorgar and his legion, the Word Bearers. There are three phases to the book, which are actually divided to help the reader out:
Grey, the Word Bearers fall from grace, and their punishment by the Emperor.
Pilgrimage, their voyage to discover Gods worthy of their worship and go to the place where 'gods and man meet' or some such, and
Crimson, their first steps as a legion of Chaos.
I'll highlight the good/bad things about the book, and what I think of it overall- I don't think there is much in the way of spoilers, since the basic story (the Word Bearers turn to Chaos) is not surprising to fans of the universe.
First, the overall progression of the story is fantastic. Covering some 43 years of Word Bearers history is pretty significant given the end result of the period. As you read, you get to see how a very very loyal (and faithful legion) gets on the Emperor's 'bad side', and how it is hinted to be very close to receiving the same treatment two of the other legions (the expunged legions). You also get the whole story as to the journey of discovery the legion undertook to search for the gods of the Old Faith- who they are convinced exist, since so many different worlds in very different parts of the galaxy have stories related to them. Upon finding the gods, we get to experience the legion's transformation into the new Word Bearers, as well as read about the first Possessed. The story moved along pretty well throughout. There was plenty of dialogue, which is important for fleshing out the background of the Horus Heresy, but there was no shortage of action (including another perspective of Isstvan V) to help break up the 'slower' parts.
To me, the focus of the Horus Heresy series is (or largely should be) on the Primarchs, and this book does a great job of that. Lorgar features heavily and there are interactions with Guilliman, Magnus, and Corax (briefly), as well as appearances by Perturabo, Konrad Curze, and Alpharius. Corax, Guilliman, and Perturabo really haven't been in the series thus far, so their inclusion was a nice bonus (at least for me). Curze has only been in the Audiobooks, so again, I loved the fact he was in it. Of course, the focus of the book is on Lorgar, and the book does a fantastic job filling in details of his personality and skills (largely as an orator). It also makes a point to show that he is VERY different than his brothers when it comes to combat skills. Lorgar laments several times throughout the book on this, early on saying "I will never understand tactics and logistics with the effortless ease of Guilliman or the Lion. I will never possess the skill with a blade shown by Fulgrim or the Khan," as he struggles with his role in the galaxy. As the book progresses, he struggles with his role and beliefs, finally deciding to worship gods that WANT to be worshipped, and provide gifts to those that do.
This book, like the first few in the series, I think does a GREAT job of really giving the reader a view into the mind of a genetically engineered superhuman- something I think makes these books the best in the series. You get to know Lorgar, his goals, his feelings on faith and the universe (and his place in it), and also you sympathize somewhat with the reasons for his turning traitor. Dembski-Bowden does a fantastic job of getting you inside Lorgar's head, as well as any of the authors in the series have done so far.
I love the new perspective on the battle of Isstvan V. Sure, we read about the battle somewhat in Fulgrim, but here we read about the roles of some of the various traitor legions who came towards the end of the fight, as well as how the massacre at the end unfolded. Lorgar's role in the battle was an interesting read, as well as the interactions between him and two of his brothers.
Overall, I'd say this is a great addition to the series- indeed I think it's one of the stronger books in the series, and although it hasn't moved the story on past Isstvan, knowing the background behind another legion's fall and the brief lead-up to the battle on Calth (where the Word Bearers fight the Ultramarines, delaying their movement to defend Terra) is fascinating. If you love the series, you'll read it anyway. If you have interest in the Word Bearers, there are plenty of background bits to warrant reading it on its own.
(From my blog:
http://boisterous-exuberance.blogspot...) -
Yeesh. Tilting into full horror in this one, I've found the last three books very good but this was excellent (in a terrible, visceral way).
