Customer Reviews

Horus Rising (Warhammer 40,000 Novels: Horus Heresy)

5 star:		(54)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This first book of the Horus Heresy series sets the stage for a tale of personal growth and moral responsibility. The central character is Garviel Lorken, 10th Company Captain of the Luna Wolves Legion, though it features many other canonical characters from Games Workshop's Warhammer 40K universe, including three Primarchs and a host of infamous figures from later in its history. Canonical characters that make appearances include: Horus, Rogal Dorn, Sanguinius, and Abaddon.

M. Abnett was the ideal author for the beginning of this project. He excels in atmospherics, moral quandary, foreshadowing, and parallels. The book opens with an ominous parallel of how we know the series must end (I assume that most readers will have some familiarity with the history and background of 40K, though it is by no means necessary), and throughout are questions of morality and responsibility that foreshadow future events. Likewise, the growth of the main character, Lorken, is mirrored by the development of those around him.

The Black Library is lucky to have a writer of M. Abnett's talents, and I can only hope that latter writers will be able to live up to his high standards. His characters spring off the page, with good depth, realistic motivations, strengths, and weaknesses. He has a true talent for bringing the gothic feel of the 40K universe to the reader. Both action scenes and more subtle elements of plot development are handled adeptly, including villains every bit as complex and clever as the protagonists. In addition to excellent characters, there's plenty of tech and military hardware for lovers of fluff.

Writing a good climactic ending, one of his few weaknesses, is minimized here, as the entire novel is clearly a preface for the rest of the tale. The only other weakness of the tale is the somewhat clumsy setup for the next book in the series. Literally within the last few pages, he brings an antagonist into the spotlight that has had only minimal prior development. It's one of the only disappointing pieces of writing in the work.

The rest (read: majority) is excellent, and one can hardly wait to see what happens next, particularly given the moral questions and foreshadowing utilized to pique the reader's curiosity.

In short: an auspicious start for the tale, well worth reading for any fan of good sci-fi, but highly recommended for 40K fans.

Finally, Games Workshop and the Black Library has seen to it that the story of the Imperium greatest and darkest hour be told in a trilogy of novels. What I am talking about is the culmination of the Emperor of Mankind's Great Crusade to unite the scattered humanity into one galaxt-spanning empire. This first novel in the trilogy, as written by fan favorite Dan Abnett, tells of the time of the Great Crusade's culmination. With the Emperor finally relinquishing the command of all crusading forces to his most favored of his twenty genetically-engineered Primarch sons: Horus.

In background stories throughout the history of Games Workshop's 40K universe, Horus has been described in brief detail as being favored by the Emperor above all the other Primarchs. But other than that Horus has been seen and read by all as a twisted, megalomaniacal despot out to overthrow the Emperor once Chaos has gotten hold of him. In Horus Rising, Dan Abnett paints a portrait of Horus and his Luna Wolves Legion as sympathetic characters who are loyal to the tenets of the Emperor's Great Crusade to a fault. Horus is given personality to make him noble and great in the eyes of not just the men he leads but those of others led by his brother Primarchs. He is akin to Lucifer just before the Fall and throughout the novel, Abnett slips in small seeds of doubts and flaws that will surely lead to his predestined role as the Fallen Angel who will raze and burn the galaxy of Mankind before all is well and done.

Abnett's skill at writing battle scenes, especially up-close combat with Horus and his marines against all comers, shows just why his previous Games Workshop novels have been favorites of fans. Abnett also introduces such characters as Abaddon, Torgaddon and Loken. "Sons" of Horus who seem to represent his conscience in more ways than one. Abaddon most fans already know his fate, but Torgaddon and Loken are characters whose story may lead to damnation or redemption as the time for heresy and war inches closer. the book ends with a simple mention of whats to come with the second leg of the trilogy. Horus and his legion to stop at a backwater system and one of its moons: Davin IV.

Abnett has laid down a great foundation for the trilogy and here's to hoping that Graham McNeill (another fan favorite) continues the trilogy with another great story. I can't wait for the second book, False Gods, to be released. The story of the Horus Heresy has been a long time coming. Here's to not waiting too long to finish the saga.

If you are a fan of the Warhammer 40K universe, this is a must read without any reservations. Dan Abnett's work has continued to gain in realism and scope and so far Horus Rising is the best book he has ever produced. I say this after having read the book without putting it down yesterday, and previously believing he would be hard pressed to surpass his excellent work with the Gaunt's Ghosts novels. Someday I had hoped someone would bring the horror and intrigue of the Horus Heresy to life in exception verse. Abnett has done so and then some. The feel of the book has gone beyond my own expectations and makes you realize the depth of betrayal that had to have occured to bring fully half the Legions of the Adaptus Astartes into the grip of Chaos. Most of all you will read this and find yourself with favorite characters, dispite the fact you know they are doomed by history. In the first book alone the reader is drawn in by the Majesty of the soon to be lost Luna Wolves Space Marine Legion. Above and beyone that, fans of the other First Founding Legions have the opportunity to glimse their own fore fathers, and more importantly, the Primarchs themselves as they cross paths with the Warmaster in the last days of the Crusade. Having the opportunity to read anything of my own Chapters Primarch, Sanguinious, would have made me buy this book. I was delighted to read an excellent protrayal of the Angel, who was Horus's closest brother. Buy this book... read it, and then read it again before you share it with your friends. We will all be awaiting the next chapter in this series.

When author/editor Mark Charan Newton got involved in the tie-in fiction vs genre fiction debate, I decided to put my money where my mouth is and give a work from Black Library a shot. And since Newton seemed to imply that Dan Abnett was one of the best writers they had, I asked him to send me what he considered to be the author's best novels. One was an omnibus comprised of three books, and I was reticent to start something that big for fear of losing interest. The other was the opening chapter in The Horus Heresy sequence, Horus Rising. I've been told that this is probably one of the best and most entertaining sequences of books in the entire Warhammer 40,000 universe. The premise, that of a galactic civil war threatening to bring about the extinction of mankind, piqued my interest.

Here's the blurb:

It is the 31st millennium. The forces of humanity have reached the stars. Under the benevolent leadership of the Immortal Emperor and his superhuman sons, the primarchs, the Imperium of Man has stretched out across the galaxy. It is a golden age of discovery and conquest. But now, on the eve of victory, the Emperor leaves the front lines, entrusting the great crusade to his favourite son, Horus. Promoted to Warmaster, can the idealistic Horus carry the Emperor's grand plan? Worse still, this promotion has sown discontent amongst his brothers. How long before this escalates into all-out mutiny? Horus Rising is the first chapter in the epic tale of the Horus Heresy, a galactic civil war that threatened to bring about the extinction of humanity.

I'm not sure if it's the case with any other Black Library series, but what makes The Horus Heresy so accessible is the fact that it takes place about 10,000 years prior to most Warhammer 40,000 work. While I'm persuaded that being a newbie means that I likely missed a few nuances and foreshadowing, it by no means influenced my reading experience in any way. Hence, if like me you have always been curious about the Warhammer 40,000 universe but didn't have a clue where the hell to begin, or could not make heads or tails of the continuity, then Horus Rising is the perfect starting point for you. The Horus Heresy recounts a tale of epic proportions which will have grave repercussions in the future of the Warhammer 40,000 universe, yet you can read it as a stand-alone series without a glitch. At least thus far. . .

My biggest fear when I began reading Horus Rising was that it would be a seemingly endless sequence of genetically enhanced warriors blowing stuff up. After all, the story begins with a little summary telling readers that the vast armies of the Emperor of Earth have conquered the galaxy during the Great Crusade. Myriad alien races have been smashed by the Emperor's elite soldiers and wiped from the face of history, as the Great Crusade seeks to reunite the disparate stands of mankind under the rule of the Emperor. Understandably, given the tone of this series, yes there are battle scenes and plenty of action. And yet, Dan Abnett imbues this violent tale with much more depth than meets the eye. Beyond the blood and the gore, the author explores a number of themes, chief among them loyalty, duty, brotherhood, faith, and even philosophy.

It's difficult to assess the quality of the worldbuilding based on Horus Rising alone, as I have no prior knowledge of the universe and this novel drops us in the middle of a pivotal moment that will rock the foundations of the Great Crusade. I can only hope that subsequent installments will shine some light on Old Night and past eras during which events on Terra engendered the consolidation by the one who would become Emperor, and which in turn led to the galaxy-spanning Great Crusade. Having said that, Abnett nevertheless offers a number of glimpses that, once more, demonstrates that there is much more to what will become known as the Horus Heresy than meets the eye.

Speaking of Dan Abnett, I particularly enjoyed his writing style. His narrative flows well, and he sets a crisp pace when the plotlines demand it. Yet he creates a good balance by slowing down the rhythm when storytelling must take over, and the man is gifted when it comes to dialogue. Moreover, I was impressed by how he was a master of battle sequences, and still could create ambiguous three-dimensional characters forced to deal with moral dilemmas in these uncertain times. Since The Horus Heresy is a group effort being written by a number of authors, it remains to be seen if the rest of the gang can write as well as Dan Abnett. But one thing is for sure: I'll be sampling more Abnett works in the future.

The most satisfying aspect of this novel was the characterization. Given the premise, I was expecting a number of faceless warriors with no personality, with very few characters rising above the rest. I couldn't have been more wrong. Of course, not every character stands out. But there are quite a few that show a lot of depth and personality. Chief among them is Garviel Loken, principal POV character. Additional well-defined characters include the other members of the Mournival, Aximand, Abaddon, and Torgaddon. The presence and POVs of civilians such as the Primary iterator, Kyril Sindermann, and various remembrancers allow readers to see the events unfold from a totally different perspective. And though Horus Rising weighs in at only 412 pages, there is a surprising amount of character development and growth throughout it pages. The seeds of heresy are sown. . .

All in all, Dan Abnett's Horus Rising exceeded my expectations and made me want to discover what happens next! An interesting and intelligent blend of action and multilayered storytelling, Horus Rising should please a lot of science fiction fans out there.

At least where this title is concerned, tie-in fiction can indeed stand against most science fiction/space opera offerings found on the market today. Whether or not the rest of The Horus Heresy can live up to the expectations created by its opening chapter remains to be seen. But Dan Abnett got me; hook, bait, and sinker!

Give Horus Rising a shot. I have a feeling that most of you won't be disappointed.

I admit, I was skeptical when I heard that GW was going to take on the most important and mysterious event in the entire 40K universe. Dan Abnett has created a masterpiece! Outstanding story telling, vivid (but not overwrought) battles, wonderful dialogue start this saga off on absolutely the right foot! MCNeill and Counter have enourmous footsteps to follow in.
As an aside, this book also features the best cover art I have ever seen in a 40K novel! The image of the Luna Wolves in the midst of battle is almost worth the price of admission along!

There is always a fundamental difference between knowing about the turning point and witnessing it. Every WH40K fan knows about the Horus Heresy and the impact it had on the development of this fictional universe, but up to this point our knowledge was based on snippets and dry facts spread throughout the codices, "White Dwarf" articles etc. However, Dan Abnett manages to do the impossible by showing us and bringing to life the very beginning of this, let's admit it, galaxy-shattering event.

First of all, Abnett gives us in his prequel a very detailed presentation of the reality of the 31st millennium and underlines how it differs from "the grim darkness of the far future" of the 41st millennium we all know and love. The Great Crusade itself, the conduct of Space Marines (i.e. Luna Wolves, since the novel is focused on this particular Legion (yes, Legion, not Chapter yet)) in terms of dealing with defeated foes (look up Chapter Two and tell me you see that scene happening in WH40K!), Space Marine Primarch using, gulp, DIPLOMACY (!) and many, many more: all of it presents a very different, more optimistic, yet hauntingly familiar world which gradual decomposition and reshaping will become all the more frightening over the course of the next novels.

The second best thing about this book are the characters. Having read this and the following novels (up to "Fulgrim" and planning to read the rest) I can guarantee that you won't have to get through "False Gods" and "Galaxy in Flames" to care about the characters. I'm an avid reader of many tie-in novels ("Star Trek," "Star Wars," "(old) World of Darkness" franchises, to name the few) and I know when I see that the authors get lazy and and rely on the background of the characters from other sources to fill in the gaps made by their subpar writing. Trust me, this does not happen here. Each and every character, from the canonical ones (Horus, Sanguinius, Rogal Dorn, Ezekyle Abbadon etc.) to the ones introduced for the first time (Garviel Loken, Mersadie Oliton, Euphrati Keeler, Kyril Sindermann, Ignace Karkasy etc.) has his or her own personality and plays a vital role in allowing the reader to see the events of the novel from a plethora of perspectives, each one of them greatly contributing to making the reading of this novel a worthwhile (and worth-your-money) experience.

The last, but not least, is that Abnett manages to convey something more than just action. It is clearly visible in the moral conundrums of captain Garviel Loken in terms of being, as a Space Marine, somewhere in between a thinking being and an efficient killing machine (again something you don't see often in WH40K) and the issue of the role of religion in life, as best represented by the secular Imperial Truth, considering religion as something anachronistic and dangerous (oh, the irony of this for all of you who know what the Imperium of Man will be like in 10.000 years!), being confronted with the slowly, but steadily developing belief in the 63rd expedition that "the Emperor protects"... and the horrors of the Warp that make a memorable appearance. In any case, this is not a "BIG gunz and BIG batelz" mindless action-fest that some think is Black Library's standard for WH40K fiction.

All in all, I enjoyed "Horus Rising" very much and consider it a great read for W40K fan(atic)s and those who have yet to get to know this universe better (or at all) alike. For the former it will be a great opportunity to see how "the seeds of heresy were sown" and for the latter it will be a great introduction to WH40K in general.

This is argueably one of the best Warhammer 40k novels I've ever read. I am a huge Dan Abnett fan and longtime Imperium fan. But to see the view of the Luna Wolves prior to the Heresy is quite insightful. Additionally there are also a few other Space Marine characteristics you learn about during the novel and a lot of insight into the Primarchs, including Warmaster Horus himself.
Before the taint of Chaos and any other daemonic/spiritual entities, the Luna Wolves are escorting the Warmaster on the compliance crusade. With various encounters with other chapters and their views/differences it's amazing to see how Space Marines prior to the heresy viewed each other and battle. A few key introductions of the taint of Chaos appear throughout the novel and show just how the foulness can spread like a cancer. The ending leaves you wanting but if you're a true Space Marine or Warhammer 40k fan, you'll be reading the second and third in the series.

The title of my review really sums up my point. If you are a fan of the Warhammer 40K universe, you will really enjoy this book. Dan Abnett is an excellent writer with a gift for developing his characters. If you are not a fan of the Warhammer 40K universe, I would not recommend the book. The story relies on the reader being familiar with Warhammer 40K.

His "Gaunt's Ghosts" series is, in my opinion, his best work. This book is also good, but it falls short in developing Horus as a person the reader can care about. Perhaps this is intentional, and given his other writings, I am inclined to believe so. The focus of the story is really on the senior Captains who advise Horus, and given the larger than life existence of the Primarchs, it is a good way to approach the story.

As a newcomer to the series..I will freely admit to being a bit...........wary of trying this series..hell the Warhammer 40000 universe books period. I'd never read any of them at all, never played the games..none of it. But I was curious so..I picked it up. Keep in mind this is my introduction to the WH40k universe period dot. So..I picked it up and started reading. I was pleasantly surprise. The interaction of the characters wasn't just meaningly yakkity yak. Quite a bit of it is thoughtful and kind of deep, philosophical. It was interesting. I bought this book several months ago. I'm just NOW getting around to writing a review. Reread it the other day as a prelude to winding up doing a Horus Heresy bender..then got sidetracked by the release of another novel from a different publisher after finishing Horus Rising. : Don't you just hate it when that happens? Loken is..the conscience of the book. It's heart I think. Horus isn't as perfect as everyone thinks and whats more..knows it. He couldn't be THAT conflicted about the Interex, and what happened if he wasn't. It's a hell of a thought but one I had after finishing Rising the first time. What would have happened if what happened on the Interex world..hadn't happened. If what was stolen, hadn't been stolen. Would the Heresy have ever happened in the first place? Interesting thought isn't it?

Horus Rising by Dan Abnett is the opening fusillade of The Horus Heresy series by publisher Black Library. It is deafening. The Horus Heresy is a new series of books designed to document the events leading up to and immediately after The Horus Heresy. This is a pivotal moment in the Warhammer 40K canon. As such, The Horus Heresy series is a "premium" product; replete with lavish cover art and edition specific foil accents. More importantly, the Black Library has deployed its elite writers to man the literary canons in a campaign designed for nothing less than shock and awe.

As an opening gambit, Horus Rising is a resounding success. Dan Abnett has crafted a surprisingly deft narrative that allows him to explore the motivations of the characters central to The Horus Heresy series and critically, to allow subsequent writers to hook into this narrative and continue the story. Thematically, Horus Rising captures the joy and grandeur of the Great Crusade while revealing the subtle seeds of subversive Chaos taking root in the hearts of the Emperor's beloved Sons, the Primarchs.

The narrative structure of this book is Dan Abnett's true success. While Dan has a reputation for writing amazing combat scenes, I think his other skills are often under appreciated. Designing the narrative for Horus Rising had to be an immensely difficult task. Foremost, it is the first in a planned inter-series trilogy with each book written by a different author. So, Mr. Abnett had to design a book with a plot and characters open ended enough to allow his fellow Black Library writers room to be creative while also maintaining the narrative force of Horus Rising. The force of his story was especially critical since this is the first book of The Horus Heresy series. A weak story would jeopardize the future of a critical piece of intellectual property.

The next hurdle was humanizing figures who are decidedly super-human. Why is this important? Because the central story of the Heresy is a very human one. It is a tragedy, one caused by such everyday emotions as jealousy and pride. But, these emotions are the very antithesis of the Astartes. The Astartes were engineered to be more than human, to not have such human flaws. They are a brotherhood. They are the Emperor's Angels of Death. They know no fear.

The means to this end, the humanizing of the machine, was quite brilliant. Rather than focus solely on Horus and the Primarchs, Dan Abnett uses a foil. The foil being a experienced but still raw Space Marine by the name of Garviel Loken. Garviel's character is raw in the sense that he has not yet formed an identify beyond that which is stamped onto each Marine during their training. His ideals are abstracted without a grounding in reality.

Abnett carries this technique even further, creating yet another layer in the narrative. While a Space Marine is more human than a Primarch, for a Marine was once human and a Primarch was never human, a Marine is still something more than human. As such, Garviel himself has a foil, or rather an assortment of foils; the human Remembrancers serving to document the Great Crusade's glory for future generations. Each of these humans' interactions with Garviel provide a glimpse into his pysche. Each of these humans provide Garviel the anchor he needs to ground himself to the true purpose of the Great Crusade; to serve.

As the novel progresses, you bear witness to Garviel's personal growth. This growth is idealized for Garviel represents not just the purity of the Emperor's purpose but the purity of his Chapter. Garviel is a paragon, the archetype. The plot is the antagonist, throwing up hurdles that are not just physical battles but mental. Garviel's ideals are challenged and with each challenge overcome, his ideals are strengthened.

It is with this technique that you see the brilliance in Abnett's narrative. Garviel's idealized growth serves to perfectly illuminate the slow perversion of Horus. Where as Garviel walks a straight path in the Light of the Emperor, Horus strays from the path into Darkness. For every test that Garviel faces and is triumphant, Horus fails.

It is by this narrative tension that the full impact of the Heresy and its very human repercussions are laid upon the reader. As you watch Garviel grow, experience his love of his Primarch and his Chapter, you witness these things being slowly ripped away from him by forces unknown. You sympathize with Garviel's character and feel his pain and frustration. As Garviel's character is betrayed, you experience not only his pain, but the metaphorical pain of the Emperor and all that it represents; the betrayal of humanity.

In conclusion, Horus Rising is a resounding success. The Black Library could not have asked for a better start to The Horus Heresy series. Dan Abnett delivers not only his awesome trademark action sequences but weaves a complex narrative that operates flawlessly on many levels. The thematic tone is pitch perfect. The only negative to this review is that there will be no happy ending to this book nor any that follow. At best they are bitter sweet.

To read Horus Rising is to watch humanity's hopes, nobility and its heroes be slowly snuffed out by the blackest betrayal. I found myself rooting for Garviel even though I knew the results already. Foolish I know, "...for in the grim dark future there is only war."