Customer Reviews

Space Wolf Omnibus: Spacewolf / Ragnar's Claw / Grey Hunter (Warhammer 40,000)

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William King's Space Wolf novels have helped shape the world of WH40K. This omnibus collection contains the first three (of five) and would serve as an excellent place for WH40K first-timers to get an introduction to the world and setting. Through reading of the ascension of Ragnar Blackmane and by witnessing his trials and battles throughout the Imperium, much can be learned about space marines and the WH40K universe.

The first book of this omnibus edition, Space Wolf (Warhammer 40,000: Space Wolf), chronicles the rise of Ragnar. From a young member of a small islander tribe of Fenris to the glory of an ultimate warrior of the Imperium, this is a tale of growing and learning. Because Ragnar is devoid of any knowledge about the universe and proceeds to learn and observe, this book serves as an excellent introductory book to the WH40K world. Principally, this first book serves as an introduction to Ragnar and the Space Wolves, and nothing much more. Almost like a primer for the next books in the series.

The second book, Ragnar's Claw (Space Wolves), tells of Ragnar's first adventure off-world of Fenris. He and his claw are sent to assist an inquisitor on a mission to collect an ancient artifact and save a hive city from a deadly plague. Their mission takes them through vast distances to fight orks, genestealers, and daemons in a multitude of different environments. The character of Ragnar is further developed, with him being critically wounded only to be revived with a new fear of mortality. There is an undercurrent of uneasiness throughout the book that is only explained in the last couple of chapters as the heroes discover the true puppeteer of their mission.

The third book of the trilogy, Grey Hunter (Space Wolves), is my personal favorite. It has a much more epic feel with a heavy involvement by many Imperial forces, including a battalion of Titans. The planet of Garm, an industrial world that has special ties to the Space Wolves and houses a Shrine to Russ, has entered a civil war in which the forces of Chaos seem on the verge or bringing about the resurrection of the Thousand Sons Chaos Marines. Nearly the whole Space Wolf chapter is mobilized for an immense invasion of the shrine world -where they find great adversity. The action and suspense of this final novel is the most intense of the three and caps off this omnibus edition in grand fashion.

The fighting scenes and descriptions of the Space Wolf Space Marines are excellent, and as Ragnar discovers the vastness of the Imperium the reader develops a better understanding too. Perhaps the best aspect of this book is the sheer epic feel. The multitude of enemies Ragnar encounters and the vast spaces he travels make this stand out as an excellent resource for those wishing to learn more about the WH40K world. The only complaints I have with these stories arise from the writing of King. He tends to over-use descriptive words and phrases, creating a very repetitive feel to some of the scenes. Overall, a must have for any WH40K fan and highly recommended for any fan of Sci-Fi.

Vikings in space? I had to resist the urge to rip off my shirt and build an interstellar longboat, and that was just after reading the description. After twenty minutes of reading, I had grown a waist long beard and somehow got my hands on a broad sword. By the end of the book, all local space monasteries has been razed and plundered, and their was a police warrant out for my arrest.

To sum up the Space Wolf Omnibus - mind-blowing. To give some perspective, I am an avid Warhammer 40k reader and thus far have purchased and read every Gaunt's Ghost novel, the Eisenhorn and Ravenor trilogies (minus the as-yet-unreleased third Ravenor novel). I have also read the Soul Drinkers Trilogy and numerous other books from the 40k Universe.

With all that said, I initially bought the Space Wolf Omni just to add to my collection. I WAS BLOWN AWAY at the fantastic depth of story that William King has crafted surrounding the history of Ragnar Blackmane. As a lifelong Fantasy/Sci-Fi reader and RPG veteran, this book was 'crack' to my addiction!! Page-turning through all three novels, Bill King delivers a compelling story with an easy sense of humor.

Dan Abnett shows us one aspect of life in the 40K Universe in the two Inquisitor trilogies. Abnett shows us another aspect in the Gaunt's Ghost series. Bill King adds to these works as only a Master can. As an American reader I often have to filter out the inherently British euphemisms, cultural flavors, etc. that Dan Abnett delivers in every novel. William King, despite being a Scot, delivers (IMHO) a nearly ethnically neutral series of books and that (to me) allows me to suspend disbelief just that little bit more.

Fans of 40K should consider the Space Wolf Omnibus as a MUST HAVE. I would actually recommend to ANY new 40K reader that they start with the Space Wolf series as Bill King delivers a 'from the ground-up' experience that both educates new readers and provides compelling stroy for us 40K veterans!!

This compilation of the first 3 novels of Raganr and his detachment of Space Wolves starts out with the first - and best - of the three of the stories.

The exciting and explosive tale of how Ragnar becomes a Space Wolf is like reading a sci-fi Conan novel. If you like your sci-fi with a touch of fantasy, then this new compiled trilogy will thrill you till the wee hours of the night.

I'm not a Warhammer gamer, nor do you have to be to enjoy this explosive, high action trilogy. Although William King is not the best sci-fi writer out there, he still manages to capture the raw essence of savage barbarians being kidnapped from their primitive planet and being transformed into killing machines. This is his best writing.

A must have for adrenaline-charged sci-fi junkies.

"Space Wolves Omnibus" is a collection of three science fiction novels written by William King, a freelance author working for Black Library - the publishing branch of Games Workshop. The stories are set in the dark and war-torn universe of Warhammer 40 000. They follow the early adventures of Ragnar Blackmane, a member of Space Wolf chapter of Adeptus Astartes.

What makes Space Wolf different from the other Space Marine omnibuses I've read (Soul Drinkers and Ultramarines Omnibus, both of which are essential reads for all 40k fans) is the fact main characters aren't all-powerful heroes at the beginning of the story. These three novels aren't so much about heroic deeds and fast-paced action, as they are about one marine's - literal and metaphorical - coming-of-age.

The majority of the first book depicts Ragnar's life as it was before he was inducted into the Space Wolves. It gives us an insight into Ragnar's own mind, as well as life on Fenris in general. It then proceeds to show us the induction rituals of the Space Wolves; how they are chosen, how they train, what they eat, how they cope with the loss of their humanity, and the final tests they need to pass before they can truly join the ranks of Adeptus Astartes. In this way, it's also a story of a primitive savage coming in contact with high technology and discovering a world vastly different from his own. The second book continues in a similar fashion, only now it explores Ragnar's wonder at seeing new worlds, meeting all sorts of people he never could've encountered on his home planet, and getting used to the fact that despite his improved physique and nigh-impenetrable armor he's still far from invincible. The third book deals with Ragnar's promotion to a Blood Claw leader, his struggle to come to terms with his newfound responsibilities, and his interaction with his superiors.

The writing style is rudimentary. William King tends to over-explain, often pointing out the obvious, or stating things we already know. Weird descriptions and comparisons are plentiful. Once again, Black Library proves they don't proofread the novels they publish. There are typos, grammatical errors, and missing words aplenty. A shame, since most 40k books would be so much better if they could only receive proper editorial attention.

Overall, Space Wolf Omnibus is a good read. It's fast-paced, packed with action sequences, has a lot of character development for a Black Library novel, and does a fine job of capturing the morbid atmosphere of Warhammer 40 000. It's also a great marketing device. I must admit that, after reading these three books, I have a desire to collect my own space wolf army and to have Ragnar Blackmane lead it. With the current Space Wolf codex, this would actually be possible. Here's to hoping Games Workshop decides to make other Black Library characters - such as Uriel Ventris and Sarpedon - into playable characters someday.

Well-paced action and character development. There's more action and less politics here, but it does a nice job of filling in the reader on the history and background of the Space Marines and the Space Wolves Chapter. Draws you into the mind of the protagonist as he evolves into a full fledged Space Marine. I would put this omnibus up there with the Eisenhorn omnibus as one my two favorites out of the W40K books.

I am a avid reader and i hate when books drag out descriptions and constantly restated things you already know. Well these books didnt do that. only on a rare occasion did i find myself skimming over something i already read before. King did a masterfil job bringing the 40k universe to life and giving ragnar a really good back ground development story. These were my first 40k books and i hope more are written as well as these.

LIke VIkings and the preveasive culure that they have? Well you will definatly get that out of Space Wolf. This is a series set on the world of Fenris. (and yes that is a refrence to one of the two wolves that signal Rangnarok. Or the end of days if you don't know what Ragnarok is. And yes the end of days is metioned with revrence like a viking would.) The main charcter is Ragnar. This is very good book to start with if you are just getting into 40K or don't even know anyrhing about it. Becuse the first book leads you on a jurney with Ragnar as he meats the first Space Wolf in his life. Sortly there after his village is attacked by his clan's archenamy the Grimskulls. And the attack is led by what become a bit of an antaganist is Strybon. They wind up fighting and they both nearly die. And so starts thier jurney to become Space Wolves. And the good thig is, is that you grow with Ragnar as he begins to know more about the world and universe around him so do you. This is a book you will wish you could read while you sleep, becuse you will lose sleep just to finsh another chapter. This is an action packed book. King can be very gritty and detailed. So he gives this series and the whole 40K universe a new feal.( and yes these are the only Space marines that will actualy get drunk! Beucse drinking is part of thier culture. So pass the ale and hand me my chainsword!)

Okay so a friend of mine got me into Warhammer 40K with the Dawn of War 2 book by Chris Roberson and I could not put that down. I loved it. Well my girlfriend and I were in Books A Million after a movie one day and I decided to pick this up. I had read a bit about the Space Wolves on the Lexicanium wiki and my friend told me a bit about them as well and I thought they sounded cool. Well I picked this up and I could not put it down. I loved how William King starts out with Ragnar as an aspirant and writes about him progressing as a Space Wolf. The history and personalities of the Space Wolves is just so interesting. I love it. When reading about Space Marines, I feel like I'm reading about futuristic Spartans. And I also love how the Space Wolves are actually part wolf and they allow themselves to party hard. After reading the Blood Angels Omnibus, I still like the Space Wolves the most. They seem to have a better sense of smell. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who likes science fiction.

This omnibus collects three books together that detail the rise and early exploits of Ragnar Blackmane.

The first book is a bit different from the 40k normal as it tells the story of Ragnar in his days as a youth on the feral death world of Fenris. The story transitions the reader from low tech to 40k tech bit by bit as Ragnar is initiated into the ranks of the Space Wolves. It really builds the up the pack mentality of the men that carries on throughout the omnibus and sets the rivalry with Ragnar's tribal enemy, Strybjorn. It is an introductory novel and does spend a lot of time building for the series but that doesn't mean it lacks for action.

The second book was my favorite as it was traditional 40k fare showing Ragnar and company on their first off-world mission that just happens to require them to work with the Inquisition using a Space Wolf relic. Lots of action builds the plot to a satisfying conclusion with a charming and funny demon of Nurgle.

The third book didn't make for as good of a read to me as the first two. The plot involves the recovery of the Spear of Russ from Chaos interlopers on the planet of Galt. The story didn't seem as tightly woven to me and the ending seemed rushed and unsatisfying in how it dealt with the spear.

Overall the reading experience was fun but I didn't care for the repeated explanations of how superhuman and awesome the Space Wolves are with their healing, scent and sight. I prefer the actions within the story tell me how great the marine's abilities are rather than just have it told to me over and over. The omnibus is a good value and well worth the time investment since it is good 40k fun.