Customer Reviews

Space Wolf (Warhammer 40,000 Novels)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book starts out with a bang and takes you on a wild ride that is sure to please Space Wolf fans everywhere. Its gives amazing insight into the mysterious chapter of the 40k universe and shows the reader why the Space Wolves are among the most feared fighters in the universe. The story is fast paced and hard to put down, in fact I read the entire book in one sitting. William King is a gifted writer with a wonderful ability to make you feel as if you are right there as events unfold before your eyes. Readers will follow Ragnar Blackmane from his earliest beginnings as a warrior on the planet Fenris to his selection and training as a Space Wolf. I recommend it highly and can't wait for the sequel "Ragnar's Claw" due out this October!

Space Wolf is a introducing book to the WH40K universe. In my mind this was almost designed for the new fans of WH40K or even the outsider who doesn't know what WH40K stand for.

The story is simple and has a few twists, but it is lavishly detailed, and there is a subtle humor throughout the book, making it fun to read. But where it really shine is from the fact that a outsider of WH40K could pick this book and enjoy it as much as a hardcore fan, and that, for WH40K novels is almost impossible.

In my mind, if there would be ever movie about WH40K (I think that Exile Bloodquest is abandoned) it should be Space wolf. The character (Ragnar) from the beginning know nothing of the WH40K universe, and we tag along as he discover, and appreciate this universe.

Hardcore fan wont like the simplicity of this book, fans will like to learn the whole background to the Space wolf Chapters, and will enjoy the story.

But a outsider will learn what WH40K is about and hopefully will give a interesting taste and curiosity of the WH40K world. For this unique feature, it has to have 5 starts, Anyone looking at buying his first novel should buy this one.

Contrary to the reviews from other people that I read on this site, I thought this book to be a rather good read. I have been a Warhammer 40K player since the game's first release and I felt the book quite appropriately developed the reverence and awe of humanity's finest warriors. So if you're not a wanker who is stuck on minute detail flaws, and if you enjoy Warhammer 40k, then this is a good book for you! I would also recommend all of the other books by King, he is a very entertaining author that does not write overly predictable plotlines.

Look at the cover. Does it not look nice? This book describes the development of Ragnar Blackmane (a known Warhammer 40k character) from a normal human into one of the Emperor's finest: a Space Marine! For those who love Space Marine armies of the Warhammer 40k tabletop miniature game, this book will give you an inside view of the process of becoming one of the Imperium defenders. However, do not expect epic battles and truly Space Marine missions against overwhelming odds. Chances are, that if you like the Space Marine armies in Warhammer 40k, you will love this book for its additional background information in how a Space Marine is tested and selected from normal people. Otherwise, if you want epic battles choose Into the Maelstrom, the Gaunt novel series or Dark Imperium.

I've read all the W40K books so far and this is the only one that really deals with the "adventures" of a Space Marine. All the others might mention them or have a "cameo", but this is the only with a Marine as the central character. It was well written and engaging, despite that some of the technical pieces were off (the training of a Space Wolf). I'd recommend it to anyone wanting a good picture of what the space wolves are like. One of the best books in this genre (even though it was only about the lowly Imperial Guard) was First & Only by Dan Abnett.

As a long time 40k fan I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The story starts strong and ends well in my opinion. I do have to say it was a bit predictable in a few places, but not enough to really detriment from the book. Ragnar is a great character and the action scenes are awesome and well written. I've read the other 3 books in the series and they are all worth checking out.

The story is about Ragnar a mighty Space Wolf and how he came to be one. He was once simply a warrior for his tribe, his life is forever changed when during a battle to protect his village he is chosen by the gods to ascend to the Hall of Heroes and live in immortal splendor, or so he thought that was what was going to happen. Heh, nothing's ever that simple, plus if it was it would make for a VERY short story. Instead, Ragnar finds himself an aspirant to the Space Wolves, a chapter of the Space Marines, who have been "recruiting" warriors from his home world for centuries. Will he make it through the training? Will he be able to tame the beast within?

The book starts off following Ragnar as he fights alongside his fellow space marines in a battle against the heretics. This kinda defeats the whole purpose of asking if Ragnar will be able to survive the wolf training and overcome the beast within himself, since obviously he has. But despite knowing that somehow the hero would overcome everything, I think the book is still worth reading. The action is virtually non-stop, but it isn't one big gore fest. The reader is introduced to the world of the space marines right along side the younger Rangar. The pieces of the puzzle are slowly put together until the complete picture of how the space marines ended up on Fenris, Rangar's world, and why they recruit and train there still. Kings descriptions of Fenris really made me able to immerse myself in the world. I really became interested in the Warhammer universe itself also. There are still some details that I would like to further investigate that weren't fully answered. Fortunately for me I've seen more titles out there that will hopefully feed my curiosity. But even though I was left with some questions, and the book itself ends on a cliffie of sorts (certain people are there that you don't expect and Ragnar is running off into battle) I wasn't left completely hanging at the end of the story. The whole point of the story is to explain how Ragnar got to be a space wolf, and I think it did an excellent job of that. I can't wait to get my hands on more of the books in the series.

In mankind's distant future there is only war. Welcome to the world of WARHAMMER 40,000; a time flung so far into the future that the past has long been shrouded in legend. The human empire spans the universe but is assaulted on every front by demons, aliens, and the followers of evil gods. The Emperor is immobile, only kept alive by ancient machines created in the Dark Age of Technology. Our survival depends on his constant vigilance and the command of his vast armies. The greatest of the Emperor's soldiers are the Adeptus Astartes, the Space Marines; and the Space Wolves Chapter of the Space Marines consists of barbarian warriors recruited from the primitive world of Fenris, selected for their prowess in battle. If they live through the brutal training regimen and survive the tests, they then drink from the Cup of Wulfen. This mutates the warriors with a beast-like spirit. If their bodies accept the savage transformation and they can learn to exist with the primal nature without it dominating their soul, they are suited up with high tech battle amour and accepted as one of the Space Wolves.

Space Wolf is the first of the series and is the story of how Ragnar came to be one of the legendary Space Wolves. The book begins with Ragnar receiving a life-threatening wound in battle. As he sinks into unconsciousness, Ragnar recalls his life before and how he came to be one of the elite Space Wolves.

RPGs are not my thing, but I love the premise of WARHAMMER. Both WH and WH40K describe a world on the brink of total annihilation. Mankind is ruled by the Emperor, which was once a man who ascended to become a god. He's by no means a loving ruler. He's cruel, sometimes unjustly so, but his power is all that keeps the hordes of Chaos at bay.

Overall, Space Wolf is a pretty good read for what it is. Mr. King's delving into the psyche of a recruit going through the harsh training to become a soldier is realistic enough that I suspect he has some military experience himself. But the most interesting aspect of Space Wolf is the premise of plunging a Viking-like warrior into a far-future, military sci-fi adventure.

WARHAMMER players already have a passion for this world, so Space Wolf is sure to be fun for them. For me, it's something I would've enjoyed a lot more when I was around fifteen years old. There's plenty of combative violence, pack mentality (literally, because of the wolfish mutation), chest-beating, and dreams of glory in battle. Admittedly, I still have enough teenager left in me that I had a good time with all those things. However, with thirty years of reading since I really was an adolescent, much of what I'd have eaten up about Space Wolf back then is now cliché or just too familiar.

In all fairness to King, even though I've seen nothing that states the WARHAMMER and WARHAMMER 40Kbooks to be YA, their target audience is the people who play the game. I don't think I'd be going too far out on a limb to say that equates to a readership that largely consists of teenage males. With that in mind, King is doing an awesome job of writing fun stories that appeal to his readers -- and he still managed to entertain this 40-something teenage male too.

Intellectually stimulating? no. a literary tour de force? no. A rollicking good adventure? yes! If you are enticed by the premise of the book and aren't too critical of the writing you will probably really enjoy whats on offer here. Its an adventurous tale with a good pace that delivers a few good twists and turns. There are a few odd choices of phrase here and there and a few disjointed passages but nothing showstopping. I will continue with the series but am looking forward to other black library authors who might bring more depth to the material. It seemed like some of Ragnar's evolution could have been fleshed out with more examination of the minutiae. For example the canis helix was an interesting topic but its really still a complete mystery as to what it is. Its just some magical liquid in a cup that judges you. Considering this is what makes a space wolf I would expect some details here. Hopefully the next two books complete the picture because it feels like there is a lot more to know about the space wolf continuum. So you get jipped on some detail but it probably helps keep this story light and fun. It's safe to say this book is geared toward a juvenile audience but it didn't keep me from enjoying it. I'd say on the whole the book falls a lot more solidly in the fantasy department with few sci-fi elements, just for a point of reference. If your hankering for some light yet gritty fantasy, Space Wolf will give you something to chew on.

Space Wolf chronicles the rise of Ragnar Blackmane. From a young member of a small islander tribe of Fenris to the glory of an ultimate warrior of the Emperium, this is a tale growing and learning. While it lacks on the 'epic' feel of most WH40K books I've read, and it is very predictable at times, this is still a fun and interesting book. The amount of background material for the Space Wolf chapter of space marines is awesome for anyone interesting in learning about them. Because Ragnar is devoid of any knowledge about the universe and proceeds to learn and observe, this book is excellent for anyone looking for a introductory book to the WH40K world. The brutal training of the Space Wolves gives you a good idea of why space marines are so powerful and able to take on such overwhelming odds.

Principally, this 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 (up to five now). I'm sure they are great and can't wait to read them!