Customer Reviews

The Ultramarines Omnibus (Warhammer 40,000 Omnibus)

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

An advantage of being a relative newcomer to the Warhammer 40K world is you get to read the Omnibus editions of some of the best books from the Black Library. The new covers are very pleasing to see and you get 3 books for the price of 1. And more importantly, the ones I have read thus far have been awesome, the Ultramarines Omnibus is no exception, I did not hesitate to give it a full 5 stars.

The Ultramarines Omnibus follows the story of Uriel Ventris who has recently become the Captain of Ultramarines Chapter 4th company. The author does a good job of making Uriel's character exactly how one might expect a Space Marine of the Imperium to be...traits like his fanatical loyalty to the emperor, burning hatred of his enemies, willingness to kill and die for his emperor and chapter.

But Uriel isn't just that, we see a very nice representation of his other emotions that most people in the Warhammer Universe may not notice or might even be shocked to know a Space marine can have. His genuine concern for the common people of the Imperium, his doubts about his ability to command, his worries about diverging from the Codex Astartes - the code of war that the Space Marine must follow, and his anger and sometimes despair at the actions of some of his allies, particularly the Inquisition.

The books themselves have great plots and fast paced action that are well written and will not disappoint.

The first book Nightbringer's plot is an interesting mix of action and politics in a world of the Imperium and has one of the most interesting characters I have read about in the Warhammer Universe (Ario Barzano - can't say more than revealing the characters name to avoid any spoilers).

The second book is my favorite. Warriors of Ultramar is one of the best War novels I have read...its about a desperate attempt by the Imperium to defeat an unimaginably huge Tyranid invasion at an Imperial World Tarsis Ultra, which the Ultramarines are oath bound to defend.
The Ultramarines together with the Mortificators Chapter space marines, Ordo Xenos arm of the Inquisition and their associated Deathwatch space marines, 2 Imperial Guard regiments and the defenders of Tarsis Ultra, and the Imperial navy stuggle to fight the Tyranids. You get immersed into the action you could almost feel like you are in it, whether in a huge space fleet action or in the trenches and the walls of the defenders.

The 3rd book, Dead Sky, Black Sun, is set in a world deep in the Chaos held Eye of Terror. Its a brilliant portrayal of a world in the hands of Chaos, with Uriel trying desperately to do his duty and keep his sanity amidst the horrors around him, which include daemons, renegade space marines and factions of the Chaos Space marines of the Iron Warriors chapter battling each other for power.

Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Yes, I liked reading the book and found the Ultramarines fairly interesting. I had just finished reading the compilation of short stories in the "Let the Galaxy Burn" omnibus and saw several crossover characters in this collection of novels. As I learn more about the W40K universe, I think it makes the overall story line more interesting but could also lead to confusion as to why certain characters are in a story (i.e. the gang in the second story).

The first story was very good as mentioned by other reviewers and I thoroughly enjoyed the lawful good aspect of the Ultramarines coming up against a very evil space god during a corporate civil war.

The second story was my favorite as I just like the Tyranoids (think Aliens with an attitude) as the opposition to the Ultramarines. In this case I liked how the Ultramarines found themselves working with other Space Marines that had completely different world views. Very over the top planetary destruction scenes, but that's what makes W40K so fun to read.

The third story was by far the weakest and apparently had multiple crossovers of stories that I was unaware of when I read it. This led to some confusion but did not ruin the story. The realm of Chaos was overly depressing to wade through and I agree with a previous reviewer that it was like watching a long splatterhouse gore flick. However, this does capture the W40K version of hell which is the Chaos plane. If one was unaware of the Horus Heresy and the history of W40K this story might be really confusing. One must understand that history to appreciate the opposing Chaos Marines in this story.

I have been a great fan of the Warhammer universe, both Warhammer Fantasy & 40K, for many years.
Having finally decided to read some of the novels, I browsed the possible selections and ordered a few. The Ultramarines Omnibus was a treat for me to read. I was unable to do any tabletop gaming with anyone because of my busy schedule and this was just the thing to slake my battle lust!

Uriel Ventris makes a magnificent central character and is fleshed out well. Graham McNeill does a superb job of capturing both the martial spirit of the battle brothers of the Ultramarines and all of the foes they face, both from the Xenos without and corruption within the Imperium of Man.

As others have said, the stories are fast-paced and keep one interested in the action. A lot is packed into the tales and it was a joy to read them. The first story in the omnibus, Nightbringer, is an excellent overview of much of what the Warhammer 40,000 universe is like; skilfully incorporating many elements that those that are familiar with it know and love. My only criticism is the ending of that tale is a bit rushed, like it is wrapping up loose elements, where it really doesn't have to do so for the story to end well anyway.

Beyond that minor criticism - which is just a mechanics of writing nitpick and does not affect the enjoyability of the rest of it - I would recommend this book to anyone that likes this genre, especially those new to the Warhammer 40K novels.

I will be reviewing a few more of the Black Library books that I have read since this omnibus, soon.

Hail the Emperor!
Burn the heretic, purge the xenos!

As a relatively new Warhammer 40K player I was looking for a great novel to fill out the universe for me beyond the rulebook and codexes- the Ultramarines Omnibus delivered! McNeill has a masterful way of combining a solid understanding of 40K lore and technology, artful descriptions of combat and great descriptions of human emotion. In the Omnibus we see the rise and fall of heroes, the strength and failings of human character, and the ebb and flow of warring factions' fortunes. But let's face it, most of us pick up a 40K novel because we want some great battle action- it's to be found here in many pages of intense and well-conceived action. We see the Space Marines at the war with rebel faction, rogue Dark Eldar, insidious Chaos Space Marines and ravenous Tyrannid hoards. The protagonist in chief, Uriel Ventriss, achieves many heroic enterprises that are made believable by McNeill's description of the moral fortitude, genetic enhancement, and astounding arsenal, of a Space Marine Captain. McNeill paints the Space Marine as mortal- able to feel pain and doubt, yet superhuman- a fighting force driven by a superior strength and fighting spirit second to none.

The Ultramarines are known to be virtuous and highly devoted servants of the God-Emperor. They are also known to be simple in spirit in that their sustenance is to serve the Emperor with vigor and loyalty. I believe that Uriel, Pasanius, and Learchus reflect these qualities to one degree or another. For those who say that they are wooden, perhaps you're not getting the point of the story. Each Ultramarine protagonist is trying to find their own place in the Warhammer 40k universe - perhaps less so in Learchus' case as is limited in his capacity to think outside the Codex Astartes. I think its gratifying to watch a straight-laced Ultramarine find his own path - as Captain Idaeus wanted him to.

Nightbringer sets up the reader with a refreshing look at Uriel's first operation as the captain of 4th company. Warriors of Ultramar demonstrates Uriel's depth as a individual space marine and his genuine belief in applying himself where he is best suited - which ironically got him one way ticket to the Eye of Terror. The third and last installment of this omnibus was a real test or character as Uriel and Pasanius faced the horrors of a Chaos world and the vindication of their own character.

Overall, it's a great read that's well worth your time.

What to say that hasn't been said already? This is one great non-stop ride from front to back. It reminded me of those thrilling pulp fiction stories where the hero is thrown into all kinds of situations and somehow manages to come out on top until you least expect something worse is coming. For an Omnibus it is worth every penny for the amount of visceral action and adventure.

Any fan of war fiction would be delighted to sink their teeth into this tomb of Ultramarine stories. Uriel Ventris albeit a space marine is someone you can identify with and root for. Storm of Iron has a hard time living up to the expectations set in the other books but still worth the eye time.

Graham McNeil's "Ultramarines Omnibus" is a collection of three novels and a short story set in the dark gothic universe of Warhammer 40 000. It follows the adventures of captain Uriel Ventris - leader of the Ultramarines fourth company.

Ultramarines books are full of fluff mistakes. Some of these include; Adeptus Arbites judges driving around in rhino APCs; local PDF commanders having access to power fists; the ultramarines fourth company apparently not having tanks (of any kind), terminators, devastator squads, power fists, dreadnoughts, drop pods, bikes, land speeders, and in general most of the stuff that an effective Adeptus Astartes strike force is based on; what's more, the 4th company conducts most of their attacks head-on, running into enemy gunfire with little or no tactics involved. These things might seem irrelevant to someone who isn't a diehard 40k fan, but this omnibus is - after all - aimed at diehard fans, and to us this sort of fluff mistakes can go a long way towards making or breaking a story.

That being said, "Ultramarines Omnibus" contains a lot more character development then is usual in Space Marine fiction. Even supporting characters are well fleshed-out. Uriel, Pasanius, and Learchus have genuine personality traits that set them apart from each other; their emotions, hopes, and doubts are something we - the readers - can relate to. This is most pronounced when the Ultramarines are interacting with regular humans, astartes from other chapters, and even their traitor cousins. They are all so very different, and yet they all fundamentally human.

McNeil's literary style is nothing to write home about, but it isn't particularly bad, either. The books are fast-paced, entertaining, and easy to read. If you're a fan of space marines, you should definitely read this collection.

I have read scores and scores of 40k books, and I have to say that the three books that make up this Omnibus are some of the best I've ever read. Graham McNeill really shows he can keep up with some of the best authors writing 40k today. I would place him as an equal along side Dan Abnett.

Each books really takes you on vacation to somewhere entirely different from the other. Every problem they face is unique and never becomes dull.

The the first book, we see a lot of how Imperial worlds are run. We learn a lot of background on the Arbites who enforce the Emperors laws as a world is being torn apart at the seams. We get to see a whole line of chain of command come into focus, each person always one upping the other with power and control. Some moments are written out so well, that you get goose bumps and a huge grin on your face. There is a lot of political intrigue, backstabbing, and of course Space Marines crushing various enemies you always wanted to read about. Dark Eldar and Necrons make some appearances here.

The second book I didn't think I would like. At the time I wasn't a big fan of the 'Nids, nor the IG. By the end of the book, I was hooked and have a whole heck of a lot more respect for the 'Nids in the 40k universe. They are a force to be reckoned with. Lots of IG, Lots of SPace Marines, and lots of fleet battles in this book.

The third is probably exactly what I would image a Chaos world to be like. Think Hellraiser, but on steroids. Gore everywhere. Quite a few pretty detailed Chaos characters as well. We learn how some Iron Warriors are being made. We also learn that, yes, even in the middle of the warp, on a Chaos planet, that the Emperor still has reach. Titans, Dreadnaughts, Chaos spawn, Daemons of impossible power, this book is filled with them.

This book has been by far one of my favorite books in the W40K series, as the Ultramarines have always been my favorite Space Marine Chapter apart from the Choas Space Marines in the Word Bearers Legion, I throughally enjoyed reading this book! It gives the reader a more in depth seat in some of the crazy battles that happen amiss the Dawn of War and W40K Universe, me being a Dawn of War fanatic and gamer myself, was imenstly thrown into a truely devistating battle against the Dark Eldar, from there holding on to life fighting the ever dreaded tyranids in the icey mountains, to the gravest enemy of the Space Marines, Chaos Space Marines! For now after reading the book I can honestly say That I have found a new respect for the Ultramarines and thanks to Graham McNeill whom mastered the way to truely graps my attention in a combat scene! I can honestly recomend this book to both Older and Newer Dawn of War and W40K fans, and all sci-fi fans alike, read this book and forever become addicted to the Epic Saga of the Space Marines!