Customer Reviews

Warriors of Ultramar (Warhammer: Ultramarines)

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

 

 

I do not play Warhammer 40K--but I do love the stories, and fluff that go with that universe. This is the second novel continuing the story of Ultramarines captain Uriel Ventris as the 4th company join forces with the Mortifactors and Imperial Guard in defense against the overwhelming Tyranid horde. I've read much about the Warhammer 40K universe and this book is most definitely the best so far.
Like the first novel there are many memorable scenes, however unlike the first novel, "Warriors of Ultramar" is not weakened by corny dialog, this time around Graham does it perfectly. His writing would fit perfectly for the big screen as he superbly captures the desperation and almost hopeless stance of the imperial forces as they are beaten back to make a final stand on a frozen planet.
I highly recommend this book for all fans of "science fiction/fantasy" war books, and all fans of Warhammer 40K

Graham McNeill has done it again. First he brought us, "Nightbringer" and now he brings us "Warriors of Ultramar". This is the 2nd installment of the Ultramarines 4th company and its courageous captain, Uriel Ventris. This time they are sent to a industrial planet,Tarsis Ultra, to protect it from a Tyranid Invasion. This is the first Warhammer 40,000 book that includes the Tyranids and the horror that they bring to any planet they consume. Its like a heavyweight title fight with the lives of hundreds of thousands as the prize. In one corner there is the Ultramarines lead by Uriel Ventris, The space marine chapter the MORTIFACTORS, and some of most battle harden Imperial guardsmen anywhere. In the other couner there is the hundreds of thousands of the hive minded and mutated beasts and monsters known as the Tyranids. If you like big battles. This one is for you.

Aliens invading to eat a planet, Precious few Marines, and a small army of Imperial Guard infantry with some armor is all that stands in the path of a unstoppable eating machine. I thought the characters were great and wanted to know more about almost all of them and think its a excellent series now. Excellent if you like the space smurfs.

Wow, this guy is a great author for 40k! Great pacing, fast but well-visualized descriptions of battle, enjoyable characters, brutal, relentless violence, and a plot that holds your attention like a power fist with energizer batteries! Another great novel breathes life into the 40k universe!

This is our first look at the Tyrannids in print, and frankly, they need more books. Think Aliens, and you have a sort of idea about their menace, but the xenomorphs don't have space fleets, or an invisible stalker in the city streets...

Those of us who've played Necromunda should appreciate the street gang parts- not your typical Imperial heroes by far...

The Mortifactors are a cool branch of Marines, posing some moral and ethical questions to the uptight Ultramarines they share a Primarch with.

Finally, we get to see the Ordo Xenos. While the Inquisitor series has popularized the other Ordos, this alien-hunting branch of the Inquisition plays a crucial role in defeating the world-devouring hives of the Tyrannids.

The upshot is, if you are into 40k, and want to read something that hasn't been done before, this book is for you. The different sides of the Empire shown here are more than enough to make the book worth its price, with only a few plot conventions to bring down the enjoyment.

Fight, fight, fight.. All day long..

If you're looking for intense combat set in the dark world of WH40K, this book is for you. As the Ultramarines and their desperate allies face off against an unsatiable Tyranid hive fleet, you get nonstop and highly exciting action. McNeill is one of the very best WH40K authors and does an excellent job of living up to his name here. Well-described and gruesome battle scenes are interspersed with the development of a whole host of intriguing characters. Even though the primary enemy is distinctly non-human and impossible to understand, you get plenty of great characters here, including Space Marines, Inquisitors, Imperial Guardsmen, nobles, and even slum-living gangsters. While the action really drives the story, the characters in this book are without a doubt some of the best I've found in WH40K lit.

This book is included in the excellent ULTRAMARINES OMNIBUS, and is the second installment in the saga of Uriel Ventris. To read these books in the correct order: NIGHTBRINGER, WARRIORS OF ULTRAMAR, STORM OF IRON, then DEAD SKY BLACK SUN. Only STORM OF IRON is not included in the omnibus edition but was recently reprinted and is readily available.

As an avid and longtime fan of the Warhammer 40,000 universe (I both read the novels and play the miniatures battle game upon which they are based), I have to admit I was very disappointed with this book. The story is a very straight-forward tale of alien invasion, with no twists or turns in the plot. The Tyranids land on a planet, they run into the Space Marines, a huge fight ensues, the end. That about sums it all up. The characterizations are mostly wooden, with the troubled Uriel Ventris and the atypical Mortifactors providing the only conflict amongst the human characters. The Tyranids are a terrible choice as the main villains, because they're just slavering beasts with no motives other than to kill and consume (think Alien). They are certainly menacing but anyone wanting more "depth" from their bad guys is going to be frustrated here. If you're looking for really great WH40K novels check out the Inquisitor Eisenhorn books or the Gaunt's Ghosts series. After reading those I was hoping for more from "Warriors of Ultramar".

Warriors of Ultmar was a lot better than nightbringer, wait, no.....yes, no....while maybe, not a lot, but better, yeah, that's it. This book was very good, I personally enjoyed the imperial guard part of the book and the side story with that character (I forgot his name). I Hated the whole space ship battle, awful and boring, not poorly written I just don't enjoy space ships.