Customer Reviews

Xenology: Notes and Research from the Alien Bestiary of Biegel (Warhammer 40000)

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

 

 

A huge percentage of Warhammer 40,000 (aka 40K) background material focuses on The Space Marines as they are still the most popular miniature range for the tabletop game, but the aliens get their due at least a little bit in this fun background book for the popular science fantasy game. Fans of a particular alien race may be disappointed at the short amount of material devoted to their favorite "xenos," but the positive side to this is that nearly all of the aliens from 40K get some attention in this book; it's an alien autopsy smorgasbord! Please note that this book review assumes some knowledge of Games Workshop's Warhammer 40,000 game universe, so if you're reading this review and feeling lost, please check out Games Workshop's website for more information at games-workshop dot com.

The premise of the book is that it is a report based on the lab contents and notes of a "heretical" Imperial inquisitor. The report was supposedly made by an inquisitor sent to shut down the lab and document the contents before destroying them. The contents of each page are designed to look like a hodgepodge of notes made in haste about each specimen and document found in the lab. This includes notes on alien physiology and behavior with anatomical diagrams and more. There are even a few lesser known alien creatures documented in the book, though most material is devoted to well-known alien species like Orks, Tau, Eldar and Tyranids.

At the time of this writing Amazon is selling this book at a huge 37% discount off the list price and I definitely think this book has enough fun background in it to be worth buying at such a bargain price, although the list price is a little steep for what is here. In fact, I've only rated this book with 3 stars because of the steep list price, which I feel is a bit excessive. In short, buy this book here at Amazon at a nice discount if you enjoy these background books even a little bit, but don't bother with it at the full list price unless you enjoy these types of books enough that you feel you absolutely must have it.

Xenology is not the most visually stunning art book to come out of the black library, but it does have loads of background that should intrigue any 40K fan, and an amusing framing story with a surprise twist at the end! The data is presented in the form of an "Inquisitorial Analysis", with dissection notes, eyewitness reports, heretical texts secured from Inquisitorial vaults, and first hand observations.

Several mysteries unfold as the reader progresses though the findings, told from the viewpoint of an ill-fated Inquisitor and a reluctant Genetor Scientist. It reads like a murder mystery, with a horrifying ending that goes well outside the scope of the characters involved.

There are several new aliens described (Umbra), in depth information on races only alluded to before (Hrud), and comprehensive summaries verifying information on races already well developed (including insight into the roles and motivations of all four types of Eldar). Most importantly, connections are drawn between each case study that point to the role the Slaan and C'tan play in the fate of all the races of the galaxy, as first suggested in Codex: Necrons. In fact, this is an excellent companion book to the Necron codex for those hungry for more background information on all the races of the 40K universe.

To sum up, the value of this book comes from the amusing presentation of a wealth of xenos information, and the black tale that unfolds as the reader explores its contents. The art should be considered a bonus. Enjoy contents of this book while you can, for the Inquisition will not be far behind...

Rebeccasreads highly recommends XENOLOGY as an extraordinary background book for WARHAMMER 40,000 devotees complete with awe-inspiring artwork, macabre notations & nightmarish images which are bound to give the lads some lovely frissons of spooky fear!

A superbly detailed, mesmerizing catalog of aliens, their anatomy & visions of galaxies, which, incidentally, includes a bit of a mystery.

The concept to explore some of the lesser known alien races of 40K universe was very solid, but this book really didn't deliver on the little details. The kroot anatomy is wrong (the picture depicts their hands wrong and they don't have noses). Tau are also messed up (their feet). Like many of GW's products, there doesn't appear to be any consistency when it comes to checking the small things and this book suffers greatly because of it.

Xenology: Notes And Dissections From The Alien Bestiary Of Biegel, And Studies Of Its Vile Specimens, By Those Present At Its Destruction by author Simon Spurrier is an intricate and illustrated investigation into the science fiction adventure world of the Warhammer 40,000 and a substantial amount of the physical embodiment of the many alien species that inhabit it. Contrasting in-depth information and detailed and well crated artwork, Xenology definitively accounts for a previously unknown study of this heretofore abstract world. Xenology: Notes And Dissections From The Alien Bestiary Of Biegel, And Studies Of Its Vile Specimens, By Those Present At Its Destruction is very strongly recommended to all Warhammer 40,000 universe, readers, fans, and rolegamers, especially those wanting a greater understanding of its diverse inhabitants.