Thursday, June 24, 2010

The Chapters Due - Book Review

The Chapters Due - Graham McNeill
War is unending in the life of a Space Marine. After defeating tau forces, Captain Uriel Ventris of the Ultramarines has returned to the Chapter’s homeworld of Macragge, but there is little respite. The Ultramarines are thrust back into battle, and this time the enemy is the Chapter’s greatest nemesis. The traitorous Iron Warriors, led by renegade Warsmith Honsou, have gathered together a massive and brutal warband. Their target is the realm of Ultramar. Their objective is total annihilation. It is a final showdown between legendary Space Marines, and Uriel Ventris must take on the might of Honsou if he is to save his Chapter’s homeworld.

This is the latest novel in the Uriel Ventris series of Ultramarines novels and i really hope it isn't the last. Whilst it potentially appears to be the last in this story arc and the last in the Honsu, Newborn, Ventris arc it luckily ended withe just enough suspense to mean it may not be - we can only hope.


The novel was a great climax to an awesome story arc and my only complaint is it was only one book instead of two, the scale of the campaign (for want of a better word) and the raging battles could easily have stretched to two novels. As it was this one book was fast paced with action on virtually every page and makes you not want to put it down, i read it over the course of two evenings it was that good.

There are some interesting portions of the books with great flash backs to the past, for both Ventris and the Newborn. There are also some fascinating cameos from the Raven Guard, who would have thought they would turn up seems as FW have just released some awesome new models, and most importantly there were some surprise appearances from the least unexpected quarter. That's right the Legion of the Damned, my apologies for the spoiler but i must say the way in which their background and origins was hinted at was superb and one of the best notions i have ever seen for these mysterious warriors, the Men in Back of 40k. the way they were dealt with was superb and i hope it becomes cannon in the way GW themselves deal with the Legion.
 
All in all an excellent book, a great way two finish of both the Uriel story arc and the Iron Warriors story arcs in one concise and simple novel. well executed and superbly written a real joy to read.
 
A full 5 out of 5 stars from me for such a great ending.
 
 
 

 
Available from:

http://www.blacklibrary.com
The Chapters Due - Graham McNeill
hardback, 320pp • ISBN 9781844168606

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