Blood Reaver - Book Review

Blood Reaver by Aaron Dembski-Bowden
Driven on by their hatred of the False Emperor, the Night Lords stalk the shadows of the galaxy, eternally seeking revenge for the death of their primarch. Their dark quest leads them to a fractious alliance with the Red Corsairs, united only by a common enemy. Together with this piratical band of renegades, they bring their ways of destruction to the fortress-monastery of the Marines Errant.

Blood Reaver is the latest offering (quite literally as ADB seems to work well when it comes to the Dark Powers) for Aaron Dembski-Bowden seems to write their exploits at a level that must be sponsored by those same dark powers. I must say that despite being a loyalist through and through that I really enjoyed Soul Hunter and how it put a new spin on the Fall and the wars of chaos from the view of the Night Lords. I really liked how it took the aspects of the much talked about but often undealt with aspects of relative time (warp time) and absolute/galactic time (time in the real universe – though even that term is subjective given which side of the chaos line you fall) and how this will wear even a company of Space Marines, even Chaos ones, down to the bone. In short they find they are running out of everything and it’s up to the former Apothecary Talos to pull the Exalted's Warband out of its nosedive and restore it to the 'glory' days of its status as 10th company.

Despite being Space Marines and therefore usually cardboard cut-outs I found the characters were self-interested and thus interesting. So I really liked Soul Hunter, the way that the author made the Astartes seem both like relatable characters from their own perspective, and monsters from the perspective of their slaves and/or victims.

Blood Reaver is more of the same, However, it conspicuously lacks several things, and does several worse. One thing I have noted as have several other reviewers is how it lacks explanation for how the character Cyrion's telepathy seems to have disappeared – though I expect this is explained in the audio book (which still hasn’t arrived at mine yet). This explanation wouldn't have improved the story, but for a story that relies so heavily on continuity and characters being established in the previous novel, leaving it out is frustrating and doesn’t help those that don’t have the audio book.

What I really like is that Soul Hunter doesn’t rely on pre-established knowledge and were both wonderful excursions into relatable characters, which is so rare in Warhammer 40,000. Blood Reaver faces the problems that the middle of any trilogy faces, that you're expected to know what's going on and it doesn't go anywhere interesting. Even when the Covenant of Blood, the cursed ship, goes down with the Exalted one board the warband has already jumped ship to an identical one, albeit it with more lighting and a few different bits of decoration (oh and a problem with a bad smell!).

Personally though despite being a sequel and suffering everything that entails I think the book is a definite good read and a must have, I mean more relatable marines and chaos ones at that! What is the Black Library trying to do? Get me to start a Chaos force as well? I love the books and the characters and despite everything and that First Claw are the kind of dogs you should never turn your back on, I think I’m beginning to like them. So once again a solid novel from ADB and one that rates a solid four and a half again! What is it with me liking Chaos books again? I think I may have to turn myself in to the inquisition at this rate!!!

Available from:
http://www.blacklibrary.com/
Blood Reavers by Aaron Dembski-Bowden
Softback, 416 pages • ISBN 9781849700382

Blood Gorgons - Book Review

Blood Gorgons by Henry Zou
The Blood Gorgons Chaos Space Marines are called to one of their recruiting worlds as the populace is struck down by a plague of mutation. Sargaulis one of few survivors of the first expeditionary force, and is determined to uncover the mysteries on Haute Bassiq. Facing a hostile environment, shadowy xenos enemies and treachery from within his own forces, Sargaul must dig deep into his hatred and determination to leave the planet alive.

Author Henry Zou expands the Bastion Wars Series once again with a rather intriguing foray in to the world of the Traitor Marine. Not the legions this time but one of the few chapters to fall from grace, The Blood Gorgons. The Gorgons are at the forefront of the new trend within Black Library fiction that is starting to show that even the Traitor Marines have a deep and fierce loyalty to their Chapter or Legion. This is emphasised more in this novel due to the binding plot device of shared organs that Zou uses to link the brothers via a “blood-bond”. This creates not only an urgent need to reach, to fight beside, and (if needed) to rescue his bond-brother but also almost supernatural skills where marines can kill using the view from their brothers eyes. This as a whole makes the bond with the chapter more important to those bonded brothers. There are however a few unbonded members and this is where the trouble starts. This helps things move very rapidly and readers can safely indulge their blood lust almost from the start. From the beginning, up until the very end, this story is non-stop action with numerous battles and duels and more than makes up for some of the slower paces Black Library novels of late.


There are so many characters in this story, almost too many but most play minor roles though it is worth keeping track of them throughout. Yet each character that plays a lengthy role has been given a creative background, a rounded background and most importantly and interesting background. Even the background of the Chapter itself is detailed and well thought out, something often lacking from the history of the more minor chapters out there. This helped me wrap my mind around the traitor/loyal mind-set of a Chaos Space Marine and made them seem, despite all their mutations etc, all the more believable as “people”.

There was throughout the book a very interesting use of the characters and locations that not only helped tie the story together but helped set out what I can only hope is a growing story line within the 40k universe whereby the Bastion Stars take a bigger role. Ok, so the story may have jumped a bit both from character to character but also from place to place but this certainly helped with tying it all together. The unique culture and the way it was portrayed showed that the writing of Mr Zou is improving and there may be a new Dan Abnett in the wings. So for me this book with all its amazing imagry (think sea shell or conch shell styling’s) and the action makes a solid four and a half stars.

 
 
Available from:

http://www.blacklibrary.com/
Blood Gorgons by Henry Zou Softback, 416 pages • ISBN 9781849700061