Greatest Warhammer 40,000 Novel Ever
919862
This novel is, without a doubt, the greatest Warhammer 40,000 novel ever written. The author, Ian Watson, has won essentially every Science Fiction award known to man, was Stanley Kubrick's (Director of Platoon, The Shinning, and A Clockwork Orange) go-to-guy for writing and ideas, wrote the entirety of the screenplay A.I. for Stephen Spielburg (and worked hand-in-hand with him during the production), and then in a fit of madness decided to go on and write award-winning Romance novels (I can't even begin to speculate there).

I've seen interviews of Ian Watson talking about Space Marine and he started out by giving the history of tabletop war games. H.G. Wells was the inventor of them and his reasoning was that "he wanted to teach the leaders of the world that no matter how good their strategies are or how well prepared they are, they were going to lose lives". Thus Ian Watson wrote this novel with that in mind. Unlike the Warhammer 40,000 books to come this novel vilifies warfare in its entirety without outright saying it. He also wrote it for people ages 21+.

In this novel you have a true fascist society and Space Marines aren't really buff men ALA the 300, but genetically engineered and indoctrinated child-soldiers (they are not children by the end of their training, however they are recruits when they're still children and trained that, to quote the book "To Slay is to Pray"). You have a world where sexuality is both gleefully explored and discarded through the fact that these eugenically inspired soldiers are chemically [...] on a genetic level and seek platonic love with their brothers. In fact, the entire social structure of a marine chapter is one horribly warped family, where Sergeants/Captains/etc. fill the role of a Father, fellow soldiers that of brother (though throughout the book, when one soldier decides to protect the other, he will refer to him as his sister strangely enough), etc.

The enemies are real and equally terrifying. The three chapters introduce you to the three arch-types of enemies: The Heretic (An insane Asian-descended man who styles himself a god and has reshaped his society into something that I can only think is a Darker Parody of North Korea), the Daemon (creatures from another plane of existence who revel in human suffering; since Watson wasn't restricted by the Black Library "13-16 target audience" these things are truly awe-inspiringly disgusting and [...]), and the Alien (Tyranids who can control their own evolution and do so gleefully, exchanging technology for biology. The description of living ships, the mechanics that go into invading one, and how dangerous the very environment itself is are absolutely mind-blowing).

They may be re-releasing this book with Black Library's "Heretical Tomes" (as of the time of this review there has been no word on that yet), but I would definitely recommend buying it, despite the high price of admission. Believe me, you will not be disappointed. Also, a number of the people who I've met that have read this can no longer read current day Warhammer 40,000 novels because of how they just simply can't compare. So in a way you're saving money :P.
2067708
This book is on my top five list of all-time greatest fantasy novels, hands down, right up there with LOTR, A Game of Thrones, The Name of the Wind, and The Black Company. Seriously. When I first read this novel, it absolutely blew me away. Stover takes a tired concept, crosses it with some sci-fi goodness, and seriously ups the ante with major stakes and an anti-hero you just can't help but root for throughout the entire story. Read it, you will not be disappointed.
3283913
There is always a fundamental difference between knowing about the turning point and witnessing it. Every WH40K fan knows about the Horus Heresy and the impact it had on the  development of this fictional universe, but up to this point our knowledge was based on snippets and dry facts spread throughout the codices, "White Dwarf" articles etc. However, Dan Abnett manages to do the impossible by showing us and bringing to life the very beginning of this, let's admit it, galaxy-shattering event.

 First of all, Abnett gives us in his prequel a very detailed presentation of the reality of the 31st millennium and underlines how it differs from "the grim darkness of the far future" of the 41st millennium we all know and love. The Great Crusade itself, the conduct of Space Marines (i.e. Luna Wolves, since the novel is focused on this particular Legion (yes, Legion, not Chapter yet)) in terms of dealing with defeated foes (look up Chapter Two and tell me you see that scene happening in WH40K!), Space Marine Primarch using, gulp, DIPLOMACY (!) and many, many more: all of it presents a very different, more optimistic, yet hauntingly familiar world which gradual decomposition and reshaping will become all the more frightening over the course of the next novels.

 The second best thing about this book are the characters. Having read this and the following novels (up to "Fulgrim" and planning to read the rest) I can guarantee that you won't have to get through "False Gods" and "Galaxy in Flames" to care about the characters. I'm an avid reader of many tie-in novels ("Star Trek," "Star Wars," "(old) World of Darkness" franchises, to name the few) and I know when I see that the authors get lazy and and rely on the background of the characters from other sources to fill in the gaps made by their subpar writing. Trust me, this does not happen here. Each and every character, from the canonical ones (Horus, Sanguinius, Rogal Dorn, Ezekyle Abbadon etc.) to the ones introduced for the first time (Garviel Loken, Mersadie Oliton, Euphrati Keeler, Kyril Sindermann, Ignace Karkasy etc.) has his or her own personality and plays a vital role in allowing the reader to see the events of the novel from a plethora of perspectives, each one of them greatly contributing to  making the reading of this novel a worthwhile (and worth-your-money) experience.

 The last, but not least, is that Abnett manages to convey something more than just action. It is clearly visible in the moral conundrums of captain Garviel Loken in terms of being, as a Space Marine, somewhere in between a thinking being and an efficient killing machine (again something you don't see often in WH40K)  and the issue of the role of religion in life, as best represented by the secular Imperial Truth, considering religion as something anachronistic and dangerous (oh, the irony of this for all of you who know what the Imperium of Man will be like in 10.000 years!), being confronted with the slowly, but steadily developing belief in the 63rd expedition that "the Emperor protects"... and the horrors of the Warp that make a memorable appearance. In any case, this is not a "BIG gunz and BIG batelz" mindless action-fest that some think is Black Library's standard for WH40K fiction.

 All in all, I enjoyed "Horus Rising" very much and consider it a great read for W40K fan(atic)s and those who have yet to get to know this universe better (or at all) alike. For the former it will be a great opportunity to see how "the seeds of heresy were sown" and for the latter it will be a great introduction to WH40K in general.
252551
This "Game of the Year" edition of Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War (DoW) contains new battle maps, online features and an observer mode to enhance what was already a terrific RTS computer game. Each of the four races in the game look and behave as one would expect from Games Workshop's Warhammer 40,000 (aka 40K) universe. The Eldar are graceful and cultured in their speech and appearance (think High Elves in space), performing marvelous acrobatic moves in combat. Orks are brutal, awkward and ramshackle in their appearance and gait, Chaos Marines and their demonic minions are dark, cruel and monstrous while regular Space Marines (enhanced humans) are very industrial and all business. The animations in combat are so good you'll want to play some skirmishes on easy difficulty so that you can take your time looking close up at the individual fighting using the fully moveable 3D camera. There are even special "sync-kill" animations when certain creatures destroy each other. For example, when the Space Marine Commander kills a gigantic Bloodthirster (huge winged demon), the animation sequence is one of the most spectacular in the game!

The skirmish option offers both single and multiplayer modes with many different battle maps from which to choose. This offers near limitless permutations, providing tons of re-playability. The campaign is a wee bit linear and not overly challenging, but is loads of fun, has an entertaining story and can be completed by all players regardless of skill level. Difficulty level settings can be used in both campaign and skirmish play to make the game more or less challenging as desired.

The voice acting and music are quite good in DoW and enhance play enormously. The game is highly evocative of the dark, gothic feel of the 40K miniatures game produced by Games Workshop (GW).

Resource gathering is used as is expected in an RTS game, but it is very simple and does not occupy an enormous amount of game time. The emphasis of DoW is all on the action and combat! Resources are gathered by capturing strategic points and critical locations on the battle map. Capture more territory and more resources will be available to you to complete your research and build your army.

Note that the expansion pack for this game, Winter Assault, will provide players with even more maps and options, as well as a new army, The Imperial Guard. There are also numerous mods available on the Internet providing even more armies from the 40K universe.
4081775
This is a gem among so many Warhammer 40K novels.

The setting is very grimdark. In short, and with no spoilers, you have an Imperial world that is beset by a Necron reawakening and the Death Corp of Krieg are assigned to investigate. The squaring off of these forces and those caught in their crossfire make for a compelling read.

If you enjoy either faction or the 40K universe in general you will enjoy this novel. Happy reading!
2686280
I was never big into fantasy novels, but this novel blew me away!  I could not put it down, as soon as I started reading I had to finish.  K.J. Eldridge is the next great fantasy author.  His story is intriguing and you have to know what happens next.  The descriptions of the environment made me believe I was actually there in the realm.  His characters are extremely likeable and relatable.  There are so many stories and adventures going on at once you have to keep reading.  I would suggest this novel to everyone (and I have too).  I met K.J. Eldridge at the Lexington Comic Book and Toy Convention back in 2012.  He is the artist of the comic "WULVERN" (if you don't know what that is you are missing out on a GREAT comic!) and he can sketch anything you want.  All in all if you are a fan of Tolkien you will LOVE this novel.  Bot don't take my word for it, pick up your copy today!  You won't regret it.
2765469
I play the table top version of 40k and my first army was the black Templar, reading a book about my favorite character in the game made me want to paint more of them up again.  Was so good of a book I read it too fast!
3108902
The greatest strength of this book is the incomparably demoralizing depiction of our planets probable future. And not since Dan Abnett's milestone Eisenhorn and Ravenor trilogies, has the Inquisition been portrayed with such intricate detail. Character development is exceptional and insightful, to the degree that I envisioned Charles Dance portraying Inquisitor Erasmus from the beginning. The Carrion Throne is one of the most mature and enthralling novel from Black Library publications to date, Chris Wraight's The Emperor's Legion is proving to be the pinnacle Warhammer 40,000 novel ... period.
671219
Though it has been some ten years since I first read Red Storm Rising, I still remember nearly every aspect of the book; a testament to the ability of this story to grab you and not let go. It is an incredible writing, so full of action and humanity that it almost makes you think you are reading a documentary about World War III.  It starts fast and doesn't slow down from there.  I have probably read the book 30 times, and each time I read it, it's as new as the first time.  I love Clancy novels and this one is hands down the best he has ever done.  Brilliant.
3230174
Kevin Anderson and Brian Herbert have skillfully taken frank herbert's epic vision of the far far future and given us a unforgettable novel set decades before original Dune. They take us on a tour of the planets in the  Imperium:Arrakis,also called Dune home nomadic fremen people,where spice is  mined. Caladan:home of the noble house of atreides. Giede Prime-home of the  cruel and depraved house of Harkonnen and Kaitain: Home of Imperial home  world of this galactic empire where Prince Shaddam will plot to murder his  father to gain the throne. You will be shocked by lethal  intrigues,machevellian manuvers used by the great house of the Imperium as  the struggle for power in this brutal system. You will be atonished as the  bene gessit sisterhood comes one step closer in their bid to create a  superbeing a kwisatz Haderach. A masterpiece of world-building and my humble  opinion the best sf novel of 1999!
4574676
This package contains both the "Game of the Year" edition of Dawn of War plus the Winter Assault expansion pack.

This "Game of the Year" edition of Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War (DoW) contains new battle maps, online features and an observer mode to enhance what was already a terrific RTS computer game. Each of the four races in the game look and behave as one would expect from Games Workshop's Warhammer 40,000 (aka 40K) universe. The Eldar are graceful and cultured in their speech and appearance (think High Elves in space), performing marvelous acrobatic moves in combat. Orks are brutal, awkward and ramshackle in their appearance and gait, Chaos Marines and their demonic minions are dark, cruel and monstrous while regular Space Marines (enhanced humans) are very industrial and all business. The animations in combat are so good you'll want to play some skirmishes on easy difficulty so that you can take your time looking close up at the individual fighting using the fully moveable 3D camera. There are even special "sync-kill" animations when certain creatures destroy each other. For example, when the Space Marine Commander kills a gigantic Bloodthirster (huge winged demon), the animation sequence is one of the most spectacular in the game!

The skirmish option offers both single and multiplayer modes with many different battle maps from which to choose. This offers near limitless permutations, providing tons of replayability. The campaign is a wee bit linear and not overly challenging, but is loads of fun, has an entertaining story and can be completed by all players regardless of skill level. Difficulty level settings can be used in both campaign and skirmish play to make the game more or less challenging as desired.

The voice acting and music are quite good in DoW and enhance play enormously. The game is highly evocative of the dark, gothic feel of the 40K miniatures game produced by Games Workshop (GW).

Resource gathering is used as is expected in an RTS game, but it is very simple and does not occupy an enormous amount of game time. The emphasis of DoW is all on the action and combat! Resources are gathered by capturing strategic points and critical locations on the battle map. Capture more territory and more resources will be available to you to complete your research and build your army.

Note that the expansion pack for this game, Winter Assault, provides players with even more maps and options, as well as a new fully playable army, The Imperial Guard. The Winter Assault campaign can be played from either of two points of view, "order" or "chaos," and involves a war against CPU controlled Necrons! Skirmish mode, as in the original Dawn of War, adds a lot of replayability value to the game, with many different battle maps and play combinations. Play any of five armies, play with allies or play free-for-all, and that's not counting multiplayer mode!

Between trying to hear all the fun voice acting, see all the great animations, and actually playing the game, Dawn of War Gold Edition will keep you busy and enthralled for many hours. "Let the galaxy burn!"
1023395
This is my first HH book and it was awesome! I have read plenty of books in the 40k universe but never dabbled in 30k. I assumed I would of been lost ...but this book steers you pretty clear. Once loyal marines now turned rogue, pull the rug on Ultramarines and plan total devastation of the planet. Beautiful action sequences and a plethora of characters. Dan Abnett is quite a great writer. Dont miss out on this book.
174130
Excellent read by a talented writer. Some strong and compelling characters, a flowing and exciting story, and an absolutely epic ending. Everything you want in a Warhammer story is here, but this is just a great book regardless of setting.
4336213
If you're a fan of 40K, especially the backstory to pivotal events in the history of the Imperium, then you're probably already immersed in this series. Fans of Chaos can find quite a bit to latch onto as well, as this series delves into the 'turning' of some of humanity towards Chaos, as well as the role(s)and faces Chaos plays and takes.
This book continues the standards set by the previous titles of being well-written with plenty of action and intersecting plot lines and intertwining charachters. I was surprised at how well the books were written- there is some imaginative and well-worded prose to be found, and this book and author are no exception.
If you're not familiar with Games Workshops 'Warhammer 40K' universe, this series will appeal to readers who enjoy a very expanisve and richly developed universe of charachters, history and mythologies. Think of a cross between the 'Dune' universe and Tolkien.
4881790
The first 3 books in the series were better - this one sort of rambles on a bit... but I still really enjoyed reading the entire series. One of the best series in the Warhammer 40K universe - this series incorporates EVERYTHING! There is tons of action, tons of intrigue and every enemy of mankind in the 40K Universe!
2785077
I've read all of the books based on the Grey Knights, and The Emperor's Gift is my favorite by far.  There's plenty of daemon-killing action as you would expect, but best of all are the parts that deal with the First War for Armaggedon - not the first Ork invasion of this world but the daemonic invasion of the world that the Inquisition has worked hard to keep secret.  In the 40K universe, there've been many whispered references to the First War but very few stories written about it.  I was disappointed that more of the story wasn't devoted to Armaggedon but then again, the Ordo Malleus was only involved with the last stages of the First War.  Also, you get to see the Grey Knights come into conflict with the Space Wolves, and Logan Grimnar in action.  Highly recommended if you're a Grey Knights fan.
2954301
This book was excellent.  The cover of the copy I have says it is "the greater war novel of all time."  While it is hard to say anything is the best ever, this book makes a close run.  I have read many great war novels, and this one has moved to the top of my list.

The main theme of the novel is war sucks, and Remarque gives you plenty of reasons why.  Also, while telling the story the author is able to show the struggles with poor command, insufficient hospital care and a soldier's struggle to return to a normal life.  All of which are ideas which have been repeated through most wars and war novels.