Slaves to Darkness (The Horus Heresy)

Product Information

It's been a while, but I'm finally here. Up to date with the Horus Heresy, aside from a few minor things I skipped and plan to catch up on in the nearest future. This book started out nicely, intriguing and exceptionally atmospheric, yet I did not get everything I wanted from it. I feel like I will have to read it again to fully appreciate the experience. My initial excitement was based on the fact that I always preferred reading about the traitor legions, their stories being more deep and complicated, often having better character development. I did not get enough of it here. I can't see this novel being enjoyable as a stand alone, which is a major issue for me personally. I believe each book in the series has to be readable and understandable to a person who has't read every other thing published before it and I see this one relying heavily on the previous HH pieces. When considering characters, I think Lorgar and Perturabo stole the show. They were very well handled, in my opinion. Big appearances, as primarchs should be, continuing the developments made by other books and authors and still adding to them. The last scene with Lorgar was too very good, and surprising also. Very curious to see what road he will be on after this book ...

An intense and entertaining tale about the traitor Primarchs and their legions assembling to Ullanor before starting their final approach to Terra, despite the huge divisions among them: Emperor's Children and World Eaters are totally degenerate and disbanded after Fulgrim and Angron demonic ascensions and Lorgar decides at last it's time for him to take the lead. The HH series are at it's best (I think) when we come along scenes in which very human things happen to very inhuman / trans - human characters. Love, brotherhood, betrayal, jealousy, honor and so on. Then the HH series are at it's hight, but also very relatable: although happening in a pure fictional world, they adres situations which can happen to you or me in everyday life. Scenes like the Aximand - Torgaddon confrontation in galaxy in flames, or Fulgrim - Ferrus in book V. This book had such of scenes too, so good stuff. The reason Loved all the storylines and the 40K vibe and atmosphere in this 51th Horus Heresy book. And some vivid scenes like the III Legion preparing to start its deadly concert, something like out of a Clive Barker's nightmare, are just going to stay with me forever.Roboute Guilliman: Lord of Ultramar • Leman Russ: The Great Wolf • Magnus the Red: Master of Prospero • Perturabo: The Hammer of Olympia • Lorgar: Bearer of the Word • Fulgrim: The Palatine Phoenix • Ferrus Manus: Gorgon of Medusa • Grandfather's Gift • Perturabo: Stone and Iron • Malcador: First Lord of the Imperium • Konrad Curze: A Lesson in Darkness • Jaghatai Khan: Warhawk of Chogoris • Vulkan: Lord of Drakes • Sons of the Emperor • Corax: Lord of Shadows • Angron: Slave of Nuceria • Scions of the Emperor • Konrad Curze: The Night Haunter • Ghost of Nuceria • The Passing of Angels • The Abyssal Edge • Mercy of the Dragon • Lion El'Jonson: Lord of the First • Illyrium • The Revelation of the Word • Morningstar • Will of the Legion • Embers of Extinction • Alpharius: Head of the Hydra • Blood of the Emperor • Loyal Sons • Mortarion: The Pale King • Rogal Dorn: The Emperor's Crusader • Sanguinius: The Great Angel • Heirs of The Emperor I Horus Rising • II False Gods • III Galaxy in Flames • IV The Flight of the Eisenstein • V Fulgrim • VI Descent of Angels • VII Legion • VIII Battle for the Abyss • IX Mechanicum • X Tales of Heresy • XI Fallen Angels • XII A Thousand Sons • XIII Nemesis • XIV The First Heretic • XV Prospero Burns • XVI Age of Darkness • XVII The Outcast Dead • XVIII Deliverance Lost • XIX Know No Fear • XX The Primarchs • XXI Fear to Tread • XXII Shadows of Treachery • XXIII Angel Exterminatus • XXIV Betrayer • XXV Mark of Calth • XXVI Vulkan Lives • XXVII The Unremembered Empire • XXVIII Scars • XXIX Vengeful Spirit • XXX The Damnation of Pythos • XXXI Legacies of Betrayal • XXXII Deathfire • XXXIII War Without End • XXXIV Pharos • XXXV Eye of Terra • XXXVI The Path of Heaven • XXXVII The Silent War • XXXVIII Angels of Caliban • XXXIX Praetorian of Dorn • XL Corax • XLI The Master of Mankind • XLII Garro • XLIII Shattered Legions • XLIV The Crimson King • XLV Tallarn • XLVI Ruinstorm • XLVII Old Earth • XLVIII The Burden of Loyalty • XLIX Wolfsbane • L Born of Flame • LI Slaves to Darkness • LII Heralds of the Siege • LIII Titandeath • LIV The Buried Dagger Argonis strode forwards. The Iron Circle twitched towards him but stilled as Perturabo turned to look at him. At over fifty books in the series the Horus Heresy at times has been required to allow itself to indulge in the occasional filler book and Slaves to Darkness certainly fits this particular bill.

I The Solar War • II The Lost and the Damned • III The First Wall • Sons of the Selenar • IV Saturnine • Fury of Magnus • V Mortis • VI Warhawk • VII Echoes of Eternity • Garro: Knight of Grey • VIII The End and the Death ( Volume I • Volume II • Volume III)From its wonderfully penned opening to its dramatic conclusion French shows off his masterful use of the written word by showing not only the divisions between the Primarch's but also those Horus holds closest to him in his own legion. His adapt use of colourful descriptions as he shows the audience the true inner struggle that the Horus of old fights daily as well as his self delusions that he can somehow retain his own psyche and ultimately master the forces that move him, gave this reader something of a forlorn hope that the Warmaster may indeed see the error of his ways, even while knowing all the while he will not.