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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Read the Dual Review with Lord of the Night Here: http://thefoundingfields.com/2013/04/horus-heresy-flight-eisenstein-james-swallow-dual-review-bane-kings-lord-night/.
“An awesome addition to the Horus Heresy series, Flight of the Eisenstein is a very strong read from veteran Blood Angels author James Swallow.” ~Bane of Kings, The Founding Fields
Having witnessed the terrible massacre of Imperial forces on Isstvan III, Death Guard Captain Garro seizes a ship and sets a course for Terra to warn the Emperor of Horus’s treachery. But when the fleeing Eisenstein is damaged by enemy fire, it becomes stranded in the warp – the realm of the Dark Powers. Can Garro and his men survive the depredations of Chaos and get his warning to the Emperor before Horus’s plans reach fruition?
The fourth book in The Horus Heresy is the first to be set outside of the initial Trilogy and tells the story basically leading up to the Flight of the Eisenstein from the battle on Isstvann III, as a group of loyalists from the Death Guard and the Sons of Horus flee the wrath of the Warmaster’s new Crusade in an attempt to alert the Emperor. Like Galaxy in Flames beforehand, Flight of the Eisenstein is a tale against impossible odds. However, the book itself benefits from having a smaller dramatis personae from Counter’s first novel in the series, or at least once the action reaches the Eisenstein. First, we’re given a portion of the book to focus on the Death Guard Legion and who better to have our eyes and ears than Nathaniel Garro, the Loken-esque figure of Flight of the Eisenstein and now the lead character in his own series of Audio Dramas. As a result, there are places where Garro can sometimes come across as a bit too similar to Loken in character, and it’s as if Swallow saw what characters people liked about the first three books and decided to incorporate some of them into his own.
The action in this book, like it has been for Galaxy in Flames, is epic. We get a variety of battle scenes here, ranging from Death Guard Pre-Heresy conflicts to space combat. Swallow is one of Black Library’s authors who you can often count upon to produce a strong, solid Bolter-Porn novel and whilst Flight of the Eisenstein may not be all bolter-porn, it certainly does have a considerable amount of action. However, Swallow pulls off some strong characters including Garro, managing to deliver some memorable scenes such as Mortarion signing Garro’s death warrant, helping to prevent the book from becoming your typical Bolter-Porn book. However, for every good character that Swallow writes he also seems to neglect a few. Solun Decius for example comes across as more of a plot tool and less of a character and the human cast fail to grow as characters and don’t really add all that much depth for to the story unless Garro needs them to be there.
That’s really the main flaw that I found in Flight of the Eisenstein, for the rest of this book manages to still be enjoyable, for reasons that I’ve already mentioned. The action, certain aspects of the characters, and the plot are all entertaining. The tension is kept high throughout the novel and the pace is pretty fast.
Dark and atmospheric, Flight of the Eisenstein also deals with some interesting developments – how do other legions than the Sons of Horus react to the Warmaster’s betrayal? The Death Guard are of course the main focus here and it is through them, and the new vs. old concept, that we learn about their reactions to the Heresy. The whole new/old theme has been prominent throughout the series so far, particularly with the lodges, new beliefs, and the fact that anybody can turn against you. A nice look in particular with the whole “old” concept was looking at Space Marines who were so old that they couldn’t fight any longer. If you’ve ever wandered what happens to them, then this book might provide some of the answers in the form of Voyen. Regardless of any flaws though, Flight of the Eisenstein is a sold entry into the series and one that you shouldn’t really miss.
VERDICT: 4/5
THE HORUS HERESY SERIES: Horus Rising by Dan Abnett, False Gods by Graham McNeill, Galaxy in Flames by Ben Counter, The Flight of the Eisenstein by James Swallow, Fulgrim by Graham McNeill, Descent of Angels by Mitchel Scanlon, The Dark King and the Lightning Tower by Dan Abnett and Graham McNeill (Audio), Legion by Dan Abnett, Battle for the Abyss by Ben Counter, Mechanicum by Graham McNeill, Tales of Heresy by Various Authors, Fallen Angels by Mike Lee, Raven’s Flight by Gav Thorpe (Audio), A Thousand Sons by Graham McNeill, Nemesis by James Swallow, The First Heretic by Aaron Dembski-Bowden, Garro: Oath of Moment by James Swallow (Audio), Prospero Burns by Dan Abnett, Garro: Legion of One by James Swallow (Audio), Age of Darkness by Various Authors, Promethean Sun by Nick Kyme (Limited Edition), Aurelian by Aaron Dembski-Bowden (Limited Edition), The Outcast Dead by Graham McNeill, Deliverance Lost by Gav Thorpe, Know No Fear by Dan Abnett, The Primarchs by Various Authors, Fear to Tread by James Swallow, Shadows of Treachery by Various Authors, Brotherhood of the Storm by Chris Wraight (Limited Edition), Angel Exterminatus by Graham McNeill, Garro: Sword of Truth by James Swallow (Audio), Betrayer by Aaron Dembski-Bowden
“An awesome addition to the Horus Heresy series, Flight of the Eisenstein is a very strong read from veteran Blood Angels author James Swallow.” ~Bane of Kings, The Founding Fields
Having witnessed the terrible massacre of Imperial forces on Isstvan III, Death Guard Captain Garro seizes a ship and sets a course for Terra to warn the Emperor of Horus’s treachery. But when the fleeing Eisenstein is damaged by enemy fire, it becomes stranded in the warp – the realm of the Dark Powers. Can Garro and his men survive the depredations of Chaos and get his warning to the Emperor before Horus’s plans reach fruition?
The fourth book in The Horus Heresy is the first to be set outside of the initial Trilogy and tells the story basically leading up to the Flight of the Eisenstein from the battle on Isstvann III, as a group of loyalists from the Death Guard and the Sons of Horus flee the wrath of the Warmaster’s new Crusade in an attempt to alert the Emperor. Like Galaxy in Flames beforehand, Flight of the Eisenstein is a tale against impossible odds. However, the book itself benefits from having a smaller dramatis personae from Counter’s first novel in the series, or at least once the action reaches the Eisenstein. First, we’re given a portion of the book to focus on the Death Guard Legion and who better to have our eyes and ears than Nathaniel Garro, the Loken-esque figure of Flight of the Eisenstein and now the lead character in his own series of Audio Dramas. As a result, there are places where Garro can sometimes come across as a bit too similar to Loken in character, and it’s as if Swallow saw what characters people liked about the first three books and decided to incorporate some of them into his own.
The action in this book, like it has been for Galaxy in Flames, is epic. We get a variety of battle scenes here, ranging from Death Guard Pre-Heresy conflicts to space combat. Swallow is one of Black Library’s authors who you can often count upon to produce a strong, solid Bolter-Porn novel and whilst Flight of the Eisenstein may not be all bolter-porn, it certainly does have a considerable amount of action. However, Swallow pulls off some strong characters including Garro, managing to deliver some memorable scenes such as Mortarion signing Garro’s death warrant, helping to prevent the book from becoming your typical Bolter-Porn book. However, for every good character that Swallow writes he also seems to neglect a few. Solun Decius for example comes across as more of a plot tool and less of a character and the human cast fail to grow as characters and don’t really add all that much depth for to the story unless Garro needs them to be there.
That’s really the main flaw that I found in Flight of the Eisenstein, for the rest of this book manages to still be enjoyable, for reasons that I’ve already mentioned. The action, certain aspects of the characters, and the plot are all entertaining. The tension is kept high throughout the novel and the pace is pretty fast.
Dark and atmospheric, Flight of the Eisenstein also deals with some interesting developments – how do other legions than the Sons of Horus react to the Warmaster’s betrayal? The Death Guard are of course the main focus here and it is through them, and the new vs. old concept, that we learn about their reactions to the Heresy. The whole new/old theme has been prominent throughout the series so far, particularly with the lodges, new beliefs, and the fact that anybody can turn against you. A nice look in particular with the whole “old” concept was looking at Space Marines who were so old that they couldn’t fight any longer. If you’ve ever wandered what happens to them, then this book might provide some of the answers in the form of Voyen. Regardless of any flaws though, Flight of the Eisenstein is a sold entry into the series and one that you shouldn’t really miss.
VERDICT: 4/5
THE HORUS HERESY SERIES: Horus Rising by Dan Abnett, False Gods by Graham McNeill, Galaxy in Flames by Ben Counter, The Flight of the Eisenstein by James Swallow, Fulgrim by Graham McNeill, Descent of Angels by Mitchel Scanlon, The Dark King and the Lightning Tower by Dan Abnett and Graham McNeill (Audio), Legion by Dan Abnett, Battle for the Abyss by Ben Counter, Mechanicum by Graham McNeill, Tales of Heresy by Various Authors, Fallen Angels by Mike Lee, Raven’s Flight by Gav Thorpe (Audio), A Thousand Sons by Graham McNeill, Nemesis by James Swallow, The First Heretic by Aaron Dembski-Bowden, Garro: Oath of Moment by James Swallow (Audio), Prospero Burns by Dan Abnett, Garro: Legion of One by James Swallow (Audio), Age of Darkness by Various Authors, Promethean Sun by Nick Kyme (Limited Edition), Aurelian by Aaron Dembski-Bowden (Limited Edition), The Outcast Dead by Graham McNeill, Deliverance Lost by Gav Thorpe, Know No Fear by Dan Abnett, The Primarchs by Various Authors, Fear to Tread by James Swallow, Shadows of Treachery by Various Authors, Brotherhood of the Storm by Chris Wraight (Limited Edition), Angel Exterminatus by Graham McNeill, Garro: Sword of Truth by James Swallow (Audio), Betrayer by Aaron Dembski-Bowden
adventurous
dark
inspiring
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
I honestly don't know why I keep reading these books. I am a fan of the Warhammer 40K universe, which I do think has such a rich background of lore to draw from, but space marines are some of the most inherently uninteresting characters there are.
They're gruff. They are good fighters and shrug off pain. They share bonds of brotherhood with other space marines but usually have one or two rivals that they don't like for whatever reason. That's pretty much the whole thing!
The main characters Garro at least undergoes a change in this book, which is a bit of a departure, but it's in response to external forces more than any inherent inner tension. And while I appreciate that this was kind of a more focused narrative than some of the other books, almost half the pages were wasted covering events from the prior book from a different perspective.
That can be interesting if it is somehow revealing about the plot you previously experienced, but it's definitely not in this instance.
Look, I don't hate the hustle here. The Games Workshop people clearly know they can sell a million of these books, so the focus was probably just on cranking them out. And in idle moments when I want something to brainless to read, it's nice to know they're there. Just don't expect a lot of them.
They're gruff. They are good fighters and shrug off pain. They share bonds of brotherhood with other space marines but usually have one or two rivals that they don't like for whatever reason. That's pretty much the whole thing!
The main characters Garro at least undergoes a change in this book, which is a bit of a departure, but it's in response to external forces more than any inherent inner tension. And while I appreciate that this was kind of a more focused narrative than some of the other books, almost half the pages were wasted covering events from the prior book from a different perspective.
That can be interesting if it is somehow revealing about the plot you previously experienced, but it's definitely not in this instance.
Look, I don't hate the hustle here. The Games Workshop people clearly know they can sell a million of these books, so the focus was probably just on cranking them out. And in idle moments when I want something to brainless to read, it's nice to know they're there. Just don't expect a lot of them.
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No