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seven_of_ten's review against another edition
5.0
Yet another book... undeserving of 5 stars for literary value but receiving them because Magnus was awesome and there where a TON of dead wolves! Which makes me kinda happy. I have wanted to see wolves slaughtered for to long.
Decent story, great read if you love the Thousand Sons!
Decent story, great read if you love the Thousand Sons!
melniksuzuki's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
patremagne's review against another edition
4.0
"For Russ! thundered Bjorn, the words amplified by his war-vox relays, drowning out all other sounds, rocking the walls of the chamber and cracking the stone under which he trod."
The Vlka Fenryka. The Sons of Russ. Easily my favorite of the loyalists, followed closely by the Dark Angels and Black Templars. With unparalleled ferocity, the Wolves of Fenris wage their wars.
Wraight has created an epic of epics, with every man/woman a hero in his/her own right. It takes some serious skill to write a 400 page novel about a single battle, and he nailed it. As with all of the 40k novels I've read, the ending is simply outstandingly epic.
Now to decide where to head next in the 40k universe...
The Vlka Fenryka. The Sons of Russ. Easily my favorite of the loyalists, followed closely by the Dark Angels and Black Templars. With unparalleled ferocity, the Wolves of Fenris wage their wars.
Wraight has created an epic of epics, with every man/woman a hero in his/her own right. It takes some serious skill to write a 400 page novel about a single battle, and he nailed it. As with all of the 40k novels I've read, the ending is simply outstandingly epic.
Now to decide where to head next in the 40k universe...
simonmee's review against another edition
4.0
The continuum of Space Wolves portrayals runs from Space Vikings to Space Furries, with Battle of the Fang unfortunately tending towards the latter:
Then the amber-eyed wolf within him howled, not with battle-lust or glory, but with the horror of grief.
It's also not a great 'Battle' book in terms of being that interesting a fight. It's a siege, and a boring one at that.
But... ...it is still good.
Evil Reigns
The bad guys have a plan, execute that plan... ...and win. We can quibble over the Space Wolves continuing to exist literally 10,000 years after the events of the book, but Battle of the Fang kicks to the curb plans of Successor chapters encircling the Eye of Terror.
But most importantly, what a force Magnus is. What a creature of evil he is (faint of heart avoid the below):
His idea, his execution, his win. He hurts the protagonists with the wretched Wolf Brothers, is irredeemably selfish, and is brutal on the battlefield. Battle of the Fang is about what a Primarch can do to their lessers. They are the superheroes thundering around, their oversized feelings given life via their oversized abilities.
Does Chaos having glistening teeth of evil risk a sort of Manichaeism in the story universe? Maybe, but the Space Wolves are hardly portrayed as saintly. The dualism I find interesting is the father/daughter combo of Morek and Freija - one doomed by curiosity, one finding safety in ignorance.
You said you would strive to improve yourself, he replied. Start now. Cease your questions. That knowledge is not for you.
Freija broke into another weary smile. ‘You are right,’ she said. ‘I have offended you again. I will leave.’
Multiplicity
The multiple POVs drift in and out of the plot, more serving them than being in-depth character... ...but the pastiches are pretty memorable. "Blackwing" is interesting as different from the conventional Space Wolf and makes mistakes, but is clever in how he achieves his goal. The aforementioned yin and yang of Morek and Freija. And, of course, Bjorn The Fell-Handed.
You know nothing of anger, Traitor, boomed Bjorn, lumbering from the wreckage of the hangar wall and punching another flurry of plasma bolts from his arm-cannon. This is anger. This is hate.
As for The Thousand Sons, well, they exist. There are some musings about their decline, and I do think it is an interesting concept that neither side are truly the Legions of the Horus Heresy. There's a couple of misses though: who really cares about "The Change" in Aphael, as he just ends up as a vessel for Magnus irregardless. Temekh is there for exposition in the form of whinging.
He’d wept over the destruction of Tizca, but that did nothing to fuel his sense of revenge. By contrast, Aphael’s eagerness felt vulgar and empty. We have lost our taste.
Battle of the Fang is a wobbly, ricketedly book, with elements that elevate it rather than its whole.
Then the amber-eyed wolf within him howled, not with battle-lust or glory, but with the horror of grief.
It's also not a great 'Battle' book in terms of being that interesting a fight. It's a siege, and a boring one at that.
But... ...it is still good.
Evil Reigns
The bad guys have a plan, execute that plan... ...and win. We can quibble over the Space Wolves continuing to exist literally 10,000 years after the events of the book, but Battle of the Fang kicks to the curb plans of Successor chapters encircling the Eye of Terror.
But most importantly, what a force Magnus is. What a creature of evil he is (faint of heart avoid the below):
Spoiler
With a sickening wrench, Magnus ripped the beating organs free, hauling them from Greyloc’s still-living chest, snapping the clutching trails of gore, and hurled them aside.His idea, his execution, his win. He hurts the protagonists with the wretched Wolf Brothers, is irredeemably selfish, and is brutal on the battlefield. Battle of the Fang is about what a Primarch can do to their lessers. They are the superheroes thundering around, their oversized feelings given life via their oversized abilities.
Does Chaos having glistening teeth of evil risk a sort of Manichaeism in the story universe? Maybe, but the Space Wolves are hardly portrayed as saintly. The dualism I find interesting is the father/daughter combo of Morek and Freija - one doomed by curiosity, one finding safety in ignorance.
You said you would strive to improve yourself, he replied. Start now. Cease your questions. That knowledge is not for you.
Freija broke into another weary smile. ‘You are right,’ she said. ‘I have offended you again. I will leave.’
Multiplicity
The multiple POVs drift in and out of the plot, more serving them than being in-depth character... ...but the pastiches are pretty memorable. "Blackwing" is interesting as different from the conventional Space Wolf and makes mistakes, but is clever in how he achieves his goal. The aforementioned yin and yang of Morek and Freija. And, of course, Bjorn The Fell-Handed.
You know nothing of anger, Traitor, boomed Bjorn, lumbering from the wreckage of the hangar wall and punching another flurry of plasma bolts from his arm-cannon. This is anger. This is hate.
As for The Thousand Sons, well, they exist. There are some musings about their decline, and I do think it is an interesting concept that neither side are truly the Legions of the Horus Heresy. There's a couple of misses though: who really cares about "The Change" in Aphael, as he just ends up as a vessel for Magnus irregardless. Temekh is there for exposition in the form of whinging.
He’d wept over the destruction of Tizca, but that did nothing to fuel his sense of revenge. By contrast, Aphael’s eagerness felt vulgar and empty. We have lost our taste.
Battle of the Fang is a wobbly, ricketedly book, with elements that elevate it rather than its whole.
copperbeardtom's review against another edition
4.0
It seems insane to spend 501 pages on a single battle in a galaxy of non-stop war but the author did exactly that. A great follow up to the Battle of Prospero. Two ancient enemies clash once again.
reillykid7's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
rtassicker's review against another edition
4.0
A delightfully straightforward and action-packed tale.
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