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zare_i's review
4.0
Lion engages in behind-enemy-lines operations against the Traitors. Goal is to bleed the enemy and force him to bind his forces chasing the raiders instead of focusing on the main push towards Terra.
But as it is always case with Lion and the 1st Legion motives are not clear (I especially liked one of the "quotes" at the start of the chapters in which Alpharius says he could never read and predict Lion El'jonson).
Since Lion enjoys the complete mystery and wants to keep the situation totally compartmentalized rift slowly shows up in the 1st Legion forces he commands - while some want to move towards Terra, others are solely interested in survival of Caliban. Everybody misses crucial part of the puzzle [except the Lion] and this stress starts to show up because nobody knows what is supposed to be a correct move. Lion expertly plays on the 1st Legion's finely tuned "distrust everyone and everything" instinct in a way that nobody questions any of his decision [even when he turns against his allies from Mechanicum].
As it is always case these read-my-mind approaches to management and leadership leads to big troubles. Especially in cases when any voice questioning or against the Lion's decision might bring decapitation into play. As can be expected due to this people tend to get hesitant to voice their opinions.
Good novella, showing that Lion is loyal to the Emperor, but first and foremost he is loyal to himself and to secrets he harbors. In comparison Alpharius is very transparent. Watchers in the dark are equally frustrated because they cannot make the Dark Angels act - whatever they say 1st legion treats as half-truths or even lies because they are fed half-truths and conflicting information themselves all the time. I guess that after a while one starts to consider every information as incomplete and then just follows on with the majority.
I hope we get more (full novel size) stories about the 1st very soon. They are truly interesting force.
Highly recommended to all fans of Warhammer 40k and Horus Heresy.
But as it is always case with Lion and the 1st Legion motives are not clear (I especially liked one of the "quotes" at the start of the chapters in which Alpharius says he could never read and predict Lion El'jonson).
Since Lion enjoys the complete mystery and wants to keep the situation totally compartmentalized rift slowly shows up in the 1st Legion forces he commands - while some want to move towards Terra, others are solely interested in survival of Caliban. Everybody misses crucial part of the puzzle [except the Lion] and this stress starts to show up because nobody knows what is supposed to be a correct move. Lion expertly plays on the 1st Legion's finely tuned "distrust everyone and everything" instinct in a way that nobody questions any of his decision [even when he turns against his allies from Mechanicum].
As it is always case these read-my-mind approaches to management and leadership leads to big troubles. Especially in cases when any voice questioning or against the Lion's decision might bring decapitation into play. As can be expected due to this people tend to get hesitant to voice their opinions.
Good novella, showing that Lion is loyal to the Emperor, but first and foremost he is loyal to himself and to secrets he harbors. In comparison Alpharius is very transparent. Watchers in the dark are equally frustrated because they cannot make the Dark Angels act - whatever they say 1st legion treats as half-truths or even lies because they are fed half-truths and conflicting information themselves all the time. I guess that after a while one starts to consider every information as incomplete and then just follows on with the majority.
I hope we get more (full novel size) stories about the 1st very soon. They are truly interesting force.
Highly recommended to all fans of Warhammer 40k and Horus Heresy.
jarichan's review
3.0
Dieses Buch ist nichts für Einsteiger ins Warhammer-Universum. Da es sich um ein Prequel handelt, geht Guymer automatisch davon aus, dass man die Hauptgeschichte kennt. Oder zumindest die handelnden Figuren.
Ich kannte weder die Handlung, noch die Charaktere, und aufgrund des häufigen Namedroppings und der Erwähnung von Geschehnissen, die mir nichts sagen, kenne ich diese Punkte noch immer nicht so recht. Hauptsächlich war ich verwirrt.
Jedoch hat mir der Löwe als Figur starken Eindruck gemacht. Er ist ein typischer Vertreter der starken Helden im Warhammer-Universum. Über allem thronend, dominierend. Er wird mir wohl in Erinnerung bleiben, auch wenn ich alles andere aufgrund Unverständnisses vergessen werde...
Die typischen Warhammer-Elemente haben mir aber auch hier zugesagt, weshalb die Geschichte noch immer drei Sterne verdient. Wer sich in The Horus Heresey auskennt, wird wahrscheinlich mehr mit dem Text anfangen und ihn somit auch besser geniessen können.
Ich kannte weder die Handlung, noch die Charaktere, und aufgrund des häufigen Namedroppings und der Erwähnung von Geschehnissen, die mir nichts sagen, kenne ich diese Punkte noch immer nicht so recht. Hauptsächlich war ich verwirrt.
Jedoch hat mir der Löwe als Figur starken Eindruck gemacht. Er ist ein typischer Vertreter der starken Helden im Warhammer-Universum. Über allem thronend, dominierend. Er wird mir wohl in Erinnerung bleiben, auch wenn ich alles andere aufgrund Unverständnisses vergessen werde...
Die typischen Warhammer-Elemente haben mir aber auch hier zugesagt, weshalb die Geschichte noch immer drei Sterne verdient. Wer sich in The Horus Heresey auskennt, wird wahrscheinlich mehr mit dem Text anfangen und ihn somit auch besser geniessen können.
trackofwords's review
3.0
Engaged in a campaign of harassment against Traitor-held worlds, tensions within the I Legion are rising as the question of whether to return to Terra becomes ever more important. While the Lion broods in silence, his lieutenants Redloss and Holguin – of the Dreadwing and Deathwing respectively – are at odds, one keen to continue the campaign and the other desperate to head for Terra.
Individual scenes are largely well done, and there are some nice touches with the strained relationship between Holguin and Redloss, while the Lion’s motivations and thought processes are kept intriguingly at a remove. As a whole, however, it’s just a bit disjointed and lacking a clear through-narrative. It’s also a little puzzling as to why it’s called Dreadwing, given that there’s as much focus on Holguin and his Deathwing as there is on Redloss. It’s hard not to think that a narrower focus dealing with fewer characters might have worked better for a novella, with the bigger picture tackled in a full-length novel.
Read the full review at https://www.trackofwords.com/2018/11/30/dreadwing-david-guymer/
Individual scenes are largely well done, and there are some nice touches with the strained relationship between Holguin and Redloss, while the Lion’s motivations and thought processes are kept intriguingly at a remove. As a whole, however, it’s just a bit disjointed and lacking a clear through-narrative. It’s also a little puzzling as to why it’s called Dreadwing, given that there’s as much focus on Holguin and his Deathwing as there is on Redloss. It’s hard not to think that a narrower focus dealing with fewer characters might have worked better for a novella, with the bigger picture tackled in a full-length novel.
Read the full review at https://www.trackofwords.com/2018/11/30/dreadwing-david-guymer/
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