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3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
Another excellent chapter in the Horus Heresy, False Gods raises many questions and even answers some of them, rest assured that by the end of this book the nature of events to come will be perfectly clear. In just a few short events this book continues to develop the characters' personalities and illuminates much about their motivations.
Events begin to look a lot like the fulfillment of ancient writings and we are read a particular prophecy which is terribly specific. Terrible being the most apt adjective. And in fact the sequence of events that lead to the realisation of that prophecy are both terribly obvious and terribly satisfying. What wasn't obvious or expected was the backstory revealed behind the Delphos gates and I'm not sure how much of what Sejanus reveals is true but it would be the perfect prelude to anticipated events.
Pretty early into this book I decided that my initial impression of Horus had been wrong. After Horus Rising I commented in my review that he was not like other irate and vengeful Warmasters, but here we have him set straight out on an ill advised rampage to defend his honour against a betrayal deemed as a personal mockery by a band of rebels. He then stubbornly refuses the counsel of his Mournival and plunges head first into this campaign of retribution, leading him ultimately to a realisation that sends him in a completely new direction. I think the thoughtfulness I noticed in that first impression remains, but it's definitely tempered with a bit of classic power-trip now.
Questions that arose for me while reading this:
I had been imagining Primarchs and Astartes as naturally bigger built humans, but there are references to people thinking that these behemoths could barely be wounded let alone killed. Obviously this proves to be untrue but it got me wondering whether there is some reason other than awe that ordinary humans would believe these bigger humans are practically immortal? Are the Primarchs and Astartes genetically enhanced? Bioengineered? Synthetic? It seems that this question was at least partially answered in Delphos but I'll leave it in my review as a reminder of what I was thinking while reading. I'm still unclear at times on whether the terms "son" and "brother" are used literally or as terms of endearment.
This thought is sort of related to the nature of the Primarchs too. The Sons of Horus get about imagining Horus as an infallible omnipresence and when he's hospitalised nobody seems to believe it is possible. It seems like even though Horus ultimately serves the Emperor the focus of worship/adoration within his cohort was already shifting away from the Emperor, even if on a more subconscious level. It got me to thinking that this arises from the Emperor's absence and then that even though Horus was the Emperor's chosen Warmaster, other Primarchs might be experiencing similarly misaligned exultation from their Astartes in lieu of the Emperor's presence.
Events begin to look a lot like the fulfillment of ancient writings and we are read a particular prophecy which is terribly specific. Terrible being the most apt adjective. And in fact the sequence of events that lead to the realisation of that prophecy are both terribly obvious and terribly satisfying. What wasn't obvious or expected was the backstory revealed behind the Delphos gates and I'm not sure how much of what Sejanus reveals is true but it would be the perfect prelude to anticipated events.
Pretty early into this book I decided that my initial impression of Horus had been wrong. After Horus Rising I commented in my review that he was not like other irate and vengeful Warmasters, but here we have him set straight out on an ill advised rampage to defend his honour against a betrayal deemed as a personal mockery by a band of rebels. He then stubbornly refuses the counsel of his Mournival and plunges head first into this campaign of retribution, leading him ultimately to a realisation that sends him in a completely new direction. I think the thoughtfulness I noticed in that first impression remains, but it's definitely tempered with a bit of classic power-trip now.
Questions that arose for me while reading this:
I had been imagining Primarchs and Astartes as naturally bigger built humans, but there are references to people thinking that these behemoths could barely be wounded let alone killed. Obviously this proves to be untrue but it got me wondering whether there is some reason other than awe that ordinary humans would believe these bigger humans are practically immortal? Are the Primarchs and Astartes genetically enhanced? Bioengineered? Synthetic? It seems that this question was at least partially answered in Delphos but I'll leave it in my review as a reminder of what I was thinking while reading. I'm still unclear at times on whether the terms "son" and "brother" are used literally or as terms of endearment.
This thought is sort of related to the nature of the Primarchs too. The Sons of Horus get about imagining Horus as an infallible omnipresence and when he's hospitalised nobody seems to believe it is possible. It seems like even though Horus ultimately serves the Emperor the focus of worship/adoration within his cohort was already shifting away from the Emperor, even if on a more subconscious level. It got me to thinking that this arises from the Emperor's absence and then that even though Horus was the Emperor's chosen Warmaster, other Primarchs might be experiencing similarly misaligned exultation from their Astartes in lieu of the Emperor's presence.
The weakest of the original HH trilogy. The injury & corruption of Horus feels rushed & a little ridiculous.
Essential reading for any ‘would be’ HH fan, but book 1 & 3 are far better.
Essential reading for any ‘would be’ HH fan, but book 1 & 3 are far better.
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Horus had an entire series worth of character development crammed sloppily into one book. But other than that, it's pretty good
I BOW TO NO FANE BUT TOBY LONGWORTH’S NARRATION IS DIVINE
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Such a good book. There's no turning back now for Horus.