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warragh's review
4.0
The final entry in the Ultramarines series. After his defeat on Medrengard, Honsou has gathered a large army and has invaded Ultramar. Marneus Calgar must mobilize his Chapter and meet this invasion in battle.
The story is divided into 3 view points. One follows Cato Sicarius, another Marneus Calgar alongside the 1st Company and his chief Librarian with the final story following Uriel Ventris. Each of these forces are deployed on a different planet facing a different enemy.
What is different in this book is that for the most part the Ultramarines are on the backfoot. Their reliance on the Codex Astartes is proving to be a liability by making them predictable and their tactics exploitable. Throughout the book they must learn to adapt and improvise in a way in which they haven't really before. Each conflict is different and poses unique challenges and enemies. This helps a ton to keep the book feeling fresh and the action exciting. Of course the Ultramarines are always portrayed as beacons of excellence and honor but that's always been the case.
There's a frustrating amount of potential here for some interesting characters but they don't really go anywhere. There are hints and teases but no real payoff for most non-Ultramarine character threads. The battles however are spectacular and gritty and towards the end there's even a small appearance by a most unexpected force.
After the main novel there's a short story focusing on a squad of scouts fighting on a fourth front. This is a bit odd coming after the story actually ends and feels out of place but is short and fun enough that it doesn't overstay its welcome.
At the end of the day the book is a fitting and satisfying conclusion to an overall excellent series.
The story is divided into 3 view points. One follows Cato Sicarius, another Marneus Calgar alongside the 1st Company and his chief Librarian with the final story following Uriel Ventris. Each of these forces are deployed on a different planet facing a different enemy.
What is different in this book is that for the most part the Ultramarines are on the backfoot. Their reliance on the Codex Astartes is proving to be a liability by making them predictable and their tactics exploitable. Throughout the book they must learn to adapt and improvise in a way in which they haven't really before. Each conflict is different and poses unique challenges and enemies. This helps a ton to keep the book feeling fresh and the action exciting. Of course the Ultramarines are always portrayed as beacons of excellence and honor but that's always been the case.
There's a frustrating amount of potential here for some interesting characters but they don't really go anywhere. There are hints and teases but no real payoff for most non-Ultramarine character threads. The battles however are spectacular and gritty and towards the end there's even a small appearance by a most unexpected force.
After the main novel there's a short story focusing on a squad of scouts fighting on a fourth front. This is a bit odd coming after the story actually ends and feels out of place but is short and fun enough that it doesn't overstay its welcome.
At the end of the day the book is a fitting and satisfying conclusion to an overall excellent series.
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