A review by zazen
Horus Rising by Dan Abnett

4.0

Honestly, really good. I picked this up to take a break from 'serious' (or rather, depressing) reads and it's just what I needed. Fun, silly, but also surprisingly well written. Abnett knows exactly what a Warhammer novel should be.

Somehow it avoids feeling cheesy or dumb despite being about Space Marines, giant spiders, and all the other absurdity 40k is known for. I'd personally put it up there with any of the better 'military' sci-fi novels. Maybe even higher, considering the depth of the lore that gives it a very fleshed-out feel.

I grew up with 40k so I was fairly familiar with the lore. To someone new to it, it would be a bit overwhelming, but cool in the sense that it touches on the depth of the universe without endless exposition. You don't need to know much, it's Warhammer after all.

I listened to the audiobook while at work, and the narration was excellent. Listened to it straight through basically.

A guilty pleasure, but a pleasure all the same. Looking forward to getting into more of the 40k novels.