righteousridel's review against another edition
4.0
Less is More
Whether you like Gate of Bones will depend on your expectations of the Dawn of Fire series. At one point, it was advertised as the Horus Hersey in 40K, detailing the Indomitus Crusade and retaking of Imperium Sanctus. Gate of Bones sets its aims much, much lower… telling a plot-centric tale filled with narrative viewpoints in service of a classic Black Library story. The author also cleverly weaves in some character moments as they reel from relevations unleashed from the Throneworld, and manages to succeed where its predecessor failed.
Gate of Bones is focused on Gathalamor to the exclusion of all else. Those coming from Avenging Son will find a much less epic tale, with little in the way of galactic politics or recurring characters. After finishing the novel, you might question its place as a sequel. They key is that it cleverly works in the Indomitus Crusade. We see the impact on the rank and file when they learn that a Primarch walks, the Custodians have left Terra, and the Primaris Marines are legion. All this while using a plethora of viewpoints to present both the attackers and defenders of Gathalamor, resulting in a very satisfying read.
As well, this is one of those novels that proves a wide variety of characters can work, as it’s the plot that is the star. Like multiple angles of the same sports match, the narrators provide a cohesive picture of the planet through many viewpoints. I was surprised at how intriguing the traitor Astartes were. Part of it is the use of Horus Hersey lore, which instantly provides history to characters like a Mechanicum Magos. The other was giving them purpose beyond offering the main characters a named target to shoot, and their reactions to the same revelations are just as enjoyable.
Then, just like in-universe, Custodian Achallor appears and becomes the focus of everything. The arrival of the Shield-Captain to a Cardinal world populated with Sisters of Battle is absolutely perfect, and this is why Gate of Bones is exceptional. I loved the Adeptus Sororitas; from their dogged defense of the world to the way the Canoness interacts with the Imperial Guard. After all, you might outrank your priest in the military, but they outrank you in faith. If you’re open-minded, you might even laugh at some of the dry humour.
Gate of Bones isn’t the sequel I expected, with none of the enormous fleets or mind-numbing logistics of its epic predecessor. It eschews character arcs and rather focuses on emotional moments while simultaneously dealing with bits of lore that deserve to be lavished over. By returning to the basics and focusing on a tale against the odds, my interest in this series has been renewed.
Recommended for Warhammer 40K fans.
Whether you like Gate of Bones will depend on your expectations of the Dawn of Fire series. At one point, it was advertised as the Horus Hersey in 40K, detailing the Indomitus Crusade and retaking of Imperium Sanctus. Gate of Bones sets its aims much, much lower… telling a plot-centric tale filled with narrative viewpoints in service of a classic Black Library story. The author also cleverly weaves in some character moments as they reel from relevations unleashed from the Throneworld, and manages to succeed where its predecessor failed.
Gate of Bones is focused on Gathalamor to the exclusion of all else. Those coming from Avenging Son will find a much less epic tale, with little in the way of galactic politics or recurring characters. After finishing the novel, you might question its place as a sequel. They key is that it cleverly works in the Indomitus Crusade. We see the impact on the rank and file when they learn that a Primarch walks, the Custodians have left Terra, and the Primaris Marines are legion. All this while using a plethora of viewpoints to present both the attackers and defenders of Gathalamor, resulting in a very satisfying read.
As well, this is one of those novels that proves a wide variety of characters can work, as it’s the plot that is the star. Like multiple angles of the same sports match, the narrators provide a cohesive picture of the planet through many viewpoints. I was surprised at how intriguing the traitor Astartes were. Part of it is the use of Horus Hersey lore, which instantly provides history to characters like a Mechanicum Magos. The other was giving them purpose beyond offering the main characters a named target to shoot, and their reactions to the same revelations are just as enjoyable.
Then, just like in-universe, Custodian Achallor appears and becomes the focus of everything. The arrival of the Shield-Captain to a Cardinal world populated with Sisters of Battle is absolutely perfect, and this is why Gate of Bones is exceptional. I loved the Adeptus Sororitas; from their dogged defense of the world to the way the Canoness interacts with the Imperial Guard. After all, you might outrank your priest in the military, but they outrank you in faith. If you’re open-minded, you might even laugh at some of the dry humour.
Gate of Bones isn’t the sequel I expected, with none of the enormous fleets or mind-numbing logistics of its epic predecessor. It eschews character arcs and rather focuses on emotional moments while simultaneously dealing with bits of lore that deserve to be lavished over. By returning to the basics and focusing on a tale against the odds, my interest in this series has been renewed.
Recommended for Warhammer 40K fans.
nraptor's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
jackneighbour's review against another edition
5.0
Brilliant series with another cracking multi view point story. This really picks up in the same vein as avenging son and I think shows the indomitus crusade better than dark imperium.
majorrawne's review
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
talian1201's review
5.0
Great book. Even better than the first one in the series. Can't wait to read the next one. Would tell my friends to purchase, well written and worth the money.
bosermoki's review
4.0
Much better than Dawn of Fire #1. There is some solid lore reveals. The narrative is clear and the POVs are all relevant. It gets bogged down a bit about 3/4s of the way through but picks back up at the end. I enjoyed the chaos characters actually having some motivations and character instead of just being cackling cartoon villians.
It loses some points for being formulaic, but it's Black Library, so you're either invested in the formula or you're not. That being said, nothing in the book was really surprising. Perhaps I shouldn't be too shocked by this since the entire Indomitus story line is already established, and this limits the ability to build suspense.
If you're looking for a competently written 40k novel that advances the story, you'll enjoy it. If you're looking for something new from Black Library, not so much.
It loses some points for being formulaic, but it's Black Library, so you're either invested in the formula or you're not. That being said, nothing in the book was really surprising. Perhaps I shouldn't be too shocked by this since the entire Indomitus story line is already established, and this limits the ability to build suspense.
If you're looking for a competently written 40k novel that advances the story, you'll enjoy it. If you're looking for something new from Black Library, not so much.
liannaedgelord's review
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
islandhopper's review
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
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