kregna's review against another edition
3.0
DNF (60%)
The interesting bits are few and far between with conversation between space marines making up the bulk of the book. Hardly what you expect when you think of the 40k universe.
The interesting bits are few and far between with conversation between space marines making up the bulk of the book. Hardly what you expect when you think of the 40k universe.
raerae's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
mvatza57's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
alleged_stink's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
isauldur's review against another edition
4.0
Considering the quality of the writing and the story, I'm certain this book would gain a lot more traction outside of the Warhammer 40k community if it was presented as its own thing instead of a brand book.
Horus Rising is divided in three parts: the first deals with the invasion of a hostile human planet by the Imperium. The second is about a short but intense war against a strange alien race in an isolated planet. The third is more of a first contact story with another pseudo-human race.
Frankly, I enjoyed all of it. The battle scenes are exciting, but Dan Abnett is really good at conveying deeper emotion even in the middle of a mindless war. There is more to this book than the giant-armored soldiers on the cover would suggest.
I'll be continuing the series. Maybe not all the way through, but we'll see. So far, I'm excited for what comes next.
Horus Rising is divided in three parts: the first deals with the invasion of a hostile human planet by the Imperium. The second is about a short but intense war against a strange alien race in an isolated planet. The third is more of a first contact story with another pseudo-human race.
Frankly, I enjoyed all of it. The battle scenes are exciting, but Dan Abnett is really good at conveying deeper emotion even in the middle of a mindless war. There is more to this book than the giant-armored soldiers on the cover would suggest.
I'll be continuing the series. Maybe not all the way through, but we'll see. So far, I'm excited for what comes next.
escapistreading's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
cr0wley25's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
shimons's review against another edition
adventurous
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
alwroteabook's review against another edition
5.0
I loved it, and I want to keep reading the series. Did you hear that noise? That was my TBR groaning...
Review here - https://www.alwroteabook.com/2021/09/20/horus-rising-by-dan-abnett/
Review here - https://www.alwroteabook.com/2021/09/20/horus-rising-by-dan-abnett/
bogdanbalostin's review against another edition
5.0
If all the Warhammer 40K books were like this... *sigh in Cthonic*
Amazing SF Fantasy book that deals with a few important topics and less on battles, even though it's about a great military campaign of uniting humankind in the cosmos. I know if you start this without ever heard of Warhammer 40K maybe your expectations will be quite low, but let me assure you this is high-quality fiction right here, with lots of hints and subtle world-building and character development.
It helps if you know a few things about Warhammer 40K lore, as you will appreciate more the scope of this one singular novel. Even if you don't, this is a fantastic place to start. Most of these novels indeed tend to focus on combat which I personally hate. Some fans would ask then why am I reading military SF if I hate combat scenes. My reply is that the lore and world history is very interesting, the politics of Warhammer, the naivety of humankind who think are the good guys, are way more interesting than the battles.
And then, it's the symbolism in this book, the tragedy of replacing one god with another, and the foreshadowing of the fall; as you can see, it's a literary complex novel that could have been longer. I'm not sure how the series will continue with other authors.
For my detailed review and thoughts about the series check https://balostin.com/horus-rising-horus-heresy-1/
Amazing SF Fantasy book that deals with a few important topics and less on battles, even though it's about a great military campaign of uniting humankind in the cosmos. I know if you start this without ever heard of Warhammer 40K maybe your expectations will be quite low, but let me assure you this is high-quality fiction right here, with lots of hints and subtle world-building and character development.
It helps if you know a few things about Warhammer 40K lore, as you will appreciate more the scope of this one singular novel. Even if you don't, this is a fantastic place to start. Most of these novels indeed tend to focus on combat which I personally hate. Some fans would ask then why am I reading military SF if I hate combat scenes. My reply is that the lore and world history is very interesting, the politics of Warhammer, the naivety of humankind who think are the good guys, are way more interesting than the battles.
And then, it's the symbolism in this book, the tragedy of replacing one god with another, and the foreshadowing of the fall; as you can see, it's a literary complex novel that could have been longer. I'm not sure how the series will continue with other authors.
For my detailed review and thoughts about the series check https://balostin.com/horus-rising-horus-heresy-1/