righteousridel's review against another edition
3.0
A Frighteningly Galactic Scope
Avenging Son is the humbly titled beginning of the Indomitus Crusade, one of the biggest changes to the storyline of the 40k universe in the past twenty years. It's written for true fans of the setting, as it doesn't bother to slow down for the basics and will casually discuss insights that are hard-fought revelations in entry novels. The narrative is a grand endeavour, trying to convey a sense of scale to both the galactic horror of the Great Rift and the impact of the Primarch's return. Guy Haley achieves these goals in-large but is caught up in the scope of the narrative with too many plots and subplots. The story feels like a novelization of historical events, and character growth is apparently a foreign concept.
The large number of POVs is likely at fault for the lack of character arcs - there are four major plots with 1-3 narrators each. This story would not warrant the tripling of page count needed to bring everyone to life. Instead, we switch viewpoints to the most convienent narrator for critical events, resulting in a very plot-centric book. As narrator after narrator is introduced in the beginning of the book, you'll likely find yourself ignoring their personalities to focus on subplots occuring around the galaxy. It's very overwhelming, but also unfocused.
The back-of-the-book describes the horrors that face the Machorta Sound, but for the majority of Avenging Son, it'll feel like that's a separate novel. Half the book is focused on Roboute Guilliman as he directs the Imperium into a brand new war footing. The description of the post-human Primarch is fantastic, and the author doesn't shy away from the details of the Imperial Regent's effort to retake the galaxy. These grand strategic and political machinations really help the novel feel epic, but when the narrative refocuses on Machorta Sound, the author reverts to writing requisite bolter porn. It feels odd, like two different books that happen to be in the same volume. They have different plots, characters, and even the tone of each story is different.
Despite all that, I really like this novel... more than my rating would imply. The sense of epicness is like none other. There are stand out moments that feel uniquely grimdark. Particularly worthy of praise is a plotline showcasing the horrors of bureaucracy and its consequences. This novel brilliantly conveys the feeling of the 40k setting. It's just unfortunate that in describing the universe, the author failed to tell a story about people.
Recommended for 40k fans with reservations.
Avenging Son is the humbly titled beginning of the Indomitus Crusade, one of the biggest changes to the storyline of the 40k universe in the past twenty years. It's written for true fans of the setting, as it doesn't bother to slow down for the basics and will casually discuss insights that are hard-fought revelations in entry novels. The narrative is a grand endeavour, trying to convey a sense of scale to both the galactic horror of the Great Rift and the impact of the Primarch's return. Guy Haley achieves these goals in-large but is caught up in the scope of the narrative with too many plots and subplots. The story feels like a novelization of historical events, and character growth is apparently a foreign concept.
The large number of POVs is likely at fault for the lack of character arcs - there are four major plots with 1-3 narrators each. This story would not warrant the tripling of page count needed to bring everyone to life. Instead, we switch viewpoints to the most convienent narrator for critical events, resulting in a very plot-centric book. As narrator after narrator is introduced in the beginning of the book, you'll likely find yourself ignoring their personalities to focus on subplots occuring around the galaxy. It's very overwhelming, but also unfocused.
The back-of-the-book describes the horrors that face the Machorta Sound, but for the majority of Avenging Son, it'll feel like that's a separate novel. Half the book is focused on Roboute Guilliman as he directs the Imperium into a brand new war footing. The description of the post-human Primarch is fantastic, and the author doesn't shy away from the details of the Imperial Regent's effort to retake the galaxy. These grand strategic and political machinations really help the novel feel epic, but when the narrative refocuses on Machorta Sound, the author reverts to writing requisite bolter porn. It feels odd, like two different books that happen to be in the same volume. They have different plots, characters, and even the tone of each story is different.
Despite all that, I really like this novel... more than my rating would imply. The sense of epicness is like none other. There are stand out moments that feel uniquely grimdark. Particularly worthy of praise is a plotline showcasing the horrors of bureaucracy and its consequences. This novel brilliantly conveys the feeling of the 40k setting. It's just unfortunate that in describing the universe, the author failed to tell a story about people.
Recommended for 40k fans with reservations.
nraptor's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
witnessme's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
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
4.0
trackofwords's review against another edition
4.0
Guy Haley’s novel Avenging Son kicks off the nine-part Dawn of Fire series, which promises to explore in detail the events of the Indomitus Crusade – the driving force behind the ‘current’ Warhammer 40,000 timeline. This first instalment features the first great battle of the Era Indomitus, as Fleetmistress VanLeskus leads Fleet Tertius against the Khornate Crusade of Slaughter for control of the Machorta Sound, determined to stop the forces of Chaos from claiming territory that would allow them to threaten Terra itself. Before the returned Primarch Roboute Guilliman can dispatch VanLeskus and Fleet Tertius, however, he has to navigate his way through the byzantine politics of an Imperium still reeling from the opening of the Great Rift, a task which even a Primarch can’t manage alone.
It’s testament to Haley’s talents that this feels like both a powerful, dramatic tale in its own right and an exciting start to a much grander story yet to be unveiled. If the first great engagement of Fleet Tertius doesn’t quite feel like a truly gargantuan conflict (and this is really nit-picking), the naval battle over the Machorta Sound is nevertheless portrayed brilliantly, and the wealth of rich 40k lore to absorb is worth the asking price alone. Comparisons to the Horus Heresy are inevitable for a series like this, and Haley drops in a few deliberate references to good effect, but this is clearly its own endeavour with a unique identity that’s already visible. It draws on Chris Wraight’s Terra-set series, Haley’s own (excellent and, arguably, definitive) Guilliman and Cawl stories and the wider events of the ‘new’ 40k narrative, but creates something unique in the process.
Read the full review at https://www.trackofwords.com/2021/01/07/avenging-son-guy-haley/
It’s testament to Haley’s talents that this feels like both a powerful, dramatic tale in its own right and an exciting start to a much grander story yet to be unveiled. If the first great engagement of Fleet Tertius doesn’t quite feel like a truly gargantuan conflict (and this is really nit-picking), the naval battle over the Machorta Sound is nevertheless portrayed brilliantly, and the wealth of rich 40k lore to absorb is worth the asking price alone. Comparisons to the Horus Heresy are inevitable for a series like this, and Haley drops in a few deliberate references to good effect, but this is clearly its own endeavour with a unique identity that’s already visible. It draws on Chris Wraight’s Terra-set series, Haley’s own (excellent and, arguably, definitive) Guilliman and Cawl stories and the wider events of the ‘new’ 40k narrative, but creates something unique in the process.
Read the full review at https://www.trackofwords.com/2021/01/07/avenging-son-guy-haley/
jackneighbour's review against another edition
5.0
Guy Haley smashed it again. Takes place a bit before the dark imperium series but I would say essential reading and adds a great backdrop to the indomitus crusade. Lovely stuff.
talian1201's review against another edition
5.0
Great book. Wonderful start to a new series set in the warhammer 40k universe. Can't wait to read book 2. Will tell my friends and family to definitely buy.
kghdodge's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
A decent 40k novel, and the first in a series. The book has a wide range of characters, from the ruler of a large galactic empire, to lowly scribes in a hive city on earth. This book has character development and diversity covered. The range of battles is no different. From small skirmishes in the cramped halls of an imperium space ship, to large fleet batttles in the vacuums of space. The story is good enough to pull you in, but not quite there when it comes to total immersion. Really my only complaint in the book.
bosermoki's review against another edition
3.0
Overall entertaining, but it really suffers on some points.
There are simply too many POV characters who act in an expositional manner, but don't contribute to the narrative. It also seems that as the Flagship novel for the series that Guy Haley got bogged down doing a lot of background that may pay off in the longer term, but in the service of this novel, it does not.
If you're already a fan of 40k, the middle portion of the book will be fun for background and lore expansion, but if you're relatively new, the middle really bogs down and drags.
There are simply too many POV characters who act in an expositional manner, but don't contribute to the narrative. It also seems that as the Flagship novel for the series that Guy Haley got bogged down doing a lot of background that may pay off in the longer term, but in the service of this novel, it does not.
If you're already a fan of 40k, the middle portion of the book will be fun for background and lore expansion, but if you're relatively new, the middle really bogs down and drags.