401 replies to this topic

[Galactus]

peterbound, on 09 May 2012 - 04:53 AM, said:

Picked up this 'Eisenhorn' book today at my local book store.  I'll try to slog through it, and post my review of what i read during the day if i can get to it.  If nothing else, i'd like to know why they are called 'Marines', when in reality they look to have little ties to the proud tradition of the corps, or any navy.  Plus, i'm looking forward to this lightsaber scene that I heard about.

Because they're transported on ships, basically doing island-hopping on a planetary scale.

[Lord of the Night]

Antonius Pius, on 09 May 2012 - 08:43 AM, said:

Spoiler

I'm not all too sanguine about the details, but IIRC Eisenhorn made Fischig a slave of a chaos-demon in or something like that, which was very harsh. I don't recall Osma, but I do recall Fischig turned against Eisenhorn. But he was right to do so, since Eisenhorn went off the deep end and already far more tainted than he wanted to admit. Fischig and Heldane had right on their side, or as much of that as there is in the 40K universe.

Spoiler

Not really. He forced Fischig's soul out of his body and gave it to Cherubael. And at that point Eisenhorn hadn't gone off the deep end, all he'd done was bind a Daemonhost and use it to kill heretics and read a forbidden text. The latter Inquisitors do all the time and isn't cause for sanction, the former is but many still do it and get away with it. By now, i.e the coming first novel of the Bequin trilogy Pariah, Eisenhorn has gone well and truly renegade but at that point he was just an Inquisitor using Chaos to fight Chaos. Not a good idea but in his situation it was practically the only thing he could do.

LotN

[Nukelavee]

By cheesy, I meant the sheer scale involved - it's pure space opera, it's over the top in numbers and size, for everything.

But, I agree that the stories make it workable, ie, I can believe in it while I'm reading it.

[Antonius Pius]

Lord of the Night, on 09 May 2012 - 08:53 AM, said:

Spoiler

Not really. He forced Fischig's soul out of his body and gave it to Cherubael.

Spoiler

That's not evil? Where did that leave Fischig? Not a very nice thing to do to someone who hadn't done any wrong, moreover who was a friend for years. I haven't read Ravenor yet, as I said upthread, but at the end of Eisenhorn Eisenhorn himself is well beyond the pale, IMHO.

[Onion Smuggler]

Lord of the Night, on 09 May 2012 - 08:53 AM, said:

Spoiler

Not really. He forced Fischig's soul out of his body and gave it to Cherubael. And at that point Eisenhorn hadn't gone off the deep end, all he'd done was bind a Daemonhost and use it to kill heretics and read a forbidden text. The latter Inquisitors do all the time and isn't cause for sanction, the former is but many still do it and get away with it. By now, i.e the coming first novel of the Bequin trilogy Pariah, Eisenhorn has gone well and truly renegade but at that point he was just an Inquisitor using Chaos to fight Chaos. Not a good idea but in his situation it was practically the only thing he could do.

LotN

It's pretty clear that Eisenhorn has become corrupted by Chaos, his use of Demonhosts is too radical. Hence why Ravenor is going to be hunting him down in the Abnett's next book

[Lord of the Night]

Antonius Pius, on 09 May 2012 - 12:05 PM, said:

Spoiler

That's not evil? Where did that leave Fischig? Not a very nice thing to do to someone who hadn't done any wrong, moreover who was a friend for years. I haven't read Ravenor yet, as I said upthread, but at the end of Eisenhorn Eisenhorn himself is well beyond the pale, IMHO.

Spoiler

Its the same effect as killing him. Sending his soul to the Emperor, if you believe that crap. And of course he had done wrong, he purposefully led the two Inquisitors who openly despised Eisenhorn as a person and in the process caused Aemos's and Maxilla's deaths. And then he still tries to kill Eisenhorn. And all of that despite knowing what Pontius Glaw intends to do and that Eisenhorn is the only one who can stop him. Fischig may have had good intentions but he went about it all wrong. If he had approached Eisenhorn after Glaw was dead he might have had a chance, but by jumping the gun and bringing Osma and Heldane in he ruined any chance he might have had.

Truthfully I always found the attitude towards Daemonhosts odd. Its a permanent method of sealing a Daemon away. Cherubael is hinted to be a Daemon Prince, or something on that power level, and he is trapped in a human body bound to obey orders. Even if they just seal them away and only ever come near them to give them a fresh body it seems like a better idea than just banishing them and waiting for them to come back.


LotN

[Jon AS]

The thing is that it's part of the setting's core rules that you cannot use Chaos in this way without becoming corrupted. Psychic powers are fair game up to a certain point, anything beyond that and you're on a slippery slope that ends with you either embracing the Ruinous Powers, turning into a gibbering Chaos Spawn or being burned at the stake by a witch hunter.

[Lord of the Night]

Jon AS, on 09 May 2012 - 02:26 PM, said:

The thing is that it's part of the setting's core rules that you cannot use Chaos in this way without becoming corrupted. Psychic powers are fair game up to a certain point, anything beyond that and you're on a slippery slope that ends with you either embracing the Ruinous Powers, turning into a gibbering Chaos Spawn or being burned at the stake by a witch hunter.

Very true. When the Bequin trilogy is released we'll find out which of those fates awaits Eisenhorn.


LotN

[Twelve Angry Nonmen]

Just read Primarchs and...

Spoiler

Yay Fulgrim is in control of himself! I was hoping he wasn't actually possessed by a demon for all eternity, that would be all sorts of lame.

But. uh, the Alpha Legion story made no sense to me.

Omegon is acting counter to Alpharius' wishes?  If the Tenebrae installation really wasn't compromised, what was his goal?

[Lord of the Night]

Horiötha, on 12 May 2012 - 01:16 AM, said:

Just read Primarchs and...

Spoiler

Yay Fulgrim is in control of himself! I was hoping he wasn't actually possessed by a demon for all eternity, that would be all sorts of lame.

But. uh, the Alpha Legion story made no sense to me.

Omegon is acting counter to Alpharius' wishes?  If the Tenebrae installation really wasn't compromised, what was his goal?

Spoiler

Yeah Fulgrim's reversal on the Daemon was cool, though it killed any lingering sympathy I or anyone else had for him. He's now 100% evil, and 500% depraved.

The Alpha Legion story is meant to show that Alpharius and Omegon are keeping secrets from each other, and that perhaps Alpharius is being influenced by his time spent with Horus and the other Traitors.

Currently reading the first of three ARCs, Wrath of Iron by Chris Wraight. After that Angel of Fire by Bill King and Valkia the Bloody by Sarah "Pyroriffic" Cawkwell.


LotN

[SkynJay]

Peter may be write, this stuff is crack and may be rotting my brain.  Once I finish this omnibus I will have read more Abnett this year than any other actor.  The Founding, A Gaunt's Ghosts Omnibus, is flying by me, and I am enjoying it quite a bit.

[nickg]

SkynJay, on 14 May 2012 - 10:38 PM, said:

Peter may be write, this stuff is crack and may be rotting my brain.  Once I finish this omnibus I will have read more Abnett this year than any other actor.  The Founding, A Gaunt's Ghosts Omnibus, is flying by me, and I am enjoying it quite a bit.

This happened to me as well. Before this year, I had only read Eisenhornm. Now I've finished Ravenore, the there GG omnibi, Enforcer and some Horus Heresy, and ADB's Night Lords trilogy + Helsreach.  Completely unexpected. Haven't read any tie-ins since the last Star Wars X Wing novel.The GG novels are relatively short though, and are pretty much just pure fun. They get better as the go imo, so I think you might have a problem on your hands.

[Antonius Pius]

nickg, on 15 May 2012 - 03:35 AM, said:

This happened to me as well. Before this year, I had only read Eisenhornm. Now I've finished Ravenore, the there GG omnibi, Enforcer and some Horus Heresy, and ADB's Night Lords trilogy + Helsreach.  Completely unexpected. Haven't read any tie-ins since the last Star Wars X Wing novel.

It seems we have stumbled on a pattern here... I gave The Founding a go, and suddenly I'm also up in GG, Eisenhorn, Ciaphas Cain, some assorted Space Marines omnibi and currently reading the first Night Lords book...

nickg, on 15 May 2012 - 03:35 AM, said:

The GG novels are relatively short though, and are pretty much just pure fun. They get better as the go imo, so I think you might have a problem on your hands.

I'd also like to echo this sentiment. GG does get better along the way, especially from Necropolis onwards. I believe Abnett said in the foreword (or perhaps it was Wert in his reviews) that he finally got a good grasp on what he had in GG, which you can tell from the subsequent novels.

[Werthead]

Cover art for Pariah (posted by Jussi in the Cover Art thread).

Slightly disappointed they've gone with Eisenhorn vs. Ravenor as the trilogy title. Bequin fitted in much better with the titling convention of the previous books.

Quote

I'd also like to echo this sentiment. GG does get better along the way, especially from Necropolis onwards. I believe Abnett said in the foreword (or perhaps it was Wert in his reviews) that he finally got a good grasp on what he had in GG, which you can tell from the subsequent novels.

The first two GG books were collections of short stories bolted together. Necropolis was the first 'proper' novel in the sequence, which explains why it hangs together better than the first two. It also works because Abnett is a writer who is always on the lookout for weaknesses in his fiction and how to improve it. Necropolis provides a way of both opening out the cast and also bringing in a few major female characters, which the series had lacked up to that point.

[Antonius Pius]

Werthead, on 15 May 2012 - 04:31 AM, said:

Cover art for Pariah (posted by Jussi in the Cover Art thread).

Slightly disappointed they've gone with Eisenhorn vs. Ravenor as the trilogy title. Bequin fitted in much better with the titling convention of the previous books.

Perhaps it isn't 'sexy' enough?

Werthead, on 15 May 2012 - 04:31 AM, said:

The first two GG books were collections of short stories bolted together.
Necropolis was the first 'proper' novel in the sequence, which explains why it hangs together better than the first two. It also works because Abnett is a writer who is always on the lookout for weaknesses in his fiction and how to improve it. Necropolis provides a way of both opening out the cast and also bringing in a few major female characters, which the series had lacked up to that point.

Ah, that does make sense. Especially given the odd structure of the second GG 'novel', which was essentially a pov per character.

[Lord of the Night]

I myself have started Angel of Fire, the first in the Macharius Crusade trilogy and the first 40k novel by the esteemed William King since his return to Black Library. He's lost none of his skill, and he's definitely not starting small, a trilogy about Tyrion and Teclis and now Solar Macharius himself.


LotN

[Nukelavee]

Yay!

I got to meet King about 15 years ago at a Gen Con.  Really nice guy, he even claimed to like our products.

I didn't say he was honest, just nice.

[Lord of the Night]

http://i509.photobuc...ra/IMG_1564.jpg

God I LOVE Black Library. For those who don't keep up with the release calender those are the August releases.


LotN

Edited by Lord of the Night, 18 May 2012 - 10:31 AM.

[Galactus]

Quote

That's not evil?

Wrong question in this universe.

The question is, is it heresy?

[Onion Smuggler]

Werthead, on 15 May 2012 - 04:31 AM, said:

Cover art for Pariah (posted by Jussi in the Cover Art thread). Slightly disappointed they've gone with Eisenhorn vs. Ravenor as the trilogy title. Bequin fitted in much better with the titling convention of the previous books.

Looking forward to this a lot I have to say