Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Book: Warhammer 40k - The Horus Heresy Series Part 2

Finally, I've finished reading the rest of the books that I bought last week. Phew, it was a good read. Though I think I might missing another book. I pretty sure there is another one called Horus Rising.. Hurmm..
Anyway, yess.. the other 2 books, False Gods and Fulgrim.

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Yup, I definitely should read this one first. As suggested by the title, it revolves around about the Luna Wolves/ Sons of Horus Legion. Apparently, in this book time line, Horus was already elevated to be the Warmaster of the Great Crusade. That sir, means that he is in command of the entire  Imperium military might. Putting it in place.. the story here takes about after Horus Rising and before Galaxy in Flames. I think so. Galaxy in Flames took place on the Issstvan system while this book covers on Davin moon and the war against Technocracy.

The story started after Horus recently promoted into the position of the Warmaster. The Emperor then gives Horus full responsibility on continuing and completing the Great Crusade. It was the peak time for the crusade as the fringes of the galaxy is almost reached. Then, something happened. Nobody knows, but the Emperor knows it. He turned his back and said that he is going back to Terra to work on some great project. He didn't disclosed much, but it was not soon after, remembrancers, scrivener, or some sort, started to flood into the crusade Expedition fleets. These adepts, scribes, were not warriors, as they didn't come to join the war. But instead to capture the moments of the final hour of the Great Crusade.

All of these things started put a heavy burden on the Warmaster. Yep, bureaucracy and red tape.. It always wears a man down. Anyway, with Horus as the Warmaster, he started to have to collaborate with the Council of Terra and the Mechanicum, instead of having his own way of doing. That, is the part where Erebus will play to exploit, a tiny speck of doubt in the Warmaster's heart. 

In another side, there is also a tale about Kyril Syndermann and Euphrati Keeler. Ok, like I said, this book come before the Galaxy in Flames. Their part of the story is before they.. urmm.. felt the Emperor's divinity. Euphrati was already all over the Lectitio Divinitatus belief but Kyril still doubt it. Only after Kyril translated and read the scriptures from the Book of Lorgar tattooed on Erebus's scalp that he started to believe that demon and divine power, indeed do exist. Well, so much for the Imperial Truth then.. Still, one have to wonder. How could someone trust a guy, who have a scripture tattooed over his scalp, that could summon a demon? Maybe there are ulterior motives there, probably. I've seen a lot of stories about men trying to outsmart the demon, as the demon try to do the same. Haha



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Finally, the last sci-fi fantasy book for me to read for this week.. Fulgrim. Well, what can I say. Its all about Fulgrim, primarch of the Emperor's Children Legion. Ok, this book covers a lot about the Emperor's Children Legion when they started to fall from grace. Pretty much like The First Heretic where it covers about the Word Bearer Legion. The book of Fulgrim started on the primarch personal campaign againt an alien race call the Laer. This alien, openly shows hostilities against the Imperium and much to Fulgrim's disgust, they use extensive genetic engineering to achieve perfection in their society.

Anyone who have read about Fulgrim before should know that, this guy is a perfectionist. He believe that the Emperor's work is already perfect, anything else is just an abomination. He see that the Laer is some kind of a freak show, and the suggestion from the Council of Terra to make them as protectorate just appalled him. But even as the war is ongoing, Fabius Bile the Legion chief of apothecary managed to convince the primarch that perhaps Laeran could provide the means for them to.. evolve toward perfection. To do so, Laeran must perish and their art of genetic manipulation should be use by the Legion, in an elegant way. Yeah I know, it sounds crazy.

Also, there is a story of a brotherly relationship between Fulgrim and Ferrus Manus, primach of the Iron Hands Legion. It appeared that their brotherhood ties exist because of each other passion over perfection. But.. Ferrus have a slight different ideas. Fulgrim loves beautiful things while Ferrus love durable things. Where Fulgrim enjoy exquisite arts, Ferrus enjoy arts that could last long such as metalwork.
 
When I read this book, I was kinda shocked. I know that the Chaos god that try to persuade Fulgrim is Slaanesh, Dark Prince of Pleasure of some kind. But seriously in the book, Fulgrim is almost portrayed to be a gay. When he was slowly influenced by Slaanesh, he started to pierce his body with silver accessories, wearing white greasepaint on his face, with thick mascara and lipstick, and wear a thin layered toga, showing his physique prowess. All for him to look.. perfect. And also, I'm pretty much sure that he look kinda girly in his behavior. The way of him being jealous of others, simply because they look or doing better than him. In fact, he thought Captain Demeter of the 2nd Company have stolen his glory in battle which the guy is just doing his job. Huh.. 

Anyway, yeah, the story goes on and on until it intertwine with the Horus Heresy. In the final part, Fulgrim will kill Ferrus and presented his head to the Warmaster. But by then, it wasn't Fulgrim that serve the Warmaster, but something from the warp. Something that the Warmaster have met before.. possessing his brother's body, the Warmaster realized that there is no turning back from what he have done, as he is the one that swayed Fulgrim's faith from the Emperor and asked Fulgrim to deal with Ferrus. In the end, Horus lost both of his brothers.

Well, that all from the book that I've read for the week. Its a good read, really, if you into science fiction. Graham McNeil is good writer and he always have his way of describing the inside of a story. I love the part where he describing the view of the La Fenice and the Maraviglia's show. It kinda explain why the primarch of the Emperor's Children started to strive for perfection, chaos-style. Like Fulgrim said, it just magnificent!






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