Book: WH40k Horus Heresy and beyond
I haven't wrote about books for a while now. Well, now is good as any other. However, this would be probably my last ranting, or review, about Horus Heresy novel series. Honestly, its kind of tiring to keep track on the Horus Heresy novels, even though that I know that Warhammer 40k universe is incredibly galaxy-spanning vast, but that's also the reason why I stick to a single series from Warhammer 40k universe.
So I can easily track the storyline. But lately, there are less novel and more anthology. In case you don't know what anthology is, its a collection of literary works such as poems, songs, or short stories.
Don't get me wrong though, its not that I didn't enjoy the anthology, but because the vastness of the place setting, which took on the entire galaxy, Material and Immaterial dimension, some of the stories just came out of the woodwork almost like it have nothing to do with the novel series storyline.
Except it does, but it won't relate until god knows when. Which I find frustrating because in case I want have a reading marathon or something on a particular event, I might have to dug in deep for the stories god knows which book actually had it.
But then again, even the novel contain a whole story totally new, well at least to me. For example like, The Damnation of Pythos. Now, I know that in the far future later, Pythos have this big event where Abaddon the Despoiler would come over and rip this place apart, triggering the bloody Pandorax Campaign.But before the Damnation of Pythos, there is actually another short story that relate to this. Which I don't remember, because it was a short story, and it didn't make sense back then.
But I do remember it vaguely, because it fits the plot line. In that 'forgotten' short story, it revolves around the Davinite tribes, yes that's right, inhabitants of the cursed Davin where Warmaster Horus fell prey to Chaos. One of the chosen from the temple lodge, I don't remember which one, wanders around, listening to whispers in the air and from the shadows, and met with other chosen of other temple lodges. And then they fought, ripped each other throat, then those that survived found some spacecrafts laying around. Apparently they were all guided by the Dark Gods to fulfill their destiny or something, on some far far away place destined for them.
Which bring us to The Damnation of Pythos. How did I know that it was related at all? Because in The Damnation of Pythos, a rag-tag band of Legionnaires from the Loyalist faction make planetfall there to regroup. At first, Pythos is a death world with no sign of human settlement. Until later, a bunch of human colonist of unknown origin also make planetfall there. As the story progress, it was revealed that this colonist was actually Davinites.
To those who keep track with the Horus Heresy story, Davinite is a primitive human settlement in Davin. They lives in tribes, built huts with stick and dung, and still practice superstition. They don't have spacecraft, so who else would it be, if not the same Davinite chosen group back from the 'forgotten' short story.
But then again, I should be grateful with what I got. I know that writing a novel is not easy. Heck, writing this blog alone gives me a headache. And I'm just writing to fill in my free time.
The fact that Horus Heresy books came out every several months show how much the authors are working hard. Don't get me wrong though, I'm not saying I'm stopping from reading Warhammer 40k novels. Far from it, I'll enjoy the novels just as I always do.
But because Horus Heresy now filled with anthology upon anthology, it no longer provide me with a solid source of interest. And my interest is only about the Horus Heresy. As in what that Legion was doing and why did they do it during that time, what were the primarchs thinking, and stuff like that. Not the things that happen during the Horus Heresy simply because it happened. Like in the novel of Prospero Burns and A Thousand Sons. Who cares about that dude that happened to be near that another dude that related to the Horus Heresy..
Anyway, there is still hope. The Vengeful Spirit, finally reveal the extent of the Warmaster Horus's insanity. Apparently, Horus knew how godlike the Emperor is. He have seen the Emperor fight, and he know what the Emperor are capable of.Even if Horus can brought low all the Imperial Legions and Army arrayed against him, there is not a smote of chance for him to even defeat the Emperor, the man who can single-handedly direct the power of the galactic spanning psychic beacon, the Astronomican.
So in this novel, Horus embarked a quest. A quest that he believed what make the Emperor to be godlike in the first place. Seduced with promises of unlimited power and Throne of Terra by the warp scums that called themselves the Dark Gods, Horus sail for planet Molech.
The irony of the whole situation was that, if Horus do what the Emperor did before causing the Emperor to be the warp denizens' bane, what makes Horus's fate to be any different from the Emperor in future? The warp denizens wanted Emperor to be slain, surely Horus would have realize that he too will share the same fate. Maybe Horus have a plan or something. But wouldn't be easier if he just join forces with the Emperor and kick the shit out of the Dark Gods instead of being their pawn. Huh.. I'll never understand Chaos.
But the again, Horus is crazy. He almost died in Davin, where he was in a situation that he never have been before. And that near-death situation somehow traumatized him. I suppose he was quite upset that his father, the Emperor, didn't even blink when he was dying down in Davin. Even though the Emperor was not on Davin at that time, and the Emperor have told Horus countless of time that he's not exactly a miracle worker. Oh well... at any rate, this book was a great read.
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