So another review of a Space Marines battles novel and the question on every ones lips (or just mine) is was this going to be as good a read as Battle for the Fang? Well of course it wasn't.
That book was about my favourite chapter and contained one of my favourite characters. That doesn't mean however that Fall of Damnos wasn't good.
So what was Fall of Damnos about? Well it focuses on the Ultramarines going to war against the Necron Horde. I have mixed feelings about the Ultramarines. There is a part of me that just doesn't like them. When looking for a reason why I compare them to Man Utd, yeah they are the most supported team in the land, but they are also the most despised and its the same with the Ultramarines. 'They are the greatest of all Space Marines Chapters' but honestly are they? Saying that I have really enjoyed Graham McNeill's Ultramarines Novels featuring Uriel Ventris. Why? Because he didn't just stick to the Codex Astartes, he did what he needed to in order to win.
So what did I like about this book?
Well like Battle of the Fang it considered the fall of Damnos from a number of different view points but like BOTF this at times made it hard to read because of remembering all the different characters. One of the things I like about the Horus Heresy books is the list of characters at the start and who they are. I wish all BL books would do this.
Well like Battle of the Fang it considered the fall of Damnos from a number of different view points but like BOTF this at times made it hard to read because of remembering all the different characters. One of the things I like about the Horus Heresy books is the list of characters at the start and who they are. I wish all BL books would do this.
The book also had a fair bit from the perspective of the Necrons which I really liked. It gave me an idea of why they did what they did.
What didn't I like.
The character of Sicarius but that was kind of the point. He wasn't a good leader, he cared more about personal glory than seemingly the good of his men.
I also didn't like the fact that the story really isn't finished by the end but again its a Space Marines Battles book not a Space Marines War book.
Overall it was a good read, as I can generally judge how good a book is by how quickly I read it I'm going to judge them all like this.
6 Days for Fall of Damnos, a decent book.
What, really? Sicarius was portrayed, not as some virtuous hero, but as some sort of glory hound? That's a huge departure from the Space Marine codex right there, and an intriguing idea-- that the Ultramarines' up-and-coming hero isn't Mr Perfect after all.
ReplyDeleteAs an aside, it actually has a bit of Necron perspective? Interesting.