Unfortunately this is a terrible book, in my opinion not worth the paper it is printed on. The story is confusing and confused seemingly two short novels fused into one. Fortunately I took the time to look through a copy at Borders and quickly determined that it would be a waste of money to buy it.
Cannot recommend this or any other books by Gav Thorpe – he is just not a very good writer
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Posted in Warhammer 40k Collectibles.
Tagged with Borders, Gav Thorpe, Knowledgebase, Short Novels, Tag, Warhammer 40 000, Waste Of Money.
By warhammer_games
– March 6, 2010
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For fans of real time strategy games, this game is a must have. I have heard a lot about it, but just finally got around to getting it. There are always players online to get a game going with. The only issue I had with it is that it takes some work to be able to apply the patches when using a Nvidia graphics card driver. The single player game is a bit too short, but there are 3 expansions so I’m hoping for more content there. But the fix is fairly simple, so no big deal. I have ordered the expansions and I can’t wait to play them.
Dawn of War is unique in many ways compared to the normal Age of Empire’s 2 style of game. In fact, the differences are numerous. This is truelly a game out of the ordinary– and for the better.
Dawn of War has an innovative resource gathering system. You capture “strategic points” on the map (like Star Wars Battlefront 2) and they generate “requisition points”. These points are supposed to represent your personal attack’s value to the overall campaign of the planet. You also gather power via power generators, which are built anywhere. Since you gather more requisition resource by getting more strategic points (and for that matter critical locations and relics) players are forced into a more aggressive style of playing. This constantly forces players to have minor skirmishes. However, if you are too aggressive, you can get crushed as your forces are spread too thin…
Race wise, it has 4 completely different races, which are genuinely interesting and unique. They all have different troops and tech trees; in fact, you almost need to re-learn all your strategies as you learn to cope with these forces. (The Orks are especially different, with a whole extra resource and the ruleset of unlocking higher level troops by having more troops already on the field)
On balance, the game’s fantastic. I’ve played all the races, and I’ve been able to win with all of them on skirmish mode. (Though I have a difficulty with the Orks, that’s because I just suck with races that focus on close-combat *I HATE ZERG*)
The sounds are some of the best ever. They are terrifying and magnificent at the same time. I love how the Space Marines (who in the Warhammer 40K universe follow the God Emperor to death) fight with a sort of fervor not found in the other races. Chaos is terrifying with their blood curdling cries, and the Orks are funny with their crude tech and language.
The sounds of war in general (explosions, gun effects, etc) are cool as well. When I zoom in on a large fight, it feels as if I’m taking part in it as well, with the sounds of chain swords slashing, bolters shooting and rockets zooming.
The Graphics are the best EVER. It is filled with beautiful particle effects, the models are unparallel for and RTS and the animations are a work of art. The animations in particular are amazing. For instance, in close combat, troopers dodge and weave, clash swords and axes, and have terrific death animations. Ranged combat is improved as well, though not to the same degree. For example, in Star Wars Empire at War, ranged troops have the same animation: shoot/aim, recoil, shoot/aim, recoil, etc. In Dawn of War, troops are always switching their aim between enemy grunts, reloading, taking cover, throwing grenades, etc. These animations really help make the feel of a total-scale war.
If there is 1 problem with the game engine, it’s the fact that you can shoot enemies through buildings…..
It should be noted that with the plethora of MODS out there, you can really get a bang for your buck. There’s pretty much a MOD for each of the W40K races out there (like the Steal Legion, Tyranids, Daemon Hunters, and Tau)
And to top it all off, this games looks great without eating up system requirements. I run it on mid-high settings with an old PC( with maybe 3 computer players) with: A Pentium 4 2.4 ghz, 512 RAM, and a nVidia Geforce FX 5200. So almost any computer can run this game well, though for a true visual experiance, I would suggest something around the nVidia 6 or 7 series…
I easily recommend this to anybody who loves RTS, W40K, and everything in-between….
First of all, I’m a big RTS fan. It started with Warcraft II, then on to StarCraft, then Warcraft III, then EMPIRES DAWN OF THE MODERN WORLD. I found all very enjoyable. As for DoW…I still have yet to purchase the full game, but the demo alone has given me somethin I’ve been wanting; an AI thats actually pain in the rear in NORMAL difficulty. I like a challenge…though I’ll probably find myself playing the Orks to sate my Starcraft ZERG style strategies of overwhelming numbers sent to the meat grinder…
This is the best thing since Warcraft and Starcraft. If you liked those you will love this game. It is well balanced, fun and easy to learn. Great for long hours of fun alone or with friends online! I heartily recommend it!
I liked this game. Why? It had a good tutorial and was easy to learn. The story was better than average. The voice acting was superior to what I see in most games. The music was very good at getting my adrenaline going. The graphics were excellent without slowing down the game. The single player campaign could have been a little longer but I found it satisfying. True it has the usual very simplistic RTS tactics of build as fast as you can and blitz but I see that in all RTS games. The one thing I did not like was when I installed the game it secretly told my firewall to allow it to connect to the internet without asking me. That is very underhanded and deducts one star from this game.
It took me a while to understand that every other chapter of this novel was reflective in nature, but even the references to the memories the Chaplain had did very little to shed light on the heinous crime(s) committed by the Fallen. Now this may have been intentionally vague. I really had my hopes set on some specifics being given about the Lutherites and their fall from grace, and the novel did very little to elaborate on that history. Overall, I liked the book and would recommend it to any avid fan of the 40k universe or someone that follows the Dark Angels primarily. I especially liked the implied role of Cypher in the story.
This is a good deal of background info on the schism within the Dark Angel chapter.. once again, playing on man’s own foibles and weaknesses, even in the revered Space Marines. There is a good job of showing the story from the point of view of interrogator (loyalist) and chapter master (traitor) and how they vie back and forth over who has committed the most treachery…The sequence of events is fairly clear; it seems that the Dark Angel’s Primarch, Lion El Johnson (never understood this name..), places Luther (his second in command) and a large contingent of space marines on Caliban (their homeworld) to raise new recruits. Feelings of slight and disdain creep into Luther while the Primarch carries on the campaign during the Horus Heresy.. Without giving too much away, I will say again that Mr. Abnett has done an excellent job of character development and his way of weaving the Dark Angel’s division and then search for the “Fallen” is both interesting and revealing, with the very end of story a brooding foreboding for this space marine chapter even in the present (well, their “present”).
Unfortunately this is a terrible book, in my opinion not worth the paper it is printed on. The story is confusing and confused seemingly two short novels fused into one. Fortunately I took the time to look through a copy at Borders and quickly determined that it would be a waste of money to buy it.
Cannot recommend this or any other books by Gav Thorpe – he is just not a very good writer
A tale that spans different times in the life of an Interrogator-Chaplain of the Dark Angels chapter. The book jumps back and forth between two distinct times — early on in Boreas’s career, and to the “present day”. In the present day Boreas has been stationed on a backwater planet, isolated from the bulk of his chapter. Routine life changes drastically when it becomes apparent that things are not all that they seem. Boreas suddenly finds renewed purpose and vigor when rumours of the Great Enemy begin to surface.
I’m not too much of a fan of Gav Thorpe’s writing, having read some of The Last Chancers material. Despite that fact, I enjoyed this book. The book is a slow read, for the most part, as it departs from the usual barbarism and butchery usually associated with Space Marine style Warhammer 40k novels. Do not be confused — this book centers around the Dark Angels chapter, but in my opinion is more about the universe of Warhammer 40k and the crumbling decline of the Imperium.
For a portion of the book it will be clear who is who — who the antagonist is, and who our protagonist is. The line between the two begin to muddy and gray as the book goes on. The ending of the book is rather thought provoking and for people who like to deeply consider the implications and ramifications of the history of the Warhammer 40k universe it will be delicious and full of flavor. The conclusion of the book, and the sum of its events, certainly do present an unexpected angle on what most Warhammer 40k fans know about the progression of the universe.
That book not only action, as awaited from story about Space Marine. That book about dark past. About war in 40 millenium and about Horus Heresy times. About dark secrets one of the most respected Legio. Dark Angels. Brave and first Legio. But Why THEY did not stand fast on Earth in last battle with Horus? Dark Secret…
I just finished Storm of Iron by Graham McNeill. I loved this book. He gives a wonderful insight into Chaos Space Marines. The action is nonstop. This is one of my favorite Warhammer 40K novels. I couldn’t put this book down. It is well worth the time to read it.
A great story and a must read for any Chaos Space Marine fan! The story starts off a bit slow, but that seems to be the author’s style. After the characters are laid out, the real action begins and never lets up!
Epic battles. Everyone loves them. The few and the proud against the hordes of evil in a winner takes all battle for ultimate supremacy. These elements provide a good backdrop for human drama and character development, and can be seen in many instances of film, comics, television, and literature throughout the years.
“Storm of Iron” provides a Warhammer 40k take on this same ideal. An impenetrable fortress manned by a hardened force ready to die for their beliefs. To never yield or falter in the face of certain doom and a tragic end at the hands of a bloodcrazed and evil enemy.
But things don’t quite go that way, which makes this story stand out as being a bit different from those in the past. The good guys don’t win, in fact they serve as unwitting agents of their own destruction throughout the story. A series of bad to worst, the warriors in this tale are constantly forced to make decisions that will inevitably destroy them.
This book is at its best when confronting these choices, and the strained relationships between the principle characters on both sides. The jockeying between the Chaos leaders, all vying for the attention and respect of their master Warsmith, gives a sense of the twisted minds behind the Iron Warriors. The petty squabbling, and secret agenda of the Imperium, leads to many undeserved deaths throughout the ranks of the defenders.
The rest of the book is a series of workman-like tales of battle. A respectable attempt at outlining the vast conflict from both sides, this element of the story invariably fails to rise to the heights of the interesting characters. I often found myself quickly skimming through the same series of soldiers being blasted apart by artillery, lascannons, and bolters just so I could get back to the “important parts”. This lends a sense of drudgery and boredom to what could otherwise be an exciting and fast paced story.
Given the scope of the story contained in this one novel, I don’t know that it would be possible to avoid these pitfalls and I must give credit to Graham for creating a unique and interesting one off set within the 40k universe.
A good novel to read if you know nothing about 40k and the conflict between the Emperor and the forces of Chaos, but it does take some liberties with the source material which may annoy hardcore 40k fans.
An overall enjoyable read, and am I curious to read more about the characters who survive the bloody conflict outlined in this book.
6.5 out of 10.
I loved this book and I feel after reading most of the Black Library’s productions that I am pretty hard to please when it comes to warhammer 40k fiction. What I like is that you never quite know who is going to win the battle as McNeil does a great job developing both sides of the conflict. His afterword, which I also enjoyed, is also a great final section that explains his thinking in writing the book the way he did and also is a thanks to all those that are influenced and enjoy his style of story telling.
If you can get past the concept of siege warfare in the far future, this is
pretty fun. I thought the beginning is a bit disappointing, as the imperial
forces are nothing more than overconfident, bumbling idiots, but the
balance shifts a bit as they gain their footing. The writing is pretty
straightforward, and cliches abound (including a few that will make
you cringe), but the action is brisk, and unrelenting.
Graham McNeil’s “Ultramarines Omnibus” is a collection of three novels and a short story set in the dark gothic universe of Warhammer 40 000. It follows the adventures of captain Uriel Ventris – leader of the Ultramarines fourth company.
Ultramarines books are full of fluff mistakes. Some of these include; Adeptus Arbites judges driving around in rhino APCs; local PDF commanders having access to power fists; the ultramarines fourth company apparently not having tanks (of any kind), terminators, devastator squads, power fists, dreadnoughts, drop pods, bikes, land speeders, and in general most of the stuff that an effective Adeptus Astartes strike force is based on; what’s more, the 4th company conducts most of their attacks head-on, running into enemy gunfire with little or no tactics involved. These things might seem irrelevant to someone who isn’t a diehard 40k fan, but this omnibus is – after all – aimed at diehard fans, and to us this sort of fluff mistakes can go a long way towards making or breaking a story.
That being said, “Ultramarines Omnibus” contains a lot more character development then is usual in Space Marine fiction. Even supporting characters are well fleshed-out. Uriel, Pasanius, and Learchus have genuine personality traits that set them apart from each other; their emotions, hopes, and doubts are something we – the readers – can relate to. This is most pronounced when the Ultramarines are interacting with regular humans, astartes from other chapters, and even their traitor cousins. They are all so very different, and yet they all fundamentally human.
McNeil’s literary style is nothing to write home about, but it isn’t particularly bad, either. The books are fast-paced, entertaining, and easy to read. If you’re a fan of space marines, you should definitely read this collection.
As a relatively new Warhammer 40K player I was looking for a great novel to fill out the universe for me beyond the rulebook and codexes- the Ultramarines Omnibus delivered! McNeill has a masterful way of combining a solid understanding of 40K lore and technology, artful descriptions of combat and great descriptions of human emotion. In the Omnibus we see the rise and fall of heroes, the strength and failings of human character, and the ebb and flow of warring factions’ fortunes. But let’s face it, most of us pick up a 40K novel because we want some great battle action- it’s to be found here in many pages of intense and well-conceived action. We see the Space Marines at the war with rebel faction, rogue Dark Eldar, insidious Chaos Space Marines and ravenous Tyrannid hoards. The protagonist in chief, Uriel Ventriss, achieves many heroic enterprises that are made believable by McNeill’s description of the moral fortitude, genetic enhancement, and astounding arsenal, of a Space Marine Captain. McNeill paints the Space Marine as mortal- able to feel pain and doubt, yet superhuman- a fighting force driven by a superior strength and fighting spirit second to none.
The Ultramarines are known to be virtuous and highly devoted servants of the God-Emperor. They are also known to be simple in spirit in that their sustenance is to serve the Emperor with vigor and loyalty. I believe that Uriel, Pasanius, and Learchus reflect these qualities to one degree or another. For those who say that they are wooden, perhaps you’re not getting the point of the story. Each Ultramarine protagonist is trying to find their own place in the Warhammer 40k universe – perhaps less so in Learchus’ case as is limited in his capacity to think outside the Codex Astartes. I think its gratifying to watch a straight-laced Ultramarine find his own path – as Captain Idaeus wanted him to.
Nightbringer sets up the reader with a refreshing look at Uriel’s first operation as the captain of 4th company. Warriors of Ultramar demonstrates Uriel’s depth as a individual space marine and his genuine belief in applying himself where he is best suited – which ironically got him one way ticket to the Eye of Terror. The third and last installment of this omnibus was a real test or character as Uriel and Pasanius faced the horrors of a Chaos world and the vindication of their own character.
Overall, it’s a great read that’s well worth your time.
Overall the book is worth reading since it does create the beginning of a Space Marine and Chaos Marine series.