Big CW for Child/ Adolescent Abuse from a Paternal Figure (Beating, Whipping, Verbal), Self Harm (Flagellation), Religious Extremism

I *enjoyed* reading this because I am feeling absolutely filled with a sympathy and empathy for Lorgar after reading The First Heretic again, but it's very unpleasant to read because of its content. However, I haven't given it a higher mark because I don't really know how *good* it actually is. I think if I'm honest with myself, I wouldn't be that impressed and might even have DNF'd of this wasn't set in a galaxy and following a character I was already heavily invested in outside of this book.

This tells the story of Lorgar's time on Colchis before the coming of the Emperor, from being discovered by desert outcasts and taken as an acolyte by the disgraced priest, Kor Phaeron, through becoming the Bearer of the Word for the Powers, to his ascension as the first Ecclesiasrch and conquering/ uniting Colchis under the faith of the One.

It truly is awful to read so much about how Kor Phaeron was a horrifyingly abusive, manipulative, and scheming master, arch deacon, and reluctant father, and to see Lorgar as such a sweet, naive child who's entire life has been lies, manipulations, othering, and trauma. Witnessing the XVII Primarch suffer under his father and eventual first captain that moulds him into the traumatised 'kicked puppy' that informs so much of his life is, frankly, horrible, and seems to be more drawn out and one-dimensional than necessary.

Young Lorgar destroyed me. He's such an absolute sweetheart.
"It doesn't hurt there. It hurts in my soul and in my hearts."

This is an issue with Lorgar and Kor Phaeron, and Colchisian culture to be honest--a lack of detail and depth. Kor Phaeron doesn't actually get fleshed out anymore than the Darth Vader by name, Darth Sidious by nature, we know him as, beyond being an outcast pagan Chaos Revivalist conman. He is just the dark father archetype, without the depth expected from Horus Heresy characters. In the same way Lorgar is Kal-El/ Clark Kent, but his superpower is oration and proselytising, but raised in an incredibly abusive household, eventually going on a Daenerys arc.

Early on we see the facets of the Chaos Gods worshipped on Colchis with different names and a single aspect which is awesome, for example their Nurgle being closer the Aeldari lost goddess, Isha, trapped in the Grandfather's garden. Honestly, the worship of Chaos as a recognisable analogue to paganism is fascinating, but beyond there being lots of strange books, many different roles and titles, and a version of karma and caste system, we don't get much more than that, which is a real shame, especially as Colchis is pretty brutal and ruthless, but seemingly not necessarily anymore than any other extremely religious society from the medieval period or earlier, which raises interesting questions about the [Darker?] Powers.

There is also the tiniest thought to the 'Fifth Power' that Lorgar is thought to be the Herald of, which is tantalising...

Ultimately, this is a little by the numbers, repetitive, and drawn out. I think would have actually made a better novella with the fat trimmed, rather than a short novel. I definitely benefited from having the audiobook with some great Jonathan Keeble work, so I could stim and bimble, while listening. I don't think I would actually recommend this for anyone who isn't Lorgar-obsessed and a completionist, like myself. Rather disappointing for how good Thorpe and the Horus Heresy can (and I think should) be. ( )