Mitchel Scanlon

The average life span of an Imperial Guardsman is just 15 hours. This story follows a fresh-faced young recruit through the process. A new regiment is raised on a far off agricultural area. The troops are young and very green and military life comes to them slowly. The order to move out is sudden as is the unknown mistake caused by a slight miscalculation on the part of a government bureaucrat that sends the regiment into a stalemated war zone. The ship crashes in no-man’s land and war is show more thrust upon the new soldiers whether they are ready or not. Can they beat the clock? This book really worked. While it included enough background material to be a Warhammer 40K book, it could be set in any 20th century war. The characters are rich and gritty and the descriptive ability of Scanlon is impressive. He doesn’t fall headfirst into the background material but uses it and good writing to make a compelling work of fiction. show less

This is an odd one. Whilst the structure is pretty good, the ideas work on paper, and none of the usual BL complaints about plot, characterisation, or delivery apply (well written, plot makes sense and works, characters 3d and believable), this is still a little unsatisfying. It deliberately doesn't answer any of the big questions about the Dark Angels, but it deals with them in such a way that it makes the Lion's behaviour seem odd. But not in a way that is ever explained. He's just odd, show more except when he isn't. Perhaps the questions get answered in a later book that I haven't read, but I don't think so. Still, pleasant enough for a few evenings reading. show less

A fairly entertaining, grim and cynical military sf outing set in the Warhammer 40K universe. In many ways the setting is modelled on WW1 trench warfare. The writing can be stilted in places (particularly dialogue) but the story is told with economy and a black humour I wasn't expecting from this book. This is the first 40K book I've read and its impressed me enough that i will be keeping an eye out for more.

After reading some very harsh critiques of this book I decided to give it a try - and I am very glad I did.

I have to agree that book does not follow events already set in previous books concerning Horus' betrayal.

Here author tries to give a look at the isolated society, one that has its values, its code of conduct and one constantly fighting for their freedom from the horrors surrounding them.

He shows warrior cast (very similar in almost anything to the Space Marines), people protecting the show more very foundation of Caliban society (knight orders of Caliban) through the eyes of a young man and his struggles to reach his knighthood. Also he shows some more of Lion El'Jonson - one of the soon to be found Primarchs - man with the vision but also man whose eyes are always set onsome distant goal not visible to mere mortals.

All of a sudden Terran Empire reaches Calban and everything changes - people who fought and bled are now seen as mere aspirants to the Astartes Legion, orders are dismissed, way of life crudely changed - soon division begins to create as Imperial bureaucratic machine starts to change the Caliban - world that is treated in the same way like it was subdued by the means of war.

One has to wander what are the true goals of the Emperor with humanity.

Great story, cannot wait to read the sequel.

Recommended. show less