Eye of Terror

This is his franchise novel for the Warhammer 40,000 game universe. The human race lives under control of the Imperium -a religio-militaristic Inquisition type empire that spans multiple systems. With a fighting force of specially bred Space Marines, they protect the human race against the demonic forces of Chaos. In the Eye of Terror, a region of space where the rules of the universe are altered by the dark magical forces of the Chaos deities that preside there, there is somehow an unlikely alliance of these deities that threatens war against material galaxy. The Imperium prepares for battle. The second plot concerns a rogue trader and a ship navigator who enter the Eye of Terror in search of exotic treasure. They encounter seductive show more and terrfiying forces that challenge their sanity.
There are some complaints online from those who play this game, that he takes liberties with some aspects of the game's backstory-ask me if I care, and when doesn't that happen with franchise novels anyway. Interestingly, this is his longest novel by almost double the pages ,and he concocts a lurid, vividly imagined gumbo of dark SF flavored fantasy.The thing almost reads like the novelization of a Death Metal concept album, so all the metal heads that read SFF might want to hunt this down and give it a spin. Others might find it a little grim for exactly those reasons.I've read a proposal for a second novel somewhere online. I liked this novel enough that if a followup were written, I'I would have bought it, but very sadly, Mr Bayley has recently died, and this is his last novel. *** show less

I read this for my NEWT's. A book recommended by a friend. In this case I asked my partner. He got really excited because he really like(d) Warhammer and now he had the chance to teach me more about the world!

It was cute to see him debate with himself which book was the best one to start with.

For that experience alone I'm glad to have read this.

But the story is bonkers. In the beginning I tried to understand what was happening but it was only when I gave up on that that I began to enjoy myself. I have no idea what the actual plot was of this story but I had a good time.

The ending made no sense to me but I can't wait to ask my partner about it. I doubt I will understand it better after his explanation but again, I do love seeing him show more being passionate about stuff. show less

I'm always giving bks 4 star ratings b/c I tend to read things that're somehow important to me. I finished reading Thomas Pynchon's great "Against the Day" & lauded it for having positive anarchist characters. But I'm sick, so I wanted a break from intellect, so I started reading this piece of trash. I can only figure Bayley was desperate for money. This bk is "A Black Library Publication - Games Workshop", a "Warhammer 40,000 Novel". Apparently, these novels share things in common - Space Marines, etc - & authors are requested to write in a certain style. So there must be multiple Space Marine bks by multiple authors. Who is this stuff aimed at? Masturbating adolescent boys w/ fantasies of travelling the galaxies & hacking people up w/ show more laser-axes?! Beats me (pun intended). That there's actually money for publishing this garbage boggles my mind.

Here's a sentence from page 7: "For here it was, and here alone, that the scientific arts had been preserved for mankind during the long dark ages of anarchy when Earth itself had fallen into barbarism." I mean is this guy SERIOUS?! I had some hope when I read on page 48: "Slowly he seated himself at the control board, carefully removed Rugolo's boot brush, nail clippers and one or two rumpled, grubby small garments from it". That's a funny enuf evocation of domestic disorder in a spaceship. I had some hope.

Let me put it this way: I had pneumonia when I read this: I was weak, exhausted, almost beyond hope; MAYBE Bayley discovered that he has cancer, maybe he wrote this for the money to pay for health care. I mean, I forgive you Barrington & I hope you get better but, please, stop w/ the "dark ages of anarchy" shit, alright?! You shd be smarter than that! show less

Rugolo había encontrado un navegante. Un navegante que, por algún motivo, quería pasar inadvertido. Mientras las flotas de combate del Imperio se disponen a desencadenar una cruzada en el corazón mismo del Caos, el mercader interestelar Maynard Rugolo busca poder y riqueza en las fronteras de ese aterrador y demencial reino.