Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Hey all! Been a bit too long since I've written a review. Life gets busy, I guess! Anyway, here's the full text of my most recent review of James Swallow's Fear to Tread, the latest entry in the Horus Heresy series. Typically, I'd put it on my blog, but the site is apparently down, so I apologize both for the length here, as well as the lack of pictures with pithy comments. Forgive me

As always, C&C welcomed. Lots to discuss! Enjoy!

-----------Fear to Tread - James Swallow --------------------

Lately, the Black Library’s Horus Heresy novels have been quite good. Ignore the six straight New York Times Bestsellers (I mean, 50 Shades of Grey is one also) and you’re still left with books like Prospero Burns, The First Heretic, and Know No Fear, books that have show that the talented stable of authors helming the series, it’s “brain trust,” if you will, are capable of creating stories set in the grim dark world of Warhammer 40,000 that stand alone as pieces of literature and not simply as fan service bolter porn.

With that in mind, I was supremely excited for Fear to Tread, the latest installment in the Horus Heresy, penned by James Swallow. It had a signature event of the Heresy mythos—the Signus Prime incident. It had one of the most recognizable Astartes Legions—the Blood Angels—in their solo-book debut. And it was penned by Swallow, a writer that, in my estimation, has grown by leaps and bounds since his initial Blood Angels offering as evidenced by his great work on the Garro stories. There was a lot of build up, a lot of hype, for the release of Fear to Tread. Sadly, for me, the novel as a whole was a bit underwhelming.

Fear to Tread is the retelling of the Blood Angels’ crusade to the Signus Cluster of the galaxy in effort to purge what they believe to be the last remnants of a xenos species (the nephalim) that they’d fought before. Unbeknownst to the Blood Angels and their progenitor Sanguinious, their assignment to Signus by the Warmaster Horus is a trap borne from knowledge of the Blood Angels’ genetic flaw, one whose aim is to turn the Blood Angels to the traitor banner.

The narrative revolves, primarily, around three Blood Angels of varying ranks and designations: Raldoran, the Chapter Master of the Blood Angels and Sangunius’ closest confidant; Meros, a line apothecary; and Kano, a former member of the Librarius. While Sangunius does receive quite a good deal of time in the narrative, the story is driven by the aforementioned Astartes. And to be honest, that isn’t really a bad thing. Raldoran is an interesting, if not somewhat vanilla character. Meros and Kano both have more depth as characters, as both have internal struggles that plague them throughout the novel. The problem, I think, is that they just aren’t THAT memorable, which can be said in a large part for the narrative as a whole. Much like Deliverance Lost before it, Fear to Tread is simply lacking as a whole. The frustrating thing is that there are places that COULD be memorable, but are left underdeveloped.

For me, these underdeveloped threads are very clearly in three places: Sanguinius’ relationship with Horus, the Sigillite’s order to send the Space Wolves, and the Blood Angles breaking of the Edict of Nikea. We’re treated to interactions between Sanguinius and Horus at the novel’s outset, and I think it’s the best part of the book. We’re reminded of two things: how noble Horus actually was before his fall and how strong his bond with Sangunius was. These scenes involving the two primarchs at the beginning of the narrative are poignant and lasting. The problem lies in the fact that their kinship really isn’t ever addressed later on, especially upon realization of Horus’ betrayal. It’s an oversight that, were it explored furthered, could have really strengthened this book and turned Sanguinius into the sympathetic Primarch, much like Horus was in the opening trilogy.

The omission of any real “oomph” behind the Space Wolves inclusion is, simply put, disappointing. To be fair, I’m a big Wolves fan, but the notion that execution squads were sent to every Legion following the Razing of Ticza is sort of a big deal. I love how the Wolves are characterized when they board the Blood Angels’ flagship, but after that, they get lost in the narrative until it’s their time to die. It could have been expanded upon at great length, but wasn’t.

Finally, the breaking of the Edict of Nikea by the Kano and the Blood Angels Librarius, while understandable due to the situation, is kind of brushed under the rug because they broke it to save their Primarch. It didn’t really sit well with me because the notion that they did anything wrong is arbitrarily dismissed.

As with any Horus Heresy novel, there are some solid ‘revelations’ that come to help move the overall narrative of the Heresy along. But in Fear to Tread, the fulfillment of those ‘revelations’ just doesn’t seem as strong as in other entries to the series. Coupled with the relatively safe narrative, Fear to Tread sits as an “okay” addition to the Heresy mythos. It certainly isn’t bad, and there are some really great parts, but in the end it feels like you’re eating a pizza with really great pepperoni that has doughy crust and a bland sauce. You’ll eat it, because who doesn’t love pizza, but it doesn’t really leave you wanting more.

I agree wholly with you. I have long been a Blood Angels fan, but found it a little lacking. There are a couple of blaring holes as well. Such as (I'll spoiler this):



Its picky but I really don't like it when things are left unexplained. I would have loved to have found out more about the Space Wolves, especially Stiel when he helped Kano.

The only point I disagree with you is the breaking of the Edict. It was brushed under the rug not to be spoken again and I believe that is how it should have been left, I would agree with you if Marines from other Legions knew, but it is a secret to be kept, a small treachery compared to the Heresy.

I say roll on the White Scars novel...

 phantommaster wrote:
The only point I disagree with you is the breaking of the Edict. It was brushed under the rug not to be spoken again and I believe that is how it should have been left, I would agree with you if Marines from other Legions knew, but it is a secret to be kept, a small treachery compared to the Heresy.

I say roll on the White Scars novel...

Ohhhh, I must have missed that. I thought they were keeping the secret about Amit Flesh Tearing the shizz out of the Space Wolves. Right with you though. For me, overall, it was just a bit too 'safe' a story.

 cincydooley wrote:

 phantommaster wrote:
The only point I disagree with you is the breaking of the Edict. It was brushed under the rug not to be spoken again and I believe that is how it should have been left, I would agree with you if Marines from other Legions knew, but it is a secret to be kept, a small treachery compared to the Heresy.

I say roll on the White Scars novel...

Ohhhh, I must have missed that. I thought they were keeping the secret about Amit Flesh Tearing the shizz out of the Space Wolves. Right with you though. For me, overall, it was just a bit too 'safe' a story.

They were keeping both secret. Sanguinius doesn't know about Amit, however he isn't going to go running to the Custodes that his former Librarian broke the Edict.

I thought it was well done myself. The big thing for me was the description of the daemon incursion. The atmosphere of the whole solar system under the influence of the warp was extremely well done IMO. I agree that a lot of parts could have been expanded, but I just assumed that many of them were being saved for the BA's role in the Siege of Terra.

@phantommaster:

Orblivion wrote:
I thought it was well done myself. The big thing for me was the description of the daemon incursion. The atmosphere of the whole solar system under the influence of the warp was extremely well done IMO. I agree that a lot of parts could have been expanded, but I just assumed that many of them were being saved for the BA's role in the Siege of Terra.

@phantommaster:

Spoiler:

I'm half and half on this one. There really wasn't any closure in Kano's attempt to reach Sanguinius, but I thought it was fairly obvious that he had succeeded just as time ran out even though he thought he had failed. Also, I don't understand what you mean by Sanguinius appearing in front of him. The ritual was being performed in the same room that Sanguinius had been laid down. Kano was simply too exhausted from the experience to realize that Sanguinius had risen.

Ah sorry, I thought he said it said he leaves the room, it seemed as though Sanguinius managed to sneak past him. But it still could have explained how he managed it.

I read your review and while I haven't read Fear to Tread, what you said about the Horus Heresy series books having revelations and how those revelations seem to be getting less and less important and ground breaking as we move along in the Heresy, I completely agree with. I just finished The Primarchs and once again the best plot points, the ones that should be important to the Horus Heresy at large, aren't really that important. I truely have gotten to the point where I really feel like Black Library is just milking the series now.

It really is time for them to kick it into overdrive and move the freakin story along at a faster pace. Years ago, when Horus Rising came out, if you had asked me where the series would be all these years later, I would have thought we would at least be close to Terra by now.

Orblivion wrote:
I thought it was well done myself. The big thing for me was the description of the daemon incursion. The atmosphere of the whole solar system under the influence of the warp was extremely well done IMO. I agree that a lot of parts could have been expanded, but I just assumed that many of them were being saved for the BA's role in the Siege of Terra.

I should have talked about that piece more. I thought leading up to the invasion was great. It was creepy, it was moody, and it felt a lot like Event Horizon or some equally effed up movie. I liked that a great deal, and I didn't mention that nearly enough. Sadly, then we get to the planet and Kyriss and Ka'Bandha are like, demon pastiches of the bond villians. I need a bit less narration out of my Bloodthirster and a bit more..... I dont know.....blood for the blood god. I just never got the sense that Ka'Bandha was that threatening and the only time anyone has gotten slaneesh right was in Fulgrim, and that was stretching how graphic I think the black library is willing to be. The problem with Slaneesh to be done well, it has to border on pornographic, and I'm not conviced Black Library is willing to "go there."

If Swallow included more Space Wolf driven stories then he would have made them to central to the book. That being said I would have loved to see Amit vs Redknife drawn out a little more. Maybe even have Redknife's "Helik Redknife was not a stranger to the feral beast that lurked in men’s souls. He had seen it in himself too often, knowing that such a thing was real and had great power". Be him slipping into a wulfen rage every now and then.

The only miss in this area was how the Librarians reacted to the knowledge of the Rune Priests still using his powers. But that's seems to be something that the writers are avoiding altogether.

"Hey, no psykers".
"He gets his power from Fenris. That's all you need to know" .
"Oh... Ok, its alright then".

My first issue with this generally cool tale is things just kinda happen and the characters react like 'oh okay'. First is the whole Nephillium being alive thing. Yes, I get the pretense Horus was using, but it was pretty flimsy one. Then the Word Bearers just randomly tag along, then the Space Wolves, and at no time does Sanguinius stop and think humm, this whole thing is very out of the ordinary compared to the last almost 200 years of crusading.

Next was Sanguinius' seemingly inescapable need to explore the hell planets of the signus cluster. Whether from the first planet where the entire hive attacks the scouting party to the fact Sanginius could have nuked signus prime from orbit. I know they tried to address that with the whole not being able to target lock but that's not the point of indiscriminate planet killing anyway.

Basically my beef was that the author seemed like he felt cornered with the story and didn't add any flair or new substance with the telling. I think my prime example was the whole 'red angel' substory. Basically it just kinda happened at the end but with no real consequence other than the loss of a character introduced for just this book. Thus, it was like James Swallow read HH:CVs and felt that all he could add to the series was to fill in the fact that the BAs were at signus, and this character called the red angel existed.