Dan Abnett brings the Horus Heresy story to a close in the final (not really) book of the series.
The End of an Era is finally here. The Emperor and Horus are about to clash and find out who wins, who dies, and who gets to sit on a seat of power for over 10,000 years.. oh the suspense!
But it’s not the end of the journey that matters – what started out 20 years ago has spawned a lot of books, and a lot of stories and for that I am certainly grateful… even if Sanguinius’ Death is still raw after so long.
From the Book
The Great Angel, Sanguinius, lies slain at his brother’s hand. Terra burns as reality itself unravels, and the greatest bastion of civilisation teeters on the brink of annihilation.
Desperate defenders gather, banding against the rabid traitor hordes. The Hollow Mountain, host to the pilgrims of Euphrati Keeler, is one of the last redoubts held by the Dark Angels while the unclean host of Typhus lays siege. Malcador the Sigillite sits ablaze on the Golden Throne, trying to buy his master more time. But time is running out…
Guilliman races across the stars to reinforce the Throneworld. Will he return to ashes, where a Warmaster of Chaos has ascended to godhood, or will the Emperor have triumphed? And at what cost?
Review
How do you tell the end of a story that has been told and hinted at through decades of Games Workshop output? Where the picture of Horus and the Emperor is iconic, and where everyone has an opinion on what happened? If you’re Dan Abnett and the Horus Heresy / Siege of Terra team you spread it out… over 3 books!!
But that is now truly at an end and we can settle down and read the story of the final climatic conflict.
Although, I listed to it on audio book… and I’m glad I did. This is long… long! And the fight between the two great protagonists feels even longer as they fade in and out of realities. Fight with gun, sword, and psyhcic powers. And generally tear each other apart. All whilst Gulliaman approaches Terra. The defenders go on the attack (helped by the Blood Angels being ‘slightly’ upset at the death of Sanguinius. And Oll & John Grammaticus set up the strings of fate, so that they can be / were there at the end. All whilst Malcador dies on the Golden Throne.
There’s a lot! And if anyone can make a fight last a while it’s Dan Abnett… but perhaps there was a point here that an editor should have stepped in and said ‘no’.
Verdict
End End rarely justifies the means, and after so many years Dan Abnett was never going to be able to close out a story which was so old, and so drenched in fable and myth… But… he just took long to do it. The fight sequence between the Emperor and Horus Lupercal is – of course – epic. But it is also too long, involving too many changes of scene and style.
There is not enough about the remaining defenders, but a lot about Oll & John – who are after all ‘Abnett’s characters’… But what about the others?
Guilliman is mentioned at the beginning (perhaps the beginning of the end)… but never again as the fleets clash.
I am left with the feeling that this end isn’t an end… that there is more – and too many open threads. And I’m not alone because after the End and the Death… there is another book – ! Era of Ruin which will tell us yet more. So the End, isn’t even the end.
It’s not a bad book by any means, and I don’t know how to finish a series of such depth but this just took too long. Three novels, could easily have been two and Abnett could have included more from the other characters we have followed throughout the Heresy and less on the fight. But… it’s still a bestseller. And it is an essential addition if you want to finish the story. Let’s face it – if you’ve got this far, you will want to finish.
Check out the full list of Book Reviews we’ve done on Woehammer here
We always encourage people to shop at local bricks and mortar stores, but if your friendly local book store doesn’t have this available, we have a UK Amazon affiliate link & a USA Amazon affiliate link for which Woehammer receives a small commission.
— Declan & Eeyore
