Title: Vengeful Spirit
Author: Graham McNeill
Published by: Black Library
Publication date: May 3rd 2014
Genre: Sci-Fi
Pages: 544
Format: Paperback
Source: Private Collection
Series: Horus Heresy
Blurb/Synopsis
On the planet of Molech, the Titan Legions go to war against the armies of Horus.
Once the favoured son of the Emperor of Mankind, the name of Horus has become a curse to the loyal defenders of the Imperium, and a rallying call to the traitor forces tearing across the galaxy. While their allies wage war on a thousand different fronts, the XVIth Legion descend upon the Knight World of Molech; home to House Devine and their feudal levies, and a principal seat of Imperial military power. Just what could have drawn Horus to attack such a strongly defended planet, and what might he be willing to sacrifice to fulfill his own dark destiny?
Review
DNF – Can\’t remember what % point I gave up.
This review is going to be barely concealed ranting, please bear with me.
I had absolutely no idea what the heck was going on in this book because, although being a part of the main Horus Heresy series, I was meant to read small novellas for it to make any sense. Small novellas that were released as special editions and are no longer available to purchase. As such, there were key events that happened that I had absolutely no knowledge of.
The main one being, Loken.
You remember Loken, right?
The main Sons of Horus character died way back in book three.
He\’s back. Somehow.
Despite being Orbitally Bombarded.
This might have been explained further along in the book than I got, I think I got about half way through.
Why does this make you so mad, Jenn?
I cried when Loken died. Tears were rolling down my cheeks and I was sobbing. Him being back with no explanation, no rhyme or reason, that cheapens those emotions. That takes how I felt about the character, scrunches it up into a ball and throws it in the rubbish bin. That makes the horror of the trechery, the actions that Horus has taken since that book and tears them up.
And, this being a huge monumental thing, isn\’t the only thing that doesn\’t make sense in the book. Reintroduction of Mersedie Oliton? Why? And there\’s that whole thing with Shadrak Meduson nearly killing off a host of Primarchs. Sorry, who is this guy!? Where did he come from!?
I am beyond annoyed a this series for having dumped this book slap-bang in the middle and not giving me the stuff I need to actually follow the series properly. Either give me the means to read a series in a coherent structure, or fuck off! I swear, if it wasn\’t for Dave, I\’d have ditched this series at this point and never looked back, but we have Dinosaurs to look forward to in the next book and I think the dust of my ire has settled long enough…
Dawie
January 21, 2024 - 9:28 am ·Ive looked back at our chats and i am guessing DNF started round the 200 page mark. One of my questions was if youd read about Tormaggedon or some such character, which was mentally talking to Lokien through the book. It was, I think a friend of lokien that came back as a deamon. You also missed the part where lokien actually got to Horus and ended up almost joining the Sons of Horus as he missed his comrades… i think this book would have pissed you of even more i figure… Great review Jenn. Maybe we need to do some studying and read later books before we read books in “date of print” i will have to go get educated.
still, glad that we are talking again and that you are keen to continue HH with me.