Hi all - Have just finished reading Rise of Horus and I have to say I'm hooked. I've been knocking around the world of Warhammer and
40K for some 20+ years now, (Yes - I remember when you could get blisters of 5 metal models for 60p!) - (Old fart!)
Anyway - to the point. The book was excellent and I am really pleased they are producing the series - The whole of the herasy in detail - what an ace project for a writer to be handed! (A bold move though to offer parts of it to each of several writers - quite an exciting project.)
I'm glad Dan Abnett got the start. He is a writer of high calibre in my opinion. There's others in Workshops stable who would have just written another typical hack and slash fest typical of many of the
40K-esque hacks! However the thing I liked most about Abnetts efforts in Horus Rising is that they involved a good back story - the politics, peoples feelings, realitites of every day life. This made for generating a much more 'real' universe. It adds depth and gravitas to the characters and the plot. Without spoiling the story for anyone who is going to be reading it soon I have to say that the chapter where the remembrancer poet is wandering the wartorn streets and ruminating on the purpose and integrity of the crusade is absolutely superb!
Well done Mr. A!
I also liked the attention to the small details that might be missed by many newer players and readers. Surely the irony of the 'eye of terra' on their breast plates can't be lost on everyone!
If anyone reading this also liked Horus Rising, but hasn't read the Gaunt's Ghosts books I highly recommend those too.
An excellent beginning to the cycle and I look forward to the other books, although I must admit to a little trepidation as the others are in the hands of other authors!