Horus Heresy: Legion [Mass Market Paperback]

I hope that every morning when Dan Abnett wakes up and goes outside to pick up his bottle of milk from the stoop there is a Games Workshop staffer waiting for him. The staffer holds in one hand a gift basket full of fresh fruit and chocolates and in the other hand a large sack full of money.

I say this because Dan Abnett is simply the best author Games Workshop has available and the moment that he figures out he can earn more cash not leashed to Games Workshop's setting, the Black Library will burn to the ground.

Witness 'Legion', the latest in the Horus Heresy series. Deftly written, this is a story about intrigue and deception, not about dudes shooting other dudes. It builds on one of the least developed Space Marine chapters, the Alpha Legion, and gives them a place in the setting. It also develops the history of the setting even more through details of the Geno, a human army, and the memories of Grammaticus, one of the story's principal characters.

The story is a mind-twist and rightly does not feature a lot of Space Marines. Why should it? Most of the mysteries of the Alpha Legion could be answered in two pages at the start of the book, which wouldn't leave much of a story. Instead, the reader gets to follow a handful of characters (one of the hallmarks of Abnett's style is the use of a cast of POV characters) as they get enveloped deeper and deeper within the Legion's coils. The revelations at the end of the book are both shocking and satisfying and Abnett knows his craft well enough to end the story there.

So if you enjoy the setting of the Warhammer 40k universe, pick this book up. Read it for the characterization and plot and don't fret that you don't see too many world-spanning, gut-eviscerating chaotic action scenes. Because Abnett's 'Legion' is akin to the Alpha Legion itself - cunning, deliberate, and always worth getting to the bottom of.

This book is the second foray by veteran Black Library author Dan Abnett in the Horus Heresy series, and the seventh book in that series overall. His other efforts include works concerning the Imperial Guard (the Gaunt's Ghost series) and the Inquisition (both the Eisenhorn and Ravenor novels). Set in Games Workshop's rich, gothic Warhammer 40,000 (40K) setting, it benefits from 20 years of accumulated canon and imagination. This novel tells the tale of the 20th Space Marine Legion, the Alpha Legion, its Primarch Alpharius, and its network of operatives and spies.

Unlike most of the other Horus Heresy Novels, this one does not use the Marines as the primary point of view. Instead we see the tale through the eyes of members of the Imperial Army, primarily members of Geno Five-Two Chiliad, genetically engineered warriors left over from the Emperor's unification of Earth, essentially primitive prototypes for the mighty Space Marines. Peto Soneka, a "het" (translation: Captain) for one of their units is the most compelling character, but he's joined by a host of others that have equally believable abilities and motivations. Writing interesting characters has always been one of Abnett's strong points.

The beginning, usually one of Abnett's strongest points, stumbles in this novel due to an excess of odd terms that aren't easily defined by context. Where he usually weaves a compelling and immersive setting early on, it's difficult to maintain suspension of disbelief when you're wracking your brain in an attempt to figure out what some obtuse term actually means.

Fortunately he settles down into his typical excellent pacing after the first two or three chapters, and his action writing is as strong as ever. By the time you've gotten a third of the way into the book, you've forgotten the ragged beginning and can't wait to get to the next chapter. Particularly compelling is the view of the Marines of the Alpha Legion through human eyes. They retain their mystery and ability to inspire awe throughout, unlike some of the other books of this series. He really captures the intrigue, deception, and pragmatism of the Legion and mirrors it in many situations throughout the novel.

The climax and ending, typically one of Abnett's great weaknesses, works far better in this case than most of his other plots. It's not flawless, but as the deceptions within deceptions begin to unravel, the final choices are both interesting and unexpected. To say anything more might spoil the fun!

In short: if you can make it through the first few chapters, the rest of the work is well worth the price of admission, and is a refreshing change from the typical grind of "Legion goes bad except for a few good guys who try to fight the tide" that is typical of the other Horus Heresy books. Highly recommended for 40K fans, and still worth a look from general sci-fi readers.

A very interesting book, full of intrigue, as befits a book about the Alpha Legion. While I wish the book had showcased the Alpha Legion more, it does a great job of showing the reader how they go about their business. I often found myself wondering what was the truth and what was subterfuge. Dan Abnett does a great job keeping us in suspense and not revealing too much too quickly, perhaps as a way to keep the mystique of the Alpha Legion intact. We also get an extensive look at the Imperial Army, who are the main protagonists of this book. The ending offers a surprising and tragic revelation on the real reason the Alpha Legion turned to Horus' side. All in all very good.