The Outcast Dead [Mass Market Paperback]

One of the most common complaints I hear about the Horus Heresy series is that it's too Legio Astartes-centric. I can't deny that, for the majority of the Horus Heresy novels, this is true. The Horus Heresy is about the Astartes civil war and fratricide that shatters the budding Imperium. However, people that look at that aspect of the series and decide not to read are missing out on some great stories in which marines are not the focus. We saw this previously in Graham McNeill's Mechanicum, James Swallow's Nemesis, and to a great deal in Dan Abnett's Prospero Burns (while about the Space Wolves, our main protagonist is a human). McNeill again approaches the `other folks' involved in the Horus Heresy with The Outcast Dead, the latest entry in the best selling Horus Heresy saga.

The Outcast Dead is primarily the story of Kai Zulane, the astropath depicted on the cover, who has experienced severe psychic trauma as a result of the Gellar fields of his starship, the Argo, failing and loosing the terrors of the warp on its occupants. It is also the first HH novel to take place entirely on Terra. Through Kai, Roxanne Castana--another of our protagonists--and the other supporting characters, including Atharva, a Thousand Sons legionnaire and Yasu Nagasana, a `hunter', we get to see a fuller picture of Terra and the enormity of the Imperial Palace than ever before.

The novel, as with all of the Horus Hersey novels, is broken into parts. The Outcast Dead is partitioned very distinctly, the first half of the novel taking place establishing our characters and laying the grounds for the hysteria that Horus' newly discovered treachery has had on the people of the Imperial City. The second half of the novel is squarely focused on the aftermath of Magnus' interplanetary ride to Terra, and the devastation it brings to, in particular, the City of Sight.

As with a lot of McNeill's novels, the pacing of the story is methodical to the point that it could be misconstrued as slow. Like A Thousand Sons before it, McNeill does a lot of set up for our characters before jumping into the crux of the conflict. I've always maintained that the Horus Heresy novels aren't intended to be your typical `bolter porn'--in fact, I'd argue that the Space Marine Battles series of novels is built specifically for that purpose--so the slow burn that is the first 150 or so pages of The Outcast Dead doesn't bother me; however, I expect once this novel is officially released there will be a significant number of gripes because the build up of this novel is so gradual. In fact, I'd almost guarantee it as the primary conflict of the novel doesn't actually happen until Magnus' psychic arrival, a good 200 pages into the novel. I have to hope that McNeill's masterful crafting of his characters will assuage those that may see the lack of "action" as a detriment.

The characterization of Kai and the introduction to both the City of Sight and the Petitioner's City is fantastic. McNeill does a really wonderful job of painting a clear picture of these parts of the Imperial City. However, McNeill's detailing of the novel's Astartes--the "Outcast Dead" alluded to by the book's title--is even stronger. They are the remnants of the "Crusader Hoston Terra, presumably an Astartes council that is always present in the Imperial City with representatives from each Legion"--though I'm unclear on what exactly this Crusader Host is or of whom it is comprised; McNeill leaves this ambiguous. Atharva is the Astartes most focused upon, and his insights into what Magnus has done are really interesting. Equally intriguing is seeing the differences between Tagore, a World Eater with the Butcher's Nails implant, and Asubha and Subha, twins that do not yet have the implant. It is clear that the World Eaters, before Angron gets his hands on them, are a nobler breed, which was a nice surprise to see.

McNeill's real crowning achievement in characterization, however, is seen in Yasu Nagasana, a samurai-inspired psyker-hunter. The presentation of the noble-samurai ideals in the 40k setting came to me as a complete, yet entirely appropriate, surprise. The Imperial City is in Asia--Mongolia/Tibet by all accounts--so it makes sense that these ideals would persevere throughout time. We often see allusions to "old terran myth" in the novels, and McNeill crafts this one deftly. While Nagasana is only in the story briefly, his impact is felt in every scene (think Anthony Hopkins in Silence of the Lambs, a film in which he only appeared for 16 minutes).

While The Outcast Dead is very much a character driven novel, there are some well crafted battle scenes in the novel, all of which involve the Adeptus Custodes. The scenes involving the Custodes always put me at odds with what I want to believe about the Emperor's Bodyguard, and they're no different here. We're supposed to believe that they are superior to Astartes in martial prowess, but the Horus Heresy books have thus far painted a different picture, with The Outcast Dead continuing in this grand tradition. It's really a small complaint, but I couldn't help be troubled by this fact when reading.

The Outcast Dead is a fantastic addition to the Horus Heresy series. Graham McNeill has crafted a wonderful character-driven narrative that paints our first real picture of life in the Imperial City, and really enhances what we know about the Navis Nobilite, the Adeptus Astra Telepathica, and Terra as a whole. Further, as with any good Horus Heresy novel, it provides some really unexpected surprised that serve to broaden the Horus Heresy canvas as a whole. While I know there will be detractors from the novel for any number of reasons (it is a slow-burn novel, it doesn't involve Astartes `enough') I wholeheartedly recommend The Outcast Dead. The story is a winner that serves to broaden what we know about the Horus Heresy universe.

There are few things I look forward to more than the release of a new Horus Heresy novel. I have been following the series since its inception and despite a few flops along the way I hold nothing but love for this epic and engrossing super story arc. These novels have become the flagship of Black Library publishing and for good reason. Individually most of these books make for compelling reads but when you look at the series on a macro scale you can develop a greater appreciation. Together the books shine light on a murky part of Warhammer 40,000 lore. Together the books tell the tale of a betrayal most vile and the war that tore the greatest empire ever created apart. These books are strongest when they further the larger picture through the events of an insulated tale. Sadly The Outcast Dead is a largely irrelevant tale that is traipsing around in a part of the Horus Heresy that has already been established.

I love the concept of The Outcast Dead, I really do. The premise is basically The Dirty Dozen, with Space Marines. It is set on Terra, birthplace of humanity which we have only gotten brief glimpses of. And the best part? The main character is a human astropath, giving us a chance to look at the events of the Horus Heresy through the eyes of a mere mortal as well as giving us a look behind the mysteries of the City of Sight. So conceptually The Outcast Dead hits all the right spots. The problem is that the novel is extraneous. The novel does nothing to further our understanding of the Heresy or progress the timeline. Not only does it fail to progress the timeline but there does seem to be a clash with the pre-established course. And I could look past this if the book was exceptionally interesting or the characters were highly developed. After all it seems as though the series has been stuck in a bit of a rut for a while now. But the plot completely failed to hold my attention.

The general premise of the story is that Kai Zulane comes into possession of a secret that could change the course of the war. Being the bearer of such a great secret Kai becomes the target of forces both Imperial and other. Kai is apprehended by a group of rogue Astartes from a selection of Legions (known as the Outcast Dead) whose goal it is to get him to Warmaster Horus. Of course none of this even really happens until around page two hundred. Don't get me wrong. I don't mind slow burners. In fact I prefer books that set up the pins before they start knocking them down. But the first half of the book is really drawn out. Now there are some cool bits, including descriptions of the Imperial Palace and surrounding areas. So after a good bit of build up the story finally builds momentum, except from here things are entirely too rushed. The hunt for Kai and the Outcast dead is pretty linear and simple. The draw up till the final climax is predictable to say the least. The interesting inclusion of one of the last original Thunder Warriors from the Unification Wars seems like an oddly loose and dispensable aspect unless fleshed out in future stories. The final revelation of the great secret will come as no surprise. It is hard to hold this against the book because while it comes as no surprise to any dedicated fan the characters of the book are still shocked to the core. But the thing is, if your story is going to be based around this unbelievable secret, it would help if the secret wasn't common knowledge to the fanbase. In my mind there has to be some form of justification to re-tread well worn paths and there just isn't in The Outcast Dead.

Graham McNeill had a real chance to do something awesome with the characters of The Outcast Dead. First and foremost Kai could have been developed into someone readers could care about rather than someone to be tolerated as a vehicle for plot progression. The characters that had the most potential of course were the Space Marines of the Outcast Dead themselves. Considered traitors because of the actions of their Legions, half a galaxy away, the Outcast Dead form a distinctive brotherhood. The group comprises a Thousand Sons marine, three World Eaters, an Emperor's Children marine, a Death Guard, and a Luna Wolf. With such a diverse cast there could have been some awesome group dynamics as well as individual characterization. McNeill completely fails to capitalize on this. The only marines who get a decent amount of screen time are the Thousand Sons marine, Atharva and a World Eaters sergeant by the name of Tagore. Tagore is by far the most fascinating. As a World Eater, Tagore is seen as a simple minded butcher but there is obviously something more underneath the surface. Unfortunately we never delve very deeply into his psyche. The other two World Eaters are flat as cardboard, as are the Emperor's Children marine, Death Guard, and Luna Wolf. McNeill spends a little time telling, but no showing as far as these characters are concerned. The other major perspective of the novel is that of a psyker-hunter by the name of Nagasena. Nagasena adds a cool samurai vibe that I feel has always been missing from the 40K universe and as the story goes on it becomes apparent that he has a major part to play in the story. Except he really doesn't. The end comes and you wonder what his significance was at all.

Now if you didn't like Dan Abnett's Prospero Burns then chances are you will despise The Outcast Dead. Prospero Burns had some very good action, as well as providing an in depth look into a misunderstood Legion. The characters were well drawn out and the plot was developed even if the ending lacked a little punch. The Outcast Dead is also a character driven tale, but the characters are lacking in the personality department. The action is limited and brief, and what fighting there is seems a little silly. An unarmed space marine single handedly defeats an armed and armored member of the Adeptus Custodes. And of course in some situations this would be plausible. But then another Custodian is beaten by two space marines in a fight he should have clearly won. As the other review mentions, the Custodes don't seem to be nearly as powerful as originally described.

The Outcast Dead isn't a bad book. McNeill is a wonderful word smith and a master of description. That said there are a lot of typos and grammar mistakes, as well as some problems involving the format. It feels like a rushed product. There are much better stories in the Horus Heresy, and there are much worse. But there are few that are as irrelevant.

While the story gave essential background information it seems to be the typical McNiel drivel introducing an entire new group of characters and killing them off at the end of the book. The background into old Terra and the thunder warriors was interesting but I think it was not a stand alone story and would have made a great side story in one or more of the other books IMHO.

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