The Horus Heresy Comes To Its Final Battle
March 17, 2019 by dracs
Exciting news from Black Library. After thirteen years of the Horus Heresy series, the final battle is finally upon us with the release of The Solar War.
The Solar War by John French is the first in an eight-volume series detailing the climactic events surrounding the siege of Terra.
The Solar War, by John French, details the first stage of this epoch-defining battle as fleets clash in the void of the Sol System. Horus’ armada is huge, his treacherous forces bolstered by the powers of the warp – but Rogal Dorn has had close to a decade to prepare the Throneworld’s defences. The various spheres of defiance within the system hold more than a few surprises for the invaders – and the Imperial Fists themselves relish the chance to finally get to grips with their erstwhile brothers.
This weekend saw the release of the novel in the form of a special, limited edition copy. There are only 2,500 copies, featuring a rich hardback cover, as well as interior artwork and an afterword by the author detailing the writing process behind the novel.
I haven't read anything Horus Heresy related for some time now. However, this has got me interested again and I am desperate to find out more about this final conflict in the war that reshaped the Imperium. Taking place over eight volumes, it is easy to see that Black Library are trying to make this as epic a story as possible, fitting its importance to the lore of Warhammer 40,000.
As a collector and bibliophile, that limited edition copy is beautiful and one I would love to have to grace my shelves. As someone who needs to eat, I may have to wait until the series launches in paperback.
What do you hope to see happen in these stories?
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The limited edition looks great; I’m gutted I missed it – I overslept yesterday and by the time I remembered to check it had already sold out. ?
What makes it worse is you know there’s bound to be a significant number that were bought by people just so they can bing it up on eBay for an extortionate price just to make money.
That always happens with ‘limited’ editions of anything … and it sucks for the actual fans who want a copy to actually use.
Same with OoP minis, the scalpers swoop in on eBay auctions at the last second to snap up a deal from under the real fans just so they can keep the prices artificially high; that’s perhaps one of the good things about the Made to Order ‘events’ GW does to allow people to buy old minis – during the week they’re available, even if the GW price is high, it’s still undercutting the eBay scalpers and giving people a chance to get the minis for a non-extortionate price.
Eight books for a finale… that’s a lot of reading material… as I haven’t read anything 40K yet I think it’s an easy pass…
With the exception of the Dragonlance Chronicle… a lot of game fiction is bit… rubbish.
It’s not that much material considering how much precedes it.
And you should really give the Ciaphas Cain series a go; cracking series, a must read.
Actually, Black Library releases pretty fantastic books on a regular basis – they’ve got quite a few series that are definitely worth a read;
Horus Heresy (this is the big 1)
Gaunts Ghosts
Ciaphas Cain
Gotrek and Felix
Realmgate Wars
And plenty of individual books and trilogies that are great
I did pick up the Necromunda Omnibus when I bought Necromunda the game, but not made it to my reading pile yet… other stuff takes precedence at the moment.
8 books just to cover the final battle with the result already documented is a tad overkill as well.
Plus there’s the added chance of the series being extended with useless filler just to make sure 8 books can be printed.
I miss the old days of trilogy’s…. an epic trilogy is as good as an epic X number.
I started reading the Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan years ago. It was around 800 pages and expected a trilogy. I got about 7 books in and lost interest… it ended up being 14 books and he died before completing it (the last were completed from his notes I believe).
Sometimes the desire for money by the author and publisher is stronger than the desire to tell a good and concise story.
I remember reading the first book of the Dune series and ending there, because I didn’t feel motivated to continue, which is probably why I prefer simple books like ‘Lord of the Rings’ instead.
It’s the complete story with a good start and finish.
If you can wade through the middle books, WoT comes to a good conclusion. The last ones co- wrote by Sanderson move at a good clip.
Personally I have found lot of Battletech novels to be good as well and those were also written by several talented authors just like Black Library ones are. If you get chance to read some of those like Warrior Trilogy and Legend of the Jade Phoenix Trilogy and you have even passing interest towards Battletech Universe then I recommend that you do so.
I’d read an 8 volume history of world war 2 told as a narrative … and have through multiple books and series on different aspects.
I stopped with HH 13 or 14 books in, but may jump back in with these. The outcome and events leading up to it are known, though there is lots that could be fleshed out. I hope the writer’s they choose have some guiding document to keep things together.
As someone who reads more mainstream fiction than genre fiction, I find the Horus Heresy series to be a cut above a lot of the Black Library output. That said I got a bit tired of the series after 30-or-so books. I’ll jump back in now they’re wrapping it up. Hoping Aaron DB will figure in the eight.
A fabulous looking book but X8, is too rich for my blood.
Read some of the books. It was a chore for the most part.
I switched to the audiobooks then, they cut lots of the B stories and the books become much more bearable.
I find it funny how the Heresy is the much more interesting timeline where all the rockstars were still alive and in their prime and how we are gamewise stuck in 40k with just the leftovers.
I guess that’s due to the Heresy series being great if you like the Imperials and Chaos, but for us Xenos lovers there isn’t much to draw you in.
Thats as true as Space Marine miniature anatomy is wrong : D
Siege of Terra is epic that it requires 8 volumes. That LE version does look really good and I hope that everyone who wants it does manage to get it.
Eat @dracs your an ex student you shouldn’t have got used to that luxury yet!!