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Horus Heresy Anthology - Mark of Calth Book (2013) [Anthology] Review
I am going to avoid major spoilers (so have no fear) and just give a bit of a review and reflection on the stories in this anthology and the anthology as a whole.
The Anthology as a whole
I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed reading these stories and love my sexy hardback copy. This anthology gives snatches of events on, under and around Calth leading up to and following on from the cataclysm that was the Word Bearer’s attack in Know No Fear. There is a decent showing of the Ultramarines and men and women of Calth fighting an underground war to survive, as much as with their perfidious cousins.
Having said that, it is not enough! But an anthology never does quite give the Heresy fix you need. I cannot wait for the next actual Horus Heresy novel to come along with it’s full narrative and wonders. I do like the idea of having anthologies bases around events, people, legions, etc as the afterword mentioned, and think that these sound great. The older anthologies had some great stories, but some were rather hit and miss with their very disparate themes.
I shall content myself with the latest audio drama and eagerly await the next and the coming novels, as well as making time to listen to the Mark of Calth audiobook.
The Mark of Calth (Hardback Edition) - The Book Itself
The beautiful hardback copy I have is a wonderful thing and the cover art by Neil Roberts is as stark and somewhat hopeful as the stories contained within, depicting the Ultramarines in one of the Calth’s many arcologies. This is present on the dustcover with the title and other info, and wonderfully again, free from writing on the cover of the book itself. The four pieces of artwork inside are rather nice, but don’t really add a great deal to this package. They are all black and white and in a rather comicbook-like style that makes me want to start reading through my Warhammer Monthlys.
I found the spacing in the book unnecessarily vast for my personal taste, but Sarah assures me that I am just used to reading the paperback Horus Heresy books. I just don’t like huge spacing and margins so much, but that’s just me
The Shards of Erebus by Guy Hayley 4/5
Erebus gets his Octed on training on Cadia under the priestess who facilitated his influence on Horus and breaking up the Anathame (which is a little Voldermort-horcux-y) to make eight blades for those leading the assault on Calth. He gets his Will from The Subtle Knife on, perfecting his warp popping, calling together those to lead the assault on Calth and generally being mysterious and dramatic as is the Dark Apostle’s bent.Relatively short and sweet with a tone similar to The First Heretic and Aurelian
Calth That Was by Graham McNeil 4.5/5
Following on from Know No Fear the Ultramarines fight back against the Word Bearers on Calth who continue to wreak atrocities and acting in their odd, new Chaotic ways that confuse some of their own as much as the Ultramarines.This story is stark and scatological, while also being heaped in hope and despair, reflecting the desperate, but stalwart survivors and the disparate and bloody machinations Word Bearers.The present tense of the writing gives it an immediate and foreboding feel, while the many micro-chapters cover the distances and perspectives of the forces involved.This is a well crafted story that really gives a great overview of the aftermath of the Word Bearers assault on Calth and really captures the emotions and characters of those we trapped within the atrocities, whilst also remaining as cold and bleak as the situation.I don’t know why these stories keep reminding me of other things, but images of the end of Fight Club and The Dark Knight Rises definitely came to mind at various points in this story
This story was perfect for when I couldn’t sleep last night, but ended up being impossible to put down until I finished it.
Dark Heart by Anthony Reynalds 4/5This is a visceral tale of the Word Bearers and how their perfidy and scheming is not solely reserved for the Imperium, and how prodigies can arrive in the oddest of places. For those on the eightfold path only truly seek the favour of the Dark Gods.Short, but bittersweet with some well written action, a different glimpse of the abilities the Ruinous Powers can offer and raises some intriguing questions.
So many moments of these stories are reminding me of others, with Kor Phaeron channels some Voldermort with the classic repeat the world ‘my lord’ in sarcastic italics at one point, along with a sprinkling of Indiana Jones and the reenactment of Brad Pitt’s altercation in the Fight Club with “Fucking Lou”.
The Traveler by David Annandale 4/5This is a Grimdark gothic tale of the madness of claustrophobia, being trapped in a subterranean prison of caverns, and the dark power even in the whispered words of the minions of the Chaos Gods.A well written story with motes of Edgar Allen Poe’s The Tell-Tale Heart and other such tales where the personality and reasoning of the narrator devolve and denature under stress.
There are no huge surprises and the progression can be guessed rather easily, but that doesn’t mean this isn’t a great read.A Deeper Darkness by Rob Sanders 4/5More subterranean arcology action following an Ultramarine as he goes about his duties and stumbles upon the Chamber of Secrets.This a well written tale, which whilst perhaps, being a little heavy handed at times, has an entertaining narrative that alludes to Greek Mythology, albeit with the Octed edge.The most striking thing about this story was the slow understanding and gradually building sympathy, if not empathy, between the human soldiers, civilians and Pioneers and the Space Marines.This story gives a little more information on the situation under ground and in the hearts and minds of the humans and Space Marines with a decent lost in the dark tale.The Underground War by Aaron Dembski-Bowden 4/5Opens with a wonderfully crafted treatise on the Astartes condition or rather the Once-human mentality that is utterly scrumptious.One of the Gal Vorbak is sick of the endless fighting in tunnels and feels abandoned by the legion seven years from the beginning of the war on Calth heads to the surface to remember the dead and take their totems to the Primarch who left them to dieWe are also a glimpse of Argel Tal and Lorgar as they discuss the creation of more possessed marines for the upcoming battle on Calth.
This has more of the mythological tone that I have come to love and expect from the Horus Heresy and the perspectives and gleaned information made this an intriguing and enjoyable read.Athame by John French 4/5This story follows the long, long life of an athame ritual blade from its early use to its use on Calth.It is interestingly written from the athame’s perspective with the reader being it rather than simply following it.The writing is both as sharp as the blade and as blunt as its use, but the real intrigue and interest in the story comes from the mention of two characters that have appeared in previous Horus Heresy novels.Unmarked by Dan Abnett 4/5This story follows on directly from the end of Know Know Fear and Athame with Oll Persson, the Perpetual, and his ragtag band giving Erebus a run for his money with the His Dark Materials similarities with Oll wiled Subtle Knife, I mean athame and even something rather like an Althiometer.A well written wild ride that entertains and intrigues with little slips of information piquing more questions. If I’m honest though, I really wanted more. I cannot fault the writing, but they are really only giving out crumbs of information on the Perpetuals and I want to read all of it now!](http://24.media.tumblr.com/63b85ff97bc7bb8f5f98f3c4bc120c4f/tumblr_mmrhzdph061r6bbo7o1_1280.jpg)
