False Gods (The Horus Heresy, #2)

Mar 04, 2012 Karl rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: warhammer-40k, fiction, science-fiction

I faltered a few times reading this book, due, not to the fault of the author, but rather to my own trepidation that the story unfolding ahead might fail to be convincing under the weight of import this stage in the series has for the whole WH40K universe.

My fears were not realised, however, as the subtle shifts unveiled in characters between book 1 (Horus Rising) and this book were well implemented (between two different authors, I might add), and helped spread the gravity of events more thinl...more

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Mar 26, 2013 Emil Söderman rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: warhammer-40k, science-fiction, space, licensced, male-author, fantasy

So, second Horus Heresy book. This one forms a loose trilogy with Horus Rising and Galaxy in Flames in that it contains largely the same characters and they follow more or less sequentially. This one feels like a typical "middle-book" lots of transport, and the payoffs don't really come until the next book, it features the corruption of Horus, the Warmaster and most favoured son of the Emperor (which would be a spoiler if y'know... It wasn't in the title of the series) by the forces of Chaos. (i...more

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Nov 15, 2012 Marcus Logicus rated it 5 of 5 stars

‘I saw it, Warmaster, the galaxy as a wasteland, the Emperor dead and mankind in bondage to a nightmarish hell of bureaucracy and superstition. All is grim darkness and all is war. Only you have the power to stop this future.'

The memo-quill scratched at the data-slate and she wept as she read the words there. "I was there the day that Horus fell."

‘Create our own gods?’ said Karkasy, pulling away from her. ‘No, my dear, ignorance and fear create the gods, enthusiasm and deceit adorn them, and hum...more

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Nov 02, 2012 Martin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: warhammer-40k, horus-heresy

"False Gods picks up the tale a few weeks after the conclusion of Book 1 in the Series time line, and tells the story of Horus' fall. In a complicated conspiracy implemented by Chaos allies, Horus is mortally wounded during a Crusade mission by an alien, Chaos-tainted weapon. In a desperate (and contrary to Imperial doctrine) action by his lieutenants to ensure his survival, he is taken to a temple that has a reputation for healing. However the temple is actually in service to Chaos, and both Ho...more

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Mar 18, 2012 David Conner rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction, warhammer-40k

So this one started out a little slower and ended a little lamer than Horus Rising, but the middle bit was quite a bit better, I think.

Loken, and slowly Torgaddon, struggle with the changing humors of their Legion. In the end, the find themselves slowly getting cut out in response to their loyalty and purity. Eventually, even they are no longer pure as they butcher and massacre as opposed to waging war.

A fine distinction to be sure. However, even though this is not some great philosophical work,...more

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Jul 14, 2010 Amanda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: bought-copy, warhammer, science-fiction, series

This is the second in the Horus Heresy series from Black Library. The blurb from the back is as follows: The Great Crusade that has taken humanity into the stars continues. The Emperor of Mankind has handed the reins of command to his favoured son, the Warmaster Horus. Yet all is not well in the armies of the Imperium. Horus is still battling against the jealousy and resentment of his brother primarchs and, when he is injured in combat on the planet Davin, he must also battle his inner daemons....more This is the second in the Horus Heresy series from Black Library. The blurb from the back is as follows: The Great Crusade that has taken humanity into the stars continues. The Emperor of Mankind has handed the reins of command to his favoured son, the Warmaster Horus. Yet all is not well in the armies of the Imperium. Horus is still battling against the jealousy and resentment of his brother primarchs and, when he is injured in combat on the planet Davin, he must also battle his inner daemons. With all the temptations that Chaos has to offer, can the weakened Horus resist? The fate of the galaxy now rests in the simple choice of one man: loyalty or heresy?

The Horus Heresy sequence is extremely interesting in that each book is written by a different author - in the first book Dan Abnett laid out the foundation for the tale that Graham McNeill continues. Part of the fun in reading this book came from seeing how McNeill handled the characters introduced by Abnett, and how his writing style differed.

I would say that McNeill is definitely more utilitarian in his style - at times Abnett became almost poetic in his descriptions, whereas McNeill eschews that for a more militaristic and straightforward approach.

This book is also more introspective. There are less rampant battle scenes (although that is not to say there aren't moments of excitement and tension), and the action moves into a more political arena. Horus reaches the moment of his decision, and we see the actions of all the protagonists as they decide whether to stand with their Warmaster. Of course, anyone who has played the actual game of Warhammer 40K knows the way that this novel has to end, but McNeill does a very good job of keeping me interested on the journey.

There are faults though - and one of them is not of McNeill's making. The edition of this book that I read was riddled with errors and needed another scan by human eyes to pick up all those mistakes e.g. 'their' instead of 'there'; "...it was poor a vintage" rather than "it was a poor vintage". This might be considered nit-picking, but enough errors will jar you out of a novel. I didn't appreciate McNeill making up words either - 'spanging', I felt, was unnecessary. Bullets ricochet, they do not spang...

I also felt that the period in the latter half of the book when Horus is struggling from his wound caused the pacing to go all awry. Up until that point we had been proceeding forward at a brisk pace, but I became mired in the dream sequences and struggled to get through without skim reading. I suspect that Abnett might have handled these in a better fashion.

My favourite characters were Loken and Torgaddon, as in this first book. Their very human reactions - the doubt, the pain, the anger - lend gravity to events. It was an unremittingly dark book, very grim, and even Torgaddon (the joker of the bunch) couldn't come out with much comedy relief to lighten the tone.

It almost sounds as though I didn't enjoy it, but I did - very much so. I found it more thought-provoking than the first book, especially with the discussion on the nature of Gods and religion. I especially liked the quote from Karkasy: "No, my dear, ignorance and fear create the gods, enthusiasm and deceit adorn them, and human weakness worships them."

All in all, a strong addition to the Horus Heresy books, with a cliff hanger of an ending that guarantees I'll be heading out to get hold of the next! (less)

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Oct 21, 2011 David rated it 4 of 5 stars

Ok so I am fairly biased about 40K books because I love the universe. A second proviso must be noted, I am all about the plot, so long as the writing style doesn't interfere with the plot then I don't really care what it reads like. I may also write some spoilers in here but it's the Horus Heresy for Emperors sake! We all know what is going to happen.

So onto the book, firstly it's certainly not as good as Horus Rising. That being said it's still good. This certainly sets up the rest of the saga....more

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Jul 04, 2011 Robert rated it 5 of 5 stars

Graham McNeill, The Black Library's 2nd favourite son tackles the second book in the Horus Heresy. True to form McNeill writes about war, war and then a bit more war with a touch of war thrown in for good measure. Along the way we meet other Primarchs such as the pompous Fulgrim and batshit-insane Angron. In fact, a criticism that could be levelled at this, and almost every other Heresy novel is that there simply is never enough Angron.
Similar to the first book, there is something irrevocably l...more

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Jul 29, 2012 James rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: See review

So, book two in the Horus Heresy, False Gods by Graham McNeill. I was quite taken with Dan Abnett's Horus Rising, though I think this was mainly down to Abnett's style.

False Gods is different, the tone, style and pacing are all McNeill and it shows. The characters stand out but at the same time it is possibly easier to spot when McNeill wants to reveal/disguise something, and while the last third of the book reads well there are a couple of phases towards the very end where I felt I was reading...more

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Jan 10, 2013 Jordan Steinhoff rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013

While this was a good continuation to the story, I was not keen on the writer. I think Abnett did a much better job with the first book.

That said, I enjoyed the story and the continued introduction of Chaos into the universe.

Loken continues to be a great POV character and the rest of the mains continue to develop as well. The various Remembrancers take on a bigger role overall and it's less just the time with Sindermann and Loken.

The first real and undeniable appearance of Nurgle and the first...more

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May 09, 2012 Alain Dewitt rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012

This is the second in the Horus Heresy series (a series numbering 12 or 15 volumes) in the Warhammer 40,000 universe. (Warhammer 40,000 is a popular tabletop miniature war game published by Gamers Workshop.)

The main selling point of these books are the military sci-fi setting. The writing chores are handled by different authors but in the prologue of 'Horus Rising' Dan Abnett wrote of how they worked as a team. This is necessary in a tale as sprawling as this one and it explains the consistency...more

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Oct 12, 2011 Fabian Scherschel rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: warhammer40k, scifi

This book starts pretty slow but gets better and better throughout, culminating in a somewhat gripping finale. All in all, it's no Dan Abnett but the storyline is well developed and definitely key as this is where we learn how exactly Horus got tainted by Chaos. I had wished to learn more about the war with the interex but the only thing we get is a one-line "they were beaten" explanation in the middle of the book. Seeing how Horus Rising ended with a desperate extraction of the warmaster from i...more This book starts pretty slow but gets better and better throughout, culminating in a somewhat gripping finale. All in all, it's no Dan Abnett but the storyline is well developed and definitely key as this is where we learn how exactly Horus got tainted by Chaos. I had wished to learn more about the war with the interex but the only thing we get is a one-line "they were beaten" explanation in the middle of the book. Seeing how Horus Rising ended with a desperate extraction of the warmaster from interex space, I had thought we would see him execute his revenge on them at the start of this novel. Maybe we will revisit this plotline at some point in the future, although it seems clear that it wasn't the XVI Legion that eradicated the interex since they immediately set off for Davin after the extraction of Horus from the interex meeting planet.

I think the book could have been balanced better. It is way too slow in the beginning, with all the interesting stuff happening from the middle parts onwards. I also think Horus' fall to chaos should've been portraited more gradually. Maybe it was written the way it was on purpose, but his final decision to betray the Emperor is very swift, almost a snap judgement. That seems wrong to me. But maybe that's just the way Horus is. In any case, his misgivings about the Emperor leaving the Great Crusade and returning to Terra could've been explained a bit more thoroughly before hand to better explain his inevitable fall later in the book. It is clear that this book series is the product of a writers room and that all these authors have collaborated a great deal on the design of the characters and plotlines. That is pretty cool and it seems to work well so far. Even though McNeill isn't as good a writer as Abnett, he carries the torch forward pretty well and aside from the interex thing, it all fits together very well. The only gripe I have about the overall storyline is the fact that the timescale seems too small. The Crusade has been going for over 200 years and the Astartes are practically immortal; I had expected all these wars to be spaced out in terms of years or even decades, not months and I would've also expected the fall of Horus to take more time, accordingly.

All in all it is a solid book, though, and a worthy entry in the series.(less)

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Dec 11, 2012 Tin Wee rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Nov 30, 2012 Angel rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: WH40K fans, military scifi readers

Shelves: science_fiction

This was a very good novel. McNeill picks up right where Dan Abnett left off in Horus Rising, and the move from one book to the other is seamless. In a way, you can't tell where one book begins and the other ends if you go by the very good prose in these two novels. I can only hope that as I continue to read the series, which I will, that the feel of consistent quality storytelling and ambiance will be there. So far, so good.

The plot thickens in this novel. Revelations are made, and it seems no...more This was a very good novel. McNeill picks up right where Dan Abnett left off in Horus Rising, and the move from one book to the other is seamless. In a way, you can't tell where one book begins and the other ends if you go by the very good prose in these two novels. I can only hope that as I continue to read the series, which I will, that the feel of consistent quality storytelling and ambiance will be there. So far, so good.

The plot thickens in this novel. Revelations are made, and it seems not all is as it seems. I am fascinated by this series taking place so long before the "regular" events in Warhammer 40,000. I have said before that I often do not like books where you know how things will end beforehand. And in this series, that is the case. You know, if you have read any of the other books in the WH40K universe, how things will end for the most part: the Emperor as a corpse deity, the battle between the forces of the Imperium, the xenos, and other forces of Chaos raging on. And yet, the Horus Heresy series draws you right in. You really want to find out how things happen. What discoveries are made. Why things are the way they are. I think as a reader you get a sense of wonder as you see Horus, the Primarchs, the Astartes as well as other Imperial forces coming face to face for the first time with Chaos. Again, not all is as it seems.

In this novel, Horus is wounded. His men, some of them, rush to try to find a cure in the world of Davin where some mystics (so to speak. You could call them sorcerers, etc.) may or not have a remedy. And if he survives, Horus will be sorely tempted. Will he fall for that great temptation? He learns new things along the way that may tilt the balance of the Great Crusade. And what exactly are Erebus's motivations and machinations? There is a lot of intrigue in this book as well as a lot of action. McNeill chooses to focus much of the novel on the point of view of Captain Loken, and I think this makes a good choice. Loken, though an experienced warrior, does play the part of the new guy, and that view serves us readers well to appreciate the upcoming conflicts, when Astartes will have to decide if they will fight their brothers or not.

But I will not say more. If you are fan of WH40K, you need to be reading this series. If you like military science fiction in general, give this series a try. I know I will be looking for the next volume in the series. (less)

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May 08, 2012 Paul rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: warhammer-40k

False Gods could really be called Horus Deceived. The action takes a back seat in this book. Horus leads his forces against the chaos forces of the moon Davin. There is a Night of the living dead feel as the space marines fight against plague infested zombies, meanwhile Horus faces off one on one with a bloated disease-ridden corpse with a foul blade that was able to wound Horus in battle. After the battle Horus falls, and this panics the space marines as a Primarch has never been hurt enough to...more

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Feb 11, 2011 Ken rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction, warhammer-40k

The 2nd book in the Horus Heresy series and this book delves into the corruption of Horus and his legion. Here we see how Horus succumbs to the power of Chaos while the captains Loken and Torgaddon struggle with what is right and must decide if they wish to take a stand against their brothers. Although the remembrancers make less of a presence in this book compared to the previous, we get to see Euphrati Keeler involved in the beginnings of the Imperial Cult and Ignace Karkasy defending what is...more

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Aug 24, 2011 Chris rated it 4 of 5 stars

While not as well written as the first book in the series (Horus Rising by Dan Abnett), the story was gripping, and I could not put it down. There was much more action than in the first book, and the action scenes were written in a very compelling style. While Abnett seems to have intrigue, mystery, and conspiracy down to a science; McNeill seems to be equally skilled with fighting sequences. But this is not to say that McNeill fails at all with the intrigue part of this novel, either, which is...more

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Jul 20, 2011 Steve rated it 3 of 5 stars

Second book in the Horus Heresy series of Warhammer 40K novels. This book details the events that led to Horus' turn from the Emperor, and his alliance with the dark forces of Chaos.

We witness the growing split between the brotherhood of warriors that we see in the WH novels set centuries in the future. Much of this we see through the eyes of Garviel Loken, an Astartes captain of the Lunar Wolves, also called the Sons of Horus. Loken finds himself questioning the actions of Horus and the motives...more

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Mar 21, 2011 Mr rated it 5 of 5 stars

As a fan of 40k fiction for close to twenty years now I never thought any author could really do justice to the huge scale and depth of history. How wrong I was. Book two of series, False Gods, carries on with the narrative of Horus' treachery, the conspiracies growing within the Imperium and builds the weight of expectancy for what we know will become of it. Expertly done and with a vision of the Heresy that exceeds that of my own imagination and expectation. I look forward to the first page of...more

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Oct 15, 2010 Chase rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-quarter

Graham McNiel strikes again with another great Warhammer 40,000 book!! This book was about when the imperium was split in two between the chaos powers and the imperial powers. Horus of the Luna Wolves turned half of the imperium against the god-emperor. There is mostly large, epic battles with blazing guns, explosions, and brutal interrogations! This is actually the beginning to the "Horus Heresy" and how Horus was a great leader of the chaos powers. It even gives the other side of the story of...more

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May 20, 2013 Stuart West rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: black-library

"You can't always make the right decision, just the one that feels right."

"False Gods" is the second book in the Horus Heresy trilogy from Black Library. The first book in the trilogy was Dan Abnett's excellent "Horus Rising" which introduced the Imperium's newly appointed Warmaster, the Primarch of the Luna Wolves Legion and the Emperor of Mankind's favored son. Horus Rising showed the personality of chief architect that would someday plunge the galaxy-spanning Imperium of Man into its darkest...more "You can't always make the right decision, just the one that feels right."

"False Gods" is the second book in the Horus Heresy trilogy from Black Library. The first book in the trilogy was Dan Abnett's excellent "Horus Rising" which introduced the Imperium's newly appointed Warmaster, the Primarch of the Luna Wolves Legion and the Emperor of Mankind's favored son. Horus Rising showed the personality of chief architect that would someday plunge the galaxy-spanning Imperium of Man into its darkest hour.

Graham McNeill takes over the writing duties for the this one. "False Gods" details the little doubts Horus brought up during the first book and how these doubts gave those powers in the Warp the opening they needed to deceive, inveigle, and obfuscate their way into Horus' heart and mind. The Chaos Powers are not alone in their endeavour for a traitor within Horus' inner circle plots with these powers to sway the Imperium's Warmaster to their cause against the Emperor of Mankind and the Imperium. McNeill does a very good job of showing Horus' inner turmoil concerning the responsibilties heaped on his shoulders by his father the Emperor (newly appointed tax collectors - that's 20% thanks). McNeill also introduces Horus' growing resentment towards his father (a combination of Erebus's influence and circumstances that soon unravel) and thus infecting his own legion whose admiration and loyalty to him is akin to deity worship.

Loken again takes centre stage (and so does Horus). A character I particularly enjoyed reading is named Maggard, a bodyguard to a Remembrancer. As a non-Astrates he certainly can hold his own. Strong human characters are something that have had to take a back-seat, while the legions do their thing. It's refreshing to see that humans aren't being forgotten (Kyril Sinndermann being another).

There's a major section of the book where Horus and his crusading force first begin to fight the minions of the Chaos Powers on the moon of Davin. There's a sense of Night of the Living Dead (zombies - no this isn't The Walking Dead in space!) in this section as powerful Space Marines must contend with the plague zombies of their opponent. But action in "False Gods" takes a back-seat to the manipulation of Horus and how false promises and misconstrued words from the Chaos Powers gradually breaks down Horus' will. Some have pointed out that in "False Gods" it's shown that the Emperor must take some of the blame as to the cause of the Heresy, but the opposite is true. Horus was given a choice as to which side to believe: his loyalty and faith to his Emperor or the words of powers in the warp. This leads to a major quibble. Something I'm going to try and talk about without giving away major spoilers. Horus is given the previously mentioned choice. Throughout his decision making, he knows the situation he finds himself in is a 'false' one, in the sense he is being shown 'something' from a very one sided perspective. Those who have followed the mythology of Warhammer 40K knows what his decision will be - this leads to the weakest element of the book. It's not well handled from the application of prose. It's difficult to talk about, but make you're own decision once you've read the book.

The fall of a star ascendant has begun and the end of McNeill's novel sets the stage for what will become the unveiling of the ultimate betrayal of son against father, of brothers against brothers and one man against an entire galaxy. You obviously need to read this novel, as it sets major story arks for the future of the series. I'd recommend this for both brothers of brothers and son's of father's (and anyone else).
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Mar 18, 2013 Bane of Kings rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: horus-heresy, re-read, black-library

Full Review: http://thefoundingfields.com/2013/03/... (Dual Review with fellow Founding Fields member, Lord of the Night)

“A weak second installment in the Horus Heresy series by Graham McNeill and not his finest moment, but is essential reading if you want to learn why Horus fell.” ~Bane of Kings, The Founding Fields

The Great Crusade that has taken humanity into the stars continues. The Emperor of mankind has handed the reins of command to his favoured son, the Warmaster Horus. Yet all is not w

...more Full Review: http://thefoundingfields.com/2013/03/... (Dual Review with fellow Founding Fields member, Lord of the Night)

“A weak second installment in the Horus Heresy series by Graham McNeill and not his finest moment, but is essential reading if you want to learn why Horus fell.” ~Bane of Kings, The Founding Fields

The Great Crusade that has taken humanity into the stars continues. The Emperor of mankind has handed the reins of command to his favoured son, the Warmaster Horus. Yet all is not well in the armies of the Imperium. Horus is still battling against the jealousy and resentment of his brother primarchs and, when he is injured in combat on the planet Davin, he must also battle his inner daemon. With all the temptations that Chaos has to offer, can the weakened Horus resist?

Graham McNeill’s False Gods is a book that is never going to make it anywhere near the top half of the Horus Heresy series for me, and If I made a list, it would come near the bottom. But first, let’s talk about the Horus Heresy series as a whole. The now New York Times Bestselling series has come a massive way since its roots as a three-book trilogy ending with the betrayal at Isstvann III in Galaxy in Flames by Ben Counter. It’s now stretching into and beyond 20 books published, and has risen to become Black Library’s flagship series.

With such a vast period of time and space to cover, there was no way that Dan Abnett could have possibly covered the whole series on his own. After all, the author has certain strengths and weaknesses which is why the series has been included to find room for multiple authors. Now, obviously – there are both positives and negatives with a multi-author written series. The positives are mainly that we get chances of seeing books being published quicker, and we get to see alternative views on the Heresy from different authors. The negatives are fairly obvious – not every writer can match the quality of Dan Abnett, and False Gods is an example of this.

First off, let’s start with the negatives of this book, of which there are many. Firstly, and this may be me being nitpicky, but the book – or the edition that I read, boasts multiple typos that should have been fixed by an editor. This kept making me lose interest in the novel every time I came across a mistake, and whilst it’s been a while now since I last re-read the book and can’t quite come across the exact mistakes, I was left disinterested in the pages that followed which was a real shame.

Secondly, McNeill has a load of characters all shoved into one book, and it becomes a point where the dramatis personae is unbearable and unless you have a large enough book to develop the pages and make the book’s characters compelling enough to read more of, then they quickly loose their interest and you will find yourself only sticking to the characters that you like and lose track of the others. However, not all of the characters are uninteresting in this book though – Loken and Torgaddon continued to remain my favourite characters of the novel and are probably my favourite characters of the entire opening trilogy, and McNeill manages to capture their human reactions very well, despite the fact that they are Adeptus Astartes, superhuman killing machines. It’s a shame that he couldn’t have done this with the rest of the dramatis personae as well.

Take Horus, for example, the Warmaster. Whilst he gains much more of the spotlight in this novel than in the last, he somewhat falls flat as a character and doesn’t really develop over the course of the book. He doesn’t grow, and his character trait can be attributed to one thing - ambition. The main reason for his downfall, and his ultimate corruption. I also felt that the dream sequences featuring Horus were somewhat differently paced from the rest of the narrative, and I would have loved them if they were on their own or told in a similar style to the rest of the book – I just felt that they were out of place here.

However, there are some things that I enjoyed about this book other than Loken and Torgaddon. I felt that the action was written well, and I think this is what he does best. The battles in the Swamp in Davin shortly before Horus falls are possibly one of the strongest moments in this novel, and McNeill really manages to capture war on a sheer scale. It’s just a shame that the character development failed to shine here, especially in a book that need character development the most to work.

VERDICT: 2.5/5

THE HORUS HERESY SERIES: Horus Rising by Dan Abnett, False Gods by Graham McNeill, Galaxy in Flames by Ben Counter, The Flight of the Eisenstein by James Swallow, Fulgrim by Graham McNeill, Descent of Angels by Mitchel Scanlon, The Dark King and the Lightning Tower by Dan Abnett and Graham McNeill (Audio), Legion by Dan Abnett, Battle for the Abyss by Ben Counter, Mechanicum by Graham McNeill, Tales of Heresy by Various Authors, Fallen Angels by Mike Lee, Raven’s Flight by Gav Thorpe (Audio), A Thousand Sons by Graham McNeill, Nemesis by James Swallow, The First Heretic by Aaron Dembski-Bowden, Garro: Oath of Moment by James Swallow (Audio), Prospero Burns by Dan Abnett, Garro: Legion of One by James Swallow (Audio), Age of Darkness by Various Authors, Promethean Sun by Nick Kyme (Limited Edition), Aurelian by Aaron Dembski-Bowden (Limited Edition), The Outcast Dead by Graham McNeill, Deliverance Lost by Gav Thorpe, Know No Fear by Dan Abnett, The Primarchs by Various Authors, Fear to Tread by James Swallow, Shadows of Treachery by Various Authors, Brotherhood of the Storm by Chris Wraight (Limited Edition), Angel Exterminatus by Graham McNeill, Garro: Sword of Truth by James Swallow (Audio), Betrayer by Aaron Dembski-Bowden

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Mar 12, 2013 Idigina rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: wish-list, speculative-fiction

The reason many of us were excited by the idea of the Star Wars prequels was the opportunity to see Darth Vader's fall from grace story. Unfortunately, Anakin Skywalker did not start from a position of grace, and his fall was more of a deliberate jump. The first three books of the Horus Heresy, however, give us the perfect example of a fall from grace story executed wonderfully.

Through the main character, Garviel Loken, we come to know Horus as both a warrior and a man with all the flaws that go...more

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Dec 30, 2012 Isaac rated it 4 of 5 stars

A fun and fast paced dick-lit Military SF read on par with Horus Rising. 4 Stars!

This one had a kind of Star Wars Episode 3 feel. The book was better than Rising in some ways (the plot moves forward! great pacing! brutal!) but some parts may be hit or miss with reader(an acid trip? zombies...?)- more so than the last one.

The book opens with the introduction of two new characters who have had no mention in Horus Rising and this was a little confusing. However, this book proves to be a clear seque...more

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Sep 29, 2011 Paul rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: utterly-fluffy, the-horus-heresy

The second book in the Horus Heresy, and the second book in what I call the "Horus Trilogy", False Gods takes off from and builds on the setting, characters, and developments that we first read about in Horus Rising.

Overall, False Gods works well. It continues to build upon and develop the characters and relationships that we saw in Horus Rising, while introducing a few new characters (Titus Cassar, Petronella Vivar, Maggard) into the mix as well.

More importantly, though, is that this is the b...more The second book in the Horus Heresy, and the second book in what I call the "Horus Trilogy", False Gods takes off from and builds on the setting, characters, and developments that we first read about in Horus Rising.

Overall, False Gods works well. It continues to build upon and develop the characters and relationships that we saw in Horus Rising, while introducing a few new characters (Titus Cassar, Petronella Vivar, Maggard) into the mix as well.

More importantly, though, is that this is the book where choices are made, irrevocable and terrible in their weight, import, and ramifications. In other words, this is the book where we see the glory, optimism, and sense of overall progress from the Great Crusade start to slow down, and then finally come to a halt before going totally off track in the worst possible way. It is in this book where we see the kernels of what will eventually become the 40k universe start to take root and slowly germinate, to be in full-flower 10,000 years later.

The author, Graham McNeill, does a masterful job in working off of the foundation that was set in Horus Rising, giving such characters as Loken, Keeler, Ignace, Horus, and others (including Erebus) deeper and more defined characters. While they might have seemed a bit simplistic and one-dimensional, or perhaps not fully fleshed out, in the first book, here we see their growth and maturation as players in this story. We not only learn what makes them tick, but what their limits are (or not) and, in some cases, their transformation from a seemingly minor character into a major player.

We also start to see things fall apart in this book. It all begins as a series of minor cracks at first, almost imperceptible, but as time moves on in this book (and later books), these cracks start to slowly widen and become deepening fissures until the day when they suddenly lurch wide open and become yawning chasms. Lines are drawn and webs of intrigue start to be spun (or worse, be discovered) and not everyone is as honest as they seem, whereas some others are too honest for their own good.

We learn of deception, where all are not whom they say they are and more than one character does not say all that they mean, does not speak plainly, all in order to lead others down a false path. In False Gods, trust suddenly becomes a scarce commodity and the truth of things, once so commonly spoken of and discussed between brother-in-arms on the battlefield, becomes an overnight addition to the endangered species list.

For all of their fighting prowess and resilient dedication, we also start to see the Astartes for what they are: post-human beings who are skilled as the protectors of humanity and utter badasses on the field of battle. Yet despite all of this, they are still flawed in some serious ways, and their actions at times would make them seem as if they were children making the choices of an adult. This is not due to bad writing or because they are mentally deficient, no. It is simply due to the fact that for their entire lives, from puberty onwards, all their time and energy has been spent towards martial training. Some of them are emotionally raw and inexperienced, and this shows in their reactions to the events and characters that they encounter, adjusted for the fact that they are now physically mature and more, as an Astartes. (If interested, you can read about how Space Marines/Astartes are created.)

Most of all, we see the start of Horus' fall from grace. For all of his grandeur, his strategy, and his keen sense of politics and combat, we see Horus hoodwinked by forces far more clever and cunning than he ever would be, forces that manipulate his would-be strengths and turn them upon themselves. Like a character from a classic Greek tragedy, we see the well-intended and good-meaning choices that he makes taken here, choices that are irrevocable and will have a lasting, telling effect upon the galaxy for millennia to come.

In Horus Rising we saw him as the leader, the crusader, the Warmaster of all of humanity's forces reclaiming the galaxy for the Imperium of Man. In False Gods, we see him reduced - not in importance, but in scale. Horus is still a pivotal player, but we only now get a solid glimpse as to the game of galactic chess that is being played, and we start to get a sense of who the players are. One, whom we have known from the beginning, is The Emperor, far distant on Terra. The other, however, has chosen to remain hidden... and only now do they start to make their presence known. Suddenly, we see Horus not so much as the central character but as a major piece being moved in the conflict between forces that have fought against one another for millennia. The camera's focus is starting to pull back, and the reader can start only start to see the liminal edges of the grand galactic conflict that is taking place for the survival and future of humanity. (less)

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Sep 02, 2007 Andrew rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fi-fantasy

This is the second part of the Horus Heresy series. I must say that while I am totally enthusiastic about learning the events surrounding the treason of the Warmaster, I hope that the authors aren't trivializing what should be an epic story that the entire world of Warhammer 40,000 is based on...I might just have naive expectations that are too high to be reasonable. I still feel that the events on Davin--the greatest turning point in the universe's history I might add--where the Warmaster is "d...more

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Aug 10, 2012 Derek rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction, warhammer

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Sep 08, 2011 Murphious rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fiction-fantasy-horror

Some may consider this series of fiction "pulp". It may be, but this is such exciting and high concept pulp! This 2nd book of the Horus Heresy series gets rolling along nicely with battles g(al)ore and political intrigue. Authors McNeill and Abnett of these Warhammer series' are masters of the glorious, Romanesque dialogue which is a trademark of the series. Wonderful stuff, and I never played with tabletop miniatures, and barely touched the PC Warhammer 40k games.

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Jun 10, 2012 Cameron rated it 2 of 5 stars

I had serious trepidation over starting this book. Not because it's the nerdiest dorkiest licensed tie-in fiction I've read since I read all the Dragonlance novels in junior high. I was worried because it was the first book in the 40K series (think Star Wars meets Call of Cthulhu meets 1984) I've read that was NOT written by Dan Abnett.

Turns out that was pretty well founded. The prose and plotting felt like, well, licensed tie-in fiction in a way that Abnett never did.

What I like about Abnett...more

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Aug 03, 2012 Guillermo rated it 3 of 5 stars

It took me a very long while to read this tale. In part, I think this was so because I plain 'burned up' after having read a good many books in a comparatively short time. But the book itself was also at fault. While the tale it tells remains interesting, I found myself really missing the prose of the first installment.

Anyway:

Prose: [At times awkward, at times repetitive. At times just plain terrible. No one should ever use 'guiltily' to describe an action] 2/5 stars
Pacing: 3/5 stars
Plot: [Whi...more

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False Gods (The Horus Heresy #2)

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