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The Horus Heresy #26
Vulkan Lives
The latest title in Black Library's bestselling series, the Horus Heresy.In the wake of the Dropsite Massacre at Isstvan V, the survivors of the Salamanders Legion searched long and hard for their fallen primarch, but to no avail. Little did they know that while Vulkan might have wished himself dead, he lives still. As the war continues without him, all eyes turn to Ultramar and Guilliman’s new empire there, and Vulkan’s sons are drawn into an insidious plot to end the Heresy by the most underhand means imaginable.
416 pages, Paperback
First published December 3, 2013
146 people are currently reading
1856 people want to read
About the author
Nick Kyme
280 books161 followersNick Kyme (b. 1977) writes mostly for Black Library. His credits include the popular Salamanders series and several audio dramas.
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July 31, 2013
It goes without saying that the Horus Heresy has had a turbulent history. For every Fulgrim we have had a Nemesis, for every Betrayer we have had a Descent of Angels, and for every glowing success a sub-par instalment. It’s unfortunate then that coming off two of the series’ best, Vulkan Lives is easily one of the weakest books of the Horus Heresy.
Divided between the events of the Great Crusade, Drop Site Massacres and a time of the legion’s shattering; the tome explores the nature of the Salamanders and their primarch. Throughout it their methods and differences are called into question, along with just what makes them stand apart from their more ruthless brothers at times of strength and weakness.
Or it at least tries to.
Despite taking place in multiple timelines there is no single solid impression of the legion which sticks. For all Betrayer’s flaws, the World Eaters had a clear and very concise presentation of what the legion XII was from beginning to end. Here we get some aspects of the Salamanders’ desire to preserve lives, but little else. The book is so focused upon their apparently superior morality, usually stating rather than showing this, that many other areas are simply left lacking. Their expertise as smiths and their traditions of this era are all but ignored. This lack of distinctiveness and character is only exemplified with eye rolling battle cries of “Eye-to-eye!” “Tooth-to-tooth!” A poor man’s substitute for “Iron Within!” “Iron Without!” if ever there was one.
Having a bland army is fine when you have interesting characters, but Vulkan Lives fails in this respect as well. Nemetor, Varrun, Numeon, all the Salamanders felt completely interchangeable even when they were in the same room together, a problem present throughout the book and only made worse with similarly blank characteristics from members of three other legions. The only one who manages to truly escape this is Konrad Curze, only by benefit of being utterly insane.
The one who suffers the most as a result of this is Vulkan himself. For the first time we’re given an in-depth first person perspective from a primarch but the lacklustre style of his sections means he could be anyone. Eisenhorn and Kage both had distinct styles to make their characters clear to the audience, but Vulkan’s thoughts are blandly generic. They do not read anything like you would expect to see of a demigod, brother to humanity’s worst traitors and a leader of war who genuinely values human life. Up to the very end he reads less like Vulkan and then Average Joe Salamander 1082, even when placed within the prison of a sadistic madman.
Said prison, and all of the book’s environments for that matter, are described in a bare bones minimum style. Vulkan Lives’ deceptions truly are the antithesis of vividly imaginative environments, lacking not only in detail but often scale and sensory information from the character. This causes many scenes to fall to bits around the characters, and combined with their simplistic personalities turns many potentially interesting or rousing scenes into dull slogs through the pages.
The final nail in the coffin with characterisation originates from how none of the legionaries ever feel like astartes. Multiple times they are killed with single shots or blows from basic blades or bolt weapons, with even Vulkan himself being horribly wounded time and time again by things which by rights shouldn’t even be able to pierce his skin. Notably one point where he is mortally wounded by dining room cutlery!
Between their diminished state and constant failings, Vulkan Lives is more a session of Nick Kyme gleefully kicking them while they’re down than developing their tale. Something only driven further with pointless retcons such as the Salamanders being on the verge of extinction prior to the Emperor finding Vulkan, and their fumbling incompetence shown during the Great Crusade.
Further retcons are made to specific characters which only serve to create confusion within the reader, especially when stacked against events from previous books. The sudden return of someone we thought dead, willingly working for an organisation they hate. A Raven Guard Librarian freely using his powers with little to no opposition from his comrades, from three separate legions no less. We have a Word Bearer with nostalgia for the Emperor worshipping days who despises the effects of Chaos, apparently having escaped two legion wide culls for disloyalty. The sudden name-dropping of Samus to have meaning within one Librarian, which is never explained. Then there’s Vulkan himself who, continuing with the trend of giving each of the Primarchs superpowers, has the most baffling addition yet. Unlike the Warp sight of Perturabo which at least added to his character, Vulkan’s one adds little to his personality and opens up more questions than it does answers.
Combined with a cliffhanger non-ending, terms like “frag storm” being used for horrifyingly serious events, the continued quota of Guilliman praise (now claiming him to be Horus’ true rival rather than Dorn), and painfully uninspired fights there’s little here which is good. While the occasionally great moment such as the Salamanders planned assault on Khar-tann and Vulkan’s final confrontation with Night Haunter are high points, they’re sparsely scattered between chapters.
Vulkan Lives had good concepts, but its actual execution makes it one of the poorest instalments in the series yet. A dull, very long, very drawn out, series of set pieces and events we have seen handled far better in other novels. Avoid it and save your money for something better.
Divided between the events of the Great Crusade, Drop Site Massacres and a time of the legion’s shattering; the tome explores the nature of the Salamanders and their primarch. Throughout it their methods and differences are called into question, along with just what makes them stand apart from their more ruthless brothers at times of strength and weakness.
Or it at least tries to.
Despite taking place in multiple timelines there is no single solid impression of the legion which sticks. For all Betrayer’s flaws, the World Eaters had a clear and very concise presentation of what the legion XII was from beginning to end. Here we get some aspects of the Salamanders’ desire to preserve lives, but little else. The book is so focused upon their apparently superior morality, usually stating rather than showing this, that many other areas are simply left lacking. Their expertise as smiths and their traditions of this era are all but ignored. This lack of distinctiveness and character is only exemplified with eye rolling battle cries of “Eye-to-eye!” “Tooth-to-tooth!” A poor man’s substitute for “Iron Within!” “Iron Without!” if ever there was one.
Having a bland army is fine when you have interesting characters, but Vulkan Lives fails in this respect as well. Nemetor, Varrun, Numeon, all the Salamanders felt completely interchangeable even when they were in the same room together, a problem present throughout the book and only made worse with similarly blank characteristics from members of three other legions. The only one who manages to truly escape this is Konrad Curze, only by benefit of being utterly insane.
The one who suffers the most as a result of this is Vulkan himself. For the first time we’re given an in-depth first person perspective from a primarch but the lacklustre style of his sections means he could be anyone. Eisenhorn and Kage both had distinct styles to make their characters clear to the audience, but Vulkan’s thoughts are blandly generic. They do not read anything like you would expect to see of a demigod, brother to humanity’s worst traitors and a leader of war who genuinely values human life. Up to the very end he reads less like Vulkan and then Average Joe Salamander 1082, even when placed within the prison of a sadistic madman.
Said prison, and all of the book’s environments for that matter, are described in a bare bones minimum style. Vulkan Lives’ deceptions truly are the antithesis of vividly imaginative environments, lacking not only in detail but often scale and sensory information from the character. This causes many scenes to fall to bits around the characters, and combined with their simplistic personalities turns many potentially interesting or rousing scenes into dull slogs through the pages.
The final nail in the coffin with characterisation originates from how none of the legionaries ever feel like astartes. Multiple times they are killed with single shots or blows from basic blades or bolt weapons, with even Vulkan himself being horribly wounded time and time again by things which by rights shouldn’t even be able to pierce his skin. Notably one point where he is mortally wounded by dining room cutlery!
Between their diminished state and constant failings, Vulkan Lives is more a session of Nick Kyme gleefully kicking them while they’re down than developing their tale. Something only driven further with pointless retcons such as the Salamanders being on the verge of extinction prior to the Emperor finding Vulkan, and their fumbling incompetence shown during the Great Crusade.
Further retcons are made to specific characters which only serve to create confusion within the reader, especially when stacked against events from previous books. The sudden return of someone we thought dead, willingly working for an organisation they hate. A Raven Guard Librarian freely using his powers with little to no opposition from his comrades, from three separate legions no less. We have a Word Bearer with nostalgia for the Emperor worshipping days who despises the effects of Chaos, apparently having escaped two legion wide culls for disloyalty. The sudden name-dropping of Samus to have meaning within one Librarian, which is never explained. Then there’s Vulkan himself who, continuing with the trend of giving each of the Primarchs superpowers, has the most baffling addition yet. Unlike the Warp sight of Perturabo which at least added to his character, Vulkan’s one adds little to his personality and opens up more questions than it does answers.
Combined with a cliffhanger non-ending, terms like “frag storm” being used for horrifyingly serious events, the continued quota of Guilliman praise (now claiming him to be Horus’ true rival rather than Dorn), and painfully uninspired fights there’s little here which is good. While the occasionally great moment such as the Salamanders planned assault on Khar-tann and Vulkan’s final confrontation with Night Haunter are high points, they’re sparsely scattered between chapters.
Vulkan Lives had good concepts, but its actual execution makes it one of the poorest instalments in the series yet. A dull, very long, very drawn out, series of set pieces and events we have seen handled far better in other novels. Avoid it and save your money for something better.
November 29, 2013
This book is bad. It's bad as a novel, it's bad as a piece of genre fiction, it's bad as the 26th book in an increasingly bloated series of books, and it's bad as a glorified advert for toy soldiers.
Vulkan Lives, I can safely say, is a bad book.
It is a bad book for a multitude of reasons. Let me count the ways.
Firstly, it's book 26 in a series. This suggests to the casual reader that the author would have a grasp of the series' (are we into saga yet?) characters. That he'd understand the lore. That he'd at least have a general idea of the physics of the universe his characters populate.
Alas, no.
Nick Kyme gets lots of things wrong here. His parade of instantly forgettable new characters. His misuse of established characters brought into the series by better authors. His inability to put together a compelling narrative. His propensity to switch between first and third person. And his dry, dull prose.
But some how all of that is eclipsed by the brief, shining moment when a character built up as a near-indestructible demigod is laid low when someone jabs him to death with a fork.
Avoid.
Vulkan Lives, I can safely say, is a bad book.
It is a bad book for a multitude of reasons. Let me count the ways.
Firstly, it's book 26 in a series. This suggests to the casual reader that the author would have a grasp of the series' (are we into saga yet?) characters. That he'd understand the lore. That he'd at least have a general idea of the physics of the universe his characters populate.
Alas, no.
Nick Kyme gets lots of things wrong here. His parade of instantly forgettable new characters. His misuse of established characters brought into the series by better authors. His inability to put together a compelling narrative. His propensity to switch between first and third person. And his dry, dull prose.
But some how all of that is eclipsed by the brief, shining moment when a character built up as a near-indestructible demigod is laid low when someone jabs him to death with a fork.
Avoid.
October 17, 2013
Where do I start with this? Ok I'll do things I like about it.
1. Vulkan was in it.
2. Vulkan got a first person narrative that was pulled off very well.
3. Vulkan had feels.
4. Curze was in it.
5. Curze was an asshole and I finally didn't feel bad for him! Yaya!
5. Bolter Porn
Things I didn't like:
1. Awful descriptions. Example: "Using my elbows and toes for propulsion."
Really...just really.
2. 412 pages needed to perhaps finally kill Vulkan off on the last page. I mean really...it should have been 100 to 200pg if there was no important revelations other the Curze is nuts. We all already knew that.
3. There was nothing in there that really helped move Heresy forward...at all.
4. No new insight into Vulkan or Curze's or anyone else characters. I mean we new Curze was crazy and we wanted tohave babies with Vulkan oops I meant hug Vulkan.
I could forgive Vulkan dying repeatedly in awful ways, that's fine what I can't stand is in no real way pushing the plot of Heresy on. Other then by killing him off again and again and your supposed to guess if he's finally dead or not because of cabal involvement?...it just was not worth 412 pages.
I have never given a Horus Heresy book less then 4 stars. I am sad that one I wanted to like this much had to be the first.
1. Vulkan was in it.
2. Vulkan got a first person narrative that was pulled off very well.
3. Vulkan had feels.
4. Curze was in it.
5. Curze was an asshole and I finally didn't feel bad for him! Yaya!
5. Bolter Porn
Things I didn't like:
1. Awful descriptions. Example: "Using my elbows and toes for propulsion."
Really...just really.
2. 412 pages needed to perhaps finally kill Vulkan off on the last page. I mean really...it should have been 100 to 200pg if there was no important revelations other the Curze is nuts. We all already knew that.
3. There was nothing in there that really helped move Heresy forward...at all.
4. No new insight into Vulkan or Curze's or anyone else characters. I mean we new Curze was crazy and we wanted to
I could forgive Vulkan dying repeatedly in awful ways, that's fine what I can't stand is in no real way pushing the plot of Heresy on. Other then by killing him off again and again and your supposed to guess if he's finally dead or not because of cabal involvement?...it just was not worth 412 pages.
I have never given a Horus Heresy book less then 4 stars. I am sad that one I wanted to like this much had to be the first.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 6, 2013
The Review: http://thefoundingfields.com/2013/07/...
“ An entertaining novel with a brilliant premise that, whilst not quite delivering its full potential, offers a great look into two principal characters – Vulkan himself, and Konrad Curze, the Primarch of the Night Lords.” ~Bane of Kings, The Founding Fields
"In the wake of the Dropsite Massacre at Isstvan V, the survivors of the Salamanders Legion searched long and hard for their fallen primarch, but to no avail. Little did they know that while Vulkan might have wished himself dead, he lives still… languishing in a hidden cell for the entertainment of a cruel gaoler, his brother Konrad Curze. Enduring a series of hellish tortures designed to break his body and spirit, Vulkan witnesses the depths of the Night Haunter’s depravity, but also discovers something else – a revelation that could change the course of the entire war."
I’m in full knowledge of just how little Black Library fiction I’ve read this year. I’ve missed out on the previous two Horus Heresy novels, Betrayer and Mark of Calth – and most of the fiction that the publisher has been putting out this year aside from Pariah (which I didn’t like) and Deathwatch (which I did like). So, where better to start than the twenty-sixth novel in the long-running, multi-author Horus Heresy series dealing with Kyme’s first Heresy novel?
Vulkan LivesThe book itself brings the Salamanders Legion to the forefront in the first time in the Heresy. They’re one of my favourite Legions – having been pretty much ignored in the previous outings of the Heresy, their only main focus being Promethean Sun, a novella also written by Nick Kyme – and it was about time they got their chance in the spotlight. Don’t worry though – unlike Prospero Burns (which I enjoyed despite the advertising), the book fulfils what it promised us – despite not offering an in-depth look at the legion, it does feature a heavy focus on Vulkan himself, who along with Konrad Curze, they both benefit from strong characterisation. However, not every character gets the same treatment as these two – I felt that the side characters, such as the few Salamanders that we encountered outside of Vulkan, were pretty much interchangeable and didn’t really stand out.
If you’ve read any of Kyme’s previous novels then you’ll know that he can handle action well and he does so again here, with some rather engaging action sequences that increase the page-turning ability of the novel. However, there presents another problem – the Salamanders in Vulkan Lives are of course Space Marines – indomitable, super human Astartes capable of withstanding blows that could cripple your normal member of the Imperial Army. However – in a move that I wasn’t a big fan of – we see multiple times, legionaries are slain by things which shouldn’t, according to lore – kill them. But despite that, there are some great moments that shine here, and I have to agree with fellow reviewer Bellarius (whose thoughts can be found below) that the Salamander’s planned assault on Khar-tann and the final confrontation between Curze and Vulkan are among the book’s highlights.
One of the strengths of the Horus Heresy series is that despite the fact that it is 26 novels long, assuming you know the basic storyline and have at least read the first five novels (Horus Rising to Fulgrim), – you can pretty much jump right in wherever you want, aside from a few exceptions like the Descent of Angels/Fallen Angels two-parter focusing on the Dark Angels Legion, and the A Thousand Sons/Prospero Burns duology focusing on the Invasion of Prospero. Vulkan Lives is a novel best read after the events of Fulgrim, at least in my opinion – and when you consider that we’ve pretty much moved past the Isstvan V Dropsite Massacre in the overall storyline, it may feel to some like a step backwards rather than a step forwards to read it this late in the series, but Kyme really does answer the question about what happened to Vulkan following the events of Isstvan V, and whilst Vulkan Lives may not quite be the Horus Heresy novel that Salamander fans wanted, it does provide an entertaining look into the two Primarchs, exploring and makes them tick.
What’s more – despite the negative thoughts that I raised about Vulkan Lives earlier in this review - I actually enjoyed it, and I felt, it was just what I needed to get back into the Horus Heresy kick. It’s a solid tale, but comes with a cautious recommendation – it may not be for everyone – particularly those who aren’t a fan of Kyme’s past works, but some will enjoy it – I think – on the flipside, those who enjoyed his previous novels will find something to love here. However, I’m certainly looking forward to more Heresy books by Kyme – it’ll be interesting to see whether he returns to tackle the Salamanders or deals with another legion in the future.
VERDICT: 3.5/5
“ An entertaining novel with a brilliant premise that, whilst not quite delivering its full potential, offers a great look into two principal characters – Vulkan himself, and Konrad Curze, the Primarch of the Night Lords.” ~Bane of Kings, The Founding Fields
"In the wake of the Dropsite Massacre at Isstvan V, the survivors of the Salamanders Legion searched long and hard for their fallen primarch, but to no avail. Little did they know that while Vulkan might have wished himself dead, he lives still… languishing in a hidden cell for the entertainment of a cruel gaoler, his brother Konrad Curze. Enduring a series of hellish tortures designed to break his body and spirit, Vulkan witnesses the depths of the Night Haunter’s depravity, but also discovers something else – a revelation that could change the course of the entire war."
I’m in full knowledge of just how little Black Library fiction I’ve read this year. I’ve missed out on the previous two Horus Heresy novels, Betrayer and Mark of Calth – and most of the fiction that the publisher has been putting out this year aside from Pariah (which I didn’t like) and Deathwatch (which I did like). So, where better to start than the twenty-sixth novel in the long-running, multi-author Horus Heresy series dealing with Kyme’s first Heresy novel?
Vulkan LivesThe book itself brings the Salamanders Legion to the forefront in the first time in the Heresy. They’re one of my favourite Legions – having been pretty much ignored in the previous outings of the Heresy, their only main focus being Promethean Sun, a novella also written by Nick Kyme – and it was about time they got their chance in the spotlight. Don’t worry though – unlike Prospero Burns (which I enjoyed despite the advertising), the book fulfils what it promised us – despite not offering an in-depth look at the legion, it does feature a heavy focus on Vulkan himself, who along with Konrad Curze, they both benefit from strong characterisation. However, not every character gets the same treatment as these two – I felt that the side characters, such as the few Salamanders that we encountered outside of Vulkan, were pretty much interchangeable and didn’t really stand out.
If you’ve read any of Kyme’s previous novels then you’ll know that he can handle action well and he does so again here, with some rather engaging action sequences that increase the page-turning ability of the novel. However, there presents another problem – the Salamanders in Vulkan Lives are of course Space Marines – indomitable, super human Astartes capable of withstanding blows that could cripple your normal member of the Imperial Army. However – in a move that I wasn’t a big fan of – we see multiple times, legionaries are slain by things which shouldn’t, according to lore – kill them. But despite that, there are some great moments that shine here, and I have to agree with fellow reviewer Bellarius (whose thoughts can be found below) that the Salamander’s planned assault on Khar-tann and the final confrontation between Curze and Vulkan are among the book’s highlights.
One of the strengths of the Horus Heresy series is that despite the fact that it is 26 novels long, assuming you know the basic storyline and have at least read the first five novels (Horus Rising to Fulgrim), – you can pretty much jump right in wherever you want, aside from a few exceptions like the Descent of Angels/Fallen Angels two-parter focusing on the Dark Angels Legion, and the A Thousand Sons/Prospero Burns duology focusing on the Invasion of Prospero. Vulkan Lives is a novel best read after the events of Fulgrim, at least in my opinion – and when you consider that we’ve pretty much moved past the Isstvan V Dropsite Massacre in the overall storyline, it may feel to some like a step backwards rather than a step forwards to read it this late in the series, but Kyme really does answer the question about what happened to Vulkan following the events of Isstvan V, and whilst Vulkan Lives may not quite be the Horus Heresy novel that Salamander fans wanted, it does provide an entertaining look into the two Primarchs, exploring and makes them tick.
What’s more – despite the negative thoughts that I raised about Vulkan Lives earlier in this review - I actually enjoyed it, and I felt, it was just what I needed to get back into the Horus Heresy kick. It’s a solid tale, but comes with a cautious recommendation – it may not be for everyone – particularly those who aren’t a fan of Kyme’s past works, but some will enjoy it – I think – on the flipside, those who enjoyed his previous novels will find something to love here. However, I’m certainly looking forward to more Heresy books by Kyme – it’ll be interesting to see whether he returns to tackle the Salamanders or deals with another legion in the future.
VERDICT: 3.5/5
March 9, 2024
March 2024 Re-Read using the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project Reading Order - Omnibus VII Anvil of War (https://www.heresyomnibus.com/omnibus...) as part of my Oath of Moment to complete the Horus Heresy saga and extras.
The last time I read this was upon release and was as far as I got in the series, despite enjoying it, which is more of an AuDHD hyperfixation switch situation than a comment on the novel. I had a good, if wildly vacillating time with this, but along with Scorched Earth they have been some of the only highs in what has been a rough run of this collection of books and stories. I would be lying if I didn't admit that my having such a bad time with the Omnibus that it may have made me more positive on this.
Vulkan Lives, Dies, Repeats in the talons of the Nighthaunter in a personal hell created just for him filled with physical and mental torture that, combined with the trauma of the betrayal of the Dropsite Massacre and not knowing the fate of his sons or Corax, are wearing away at his mind, even as his body persists. Jumping around in time from Lord of Drake's memories of the past empasse between the Salamanders and Night lords during the Great Crusade and the Dropsite Massacre. Connecting to the present and a different point of view of Isstvan V the other half of the Loyalist dual narrative follows Numeon, one of Vulkan's closest sons, leading a Shattered Legion mission opposing the Word Bearers. We also follow two very different Sons of Lorgar in their internal power struggles and clashes with the Salamanders.
This is a strange book. The thing I really admire about this is just how much of a swing and doing something very different Kyme is taking on this.
Honestly, I don't think this a particularly cohesive book, rather it feels like two novellas, one I found vastly more entertaining than the other, wielded together.
The one I really enjoyed, let's call it Dungeons & Dragon, the story of Nighthaunter, Vulkan, and the labyrinth of horrors he's created to try to break his Promethan brother is kinda extreme gothic (though nothing like and nowhere near as extreme as 'extreme horror'). Honestly, I don't like torture porn, but dress it up in refernces and riffs of Hellenistic myths and have a fascinating double*-hander character study and I'm in. I suppose the narrative and character depth is what elevates it from torture porn.
***I'm avoiding major spoilers as best I can, but mild spoilers from here on out***
I have had mixed feelings about Kyme and generally don't enjoy how they write action, but doing this weird and incredibly intense first person narrative of Vulkan trying to hold on to his transhumanity and starting to unravel as he grapple with the sins of his past, the Heresy, and all the torture, they truly shine! The constantly questioning the surreality of everything is so wonderfully grounded in the uncertainty of his interactions with Ferrus Mannus who could be a manifestation of his trauma, his conscience, guilt, and/ or the 'monster within' that Vulkan seems to see himself as (and no one has actually written anything actually properly exploring, which is wild as it's just leaving pathos on the table. Gesturing at and stating a thing with only a single moment that isn't explored or explained enough, doesn't count). Not only this, but the motivation and arc of Nighthaunter's experience torturing Vulkan and the unpacking of how he views Vulkan and himself are truly impressive. The Primarch of the Night Lords is a character I am incredibly fond of and have a lot of empathy for and Kyme manages to balance how broken and warped by his life, purpose, and the darkness and fear he has lived with his whole life, with him being an absolute bastard and the answer to what if Jigsaw and the guy from Seven teamed up and we're both theatre kids.
Is Dungeons & Dragon perfect? No. Is some of the torture and referencing a bit much? Absolutely. But this truly has that essential myths and legends tone with the largely great writing and drama and tragedy out the wazoo, which is everything I want from the Heresy and this whole Omnibus was severely lacking.
The other novella is the Caprica parts of season one of Battlestar Galactica with the Shattered Legions playing Helo and Sharon and the Word Bearers as the Cylons, and it's fine. I had a real feeling of it treading water with Kyme unfortunately re-treading ground covered incredibly by other authors, but it's also incredibly important ongoing subplots in the saga.
I found the Isstvan V flashbacks to be really bland and I just don't get on with how Kyme does action and battles. The Shattered Legionaries are uninteresting and don't feel like their original Legions or their original Legions changed by the Dropsite Massacre. The Word Bearers are cartoonish, both in their characterisation and action. Plus, my least favourite character in all of Warhammer is around and important to the plot with such a major plot point that is written in a way that doesn't make it seem like it's anything , although at least there are no women around for him to be utterly repugnant with. The whole thing has such important Maguffin that is also handled the way Luke treated his old lightsabre in The Last Jedi.
I'm being a bit mean. The second narrative is competent, but not nourishing and doesn't seem thematically tied to the Vulkan one enough.
This really was the best of times and the mehst of times, but with just how good the good was and the impressive swings and doing some really cool and different stuff, I still rate this pretty high.
I would love to see more bizarre and dark psychological narratives from Kyme!
Through using the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project (www.heresyomnibus.com) and my own choices, I have currently read 14.41 Horus Heresy novels, 7 novellas, 37 short stories/ audio dramas, as well as the Macragge's Honour graphic novel, 8 Primarchs novels, 3 Primarchs short stories/ audio dramas, and 2 Warhammer 40K further reading novels...this run. I can't say enough good about the way the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project suggestions. I'm loving it! Especially after originally reading to the releases and being so frustrated at having to wait so long for a narrative to continue.
The last time I read this was upon release and was as far as I got in the series, despite enjoying it, which is more of an AuDHD hyperfixation switch situation than a comment on the novel. I had a good, if wildly vacillating time with this, but along with Scorched Earth they have been some of the only highs in what has been a rough run of this collection of books and stories. I would be lying if I didn't admit that my having such a bad time with the Omnibus that it may have made me more positive on this.
Vulkan Lives, Dies, Repeats in the talons of the Nighthaunter in a personal hell created just for him filled with physical and mental torture that, combined with the trauma of the betrayal of the Dropsite Massacre and not knowing the fate of his sons or Corax, are wearing away at his mind, even as his body persists. Jumping around in time from Lord of Drake's memories of the past empasse between the Salamanders and Night lords during the Great Crusade and the Dropsite Massacre. Connecting to the present and a different point of view of Isstvan V the other half of the Loyalist dual narrative follows Numeon, one of Vulkan's closest sons, leading a Shattered Legion mission opposing the Word Bearers. We also follow two very different Sons of Lorgar in their internal power struggles and clashes with the Salamanders.
This is a strange book. The thing I really admire about this is just how much of a swing and doing something very different Kyme is taking on this.
Honestly, I don't think this a particularly cohesive book, rather it feels like two novellas, one I found vastly more entertaining than the other, wielded together.
The one I really enjoyed, let's call it Dungeons & Dragon, the story of Nighthaunter, Vulkan, and the labyrinth of horrors he's created to try to break his Promethan brother is kinda extreme gothic (though nothing like and nowhere near as extreme as 'extreme horror'). Honestly, I don't like torture porn, but dress it up in refernces and riffs of Hellenistic myths and have a fascinating double*-hander character study and I'm in. I suppose the narrative and character depth is what elevates it from torture porn.
***I'm avoiding major spoilers as best I can, but mild spoilers from here on out***
I have had mixed feelings about Kyme and generally don't enjoy how they write action, but doing this weird and incredibly intense first person narrative of Vulkan trying to hold on to his transhumanity and starting to unravel as he grapple with the sins of his past, the Heresy, and all the torture, they truly shine! The constantly questioning the surreality of everything is so wonderfully grounded in the uncertainty of his interactions with Ferrus Mannus who could be a manifestation of his trauma, his conscience, guilt, and/ or the 'monster within' that Vulkan seems to see himself as (and no one has actually written anything actually properly exploring, which is wild as it's just leaving pathos on the table. Gesturing at and stating a thing with only a single moment that isn't explored or explained enough, doesn't count). Not only this, but the motivation and arc of Nighthaunter's experience torturing Vulkan and the unpacking of how he views Vulkan and himself are truly impressive. The Primarch of the Night Lords is a character I am incredibly fond of and have a lot of empathy for and Kyme manages to balance how broken and warped by his life, purpose, and the darkness and fear he has lived with his whole life, with him being an absolute bastard and the answer to what if Jigsaw and the guy from Seven teamed up and we're both theatre kids.
Is Dungeons & Dragon perfect? No. Is some of the torture and referencing a bit much? Absolutely. But this truly has that essential myths and legends tone with the largely great writing and drama and tragedy out the wazoo, which is everything I want from the Heresy and this whole Omnibus was severely lacking.
The other novella is the Caprica parts of season one of Battlestar Galactica with the Shattered Legions playing Helo and Sharon and the Word Bearers as the Cylons, and it's fine. I had a real feeling of it treading water with Kyme unfortunately re-treading ground covered incredibly by other authors, but it's also incredibly important ongoing subplots in the saga.
I found the Isstvan V flashbacks to be really bland and I just don't get on with how Kyme does action and battles. The Shattered Legionaries are uninteresting and don't feel like their original Legions or their original Legions changed by the Dropsite Massacre. The Word Bearers are cartoonish, both in their characterisation and action. Plus, my least favourite character in all of Warhammer is around and important to the plot with such a major plot point that is written in a way that doesn't make it seem like it's anything , although at least there are no women around for him to be utterly repugnant with. The whole thing has such important Maguffin that is also handled the way Luke treated his old lightsabre in The Last Jedi.
I'm being a bit mean. The second narrative is competent, but not nourishing and doesn't seem thematically tied to the Vulkan one enough.
This really was the best of times and the mehst of times, but with just how good the good was and the impressive swings and doing some really cool and different stuff, I still rate this pretty high.
I would love to see more bizarre and dark psychological narratives from Kyme!
Through using the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project (www.heresyomnibus.com) and my own choices, I have currently read 14.41 Horus Heresy novels, 7 novellas, 37 short stories/ audio dramas, as well as the Macragge's Honour graphic novel, 8 Primarchs novels, 3 Primarchs short stories/ audio dramas, and 2 Warhammer 40K further reading novels...this run. I can't say enough good about the way the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project suggestions. I'm loving it! Especially after originally reading to the releases and being so frustrated at having to wait so long for a narrative to continue.
December 23, 2024
I knew hardly anything about Vulkan going in to this so it was nice having his story presented and a little bit of his history. This also seemed like a set-up-for-later book as it’s open ended and only introduces Grammaticus. Big things are on the horizon!!!
April 13, 2018
Vulkan Lives - a misleading title that does an otherwise decent book a disservice.
As something of a fair weather Warhammer fan in the past I had left many of the Horus Heresy books alone. Warhammer was very much a part of my childhood and had influenced my early passion for fantasy/sci-fi that also came with some very hard and painful memories from a somewhat turbulent childhood. For me Warhammer had been for many years the source of equal amounts of pain and pleasure; there was so much of the universe that I loved and felt attached to that I have carried it with me for my entire life yet it has also carried with it a certain amount of negativity that it also felt like something of a stone around my neck as well.
For the longest of time myself and the realms of Games Workshop had been living separate lives. I knew of course that the Horus Heresy, a singular event in the early developing years of GW's Warhammer 40 thousand universe, was being given the full literary treatment but at the time of the first books publishing I well and truly did not care. That was that and I was who I was, I did not care for Warhammer anymore and so I did not cast my eye upon it, regardless of who was writing it.
It was not so long ago that my wife and I were walking through our local shopping mall and passed the Warhammer shop that has been something of a geeky fixture amongst the glossy high street chain shops for the better part of thirty years. Out of curiosity and perhaps childish nostalgia I went inside, my eye being drawn immediately to a copy of Old Earth by Nick Kyme.
As I said, I knew the Horus Heresy series had been going on for some years and so glancing at the blurb I decided to go home and do some research before delving back into a world I hadn't touched for well over a decade. Immediately my passion for this universe had been reignited, I fell in love with the dark dystopian, fascist future that I had seen as a child. All the billions of planets and stars and lifeforms I had envisioned as a youngster came flooding back to me and hunting down the Heresy novels became an enjoyable pastime.
During my research I came across the Primarch Vulkan, one of the twenty Primarch sons of the fascist godlike emperor of the imperium of man. Vulkan struck me as being exceptional among the Primarch's, most of whom looked on humanity as being less than them, creatures to be endured, ruled, cajoled, herded or indeed treated as they saw fit. Vulkan and his Salamander legion were different, having endured a hard upbringing on a dark world, Vulkan identified with the common man and cared for the very humans he and his brothers were set to rule.
In a series largely written by men, for men, about men doing manly things Vulkan was a somewhat sensitive soul who struck a chord with me and I was eager to read what Nick Kyme had to say about this unique character among the bloodthirsty horde who otherwise take up way too much space on the pages of Warhammer novels.
What a shame it was that I felt more than a little let down by the finished product. Vulkan Lives, although grabbing the audiences attention with its simple yet dramatic title is something of a misnomer. Although the Primarch may yet live the plot was something of a dead end. Kyme is a gifted writer and the scenarios he puts the resilient warrior through do have a certain level of drama to them they are more painful to read and not because of Vulkan's suffering at the hands of his demented brother, Konrad Curze, they are way too fragmented. The splintering of several plotlines that never really converge may allow for the introduction to Vulkan's saga and the role he will inevitably play in the coming books but inevitably they fail to tell a solid and well rounded story. His role in Vulkan lives is almost one of a creature to be pitied as opposed to the rousing hero that Kyme seems so desperate to make him and by the books conclusion the audience is more relieved that his suffering has ended more so that they no longer have to endure with him rather than any victory he may have achieved of his own.
That is not to say that the book is without its merits. The telling of the Dropsite Massacre, one of the most pivotal moments in the 40k universe from the Salamanders perspective was expertly done and with the grace and penmanship that Kyme clearly possess in his repertoire. His portrayal of the surviving members of the Salamander legion and the guerilla tactics they employ in their quest for vengeance are wonderfully written yet there is still a distance being maintained in the storytelling that keeps the audience at bay and ultimately doesn't allow them to connect with any of the characters written.
The potential for this book was high but the fall was incredibly fast and the tragedy of it was that it had so much potential to truly stand next to some of the great Horus Heresy books such as A Thousand Sons or Legion or The First Heretic. As such it will be forever marked as a let down but not so big that Vulkan's character was harmed by it.
As something of a fair weather Warhammer fan in the past I had left many of the Horus Heresy books alone. Warhammer was very much a part of my childhood and had influenced my early passion for fantasy/sci-fi that also came with some very hard and painful memories from a somewhat turbulent childhood. For me Warhammer had been for many years the source of equal amounts of pain and pleasure; there was so much of the universe that I loved and felt attached to that I have carried it with me for my entire life yet it has also carried with it a certain amount of negativity that it also felt like something of a stone around my neck as well.
For the longest of time myself and the realms of Games Workshop had been living separate lives. I knew of course that the Horus Heresy, a singular event in the early developing years of GW's Warhammer 40 thousand universe, was being given the full literary treatment but at the time of the first books publishing I well and truly did not care. That was that and I was who I was, I did not care for Warhammer anymore and so I did not cast my eye upon it, regardless of who was writing it.
It was not so long ago that my wife and I were walking through our local shopping mall and passed the Warhammer shop that has been something of a geeky fixture amongst the glossy high street chain shops for the better part of thirty years. Out of curiosity and perhaps childish nostalgia I went inside, my eye being drawn immediately to a copy of Old Earth by Nick Kyme.
As I said, I knew the Horus Heresy series had been going on for some years and so glancing at the blurb I decided to go home and do some research before delving back into a world I hadn't touched for well over a decade. Immediately my passion for this universe had been reignited, I fell in love with the dark dystopian, fascist future that I had seen as a child. All the billions of planets and stars and lifeforms I had envisioned as a youngster came flooding back to me and hunting down the Heresy novels became an enjoyable pastime.
During my research I came across the Primarch Vulkan, one of the twenty Primarch sons of the fascist godlike emperor of the imperium of man. Vulkan struck me as being exceptional among the Primarch's, most of whom looked on humanity as being less than them, creatures to be endured, ruled, cajoled, herded or indeed treated as they saw fit. Vulkan and his Salamander legion were different, having endured a hard upbringing on a dark world, Vulkan identified with the common man and cared for the very humans he and his brothers were set to rule.
In a series largely written by men, for men, about men doing manly things Vulkan was a somewhat sensitive soul who struck a chord with me and I was eager to read what Nick Kyme had to say about this unique character among the bloodthirsty horde who otherwise take up way too much space on the pages of Warhammer novels.
What a shame it was that I felt more than a little let down by the finished product. Vulkan Lives, although grabbing the audiences attention with its simple yet dramatic title is something of a misnomer. Although the Primarch may yet live the plot was something of a dead end. Kyme is a gifted writer and the scenarios he puts the resilient warrior through do have a certain level of drama to them they are more painful to read and not because of Vulkan's suffering at the hands of his demented brother, Konrad Curze, they are way too fragmented. The splintering of several plotlines that never really converge may allow for the introduction to Vulkan's saga and the role he will inevitably play in the coming books but inevitably they fail to tell a solid and well rounded story. His role in Vulkan lives is almost one of a creature to be pitied as opposed to the rousing hero that Kyme seems so desperate to make him and by the books conclusion the audience is more relieved that his suffering has ended more so that they no longer have to endure with him rather than any victory he may have achieved of his own.
That is not to say that the book is without its merits. The telling of the Dropsite Massacre, one of the most pivotal moments in the 40k universe from the Salamanders perspective was expertly done and with the grace and penmanship that Kyme clearly possess in his repertoire. His portrayal of the surviving members of the Salamander legion and the guerilla tactics they employ in their quest for vengeance are wonderfully written yet there is still a distance being maintained in the storytelling that keeps the audience at bay and ultimately doesn't allow them to connect with any of the characters written.
The potential for this book was high but the fall was incredibly fast and the tragedy of it was that it had so much potential to truly stand next to some of the great Horus Heresy books such as A Thousand Sons or Legion or The First Heretic. As such it will be forever marked as a let down but not so big that Vulkan's character was harmed by it.
February 10, 2017
I love the Horus Heresy saga.
If there's one author that almost makes me throw the whole thing out of the window, is Nick Kyme; if there's a novel that makes me cringe, it's this way-too-long, way-too-meh novel.
Too self absorbed and self important.
Badly written.
A cast of cardboard one-dimensional characters.
Contrived and nonsensical plotpoints.
The narration from the first person p.o.v. of a primarch? A gutsy choice that blows up in its face.
Definitely one of the weakest links in the series.
And sadly, it sets in motion more sets of events with which the author can leave us dumbfounded.
If there's one author that almost makes me throw the whole thing out of the window, is Nick Kyme; if there's a novel that makes me cringe, it's this way-too-long, way-too-meh novel.
Too self absorbed and self important.
Badly written.
A cast of cardboard one-dimensional characters.
Contrived and nonsensical plotpoints.
The narration from the first person p.o.v. of a primarch? A gutsy choice that blows up in its face.
Definitely one of the weakest links in the series.
And sadly, it sets in motion more sets of events with which the author can leave us dumbfounded.
April 21, 2025
Pēc Horusa nodevības uz Isstvan V daudzu prātos līdzīgi kā Iron Hands leģiona primarks Ferrus Manus ticis nogalināts un kritis kaujas laukā, tā arī Salamandru leģiona primarks Vulkans būs ņēmis līdzīgu galu. Lai arī viena gadījumā par acīmredzamu pierādījumu ir nocirstā galva, tad attiecībā uz Vulkanu ir vien haotiskas klātesošo atmiņas un fakts, ka Imperatoram lojālā primarka mirstīgās atliekas uz Isstvan V planētas netika atrastas…
https://poseidons99.com/2025/04/21/ni...
https://poseidons99.com/2025/04/21/ni...
September 23, 2014
I really hated this book. It's nominally about Vulkan, leader of the Salamanders, one of the neglected groups of characters in W40k. I assumed this would be his chance to finally get some time in the spotlight; instead this book is more about annoying Gary Stu named John Grammaticus, who has already derailed two other books in this series. The result is a boring, annoying disappointment. I'm at the point now where when I see the name John Grammaticus I might just put the book down, because there's never anything interesting that happens when he's around. To make things worse this book is split into three narrative threads (Vulkan in captivity, John Grammaticus screwing around, and the Isstvan V dropsite massacre, which has been depicted four or five times by now). Avoid at all costs.
January 20, 2014
Bella la storia ed i molteplici riferimenti a personaggi ed avvenimenti dei libri precedenti, ma Nick Kyme non é uno dei migliori autori della Black Library e si vede: i flashback molteplici ed il continuo passaggio dalla narrazione in prima persona da parte di Vulkan a quella in terza, genera non poca confusione Nonostante tutto meriterebbe una mezza stella in più ma Goodreads non lo consente.
Essendo questo libro il preambolo del successivo scritto da Abnett, magari lo rivaluterò in futuro.
"Death to the false Emperor!"
Essendo questo libro il preambolo del successivo scritto da Abnett, magari lo rivaluterò in futuro.
"Death to the false Emperor!"
October 15, 2013
Again with the downsizing of previously demigod-like Primarchs :-( Now they can be injured (and killed) by just a sword strike, see the fate of Ferrus Manus on Istvaan...
Both Vulkan and Cruze feel like cardboard characters, both the over-the-top villainy of Cruze (which doesn't hold a candle to the Imperial Inquisition 10.000 years later) and the back-to-the-smithy dreams of Vulkan. And don't get me started on the "normal" Marines. Actually, I'm happy that I read Unremembered Empire first, else coming from this book, I might have missed out on that piece of better story.
Both Vulkan and Cruze feel like cardboard characters, both the over-the-top villainy of Cruze (which doesn't hold a candle to the Imperial Inquisition 10.000 years later) and the back-to-the-smithy dreams of Vulkan. And don't get me started on the "normal" Marines. Actually, I'm happy that I read Unremembered Empire first, else coming from this book, I might have missed out on that piece of better story.
May 5, 2016
Found this a stuttering, painful experience totally without pacing or consistency. A huge come down from Fear to Tread, Angel Exterminatus and Betrayer. I had being so looking forward to a closer look at Vulkan and the Salamandars, was especially excited at the chance to get another look at Istvaan V but was sorely disappointed. I mean, who screws up an epic free for all between Astartes?!!
July 2, 2013
I really enjoyed the book nick has done a great job of bringing two primarchs together that reveals a bit more about them and their mindsets also the other story shows how the survivors from react to the loss of their primarchs and forge a new direction from the betrayal at isstvan V ,
July 17, 2023
Vulkan Lives is generally poorly regarded.
Which makes it underrated.
Can't break these fetters
Alone, I staggered to my feet and saw a fallen son. It was Nemetor. Like an infant I cradled him, raising Dawnbringer aloft and crying out my anguish for all the good it would do. Because no matter how much you wish for it, the dead do not come back. Not really.
No book in this series exists in isolation, as made clear in plenty of Afterwords. Further, even if conceded that not much happens in Vulkan Lives (arguable) well, not much really happens in in the Horus Heresy. Most of the plot revolves around the feelings and interactions of demigods, the rest of it is just the canvas those feelings and slapfights are painted on.
Having that in mind:
(a) Vulkan has limited Horus Heresy lore, having taken an atomic blast to his face at Isstvan V; and
(b) if you want to rectify that, you can only make limited impact on the rest of the lore for, while there are the gaps, the main outline is set in stone and Vulkan's not in it.
Vulkan will always struggle to be the Shakespearean character the other Primarchs are in the Horus Heresy. The setting does not give Vulkan the "life" for him to be larger than.
So yes, Vulkan isn't especially memorable in Vulkan Lives. But I haven't read anything especially memorable about him elsewhere. His Primarch book was a dud. His limited short story appearances are dull.
As for Vulkan Lives, there is a praiseworthy economy of characterisation. The scene with the Eldar witchling makes its point. Vulkan's multiple deaths are a framing device for his chapters and contain interesting psychogical elements, rather than the gratious torture of Fulgrim in The Primarchs. I would even dare to hold that tortures such as strapping Vulkan into a murder machine is relatively subtle as Primarch characterisation goes, and I believe that "subtleness" has been misinterpreted as plainness.
While is antagonist Curze is partly a pantomime villain, Curze is also more coherent and driven than the weepy freak in other portrayals. He's an insane weirdo but he also a malicious dick... ...in a "cool" way, unlike Dorn. Dickishness is part of his flaw, and rubs against Vulkan's personality. I feel you can't credit the power of the final confrontation between the two without acknowledging the work beforehand, what Curze tries to take away from Vulkan.
Ok, there's a MacGuffin
‘A fair offer,’ said Pergellen. ‘Blades?’
‘Very well.’
Each legionary grabbed for his pistol, knowing that the other would do the same.
In addition to the clash between Vulkan and Curze, there's a B plot involving... ...look who really gives a s... ...pearpoint about the details, it's mainly some easygoing fluff.
Conceded, like Fear to Tread, the Space Marines in Vulkan Lives are not much more than workmanlike. But the Shattered Legions storyline(s) remain(s) a nice coda to the three Loyalist Legions destroyed at Isstvan V. As for their erstwhile ally, John Grammaticus is differently written here than in Legion, but that is par for the course for characters in this literary universe anyway. What I do really like is that there is a clear plot line, punctuated by a coherent twist that smoothly integrates with what exactly should happen (once you think about it). That twist is foreshadowed by the way the characters interact with each other, and a reminder that in Warhammer 40K, trust should not be lightly given.
‘You’re right,’ I conceded, holding up Dawnbringer so he could see it. ‘I fashioned it as a teleporter, a means to escape even a prison such as this. I counted on you leading me here, on you needing to face me one last time. It seems I was fooled into thinking you hadn’t planned for this.’ I lowered the weapon and let the weight of its head pull the haft down until my hand was wrapped around the very end of the grip. ‘But you’re forgetting one thing…’
Curze leaned in, as if eager to hear my words. He believed that he had me, that I would never escape his trap.
He was wrong.
‘What’s that, brother?’
‘It’s also a hammer.’
Vulkan Lives is not a "great" book, but it is underrated one. Perhaps it is fair to criticise the constraints under which it was written, however it is a very good book within those constraints.
Which makes it underrated.
Can't break these fetters
Alone, I staggered to my feet and saw a fallen son. It was Nemetor. Like an infant I cradled him, raising Dawnbringer aloft and crying out my anguish for all the good it would do. Because no matter how much you wish for it, the dead do not come back. Not really.
No book in this series exists in isolation, as made clear in plenty of Afterwords. Further, even if conceded that not much happens in Vulkan Lives (arguable) well, not much really happens in in the Horus Heresy. Most of the plot revolves around the feelings and interactions of demigods, the rest of it is just the canvas those feelings and slapfights are painted on.
Having that in mind:
(a) Vulkan has limited Horus Heresy lore, having taken an atomic blast to his face at Isstvan V; and
(b) if you want to rectify that, you can only make limited impact on the rest of the lore for, while there are the gaps, the main outline is set in stone and Vulkan's not in it.
Vulkan will always struggle to be the Shakespearean character the other Primarchs are in the Horus Heresy. The setting does not give Vulkan the "life" for him to be larger than.
So yes, Vulkan isn't especially memorable in Vulkan Lives. But I haven't read anything especially memorable about him elsewhere. His Primarch book was a dud. His limited short story appearances are dull.
As for Vulkan Lives, there is a praiseworthy economy of characterisation. The scene with the Eldar witchling makes its point. Vulkan's multiple deaths are a framing device for his chapters and contain interesting psychogical elements, rather than the gratious torture of Fulgrim in The Primarchs. I would even dare to hold that tortures such as strapping Vulkan into a murder machine is relatively subtle as Primarch characterisation goes, and I believe that "subtleness" has been misinterpreted as plainness.
While is antagonist Curze is partly a pantomime villain, Curze is also more coherent and driven than the weepy freak in other portrayals. He's an insane weirdo but he also a malicious dick... ...in a "cool" way, unlike Dorn. Dickishness is part of his flaw, and rubs against Vulkan's personality. I feel you can't credit the power of the final confrontation between the two without acknowledging the work beforehand, what Curze tries to take away from Vulkan.
Ok, there's a MacGuffin
‘A fair offer,’ said Pergellen. ‘Blades?’
‘Very well.’
Each legionary grabbed for his pistol, knowing that the other would do the same.
In addition to the clash between Vulkan and Curze, there's a B plot involving... ...look who really gives a s... ...pearpoint about the details, it's mainly some easygoing fluff.
Conceded, like Fear to Tread, the Space Marines in Vulkan Lives are not much more than workmanlike. But the Shattered Legions storyline(s) remain(s) a nice coda to the three Loyalist Legions destroyed at Isstvan V. As for their erstwhile ally, John Grammaticus is differently written here than in Legion, but that is par for the course for characters in this literary universe anyway. What I do really like is that there is a clear plot line, punctuated by a coherent twist that smoothly integrates with what exactly should happen (once you think about it). That twist is foreshadowed by the way the characters interact with each other, and a reminder that in Warhammer 40K, trust should not be lightly given.
‘You’re right,’ I conceded, holding up Dawnbringer so he could see it. ‘I fashioned it as a teleporter, a means to escape even a prison such as this. I counted on you leading me here, on you needing to face me one last time. It seems I was fooled into thinking you hadn’t planned for this.’ I lowered the weapon and let the weight of its head pull the haft down until my hand was wrapped around the very end of the grip. ‘But you’re forgetting one thing…’
Curze leaned in, as if eager to hear my words. He believed that he had me, that I would never escape his trap.
He was wrong.
‘What’s that, brother?’
‘It’s also a hammer.’
Vulkan Lives is not a "great" book, but it is underrated one. Perhaps it is fair to criticise the constraints under which it was written, however it is a very good book within those constraints.
August 19, 2025
This was a good story about a primarch we know very little about. It was good to read about Vulkans fate at the dropsite massacre and what he suffered at the hands of Curze. Also, the story running along side Vulkans tale is entertaining, and a new story and character come to the fore. Not quite sure where the hate comes from on this book but I would definitely give this a read.
February 13, 2023
Wtf was that ending all about????
November 17, 2024
It was good-ish. The Vulkan POV was nice, as well as Curze the tormentor. I like their storyline, like the survivors storyline. But the ending killed it for me.
November 16, 2014
I wonder how long the Heresy will be stretched out until the "final showdown" with Horus and the Emperor? I think the answer is simple, as long as people keep buying the books.
What I think would be fairer to readers is to have concluded the Heresy in 4 or 5 books then all these other titles could be still offered as filler and back-story for the "super-fan".
With that in mind, I quite enjoyed this tale...It was ok. It didn't have any ground-breaking revelations nor does it really give you anything extra to the Heresy you've not already read. John Gramaticus makes an appearance (or rather features heavily) in this novel and that's no bad thing because without his inclusion in this book it would have been a rather dull affair.
The book managed to keep me entertained, but I have to say the writing was all over the place. Whilst it worked, going from third person to 1st, past to present, it came across to me as messy.
I do hope we are nearing the end of the Heresy, if the intention is going to be to stretch the story out for another few years, then they are going to have to do better than this.
I'm now considering leaving the Heresy until its concluded, then at least I can pick and chose how many titles I buy leading up to the end. At the moment I feel like I'm feeding a cash cow with there being no intention of a conclusion for a long time to come.
I may be an avid reader and sci-fi/fantasy fan, but I'm not a mug.
What I think would be fairer to readers is to have concluded the Heresy in 4 or 5 books then all these other titles could be still offered as filler and back-story for the "super-fan".
With that in mind, I quite enjoyed this tale...It was ok. It didn't have any ground-breaking revelations nor does it really give you anything extra to the Heresy you've not already read. John Gramaticus makes an appearance (or rather features heavily) in this novel and that's no bad thing because without his inclusion in this book it would have been a rather dull affair.
The book managed to keep me entertained, but I have to say the writing was all over the place. Whilst it worked, going from third person to 1st, past to present, it came across to me as messy.
I do hope we are nearing the end of the Heresy, if the intention is going to be to stretch the story out for another few years, then they are going to have to do better than this.
I'm now considering leaving the Heresy until its concluded, then at least I can pick and chose how many titles I buy leading up to the end. At the moment I feel like I'm feeding a cash cow with there being no intention of a conclusion for a long time to come.
I may be an avid reader and sci-fi/fantasy fan, but I'm not a mug.
November 18, 2013
Okay I've noticed a lot of negative reviews on this one, but I thought it was quite good. Definitely on the mid level though, it's main failing is that it takes so long for anything to resolve, and with very little action (well action we care about, i.e not reading yet more accounts of bloody Isstvan)
It was nice to get some proper face time with Vulkan, and also Curze, who I only really remember from the dark angels theater of operations. I liked the resolution to the Vulkan perspective storyline, and also John grammaticus was a nice addition that helped me keep turning pages.
The "survivor" legionary force, was undoubtedly the key plot line for me, I found myself wishing for more real time action with them, rather than long stretched of inactivty dispersed with multiple progressive flashbacks to the betrayal.
So yep, definitely not bad, but also not one of the best :).
All I can do is hope that the next one to be released (not counting unremembered empire) isn't about the effing word bearers, seriously getting bored of hearing about Lorgar and his petulant zealots.
What about the blood angels, I may be wrong, but we haven't heard from them since fear to tread, and that ended on a massive "OMG WHaT NEXT!?" :O"
It was nice to get some proper face time with Vulkan, and also Curze, who I only really remember from the dark angels theater of operations. I liked the resolution to the Vulkan perspective storyline, and also John grammaticus was a nice addition that helped me keep turning pages.
The "survivor" legionary force, was undoubtedly the key plot line for me, I found myself wishing for more real time action with them, rather than long stretched of inactivty dispersed with multiple progressive flashbacks to the betrayal.
So yep, definitely not bad, but also not one of the best :).
All I can do is hope that the next one to be released (not counting unremembered empire) isn't about the effing word bearers, seriously getting bored of hearing about Lorgar and his petulant zealots.
What about the blood angels, I may be wrong, but we haven't heard from them since fear to tread, and that ended on a massive "OMG WHaT NEXT!?" :O"
June 27, 2022
Mieszane uczucia. Nick Kyme opowiada historię uprowadzenia Vulkana przez Konrada Curze i pozbawione motywu tortury rozciągnięte przez całą książkę z różnymi fabularnymi przerywnikami wprowadzającymi narracyjny chaos. Bełkotliwa relacja dwojga prymarchów wypada z całej książki zdecydowanie najgorzej. Jako ciekawostka to muszę przyznać że wygląda na to że w tym uniwersum nie ma ani jednej zdrowej psychicznie postaci :D Z jednej strony główny good guy pełen empatii rozczula się nad losem biednych cywili i robi wszystko aby minimalizować straty w ludziach, z drugiej strony pali żywcem małe dziewczynki miotaczem ognia hehe. Życie w 41 millenium to koszmar.
December 27, 2013
This book does not advance the Horus Herery storyline appreciably. The center of the book should have been Vulkan and then the subplot rather than the reverse way Kyme did it. Even the sections with Vulkan grew tedious. The fact that the author, to me, implies that Vulkan's story is being made up as they go badly reminds me of the X-Files.
March 27, 2023
I really didn't enjoy this story. I found it pretty stale and I mostly pushed through it and I wasn't excited to pick it up. The interactions with the primarchs vulkan and curze were kind of interesting but overall I feel like not much happened and we didn't get much of a story ark for the charecters.
December 29, 2024
A solid entry. It does pain me to rate it as I have, but I believe Vulkan Lives suffers from too many of the flaws that have begin to afflict the Horus Heresy series. Or, perhaps these flaws have always been present but are no longer ignorable now that the series is well past its infancy. If Black Library and Games Workshop wish to ambitiously aim for a 54 book series (and that's conservatively ignoring novellas and the Siege of Terra) then more effort should be taken to craft memorable and unique plot lines for readers to follow.
Nick Kyme's style differs significantly from other series authors. This is a welcome change. He toys with sentence structure in a way that gives insight into the personalities of his characters, and he navigates across time, space, and between perspectives seamlessly.
Of the flaws. Vulkan Lives suffers heavily from not explaining the *why* of it's characters, namely the titular Vulkan. We are told he has the most humanity and humility of all the primarchs. We are told he cares more for the lives of common men than others. We are told he is haunted by his mourning of Isstvan V. We are shown him weeping after failing to save a mere handful of lives. But what of Vulkan's values and morals that drive this? What formative experiences did he have that taught him the value of the common life? Why does Vulkan differ in these respects from any of the other 17 primarchs (some of whom are known to be selfless and benevolent)?
This extends unfortunately to all the Salamanders portrayed. We are told that they are inherently good because... well, because they just are. What about their Nocturnian culture makes them so? What about Vulkan's teachings fosters this trait?
Other minor gripes I feel inclined to include are: I wish more was done with Vulkan's immortality - that it was used as a device for him to learn or grow. We also witness another pre-heresy flashback of a physical fight between primarchs. These seem to be increasingly used to explain or add weight to more current conflicts. The repercussion of this, however, is that the Great Crusade era now seems all around less unified and thereby attenuates the sheer shock-factor and abhorrence of Horus' betrayal.
Nick Kyme's style differs significantly from other series authors. This is a welcome change. He toys with sentence structure in a way that gives insight into the personalities of his characters, and he navigates across time, space, and between perspectives seamlessly.
Of the flaws. Vulkan Lives suffers heavily from not explaining the *why* of it's characters, namely the titular Vulkan. We are told he has the most humanity and humility of all the primarchs. We are told he cares more for the lives of common men than others. We are told he is haunted by his mourning of Isstvan V. We are shown him weeping after failing to save a mere handful of lives. But what of Vulkan's values and morals that drive this? What formative experiences did he have that taught him the value of the common life? Why does Vulkan differ in these respects from any of the other 17 primarchs (some of whom are known to be selfless and benevolent)?
This extends unfortunately to all the Salamanders portrayed. We are told that they are inherently good because... well, because they just are. What about their Nocturnian culture makes them so? What about Vulkan's teachings fosters this trait?
Other minor gripes I feel inclined to include are: I wish more was done with Vulkan's immortality - that it was used as a device for him to learn or grow. We also witness another pre-heresy flashback of a physical fight between primarchs. These seem to be increasingly used to explain or add weight to more current conflicts. The repercussion of this, however, is that the Great Crusade era now seems all around less unified and thereby attenuates the sheer shock-factor and abhorrence of Horus' betrayal.
May 20, 2019
This book was........uninspired.
The title is Vulcan Lives, but it should have been called "Vulcan is tortured and everyone else has a weird story arc that doesn't make a lot of sense."
The interplay between brother Primarchs, Vulcan and Konrad Curze was interesting, but it played out like the writer was in a hurry to finish up their portion of the book and ended kind of nonsensically.
By the end of the novel Vulcan is still not very interesting and I could care less whether he lives or not.
IT's not necessarily an essential read for the Horus Heresy books, but if you're a Salamander fan, then you might want to read this book for fluff for your army. Other than that......
The title is Vulcan Lives, but it should have been called "Vulcan is tortured and everyone else has a weird story arc that doesn't make a lot of sense."
The interplay between brother Primarchs, Vulcan and Konrad Curze was interesting, but it played out like the writer was in a hurry to finish up their portion of the book and ended kind of nonsensically.
By the end of the novel Vulcan is still not very interesting and I could care less whether he lives or not.
IT's not necessarily an essential read for the Horus Heresy books, but if you're a Salamander fan, then you might want to read this book for fluff for your army. Other than that......
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 17, 2025
I really enjoyed the different perspectives in the book. Jumping into this series at book 26 was something I wasn’t sure of, but the world building was fantastic and lead me to fill in any gaps easily. Vulkan is a complex character, and I felt that his internal struggles were relatable even though they were on an outrageous scale.
The scenes of battle were wonderful written. I can’t wait to read more.
The scenes of battle were wonderful written. I can’t wait to read more.
July 4, 2025
I'd heard really worrying things about this book and honestly! I get it. There is some pacing issues deciding which story to focus on with Vulkans side being vastly more interesting but what is here? It's different, it's interesting and for an intro to the salamander primarch I'm really excited to see more, he's so different and hard not to love.
Oh yeah and the hammer scene is just as good knowing of it going in!
Oh yeah and the hammer scene is just as good knowing of it going in!
January 31, 2022
This felt like two stories merged together. The one with John Gramaticus was good but the real stat was the one with Kurze and Vulcan. The two have insanely good chemistry and it lead to some of the best dialogue and character moments in the entire series to date. I now understand why Vulcan is so loved by the community.
January 15, 2025
Książka jak najbardziej godna uwagi dla fanów uniwersum wh40k. Niestety zakończenie według mnie powinno być o wiele dłuższe a nie dwie strony które wydają są pozbawione jakiekolwiek wyjaśnienia. Mam nadzieję że następna książka od tego Kyme będzie równie dobra i tym razem będzie miała poprawne zakończenie.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 5, 2025
Does this book feel like a bridge that allows characters to move from one spot to another? Yes but not in a way that I felt was overly terrible like many others. (To be fair I did listen to this as an audiobook so that maybe effect the experience) But overall I still enjoyed it, more John is always nice and I liked the exploration into Vulkan’s character.
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