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Call of Chaos #21
Without Fear
The Ultramarines prepare themselves for battle, knowing that their Chaos-tainted enemies will fall before them, for they are sons of Guilliman and are without fear.
Aeneas prepares for battle. He performs the sacred rituals that stir the machine-spirits of his weapons and armour, and joins his battle-brothers in reciting the ancient oaths of their unit. On the planet below, hordes of Chaos-tainted cultists await their arrival, driven beyond reason by their desire to kill. But Aeneas knows that the Ultramarines will be victorious, no matter the odds – because they are without fear.
It's a unique look at what goes through the head of an Ultramarine as he prepares to bring the Emperor's fury to his foes, delivered by a master in the art of creating relatable Space Marine characters.
Aeneas prepares for battle. He performs the sacred rituals that stir the machine-spirits of his weapons and armour, and joins his battle-brothers in reciting the ancient oaths of their unit. On the planet below, hordes of Chaos-tainted cultists await their arrival, driven beyond reason by their desire to kill. But Aeneas knows that the Ultramarines will be victorious, no matter the odds – because they are without fear.
It's a unique look at what goes through the head of an Ultramarine as he prepares to bring the Emperor's fury to his foes, delivered by a master in the art of creating relatable Space Marine characters.
11 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 21, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 23, 2015
I didn't expect myself to dislike this story as much as I did. It started out promising enough, with an Ultramarine seeing to his wargear before a drop assault. The details given were very neat.
But all of that enjoyment was soon drowned out by a steady climb of irritation. Every piece of dialogue here is given in pseudo-latin, supposedly the High Gothic dialect used on Macragge. Relations to actual latin are thin at best. For somebody like me who actually enjoyed latin classes (even though they are far in the past now), this whole thing was utterly jarring.
Every phrase like that was also paired with a supposed translation for the reader, which, again, boggled my mind.
Worst of all, though, I felt like this story clashed with a lot of, if not all previous depictions of the Ultramarines, whether it be McNeill's, Kyme's, or more recently Abnett's reinterpretation of the Legion. Seeing them suddenly refer to "Sixth Squad, Eighth Company" as "Hexus-Octavus", for example, makes little sense when seen next to the other stories featuring them.
The story itself, beyond this gimmick, was pretty mundane. A squad of assault marines dropping from a thunderhawk to beat traitors/cultists to a pulp while placing a teleport beacon for the first company veterans.
I didn't feel like the characters were relatable, which is a shame as, like I said, the beginning was pretty neat, with descriptions of good-luck charms attached to the protagonist's bolt pistol. But then, all he did was fight and react to his superior's commands, nothing else.
Seeing the name of the author had me very much excited. Looking back on the story, I am entirely disappointed with it. There was no need to attempt to reinvent the wheel here, especially not with the Ultramarines, which have long been the poster child for Warhammer 40,000.
Dan Abnett somehow managed to add and change aspects about the Horus Heresy-era Ultramarines, which took enough getting used to. But 41st Millennium-era Ultramarines? I don't see the point. I might have been more engaged if this had been an entirely new, or undescribed Chapter, but even then I'd have felt the pseudo-latin to be jarring at best.
As such, this seems like Dembski-Bowden's worst 40k story to date. Change for change's sake is the way of Tzeentch. Don't do it.
But all of that enjoyment was soon drowned out by a steady climb of irritation. Every piece of dialogue here is given in pseudo-latin, supposedly the High Gothic dialect used on Macragge. Relations to actual latin are thin at best. For somebody like me who actually enjoyed latin classes (even though they are far in the past now), this whole thing was utterly jarring.
Every phrase like that was also paired with a supposed translation for the reader, which, again, boggled my mind.
Worst of all, though, I felt like this story clashed with a lot of, if not all previous depictions of the Ultramarines, whether it be McNeill's, Kyme's, or more recently Abnett's reinterpretation of the Legion. Seeing them suddenly refer to "Sixth Squad, Eighth Company" as "Hexus-Octavus", for example, makes little sense when seen next to the other stories featuring them.
The story itself, beyond this gimmick, was pretty mundane. A squad of assault marines dropping from a thunderhawk to beat traitors/cultists to a pulp while placing a teleport beacon for the first company veterans.
I didn't feel like the characters were relatable, which is a shame as, like I said, the beginning was pretty neat, with descriptions of good-luck charms attached to the protagonist's bolt pistol. But then, all he did was fight and react to his superior's commands, nothing else.
Seeing the name of the author had me very much excited. Looking back on the story, I am entirely disappointed with it. There was no need to attempt to reinvent the wheel here, especially not with the Ultramarines, which have long been the poster child for Warhammer 40,000.
Dan Abnett somehow managed to add and change aspects about the Horus Heresy-era Ultramarines, which took enough getting used to. But 41st Millennium-era Ultramarines? I don't see the point. I might have been more engaged if this had been an entirely new, or undescribed Chapter, but even then I'd have felt the pseudo-latin to be jarring at best.
As such, this seems like Dembski-Bowden's worst 40k story to date. Change for change's sake is the way of Tzeentch. Don't do it.
March 25, 2016
I feel like this is going be a relatively controversial story. It follows an Assault from the Ultramarines, and they felt a little bit off. They used a weird Macraggian Latin? Which I haven't ever heard of them doing in previous releases. I haven't read much fiction on the Ultramarines, but this one just felt a little weird.
I really liked the action, the assault squad tearing through the hordes of chaos. I would have liked some traitors to show up and slaughter the Ultramarines, but that's my personal preference.
I thought a little more might happen in the story, but I guess it is a short!
I really liked the action, the assault squad tearing through the hordes of chaos. I would have liked some traitors to show up and slaughter the Ultramarines, but that's my personal preference.
I thought a little more might happen in the story, but I guess it is a short!
December 24, 2015
The Ultramarines show up for day twenty-one of the Black Library 2015 Advent Calendar, in Aaron Dembski-Bowden’s micro short Without Fear. Brother Aeneas joins his squad in an aerial insertion to break the back of a Chaos force and reclaim a defaced relic, and we watch as he prepares himself for battle before (literally) throwing himself into the fray. With his weapons sanctified and his brothers around him, nothing is going to stand in the way of their victory.
Read the rest of the review at https://trackofwords.wordpress.com/20...
Read the rest of the review at https://trackofwords.wordpress.com/20...
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews