Corax: Soulforge

The Horus Heresy #Novella

by Gav Thorpe

In spite of the corruption of Corax's plans to rebuild his Legion after the Dropsite Massacre, the surviving Raven Guard remain defiant. Happening upon a stricken Word Bearers vessel far behind the front lines, they find evidence of a new alliance between the traitors and the forge world of Constanix II - with rumours of terrifying new war machines stalking battlefields across the sector, it is a threat too great to ignore. The primarch Corax must infiltrate the heart of the Mechanicum priesthood on Constanix if he is to win any allies for the war to come, though he will likely be forced to confront the truth of his own mysterious nature along the way...

Read it because
It’s packed with mutated Space Marines, untrusting allies, and the Imperium’s first encounter with the unholy daemon machines of the Dark Mechanicum. In this story, Primarch Corax must come to terms with his choices as his past comes back to haunt him ­– assuming he doesn't get blown up, stabbed or turned inside out along the way...

Genres: 40k, Science Fiction, Audiobook

416 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 1, 2013

About the author

Gav spent 14 years as a developer for Games Workshop, and started writing novels and short stories in the worlds of Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000 when the Black Library imprint was launched in 1997.

He continues to write for Black Library, and his first 'homegrown' novel series The Crown of the Blood has been released via Angry Robot.

Currently living in Nottingham, Gav shares his home with his loving and very understanding partner - Kez, and their beautiful little boy - Sammy.

Reviews

[Gianfranco Mancini · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE PUNISHMENT FOR TRAITORS IS DEATH!

Re-read in the Corax anthology

An action-packed novella about Corvus Corax and the Raven Guard on their post-Isstvan V crusade of vengeance against traitor elements of Word Bearers and Dark Mechanicum plotting and scheming on a Forge World.
Not many twists or character development in this short tale, but the action and the final fight of Corax against Nathrakin were just epic!
A must read if you are a Raven Guard fan.

[RatGrrrl · Rating 3 out of 5]

April 2024 Read using the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project Reading Order Omnibus XVII Shadow of the Warmaster III Jaws of Defeat (https://www.heresyomnibus.com/omnibus...) as part of my Oath of Moment to complete the Horus Heresy series and extras.

This one has some moments, but was a bit of a disappointment.

Corax and co are in a bad way after the successive tragedies of the Dropsite Massacre and the disastrous founding of the Raptors. Taking the fight to the Word Bearers through their new Mechanicum allies to thwart their mechanical machinations, the Raven Guard and their Primarch are confronted with new horrors and revelations.

I remember this being on of the last limited edition novellas I actually bought back in the day and being disappointed. I was hoping that time and context might improve my experience, but not so much. It's not that this is bad by any means, it's just a bit bland and feels like the vehicle for the premises it wants to gesture at.

It doesn't help that I was reading Spear of Ultramar by David Annandale at the same time as this. The comparison of the immediacy and excitement of the action, as well as the unbelievably nightmarish and weird horror of the Chaos elements are night and day. Thorpe can definitely write action with the sequence of Corax going beast mode in Raven's Flight being one of my favourite action scenes in the series, but I haven't come across anything that even approaches that since. I didn't find it quite as grey and soupy as The Divine Word, but a great deal of this book is not particularly interesting action with a little bit more excitement in the final confrontation.

The initial threats and discussion with the questionable Magoses is a little bland. Over the course of the novella the discussion of the merits of the Emperor, his virtues, and the nature of Primarchs definitely improves with the culminating introspection and self-reflection of Corax being genuinely great stuff. I think the issue with discussion of the merits of the Emperor is the same thing I've been saying throughout the series, particularly with Corax stories, in that I don't know how much I can trust the portrayal of zealotory and questioning of the Imperium. If definitely ends in a questioning place, so maybe I'm just paranoid about the way the absolute certainty and inability to question until confronted by Chaos. Maybe I'm not giving Thorpe and Black Library credit for giving the reader so much credit for being able to read beyond the indoctrination. The iffy politics of the company and scary element of the hobby make it hard to trust.

Ultimately, the final scene is pretty great, but the rest is not particularly exciting. It was not an acceptable quality for a limited edition novella, and is barely good enough to be worth reading beyond the final scene. Definitely non-essential for the main narrative speedrunners.

I'll be honest, I was feeling a little Heresy Burnout after returning to Deliverance Lost and this, but Spear of Ultramar and Wolf King cleared that right up!

***

More thoughts later, but I remember having the limited edition of this and being disappointed at the time.

This ain't bad, but it ain't particularly great either, and after reading David Annandale and reading Spear of Ultramar at the same time, Thorpe's solid writing can't compare to the Chaotic Maelstrom of Annandale who I think would have made a story like this more of an experience than a rather obvious, if good quality, vehicle for certain premises.

Through using the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project (www.heresyomnibus.com) and my own choices, I have currently read 32 Horus Heresy novels (including a repeat), 17 novellas (including 2 repeats), 106 short stories/ audio dramas (including 6 repeats), as well as the Macragge's Honour graphic novel, 15 Primarchs novels, 4 Primarchs short stories/ audio dramas, and 2 Warhammer 40K further reading novels and a short story...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.

[Callum Shephard · Rating 3 out of 5]

In a series which is becoming ever more focused upon either the traitor legions or Ultramarines for its tales, the Raven Guard have always stood as a military given a rare degree of exploration. Having appeared in a number of minor and major stories, the legion has served to explore the wars beyond what the major novels detail. Giving a greater scope to events and exploring how a legion can keep fighting even after suffering near total annihilation. As such it’s unfortunate that this latest instalment is such a mixed bag.

Following on from the conclusion of Deliverance Lost, Soulforge continues the Raven Guard efforts to harry the Warmaster’s forces. As they prepare for another assault against a base of power vital to the traitors, the legion uncovers a second, far more pressing target. Having seemingly formed an alliance with the Word Bears, the forge world of Constanix II is now potentially at their disposal. Hearing rumours of daemon engines possibly spawned from its factories, Corax leads a small number of his warriors deep into the heart of the metal planet. There he must determine if any loyalists remain and halt this new threat at all costs.

Despite some odd quirks in events, the Raven Guard stories have maintained a healthy level of continuity between events. While remaining primarily episodic and recapping at every turn to keep new readers up to date, the series has always emphasised upon themes introduced in previous tales. This is the case here. Rather than just being an out and out action fest between space marine forces, the novella sticks to the tried and true method of balancing conflict with character and reflection.

While there is the expected bloody rampage of revenge by the Guard, Corax’s greater knowledge of the primarchs’ origins and greater awareness of them play a role here. As does the Battle of Ravendelve and a number of events triggered in Deliverance Lost. The impact of Corax’s actions and questions his role in relation to the Emperor’s great plan is something continually discussed and delved into. While something we’ve seen covered in books both in and outside of the Heresy series, it takes a new angle on it. Exploring it through a new viewpoint to give a fresh perspective on an old idea with questions of origins, loyalty and betrayal but manages to make the most of it.

It’s saying something in a novella where the Imperium fights Defilers for the first time and a loyalist primarch attempts to lead a world into rebellion; that the most interesting titbit is its character building. In only a quarter of its total page number Soulforge manages to completely outstrip Deliverance Lost in a number of key areas, giving more insight into the primarch’s mind than we had previously seen. Something which was definitely needed as, despite the book’s attempts to expand upon his history, Corax was still left as something of a stranger by the end.

Corax isn’t the only one who gets treated well in this department as the novella actually manages to get Guilliman right for once. The series has had the growing problem of treating the Ultramarines and their gene-father as perfect warriors (building better fortress worlds than Dorn or Perturabo, authors never allowing an enemy more than a pyrrhic victory over them, the legion seemingly outfighting everyone, Guilliman shrugging off the anathame because he’s better than Horus somehow etc) the novella depicts them as learning from their mistakes and those of others. Rather than being perfect first time around, Guilliman is shown losing repeatedly in a training situation until he adapts to his opponent and becomes effective against them. It’s just a shame this happens in a novel which doesn’t even feature him.

The issue with the combat is that it often feels either unnecessary. Serving as a vastly less interesting sequence of events, one which took away pages which could have been used to enhance its strongest points. It’s hard to argue the novella as a whole might have served better with Corax talking. Just conversing with the tech-priests in efforts to convince them to rebel and planning with his troops, speaking of his past meetings with other primarchs. Furthering elements Thorpe was far more skilled in handling and more substantial to the protagonist.

Admittedly the emphasis upon battle isn’t helped by the sudden nerfing of Corax in terms of raw power during an obscenely long fight. Those who’ve listened to him beat a Predator tank to death with his hands will be wondering why he’s having trouble with a lone sorcerer turned mutilator. One who can shout loud enough to almost deafen him, shrug off said tank killing punches to the face and results in the expected anime/comicbook cliché when Corax is on his knees. You know the one.

Add to that an epilogue which leaves everything in doubt and explains little to nothing; and you’ve got a very disappointing third act of what was a promising novella. You’re left asking things like: Just what happened to the tech priests? Is the planet going to be counter invaded? What about the masses of other daemon engines alleged to be rampaging through nearby star systems? And was it just me or did anyone else read this as Corax: Soulstorm first time around?

In quality Corax: Soulforge is a product of extremes. When Thorpe does something right here he’s firing on all cylinders but when he makes a mistake it’s one which near cripples the tale. It’s ultimately underwhelming and nowhere near good enough of a tale to justify the hefty price tag or limited release. It’s just above average but given this is the supposed start of a series it leaves a great deal to be desired.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this novella. It is also included in a book i am about to review, as well. This is the story in a graduating interconnected series about the Primarch of the Raven Guard Space Marine Legion. Herein we see how the Ravens go to war, how they are different in their approach and delivery of victory. Unlike the traitor legion Night Lords, who also rely on ambush and stealth, the Raven Guard use counter insurgency tactics, shadow play (literally) and psychological and social warfare. They don't blow head on into battle, but scout ahead and eliminate larger and far more dangerous targets so the more mobile and larger forces of the Ravens can then commit to face front battle. This was well written by Mr. Thorpe, as all his writings are and was a blast to read.

Danny

[Veronica Anrathi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know... I had the same experience with Deliverance Lost, for some reason I just can't connect with Corax' stories. There were some nice parts in this one, but overall it's just lacking something and I'm not entirely sure what it is.

[Jean-Luc · Rating 3 out of 5]

After the capture of the Perfect Fortress at the end of Deliverance Lost, the Raven Guard launch a boarding action against the Word Bearers. This is ironic because we saw at the end of Aurelian that the Word Bearers are masters of the boarding action. Turnabout is fair play, of course. The XIX Legion rescue a loyal navigator, who informs them that the hated XVII Legion is in the process of corrupting the Mechanicus forgeworld of Constanix II.

This is a fun book featuring one of my favorite legions fighting my least favorite legion. Lots of characters are missing from Deliverance Lost, which makes me wonder what exactly happened in between the two books. It's great to learn more about the way Corax thinks, especially his relation to Roboute Guilliman. The stealthy Raven Guard stealthily sneak a STEALTH TITAN onto the field, which is as absurd as it sounds and utterly delightful.

Look at the economy of this wording:

‘Whatever advancements our enemies have made, they must be stopped,’ he told the others. ‘Not only must we destroy any machines they have created, the knowledge of their creation cannot leave this world.’

‘And the Word Bearers?’ Agapito asked the question casually, but Corax could feel the anger concealed beneath the commander’s calm.

‘They will be dealt with in due course,’ the primarch replied carefully. ‘The mission is to rid Constanix of their corrupting influence. To thwart their plans will be punishment enough. This is no time for vendetta. Victory is vengeance.’

Corax is a great boss:

While the primarch waited patiently, Loriark paced back and forth behind him, hands lost in the sleeves of his robes as he clasped them at his waist, his strides short with agitation. Corax did not allow the magokritarch’s behaviour to distract him; each man dealt with the nervous lull before battle in his own way and to force Loriark to cease his perambulations would only serve to perturb the tech-priest further.

The ending is rather sad. I believed Corax could have found another way right up until the navigator spoke, but no matter how good of an author Gav Thorpe is, even he can't immunize the Emperor's most thoughtful son against grimdark bullshit.

[Lanfear · Rating 3 out of 5]

Echaba de menos warhammer, echaba de menos todo este mundo tan metálico y ruidoso, marines espaciales cargando a la batalla, ansiosos de puro odio y venganza. El segundo libro que leo de Corax y creo me ha hecho cambiar de opinión, al menos parcialmente. Si Corax no es el primarca más listo al menos es muy poderoso, como ha demostrado con creces. Esto es lo que buscaba, una lucha épica contra el caos, uno contra uno, no hay cabida para más, es justo lo que busco de Warhammer. Y hay que decirlo, la segunda parte del libro, con el comandante Agapito dudando entre la venganza y el honor, y el encuentro de Corax con el caos es simplemente deliciosos. Justo lo que quería. Gracias Corax, te quiero mucho.

[Michael Knolla · Rating 3 out of 5]

My first dip into Corax and Raven Guard centered material. Had picked up for the Mechanicum aspects but the focus is far, far more on Corax than the Forge, and fair enough. The battle of city barges makes for unique enough material particularly in a bite-sized morsel such as this.

[Regan · Rating 3 out of 5]

It got bogged down in bolter corn at some points but definitely had its moments. Corax is a character that always seems to be doing something cool and important, but isn't himself cool or important and this novella continues that trend

[matthew cullen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not short

It was an ok read but being so short a story you don't get a feel for the characters, would have liked to know more about the legion.

[Danny Saines · Rating 3 out of 5]

An action heavy novella that offered some interesting nuggets of information but was primarily focussed on set piece action. There are far stronger novellas in the series.

[Ross Cudmore · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Raven Guard were devastated by the Dropsite Massacre, and their attempts to recover were sabotaged by the Alpha Legion in "Deliverance Lost" but they have not accepted defeat. Corax is taking the war to the Traitors, seeking to undermine them at every turn to slow their march to Terra.

The story begins with Corax and his sons striking back at the Word Bearers, only to discover that a nearby Forgeworld is co-operating with the traitors. Among Corax's sons some desire revenge more than others. Agapito, Commander of the Talons is an Isstvan survivor, who seems to care more for revenge than military success.

The novella is at its strongest when it has Corax and the Mechanicum discussing the merits of the Emperor, his virtues, and the nature of Primarchs, which results in Corax have to reflect on who he and his brothers are, and what he hopes to accomplish.

But much of the novella is spent on action that didn't really excite me. The villains are rather bland and I wasn't too enthralled by the story of Agapito. The confrontation between the Word Bearer leader and Corax did force Corax to consider the nature of the connections between the Primarchs and the Warp which was interesting but not fully explored.

[Danny · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice little novella which gives us a glimpse of Corax's campaign against the elements of Horus' traitor legions, specifically the Word Bearers and Dark Mechanicum allies. I find myself enjoying the characterization of Corax that seems to grow with each Raven Guard entry in the Horus Heresy series. Introspective, brooding and driven, the primarch of the Raven Guard has grown into a character seperate from his brothers in the fact that he never stops questioning himself. Not in a full-of-doubt sense, but in a way that he seeks conviction for his decisions to ensure that they are what is truly best. Having gone through his youth on Deliverance, the betryal on Istvaan and the tragedy of rebuilding his legion, it's understandable how he has changed into a self-critical leader, driven not to repeat the mistakes of the past. The character growth of Corax is the best part of this novella, and it should also be noted that this is one of the few entries in the Horus Heresy series that leads with the primarch as main protaganist, rather than delegating the majority of the story to lesser captains or human characters of less stature.
The action is relatively sparse and brief, although the highlight involves a battle between two floating mechanicum cities, which includes a boarding action. That's CITIES battling each other...literally. The story also works in references to the workings of the Dark Mechanicum and the new twisted creations they are working on.
There is one last moment of note regarding the tauntings Corax receives which hint at the Emperor's motives in the creation of the Primarchs and the link all might share to the primordial powers. Whether this is truth or lie remains unknown at the end of the story, but it gives Corax more to chew on and introspect further.
Overall this was well written, but without the successful Corax character moments I mentioned earlier I would have rated it less due to the lack of more action or further contribution/revelations that permeat the Horus Heresy series. Perhaps that is why the story is only in novella form; lacking more substance required of a novel but worthy enough of exceedng the limits of the short story format

[Mhoram · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was most pleasing to get more Corax/Raven Guard action to read. Having survived both the Dropsite Massacre of Isstvan V, and the Alpha Legion's insidious infiltration tactics on Deliverance, the Raven Guard have begun a campaign against the traitors reflecting their preferred tactic: strike, fade, and strike again. These hit-and-run attacks lead them to the capture of a Word Bearers vessel, upon which they discover reference to the traitors having captured a nearby forgeworld. Corax divides his remaining forces, and leads a small group to the planet to discover the traitors' goals there.

The book elaborates on Raven Guard tactics, as well as custom units and wargear not utilised by other Legions. It also continues to demonstrate the bitterness left in the survivors of the Dropsite Massacre, and how this sets them apart from their brothers who had remained at Deliverance. It provides us with an opportunity to behold the manner in which the Raven Guard interact with allied forces (specifically, a loyal force of Mechanicum warriors and tech-priests), and the priorities he holds during battle. Most fascinating of all, it gives us our first proper look at daemon engines, and pits Corax against a daemon prince. That in particular is a most enjoyable read, and it makes me look forward to the day when we can read of loyalist Primarchs fighting daemon Primarchs.

The book was high quality stuff, and recommended to all who have a chance to read it. Even the cover art is rather beautiful (though Corax' pauldrons look disproportionately huge; everything else about it is great), and as a cool little aside, this limited-edition printing featured a micro-short-story printed on the inside of the dust jacket, which gave us another look inside the Raven Guard. Very cool. Applause to Gav Thorpe!

[Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

"In spite of the corruption of Corax's plans to rebuild his Legion after the Dropsite Massacre, the surviving Raven Guard remain defiant. Happening upon a stricken Word Bearers vessel far behind the front lines, they find evidence of a new alliance between the traitors and the forge world of Constanix II - with rumours of terrifying new war machines stalking battlefields across the sector, it is a threat too great to ignore. The primarch Corax must infiltrate the heart of the Mechanicum priesthood on Constanix if he is to win any allies for the war to come, though he will likely be forced to confront the truth of his own mysterious nature along the way..."


An alright read. It doesn't necessarily have the time and place to expand the story of the Raven Guard by much, but it does present us with the themes that continue into the next novel.

For The Raven Guard it is either Victory or Death. Either allow themselves to be consumed by their hatred and doom themselves to extinction or continue to survive as a guerrilla force, nipping at the heals of Horus's rebellion.

Survival is Victory.

[Dylan Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Corax: Soulforge follows Corax and his decimated Raven Guard following the events of Deliverance Lost, and I must say, that I really liked this novella.
The story was awesome, we get to see the tension between the Istvaan V survivors, and the ones that were absent from the massacre. And we get to see how even Space Marines weren't meant to handle something as tragic as the Dropsite Massacre, because of how some of the survivors are acting. Really interesting stuff! And the whole idea of the battle at Constanix II was insane! The whole barge-cities thing, and the covert operations was great. I really liked it. I also want to see more of the Chaos Engines in the future. They sound monstrous and terrifying!
Also, the old school artwork of Corax, from Blanche I believe, was great. I have never seen that one before, and our buddy Corax looks like a monster!
The cover art was also phenomenal, and the whole 100% black thing, just like The Unkindness of Ravens, was a great addition.
Now, onto the story on the inside of the Dust Jacket!

[Garry · Rating 4 out of 5]

While the story revolves around the Raven Guard Legion striking at the traitors wherever they can be found, Corax leads a strike force to a minor Mechanicum Forge World to discover what the Word Bearers are up to and stop their plans if possible.

This novella also focuses on Agipito survivor of Isstvan V and his growing obsession with killing traitors, even if that obsession puts the lives of his warriors and Primarch at risk! Something Corax is keen to deal with before it spirals out of control. Another thing the story touches on is the Emperor's creation of the Primarch's and Corax's suspicion that he and his brothers are connected to the warp in some way and that the Emperor may have done something terrible.

A very good read which I highly recommend to any fan of the Horus Heresy series.

[Michael Dodd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set after the events of Deliverance Lost this sees Corax and the Raven Guard fighting their shadow war, determined to be a thorn in the side of the forces of Horus. After learning that Word Bearers are working alongside the Mechanicum overlords of the forge world Constanix II, Corax leads part of his legion to investigate and deal with whatever the XVIIth are planning. Meanwhile Commander Agapito continues to wrestle with his emotions after the horrors of Isstvan V.

Is it essential reading for Heresy fans? Probably not in the end, but it manages to be both a satisfying, fast-paced action story and an interesting step forward for Corax and his legion after Deliverance Lost.

Read the rest of the review at https://trackofwords.wordpress.com/20...

[Yohann · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cette nouvelle sur la raven guard semble plus fluide que celle de "delivrance lost". J'ai eu le sentiment que Gav Thorpe c'est familiarisé avec son personnage principal et lui donne plus de charisme qu'auparavant. J'ai aussi beaucoup aimé le concept de villes flottantes sur une planète majoritairement aquatique, même si ce n'est finalement qu'un point de détail. Néanmoins ces qualités ne peuvent pas cacher le fait que l'histoire est prévisible et que la fin est très fade. Cette nouvelle est intéressante mais je la recommanderait qu'au inconditionnel de la série.

[Christian D'Amico · Rating 2 out of 5]

The only parts that truly held any value or relevance to me was the conversation between Corax and the magi about the Emperor being a tyrant, and the final chapter of the book where Corax doubts himself and his creation. Otherwise, not worth the effort. I think because of this, it will be the last limited edition book I buy from BL.

A shame, really. I'll stick to normal Horus Heresy and Space Marine Battles.

[Michael T Bradley · Rating 1 out of 5]

Gah. I'm stuck in this section of the HH reading order that's just nothing but Raven Guard. I WANT to find them interesting, but they just seem SOOOOO dull. I keep hoping the next novella or whatever will make them pop for me. So far no luck. Weirdly, I enjoyed the FIRST short story we see about them, but nothing since.

[Tony Deady · Rating 5 out of 5]

liked it enjoy this look into the raven guard and especially Corax. looking forward to seeing more of him and where he goes from here now that the seed of doubt in himself and the emperor has been sown and also how he treats his new raptors now the the warp daemon has shed light on his own make-up

[Graham Bennett · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun Heresy read even if it's super predictable.

[Daniel McGill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short and to the point, good characterization, good action, Corax, warpcraft, crazy huge Mechanicum contraptions, aspersions cast upon the Emperor, just a plain good read.

[Biscuitz · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice little yarn in the history of the Raven Guard

[Paulo "paper books only" · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review to come

[Luis · Rating 3 out of 5]

a todos nos agrada Corax. gav Thorpe a sabido darle vida a este personaje