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Dark Imperium

(Dark Imperium #1)

Guy Haley (Goodreads Author),

John Banks (Narrator)

3.83 · Rating details · 1,016 ratings · 84 reviews

The galaxy has changed. Darkness spreads, warp storms split reality and Chaos is everywhere – even Ultramar. As Roboute Guilliman's Indomitus Crusade draws to a close, he must brave the perils of the warp to reach his home and save it from the depredations of the Plague God.

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It's a new beginning for the Warhammer 40,000 universe! Guy Haley crafts a tale ...more

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MP3 CD, 13 pages

Published 2017 by Black Library

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Mar 11, 2018 Sud666 rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi

Dark Imperium was truly excellent. Set in the "current" Warhammer 40K universe it tells the story of the Primarch Roboute Guilliman of the Ultramarines.

In the wake of the events of Abbadon's 13th Crusade, a Primarch has risen to defend the Imperium. This is the story of how he went about reorganizing the Imperium and the Ultramarine star system of Ultramar. This book went a long ways towards explaining the hows, why and whats of the events during the Dark Imperium. The Indomitus Crusade is over ...more

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Jun 20, 2017 Marc Collins rated it it was amazing

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. There are very few things as daunting as new beginnings, but Guy Haley takes the challenge head on. Dark Imperium represents our first look behind the curtain of 8th edition, the first lurch into the 42nd Millennium. It acknowledges the past, anchors the present and presents a number of wonderful glimpses towards the future. It is a daunting undertaking, and one that will undoubtedly be subject to heightened scrutiny and scorn.

And I loved it.

Moving from a macro-view of the nature of the galaxy, There are very few things as daunting as new beginnings, but Guy Haley takes the challenge head on. Dark Imperium represents our first look behind the curtain of 8th edition, the first lurch into the 42nd Millennium. It acknowledges the past, anchors the present and presents a number of wonderful glimpses towards the future. It is a daunting undertaking, and one that will undoubtedly be subject to heightened scrutiny and scorn.

And I loved it.

Moving from a macro-view of the nature of the galaxy, before pivoting to look at the personal tragedy of Roboute Guilliman, the novel begins in the past. It covers the slaying of Guilliman by Fulgrim. We get to see Guilliman the warrior, Guilliman the lynchpin which holds the Imperium together. It is a Guilliman who struggles with the decisions he has already made and the mistakes which haunt him. He is a man already at odds with the galaxy he inhabits, lamenting the heightened reverence of his sons in this new age.

In confronting Fulgrim he seeks to break his "by the book" persona and surprise the daemon primarch, but it flounders in the attempt. Fulgrim is wonderfully portrayed; vain, contrary, playful and easily provoked. The battle doesn't unfold as I expected (what with Fulgrim's lot still being in possession of the anathame in the Heresy) but instead plays off of the wounding of Guilliman by Kor Phaeron.

When the timeskip hits, it not only skips 10,000 years but the additional 100 of the Indomitus Crusade. The Guilliman we are confronted with is world weary and time-worn; hating everything about the current age. He hates the omnipresence of religion, he hates the architecture, he hates the singing of the Mechanicus (and has made them stop). Representing a man still out of place and out of time, Haley delves into Guilliman's doubts throughout. He is wary of his deals with Cawl. He is shattered by his communion with the Emperor, and he is disgusted at what he is forced to do with his power.

He is also deeply lonely, described at one point as "the lonely demigod". This drives him to identify with and mentor Decimus Felix, one of the Primaris marines appointed as his equerry. Taken as a child from Laphis in Ultramar, Felix is a living link to the past Guilliman yearns for. Guilliman's decisions are motivated by a deep sense of nostalgia. His ambitions for restoring old (or Greater) Ultramar seem practical, but are ultimately driven by his yearning for the past. He tries to force things to be as they were, to orient himself. He lies, even to himself, about what he truly needs from his home.

Added to this is Guilliman's issues with the Emperor. Bracketed by the unbridled soul of the Emperor, Guilliman has realised that they were nothing more than tools. The Emperor's love is for humanity, but is caustic to the smaller parts of it. This struggle to rationalise the Emperor's plan and betrayal are counterpointed by the Ministorum, who Guilliman is forced to court. His interactions with his new militant-apostolic cast a harsh light on the unease that Guilliman has for his part in the Emperor's design, and the notion that such design is divine.

The meditative and contemplative aspects of the novel are marbled through with combat that reflects the new normal. As the Plague Wars rage and Ultramar burns, the primary lens we see this through is that of the Primaris. The intitial battles show us the Unnumbered Sons of the Primarchs, the pseudolegions of the Greyshields. The new toys are introduced in withering displays of fire, though it also shows how many of them have to act in concert to take down the Traitor forces. They're powerful, but not invincible, and by this time the enemy has had 100 years to adapt to their tactics. There is one memorable moment where an Iron Warrior tries to melta-bomb a Repulsor and gets crushed by the grav-field.

The Death Guard get minor focus, in a particularly grotesque series of horror vignettes which sets up the invasion of Iax. There's a wonderful sense of paranoia pervaded by the shift in focus and tone. A later sequence takes us into the head of Mortarion himself. Dealing with unruly sons and obsessed with revenge against his fathers (he has hunted down his alien foster father's soul and imprisoned it), he forms a haunting mirror of Guilliman. While Guilliman is bounded by the shadow of Konor and his loss, and haunted by the distance and lies of the Emperor, Mortarion has taken his personal betrayals in stride. It is his fixation on these slights that Typhus feels prevent Mortarion from truly surrendering to Chaos, and being utterly as instrument to the will of Nurgle.

All in all I was very impressed by this novel and the scale it presents. It gives us just enough of the new normality while also setting us up for other stories which have lurched from the Noctis Aeterna. In this regard, special mention has to go to "In the Grim Darkness", the short story which accompanies the Limited Edition. While the novel itself gave us a fleeting glimpse at Cawl's ambitions, motivations and undertakings, this short puts them front and centre. By taking us back to the formative years of Felix, caught in the web of Cawl's workings, it allows us to see the Archmagos up close.

Cawl, as presented by Haley, is a marvel. Regarded as an "insane polymath" in the text of the novel, Cawl is so much more. The excesses he goes to and the extent of his deviation is utterly fascinating. Just wait until you see his 'wardrobe.' I truly wish we'd had more work like this to anchor Cawl in the setting before the Gathering Storm descended; because this slice of life of the magpie Magos has been immeasurably helpful in my understanding and appreciation of the character.

A concise and intriguing piece, with a subtle but well-worn twist, it adds immeasurably to the whole of the novel.

Even if not from Haley, the next few stories in this new age of darkness have a solid foundation. ...more

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Jun 09, 2017 Matthew rated it liked it

A solid new entry into the 40k pantheon. Dark Imperium has some decent action sequences, and the fluff is built upon nicely by Haley. The stuff regarding the Primaris marines needed further development, and I was disappointed not to read more about Mortarion in this entry. A lot to look forward to in the future.

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Feb 17, 2018 Daniel rated it it was amazing

Well here we are, the beginning of the next chapter in 40k history; the return of the Avenging Son. Roboute Guilliman has been on death's door for thousands of years, struck down after the Horus Heresy and nearly slain. This book details events that have spurred the new lore in the 8th edition of the Warhammer 4ok tactical wargame. As always, the game writes the lore, and it has for many decades now.
Guilliman was revived by the master of the Adeptus Mechanicus, the rogue genius Belisarius Cawl. Well here we are, the beginning of the next chapter in 40k history; the return of the Avenging Son. Roboute Guilliman has been on death's door for thousands of years, struck down after the Horus Heresy and nearly slain. This book details events that have spurred the new lore in the 8th edition of the Warhammer 4ok tactical wargame. As always, the game writes the lore, and it has for many decades now.
Guilliman was revived by the master of the Adeptus Mechanicus, the rogue genius Belisarius Cawl. He healed Guilliman and helped him use saved gene seed to create a new breed of Space Marine, the Primaris. Taller, stronger and better in every way, these new Primaris Marines have mostly populated the Ultramarines and its further foundings, such as the Novamarines, Relictors, Scythes of the Emperor, and many others. Further chapters have been remade and filled with new Primaris Marines, such as the Dark Angels, Blood Angels and Space Wolves.
The Avenging Son has returned from Terra after talking with his father to discover the his foul brother, Mortarion, Primarch of the Death Guard has attacked the 500 worlds of Ultramar. This simply will not do, and Guilliman assaults his brother's machinations on his homeworlds and also has to deal with the disparity amongst human leaders and planetary governors, not willing to give up power and return it to the Emperor Secundus, as Guilliman was once called. Assigning Tetrarchs to the five most powerful and heavily populated worlds of his dominion, Gulliman equally has his Ultramarines and Primaris Marines to take over in these positions of authority. He leaves the Master of Ultramar, Marneus Calgar in his lofty position, of course, though Calgar has the feeling of failure when standing in the light of his Father/Primarch.
The discovery of Mortarion's Plague Clocks, stationed on certain worlds and tasked with opening huge rifts into the Warp is followed up on by Guilliman and these threats are dealt with and destroyed, by a joint venture lead by Guilliman, The Adeptus Custodes, the Sisters of Silence and many Space Marines, Primaris and old guard. The Unnumbered Sons, as the Primaris Marines of all the different Chapters Guilliman has brought back are called, are also with him. He leads them to victory against a vile Daemon Lord of Nurgle to won the day, though not without loss of life on the side of the heroes.
This book was just great and its a logical and well written progression into the new lore of 40K. I like the humanity the author gives Guilliman, as old and powerful as he is, he still considers himself a man, though a man built by his father, The Emperor. He wields the Sword of the Emperor now, the object of the Emperor's power and the sword that slew Horus at the end of the Heresy.
I like the way there is a debate throughout the book over the Emperor's divinity. A simple priest named Mathieu gives Guilliman doubt and makes him think that perhaps his Father is indeed a God, though having heard from his Father that he is not a God, Guilliman reverts to his Theoretical and Practical mindset, the hallmark of Ultramarine thinking.
In this book we see Guilliman ignore the tenets of the Adeptus Astartes, the organizational book he wrote due to the Horus Heresy. He has made thousands and thousands of Primaris Marines, and kept them to become his Unnumbered Sons, sending them wherever needed to fight in the void of space against Chaos, or on planetary battle actions on the 500 worlds.
This was a lot to take in for a person who has been reading 40k books since the likes of Draco and Demon Download. The changes are different and new, and a lot to consider rests within these pages. It is exciting to see the new lore and units, the return of Primarch(s) and Chapter. I can't wait to see what the next offering in this series brings light to. Amazing stuff!

Danny ...more

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Jun 15, 2017 Monsour rated it really liked it

Gathering Storm brought us the biggest thing that happen in current 40k story.

A return of a Primarch

description

The primarch is a big deal for the warhammer series but also in the franchise in general. For long as I could remember the story of the series was never progress until they introduce the Gathering Storm. Now GW cocktease engine heat up for the next chapter.

Dark Imperium stick close core to the main series and focuses upon Roboute Guilliman sometimes refereed as “Avenging Son”, “The Master of ...more

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Jun 06, 2017 Vincent Knotley rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

An exceptional first step into the future of Games Workshop's far flung and grim future. Though it could be argued that the end comes a little quicker than one might desire, this fact serves to reinforce the bedrock of a quite excellent tale.

There's a miss or two here and there, as with all books. Certain characters yearn for just one more interaction as all who foster our intrigue might.

What Dark Imperium does is fling open the doors to a future of the IP which I for one cannot wait to see ...more

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Sep 11, 2018 Tal rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobooks

I'm starting to suspect Guy Haley doesn't know how to write endings.
It just ends. Like, there is some resolution, but you don't get the vibe of an ending nor climax from it.
It's rather "this seems a good point to end this session" than an actual ending.
Dunno how are his sequels. Hope they are better.

I mostly agree more with the flaws other reviews had already pointed out, but I think that John Banks isn't the narrator for me.

I don't know, he is not a bad narrator and sometimes he is very ...more

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Jul 17, 2017 Alexander Draganov rated it really liked it

Very generous to give four stars to this, but that's what a fanboy would do.

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Jul 17, 2017 Alex rated it it was amazing

It was a great book and read and I commend GW on taking a brave step forward. However I think it needed more Guilliman. He is so superbly written in this, it's just a shame he only appears in about 6 chapters.

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Feb 28, 2019 Linton Newton rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: warhammer, own-paperback

While there are some amazing parts of this novel, it is unfortunate that there are also a large amount of lacking elements. The exposition is tedious, there is a lack of plotlines or overall story in this novel and many scenes are just boring.

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Jun 10, 2018 Keamy Loken rated it it was amazing

I loved it, great story, good pacing everything I hoped for and more.

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Mar 15, 2018 Becky rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Good read especially for a new comer

I to the book was well around a great read d especially for someone like me who is new to the Warhammer word. Have me a new respect for Robute Gulliman that I did have before.

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Jan 02, 2019 Chaz Sexington rated it it was ok

Dark Imperium is a forgettable, but not awful, novel that is only noteworthy for being the first novel to field the Primaris Space Marines. While there's plenty of promise for intrigues and excitement regarding how the Space Marine Chapters will accept their new brothers and Guilliman clashing with the Ecclesiarchy, it just doesn't quite get there. It lacks direction, with no real plot to speak of, and the chapters feel extremely disjointed. With a bit of solid editing and rework, this could've Dark Imperium is a forgettable, but not awful, novel that is only noteworthy for being the first novel to field the Primaris Space Marines. While there's plenty of promise for intrigues and excitement regarding how the Space Marine Chapters will accept their new brothers and Guilliman clashing with the Ecclesiarchy, it just doesn't quite get there. It lacks direction, with no real plot to speak of, and the chapters feel extremely disjointed. With a bit of solid editing and rework, this could've been a good short story collection, but it doesn't work as a novel.

The book starts with Primaris Space Marines butchering Traitors wholesale to such a degree that it is below even standard bolter porn, with the Iron Warriors fulfilling the role of baddies without nametags. It then jumps back and forth between unimportant characters the reader is neither attached to nor will see again. This has the effect that you don't really get a main character, and the ones you do get, the reader won't invest many emotions in. You then get a chapter's worth of trying to describe how awesome the new Primaris Space Marine range is. This continues until a bunch of Death Guard get slaughtered by Guilliman's boys - they didn't have nametags - and there's a final showdown. The ease with which the Primaris slaughter their Traitor counterparts throughout the novel kills any excitement, with the most exciting moment being Decimus Felix getting mud in his backpack's vents.

There are some parts that shine though. Each chapter on its own is competently written and doesn't use excessive amounts of adjectives and descriptions to pad the word count. The chapter from Marneus Calgar's viewpoint is probably the best, with Marneus struggling to find his place in a grim and dark future of the 41st millennium after his Primarch has returned. Guilliman also briefly sparks into life as he struggles with his father's divinity. However, this does not save the book. I can't but help feeling a bit of focus would've made this a rather solid short story, because frankly, there isn't much of a story here. ...more

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Jul 19, 2017 Glyn rated it it was amazing

I really enjoyed this book. Guy Haley is set a monumental and arguablytask- to set the background for a whole new generation of Warhammer 40,000 fluff. One has to say that it is a task that would challenge any author, even some of the Black Library's bigger hitters like Abnett and Dembski-Bowden but he carries it off well.

He is presented with a very different Imperium, facing a radically exacerbated threat from the forces of Chaos and the need to use all the rebranded names for stuff. Here we ...more

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Jun 27, 2017 Michael Dodd rated it it was amazing

Opening with Guilliman and Fulgrim’s fateful duel 10,000 years in the past, this focuses thereafter on the conclusion of Roboute Guilliman’s Indomitus Crusade, a little over 100 years after the events of the Gathering Storm.

This is a novel with multiple aims, but what it doesn’t do is try to answer every question about what’s changed in 40k. It doesn’t detail the immediate aftermath of Guilliman’s rebirth or explain what Cawl was doing all along…instead it offers occasional hints to a lot of ...more

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May 04, 2019 Matias rated it really liked it · review of another edition

A new age beckons for the Imperium! This is where it all starts! Read it! It has very good dialogue!

I had many presumptions for this one. All in all, I thought this’d be another story packed with bolter p*rn. This was before reading Dante, and The Devastation of Baal very soon after. Guy Haley has very fast become one of my favourite 40K writers!

So again, read this piece of 40k literature! I'm off to Dark Imperium: Plague War !

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May 06, 2019 Matthew Hipsher rated it liked it

This book was written to coincide with the release of the board game box set by the same name, and is bound by the same narrative found in the game, Ultramarines vs Death Guard. The plot is meh, as the universe of the 40K game is vast and this book has such a narrow scope, but Roboute Guilliman does have a great character arc, and reveals some major insight into the Emperor of Man. On the flip side, the characters of the Death Guard are your run of the mill "bad guys" and don't have the same ...more

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Dec 13, 2018 Alasdair rated it it was amazing

This one really surprised me with the quality and the actual story progress. Bobby G's existential dread was a nice added bonus.

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Feb 26, 2018 Lemuel CyroN Salubo rated it it was amazing

The next progression of the story of Warhammer 40k is well told by Guy Haley in this book. I always wondered whether there would be named Primaris marines and they are pretty much brought to the front by Guilliman himself. Interesting to see where the conflict between them and the Death Guard would go to. Nice start for 8th edition lore!

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Feb 19, 2018 David rated it liked it · review of another edition

It had its moments - Haley really captures the bigness of everything in the 40K universe.

Unfortunately, the book's critical flaw - one I find in many novice authors, is that it feels more like a number of short stories strung together.

All in all, a fun read at its best when dealing with the primarch's reaction to how times have changed millenia after his near-death, but it doesn't quite rise to the heights of Eisenhorn either.

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Sep 19, 2017 Kevin Stillman rated it really liked it

The good: The book serves to "conclude" the story of the Heresy-era Ultramarines and to further the story of the 41st/42nd Millennium Ultramarines! And it does so by bringing the most Ultra of the Heresy Era Ultramarines, Roboute Guilliman, into the 42nd Millennium! He gets to meet Black Library's primary Ultramarine protagonist, which sent me into spasms of fanboy glee.

The characterization of both Guilliman and Marneus Calgar were the narrative highlights of the book. The Rise of the Primarch ...more

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Aug 30, 2017 Hakan rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: ebook, black-library, warhammer-40k

O.k., finished at last. What started with an impressing story to read devolved into typical Warhammer bolter-and-sword-porn, so I take one point off from my first impression.

The story starts with Lord Guilliman in internal conflict between the WH30K era "Imperial Truth", mixed with WH40K era description of everyone wanting to believe in his divinity (and, of course, that of big E). Reading of a planetary assault that had nearly Heinleinesque "hard scifi" descriptions of the new Primus armour and ...more

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Nov 04, 2017 Deceptikitty rated it really liked it

Shelves: wh40k

Well written book with an interesting story (of how Bobby reacts to the zealous Imperium), though as it is supposed to be a trilogy, nothing actually gets resolved in this book.

However, as this is tied to release of the Primaris Space Marines in the tabletop game, all of the action is focused on them. These parts, though only about 4-5 of them thorough the book, are written like a shameless advertisement. After reading how efficient and so much better they are for the upteenth time (not to ...more

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Jul 07, 2017 John McDonnell rated it liked it

An adequate read. Dissappointed that while the book told about the story of Guilliman's wounding, and placing in stasis, the story then jumps 100 years on and briefly covers the awakening period of his life. I was of the understanding that this period was to have be explained (rather than buy an $80 book to read the fluff). All up a typical Black Library novel, nothing exceptional, a fireside filler.

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Feb 03, 2018 Kavinay rated it did not like it

Primari$ $pace Marine$

The sad part is that there are interesting nuggets--imperial creed, Calgar's demotion, Cawl's trustworthiness--but the product placement is so over the top that it trumps the narrative.

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Oct 07, 2017 Rob rated it liked it

Shelves: black-library

This book just left me wanting more from it. Nothing really happened, and apart from Guilliman, no characters really stood out. Nice cameos from some of the older Ultramarines, but the story felt more like a scene setting than an epic tale. Wanted more from this.

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Jan 21, 2019 Dave rated it really liked it

When I first learned of Roboute Gulliman, the Primarch of the Ultramarines Legion of Space Marines, I couldn't help, but make comparisons between him and my favorite comic book character, Steve Rogers AKA Captain America. Both Gulliman and Cap are blond haired, tactical geniuses, who favor the color blue, and are exemplars of the ideals they fight for. And when Games Workshop brought Gulliman back in 2017 he and Steve Rogers came to share another trait; Both are men out of time. It's a quality When I first learned of Roboute Gulliman, the Primarch of the Ultramarines Legion of Space Marines, I couldn't help, but make comparisons between him and my favorite comic book character, Steve Rogers AKA Captain America. Both Gulliman and Cap are blond haired, tactical geniuses, who favor the color blue, and are exemplars of the ideals they fight for. And when Games Workshop brought Gulliman back in 2017 he and Steve Rogers came to share another trait; Both are men out of time. It's a quality that's made the Ultramarines Primarch even more interesting, and it's just one of the many fascinating ideas explored in Guy Haley's Warhammer 40,000 novel “Dark Imperium.”

“Dark Imperium” is one of the first Black Library novels set in the new timelines established in 40K's current 8th edition which saw Gulliman serving as Lord Commander and Regent of the Imperium, the Imperium split in half thanks to the destruction of Cadia and the emergence of a monstrous galactic rift, and the introduction of the next generation of Space Marines; the Primaris. So there's a lot of ground to cover and ideas to explore in “Dark Imperium.”

For me, the primary reason why “Dark Imperium” shines is the character of Gulliman. We get to be part of his thought processes. We get to see him both be warrior and statesman, but best of all we see him come to grips with what his father's Empire has become during his absence. Haley has a lot of fun with Gulliman's culture shock and disdain for Imperium culture and aesthetic. He also gives the story some especially poignant moments where the Ultramarines Primarch must wrestle with some hard truths about his “father,” the Emperor of Mankind.

So Gulliman is a haunted and flawed character, but the other aspect of him that Haley captures perfectly is his inner nobility. He's a character you can genuinely root for because he actually wants to bring reason back to the Imperium of Man and improve their crumbling government and infrastructure. That's a breath of fresh air in the grim darkness that is the 41st millennium.

Gulliman may be Haley's protagonist, but he's not the only central character in “Dark Imperium” the series is jam packed with heroes both old and new. Fans of Graham McNeill's Ultramarines series will enjoy a fun and poignant cameo early on. Plus, we spend some time with the Ultramarines Chapter Master Marneus Calgar and hear his inner conflicted thoughts on the return of his Primarch/gene father. That adds another organic and fascinating layer to the father/son relationship themes of the book.

Some of my favorite new characters included Captain Decimus Felix and Militant Apostolic Mathieu. Felix is part of the new generation of Primaris Space Marines and we get to spend a lot of time with him. He too is a man out of time. So it's interesting to see how he reacts to things and to see through his eyes the role the new Primaris Space Marines play in the Imperium. Mathieu is the new chief religious figure in Gulliman's imperium, and he's a fascinating figure to bounce off Gulliman because the Ultramarines Primarch doesn't believe his father was a god. So they have an interesting dynamic and some fascinating dialogues.

So “Dark Imperium” is a story of great heroes and epic action, but it's also a chilling tale of supernatural horror. Because the antagonists of the novel are the fearsome Death Guard, the Chaos Space Marine Legion lead by Mortarion that serves the god of diseases and death, Nurgle. Haley has a lot of fun leaning into the gruesome and horrifying nature of the Death Guard. Plus there's a great sense of cosmic horror when the Warp opens or we spend time with Mortarion on his flagship.

All of the elements I mentioned combined to make “Dark Imperium” a joy to read. Best of all it's only the first book in what I believe a trilogy. I can't wait to see what Haley has next in store for readers and to spend more time with the fascinating character that is Roboute Gulliman. ...more

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Sep 22, 2019 Simeon Velchevski rated it really liked it

Excellent "modern" era 40k book, with well crafted glimpses into the mind of Roboute Guilliman - the Ultramarines primarch, and Regent of Terra. The pacing was almost perfect, though I found some of the jumps between character POVs jarring and unnecessary, especially the ones about Mortarion and the Chaos side (more on that a bit later). Where the book stands out is the portrayal of life and war under the rule of a primarch who knows what they're doing.

SPOILERS below, tread carefully:

Having Excellent "modern" era 40k book, with well crafted glimpses into the mind of Roboute Guilliman - the Ultramarines primarch, and Regent of Terra. The pacing was almost perfect, though I found some of the jumps between character POVs jarring and unnecessary, especially the ones about Mortarion and the Chaos side (more on that a bit later). Where the book stands out is the portrayal of life and war under the rule of a primarch who knows what they're doing.

SPOILERS below, tread carefully:

Having read many Heresy books before jumping into Dark Imperium, the political, religious and civilian side of things in the 42nd millennium was a breath of fresh air. The meat grinder of Astartes fighting Astartes was replaced with a more muted version of itself, punctuated by life away from the front lines and from humanity-ending, "this is the end", decisions. Don't get me wrong, there is plenty of that in the book, but it's done to serve a different purpose, almost as if to contrast the other side of things. Guilliman spending time in his sanctum reading about timekeeping in the Imperium and trying to gather a comprehensive history of humanity since his fall are just some of the many juicy human bits we get to see from the primarch, and Guy Haley has masterfully used some of his internal struggles to show off his capabilities as a demigod whilst keeping him relatable. He truly feels like someone you would be willing to fight and die for not just out of fanaticism. For the first time in this book, I managed to appreciate what a priceless thing it is to have a primarch on your side, as the more of Guilliman I saw away from sword-swinging, the more I managed to appreciate the sheer capabilities of such a being, and how he truly was what kept the Imperium from breaking apart after the fall of Cadia.

A big theme in the book was accepting that even the greatest heroes are capable of making mistakes and being wrong, and that it is only human. The Primaris were a great example of trans-human warriors that still come off as someone you would feel kinship with, being portrayed with rather less grimdark lives and thoughts between battles. Which, ironically (maybe on purpose), made the low moments even MORE grimdark. Gotta love it. From Guilliman to Calgar to a normal human like Frater Mathieu, everyone makes mistakes in the pursuit of their goals, and it is interesting to see how different mentalities cope with it and find paths to being better versions of themselves in the name of duty, while leaving the opportunity for cracks in the person's being that cannot heal and are a far more insidious and natural way for taint than most of what I've read in Warhammer regarding Chaos. I am not saying that anyone is going to get tainted! Rather that the way the characters are portrayed in this book leaves paths for taint far more expansive and natural than the narrow view we get of Astartes and Primarchs in some Heresy novels, which makes the resistance of our heroes to such thoughts and actions that much more admirable. Many would stand firm in their convictions in the face of a massacre; far fewer would when it is their own minds that arrive at small conclusions, breadcrumbs on the way to treachery, and not having the heart and soul to recognize them as folly. Good job, Guy Haley.

The one thing that I really didn't like was the Chaos chapters. Of course Chaos readers and players should get lore and "screentime", but I believe these token chapters aren't doing them justice. In fact, Chaos is portrayed as inept, petty and outright ridiculous for such an all-encompassing power and its creatures. It would have been far, FAR better, if chaos existed only as seen through the eyes of our characters, which would have made them inscrutable and frightening. For those wishing to know the Chaos side of the conflict, there could have been a story or entire book exploring it in-depth, where Mortarion and the Great Unclean Ones didn't come across as fools who have no idea what they are doing (other than presenting juicy targets for the Emperor's divine wrath). I'm a big fan of the "unseen enemy" trope in fiction, and in this case it would have been "unknowable enemy" - if we had had as little access to Mortarion's motives as Guilliman, it would have been a lot easier to burden our collective pants with brown sludge during the Plague Marine and daemon encounters. Never underestimate the power of an enigma.

Overall, awesome book! ...more

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Feb 27, 2019 Swords & Spectres rated it really liked it

Dark Imperium, for me, is an absolutely fantastic book for those who are looking at getting back into the Black Library books but don’t want to be massively confused. It gives you scenes from the Horus Heresy as a sort of prologue and then brings you into the present day Imperium for the rest of the book.

The underlying plot is Roboute Guilliman trying to take the Imperium by the scruff of the neck and turn it into a body that the Emperor, himself and his fallen brothers would have recognised and Dark Imperium, for me, is an absolutely fantastic book for those who are looking at getting back into the Black Library books but don’t want to be massively confused. It gives you scenes from the Horus Heresy as a sort of prologue and then brings you into the present day Imperium for the rest of the book.

The underlying plot is Roboute Guilliman trying to take the Imperium by the scruff of the neck and turn it into a body that the Emperor, himself and his fallen brothers would have recognised and been proud of. The main plotline sees him trying to thwart the nefarious plans of his chaotic brother Mortarion, Primarch of the Death Guard and favoured champion of the Lord of Decay (Nurgle).

Dark Imperium also sees the introduction of a new form of Space Marine (The Primaris Space Marine). I have read several reviews where the main negative is that Dark Imperium feels like they are ‘advertising the Primaris Space Marines’. My main negative of the book is that people with the narrow-minded view that only people who are clued up on the current ins and outs of the franchise actually read the book. What’s worse, these same people are allowed to comment on the book. I have been away from the Warhammer 40k universe for a long time and have no clue what a Primaris Space Marine is. Thankfully there’s this book called Dark Imperium that tells me what they are and why they were created. Sadly there is a horde of people that assume everyone knows everything about the 40k universe.

I had never read anything by Guy Haley before and am glad to have had the chance now. He is a talented writer who seems to have a firm grasp on his subject and excels at telling a good story. It translated beautifully into audio and I’m almost a little sad that I have an advanced copy of the next book instead of waiting for the next audio to be released.

My main negative to the book is that it seemed to end right where I thought a lot more was going to happen. Obviously, this is to set up for the second book (which it has done well as I am looking forward to getting stuck into it).

As I mentioned earlier, Dark Imperium has a bit of everything as far as past and present are concerned. It also has numerous viewpoints (Space Marines, humans, Chaos, daemons) all of that adds to a wonderful overview of a very dark universe. One might almost be tempted to say a grim and dark far future … It is those varied viewpoints and time periods that really made Dark Imperium a success for me. That and it was a good book to ease me back in to a universe I don’t remember all too well.
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Jul 18, 2018 Travis Stunt rated it liked it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. There are spoilers here, so read at your peril.

Hmm, not sure what to make of this one. I think my biggest problem was that the chapters jumped around, introduced new characters who were then forgotten about, and had a poor ending.

Firstly, I am a fan of the 40k universe and enjoyed the previous books I have read (Horus Rising and First Heretic). I have more books ordered. I have plenty of minis, though I've never actually played a game. So, I am a fan.

But, after reading this book, the only word There are spoilers here, so read at your peril.

Hmm, not sure what to make of this one. I think my biggest problem was that the chapters jumped around, introduced new characters who were then forgotten about, and had a poor ending.

Firstly, I am a fan of the 40k universe and enjoyed the previous books I have read (Horus Rising and First Heretic). I have more books ordered. I have plenty of minis, though I've never actually played a game. So, I am a fan.

But, after reading this book, the only word that came to mind was 'disjointed.' To me, the narrative didn't flow as well as a novel could. There were two characters in the first half of the book that were injured/sick and went to a hospital world. I liked these two and the narrative progression they had. Then, both died and I don't think they were even mentioned again. It was disappointing.

I read half the novel and gave up because of frustrations like this. I have returned and finished it recently, but still found myself skipping to the end of the chapter that details the space marine attack of the spire because I didn't feel any tension. It didn't feel like the characters were in any peril and that made me bored. I skipped to the next chapter, hoping for more of Guilliman and his confrontation with Mortarion.

But, I was again disappointed. Even after all of Guilliman's foreshadowing about his coming confrontation with his fallen brother, it never happens. They don't even share a scene at the climax. Some, previously unmentioned (as best that I recall) 'evil' turns up and Guilliman promptly defeats. No tension. No build-up.

On the positives - the character of Guilliman and Mortarion were both intriguing and I enjoyed all the scenes they were in. Some of the lesser Ultramarines gained some nice characterisation also. The writing itself was well done.

I know this is likely an introduction novel to the new 'state of the universe', and, while it did achieve those aims, it could have been much more. Three stars (I did enjoy it, but the flaws, IMO, were difficult to overlook). ...more

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About Guy Haley

Guy Haley

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Guy Haley is the author of Crash, Champion of Mars, the Richards and Klein series, The Dreaming Cities and others. He is a prolific contributor to Games Workshop's Black Library imprint having written books including the bestselling Dark Imperium, Dante, Pharos and The Devastation of Baal.