HH Novel - Fear To Tread.

[Lord_Crull]

i'll ask again, can anyone tell me how well Sanguinius did in this novel?

[Londinium]

Couple of reasons, firstly the whole seven years thing is new, which in itself has cause many to see it as being an addition to the background solely for the making of cash ( which is what BL aims to do of course)not to mention the problems some of the older background comes under in a 7 year heresy.

Secondly because 'telling the story we want' translates into 'milking the heresy for every penny we can milk from it rotting corpse', already novels like BftA and the outcast dead have show that story comes second to book output.

So in this case the adding of a new chapter in BA heresy background on the other side of the galaxy simply makes many people to go 'gee i wonder how many books there gonna drag this out for', not to mention the fact that with every battle the numbers that will be present on terra become ever more of a joke.

While the seven years thing is new, it's not a retcon because the time period was never stated in the past, so it's hardly a cast iron example of BL trying to squeeze money out of the series. What else did you think the Blood Angels did for seven years? Sat around on Terra? BL never said the series would be done in X number of books, so I don't get why you're getting so annoyed that the background is being fleshed out.

It's funny that you mention FTT and TOD as examples of this 'miliking' as well when possibly the two worst HH novels (Descent of Angels and Battle for the Abyss) came out very early in the Heresy series and had nothing to do with the main storyline. Which shows that not only did BL always intend to explore the entire setting rather than steam straight to Terra but also that TFF and TOD were hardly milking when much worse books have been released years ago. BTTA is particularly meh and adds very little to the whole setting.

[nagash66]

While the seven years thing is new, it's not a retcon because the time period was never stated in the past, so it's hardly a cast iron example of BL trying to squeeze money out of the series. What else did you think the Blood Angels did for seven years? Sat around on Terra? BL never said the series would be done in X number of books, so I don't get why you're getting so annoyed that the background is being fleshed out.

It's funny that you mention FTT and TOD as examples of this 'miliking' as well when possibly the two worst HH novels (Descent of Angels and Battle for the Abyss) came out very early in the Heresy series and had nothing to do with the main storyline. Which shows that not only did BL always intend to explore the entire setting rather than steam straight to Terra but also that TFF and TOD were hardly milking when much worse books have been released years ago. BTTA is particularly meh and adds very little to the whole setting.

I never had an idea what the BA did for the seven years that never existed, we had a clear open and close chain of events from A to Z. Sure you can argue they never stated the exact number of years, but saying that these new events can be put in because it was seven years as the heresy is seven years long so we can put in these events is a self sustaining argument.

And i never said that BL was not planning on milking this out from day 1, hell my personally belief is they are making this stuff up as they go along and will keep doing so until they are forced to stop for any number of reasons.

As for the background being fleshed out, it inst, it is being altered, from Nikaia to the Alpha legion things are not as they use to be, some people like it, hell i consider the First Heretic one of the best books BL ever made, but if i could i still would have stopped them from doing as series on the period. They have entire millennial of empty background to fill, messing with the core background is simply cash grabbing, in my own view of course.

[morvaeldd]

What are you talking about? The only characters Swallow inherited were Keeler, Qruze, Mersadie Oliton and Sindermann. Garro, Moyen, Solun Decius, Grulgor and Kendel were all his characters, and they were brilliant.


SH

There is a lot of Garro in Galaxy in Flames.

[Scribe of Khorne]

Full Disclosure: I pretty much just want to read about the entire over-arching story of the HH, dont mind added years or detail, and dont cleave to the fluff as it existed before too hard, as GW never really made an effort to keep it clear before, I see the work by BL as helping unify the mythos.

In addition, I am not a wannabe author, nor a part or full time literary critic, and just wish for my entertainment dollar to go far enough to keep me distracted from the crushing tedium of Real Life.

That said....

1. I found it to be a fine book. I put it below ADBs work (because hes the best) and Mr. McNeill's work (temporal issues in TOD not withstanding!) but to be honest? On par with Know no Fear in terms of character quality, and well above Deliverance Lost.

2. I liked some of the reveals about Horus and the hints at his thoughts prior to Ullanor even, and after, and especially where he's viewing himself in the grand scheme of the heresy.

3. I liked the setting descriptions, and thought it was decently done if not a bit heavy on the '...stygian...' as some are with cyclopeon, or eldritch, or whatever, hey it happens.

4. I liked Amit, found him to be the most well done character with the least forced dialogue.

5.

I liked the wolves eating it. Yeah its fanboyism, but after the abomination that is Prospero Burns I'll take Wolves getting killed at any turn for the rest of time.

[MarcusAurelius]

In addition, I am not a wannabe author, nor a part or full time literary critic, and just wish for my entertainment dollar to go far enough to keep me distracted from the crushing tedium of Real Life.

I'd venture to say that no one here is a "wannabe" authour or literary critic...we (those who don't like the book) simply weren't entertained. Good for you if you were

On par with Know no Fear in terms of character quality

Yes but Know No Fear was basically an eagle's eye panorama of a planet-wide conflict. For whatever reason, I found it a lot more entertaining and engaging. I could barely put it down. Fear to Tread...I'm still struggling to finish the last 20 pages. Know No Fear is lacking in characterisation by design (it's just not a character-driven novel). I feel that Fear to Tread on the other hand tries to offer characterisation but fails quite miserably

5.

I liked the wolves eating it. Yeah its fanboyism, but after the abomination that is Prospero Burns I'll take Wolves getting killed at any turn for the rest of time.

Yes huzzah

[Scribe of Khorne]

Oh I'm not saying if one is not entertained they shouldnt say so, I just find the pretensions of some people too much to bear when it comes to reviews of books or films.

While KnF was a high level book, and I agree it was decent, I was no more driven along with the story then I was with this book. How do you compare this with Deliverance Lost if you have read it? That book I could hardly finish...

[Ragnarfan_12]

i think ToD was the worst book in the series by far...lol... if they had ended the HH in ten books im sur everyone would be complaining about how short it is instead of how long its becoming i personally like how long it is it gives moe to read and yes i do realize 10 bucks for a book every what 3 months if were lucky could be detremental to your bank books but at least there of a good quality i know there not all amazing but very few can be consideered abosolute garbage FTT describes the battle which it ws supposed to sanguinis getting up and fighting after does diminish his great triumph at the gates a lot imo

[Scribe of Khorne]

Oh that reminds me, FTT seemed very much like a Space Marine Battles book. You know where they are going, and the entire book is about it, without much diving into other area's, which I found to be the more interesting parts of the book actually (essentially anything with Horus in it).

[Lord_Crull]

As for my thoughts of Fear to Tread...it's a great book. After the disappointment of Know No Fear having another good entry in the Heresy series helps restore my faith in this novel series.

[nagash66]

Scribe of Khorne what i do concerning books like Deliverance lost, where i know i have little interest in the legion depicted and as such if the story is even a little bad it will seem like it just drags on and on is audiobook them, usually while painting. I find the voices give characters in mediocre/bad book more interest and emotional attachment ( even if it is just 'kill the shrill voiced one pls') and it lets me do other things while i listen to them. Thus i dont stay in the dark about any major revelation in the HH and i dont subject myself to the risk of boring/bad novels i dont really care for in the first place. If i find it to be good/interesting i then buy the book.

[Lord_Crull]

At least in one part I found Fear to Tread superior to Know no Fear was reading Sanguinius fight Ka'Bandha. The Angel defeats the most powerful Bloodthrister of Khorne, a beast capable of killing five hundred Space Marines in a single blow, while Guilliman is cast down by Kor Phaeron without getting a single hit in return. Granted, he does it in a rematch, but he still does it. In this book that is how you write a Primarch fighting.

[Londinium]

At least in one part I found Fear to Tread superior to Know no Fear was reading Sanguinius fight Ka'Bandha. The Angel defeats the most powerful Bloodthrister of Khorne, a beast capable of killing five hundred Space Marines in a single blow, while Guilliman is cast down by Kor Phaeron without getting a single hit in return. Granted, he does it in a rematch, but he still does it. In this book that is how you write a Primarch fighting.

Yeah it's a shame it ruins the Ka'Bandha/Sanguinius arc by having Sanguinius beat him literally days at most after he is initially beaten. Hell Sanguinius' legs aren't even broken under new continuity. It's one of my biggest gripes with the book.

[MarcusAurelius]

At least in one part I found Fear to Tread superior to Know no Fear was reading Sanguinius fight Ka'Bandha.

I'd say this is the only superior part, but superior nonetheless

[Lord_Crull]

I'd say this is the only superior part, but superior nonetheless

I don't know about you, but I found many parts of Fear to Tread superior to KNF, but then again I found KNF a disappointing representation of the Ultramarines as a whole.

[DDM]

'Twas an entertaining read.

I echo some of the earlier criticisms that the Blood Angel characters weren't particularly engaging. I kept mixing up Meros and Kanos, and the only reason I remembered the Sanguinary Guard leader was because of how he was always being described as "that arrogant guy."

It seems like half the book was the BA stumbling around trying to figure out what was going on. While I appreciated some of the "Chaotic" elements thrown in on the earlier planets, it felt a little uninteresting.

Signus Prime, on the other hand, felt like it was over quite quickly. Reflecting on it now, I'm somewhat befuddled as to where all that page count went.

Ka'Bhanda had some fun moments, but it never seemed like he was really a match for Sangy-boy, barring dastardly deeds and acts of villainy. Kyriss was whiny and the WB were BftA characters.

I enjoyed the read, but the seeming lack of strong, identifiable characters kept me from being drawn in and ultimately keeps it from being one of my top HH books.

[boogle]

At least in one part I found Fear to Tread superior to Know no Fear was reading Sanguinius fight Ka'Bandha. The Angel defeats the most powerful Bloodthrister of Khorne, a beast capable of killing five hundred Space Marines in a single blow, while Guilliman is cast down by Kor Phaeron without getting a single hit in return. Granted, he does it in a rematch, but he still does it. In this book that is how you write a Primarch fighting.

Incorrect, Lorgar has the destinction of taking out a more powerful Bloodthirster.

don't forget Kor Phaeron is significantly favoured by the Dark Gods, hence the fact he has his heart pulled from his chest and doesn't die.

Best part of the book is where the star of chaos is formed by the death of a planet.

[Soul Hunter]

Incorrect, Lorgar has the destinction of taking out a more powerful Bloodthirster.

ADB himself has said that fight should not be taken as an indicator of An'ggrath's full strength, or something along those lines. Either way I remember him saying that the fight was not all it appeared to be.


SH

[ltsobel]

Just finished it, i enjoyed it. Not the best book but by no means the worst. I also enjoyed the fact it didnt revert to bolter porn for the sake of filling space. It has kept my interest going in the series after a few underwhelming releases.

[Lord_Crull]

Incorrect, Lorgar has the destinction of taking out a more powerful Bloodthirster.

One of the most powerful Bloodthristers then, and the Lion beat a Lord of Change.

don't forget Kor Phaeron is significantly favoured by the Dark Gods, hence the fact he has his heart pulled from his chest and doesn't die.

So Kor Phaeron is appearantly stronger than Primarchs and Greater daemons now? But I'm not quite sure that's the case at all, if he was as powerful as Ka'Bandha he would have just waved his hand and killed everybody in the room. After all, Ka'Bandha slew 500 Space Marines in a single blow.