Priests Of Mars

[shadowhawk2008]

I read about that on his FB a few weeks back.

[conscriptboris]

Just finished reading Priests of Mars, got the ebook from Black Library.

Very disappointing book. First off, it is apparently the start to a series of some sort, either a duology or trilogy. This is not mentioned anywhere so I was pretty surprised at the end of the book, which leads me to my biggest complaint....nothing happens. At the end, they have made it to the start of their journey. Other events happen, but almost no movement takes place on the "main" storyline. More annoyingly, all the problems are solved, quite literally, with a deus ex machina. It is more appropriate in a book about the Mechanicus, I got it, but it still is frustrating.

The characters are the strongest part of the book. The rogue trader, the IG captain, the Black Templars, and the various Magos are quite well done.

All we find out about the outside of the Ark Mechanicus is that it is really big and angular. The interior is described in many places, and very well at that, but for some reason the look of the main part of the novel is never fully described.

I expect to know going in to a book if it is part of a series, and I can't decide if that information was left out as a calculated attempt to bump sales or as a huge oversight. As a standalone book, it could be good the way the fluff blurbs are good in Codex SM and Codex IG for showing what goes on the Imperium. As a novel I felt pretty disappointed when it was over and actually thought my transfer must have been bad because surely the book wouldn't end like that.

Same thoughts for myself, read it in 3 days whilst on hol. However I will buy the next one.

Elvis

[johnmcl7]

I also agree with the nothing happening comments, even if it part of a multiple book series I still think there should have been more happening. I did enjoy a lot of the book giving time to the niggly little issues in setting up such a complex mission but felt it should have been part of a much longer book.

The Warlord Titan's accidental shot seemed completely absurd doing such a ridiculous amount of damage against a starship, fair enough it would heavily damage a Reaver that wasn't prepared for it and inflict quite a bit of damage to the troops around but for the bolt to then carry on across the ship wrecking many different portions seems completely out of place. Even if it was a more powerful Imperator Titan, the internal bulkheads of the ship should have almost immediately stopped the bolt given Warhammer ships generally lack decent shields and rely on tough armour to hold them together, if the Ark Mechanicus is going to take so much damage from a comparatively small plasma bolt (compared to starship grade weaponry) then it would get torn to shreds in combat. Also I realise portions of the ship were unexplored and unknown but it harbouring a colossal super weapon no-one had noticed seems to stretch it a bit far.

John

[shadowhawk2008]

Its an old ship that was found buried on the Magos' forge-world. No one really knows what its capabilities and strengths and all are.

[TheRedAngel]

Its an old ship that was found buried on the Magos' forge-world. No one really knows what its capabilities and strengths and all are.

It is a bit strange that the AM around Kotov manage to finish the Arks construction but fail to notice such a thing like the "colossal super weapon".
Sure, they are AM, which is a rather quirky organisation. But no one ever cared to check the ships systems?
But in the end that's okay in my opinion, as the weapon doesn't play a big part in the story.


Concerning the book in general, I did enjoy reading it, although the first half was better than the last, imho.
The introduction of all the different dramatis personae was good, though (as somebody else already mentioned) it did me remind me quite a bit of Abnetts style, as if Mr McNeill was trying to take a page out of D.Abnetts book (pun intended) - which in itself isn't a bad thing because I do enjoy Mr Abnetts works very much.
I did also like the small (and big) references etc throughout the book, being it Hawke or Monty Python et all.

But unfortunately there were some smaller and also larger inconsistencies or mistakes, or at least things I could not explain or found hard to accept.
The megalomania here and there, bit too much for me, but hey, this is 40k, right?
But the titans plasmabolt travelling so slow that the bridge could have discussions before venting compartments. Have I missed something here?
I guess the avatar not getting b****slapped was fanservice, with the internet complaining that this happens in nearly every story (see all the relevant warseer forums).
But I have always been under the impression that the big glowing guy rested in craftworlds, not every (major) eldar ship?
Also, eldar can open portals on enemy ships now? On the bridge? Is that a new thing?
The discussion during the banquet on astartes (im)mortality was probably there for the same reason - showing us that the (some?) authors are reading the forums, even if they refrain from posting. So, hello there, Mr McNeill!

Last thing: Anybody else got the impression that the templarsquad will go renegade soon? The "Addenda" and the last sentences certainly sounded to me like that...

[shadowhawk2008]

Construction? More like they are learning from the ground-up how such a colossal ship operates.

[TheRedAngel]

Construction? More like they are learning from the ground-up how such a colossal ship operates.

Completion, if you will.

They (Kotov and friends) found the ark, it's construction never completed, buried in the forgeworld, and got to work: "It's unfinished elements had been completed in the orbital planes, disassembled components of three system monitors providing the necessary steelwork and missing elements of tech."

[Promethius]

But I have always been under the impression that the big glowing guy rested in craftworlds, not every (major) eldar ship?
Also, eldar can open portals on enemy ships now? On the bridge? Is that a new thing?

The eldar in the book had some major plot armour though. A single eldar cruiser destroys a battleship, a strike cruiser and survives the firepower of an entire fleet including the 'superweapon'! If that was reversed to an imperial light cruiser doing the same the reaction would be to shout shenanigans!

I quite enjoyed the book overall although there got to a point where not a lot had happened and there was about two chapters left and I figured it was either going to be wound up ridiculously quick or it was first part of a series - glad it's the later.

[Scopedog]

Did anybody notice a couple of paragraphs that had references to this famous exchange?

Inigo: Begin. You are using Bonetti's defense against me, uh?

Dread Pirate Roberts: I thought it fitting, considering the rocky terrain.

Inigo: Naturally, you must expect me to attack with Capo Ferro.

Dread Pirate Roberts: Naturally, but I find that Thibault cancels Capo Ferro, don't you?

Inigo: Unless the enemy hasn't studied his Agrippa, which I have! You are wonderful!

Dread Pirate Roberts: Thank you. I've worked hard to become so.

Inigo: I admit it, you are better than I am.

Dread Pirate Roberts: Then why are you smiling?

Inigo: Because I know something you don't know.

Dread Pirate Roberts: And what is that?

Inigo: I am not left-handed.