# Lightning Tower and Dark King (Spoilers)



## Words_of_Truth (Sep 20, 2007)

Limited to 1500 copies at gamesday i was lucky enough to get one from Ebay as a birthday present, so i thought i would write a review for those who don't plan on getting it or really want to know what happens. It does go indepth so if you don't plan on ever reading these stories you should get the necessary info.

This book includes two short stories that are based on the horus heresy series, one take places after flight of the eisenstein and fulgrim. One is from the point of view of Rogal Dorn as he contemplates why he has to tear down the Emperors palace to reinforce it, the other is from a good while back before the heresy when Fulgrim, Rogal Dorn and Night Haunter (Konrad Curze) conquers a world and shows how Night Haunter thinks and how he starts slipping into insanity due to his visions, which ends with him killing several of Dorns templars and Fulgrims phoenix guard in a cool style before he destroys the life on his home world as a punishment for slipping into depravity and violence.

Both are very well written. The lighting Tower (Dorn) is written by Dan Abnett and the Dark king (curze) by Grahem Mcneill.

*The Lightning Tower* by Dan Abnett

Rogal Dorn has returned to Terra to reinforce the Emperors palace just in time as the news of the Heresy reached him (during the flight of the Eisenstein) Rather than being the man of stone everyone thinks of him, this story is written from his point of view including his emotions and what he's thinking. He is greatly troubled with having to tear down such a thing of beauty, he is also worried about something he can't quite put his finger on. During this time he talks with Malcador the Sigilite, who gets alot of face time in this to He talks to the primarch like a wise grandad. Dorn tries to figure out who scares him, he dimisses Lorgar and Magus, even though he thinks that theirs always been a whiff of foetid sorcery about them, he continues to dismiss fulgrim even though he admires his competence, he brings up his long rival in Pertruabo and then continues to think of horus stating ofcourse he's worried not because of his prowess but because of *why* he turned traitor. Its during this that he refers to the two statues of the lost primarch stating that the remaining primarchs should of learned from these separate tragedies. Eventually through speaking to the sigilite he realises that the main reasons hes scared is because of why they fell and became traitors and that he's also afraid of Night Haunter due to him being the only primarch ever to seriously wound Dorn (although whether it was through a straight fight or Night haunter jumped him its not clear.)

*The Dark King* by Grahem Mcneil
It starts off with Night Haunter having a vision of the heresy, he then clears hios head and hes standing on the body of a man with white hair, dressed in gold and tanned skin, blood is pouring out of him and Night haunter looks down to realise its his brother Rogal Dorn before Sigismund enters and asks what the hell is happening it then jumps back in time a bit.

He's tells Fulgrim of this believing his old tutor will help him while remaining discreet and not telling the "tight ass" that is Rogal dorn (He don't say that but thats what is implied when he refers to dorn being a goody two shoes) It then jumps a bit and shows Night Haunter executing prisioners of war when Rogal dorn turns up and demands Haunter to stop as this is not the way the crusade works, Haunter declares that for a world to be compliant it needs to fear reprisals if it were to turn traitor. Night haunter then gives a prisioner a bolter and tells none of his men to harm the man if he should shoot, and as to prove a point to Rogal Dorn haunter turns his back and the prisioner shoots the primarch before Haunter turns and decapitates the man with his hand. Rogal then tells Haunter to leave and that his men will sort this sector out. Its at this point it does a kind of narrator bit where it explains that Fulgrim had obviously told Dorn about what Night Haunter told him and thats what trigured haunters visions as Dorn began to shout at him accusing him of heresy etc.

Its at this point Night Haunter decides its time he leaves he puts on his armour and uses a physic power to bring down all the lights before the guards to his chamber enter, his guards consist of phoeni guard with halberds as seen in fulgrim and Dorns Templars with bolters lead by a Veteran. what happens next is basicly like aliens when men get decapitated marines go flying and even the veteran gets killed quickly while night haunters taunts them telling them death is coming for them.

After escaping it comes to Night Haunter standing on the bridge of his flagship over nostromo his homeworld, the fleet of dorn comes out of warp a fair distance away and Haunter declares that this is why planets should be ruled by fear and because of him leaving his world turned back into what it once was, he then issues the order for his fleet to open fire on his world and nostromo burns.


*Evaluation*

Both were very well written, Dan Abnetts was more of an emotional and physcological look on a primarch while Mcneils was more of a physical based story about what a single primarch could do to the best but also explained why Haunter turned renegade, they complimented each other very well.

There was a hole in the story however as i wondered why would dorn order the Night Lords to turn up at Isstvan on the side of the loyalists when these events happened well before that day and the Night Lords where already renegades.

I think these two books add alot more flavor to the horus heresy series but they are not necessary if you wish to continue reading or start reading the whole series.

If anyone wants to know more details about the book just ask


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## Words_of_Truth (Sep 20, 2007)

Not a very good review or has no one read it all?


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## Atomdrift (Mar 5, 2008)

The paraphrasing was alright. Thank you for taking the time to write it, as I'm not sure how I'll ever get a chance to read these stories for myself.


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## Unknown Primarch (Feb 25, 2008)

would be nice if the story in full was written on here for all to read. maybe its not legally possible i dont know but would be nice seeing as its a very limited copy and only 1500 will get to read it.


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## Jacobite (Jan 26, 2007)

How the hell did I miss this!

My god, cheers for the reveiw of that. I wasn't able to get my hands on one unfortuantly. I'm a huge Night Haunter fan so I was quite gutted. Unfortuantly that kinda sums up the Night Lords actions in the Heresy so I'm now a bit concerned that thats all we are going to hear about them.


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## Beaky (Dec 15, 2006)

Why did they limit these!?! Surely everyone wants to get a copy!!!


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## chaoslover (Aug 3, 2009)

in depth review?


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## Dagmire (Oct 9, 2008)

Thanks for taking the time out to write this review +rep


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## Khorne's Fist (Jul 18, 2008)

I picked up a copy in my local GW last week. I don't think it's limited to 1500, as that one store seemed to have boxes of them. Maybe it was only a limited number available at games day?

Anyway, I thouroughly enjoyed the two stories. Night Haunter is fast becoming my favourite primarch. _The Dark King_ does give a greater insight into Curze's tortured mental state, and his reasons for turning from the Imperium. There is a particularly good scene describing him in combat that portrays his skills and style of combat brilliantly.

_The Lightning Tower_ describes Dorn's horror at having to turn the Imperial Palace into a fortress. For me it is the first glimpse of Dorn as a character. Malcador the Sigilite also makes an appearance, and is portrayed as holding authority second only to the Emperor himself. Dorn seems to look on him as an equal.


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## Child-of-the-Emperor (Feb 22, 2009)

Khorne's Fist said:


> I picked up a copy in my local GW last week. I don't think it's limited to 1500, as that one store seemed to have boxes of them. Maybe it was only a limited number available at games day?


When this Audio Book first came out (a long time ago now) it was initially limited to 1500 copies. However when the new BL site went up, it became available as standard. Lucky really, because I was flirting with the idea of buying a copy off Ebay - most of which went for at least £35 ish - just prior to the new website going live.


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## Brother Subtle (May 24, 2009)

Child-of-the-Emperor said:


> When this Audio Book first came out (a long time ago now) it was initially limited to 1500 copies. However when the new BL site went up, it became available as standard. Lucky really, because I was flirting with the idea of buying a copy off Ebay - most of which went for at least £35 ish - just prior to the new website going live.


as soon as they came back up i snagged one straight away! thats and ravens flight. i really enjoyed this audio book. ill be reviewing it soon myself on my blog.


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## primarch 11 (Jan 13, 2011)

*a hole in the story*



Words_of_Truth said:


> There was a hole in the story however as i wondered why would dorn order the Night Lords to turn up at Isstvan on the side of the loyalists when these events happened well before that day and the Night Lords where already renegades.


I was wondering about that one to.
Seems like old Konrad ripping chunks of flesh out of Dorns chest, killing a dozen or so marines, and blowing up a planet, would have seen him labeled a traitor prior to Isstvan.


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## Words_of_Truth (Sep 20, 2007)

This wasn't an audio book btw, it was an actual book about the size of a comic. I've not gotten the audio book so I'm unsure as to whether it has all the detail that the actual book has.


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## HorusReborn (Nov 19, 2008)

I've only listened to the audio drama and I'm not so sure it's the same or not, but I'm assuming it is. I really love listening to this while painting and getting the full immersion of the emotions of both Curze as Dorn tries to belittle him, and Curze as he is belittled is great. Again I haven't read it, but listening to it is preferable to me as it's not read by Toby Longworth, and you get a better sense of the story as it plays along.


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## increaso (Jun 5, 2010)

I have the audio drama and have not read the chapbook.

The audio drama cannot have all of the detail of the chapbook, because it is an audio drama (a play) rather than an audiobook (the book read out).

That being said, I really enjoyed it. I bought it for the Night Haunter story and re-listen to it for the Dorn story (Vulkan might be the Primarch that cares the most about humans, but Dorn is the most human).


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## polynike (Aug 23, 2008)

Thanks for the review from un fellow llanito

These stories then I take it are not on general sale?


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## NIKT208 (Mar 14, 2011)

Is there anywhere we can get the chapbook? I have looked on Ebay but cant find it. I can, and intend to get the audio books, but as increaso mentioned, it cant have the detail of a chapbook.


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## Words_of_Truth (Sep 20, 2007)

The book was limited to a Gamesday a while ago unfortunately, I was able to get mine from eBay, so other than there I don't know where else to get one.


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