# Space Marines Battles



## Lord of the Night (Nov 18, 2009)

Put this thread up so that the entire SMB series can be discussed, and the poll to find out which is the most popular of the entire series.

For me it's _The Siege of Castellax_. C.L Werner is my favourite fantasy author and I think he writes the best villains in Black Library, he makes them the kind of character you could read entire series about. And in 40k that is a damn helpful ability since the majority of characters are either outright evil or morally very dark. I also felt he captured the grimdark nature of the universe with his side characters in the slave ranks, the futility of life in such a hellish environment and where fighting back against that hell and the Daemons that lord over everyone in it gets you.

Plus it had Space Marines trying to fly an Ork plane. Hilarity ensued.

So what's your favourite SMB novel and why?


LotN


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## DeathJester921 (Feb 15, 2009)

This is a tough one. I'm torn between Battle of the Fang and Helsreach. Really torn, both were damn good. I'd have to go with Helsreach, I suppose. The epic Black Templars last stand in the temple, Grimaldus' words to his few surviving brothers while he's choking the Ork to death. Just pure badass right there.


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## aerogems (May 16, 2013)

With the caveat that I've only read maybe 3-4 of them so far, I'd have to probably say Helsreach too. I just love ADB's writing style since my first taste of it with The First Heretic, which I had put off reading for a long time because I wasn't interested in the Word Bearers in the slightest. 

Battle of the Fang and Rynn's World probably tie for second, but maybe Rynn's World edges out ahead a little. I rarely laugh out loud at books, but in Rynn's World did it. There's that bit where the 3rd Company Captain squares off 1-on-1 with the Ork Warboss, then a little later the Warboss comes along and throws the guy's hand at the Chapter Master, only to be jumped by the 3rd Company Captain and killed. When the Chapter Master says to the guy that he's lost his hand, and the guy points across the room and says, "No I haven't. It's over there!" that got a pretty good laugh out of me.

I also liked the first novella in the Architect of Fate book. The Imperial Fist story was beyond dreadful, but I kind of liked the whole suspense-mystery thing that first story had going. Problem with those is that it kind of kills the potential for reading it again somewhere down the line, short of suffering some sort of blow to the head so you forget you ever read it in the first place.


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## kujwa (Dec 19, 2012)

1. Helsreach for being introduced to Grimaldus and the titan battles. oh my god the titan battles were so fun to read. 
2. Catechism of Hate cuz he did a great job of writing tyranid threat and i'm a bug player.


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## Phoebus (Apr 17, 2010)

'Helsreach' is the best of the ones I've read by far. That having been said, I'll admit to having read only a few because the majority have genuinely disappointed me.

The first I read was 'Rynn's World'. Like a few other readers (from what I saw in the forums and the blogs), I was surprised by the format. Being a bit of an armchair historian, I expected something that would be kind of like an expanded, paperback version of a battle report. Kind of like a smaller scale of the hardcover BL released on the Sabbat Worlds Crusade, for instance. That's neither here nor there, though. As a novel, 'Rynn's World' wasn't very satisfying to me. I thought Parker did a fine job with the opening chapters, got mired in the survivors' rather un-engaging journey to the city, was distracted by an equally un-engaging battle on a different planet, but finally closed on a (somewhat) strong note. I'm not sure that's all the author's fault, though. Some of the SMB stories were at least somewhat pre-determined, and the author had to follow certain plot points.

'Helsreach', I thought was excellent. It had a strong protagonist with a nuanced point of view that, if not necessarily relatable, was at the very least interesting enough to suck you in. It also benefited from an excellent supporting cast that, with at least one secondary character that the majority of readers appear to have been very invested in. The pacing was quite good, the action suited the format of the story well (without the author having to sacrifice plot, drama, or interaction), and the ending wasn't just satisfying - it was apropos to the situation and the characters as well.

I never got into 'The Hunt for Voldorius', probably because my expectations had been set so high by 'Helsreach'. I've yet to finish it - I got distracted by other books - but I will.

I purchased 'The Purging of Kadillus' out of obligation; the Dark Angels are, after all, my favorite Chapter. Unfortunately, 'Purging' was a disappointment. It lacked the drama, engaging characters, and action of 'Helsreach'. I did a whole review on it (see the Reviews section), and I really don't feel like getting into it again.

I skipped 'The Fall of Damnos' because I'd been disappointed by the Salamanders novels Nick Kyme had written.

I next had the opportunity to read either 'Battle of the Fang' or 'The Gildar Rift'. I went with the latter simply because it wasn't a well-known "historical event" like 'Fang'. I hate to say it, but I was disappointed by this one as well. The plot - and the action - were disjointed, and both suffered from a secondary plot-line that really didn't offer anything to the story as whole. The author _told_ me quite a few things, but didn't _show_ me... and that was especially evident when it came to the tactical acumen of the protagonist. Many of the battle scenes (and especially those depicting void warfare) didn't seem to make sense in terms of how they unfolded - why the characters did what they did, and what effect their decisions had.

The last entry that I read was 'The Siege of Castellax', which I enjoyed overall, but wasn't necessarily thrilled by. I thought there were several strong and interesting characters, and the overall plot was engaging and well-paced. Unlike 'Helsreach', though, I felt that the characters were ultimately secondary to the battle. That's an easy mistake to make, I think, when you're writing a novel about a battle, but one ultimately has to remember that the battle is the sum of the actions of the _characters._ The Battle of Normandy, for instance, isn't so memorable in and of itself, but because of the actions of the men who fought it, and the difficulties and dangers they had to overcome.

I next hope to finish 'Battle of the Fang' and 'Legion of the Damned', about which I heard good things. Has anyone heard good things about 'Flesh of Cretacia'?


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## The Scion of Chemos (May 24, 2013)

While my favourite of the series was Flesh of Cretacia, of those listed I absolutely LOVED Architect of Fate


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## The Scion of Chemos (May 24, 2013)

Phoebus said:


> 'Helsreach' is the best of the ones I've read by far. That having been said, I'll admit to having read only a few because the majority have genuinely disappointed me.
> 
> The first I read was 'Rynn's World'. Like a few other readers (from what I saw in the forums and the blogs), I was surprised by the format. Being a bit of an armchair historian, I expected something that would be kind of like an expanded, paperback version of a battle report. Kind of like a smaller scale of the hardcover BL released on the Sabbat Worlds Crusade, for instance. That's neither here nor there, though. As a novel, 'Rynn's World' wasn't very satisfying to me. I thought Parker did a fine job with the opening chapters, got mired in the survivors' rather un-engaging journey to the city, was distracted by an equally un-engaging battle on a different planet, but finally closed on a (somewhat) strong note. I'm not sure that's all the author's fault, though. Some of the SMB stories were at least somewhat pre-determined, and the author had to follow certain plot points.
> 
> ...




The Flesh of Cretacia was the first SMB release I read, and I absolutely loved it. Though I seem to have overall lower expectations from books than most on these forums.
I think Andy Smillie does an amazing job at the Flesh Tearers as well. I really felt the pressure and stress of what it was to be a Flesh Tearer, and the over-whelming anger that floods all conscious thought.


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## The Scion of Chemos (May 24, 2013)

kujwa said:


> 1. Helsreach for being introduced to Grimaldus and the titan battles. oh my god the titan battles were so fun to read.
> 2. Catechism of Hate cuz he did a great job of writing tyranid threat and i'm a bug player.


I honestly wasn't that big of a fan of Catechism of Hate, though I am also really not a UM fan. And to me it seemed like the nids were a little to easy.
Though it has been a while since I read that.
When I picture the nids, I picture a force that grows at such a rate that you need more than a couple squads to take them down.

Though the author did an awesome job with writing the defense of that one platform with the Titans. I thought that was extremely well done.
And the Lictors. I LOVED the Lictor scenes.


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## Chompy Bits (Jun 13, 2010)

Well, from the ones I've read it has to be _Battle of the Fang_, though I did enjoy _Rynn's World_ too. I have a copy of _Helsreach_, but haven't gotten around to reading it yet. I loved not only the battle scenes in _Battle of the Fang_, but also enjoyed the characters. As for _Rynn's World_, there were a few slow bits, but I enjoyed it overall... and Alessio Cortez = Win.

As for the others I've read or tried to read... _The Purging of Kadillus_, while featuring my favorite race (the Orks), was kinda dull to me and there were bits that I really struggled to read through. I tried to read _The Gildar Rift_ more than once, but never managed to get past the first couple of pages. I finished _Fall of Damnos_, but afterwards was left scratching my head as to the point of the novel... 

other than watching Sicarius get owned by the Necron Lord
 

I've been reluctant to pick up any more Space Marine battles novels so far, because my experience with them has been hit and miss. I might crack open _Helsreach_ though, seeing as it's received so many positive reviews.


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

It comes down to BotF or Helsreach for me. I loved how ADB handled the relationships between human and SM. The awkward, almost autistic way Grimaldus viewed and dealt with the human characters really showed the gulf between humanity and it's post human defenders. There was also a lot of humour in it, with the banter amongst the IG characters actually quite realistic. 

I had to go with BotF though. Wraight did a great job with what was essentially a sequel to Prospero Burns. Being a SW fanboy for almost 20 years has a lot to do with it as well.


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## Doelago (Nov 29, 2009)

From the entries in the series that I have read, _Helsreach_ was easily the best. The way ADB handled the relationship between the different Imperial factions was brilliant. The characters were engaging and interesting and the action was nothing short of amazing. 

_Battle of the Fang_ was also great, and I enjoyed most of it. Some of the characters I could really not have cared less about, and I was always annoyed when I had to read a few pages of them, but the end was all worth it. Overall a great book. 

_The Gildar Rift_ I enjoyed because it brought light on a less well known Chapter and was a cut out of the ordinary Space Marine action. The bad guys were also very, very nice, and I hope more is written about them. 

_Fall of Damnos_ was better than some of Kyme‘s work, but it still wasn‘t all that good. I also got annoyed by the number of times the Ultramarines yelled one of their battle cries. Also in the same boat as *Chompy Bits* on this one: What was the point of the book? There is still enough material left from that conflict for another three SMB novels if they intend to finish it. 

_Catechism of Hate_, another 40€ that went up in smoke. Got really annoyed by those "inspiring heroic" speeches of which none was particularly inspiring or heroic. 

_Flesh of Cretacia_ was shit.

_The Siege of Castellax_ was good, but not great. There was a lot of emphasis put on the conflict due to which character development somewhat suffered. 

_Architect of Fate_... I recall that some of the stories were enjoyable, but all positive things I might have said about the novel were washed away by the god awful Lysander story. 

Meanwhile, _Legion of the Damned_ was great. The Feast of Blades was really cool, the tragedy of the Chapter was interesting and the way the Legion was handled was a great way to showcase them without revealing their mystery. The three way meaning of the title was also quite a nice touch.


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## Lord of the Night (Nov 18, 2009)

Doelago said:


> _Fall of Damnos_ was better than some of Kyme‘s work, but it still wasn‘t all that good. I also got annoyed by the number of times the Ultramarines yelled one of their battle cries. Also in the same boat as *Chompy Bits* on this one: What was the point of the book? There is still enough material left from that conflict for another three SMB novels if they intend to finish it.


Actually there will be more on the Damnos Incident soon.



Nick Kyme said:


> A return to Damnos is also on the cards and features very heavily in my upcoming writing schedule.





Nick Kyme said:


> I’ve got a story for a new audio, a HH short and the beginnings of a pitch for the sequel to Fall of Damnos, which I’ll either tag up as Sacrifice of Damnos or Siege of Kellenport. Still, that’s a ways off yet


I'm hoping for _Siege of Kellenport_. Really want to see Venerable Agrippan's heroic sacrifice. And whether or not Iulus Fennion's Immortals maintain their namesake. :grin:


LotN


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## Bane_of_Kings (Oct 28, 2009)

_Rynn's World_ - Didn't like.

_Helsreach_ - Awesome, my second favourite SMB novel.

_The Hunt for Voldorius_ - Enjoyed it to a certain extent. Plenty of flaws, though.

_The Purging of Kadillius_ - Meh. Nothing too spectacular. Same as THfV, really.

_Fall of Damnos_ - Pretty awesome. A favourite. 

_Battle of the Fang_ - Best SMB novel to date. Loved it.

_The Gildar Rift_ - Loved the take on a lesser known Chapter, and the Red Corsairs were pretty awesome as well.

_Legion of the Damned_ - Loved this. Sanders at his best.

_Architect of Fate_ - Nice collection of novellas. Some better than others.

_Wrath of Iron_ - Meh. Disappointed with this one, Wraight has produced a lot better work in the past. 

_The Siege of Castellax_ - Loved this. Couldn't put it down. CL Werner, please write more Iron Warriors books.

_The Death of Antagonis_ - Haven't read.

List in Order, from favourite to least favourite: 


_Battle of the Fang_ by Chris Wraight
_Helsreach_ by Aaron Dembski-Bowden
_The Siege of Castellax_ by C.L. Werner
_Legion of the Damned_ by Rob Sanders
_The Gildar Rift_ by Sarah Cawkwell
_Fall of Damnos_ by Nick Kyme
_Architect of Fate_ by Various Authors
_Wrath of Iron_ by Chris Wraight
_The Hunt for Voldorius_ by Andy Hoare
_The Purging of Kadillus_ by Gav Thorpe
_Rynn's World_ by Steve Parker


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## Anakwanar (Sep 26, 2011)

Battle of the Fang is da best


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## Sequere_me_in_Tenebras (Nov 11, 2012)

Battle for the Fang was a brilliant read for me - pacy with plenty of background fluff (don't tell James Swallow I used that term). 

Helsreach was one of the first SMB novels I picked up. I've forgotten which Chapter features (Sigismunds lot?). Pure bolter-porn for me, but nothing wrong with that *pew pew*.

The worse SMB book was the one by Andy Hoare.


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## Lord of the Night (Nov 18, 2009)

Sequere_me_in_Tenebras said:


> Helsreach was one of the first SMB novels I picked up. I've forgotten which Chapter features (Sigismunds lot?). Pure bolter-porn for me, but nothing wrong with that *pew pew*.


It was the Black Templars, and what the hell? Bolter-porn? _Helsreach_ was so far away from that the distance is measured in light-years.


LotN


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## Phoebus (Apr 17, 2010)

I'll second that, Lord of the Night!


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## Lord of Ruin (Jul 22, 2012)

*Legion of the damned* was the one that i could not put down, not just for the engrossing story but the book was loaded with so much suspense it was a real treat to read.


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## Sequere_me_in_Tenebras (Nov 11, 2012)

Opinion is always subjective.

The battles, strategies, and even the scenes that actually reminded me that Grimaldus was once human, are well done. The Reclusiarch's character has the perfect amount of depth development. Yet in various parts the narration becomes very long-winded. Fans like 'fluff' - which I'm not adverse to either.


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## Hachiko (Jan 26, 2011)

Without a doubt, Legion of the Damned. Great writing, clever wordplay and symbolism in the title and throughout. Both the Excoriators and the LotD make for engaging reading.

My full take on it here: HachiSnax Reviews: Looking Back At: Legion of the Damned


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## jasonpittman (May 17, 2010)

I've only read a few as I've been put off by the negative feedback they seem to produce but from what I have read

Battle of the Fang - Hands down the best one I have read 
Flesh of Cretacia - Really enjoyed this one
The Purging of Kadillius - Despite what others say I thought this was pretty good
Architect of Fate - Really liked this but some stories were better than others

I have Legion of the Damned and Helsreach at home but haven't read them yet due to the negative things I have read about them.


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## Lord of the Night (Nov 18, 2009)

jasonpittman said:


> I have Legion of the Damned and Helsreach at home but haven't read them yet due to the negative things I have read about them.


Whoever said negative things about those two doesn't know what their talking about. Read them soon.


LotN


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## Lupe (Jan 3, 2011)

jasonpittman said:


> I have Legion of the Damned and Helsreach at home but haven't read them yet due to the negative things I have read about them.


What negative things? Those two are generally seen as some of the better BL books out there...

In fact, I actually can't decide which one of these I'd vote for in this poll...


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## jasonpittman (May 17, 2010)

I will give them a try after I finish Fist of Demitrus,


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## bobss (May 18, 2008)

_Helsreach_ is good. Presents a wealth of perspectives, some interesting, some hilarious, some well-developed, while getting across the scale of conflict - something few books working with the IP can achieve.


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