# "Prospero Burns": A Review



## Phoebus (Apr 17, 2010)

"Prospero Burns": A Review​
First things first. If you read the following:

_"When the Imperial fleet rediscovers the planet Caliban, the Emperor is 
reunited with his missing son the Primarch Lion El’Jonson. As Dark Angels old 
and new join the Great Crusade, a chain of events is set in motion that will 
change Caliban, its people, and the Legion forever."_​
... and were left feeling annoyed, upset, angry, even cheated, by the fact that you had to get to pg 187 (out of 334) before you saw a Space Marine... you will not be altogether pleased by "Prospero Burns".

Now, I want to qualify something. I actually liked "Descent of Angels" for its own merits, even if I might have wanted it to be something else. And as you will see later on, I enjoyed "Prospero Burns"... but I included the above disclaimer because I could very well see how a reader anticipating a certain something* might be left unhappy by finding out he bought something altogether different**.

* Let's define "something" as...

_"The Emperor is enraged. Primarch Magnus the Red of the Thousand Sons 
Legion has made a terrible mistake that endangers the very safety of Terra. 
With no other choice, the Emperor charges Leman Russ, Primarch of the 
Space Wolves, with the apprehension of his brother from the Thousand Sons 
home world of Prospero. This planet of sorcerers will not be easy to 
overcome, but Russ and his Space Wolves are not easily deterred. With 
wrath in his heart, Russ is determined to bring Magnus to justice and bring 
about the fall of Prospero."_​
** ... and "something altogether different" as...

"A rousing, ground-breaking look into the Legio VI Astartes, chock-full with 
interesting, original characters, both mere mortal and superhuman hero 
alike; one that, nonetheless, will not have much to do with the Emperor's 
stated cause for rage, or the consequences that arise from it, until the very 
last portion of the novel."​
(my words, and you can take that as my condensed review)

With "Prospero Burns", Dan Abnett has, in my humble opinion, engaged in one of the most *ambitious* undertakings where the Warhammer 40k milieu is concerned. He tackled one of the most "telegraphed" (as he called the Space Wolves) Chapters/Legions of Space Marines and resolved to make them something more interesting--original enough where you could see the source material at the core, but not dismiss it out of hand for being a cheap plagiarism of sorts.

Our guide in this new Fenris is a mere man among Astartes, an individual of many names, born of mystery, and possessed of a thirst for knowledge--knowledge of the past. His search for said knowledge is the stated reason for his decision to live among the Wolves of Fenris: the Vlka Fenryka, formally, who _do not_ like being called "Space Wolves".

After an initially disastrous introduction to Fenrisian society and hardship, our protagonist is brought in among the Legio VI and through his eyes we experience a pair of journeys. One of those is the re-telling of his adventures among "the Rout", the more informal name used by the Legio VI Astartes. The other is the recollection of his past, through a number of "flash-back" sequences.

Mr. Abnett masterfully nails the *former* of the two journeys. Our protagonist serves as a believable eye-witness to war as the Wolves of Fenris fight it. His physical, mental, and emotional responses serve to enhance the reader's reaction to the action described. By allowing us to view the deeds of the Astartes through that lens of fear and awe, the author has achieved something beyond the typical fight scene we've seen thus far in Horus Heresy novels.

Even better, the protagonist's interaction with the Wolves themselves is some of the most successful since the very early novels of the series. One gets a good sense of the efforts our lead must take to earn some measure of trust and acceptance among a band of insular, casual killers. In turn, the supporting cast has been well-assembled. They play well with the new themes (see below) Mr. Abnett has introduces for the Space Wolves, and provide a believable sense of cunning and ferocity. The scenes with Ogvai Helmschrot, Jarl of the Third Company, in particular, are simply excellent, in this reviewer's humble opinion. Even when depicting scenes of (relative) peace, the visceral, animal nature of the Wolves is delivered without pointless adjectives or forced descriptions.

The *latter* of the two journeys, though... the journey into the past... This is where Mr. Abnett lost points with me, and I fear it's where many of you will also lose some level of interest.

Let me be clear. There is certainly a need for a backstory that credibly connects a protagonist like Kasper Hawser with the Legio VI. Get to the last third of the novel, and the need for this will become increasingly apparent as the mystery surrounding Kasper's role comes to the fore. Without a convincing backstory, this very important theme to the novel as a whole would simply fall flat.

The problem, however, is that said backstory doesn't altogether serve the purpose it's supposed to. By the time you get to the end of the novel, you will have come to feel that just as many of the flashbacks support the main storyline as not. As these flashbacks also serve as breaks between moments of action/increased tension, when the reader realizes that he's getting character development that is not necessarily supportive of what he just got done reading in "present time", it can be rather disconcerting.

Moving on.

*The structure* of the novel has been well arranged. It and the pace of the story, again, suffer only from those occasional flashbacks that do more harm than good. Realizing that this is a novel NOT merely about Prospero burning and the time immediately before that, one can appreciate the flow of the story, the development of the main character, and the gradual introduction/fleshing-out of the supporting cast. If, however, you open "Prospero Burns" with an overwhelming need to see Magnus and his Thousand Sons bent beneath Fenrisian axes NOW, NOW, NOW, prepare for disappointment.

*The language* of the novel is simply spot on in most parts. Abnett will make you feel as if you are in the same chambers as Third Company. His descriptions of the Wolves themselves are vivid; his visualization of certain places, especially the more alien settings, though, sometimes miss the mark.

*The real stars* of this novel, though, the Space Wolves, the Vlka Fenryka, the Rout, call them what you will, are simply a triumph. One of the things I have anticipated in the Horus Heresy novels is to see the Imperium--and its heroes--as they were in the 31st Millennium, and not the 41st. In some cases, I have learned to live with disappointment. Vessels, hives, armies, servitors, the Mechanicum, the callous brutality of Terra, etc., have often been too close a mirror image to what we have known for years in 40k. Sometimes, things are different... but not in a meaningful sense.

Case in point, the modern Death Guard are bloated, diseased minions of the Warp. With that in mind, the Great Crusade Death Guard are certainly different from their modern counterparts... but perhaps only in that they have clean armour and are free of boils and sores.

With the Space Wolves, though, Mr. Abnett has done a tremendous job of showing the differences that can arise in a span of ten thousand years. We see a young culture being forged within the Legio VI, with values and tenets that will eventually lead to the heroic ideals the modern Space Wolves espouse. But for now, they are in their own time and depicted within that context. Seeing the early Space Wolves as penned by Mr. Abnett--as opposed to the idealized image the modern ones maintain of their forebears--is like seeing the archaeological evidence of what the Mycenaeans really looked and fought like... as opposed to the Classical Era Greeks' imagined ideal.

You certainly get that sense of a Norse/Slavic influence to these Space Wolves, but it doesn't scream its presence to your face. It's more subtle, nuanced, and suitably enmeshed with more original material: the Rout's preference for fearsome leather masks, for instance.

The straight-Viking stereotype has been replaced by a far less idealistic sense of controlled, directed brutality. The Vlka Fenryka and the modern Space Wolves would warily eye each other; the former, for instance, by no means revel in their role. Ferocity has been married to exacting discipline, cunning, and a great sense of subterfuge. The chapters that show the mindset of Russ and his Wolves, and of their attitudes toward outsiders in particular, are very enjoyable.

*Magic and the arcane* are also handled well. Better than in most of the Horus Heresy novels, I would say. Between Mr. McNeill's eloquently detailed sorceries in "A Thousand Sons", Mr. Dembski-Bowden's visceral rites in "The First Heretic", and now Mr. Abnett's focus on the power of names and such, I think a good precedent has been established for follow-on authors.

Mr. Abnett has also thrown in at least one *tantalizing implication* regarding the Space Wolves...



... it is almost spelled out that there were no wolves in Fenris prior to the Legio VI's arrival, and that said wolves are, in fact, what the Wulfen eventually evolve into...


... and a subtle introduction to *a most famous Space Wolf*, though you might not realize it until the very end.



That would be Bjorn the Fell-Handed. His title referencing the injury he sustains at the very end of the novel.


*In closing...*

Would I recommend that this book be purchased? *Yes, I would*. I would only caution the reader to understand that he or she will NOT be reading the story indicated by the cover and the back-flap.

I give "Prospero Burns" *seven stars* and _some loose change_ for being an enjoyable look into the Space Wolves; and especially for breaking new ground and breathing some fresh air and originality into one of the more contrived icons of the 40k universe.

*P.S.:*
And finally, a minor, minor complaint.

I get how Mr. Abnett could see the Space Wolves as the Emperor's executioners. Some might ask how it would make sense for such a bunch to be so close to the Throne's will. I console myself by remembering that a lot of the 40k milieu is died in to historical inspiration. The Emperors of the eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire, for instance, depended on their elite Varangian--read, Scandinavian, Viking--Guard both as bodyguards and as shock troops for a couple of centuries. Hell, they even served as MARINES for the Emperors in Sicily and Italy.

So I get how inspiration can be plausibly drawn from the past in a way where an informed reader might say "Hey, I see where he got that from!" Kind of like how many of us knew that Ahriman being an Achaemenid spelled out that he was of Persian Royalty.

But Kasper Hawser/Kaspar Hauser? Really? It's kind of silly to tells us that the 31st Millennium has lost so much knowledge that they thought Shakespeare only wrote THREE plays (not that those are the only that survive, but that he ONLY wrote that many) and then expect us to believe that Kaspar Hauser's monumentally minor mystery is instantly recognizable after damn near twenty eight thousand years.


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## Unknown Primarch (Feb 25, 2008)

nice review there mate. my copy should arrive in a few days and im really looking forward to reading thias now after seeing alot of negative comments about it already.

one thing, can you elaborate on this shakespear thing abit more in a hidden spoiler post as im not really with you there and i dont mind if you reveal something before ive read it. not too fussed about waiting until the end to find out.


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## Phoebus (Apr 17, 2010)

No problem.



It's a minor thing, really. At one point, the protagonist makes this statement:
‘Caches of data are being recovered all the time. Why, just the other day, I heard that we now had complete texts for all three of Shakespire’s plays!'

The implication, given the context of the conversation (which was regarding the massive gaps in knowledge of human history) being that, so far as humans of the 31st millennium were concerned, there had only been three plays written by the great English author.

Somehow, though, a random Thousand Sons Astartes INSTANTLY connects the protagonist's name--Kasper Hawser--to the German mystery of some kid that was raised in a cellar, joined society as a teen, and then died mysteriously. A mystery that is very minor, has virtually zero influence on a global scale or across the greater species consciousness in terms of art, etc... But somehow resonates on a larger scale than much grander knowledge. It's simply there to help the reader connect with something Abnett obviously found interesting or amusing--a foundling child named after a child of mystery--but to me it's just too much.


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## shaantitus (Aug 3, 2009)

Thanks for an excellent review. Admitedly I have already read it but I find myself agreeing with you on almost every point and you put your points so much better than i could. Rep


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## Commissar Ploss (Feb 29, 2008)

the darkness of "Old Night" is what kept them from recovering Shakespears plays. He poses the question, "do we even know how much we don't know?" or something to that effect in the book, and it's clear here that that is the case. he wrote more than 3 plays, we all know that, but whatever. Thanks for the in-depth breakdown, i thoroughly enjoyed it. And our ratings weren't that far off really. well played. 

CP


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## raider1987 (Dec 3, 2010)

I agree with this book being disappointing. And I agree that Descent of angels was a good book, just miss represented. Prospero is presented ever poorer, but is just flat out boring as well.


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## Phoebus (Apr 17, 2010)

Commissar,

I agree with what you state... I just found it highly unlikely that Old Night robbed them of that kind of knowledge while allowing such a minor piece of folklore to endure. 

raider1987,

With respect, you must be agreeing with someone else. I did not find the book disappointing; in fact, I enjoyed it. I simply wanted to qualify a few things I found to be off, and to make sure that someone who HASN'T read it yet doesn't buy it thinking it jumps right into the battle of Prospero.

Cheers,
P.


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## Commissar Ploss (Feb 29, 2008)

Phoebus said:


> Commissar,
> 
> I agree with what you state... I just found it highly unlikely that Old Night robbed them of that kind of knowledge while allowing such a minor piece of folklore to endure.
> 
> ...


agreed. 

CP


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## Angel of Blood (Aug 18, 2010)

Very good review, as i thought i might do, i agree with you on almost every point, although i didn't really take in the Shakespear bit too much. 

I fail to see how people find Prospero Burns boring unless bolterporn and heavily cliched astartes actions are what you are looking for. It shows an incredibly in depth view of the Vlka Fenryka and completely changed the way you look at them. The characters are engaging and felt far more 'real' than many of the other astartes who appear in the other novels.


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## Phoebus (Apr 17, 2010)

Not to mention that the final battle is a grand departure from the all-too typical account of two guys smashing each other with mighty blows, with their armor alternately either just holding on or giving in during a crucial blow...


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## Angel of Blood (Aug 18, 2010)

Indeed its always interesting to see 

the main antagonist not being killed by the dashing hero, but instead reduced to nothing more than a smear on the ground by the sustained firepower of two dreadnoughts ^^.


With realtion to that, i did love the saying the Vlka Fenryka have "I recognise my failing and will be sure to correct it" Helwintrs delivery being particularly excellent in the aforementioned scene


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## RuneGuard (Jan 10, 2011)

After reading *Prospero Burns* i went straight into *William Kings Ragnar Trilogy* (which ive read before), however i found myself realising just how different and in my opinion how much better Dan Abnett has done the Vlka Fenryka. I simply could not carry on Dan's version of the SW was now my version and needless to say, i gave my Ragnar trilogy away, as i knew that whenever i want any Vlka Fenryka action i know where to go.


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## Phoebus (Apr 17, 2010)

Well... that's dependent on Abnett writing more Vlka Fenryka stories, isn't it?

For myself, I now just look at King's Space Wolves as the evolution of Abnett's proto-Space Wolves. Kind of how the 11th-12th century Norse and Saxons would look back at their ancestors, and the myths they built around them.


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## donskar (Apr 8, 2010)

Intelligent review and intelligent responses: two things PB has not often inspired. I needed to come to this thread to decompress after some other PB threads.

Shakespeare: 1564 - 1616.


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