Most Helpful Customer Reviews
|
|
8 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Difficult for a first time Warhammer reader, 10 Oct 2008
When the vital forge world of Orestes comes under attack by a legion of Chaos Titans, the planet is forced to appeal for help. Titan Legio Invicta, although fresh from combat and in desperate need of refit and repair, responds, committing its own force of war engines to the battle. As the god-machines stride to war, the world trembles, for the devastation they unleash could destroy the very world they have pledged to save.
When I first saw some information on this novel I thought it sounded good - a full scale action novel set in universe that has so much history I wouldn't know where to begin. 40,000 years in the future humanity has spread from Earth and is locked in bitter wars to defend its outposts as well as trying to expand into new territory. The human race is now a war race, always fighting a battle on one front or another. These battles are fought with technology that is built to destroy, built to last and built for war. The Titans are such examples, varying in design but all heavy hitters when it comes to battle.
With Orestes under attack and Legio Invicta called in for back up the stage is set for a pretty amazing story. Dan Abnett does not disappoint with his story telling skills. Not only does he write some believable characters, but he can get a battle pictured in your mind with astonishing ease. Some of the better aspects of this were his character building stuff, like Cally , a civilian who moved to Orestes with her husband from another world and as part of the bargain had to sign on for the civilian reserves equivalent. She goes through some nice development and is enjoyable to read. Many of the other characters are given a nice depth and are believable in the situations they find themselves in.
The one thing about Titanicus that I struggled with is the fact that it is Warhammer and as such the universe has been going for a considerable time with many different contributors. I found myself going on the internet at times to find out a little more of the history as I found myself lost with different details emerging throughout. Dan Abnett clearly has no problem with all this vast history and does a masterful job in relaying it with bits of information scattered throughout the narrative.
Despite all this I found I couldn't get into the book as much as I hoped - all that history and detail that a newcomer doesn't know does disorientate in a way that is hard to push past. Although, on the other hand I may not see any glaring problems that die-hard fans of Warhammer might. I doubt this is the best place to start with this rich universe, but it sure has whetted my appetite for more. Now I just need to find an easier jumping on point...
|
|
|
4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Abnetts Pint of Best, 15 Oct 2008
With all the books out there in the 40K world there's one that's been missing for quite sometime, a tale of the god machines so the reader could stalk the battlefield in these giant behemoths dealing death to the enemy both foot soldiers as well as the enemies machines. Perhaps because this is so fresh that Abnetts sheer quality comes through allowing him the freedom to write the tale that he wanted without having to follow too many rules. A definite buy for fans of the Epic world or fans of the beautifully crafted models by Forge World, but if you truly want to see destruction rained down from on high to the maximum offensive ability then this is the tale for you.
|
|
|
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The God Machines Walk, 15 Feb 2009
Dan Abnett has worked wonders on the 40,000 universe. His concise yet evocative prose instantly lays a beautiful nightmare bare before your mind's eye as no one has done before. Every time one of his books arrives from amazon I get the shakes and have to clear my evening so I can read.
So I suppose it would be fair to say that I like Mr. Abnett's books; but this one really is a corker.
If you like playing 40,000 or just like the 40,000 world for it's deeply dark science fiction then let this book tell you it's tale. We are guided through what is a very rare war on a developing forge world, rare because so many titans are gathered in one place to duel each other. Hell is unleashed, titans walk in their hundreds, lives are forever altered, heros are made, hive cities are leveled, people die... a lot of people die; and it is all in magnificent technicolor thanks to a wonderful storyteller.
From a purists point of view Abnett's 40k books do have something that shouldn't be there: hope. There is an underlying feeling that however hellish and decrepit it may be new things are made, titans are repaired, worlds are saved and societies function (to a ghastly tune I admit). Personally I like this stance; it makes the 40,000 world seem much more believable and allows us to image ourselves as part of it. But Dan does go against the older more decaying canon set by Ian Watson's 'Inquisition war'.
Once you've read this book try 'Brothers of the Snake' and then Eisenhorn....oh hell, just read all his books. You will not regret it.
|
|
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews
|
by Graham McNeill
by Nick Kyme
by Sandy Mitchell
by Ben Counter
by Graham McNeill
With an Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificate, you can get them what they want (even if you don't know what that is). 
Make sure you always get what you want with an Amazon.co.uk 
Amazon Home