What Started it All

I thought that my first content based post would be about what got me started in warhammer and that would be a review of the book Helsreach by Aaron Dembski-Bowden which is a Space Marines Battle Novel published by Black Library. (I do not plan on revealing any spoilers but if they come out sorry!) What you get in this book is the gratuitous slaughter of Orks in an uncountable number of ways at the hands of the Black Templars themselves as well as Imperial Guardsmen.

 The events in this book take place during the Third Battle of Armageddon. The first being when Angron invaded, the second Ghazkull's Waaagh!, and the third is Ghazkull's return...hey that sounds like a trilogy somebody get Peter Jackson on it! Anyway a newly promoted Reclusiarch Grimaldus of the Black Templars is chosen by the High Marshall himself to lead a crusade of 100 Battle Brothers in defense of the hive Helsreach. Grimaldus plagued by self-doubt, which is odd for a Space Marine but seems to be a more common theme lately, is unhappy with his new assignment to say the least. He is convinced that he and all his Battle Brothers are going to die an inglorious death under a swarm of Orks. I believe he has the right to be a bit pissy in the book, if the reader looks more into the reasons of his mood instead of just figuring that Marines are immune to psychology the book is a lot more enjoyable. The other characters are pretty minor; you have his command squad which is full of your standard guys: The young hotshot, the old veteran past his prime, the solid guy that does nothing, and the medic. The Guard characters are largely forgettable except for one Storm Trooper named Andrej (I had to look it up) who is the comedic relief which is interesting coming from a Storm Trooper but immensely enjoyable. The only other character I found interesting was the Princeps of the Titan Legion and her interaction with the war engine itself.

 Helsreach moves at a steady pace and the action is well written in gruesome 40k fashion. There were three parts in the book that really stood out above the rest and were so brilliantly described that it really put you in a Templars armor watching Grimaldus lead a charge or whatever was happening in the scene. My second favorite part in the book was when Grimaldus essentially told a Titan to get off its lazy ass and fight, and it obeyed. Personally any guy that can talk sternly to a Titan and get away with it is awesome. (On a side note to you Black Templar players that one scene makes it worth fielding him in a game no matter what his points cost is or rules are.) I am not going to tell you my favorite scene because it’s at the end and will have a spoiler in it and I don’t want to do that. I will say that it was a combat scene, go figure, and it really made me want to start a Templars army on the spot.

 I would rate this book an 8.5, I highly recommend it to anyone that liked 40k and has not read this book yet. I will argue with anyone who calls Grimaldus...unfriendly names. I have begged a friend who plays Black Templars for a year to read this book and he has promised me he will, and I will hunt you down if you don’t! That's it for me, thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it.

The artwork is awesome!