Aaron Dembski-Bowden, Helsreach. Nottingham, UK: Black Library, 2020. ISBN: 9781789993127.
"We are judged in life for the evil we destroy" -- Mordred, Reclusiarch of the Black Templars, mentor and predecessor of Reclusiarch Grimaldus.
Before Grimaldus arrives on Armageddon, the opening scene of the novel is him recalling his ascension to Reclusiarch, a promotion that was not unanimous, but he did get enough votes to be approved. He himself does not always feel worthy of his predecessor's mantle, Mordred, so he strives to live up to it.
The novel's narrative features two points of view mainly. One is the omniscient third person narrator. The other is Grimaldus' point of view. This provides a good narrative with some depth. The novel offers plenty of drama not only in combat but also in the politics and relationships. In the Imperium of Man, the various factions do not always get along. Grimaldus needs to be a warrior, a chaplain, and a diplomat. He has to encourage soldiers without outright taking over. He has to persuade the Mechanicum to lend their Titans to the defense of Helsreach and more. Through it all he strives to stay true to his chapter's ideas and honor.
Along the way, we meet other characters such as Trooper Andrej, a local soldier tasked with training and leading civilians who are given arms when things get really bad. We meet the crone princeps of Titan Stormherald who often makes things difficult for Grimaldus. The author does provide good detail on how the Titans work in looking at Stormherald and its crew, specially the bond between the crone princeps and the machine. For fans who know, they will appreciate the small appearance of Commissar Sebastian Yarrick. For those interested, Yarrick has his own series of novels; I read one of them: Imperial Creed (link to my review). The author does a good job of weaving these and other stories into a good narrative; these are characters we care about as we read.
The novel's pace is swift. There is plenty of action and conflict as well as drama. The book is 396 pages for the novel, but it reads fast. Grimaldus is a complicated man, stubborn at times, who grows under fire to prove he is worthy of his Reclusiarch title. Fans of Warhammer 40,000 and Space Marines will likely enjoy this one. The novel can be a good option for casual readers as it is a stand alone novel.
This particular edition is part of the publisher's Masterworks series. It includes the novel and a 30-page short story, "At Gaius Point." The story is about events prior to the novel where traitor space marines invade Helsreach and are confronted by battle sisters. This group of Adepta Sororitas appear later in the novel, so that is the short story's connection to the novel. However, to be honest, the story is not as good as the novel. I'd say if you choose to skip it, you are not missing that much. The story does provide some explanation why the local sisters are a bit unfriendly to the Space Marines.
In addition, this edition is a very nice hardcover volume. Readers who collect the books may like this one on the shelf. It can also be a very good choice for libraries that collect science fiction and game based or franchise based fiction. I would still consider buying the volume for my personal shelf. Overall, a very good novel with good characters and plenty of action. I do recommend it.
5 out of 5 stars.
Two additional quotes from the novel I wanted to remember:
"All lore is useful in the right hands. All information can be a weapon against the enemy" -- Grimaldus (223).
I may need to put the above quote in my e-mail signature lines.
"Nothing is purer than hatred. With hatred, humanity was forged. Through hatred, we have brought the galaxy to its knees" -- Grimaldus, on meeting with Princeps Zarha, regarding the D-16 Oberon weapon (140).
Context above is the princeps is being difficult, opposes Grimaldus using the weapon, and at one point she states she hates him for it. This is basically how he replies since he is going to do it anyways.
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