Warhammer 40K is the powerhouse world created by Games Workshop for the popular table top battle game. The books (published by The Black Library, part of GW) have lent themselves to producing fantastic quality science fiction / fantasy and many have been penned by excelent genre writers such as Mike Lee, Graham McNeill, James Swallow and, on this occassion Dan Abnett.
The step into audio is inspired, chosing quality actors to read for our listining pleasure, in this case Martyn Eliis (Sarah Jane Smith Adventures, New Adventures of Robin Hood).
Cover Blurb
It is the 31st millennium. Under the benevolent leadership of the Immortal Emperor, the Imperium of Man hasstretched out across the galaxy. It is a golden age of discovery and conquest. But now, on the eve of victory, the Emperor leaves the front lines, entrusting the great crusade to his favourite son, Horus. Promoted to Warmaster, can the idealistic Horus carry out the Emperor?s grand plan, or will this promotion sow the seeds of heresy amongst his brothers? Horus Rising is the first chapter in the epic tale of the Horus Heresy, a galactic civil war that threatened to bring about the extinction of humanity.
Major criticismby others is seen to be the fact this is an abridged version. This is not something I am bothered by, give the narrator Martyn Eliis a break. The audio is a heavy six hours long as it is. At under ?20 this still represents great value for money. If you want to know what you are missing, Dan Abnett’s book is still in print and also republished as a 5th anniversary edition in April 2011.
This is a fantastic entry point to the world of Warhammer 40K as it is not bogged down with the mythos of Warhammer and the narrative flows along with the action it describes.
