It has entitled my review of Primogenitor – the first volume by Josh Reynolds on the infamous Fabius Bile, once the Chief Apothecary of the Emperor’s Children – “Sad Monster”. It could also have been the title of this review although it also includes other dimensions. Fabius Bile, like all his brother legionaries, suffer for a blight, a flaw in their genetics that he has been desperately trying to eradicate and cure for thousands of years through multiple and desperate experiments, and a cancerous flaw that afflicts him and obliges him to clone himself and transfer his mind regularly into new bodies.
While this volume is the sequel of Primogenitor and you will find a number of common characters, including fellow Apothecaries from other Traitor Legions that have joined with Fabius and benefit from his facilities, and allusions to others included in the first title, it can perfectly well be read on its own.
To cut a long story short and limit spoilers to a minimum, most of the action, apart from the end, takes place on the Vesalius, an ancient Gladius-class frigate with a crew of mutants and creatures created by Fabius together with the remnants of an Emperor’s Children war band, some of which having evolved to such an extent as to become “Noise Marines”.
One of the book’s strongpoints lays in the description of the various mutants and degenerated Space Marines, some of which struggling to maintain some humanity despite their afflictions. Another interesting feature is the general atmosphere of treason and distrust as various Emperor’s Children officers try and fail, time and again, to take control and dispossess him of his ship.
Fabius, however, can count on the loyalty and/or the allegiance of his fellow apothecaries, on the love of some of his creations, with Igori, the female leader and apex warrior and huntress of Space Marines being one of the prime example, and a young and extremely beautiful and gifted clone with violet eyes being another. Another strongpoint is the introduction of alien species, including the Eldar in the guise of a troop of Harlequins that are hunting Fabius and his crew across the galaxy to revenge themselves, and another even more powerful alien Prince who shares Bile’s scientific interests, possesses something of immense value to him and his fellow legionaries and rivals, and happens to be an inveterate collectioner.
Four very strong stars for a very good title and I am looking forward to reading many more episodes of Fabius Bile’s travels and efforts across the war-torn galaxy in search of the remedy that will allow him to regenerate his Legion at long last.
Vänd till baksida
Vänd till framsidan
Viktig notis
PEGI-märkt produkt. Mer information om åldersgränser finns här
Kundrecensioner
Populäraste recensionerna från andra länder
JPS
Dying, beleaguered but still hoping monster
Granskad i Storbritannien den 9 juli 2018Verifierat köp
Andrew N. Swan
Fabius is a fabulous read
Granskad i Storbritannien den 1 augusti 2018Verifierat köp
jack
Really fun and opens up the fluff for all kinds of possiblys!
Granskad i Storbritannien den 2 augusti 2019Verifierat köp
clive
Worth reading
Granskad i Storbritannien den 18 maj 2019Verifierat köp
Alexander
Good but was missing something!
Granskad i Storbritannien den 24 augusti 2018Verifierat köp