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Black Library Advent Calendar 2018 #16
The Atonement of Fire
Advent Calendar 2018: Day Sixteen
Seeking to atone for the sin of Imperium Secundus, Roboute Guilliman throws himself at enemies – and a force of World Eaters provide the perfect target.
READ IT BECAUSE
Guilliman's guilt over creating a breakaway Imperium during the Horus Heresy is a fascinating aspect of his character, and this story explores it in the midst of brutal battle.
THE STORY
Imperium Secundus is over. A vision granted to Sanguinius shows that the Emperor is alive, and so the Triumvirate of primarchs who formed the breakaway empire have taken to their fleets and intend to make the traitors pay for their heresy. But in his heart, Roboute Guilliman, architect of Imperium Secundus, feels as much a traitor as any of them – and he seeks to atone for his sin by throwing himself at enemies. When a force of World Eaters threaten a world that embodies the Imperium's ideals, he finds the perfect target…
19 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 16, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
June 7, 2024
June 2024 Read using the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project Reading Order (https://www.heresyomnibus.com) as part of my Oath of Moment to complete the Horus Heresy series and extras - in Immaterium of everything outside the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project working on the last few Primarchs stories I have left.
With this I am completely complete, save for the rest of the Siege of Terra and the unreleased Eidolon: Auric Hammer!
This wasn't the most epic tale to end on, but I did save Annandale as a treat and then end up having a great time with the other stories so I can't complain.
Guilliman is in his eternal guilt for Imperium Secondus era, taking the fight to the Traitors post Ruinstorm to give Sanguinius the time and space to get to Terra. The Ultramarines engage the World Eaters above a shining beacon of Compliance...
This story, while written decently, didn't really do anything for me and lacked the Annandale beautiful disgusting chaos and wildness that makes me normally such a big fan. The narrative takes place in the same time period as the novella, Spear of Ultramar, but lacks the energy, emotion, and...rampant Annandaleing that makes that book scream!
Ultimately, it's just presenting us with a world and saying, it should would be awful if something bad happened to it...and then something bad happens to it regardless of the events of the story. It's not even as if the desperation for atonement and a sympathetic bloodlust for the World Eaters directly causes an otherwise avoidable disaster. It feels inevitable.
This is one of those reviews in which I have talked myself down a star, from three to two, because it feels like there are so many wasted opportunities for tragedy and pathos just left on the table.
Don't get me wrong, this isn't anything like the way Hinks seems to use Guilliman to push some weird fash colonial apologia, but it is way too much on the Roboute as the perfect penitent boy when his guilt and shame could have been used to far greater effect in this.
Through the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project and my own additions, I have currently read* ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING EXCEPT SAVE FOR THE REST OF THE SIEGE OF TERRA!!! All 54 Horus Heresy main series novels (+1 repeat), 25 novellas (+2 repeats), Cthonia's Reckoning, as well as the Macragge's Honour graphic novel, all 17 Primarchs novels 3 Primarchs antholologies , 3 Characters novels, and 191 short stories/ audio dramas across the Horus Heresy (inc. 11+ repeats). Plus, 2 Warhammer 40K further reading novels and 1 short story...this run, as well as writing 1 short story myself.
I couldn't be more appreciative of the phenomenal work of the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project, which has made this ridiculous endeavour all the better and has inspired me to create and collate a collection of Horus Heresy and Warhammer 40,000 documents and checklists (http://tiny.cc/im00yz). There are now too many items to list here, but there is a contents and explainer document here (http://tiny.cc/nj00yz).
*My tracking consistently proves shoddy, but I'm doing my best.
With this I am completely complete, save for the rest of the Siege of Terra and the unreleased Eidolon: Auric Hammer!
This wasn't the most epic tale to end on, but I did save Annandale as a treat and then end up having a great time with the other stories so I can't complain.
Guilliman is in his eternal guilt for Imperium Secondus era, taking the fight to the Traitors post Ruinstorm to give Sanguinius the time and space to get to Terra. The Ultramarines engage the World Eaters above a shining beacon of Compliance...
This story, while written decently, didn't really do anything for me and lacked the Annandale beautiful disgusting chaos and wildness that makes me normally such a big fan. The narrative takes place in the same time period as the novella, Spear of Ultramar, but lacks the energy, emotion, and...rampant Annandaleing that makes that book scream!
Ultimately, it's just presenting us with a world and saying, it should would be awful if something bad happened to it...and then something bad happens to it regardless of the events of the story. It's not even as if the desperation for atonement and a sympathetic bloodlust for the World Eaters directly causes an otherwise avoidable disaster. It feels inevitable.
This is one of those reviews in which I have talked myself down a star, from three to two, because it feels like there are so many wasted opportunities for tragedy and pathos just left on the table.
Don't get me wrong, this isn't anything like the way Hinks seems to use Guilliman to push some weird fash colonial apologia, but it is way too much on the Roboute as the perfect penitent boy when his guilt and shame could have been used to far greater effect in this.
Through the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project and my own additions, I have currently read* ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING EXCEPT SAVE FOR THE REST OF THE SIEGE OF TERRA!!! All 54 Horus Heresy main series novels (+1 repeat), 25 novellas (+2 repeats), Cthonia's Reckoning, as well as the Macragge's Honour graphic novel, all 17 Primarchs novels 3 Primarchs antholologies , 3 Characters novels, and 191 short stories/ audio dramas across the Horus Heresy (inc. 11+ repeats). Plus, 2 Warhammer 40K further reading novels and 1 short story...this run, as well as writing 1 short story myself.
I couldn't be more appreciative of the phenomenal work of the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project, which has made this ridiculous endeavour all the better and has inspired me to create and collate a collection of Horus Heresy and Warhammer 40,000 documents and checklists (http://tiny.cc/im00yz). There are now too many items to list here, but there is a contents and explainer document here (http://tiny.cc/nj00yz).
*My tracking consistently proves shoddy, but I'm doing my best.
March 19, 2022
Despite the bittersweet end, it was an absolute blast.
January 3, 2023
Some very cool, well written action and ticking time-bomb type shit going on here. Most of what you'd want from a 40k short story, really. But I can't shake the feeling Robute Guilliman is just as boring as I assumed he'd be.
January 21, 2025
An angry Rowboat that wants to defend his dream of the Imperium from the Angry Boys. And fails. But he's very angry about it. And he feels guilty that he did the best he could with what he had but since it may make his absentee daddy grumpy.
Not a great portrayal of Rowboat, overall.
Not a great portrayal of Rowboat, overall.
June 15, 2019
Read as part of Advent Calendar 2018.
August 1, 2025
“In the strategium of the battleship Ultimus Mundi, the Lord of Ultramar contemplated the fragility of dreams, and the nightmare of force needed to preserve them.”
Imperium Secundus is no more. Guilliman is weighed down with guilt over the creation of Imperium Secundus, fearing that he has failed his father. Now he seeks to protect the Blood Angel fleet so that Sanguinius may reach Terra before their treacherous brother Horus.
I enjoyed the characterisation of Guilliman, a loyal son who fears the destruction of the Heresy will bring darkness to the Imperium even if the Loyalists succeed.
Imperium Secundus is no more. Guilliman is weighed down with guilt over the creation of Imperium Secundus, fearing that he has failed his father. Now he seeks to protect the Blood Angel fleet so that Sanguinius may reach Terra before their treacherous brother Horus.
I enjoyed the characterisation of Guilliman, a loyal son who fears the destruction of the Heresy will bring darkness to the Imperium even if the Loyalists succeed.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews