The End and the Death: Volume I

Amazon is my least favourite fulfilment group for 40k books, having several times delivered hardbounds damaged with little more than the corporate equivalent of an "oopsie". That out of the way, Dan Abnett's writing is so superlative, sublime, majestic, complex and mind blowingly glorious that I'll give a 5 stars and not care about the torn jacket. This finale is years of reading and emotional investment that is a crescendo of human culture and enlightenment. War and humanity rendered into glory and tragedy, beautiful and horror. An examination of the human condition, and the angels and daemons within us, set upon the backdrop of the Siege of Terra and our species's fictionalised near extinction. The pinnacle of fantasy and science fiction written with a love of the written word, of all human endeavour and folly, reaching the heights of Shakespeare and the absurdity of Kafka, composed with the melancholy of Poe and the ability to compose thousands of years of humanity into moments like Herbert. I couldn't put it down, I was so...absorbed that I finished it in a single sitting, and I like to enjoy my books over at least a few days. And it stayed with me, profoundly, changing my mind, my heart and soul. It cements Dan Abnett not merely as the best 40k writer, but one of the greatest writers of all time. And there's a part II, imagine that, there is a part II!

First off, this is 663 pages. not 480 pages. And I see why it had to be split out into two books.Yes, Abnett likes his dictionary. And yes, he likes to say in 30 words what could be done in 10.But my God, this is wonderful!The scale is suitably huge. The wider story is told in little chunks. while we get the main focus with details.We get inside Malcador's mind. We even get point of view from him on the Golden Throne. And, yes, he is the Hero of this.The decision to attack the Vengeful Spirt is laid out. And who isn't going. And Malcador thoughts of the replies are just great.The war is revealed for what it is, a huge ritual sacrifice.There are so many call backs, that I'm sure that I missed most of them.Page 659 - HUGE SPOILER!Still here?LOKEN IS GOING HOME!

Finally, to the end. Some parts are boring, but I still read on, things are important later. Abnett does a good read again.

First half is downright amazing! Second half is a bit of a chore.Best part of this book are the Malcador POV chapters including leading up to his sacrifice. Also, poor Dorn! And yay, more Loken! I also liked the Horus POV chapters and Sanguinuis' little chat with the Emperor before they departed.

We've known the story of the final confrontation of the Emperor and Horus for decades. But always it has been described in relatively dry terms and at a very high level - like a history text.The Games Workshop authors have been toiling for years now telling the story of the Heresy from every angle and in great detail. In doing so they have introduced us to many many new characters readers have come to care about through those many novels and short stories. They have given the Heresy the grandeur missing from all the prior descriptions of the conflict.But it has all, and always, been to lead us inexorably to this point. The final battle. A battle whose end we already know, and which will give birth to the entire larger 40k universe we have been reading about and playing in for almost 40 years.I would not want to have to write this story. To try to do justice to the enormous wind-up that got us here. So did Abnett pull it off?Yup. At least through the first half.The structure of the book takes us essentially from the sealing of Eternity Gate by Sanguinius to the boarding of the Vengeful Spirit and the initial encounters there. It is told in vignettes that alternate between main characters moving the timeline of the book forward, and vignettes documenting - very up close and personal - scenes from the conflict raging in and around the palace. I think this structure does a good job conveying the scale of the conflict as it winds to its final conclusion. It keeps us from forgetting that while the main fight is going to be between the Emperor and Horus, millions of others are fighting and dying at the same time.Is it long? Yes. But did you want it to be short? Could this have been told in a shorter format? Sure, but that's already been done. And if the "fluff" (as some describe it) had been left out, I think the book would have failed to convey the scale of it all. This is the pivotal moment in the entire 40k universe. I think it's appropriate to take the time to do service to that. And to do service to all the "minor" characters that have fought through however many thousands of pages of novels to get to this point. I think they earned it.And I think Abnett was absolutely the right author to tell this final story of the Heresy. GW has lots of great authors writing lots of great novels and short stories for it. But the guy who gave us Eisenhorn, Ravenor and Gaunt's Ghosts has to occupy a special place.

Great book, a little choppy at points as the point of view of a number of different characters are included. At some point it adds to the chaos of everything occurring but at other points it just feels tiresome. Enjoyed the read, like Abnett's writing overall and the point where the Emperor stands up from the throne is fantastic.

I am enjoying the whole Siege of Terra series. All the authors great. Looking forward to volume 2

son likes the book

Can’t believe the heresy is over this is the first part of the final book

This book is long, really long, so long that Abnett had to split it in order to release in 2? volumesNow the issue is that not all that is written here is good, seriously if you see the chapter's title is "Fragments" skip it, you're not missing much. But what's good is REALLY GOOD, it sets up the final confrontation while also doing its best to pave the way for the send-off of most of the main characters and their respective plots, some interesting developments and revelations and even bittersweet moments for characters that are not gonna make it.I'm eagerly waiting the conclusion.

Dan Abnett is a master of the narrative. Everyone knows how this dramatic conflict ended but finally some questions about more particular events are answered. I don't want to make spoilers so i just would say that is worth every euro. Can't wait for the Vol II

+ much like the excess of the war itself, Dan Abnett gives us some of the most beautifully excessive, descriptive prose I have ever read; pages upon pages of exquisite descriptions of the horror and chaos of the worst conflict ever told in fiction+ It feels real because of this! There are other wars on larger scales in other franchises, but the muck and grime and brutality of it is thrown in your face with devastating relentlessness.+ The Emperor does things!+ Horus does things!+ Many more story threads pushing forwards+ Answers to decades old questions+ A cliffhanger ending that answers more of those questions and asks even moreIt has been an exquisite journey to read through the series and wait for this book. It was worth the wait.

"The clocks run out."From a writer's perspective, the Siege of Terra and especially the end must be a dream and a nightmare, both due to fan expectations and literary issues: several plots need an end; the scale, the heroism and the horror need to be represented without lapsing into boring hyperbole or tediousness etc. And guess what, Abnett is on top of it.More than in other books, he uses different literary devices: several perspectives, close in and personal, further out and strategic; first person and third person; all interspersed with little vignettes of devastation. We also learn quite a lot about the Emperor (some of whose recurrent interventions in history are confirmed) and other protagonists, but not too much (if I'm not mistaken, there is even a hint or two towards some of Abnett's other works, eh, "Orphaeus"?)When I use the term "epic" in the title, I do mean it in the original sense; I quote Harmon and Holman on the characterisation of the epic: "A long narrative poem in elevated style presenting characters of high position in adventures forming an organic whole through their relation to a central heroic figure and through their development of episodes important to the history of a nation or race" - so yes, it is fairly wordy (unlike, say, the terse prose of "The Vincula Insurgency").The Siege of Terra is mind-numbing, even for 40K - "The End and the Death Vol I" keeps it going a little longer, it might even turn the screw that little further... Not my favourite Abnett, but hard to put down nonetheless.