The Unremembered Empire (27) (The Horus Heresy) Paperback – July 29, 2014

This book is based on an interesting premise - what does the Empire's most imperial primach do when his personal empire is cut off from the rest of the galaxy, possibly for a very, very long time? Unfortunately, the book doesn't live up to the title, nor the author's previous works.In the plethora of problems with this book, four are major and impossible to ignore. The editing is probably the worst; dialogue varies in style from point to point in the book, pacing stumbles, and plot lines are utterly confused. I have a mental picture of large scissors being used to cut up Abnett's work into bits and pieces, and those pieces taped back together by the editors without any real concern over how fractured the narrative had become.The primarchs are arguably as bad as the editing. They're exceptionally bland and uninspiring, essentially regular Space Marines who just so happen to be in charge of legions. The sense of wonder and awe the primarchs are said to cause in the early books is utterly replaced by a ho-hum aspect (one being turned into Primarch Hamburger by an unaugmented human in one of the more jaw-droppingly bad sections of the book - but not to worry, his method of revival throughout the book is seemingly an homage to Three Stooges slapstick humour). Guilliman himself has lost the stoic warrior-strategist character from Know No Fear, and is turned into a generic Greek philosopher-king analogue who doesn't do the philosophy bit very well at all; as disappointing as the primarchs were in this book in general, the neutering of Guilliman's character was perhaps the most disappointing. It's hard to reconcile the Guilliman of this book with the Guilliman who founded the Codex Astartes and kept the Imperium together following the end of the Horus Heresy.Another confusing aspect is that the title really has nothing to do with the subject of the book; Imperium Secundus proper is given about 15 pages total of exposition and dialogue, none of which help to make it plausible, and the late arrival (essentially a cameo) of Sanguinius to justify the whole plot line surrounding Secundus makes things even worse, given the disparity between how this he reacts to the whole idea and his tacit acceptance of regency with no argument, and his disposition and personality in Fear To Tread.The last major problem isn't as egregious as the other three primarily because it deals with sub-plots within the book. The Perpetuals are back, as welcome as a sharp stick in the eye. Their goal in this book is the death of a primarch, (whether they succeed or not is cause for speculation), but the whole framework of their inclusion is rickety and suspect, and it seems mainly to add story material to a running primarch duel that in itself makes no sense. We're also treated to some super-duper xenos technology that allows not just one, not just two, but three deus ex machina moments in the book (the third being a direct necessity of the second to keep loose storylines from fluttering out of the end of this book like toilet paper on the bottom of one's shoe, the first being utterly unplausible given who sanctions it). The scenery is essentially nonexistent in this book as well, and descriptions of secondary characters and events is just as lacking. Think of a green screen without the CGI overlay; that's essentially what the story is being played out against in this book.Overall, exceptionally disappointing, especially given the author of the book. There's nothing here essential to the Heresy storyline, since Imperium Secundus is given barely any page space, and the rest is just incompetent primarchs screwing things up. Guilliman and friends (including half of the Ultramarines legion) vs one primarch should eventually result in a very messy splatter on the pavement, but it turns into a Benny Hill routine while bestowing unrivaled close combat skills on the lone, very insane primarch (which makes me wish for a fight between him and Russ, but that'll never happen) while the other three look like kids playing with toys. Hopefully the other upcoming HH novels are better than this one was.So - a late edit, after re-reading this book following some newer HH books. When taken in the context of some of the later HH books, Unremembered Empire fits in a little better than it did previously. A significant amount of this story is taken up by setting up the groundwork for plots that followed it, primarily Vulkan and Pharos, but the primary body of this book never really really sets a hook. I'm still not a fan of the whole Cabal thing - without any context in the overall WH40k universe, it just never really seems to fit. Likewise with the handling of the primarchs in this book - Curze displays an ability to slay primarchs that seems utterly unfounded, while Rowboat and the Lion get kicked around like they're Imperial Guard at a tyranid rave party. And Vulkan...well...the less said there, the better.I think I was overly harsh in my original review, although without reading some of the later books and then coming back to this for a re-read (which is largely due to the very slow release schedule of HH books), a lot of the smaller details will likely be missed. There are still some legitimate complaints - the largest being the behavior and abilities, or lack thereof, of the primarchs, followed by a simple excess of things going on - but on balance, I'd give it a 3.5/5.

I went into this book expecting more of the same antics that we've seen from the loyalist legions since the betrayal. I'm happy to say that they are finally starting to write better of the loyalist legions and that its finally making me want to get back into the series. After so many books of how they couldn't have seen this coming, how they were completely devastated by this betrayal, and how they just couldn't seem to get their act together they finally are.The book brings in quite a mix of characters, from Primarchs to a couple of the Perpetuals, covers some interesting subjects, and has quite a few good fight scenes. The battles the Primarchs become part of are well written and make you actually look at the Primarchs as they should be, not the mewling cry babies they seemed to be for the last few Loyalist themed books.The perpetuals that are in the book are actually real characters this time. It doesn't feel like the same one from Vulkan Lives even though the character is the same. Abnett seems to have flushed the character out quite well in this book actually giving him depth. There's a couple of big moments with Grammaticus that actually make you feel for the character instead of loathe him because he was written so poorly before. Had this been the way the perpetuals had been written about before I think I would have loved the character/characters and would have loved to see more of their stories before the Heresy started.I recommend this book for any fan of the loyalists as it is starting to finally move the whole Horus Heresy storyline forward.

Its been too long. The last few books, while decent, seemed to take the Primarchs and SM’s out of context. Like batman or superman, they were mad to fit the plot of the story, not the other way around.This book felt like it took everyone, including the humans, and put them back into proper alignment. They are in a damned war, but they remain true to the nature that has made them who they are.Guil is theoretical but considerate.Lion is firm but secretive.Curze is…curzeVulkan is crazy strong.John G is back to being useful, instead of some red shirt human.All in all, a very good book. Ive read all the HH books thus far, and this is one ill be putting near the top of my list.

Mr. Abnett (should be Sir Abnett by now, where is the freaking justice?!?!), DID do a remarkable and professional job of telling a tale that was very engrossing. Up until 2019, I had jumped around the Horus Heresy series based on story lines. I intentionally avoided anthologies, think them a waste of time. So here now, in 2020, I am finishing a book released in 2013 and cherishing it as a fan. Well done sir! Be proud of your work. And I hope you and the Games Shop/Black Library teams take time to celebrate. Celebration and ceremony seem important in your books, it is also important with professional teams!

***I see a lot of reviews that are written by people who are pissed that the Horus Heresy has changed from the original idea and seems to just be dragging on. I do agree with that opinion to some extent. This area should be used to review the individual book, not your opinion of a company who has always put profit first, putting profit first.*** Now for the review... "The Unremembered Empire" in my opinion is the finest Horus Heresy novel to date. I would also go as far as to say that this novel is in the top 5 of best 40K novels written by Dan Abnett. Being that 40K is gearing up for the return of The Primarchs, this book given important incite into the disposition of a few of those Primarchs just before the fall of Horus. It doesn't matter if you are a fan of the Table Top, The Books, or Sci Fi in general... This is a great book.

I loved the writing and the story telling. Dan Abnett does it again. I can't wait for the next one.

Great Book

Excellent!

It's got be good, my son has all of the books and he is particular.

Nachdem die Horus Häresie viele Handlungsstränge begonnen hat, werden in diesem Buch viele lose Enden gepackt und richtig gut verknüpft. (Spontan fallen mir acht bis zeht Plots ein.) Sowohl vorausgehende Romane als auch Kurzgeschichten und Hörspiele werden aufgegriffen, und auf 400 Seiten zu einem Knotenpunkt der Reihe gemacht, der sich toll liest. Das lässt sich bestens an den einzelnen Charakteren belegen, die nach und nach, gut oder schlecht eingesetzt werden.Inhalt (Kann gefahrlos gelesen werden. Ich verrate noch nichts.):Roboute Guilliman: Nachdem er in "Know no Fear" ein Anführer und Kämpfer war, wird die Figur des 13. Primarchen in diesem Roman als Regent von Ultramar gezeigt. Als das Astronomican erlischt, beginnt Roboute mit dem Aufbau des "Imperium secundus" als Zuflucht für die zerstreuten, loyalen Flotten. Der Leser erhält einen vollständigen Charakter mit Familiengeschichte, Prinzipien, Selbstzweifeln, Staatsapparat sowie Verpflichtungen und natürlich einen Kämpfer.Alexis Pollux (bekannt aus "A Crimson Fist" in "Shadows of Treachery") und Barabas Dantioch (bekannt aus "Iron within" in "Age of Darkness"): Ein Imperial Fist und ein Iron Warrior, die - nachdem das obligatorische Misstrauen überwunden ist - gemeinsam bei der Organisation der Verteidigung helfen. Dantioch nimmt dabei eine Außerirdische Maschine in Betrieb, die interplanetare Teleportation ermöglicht, vor allem aber das Astronomican ersetzt und die versprengten Flotten nach Ultramar führt. Die beiden Charaktere stehen etwas abseits, und sind genau darum hilfreich, das Geschehen aus verschiedenen Perspektiven zu sehen.Aeonid Thiel: In "Know no Fear" und im Hörspiel "Censure" wurde mit Thiel die Figur etabliert, die den Bruderkrieg aus der Sicht eines einzelnen Spacemarine-Kriegers (kein Anführer oder Hauptmann) zeigt. Nun soll er von Calth zurückkehren.Sanguinius: Covergirl des Buches... Tja, leider kommt der Primarch der Blood Angels erst im letzten Kapitel an... Weiter nichts...Lion'el Johnson: Leider konnte ich mir mit den ersten beiden Dark Angels Romanen ("Gefallene Engel" und "Engel der Tiefe") noch immer kein Bild vom Primarchen der ersten Legion machen. Im 16. Roman der Serie "Age od Darkness" duellierte er sich zuletzt mit Konrad Curze und wurde anschließend nach Ultramar gerufen. Er ist ehrlich und aufrichtig, aber es wird einfach noch zu wenig von ihm erzählt, um eine Persönlichkeit zu schaffen... Schade.!!!SPOILER!!! !!!SPOILER!!! !!!SPOILER!!! !!!SPOILER!!! !!!SPOILER!!! !!!SPOILER!!! !!!SPOILER!!! !!!SPOILER!!!Ab hier werden Storyelemente verraten. Wer das nicht mag, sollte nicht weiterlesen.John Grammaticus und Damon Prytanis: Bekannt aus den Büchern "Legion", "Ketzerfürst" und "Vulkan lives" haben sich die beiden Unsterblichen nach Ultramar geschlichen, um ihren Auftrag für die Dark Eldar und Eldar auszuführen. Grammatikus hat den Speer im Gepäck, den er in "Vulkan lives" gestohlen hat, und soll Vulkan damit töten. Prytanis soll dafür sorgen, dass Grammatikus seine Aufgabe erfüllt. Fand ich sie bisher wenig interessant, entwickeln sich die Unsterblichen langsam zu den Charakteren, mit denen man sich am besten identifizieren kann. Die beiden interagieren amysant miteinander, während sie sich durch die Hauptstadt schleichen und verschaffen durch ihren Austausch mit Cabalen und Eldrad Ulthran einen hervorragenden überblick über den Plot.Narek (der loyale Word Bearer): Er verfolgt Grammatikus seit dem letzten Roman, und will den Speer an sich nehmen, um ihn gegen Lorgar einzusetzen. Er verfolgt die Unsterblichen, wird in Kämpfe verwickelt und trägt NICHTS zur Geschichte bei. Hätte man ihn herausgelassen, würde dem Buch nichts fehlen. Ich vermute, dass er im späteren Verlauf der Häresie noch eine Rolle spielen soll, und darum nach Ultramar gebracht werden musste.Konrad Curze: Nach dem Duell mit Lion'el Johnson ("Savage Weapons" in "Age of Darkness") hat sich der Primarch der achten Legion auf Johnsons Schiff geschlichen und ist mit ihm unerkannt nach Ultramar gelangt. Eigentlich wollte ich deswegen motzen, aber ich kann nicht. Obwohl Curze mir nach "Vulkan lives", den Kurzgeschichten und den Hörspielen beinahe genauso auf die Nerven ging wie Erebus, wird er in "Unremembered Empire" endlich zu dem Night Haunter, der er sein sollte: Er jagt seine entsetzte Beute in der Dunkelheit, führt seine Opfer in die Irre und schlägt fies zu. Ich bin echt froh, dass dieser Sprung endlich geschafft wurde. Und am Ende des Buches ist es sogar plausibel, dass er sich unentdeckt auf Johnsons Schiff aufhalten konnte.Vulkan: Hier ist der Grund dafür, dass "Vulkan lives" geschrieben wurde und so schlecht war... Der Teleporter, den Vulkan am Ende des letzten Buches benutzt, bringt ihn in die Atmosphäre Macragges, in der er verbrennt. Er stürzt auf den Planeten, was ihn zermalmt. Er regeneriert und geht auf die Jagd nach Curze. Dabei verhält sich Vulkan wie ein unaufhaltsames, durchgedrehtes Frankenstein-Monster, was auf die lange Folter zurückgeführt wird, die ihn seinen Verstand gekostet hat. Diese Idee ist eigentlich sehr gut. Auch dass John Grammatikus und der Speer die einzige Heilung zu sein scheinen gefällt mir. Die Probleme, die ich mit Vulkans Charakter habe, kann ich "Unremembered Empire" nicht anlasten. Die Figur wurde im Vorgänger-Roman einfach zu lieblos dargestellt.Die Alpha Legion: In Wahrheit ist Thiel nicht Thiel. Er und sein Trupp sind maskierte Infiltratoren, die Guilliman umbringen sollen. Eine Gute Idee, aber leider bes******* umgesetzt. Sie kommen zu leicht durch die Verteidigung und versagen sofort. Nachdem sich die Alphas schon in "Deliverance lost" so dämlich verhalten und im letzten Moment alles versaut haben, frage ich mich, wann die Geheimagentenlegion mal ihren großen Moment haben wird.

At last, some seven books after “Know No Fear”, the Horus Heresy saga seems to be moving forward, but only by half a pace, with this book being centred on the “Five Hundred Worlds of Ultramar” and their Primarch Roboute Guilliman.Unfortunately, Dan Abnett’s attempt to bring together a number of loose ends is not, in my view, entirely successful. More generally, there are a number of inconsistencies or tensions across the book, although there are also a number of good pieces and nice touches as well, and I will begin with these.One nice and amusing touch right at the beginning are the apparitions, with references to and a quotation from “Amulet, Prince Demark”, authored by the dramaturge Shakespire. Another nice bit of context is “Magna Macragge Civitas”, the huge capital city of the planet of the same name, and of Ultramar more generally. Both the text and the map of the city show that Abnett has largely drawn his inspiration from Constantinople and the Late Roman and Early Byzantine Empire.A third interesting idea was that of a mysterious alien device that acts as an alternative beacon to the Astronomican and manages to pierce through the Chaos storms and draws all sorts of refugees and loyalists to Macragge. It is in part through this device that Abnett manages to bring together a number of the loose ends that I mentioned.Another interesting feature is that this book allows for a number of insights into Guilliman’s personality which were simply not possible (and not done) in “Know No Fear”, given the battle report format that the author had chosen for that book. So we get some idea as to how Guilliman was trained to be a ruler and a warlord by his human predecessor and by a very interesting character who plays the role of a foster mother. If the point was to show Guilliman as essentially human, and attempting to overcome “human weaknesses” (his emotions) through self-control, then I will admit that Abnett has been quite successful here, even if this is perhaps not quite what readers have become to expect from a “super-human” Primarch.Unfortunately, this is perhaps where problems started to arise. As noted by another reviewer, the fact that a whole hit-squad of barely disguised enemy Space Marines manages to enter Guilliman’s without being challenged beggars belief. It also is somewhat at odds with the portrait of Guilliman as the ultimate tactician and strategist. Maybe this extraordinary lapse of elementary security can be explained away to some extent by one of Guilliman’s “breakdowns” since it is he who allows them in and expressly prevents his own security from doing its job. Maybe his “semi-godly” status explains why his security does not insist in running even the most elementary checks on his “visitors”, although this is not very credible.Anyway, as a result, you are treated to a quite superb fight in a confined room between a Primarch and ten Space Marines. In fact, the book contains a somewhat “symmetrical” scene further on when another Primarch gets to fight another squad of Space Marines from another Legion. I could not help having the impression that Dan Abnett rather liked this feature and therefore decided on a repeat. One problem, however, is that this second feature, and the roaming of this second Primarch across the locked-down fortress and palace more generally, puts the Ultramarines in a rather bad light once again. Their security measures look rather inept, given the easiness with which the intruding Primarch avoids them.Another point is that this books has a concentration of Primarchs – five of which only one is among the “Traitors” and, to some extent, it also tends to concentrate on them. The pieces showing the rather ambivalent relationship between Lion of the Dark Angels and Roboute of the Ultramarines are possibly among the better sections of this volume. However, “Vulkan’s comeback” is not fully convincing. A bit like in the previous volume of the HH series, Dan Abnett seems to have trouble in deciding – once and for all – whether “Vulkan Lives” or not.The last scenes of the book, with a third “loyalist” Legion and its Primarch arriving, are suitably impressive and grandiose, just like the arrival of the Dark Angels. Here again, Dan Abnett tends to double up his effects.So I liked a number of features in this volume, and I liked the way in which Dan Abnett managed to bring a number of loose ends together. Thanks to this book, we essentially end up with having three “loyalist” Legions plus elements of most other “loyalist” Legions all gathered at Macragge, all more or less ready to move to Terra’s rescue. However, it was a bit of a pity that all of these Space Marines (a thousand according to the book) never really take centre stage, with the exception of the leader of a group of Scars, whose reason for being on Macragge is somewhat unclear, and a pack of Space Wolves whose role seems to be to prevent Guilliman into becoming a second Horus.Nevertheless, and as a number of other reviewers, I did not find the plot entirely plausible. The fact that Terra was inaccessible and the Astronomican cannot be seen anymore creates uncertainty. It does not imply that the planet has fallen and the Emperor is dead, neither does it imply the need for a new Regent of the Empire or even a “Second” Empire. More specifically, there were a number of instances (mentioned above) which stretched credulity and goodwill to breaking point.Three stars for a book that was a bit of a “mixed bag” for me.