Horus Heresy: Scars: Episode VIII (Ebook Review)

As with the last book review this is posted in full on http://thefoundingfields.com/ and this is simply a preview. If you want to see it in full then please follow the link through to there.

Episode VIII is unfortunately as much a weakness to the novel as it is an asset to the tale. As said last time, a concern was that it might take a step backwards right after making one in the right direction and that’s what seems to have happened here. While the focus on the Space Wolves was robbing time away from the White Scars, it’s obvious that their presence was necessary for some story strength.

Think about this for a moment. Whatever my personal thoughts on his books, all of Chris Wraight’s major releases have consistentlyworked around a battle or a build-up to a large conflict. Battle of the Fang, Wrath of Iron, Blood of Asaheim; they’ve all either been set surrounding one big conflict and working off of that to a degree. These only ended with the conclusion of the book and rarely lasted any longer than the actual battle here. In Scars,we’ve seen the end of the Space Wolves’ battle, left it behind, and the story manages to feel somewhat rudderless as a result. It still has a clear direction, but many elements feel rushed as if Wraight is trying to get to the next big source of conflict as fast as possible.