A Prospero Burns review has been a long time coming. After finally getting a copy of Dan Abnett's latest Horus Heresy novel in the post and savouring every written word, I'm pleased to present a review of what could be his strongest work to date.Prospero Burns was revealed back in summer 2009 and it's been a long wait for a Horus Heresy Space Wolves novel. But the wait has very much been worth it.
Considering the long list of people thanked for consults and suggestions at the end of the novel, an immense amount of work and research has been undertaken by Abnett in redefining the Space Wolves. He seems to have been determined to get it right, and he has truly nailed it.
A word of warning however. If you haven't read A Thousand Sons, you may feel a little lost. I also recommend reading up on Casper Hauser too.
The Wolves Redefined
This isn't Bill King's Space Wolves of old. Gone are the colourful comic book Viking heroes fighting for the glory of humanity. Gone are the banquets of ale and elk. The Wolves of Fenris are for all intents and purposes wolves. They're bestial, they're cunning, they're killers -and they're good at it.
Just as in A Thousand Sons, we see the Wolves from an outsider's point of view. A researcher named Kasper Hawser. Hawser has his own problems of course. Tormented dreams, a fragmented memory and to top it all off, he gets picked up by the Space Wolves. A man amongst Astartes is one thing, but we soon learn that a man amongst the Wolves of Fenris is another thing entirely.
Kasper becomes a Skjald, a story teller for the 6th Legion and in doing so must witness epic battles, small skirmishes, horrors beyond imagining and the final fall of Prospero.
A Literary Masterpiece
It takes a little while to get used to the way we bounce back and forth through Hawser's mind, from past to present and even recollections of the past occurring in present time. It's all beautifully written by Abnett who uses his greatest literary strengths (mostly conversation) to blur the boudaries between dreamscapes, consciousness and back again.
There's plenty of action. It's viscerally delightful, but if you're expecting Abnett's usual dose of war-porn, then you'll be sorely disappointed. Instead, he has served up a layered piece of literature that's wonderfully constructed with lashings of detail in just a few well chosen words. He's taken his time on this one and it doesn't just show, it shines.
Abnett uses all the senses of sight, sound and scent to immerse us in the brutal and bewildering world of Kasper Hawser. So please don't rush this book. Be patient and digest it at your leisure. Taste every delicious description. It's a wonderfully well written novel with much to be learned -and not only about the Space Wolves and Leman Russ, but also about Chaos and the Thousand Sons as well.
Conclusion
Many will be hesitant to read a Space Wolves book about a character who isn't a Space Wolf. However, I found myself so enthralled by the first hand accounts of Kasper Hawser, his growing friendship with the Vlka Fenryka and the rare appearance of the charismatic Leman Russ, that I completely forgot the final destination of the novel.
The sacking of Prospero is a backdrop to character development that's more involved with solving the riddle of Kasper Hawser than it is destroying the Thousand Sons legion. But what's to follow is even better.
After all, "There are no wolves on Fenris."
9/10 - Exceptional. Dan Abnett's literary talent is stronger than ever. Highly recommended reading for any Warhammer 40K fan looking for a well written novel to immerse themselves in. However, you should read A Thousand Sons first to lay the ground work.
25 comments:
January 5, 2011 at 12:10 PM
This book was awesome. If you don't want to play 40k and Space Wolves after reading it then why the hell are you reading this book?
It was great. I really can't say much else other then if you like 40k read this book. Read it right away.
January 5, 2011 at 12:23 PM
The book is absolutely awesome, though I didn't get, what are the Fenrisian wolves anyway :D
January 5, 2011 at 12:54 PM
Safe to say that A Thousand Sons is a must read first? I was hoping to jump to this one.
January 5, 2011 at 3:13 PM
Got to agree with you, along with the Eisenhorn books this is one of the best offerings to come out of the BL.
January 5, 2011 at 3:36 PM
BS: As they say "There are no wolves on Fenris." Or there were none...at least until the Space Wolves arrived.
I'm sure you can work out what Fenrisian Wolves are after reading the 'rites of initiation' in the Space Wolves Codex.
Minijunkie: I guess BL intended for you to read this one first. But I strongly suggest reading A Thousand Sons as well to make sense of this story -either before or after.
January 5, 2011 at 4:22 PM
Adam: On the basis of the Codex, it seems, that the failed candidate turns into Wulfen, not into wolf, while Russ on the cover on the book and in "Thousand Sons" novel masters wolves... By the way, nothing in "prospero burns" is said about Wulfen...
January 5, 2011 at 4:30 PM
Failed aspirants eventually turn into wolves. I'd assume that becoming a wulfen is simply a stage in the process.
This is expanded upon in A Thousand Sons when Magnus explains to Ahriman that the first settlers were genetically altered to survive in the harsh conditions.
January 5, 2011 at 5:09 PM
One of the best books I have read in a very long time, Abnett has surpassed even his usual level!
*Spoiler Alert-ye be warned*
On the note of the wolves, Brom of the Ascommanni does appear to make a reappearance as a Fenrisian Wolf to Hawser, though if I remember rightly it was in a dream state with Longfang, make of that what you will. And in Thousand Sons Ahriman examines one of the wolves and finds strands of Astartes genecode.
January 5, 2011 at 5:11 PM
I remember that conversation, but found it kinda obscured at that time... Maybe that's because English is not my native.
But what about 13th Company then? If I'm not wrong, a Wulfen attack was described in Thousand Sons as well. Or they were simply Marked by Wulfen, as our grey hunters?
And what about wearing wolf pelts then? Maybe Astartes kill wolves if they eventually turn aggressive? Because wolf-Brom saved Hawser in Longfang's dream and it is unlikely that he was killed and skinned...
January 5, 2011 at 5:21 PM
The wolves of Fenris are also intelligent, if the part of wolf-Brom that remembers the Upplander as he knew Hawser then the protective instinct could have kicked in. The 13th Company only became The Wulfen after the events of Prospero as a result of them charging through the Portal in search of Magnus. After all, the Wolves never leave a job half finished. I would say that the "Wulfen" in Thousand Sons are, as you say, grey hunters with the Mark of the Wulfen but are not yet turned. It is possible for it to stabilise as shown in the Ragnar novels. Also, the Vlka Fenryka are ALL described as having the yellow eyes of a wolf, something that is usually only noticed once they are marked by the Wulfen.
January 5, 2011 at 6:01 PM
Yeah, I don't agree. I thought this book was mediocre as a Space Wolves novel. It only became acceptable when I got over the fact that it was about Kasper Hauser and NOT the Space Wolves. They were supporting characters more than anything else. Most of the second act felt like it was from a different book and the third act was a joke. The sacking of Prospero being covered in a handful of poorly written and repetitive pages and serving merely as a lead in for Abnett to conclude Kasper's tale.
Definitely not one of Abnett's best imo and A Thousand Sons completely overshadowed it.
January 5, 2011 at 6:31 PM
I have not read the book yet, but it will happen!
I think the biggest problem for fans are these things.
1] They know and like William Kings books and want it in that style. Booze and battles.
2] It was hyped up as the flip side to ATS and from all accounts, it is not. If you get someone excited for something and it doesn't happen, it doesn't matter what the replacement thing is, it is not what they were anticipating.
I have tried to read William Kings SW books and have been disappointed in them. They are, as you say, more a comic book style.
Many people do like the Wolves, yet feel WKs books and the wolfwolfwolf thing is not right. Abnett's books open up the Wolves to a different audience, both those who already know who the Wolves are and to those who are new to the hobby.
Perhaps not a book for those wanting a WK book, but for those who love good sci-fi or sci-fan books, it seems PB is that :)
Some are already starting or strengthening Wolvf forces because of PB ;)
January 5, 2011 at 8:32 PM
I don't know about that. I've yet to meet or speak to anyone that thought the William King/Lee Lightner novels were anything more than toilet paper waiting for a butt to wipe.
I wouldn't mind the lack of quality(again just my opinion) as much if it weren't for the fact that this is likely to be the ONLY Space Wolves book we'll get in the Horus Heresy. They ride the bench for the rest of the story. Missed opportunity.
January 5, 2011 at 8:50 PM
I'm now collecting a Space Wolves army after a long break from 40K... played other second edition armies in college.
As a new Space Wolf player, what do you Long Fangs recommend reading and in what order?
1) First/Second Omnibus
2) A Thousand Sons
3) Prospero Burns
January 6, 2011 at 12:53 AM
Having read the William King/Lee Lightner novels and found them to be 'aimed at a younger audience', I was very impressed with Prospero Burns.
I actually find trying to read a war sequence annoying, as the writer struggles to write with enough description while maintaining a sense of speed and action. I'm yet to find a writer who can pull it off and the few battles in Prospero Burns, I think, had the same problem.
I really enjoyed the more 'adult' style of Prospero with the focus on developing the characters, and through them, the Space Wolves.
Finally. I'm pretty sure Kasper Hawser describes wulfen running along side vehicles during the attack on Prospero. The term 'wulfen' is never used but the description is pretty suggestive.
January 6, 2011 at 8:30 AM
Excellent review. I haven't read it yet, but an enjoying 1000 Sons right now and will pick this one up when I am done.
January 7, 2011 at 10:51 PM
If the wolves of Fenris are supposed to be failed aspirants then as a species they'd cease to exist.
A viable species requires reproduction. Reproduction requires a male and female. All Space Marines are male.
Consequently if the wolves of Fenris are failed aspirants, then they are all male, and the species of wolf would cease to exist after one generation.
Certainly failed aspirants would add to the number, but could Space Wolves really lose more than a dozen aspirants a year without having to take a serious look at their induction procedure?
January 8, 2011 at 3:40 AM
A Thousand Sons and Prospero Burns clearly suggests throughout that Fenrisian Wolves are failed Space Wolves aspirants.
Correct, they'd all be male and therefore unable to reproduce.
Maybe they change gender like frogs...or like the frog DNA they used to finish Dinosaur DNA in Jurassic Park. Who knows?
January 9, 2011 at 12:05 AM
Well what do you expect from the forces of Chaos. ;-)
Why I'm sure in A Thousand Sons they tried to convince everybody that Magnus and his followers were really just good guys, misunderstood by the wicked Imperium, and forced to escape into the warp to save their miserable skins.
(Besides, there are at least two and maybe three species of Wolf on Fenris. The normal wolf, the blackmane (who may be just a larger example of the normal version) and the thunderwolf, which while appearing wolflike has more in common with the rhinoceros than the canine.)
January 9, 2011 at 8:38 PM
I just finished this one, and I do think it's a mixed bag that will delight and frustrate wolf fans in equal measure. To non wolf fans? Just leave it on the shelf. Really.
I do like Abnett, specially after Legion, but in my opinion this is not his best work. There are moments when it shines and gives the 6th legion real depth, and cool factor. The fact they are seen as the final word in total destruction is very fitting, the emperors executioner and unstoppable wrecking ball. You have to love moments like that. Along with those little nuggets when it does weave with the other books and contributes to the series as a whole. Plus 'Bear' is great and steals a lot of scenes. (he is Bjorn but you dont know until the end)
But for those moments when it shines there are a dozen where it drags. The books entire perspective from a human is to be praised in concept but maybe not in execution. Astartes can be boring as they are straight forward killing machines designed to not show emotion (or much of it), so alternative ways to write them should be encouraged. Here it just doesnt excite me enough though, despite glimpses into what makes fenrisians tick and how the wolves view themselves. The names I thought were good along with other terminology he added to wolf fluff.
In the end though this isnt about Prospero Burning at all. Its Kevin Costner in Dances with Wolves and it feels overly long like that movie. It's a documentary on fenrisian culture, interesting and informing in places but ultimately lacking action. I thought A Thousand Sons did a better job in places and is the better book depicting this part of the heresy, in my opinion.
The depiction of Prospero burning is just a chapter at the end, told in a saga style by the human central character. If I hadn't read A Thousand Sons I would have been lost and even more disapointed.
January 9, 2011 at 8:54 PM
With regard to fenrisian wolves. Lets not forget that a space marine can live for hundreds of years. Logan is over 600 years according to fluff isn't he (mabey thats Ulric)? And I think Dante is approaching 900! So even with mabey 50 failed aspirants a year (and the Ragnar books suggest it's actually a much higher number than this) the longeity of the space marine would easily allow for the numbers of wolves to steadily increase.
And who knows how the aspirant would mutate over this time. Over half a millenium it would be perfectly resonable for the aspirant to change from wulfen to blackmane then thunderwolf.
...>:[...
I think I need a day job.
January 11, 2011 at 12:39 PM
The wolves from the altered people had females and the big wolves are the wulfen that then turn to blackmane then to thunderwolves?
February 24, 2011 at 5:28 AM
A Great book - finally finished the Duo after buying Prospero Burns for the Kindle.
A Thousand Sons was just great! I really felt for the Thousand Sons.. And when the Wolves... well.. yea they were 'mindless killers'.
This is exemplified with Russ's comments to Hauser how its all just a facade.
The entire part in both books about Nikea was masterful - the fact the Wolves were ready to be let loose if things went pear-shaped.
Bear is the true Hero and those who have read it will know what I mean - in a bit like in Star Wars, it could be said the story is told from C3P0 / R2 - the non-combatants, and the heros come and go. And yes, theres a lot of bad words floating around about Hauser which is only like "The Gay Robots from Star Wars".
I wouldnt look at is as a single book, it is Empire to A New Hope. Or T2 to Terminator.
I'm just looking to Battle for The Fang now, as 1ksons / Space Wolves tiff has become my focus of the entire 40k Universe.
March 26, 2012 at 2:51 PM
So I'm still rather confused on this "there are no wolves on fenris" thing. While I understand the logic of the failed aspirant thing, I'm lost because the fluff tells us that Russ was raised by wolves upon arrival on fenris. Meaning that the fenrisian wolves predate the 6th Legion on fenris. Can someone explain this to me?
March 26, 2012 at 3:36 PM
It's because they ARE NOT wolves.
Read the books!
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