Xathrodox86 reviews: "Kryptos" by Graham McNeill
This post was supposed to be about "End Times" Thanquol" but I'm not in the mood to write about the fourth installment in WFB's world-shattering event just yet. "Khaine" kinda seeped me of my strength with its incredible ammounts of shittiness. Instead here's a review of Graham McNeill's "Kryptos", one of my favorite Horus Heresy short stories.
In case some of you don't know it yet, Graham McNeill will soon be moving to California to work for Riot Games on their League of Legends franchise. One of Black Library's most popular writers won't be contributing to the Heresy series as much as he used to, but, according to the man himself, he'll still write from time to time. Mainly short stories, but still... That's something I guess. His "Crimson King" is supposedly half finished, which begs the question whether it'll be released in 2015 or at the beginning of 2016. Now I personally can't wait for that one to be published, since "A Thousand Sons" is one of my most beloved Horus Heresy novels of all time and after reading "Scars" the storyline of Magnus and his sons is truly one of the more interesting ones in the whole series.
But enough about wishes. Let's get to the review at hand.
"Bloodied but unbowed, the Raven Guard and the Iron Hands fight on. In the wake of the Dropsite Massacre, the shattered Legions are still prepared to bring the fight to Warmaster Horus and his traitorous allies. On the doomed forge world of Cavor Sarta, two veteran warriors of the Imperium strike deep into the heart of the Dark Mechanicum’s territory. With bolter and blade ready to cut down any who cross their path, they will seek out the enemy’s most valued asset: the mysterious ‘Kryptos’..."
The entire story takes place on Cavor Sarta, a Forge World in control of Dark Mechanicus. Unbeknown to traitors, two loyalist Space Marines have infiltrated their domain and seek to wreak havoc and destruction on the allies of the traitorous Warmaster. Sabik Wayland of the Iron Hands and Nykona Sharrowkyn of the Raven Guard are on a vital mission that can potentailly tip the war effort for those who oppose Horus. As it turns out the traitors are using some sort of encryption device which allows them to communicate without fear of loyalists eavesdropping on them, dubbed the "Kryptos". Already one attempt at capturing it has failed, so when a new intelligence concerning its location presents itself, the Imperium sends two veteran warriors to procure it at all costs.
Yup, Graham McNeill just introduced Enigma to the Horus Heresy series. How cool is that?
The story itself is incredibly well paced, with a sense of urgesness and time running out, as Wayland and Sharrowkyn make their way stealthily through desecrated Forge World in search of Kryptos. The planet itself is dying, reacting violently to sickness that gnaws at it from within. McNeill once again shows just why he is so great at writing about AdMech stuff, both normal and corrupted, and his descriptions of Cavor Sarta are visceral and thought provoking. Those of you who had the opportunity to read Graham's "Dead Sky, Black Sun" will immediately feel at home, since Medrengard feels very similar to this story's corrupted Forge World with all it's horrors and Chaos-influenced madness. Splendid stuff.
Aside from perfectly capturing the atmosphere of the doomed planet, the two protagonists of this story are simply its strongest point. While being very different from one another, both the Iron Hand and Raven Guard share a true form of camardrie and fellowship. Their interactions are both funny, in the "buddy cop" sense and style, and full of mutual respect, despite huge differences in their modus operandi.
Both survivors of Istvaan V massacre, Sabik and Nykona are filled with pure hatred towards the traitors, each one expressing it in different manner. While Wayland, who took a blow from the Phoenician himself during the apocalyptic battle, channels his fury into cold, focused blade, ready to be unleashed at a moment's notice, Nykona is much more reserved and calculating. Having being saved by Sabik, who dragged him to the Thunderhawk, Sharrowkyn fights the traitors, not knowing the fate of his legion and his gene-sire, Corax. This uncertainty, while obviously weighing heavily on his soul, does not hamper his efforts in killing the enemies of the Imperium however, as the reader will quickly find out while reading this short. Now it must be said, that anyone looking for some good, old fashioned bolter porn, will be immediately dissapointed. "Kryptos" is an espionage story at heart and it works incredibly well in this manner. The tension is ever present, the loaylist duo's methods of taking the fight to the traitors are thought provoking and unorthodox at the same time. I was really surprised when the Iron Hand did a thing that could only be described as tech-heresy to help with their mission. Of course I won't spoil it, but it was something not easily associated with conservative and dogmatic methods of the Iron Tenth. "Kryptos" really shows just how desperate the loyalists are in their struggle against the traitorous Warmaster and his cronies, and begs the question of just how far will the loyal servants of the Emperor be willing to go in their quest for victory.
There is really nothing wrong about this short story. Altough it can be finished in less than 20 minutes, it delivers fully the tension and action, that one can expect of a Heresy-era tale. If you didn't got the chance to read it, and consider yourselves fans of the Horus Heresy series, be sure to grab it and give it a go. "Kryptos" is part of the recently published "Legacies of Betrayal" anthology and can be also grabbed in an audio format. It's really worth every cent and is one of the best Warhammer 40,000 stories that I've ever stumbled upon in my 7-Year career as a 40K geek. If Graham McNeill will continue to write more pieces like this one, then I'll have no problems with him taking less active role in pushing the Heresy onwards.
Oh and if you're curious, both Sabik Wayland and Nykona Sharrowkyn return to the front lines in "Angel Exterminatus" and "The Seventh Serpent", both penned by Graham McNeill as well. I'll probably review them someday, but now it is sadly time for me to return to the "End Times" and finish what I've started.
Pros:
-Immersive and suspenseful storyline that keeps you on your toes to the very end.
-Greatly written characters that are both badass and believable at the same time. Considering that they are Space Marines, it is quite a feat.
-It's nice to read about loyalists kicking traitors asses for a change.
Cons:
-None. Seriously. This is a perfect example of a story done right.
Until next time and watch out for the shadows around you. You can never be sure what lurks within them...
Xathrodox86
But enough about wishes. Let's get to the review at hand.
"Bloodied but unbowed, the Raven Guard and the Iron Hands fight on. In the wake of the Dropsite Massacre, the shattered Legions are still prepared to bring the fight to Warmaster Horus and his traitorous allies. On the doomed forge world of Cavor Sarta, two veteran warriors of the Imperium strike deep into the heart of the Dark Mechanicum’s territory. With bolter and blade ready to cut down any who cross their path, they will seek out the enemy’s most valued asset: the mysterious ‘Kryptos’..."
The entire story takes place on Cavor Sarta, a Forge World in control of Dark Mechanicus. Unbeknown to traitors, two loyalist Space Marines have infiltrated their domain and seek to wreak havoc and destruction on the allies of the traitorous Warmaster. Sabik Wayland of the Iron Hands and Nykona Sharrowkyn of the Raven Guard are on a vital mission that can potentailly tip the war effort for those who oppose Horus. As it turns out the traitors are using some sort of encryption device which allows them to communicate without fear of loyalists eavesdropping on them, dubbed the "Kryptos". Already one attempt at capturing it has failed, so when a new intelligence concerning its location presents itself, the Imperium sends two veteran warriors to procure it at all costs.
Yup, Graham McNeill just introduced Enigma to the Horus Heresy series. How cool is that?
The story itself is incredibly well paced, with a sense of urgesness and time running out, as Wayland and Sharrowkyn make their way stealthily through desecrated Forge World in search of Kryptos. The planet itself is dying, reacting violently to sickness that gnaws at it from within. McNeill once again shows just why he is so great at writing about AdMech stuff, both normal and corrupted, and his descriptions of Cavor Sarta are visceral and thought provoking. Those of you who had the opportunity to read Graham's "Dead Sky, Black Sun" will immediately feel at home, since Medrengard feels very similar to this story's corrupted Forge World with all it's horrors and Chaos-influenced madness. Splendid stuff.
Aside from perfectly capturing the atmosphere of the doomed planet, the two protagonists of this story are simply its strongest point. While being very different from one another, both the Iron Hand and Raven Guard share a true form of camardrie and fellowship. Their interactions are both funny, in the "buddy cop" sense and style, and full of mutual respect, despite huge differences in their modus operandi.
Both survivors of Istvaan V massacre, Sabik and Nykona are filled with pure hatred towards the traitors, each one expressing it in different manner. While Wayland, who took a blow from the Phoenician himself during the apocalyptic battle, channels his fury into cold, focused blade, ready to be unleashed at a moment's notice, Nykona is much more reserved and calculating. Having being saved by Sabik, who dragged him to the Thunderhawk, Sharrowkyn fights the traitors, not knowing the fate of his legion and his gene-sire, Corax. This uncertainty, while obviously weighing heavily on his soul, does not hamper his efforts in killing the enemies of the Imperium however, as the reader will quickly find out while reading this short. Now it must be said, that anyone looking for some good, old fashioned bolter porn, will be immediately dissapointed. "Kryptos" is an espionage story at heart and it works incredibly well in this manner. The tension is ever present, the loaylist duo's methods of taking the fight to the traitors are thought provoking and unorthodox at the same time. I was really surprised when the Iron Hand did a thing that could only be described as tech-heresy to help with their mission. Of course I won't spoil it, but it was something not easily associated with conservative and dogmatic methods of the Iron Tenth. "Kryptos" really shows just how desperate the loyalists are in their struggle against the traitorous Warmaster and his cronies, and begs the question of just how far will the loyal servants of the Emperor be willing to go in their quest for victory.
There is really nothing wrong about this short story. Altough it can be finished in less than 20 minutes, it delivers fully the tension and action, that one can expect of a Heresy-era tale. If you didn't got the chance to read it, and consider yourselves fans of the Horus Heresy series, be sure to grab it and give it a go. "Kryptos" is part of the recently published "Legacies of Betrayal" anthology and can be also grabbed in an audio format. It's really worth every cent and is one of the best Warhammer 40,000 stories that I've ever stumbled upon in my 7-Year career as a 40K geek. If Graham McNeill will continue to write more pieces like this one, then I'll have no problems with him taking less active role in pushing the Heresy onwards.
Oh and if you're curious, both Sabik Wayland and Nykona Sharrowkyn return to the front lines in "Angel Exterminatus" and "The Seventh Serpent", both penned by Graham McNeill as well. I'll probably review them someday, but now it is sadly time for me to return to the "End Times" and finish what I've started.
Pros:
-Immersive and suspenseful storyline that keeps you on your toes to the very end.
-Greatly written characters that are both badass and believable at the same time. Considering that they are Space Marines, it is quite a feat.
-It's nice to read about loyalists kicking traitors asses for a change.
Cons:
-None. Seriously. This is a perfect example of a story done right.
Until next time and watch out for the shadows around you. You can never be sure what lurks within them...
 |
| Damn right |
Xathrodox86
Comments
Post a Comment
Thank you for the comments!