I'm a little behind the times on reading this one, sorry! Urdesh: The Serpent and the Saint is the first novel in a series by Matthew Farrer, and I am incredibly excited for this latest (to me) Warhammer 40K novel.
Urdesh is burning. However, it is impossible to tell where the fires of war end and the planet's destruction begins. They are the same at this point, creating the same inevitable conclusion. The only way to save the planet, and the people that inhabit it, is to help them find freedom.
However, freedom will not come easily. The Anarch does not give up lightly. It will take a particular set of warriors to save the day. Or so we hope.
Urdesh is a perfect novel for Space Marines fans – and I really do mean that. It is a novel that pits the Space Marines against the horror of 40K, and it does so in a way that fans will truly appreciate. And that's coming from someone who doesn't cherish the Space Marines the way many players do.
I love how this book broke everything down into squads. I usually think that this sort of choice wouldn't work, but it did here. This is partially because it is needed – the scale of this battle is wild, so splitting things up helped make that clearer. It also added to the gravity and horror of the story, which is very fitting.
I should probably mention that while some 40K books strive not to choose a side when portraying war...this is not one of them. As I said above, it is perfect for Space Marines fans – meaning that the favorite side is pretty clear right from the onset.
However, if that doesn't bother you, and you're in the mood for a good book full of battle scenes, gore, and action, then Urdesh: The Serpent and the Saint will be entertaining. I promise.
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Reviewed by Quirky Cat on
Reading updates
- Started reading
- 4 May, 2022: Finished reading
- 4 May, 2022: Reviewed