39 replies to this topic

[ilnar]

got hold of a copy the other day and i have to say, after titanicus, it was realy bad
dont get me wrong, for a bl book it was good and the story was interesting, but it lacked something,
anyone else read it yet?

[Brother Nihm]

Not yet, I'm still waiting for it to come out here.

[Full-choke]

Are you talking about the Black Library Horus Heresy book Mechanicum? If so how did you even get a hold of it, it doesn't get released here in the states until sometime in December!?!? Sad to hear it isn't as good as Titanicus (<-- AWESOME BOOK), but I was really looking forward to this one. Oh well, I will still read it, I am sure...

F-C

[Dreachon]

I managed to pick up mine at the Dutch Frenzy along with dark disciple, only gotten to the first 50 pages sofar.

[ilnar]

its out in the uk:
ill just wait for everyone else to catch up

[Gaz1858]

I persoanlly thought it was really good, a real eye opener to alot of the history behind the imperium and still leaves a few mysteries!!!

[Amit]

I bought my copy last week (UK)

I planned to read it over a week, but could not put it down so finished it the next day! Definitely one of the better HH books, and had a few 'links' to Titanicus and other 40K background e.g. Noospheric Technology, amniotic tanks for princeps, manifold interfacing, the Kaban Machine etc. etc.

Really pleased with it...

Amit

[Perry]

I'v just finished reading it


What a Fantastic book, much better then Titanicus imho

interesting tidbit about Amniotic tanks, they was not commonly used by all Warlord pilots in the 30th millenium, but obviously grew in popularity afterwards

[Mal]

I have to say I really enjoyed mechanicum... which is great since I was lucky enough to be one of the first 500 pre-orders so I gots me a signed copy

[xa0s]

I -really- liked this book. Interesting to see Adeptus Mechanicus' point of view of life. Just finished it now.

The only part that I didn't have a grasp, image-wise, were the knights -- it sounds like they're almost humanoid size power armor suits to an extent. Am I right on that assumption ?

[Gaz1858]

Have alook at any Epic 40K pics you can find on them. They are smaller than titans i think bit still huge war machines.

[Severus6]

Basically the middle ground between a Warhound Titan and Marine Dreadnaught.

Severus6

[Apothecary Daxam]

Personally, I thought Mechanicus was a good book (better than Descent at anyrate).
The standard Mechanicum knight stands at around nine metres (Metres not feet) tall. This puts them pretty damn tall. Bigger than a dreadnought in any case.

[WingsOfTheFalcon]

Personally I thought Mechanicum was good, a real insight into the life and politics of Mars at the time of the Heresy.

Sometimes I don't want to read about Space Marines ripping everything to pieces single-handed. For times like those, books like this are ideal.

[Brother Nihm]

I'm almost at the end of this one and so far it's been great. It touches briefly on the daily life and workings of the Mechanicum and then goes on to detail the massive changes that the schism brought.

Here's to hoping that the ending is just as good.

[thirdman]

I'm about halfway through, I'm enjoying it so far, though its still in the build-up phase.

I'm wondering with the details in this and Titanicus, are GW laying the foundations and testing the waters for an official AD codex & fig range? I'd say there's enough people who'd love an AD force if they were distinct enough from other human armies.

On that note, both Abnett & NcNeill describe the skitarii as "bestial" which, given the amount of genetic-engineering and biological alteration the AD could do, brings to mind Rogue Trader era IG beastmen (yes, I'm old). I'd always thought of the skitarii as more like chemically & cybernetically-enhanced Guardsmen but I do like this direction.

[Isiah]

I'm about 50 pages in. So far so good with an excellent and very descriptive background painted by Mr NcNeill of the dark and mysterious mechanicum. If the rest lives up to the start I'll be well pleased.

[jeffersonian000]

interesting tidbit about Amniotic tanks, they was not commonly used by all Warlord pilots in the 30th millenium, but obviously grew in popularity afterwards

I noticed in "Titianicus", the character Lord Gearhart remembers having been the moderati for the princip Lord Hekate of the Warlord Titian Imperial Dictatio some 300 years in his past. Hekate became a princip of the Dictatio in the Warhammer monthly comic strip "Titian", also by Dan Abnert. Which puts the events in "Titianicus", including the greater usage in amniotic tanks for commanding Warlords, at least 300 years after a mishap where a cabet gained command of Warlord over hundreds of better qualified princips because he was the only one onboard with the right plugs at the time the then current princips died while fighting a Gargant. With amniotic tanks now being more commonly required to princip a modern Warlord, I can see it is being a step to prevent anyone from ever ursurping the command slot of a Warlord in the heat of battle, as was possible in the past. And with Warhammer's technology=religion/science=heresy slant, I can see the use of amniotic tanks being scarce in the 30k time frame yet of common use in the 40k time frame to be a sign that change is possible, just unlikely.

SJ

[Sons of Horus]

i absolutely loved the novel! very nice and perhaps the only nice book other than legion to be printed after fulgrim.

[Brother Nihm]

I put it down last night and I must say that on top of the story and characters, which are quite good, I love the tie-ins with both DoW, the ancient ones and Titanicus.

Some of the 'scenes' which featured bravery were almost over the top, and I say almost because they (to me) came out as being just right.
I think that McNeill did a very good job on this one.

[xa0s]

I truly enjoyed the climax at the near-ending of the book! Not gonna say it because I'm not a spoiler.

[jakehunter52]

Just finished the book today. It was very good but also very saddening at the same time. I really enjoy McNeill's work because he is able to produce a work that expands the background of the 40k universe, is deep with emotion, conflict and introspection and still be an enjoyable read. Really it is tragic how it ends for all the characters, some more than others. I personally feel the worst for Dalia because of her innocence and being effectively trapped in the end, however I do commend her for making the best of it by committing herself to uphold the fate of humanity selflessly. But what got me the most was that last little bit about losing a particular item, I am saddened that she will have to live with the fact she had already failed in her duty and know this for such a long time. May the Emperor bless her soul. But aside from my emotional ranting, I liked how much it explained about the working of the Mechanicum, the Knightly Orders, how Chaos manifests itself in machines, the lost primarchs (well, not really), the nature of the Emperor, and the Dragon. It really is a grim dark universe.

[Sons of Horus]

yes i loved the part wherein they said the emperor is still just human. very true and he's a deceiver as well.

[Severus6]

Along with everything else I am reading I finally cracked this open. The imagery and the overall story are wonderful,...thus far an excellent read. That and I am a sucker for anything with Knights in them.

Severus6

[inquisitor Tarn]

yeh, got to say I really enjoyed this novel too, haven't got round to titanicus yet as I don't buy BL hardbacks,as they always release a PB a few months later.
I thought it was a good read, whilst going a long way towards "filling in" the history and fluff regarding teh mechanicus at teh time of the heresy.