Vaults of Terra 2: The Hollow Mountain

[Nineswords]

Just finished it, and loved it as much as the first. It has a very different feel to Wraight’s White Scars and it’s spectacular. The plot very much veered differently to what expectations I had but the climax makes complete sense in the wider lore and I can’t wait to read more.

 

The Fists at the end was just incredible!

[Lord_Caerolion]

So they don't actually appear in book 2? Because I recall there was actual Dark Eldar in book 1.

 

It's very strongly hinted that they might take a much more central role in book 3 though.

[b1soul]

Lord Caerolian, could you elaborate upon your spoiler?

[Apothecary Vaddon]

The rogue DE that was running around was just one of the representatives from his race. The 'bargain', as it were, is still going ahead with whoever Franck's +  Raskian's people were. A 'delegation' had already went off to the DE after the events of Carrion Throne or thereabouts, and Crowl is going to go after them now. Presumably book 3 will involve a showdown including the DE.

 

Be interested to see whether the Project, as Franck refers to it, will be what eventually led to the Astronomican being fixed. Lev Tieron muses that perhaps Raskian did end up fixing it, and as of now, only Raskian remains committed to it, as far as I understand it.

Edited August 16, 2019 by Apothecary Vaddon

[Lord_Caerolion]

Lord Caerolian, could you elaborate upon your spoiler?

 

Basically, Crowl has a friend in the Ordo Xenos that he has a "I have a friend who encountered X, what should I tell him" type discussion regarding the Haemonculus, and at the end of the book returns to him, to find that the purges that attacked Crowl hit his friend as well, but finds a hidden message that states that the "bargain" is still going ahead, as Vaddon says above, and that his friend "knows where they're going". Given this is about the Imperials going to the Dark Eldar, we can only assume this is Commorragh. The hook for book 3 is that Crowl is going to be following them.

[Moonreaper666]

 

 

Lord Caerolian, could you elaborate upon your spoiler?

Basically, Crowl has a friend in the Ordo Xenos that he has a "I have a friend who encountered X, what should I tell him" type discussion regarding the Haemonculus, and at the end of the book returns to him, to find that the purges that attacked Crowl hit his friend as well, but finds a hidden message that states that the "bargain" is still going ahead, as Vaddon says above, and that his friend "knows where they're going". Given this is about the Imperials going to the Dark Eldar, we can only assume this is Commorragh. The hook for book 3 is that Crowl is going to be following them.

Why is Cawl stopping them from using Dark Eldar technology from saving the Emperor, the Golden Throne and the Astronomican?

[Lord_Caerolion]

 

 

Lord Caerolian, could you elaborate upon your spoiler?

Basically, Crowl has a friend in the Ordo Xenos that he has a "I have a friend who encountered X, what should I tell him" type discussion regarding the Haemonculus, and at the end of the book returns to him, to find that the purges that attacked Crowl hit his friend as well, but finds a hidden message that states that the "bargain" is still going ahead, as Vaddon says above, and that his friend "knows where they're going". Given this is about the Imperials going to the Dark Eldar, we can only assume this is Commorragh. The hook for book 3 is that Crowl is going to be following them.

Why is Cawl stopping them from using Dark Eldar technology from saving the Emperor, the Golden Throne and the Astronomican?

 

 

Because Cawl isn't in this? Because he's not on Terra at the time of the book, and since Guilliman has yet to return, has no real political power in the Mechanicus? Because this is about an Inquisitor that knows that 3 High Lords have directly sanctioned this, including the head of the Mechanicus, and is still intent on taking down the entire conspiracy?

[aa.logan]

I’ve just finished listening to this. The asides into life of Terra- velum production, the daily life of Inquisitors’ domestic staff, the internal security of Arbites’ precincts etc. Would make the book worth reading in their own right. The continuation of the story from the first further elevates the book, The first hand perspectives of the opening of the Rift and attack on Terra are the icing, and the Yorkshire-accented Imperial Fists are the cherry on top of the literary cake.

 

Brilliant.

[bluntblade]

It's grim up night side of Inwit.

[Knockagh]

Wow what a stunning book. Having loved the first I didn’t get this for quite a while and bought in on a whim in the local GW one day.

What an amazing piece of work it is. This is inquisition fiction at its best. Wraight is a superb world builder and once again Terra is centre stage. Everywhere he goes is described in fantastic detail. I reread several chapters just to soak in the detail. The characters continue to develop and certainly my emotional attachment to each of them has been cemented by this second book. Spinozas relationship with Crowl is fleshed out and I see a firm respect developing from a deeply suspicions beginning.

I loved the marines involvement. This is just how marines should be in non Astartes focused books. Utterly stunning combat creatures, beyond human. The moment when they meet Spinoza had me wanting to punch the air. Brilliant stuff. I read this book during a really difficult time in my family, my dad passing away during it. I have to say the relief I found in reading a good book while sitting in the hospital was very helpful in some ways. Dad and I both loved reading and even though sci fi wasn’t his thing he definitely knew the value of getting lost in a good book. And I lost myself in this, so thank you Chris Wraight.

[aa.logan]

I used Abnett’s Inquisition books in the same circumstances last year, having something else to focus on, even for a few minutes in such a horrible time helped me so much.

 

Hope that the coming days, weeks and months are as good as they can be.

[b1soul]

The first book had a Custodes show up...is the entry of Space Marines even more impressive?

[Lord_Caerolion]

In a sense, yes. It makes a squad of Tactical Marines appear just as terrifying and impressive as they should be.