The Talon of Horus - earlier discarded approach

[Ascanius]

If this has been discussed before, I'd love to have a pointer to it.

 

I recently read Khârn: The Red Path (which was interesting but feels like it needs a third act), but what I really want to ask about is the "sample chapter" from The Talon of Horus which was included at the end.

 

I used scare quotes there because this chapter ain't in the book. In fact, none of the characters in this narrative are even mentioned in the final book, with the exception of Ezekyle Abaddon himself.

 

Here's the first paragraph:

 

It began with Sejanus. It began with his corpse and the corpses of his Glory Squad red-carpeting the throne room floor of the High City. They had died invisibly, by unseen hands. Retribution for the treachery that had laid them low would be ostensibly more visible. It would come at the hands of Hastur’s brothers, vengeance for a favoured son.

 

As that implies, the events of this chapter take place during the events of Chapter Two of Horus Rising.

 

AD-B has spoken rather openly about how he's had to do page-one rewrites on his books before - I think he said he basically did this with The Spear of the Emperor, right? - but I don't remember it having come up with The Talon of Horus.

 

I'd love to know more about this road not taken.

[Morovir]

It's because that's not from The Talon of Horus.

 

It's from Nick Kyme's book Rebirth, in the introduction when he goes into the background of the Black Legion antagonists in the book.

 

It's mislabelled in The Red Path.

Edited August 21, 2019 by Morovir

[Ascanius]

Ahh that makes sense! Weird, but it makes sense!

[Lucerne]

Is Rebirth any good for Black Legion?

[b1soul]

When I read that passage, I thought this doesn't sound like ADB's prose, a bit too clipped and trying too hard to be dramatic.

[bluntblade]

"Ostensibly more visible" sits poorly with me. First and Tenth Companies tear apart anything from basement to spire with a weapon, that's emphatically visible.

 

I know that critiquing a single passage is a bit churlish, but hey, it's the internet ;)