Gav Thorpe - the Luther novel

[DarkChaplain]

From what it sounds like, we'll be accompanying Luther throughout his life, by medium of various interrogations by the passing Grand Masters. It seems to be a first person narrative for the most part, too, if I understood things correctly.

 

It's basically a recipe for success, in my eyes. All the freedom to explore important moments, all with the benefit of hindsight-commentary and room for ambiguity.

[Knockagh]

From what it sounds like, we'll be accompanying Luther throughout his life, by medium of various interrogations by the passing Grand Masters. It seems to be a first person narrative for the most part, too, if I understood things correctly.

 

It's basically a recipe for success, in my eyes. All the freedom to explore important moments, all with the benefit of hindsight-commentary and room for ambiguity.

I certainly hope this is true. I hope they dig into his pre Lion past , wasnt he married before the lion showed up?

Gavs best ever book was Lorgar, delving into the past and building a character from the bottom up.

[aa.logan]

Just under halfway through, in terms of Gav’s other work, it’s closer to Lorgar that Indomitus; not quite hitting the heights of Valdor yet, but good.

 

That pre-Lion, the Order

included women

, might rile the usual suspects, but hopefully the reaction won’t overshadow folk’s enjoyment of the book. Edited November 1, 2020 by aa.logan

[WrathOfTheLion]

For my opinion

 

Doesn't really bother me, they could easily be folded into something like a Solar Auxilia regiment. In fact, for the 30k game, that could lead to some fun with doing just that for a Calibanite regiment.

 

There were analogous situations with like Corax' vigilante groups.

 

As well from book 9 crusade, there are non-Astartes/support Orders still, so perhaps still exist in the 1st Legion in some capacity.

 

Mine shipped today, so hopefully will get started on it this week. In the US, they always ship the day of release and not arrive the day, which is a bit disappointing.

Edited October 31, 2020 by WrathOfTheLion

[aa.logan]

Proper review:

Luther follows in the path of last year’s Valdor. Not quite mainline Horus Heresy, obviously not a Primarch novel, but a welcome curiosity.

 

A series of vignettes from the life of the man who found the Lion, related to various Dark Angels from the Scouring to just before the Great Rift opening, this books is one of the best illustrations of how Astartes and the Imperium generally have degraded over time and how even in such a monolithic and moribund organisation change happens. Decay is change, right?

 

Luther must be a tricky character to write- notoriously brilliant and charismatic is hard to pull off. Thorpe gives him just the right amount of arrogance to make him charming, but as the book progresses his mask slips. Trapped in a statis field, even he isn’t immune to the decline of the Imperium either. As the book progresses he hints at his own brilliance once to often, and his easy confidence is replaced by self-justification and his stories, intended as allegorical lessons to those he deems below him become outright polemic, explaining his actions.

 

A nice, short novel that fleshes out a pretty-well documented character and satisfyingly ties together events from earlier in the series. Luther, never actually an Astartes, is depicted as a fittingly nuanced human- the book hints at a wider emotional life and a depth of personality and motivation that is lacking from many of his Legion contemporaries. Names crop up and are never mentioned again, adding to Luther’s sense of loss. This idea of being trapped between mortal and post-human leads the reader to consider what he has gained and what he left behind, which explains some of his choices.

 

Really very good.

 

Spoilers that folk will possibly focus on more:

Caliban is mighty corrupted by chaos.

 

The knights Lupis library was obviously full of chaos stuff

 

Luther studied this on his own, tried to ignore it but was compelled to return. See this to summon daemons throughout the story.

 

After he gets censured by the Lion, Typhon and Erebus come to him, bearing booze and forbidden books, start telling him of the true nature of the universe, Luther recognises a bunch of chaos stuff, asks for more. Agrees to help them, and that they’ll help him. Considers double-crossing, decides not to.

 

Luther wants independence from the Imperium. Caliban going alone.

 

Typhon shows up when the Heresy in full swing, gives Luther an anathema. Tells him if he kills Corswain he’ll have the backing of the Chaos powers. Luther takes it, but decides not to use it then, and doesn’t use it in his duel with the Lion, which I started only mentioned in passing.

 

Luther starts off in the Scouring fairly lucid, but confused. He is interrogated but responds with allegorical stories to answer his captor’s questions. As the book progresses and we get towards ‘now’ he is increasingly broken and seems to be unable to chose what to say, just relay his visions.

 

The book ends with him alone, his cell door unlocked and him walking out..

[StrangerOrders]

Sounds interesting.

On the women thing, it does tend to bring up an interesting point. Given the types of cultures that crop up on Legion homeworlds, you would think premier auxilia units would be the norm rather than the exception. Especially since they all seemed to be fairly lacking in gender discrimination (except Olympia).

 

So you are essentially wasting not only your entire female warrior population but also any man that doesnt meet Astartes standards (which are so high that even a few steps back would still be amazing).

 

I sort of chalked it up to most Primarch worlds being poverty-riddled but that doesnt really add up with Caliban. I always got the sense that they were quite wealthy in war material at least.

 

Sounds interesting though, Im excited for my copy to arrive now.

Edited November 1, 2020 by Kelborn

[Scribe]

Just under halfway through, in terms of Gav’s other work, it’s closer to Lorgar that Indomitus; not quite hitting the heights of Valdor yet, but good.

 

That pre-Lion, the Order

included women

, might rule the usual suspects, but hopefully the reaction won’t overshadow folk’s enjoyment of the book.

 

Why would that matter at all? They are not Astartes I would assume.

[mawhis]

Does anyone know when this will start to ship? The GW website has been saying "Shipping in 6 days" for nearly a week

[Knockagh]

Does anyone know when this will start to ship? The GW website has been saying "Shipping in 6 days" for nearly a week

Where do you live? I’ve had mine for 4 or 5 days.

[mawhis]

 

Does anyone know when this will start to ship? The GW website has been saying "Shipping in 6 days" for nearly a week

Where do you live? I’ve had mine for 4 or 5 days.

 

I'm in the UK (Kent). I'll e-mail them

[WrathOfTheLion]

Mine just arrived today. Started on it, I like it thus far.

[Master Ciaphas]

My copy (along with Adeptus Titanicus Open Engine War) is still pending according to W website. Sigh. 

[Lord Marshal]

Sounds interesting.

On the women thing, it does tend to bring up an interesting point. Given the types of cultures that crop up on Legion homeworlds, you would think premier auxilia units would be the norm rather than the exception. Especially since they all seemed to be fairly lacking in gender discrimination (except Olympia).

 

I imagine it has more to do with Solar Auxilia being a pretty niche and quite recent Forge World invention with limited references elsewhere and literally nothing prior to their Black Book. Some authors probably don't even remember or know they exist. We rarely get that much information on Army units raised from Legion homeworlds outside of Ultramar and Prospero anyway, but it's definitely not an unreasonable assumption that a Primarch's 'following' who were women and men too old to become Astartes were formed into Solar Auxilia units.

Edited November 4, 2020 by Lord Marshal

[mawhis]

 

 

Does anyone know when this will start to ship? The GW website has been saying "Shipping in 6 days" for nearly a week

Where do you live? I’ve had mine for 4 or 5 days.

 

I'm in the UK (Kent). I'll e-mail them

 

 

Ive just had a reply from GW for anyone else in the same boat:

 

 

"There has been a slight glitch on our system that IT are currently working through with some orders for this product and I have been advised it will be dispatched shortly."

[Taliesin]

Can I ask what the page count was for this limited edition?

[WrathOfTheLion]

219 pages, although the story starts on page 7, after any preliminary pages.

Edited November 6, 2020 by WrathOfTheLion

[Sviox]

My order history still shows my order of the book as 'pending' - does that mean that it hasn't been mailed yet?

[Triszin]

My order history still shows my order of the book as 'pending' - does that mean that it hasn't been mailed yet?

Ya. It get updated once it shipped. My order from last week still hasn't shipped yet. :(

 

 

Covid has reason lrandomly slowed down some stuff

Edited November 7, 2020 by Triszin

[Izlude]

Just finished the book last night with some thoughts

 

LE: It is a nicely presented LE book with a cool profile pic of Luther in the front. The use of "Caliban" green on the hard cover as well as the side of the pages gives it a nice theme that is well thought out. The only "art work" is a picture of Luther holding his sword with the tip resting on the ground with the creepy forests of Caliban in the back ground. Overall, I feel this is a solid LE book.

 

Story: I think I mentioned in the a previous post I am not particularly crazy about the DAs given the variable quality of their storyline in the HH series which may have been related to the different authors. I know Gav as written many but not all of the main DA stuff. I have always been interested in the Luther arc from second edition with his imprisonment on the Rock so the premise of this book got me excited.

 

In general, the story was excellent to outstanding. Gav does Luther as a first person perspective alternating with Luther's timeline as a prisoner on the rock with various DA chapter masters or grandmasters (or whatever title they use) through the ages and flashbacks of his past with some well-known HH events sprinkled in there for good measure. Gav hit it on the nail, the writing was just top form and I was engaged the the whole time. I don't think there were any "revelations" in the book and I really liked how Gav balanced the DA stuff and didn't make them particularly super secretive or this legion with all the cool tech etc. 

 

As far as side stories go, this is definitely one of my favorites and in terms of Gav's book it is up there with his Lorgar Primarch book. His earlier books on RG and DA were fine (nothing amazing but readable) but I strongly recommend this book. I really liked the ending as well which wasn't anything new but left the door open for a continuation. 

Edited November 16, 2020 by Izlude

[Petitioner's City]

Sounds like exactly what we need! Can't wait for general release :)

[Knockagh]

Finished this. Loved it. Gav at his best, I’ve been a fan of the order and old Caliban since those early heresy books. Gav can do great old school fantasy knights and he does them well here. Luther’s escape is obviously being left open to be told again at some future date.

The story of Luther’s captivity needed told and it’s been done marvellously here. Top marks. Sadly I don’t see many more opportunities for old Caliban stories in future books so it was nice to return there for this smattering of short tales.

[Dagoth Ur]

I hope its not too much of a bother but could I ask one of the frathers who has read the book to spoiler us a short summary? It'd be much appreciated :)

[Kelborn]

Scroll up to see aa.logans short summary. ;)

[Dagoth Ur]

Scroll up to see aa.logans short summary. ;)

Yeah I was wondering if there was a bit more to it than just that x).

[aa.logan]

If I say the book is just Luther telling stories in captivity to various Dark Angels over 10,000 years and seeing how they and he shift across time I’m underselling the book, but that’s essentially all it is.