Galaxy in Flames (The Horus Heresy Book 3) Kindle Edition

this books is just mind blowing, for every fan of WH40K universe, this is a must have. describe so well the battles in Istvaan system that you almost can see the epic battle images. a book full of action, maybe a little lack of gore and butchery since Angron, Kharn and his fellas make some appearances, but its ok. was almost so good as the first one.some guy complains about was not well written, the dramatis personae, etc, etc. well, If I want to read Shakespeare, I will buy Shakespeare. this book is something like the action part of the other two. Horus Rising and False God set all the context for this one which in fact must be longer and cover more battles, butchery, etc, you know what I mean, in the past everybody ask how could be those battles on Istvaan where the ubber marines become traitors, where the now Chaos marines used to be loyalist, how could be wear a super power armor and be bombarded by Melta Lances, Toxic Bombs and all the paraphernalia that now is know as Exterminatus. just so exciting.and of course, prepares you for the next book and the continuity of the story but for me at least, makes a good parallel story where some of the loyalist marines of the traitors legions could survive, and even find his way out of the planet. of course they will not fall in chaos but they will not be stupid so, no back home and be slaughtered for the imperium. perfect fluff for a renegade chapter, but oh well, those are ideas that I'm cooking for my minis.the thing is, until now this is the second best book from the saga until I read (I'm a little late, I'm reading Legion), I just can't wait when BL release the book of the battle on Terra. =D

Just wrapped up the third book in this series. Author really knows how to keep you hooked and invested in his characters and the universe

This work is the third book in the growing series telling the tale of the Horus Heresy, a pivotal historical event in Games Workshop's Warhammer 40K fictional universe. Most of the characters from the first two novels carry through to this one: Garviel Lorken and Tarik Torgaddon of the Sons of Horus, Saul Tarvitz of the Emperor's Children, Nathanial Garro of the Death Guard, and Kyril Sindermann the remembrancer. In addition, we get appearances by a number of primarchs and other dramatis personae recognizable from the tabletop game.I have been critical of Ben Counter's work in the past, which has been short on plot even though he typically writes good action scenes. However, in this work he surpasses his earlier efforts, providing excellent character interaction worthy of Abnett along with solid action sequences throughout. Instead of writing bad, difficult to believe "seduction by the Warp" scenes, which tripped up Graham McNeill in the second book, he presents much of it after the fact as loyalist characters question how it all could have gone so wrong so fast - and does it well.The plot focuses on the few individuals who resist the growing tide of corruption with the Crusade, and does a credible job continuing the outstanding development started by Dan Abnett in Horus Rising. Counter follows them through the battles and conflicts that he writes so well, but still does a surprisingly solid job at depicting the creep of injustice and tyranny through Horus' forces.The weakest portion of the book is the ending, which ham-handedly forces things into position for the next author in the series (Flight of the Eisenstein by James Swallow), as well as inducing a cliffhanger of sorts.In short: generally well written and entertaining throughout, it's well worth a read for any fan of 40K novels. As an added bonus, it took away the bad taste left in my mouth after finishing False Gods.

Great book. Details Horus final transition to Chaos

This is how the Great Crusade ended, and the Horus Heresy began... how the galaxy burned by the hands of Horus Lupercal.

Ben Counter's description of the massacre on Isstvan III and the last stand of the loyalists Sons of Horus rises to the highest level of military science fiction. He seems to have relied heavily on historical renditions of the battles of Stalingrad and Berlin to create a gritty realism that far surpasses the first two Horus novels.But his achievement doesn't end with great battle scenes. He accomplishes two things that elevate his novel to a level above "good" military science fiction. First, he captures the camaraderie that develops on the battlefield between fellow soldiers and conveys those feelings with both pathos and warmth. Several set scenes vibrate with such emotion that I found myself comparing them to similar scenes in Homer's Iliad and Tolkien's The Return of the King. Second, he illuminates the rise of the Emperor cult and illustrates vividly (not tells) the attraction of Chaos gods. This illumination is essential to the tension that must exist between Chaos and the Empire.If the Horus Heresy is going to be a great series and I suspect it will be, the reader must understand the attraction of Chaos, otherwise it is just another story about super heroes fighting villians or put another way--good verses evil. I think Ben Counter has found the middle way, fairly describing the attraction of Chaos and the piousness of the Emperor or Order.