Every two weeks we read a new book in the WH40k universe and discuss it on our podcast. We invite you to read along with us and join in on our conversation via comments, Twitter, email, or vox cast.
This episode we’re reading Indomitus by Gav Thorpe. You can purchase on Amazon, Black Library or Audible.
From the back of the book:
For nearly ten years, the Indomitus Crusade has waged a war of defiance and reconquest in the war-torn Imperium. Attached to Crusade Fleet Quintus – dubbed the Cursed Fleet by many – the Ultramarines of the Ithraca’s Vengeance are drawn to a stricken world. With millions enslaved, a malign necron technology siphons the souls of the innocent and heralds the Silent Kingdom’s expansion. The Ultramarines face an impossible decision: mount a desperate last stand to destroy the Pariah Nexus, or break away and damn the entire sector to bring word of this ancient foe’s resurgence to the only being capable of halting it – the Lord Primarch Roboute Guilliman.
Questions to ponder after reading Indomitus:
- Did you like the book?
- Which parts stood out to you?
- This is one of the first books we’ve read that really dives into what makes the Necrons tick. How do you like them as villains?
- How did you feel about their backstory, as told via Simut and Zozar?
- These Primaris marines are different from those we’ve seen previously. Do you like them? Were they relatable?
- There were a few head scratching moments in this book. What’s your take on these moments?
- This book takes an interesting look at the Imperium’s feelings toward surrender. Do you agree with Aeschelus?
- Where do they go from here?
Although I liked the book, it does feel like a commercial for the new models.
It was cool seeing the unique necron perspective. I personally find the Marines to be generally kind of uninteresting but the conflict over if negotiation/surrender is heretical was a cool dive into the ideological underpinnings of the Imperium. In terms of the actual book I couldn’t shake the feeling that this might have worked better as a short story. Theres a ton of superflous side characters that dont add much beyond flavor (and advertising new models). Honestly would have just dug a purely necron centric book, the weird idea that xenos are somehow unrelatable is just complete nonsense. In many ways the Necron were substantially more interesting and relatable than their flesh and blood counterparts at least to me.