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A review by ratgrrrl
The Final Compliance of Sixty-Three Fourteen by Guy Haley
5.0
February 2024 Read using the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project Reading Order - Omnibus V Shadow of the Warmaster I Knives in the Dark (https://www.heresyomnibus.com/omnibus/v-shadow-of-the-warmaster-i-knives-in-the-dark) as part of my Oath of Moment to complete the Horus Heresy saga and extras.
What's this? A miniature character study through a two-hander that is mostly soliloquy and repeating vox message? For me? Guy! You shouldn't of!
The Warmaster returns to one of the early worlds his expeditionary forces brought to Compliance, notably sitting squarely in the middle of Sixty-Three Eight, the Feral World of Davin with its far more dangerous moon and Serpent Lodge, and Sixty-Three Nineteen, the Other Terra whose Emperor was the butt of Abnett and Loken's deliciously heretical joke that opens and sets the tone for the whole series:
"I was there,’ he would say afterwards, until afterwards became a time quite devoid of laughter. ‘I was there, the day Horus slew the Emperor."
and the Imperial Planetary Governor he left in charge all that time ago during the Great Crusade.
It's just a simple scene of a man getting ready, reminiscing about the past, doing his best to ignore the call for an answer from his attendant and government, and trying to eek out his final moments to fortify himself for delivering his answer that will either doom the world in his stewardship or make him a traitor.
I could really see this being performed on stage as a short play. It has the drama and potential for a glorious acting performance that reminds me of seeing Strindberg's The Father and scenes from other mediums that have the feel of theatrical writing and acting, such as the boogie woogie bugle boy keeping a certain someone who took control of a certain hold from being able to sleep, so he got to rant thespian on TV in a certain show that used to actually be pretty awesome in the distant past...
This is exactly what I want from the teeny morsels the Black Library Advent Calendar shorts offer, and is a beautiful use of the constraints. Haley is quickly becoming somone who I look forward to reading and will be checking out their non-Heresy works down the line.
Through using the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project (www.heresyomnibus.com) and my own choices, I have currently read 11 Horus Heresy novels, 5 novellas, 27 short stories/ audio dramas, as well as the Macragge's Honour graphic novel, 6 Primarchs novels, 3 Primarchs short stories/ audio dramas, and 2 Warhammer 40K further reading novels...this run. I can't say enough good about the way the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project suggestions. I'm loving it! Especially after originally reading to the releases and being so frustrated at having to wait so long for a narrative to continue.
What's this? A miniature character study through a two-hander that is mostly soliloquy and repeating vox message? For me? Guy! You shouldn't of!
The Warmaster returns to one of the early worlds his expeditionary forces brought to Compliance, notably sitting squarely in the middle of Sixty-Three Eight, the Feral World of Davin with its far more dangerous moon and Serpent Lodge, and Sixty-Three Nineteen, the Other Terra whose Emperor was the butt of Abnett and Loken's deliciously heretical joke that opens and sets the tone for the whole series:
"I was there,’ he would say afterwards, until afterwards became a time quite devoid of laughter. ‘I was there, the day Horus slew the Emperor."
and the Imperial Planetary Governor he left in charge all that time ago during the Great Crusade.
It's just a simple scene of a man getting ready, reminiscing about the past, doing his best to ignore the call for an answer from his attendant and government, and trying to eek out his final moments to fortify himself for delivering his answer that will either doom the world in his stewardship or make him a traitor.
I could really see this being performed on stage as a short play. It has the drama and potential for a glorious acting performance that reminds me of seeing Strindberg's The Father and scenes from other mediums that have the feel of theatrical writing and acting, such as the boogie woogie bugle boy keeping a certain someone who took control of a certain hold from being able to sleep, so he got to rant thespian on TV in a certain show that used to actually be pretty awesome in the distant past...
This is exactly what I want from the teeny morsels the Black Library Advent Calendar shorts offer, and is a beautiful use of the constraints. Haley is quickly becoming somone who I look forward to reading and will be checking out their non-Heresy works down the line.
Through using the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project (www.heresyomnibus.com) and my own choices, I have currently read 11 Horus Heresy novels, 5 novellas, 27 short stories/ audio dramas, as well as the Macragge's Honour graphic novel, 6 Primarchs novels, 3 Primarchs short stories/ audio dramas, and 2 Warhammer 40K further reading novels...this run. I can't say enough good about the way the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project suggestions. I'm loving it! Especially after originally reading to the releases and being so frustrated at having to wait so long for a narrative to continue.