"Know No Fear"

Know No Fear (Dan Abnett)

This is the Horus Heresy novel about the Ultramarines; That's not exactly an enticing summation given how the Ultrasmurfs are portrayed as omnipresent Gary Stus, but luckily the novel is much better than it sounds. The book takes place 43 years after The First Heretic, as the Ultramarines and Word Bearers are assigned to work together, ostensibly to heal the rift created in that book, but in actuality because the Word Bearers are here to launch a surprise attack on the Ultramarines. Abnett employs a very effective device where he has a running countdown leading up to the surprise attack springing, and it really works to build tension, making the inevitable battles and devastation all the more satisfying. I haven't always been the biggest Abnett fan, but at this point in his career, I can't deny that he knows how to write a hell of an action scene, and he does a great job of communicating the sheer scope of the Word Bearers attack as they destroy huge superorbital plates that start raining entire massive starships on the planet below.
My only complaint is that Abnett once again has too many POV characters, and while it's not as bad as in Titanicus, the book's visceral energy starts to dissipate in a second half that goes slightly off the rails. I almost spit my drink when John Grammaticus of Legion and Deliverance Lost shows up, and his plot thread going nowhere was the biggest complaint I have about the book. Still, there's a great 3/4ths of a novel in here, and if you already know enough about W40k to consider buying this book, it's definitely worth the cover price.

Grade: B+