Scratch off another one for the A to Z 🙂
This time it was Titanicus by Dan Abnett. It’s set in the Warhammer 40k universe but whereas the others go for a mere mortal scale with flesh and bone and superhuman enhancement, this one looks into the world of the Titan. These are 80 meter tall machines along the lines of the war machines in HG Wells’ War of the Worlds. Except the War of the Worlds machines would be not fit to lace up the boots (or tighten its nuts) of one of these monsters.
And it’s not just a couple of these monster machines, the initial pages tells of 174 that have arrived on the hive world of Orestes for pillage, murder and all those other things that come with an insane army that worships evil gods of Murder, Disease, Pleasure and Change.
At 600 pages, it’s a fairly medium length book that keeps the action going through vignette engagements early on that bring home the mismatch between God Machine and mere mortal soldier. Later on, the Imperial relief forces arrive and start their Execution (campaign to take on those 174 engines). Weaved in, there is plenty here that shows the perspective of the Mechanicus (the engineers of the Imperium) and how the rest of the Imperium sees them. They all seem like good well adjusted people too, which is definitely not the impression you get from reading of the Space Marines.
We even have a little bit of intrigue coming in too, although I was left a little nonplussed by the reason for that. Seemed a bit like padding that distracted from the other heroes that grace the pages here.
I tend to judge a book by how quickly I run through it and I got through these 600 pages quite quickly. It’s good stuff and essential reading for anyone who’s interested in the Warhammer 40k universe. The action defocuses at times but then again, that also brings across a sense of how the Engine people see it as they have to cope with the imperfect conditions of the battlefield.
Will I read it again at some point ? Quite possibly, although it’s not right at the high standards of a Heinlein or Niven book.
Would I recommend it ? People who haven’t had the Warhammer 40k introduction, go for another 40k book so you’re not lost in all the Imperium, Mechanicus, Magistratum, Astartes etcetcetc terms.
If you already know what the four terms in the last paragraph mean, you need to read this book. Nuff said. Now, what’s next ?