Sons of Titan
(Warhammer 40,000 / Grey Knights)
by David Annandale
military science fiction
copyright 2015
read in October 2017
rated 6/10: read to pass the time
The style screams "space opera" but it is not. Not the way that I like to understand space opera. There is no sudden crisis to be met by sudden scientific development, no rapid expansion of threat to be met by heroic development of defensive (or offensive) weaponry.
The weaponry starts at an incredible peak -- and stays there.
Interestingly, though, the weapons are a mix of super-steel and ultra-rays -- and morals. These "grey knights" are paladins, holy knights. Paladins of the far, far future. Where demons are real and the emperor is a god. Far-fetched? Of course!
The book is made up of three sequential stories. The first story is a standard battle scene, with dead bodies piled high enough to hide buildings. The bodies do not, however, hide the plot.
The second story has less bodies -- and less plot. It is a battle -- partly physical and partly an internal, moral battle described, well, pretty much as any other battle with hand-held super-weapons. A plague demon fights for the soul of a holy soldier.
The external battleground is a spaceship. There is also a major battle within the spaceship but this is merely mentioned in passing.
btw: I do like a spaceship which has a marble and timber internal structure. It seems to be metal spaceship on the outside, medieval palace on the inside. Except for the control room, which is built to reflect the relative power of each member of the crew. Think, Captain Kirk on his slightly raised chair, other crew seated at lower chairs. Then extend than thinking -- many, many times -- and apply the differences at every level of crew hierarchy.
Interesting. It's a while since I read it but I just don't remember any *controls* in the control room!?
And speaking of, It's a while... I stopped reading at the end of the second story. And have no urge to finish the book.
It's fun. It's over the top -- seriously. It's part of a series set within a well-defined universe.
The concept is interesting. I'm just not interested. It helped to pass some time. That's it. For me.
=======
Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper
Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved
=======
Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved
=======
"Give a man an inch and he'll think he's a ruler" … Agent 86
====
Now much more than a clever name for a holiday journal:
No comments:
Post a Comment