Bookworm Speaks!- Damocles by Phil Kelly, Guy Haley, Ben Counter, Josh Reynolds

Bookworm Speaks!

Warhammer 40,000

Damocles 

by Phil Kelly, Guy Haley, Ben Counter, and Josh Reynolds

****

The Story: Four Novellas that focus on the events of the second Damocles Gulf Crusade. 

Two centuries ago, the Imperium of Man and the upstart Tau Empire fought to a standstill in the Damocles Gulf. Now, as the 41st Millennium draws to a close, the Tau have returned.  As the world of Agrellan falls under attack, the White Scars and the Raven Guard rush to its defense, but with the skilled Commander Shadowsun leading the alien forces, the Space Marines and their allies are hard pressed. Kor’sarro Khan, Huntmaster of the White Scars, swears that he will win the day in the most direct way possible-by taking Shadowsun’s head. 

The Good: First off…it is a story of the White Scars. A first founding Legion under the Primarch Jaghatai Khan, who have an emphasis of mobile conflict, are sorely lacking proper representation in the Black Library, which is a real shame as they are quite fascinating. This is only the third book that emphasizes the White Scars to any significant degree. The same can be said about the Raven Guard. Bookworm doesn’t think he owns any books with the sons of Corvus Corax as the focus, which is also a shame. To see both chapters further expanded over the course of the novellas is a real treat. Furthering the entertainment value is the contrast to how the different chapters operate. The White Scar’s ride proudly into battle and collect the heads of their foes and display as trophies. The Raven Guard operate from the shadows and strike silently, their names unknown, even among their brothers. Contrast is a gateway to conflict and it leads into the primary reason why the antagonists of this volume are so appealing. 

Of all the enemies of the Imperium of Man that Games Workshop has introduced, the Tau Empire may not be a favorite but from a creative standpoint they are one of the best. A great way to really challenge a protagonist is to pit them against themselves. The Tau represents what the Imperium of Man should have been had the Emperor had not been imprisoned upon the Golden Throne, a peaceful, progressive society, which values technological innovation and a government that works for the benefit of all, (supposedly). The Tau are also zealots in the same way that the Space Marines are. The Astartes fight whole-heartedly for their faith in the Emperor and the Tau fight whole-heartedly for their faith in the Greater Good, the philosophy that governs their society. The other enemies of the Imperium are fairly one dimensional: The orks just want to pillage and plunder, the Tyranids just want to eat everything, the Chaos Space Marines want to do both, and don’t get Bookworm started on the Necrons. The Tau are not a force of nature like Orks or Tyranids, they are a rival society which has multiple dimensions, same as the Imperium. 

The only exception to this might be the Eldar but Bookworm has not read any stories about them yet. 

Also, like the Imperium of Man, there may be less than honorable forces at work. While the Tau preach something that sounds good, the authors are wise to include little tidbits here and there that show that there is something far more insidious to the Tau than meets the eye. This is just Bookworm’s own hypothesis but it is hinted in one of the novellas that the Tau surgically alter humans to look like Tau. Whose greater good is it?

Speaking of covert motives. We get a new Space Marine Chapter! The Jade Dragons are introduces in the third novella of the volume. They are very interesting and Bookworm hopes we see them again. They definitely follow a more mystical approach to war than the Ultramarines. Like the differences between the White Scars and Raven Guard, the contrast between the two very different chapters provides amusing conflicts and different approaches between the chapters of the novella.

The Flaws: While by itself, the story is not bad, the fact is that the third novella in the book, Black Leviathan, feels out of place compared to the other stories. It takes place on a different planet other than Agrellan, which is contrary to the plot summary, and it involves neither the White Scars or the Raven Guard. It is back to the Black Library favorites of the Ultramarines, and The Jade Dragons, which we know nothing about. The other three stories share a common denominator but the only thing the Black Leviathan has in common with the other three is the fact that the Tau are there. We have plenty of Ultramarines stories, lets keep exploring the world of the Khan and the Raven. 

Another common flaw is the disparate head-hopping that takes place. The perspectives switch places between the character pretty often and it can get a little confusing. In a few of the chapters the pacing needs some reworking. 

Final Verdict: Damocles is an excellent book that provides multiple perspectives on a great crusade of the Imperium of Man. 

Four out Five Stars

thecultureworm.blogspot.com