Garro: Knight of Grey (The Horus Heresy)

Product Information

Although brevity is a virtue rarely seen in the Horus Heresy series, I do feel that actually, this is one of the few stories that could have benefitted from being a little longer. Every story must reach an end, and this novella marks the final stretch of Garro's journey, the Grey Knight. Coordinating such a massive endeavor as the Horus Heresy is undoubtedly challenging, but for the farewell of such a well-loved character, more attention to detail should have been given. Another concern is the way Garro heavily injures Mortarion, mirroring exactly how Jaghatai Khan banishes him. Mortarion despite wanting desperately to destroy Garro when he finally gets this opportunity has to face a much harder foe in his own mind than on the battlefield, which leaves him forever changed.

Euphrati Keeler, famously rescued from Mortarion's forces by Garro some 60 books ago, also plays a key role and the whole thing is as bleak, horrifying, believable and exciting as one could hope for. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. A short, but powerful and very enjoyable novella, matching the impressive works by messrs Abnett and Dembski-Bowden in the Siege of Terra series for quality. While I have complained in the past about the use of filler material and repetitive themes in the HH / SoT series, I think this book truly serves the classic admonition of "be careful what you ask for, you might get it", as it is terribly bare-bones and short. I may re-read actually because I can't remember an awful lot but the main occurrences, however it was so short and so little happened compared to the other novels.However, this didn't stop me from enjoying this well written story and once again, feeling the emotion on every page.

Perhaps published out-of-sync, and therefore lessening it’s impact, Knight of Grey is still a worthwhile read. Written by James Swallow, Garro: Knight of Grey finds the embittered veteran drawn into conflict with his estranged father – the hideous Mortarion, Daemon Primarch of the Death Guard legion. It is clear how much James cares about the character and wants to give him both a grand ending while staying true to Garro's modest and stoic personality, which he achieves magnificently. b>

As the epic battle for Terra rages and the future of mankind hangs in the balance, former Knight Errant Nathaniel Garro fights among the ashes and fire of the embattled Imperial Palace as the shadow of Horus Lupercal’s triumph looms.

It brings the storyline of one of the heroes of the Horus Heresy to a close, and it did so in a very satisfying way.

Last weekend the latest Siege of Terra novella hit our desks, and this was the conclusion to the story of Garro, a fan favourite character first introduced in The Flight of the Eisenstein by James Swallow, and whose adventures continued in a well received series of audio dramas and the occasional appearance in the main and Siege of Terra series. Then contact your credit card company, it may take some time before your refund is officially posted. The ending hits hard, and I really think that you ought to read this story if you have been following along with his story. To watch a man struggle with "faith" to be rewarded at the end after facing his biggest bit inevitably trial was wonderful if not sad to see him go. James Swallow should be honoured, then, that his early-Heresy hero Nathaniel Garro is the one character to be granted his very own novella-length adventure just as the whole conflict is coming to a head.

I will just say that all characters are wonderfully portrayed, and our hero, Garro, gets the conclusion on par with great heroic epics. The characters were nowhere near the location in this book, and Keeler wouldn't be with the same companions. Suddenly he comes across the information that will put him in the direct path of his old Legion and his Primarch, now Chaos Daemon waging terrible war of destruction on one of the directions towards Emperor's Palace on Terra. We follow his final hours alongside Euphrati Keeler, the living saint, another mainstay of the Horus Heresy series. It seems there was a lack of coordination between James Swallow and Chris Wraight when writing their fights with Mortarion.

I've been following the story of Nathaniel Garro since the early days of the Horus Heresy: fleeing the carnage above Istvaan V on the Eisenstein, his adventures as one of the Knights Errant and the battles he fought in the lead up to the Siege of Terra.

You could easily argue that, had the events of the Flight of the Eisenstein not happened all those years ago, Horus' plot would have succeeded and the traitor legions would have marched on to an easy victory. Well-written and emotionally charged, Swallow presents another valuable moment in the Warhammer 30,000 lore, leaving enthusiasts discussing it for a long time. As the epic battle for Terra rages and the future of mankind hangs in the balance, former Knight Errant Nathaniel Garro fights among the ashes and fire of the embattled Imperial Palace as the shadow of Horus Lupercal’s triumph looms. We also do not accept products that are intimate or sanitary goods, hazardous materials, or flammable liquids or gases.