Audio Review // Brotherhood of the Storm by Chris Wraight
The next book in the Horus Heresy series is Legacies of Betrayal (Amazon Link), another collection of shorter stories. The last time I did a collected review, it was commented that people wanted more depth in the reviews rather than a passing line or two. I get that, so I will attempt it with this title and see how it goes. It was an excellent short audio drama this week. Brotherhood of the Storm listen to via audible. Let's go!
Title: Brotherhood of the Storm (buy with Amazon Link and support the blog. Thank you)
Author: Chris Wraight
Narrator: Jonathan Keeble and Penelope Rawlins.
Fluff: As word of Horus’s treachery spreads to fully half of the Legiones Astartes, Terra looks to the remaining loyalist Space Marines to defend the Imperium. One group, however, remains curiously silent despite apparent efforts from both sides to contact them – the noble Vth Legion, Jaghatai Khan’s fearsome White Scars. In the ork-held territory of Chondax, a bitter war has been raging since the Triumph at Ullanor, and only now do the sons of Chogoris return their gaze to the heavens...
Running time: 4 hours
Music: Jai Channa
Publisher: Black Library
Review
Here we go! It's an actual background-building White Scars story. I know very little about them beyond the two disjointed novels we got and, sadly, have not seen or read enough to interest me. As I downloaded this, I hoped it would change this arc.
Boy, did this book deliver? I have a much better understanding of the White Scars culture and why they behave the way they do. I also now understand why no one knew which side they would join during the Heresy. As a legion, they believe strongly in honour and who they have given their word to. During this novel, it is discussed that Horus has their support (this is pre-heresy), but the Scars also vowed to serve the Emperor, so it seems like it comes down to who they will dishonour by not supporting and I hope this is discussed more in future novels. Those around them also question their allegiance, as they are a very elusive legion. But what is perfectly explained is that they are constantly pushing the boundary of known space and are at the forefront of most conflicts. Combine this with their style of warfare and language barriers, and many of the known issues of their allegiance in this civil war become more understandable.
Chris Wraight does a great job showcasing their way of warfare. Overall, this was a great listen, giving me, the listener, a greater understanding of everything. And let's not forget Jaghatai Khan. He is such an out-there character compared to the other Primarchs, and this truly is refreshing.
This has left me excited for more Scars! I hope you enjoyed my quick review. Feel free to comment below or seek me out on one of the many social platforms I use.
Cheers to reading this.
