Audio Review // The Devine Adoratrice by Graham McNeill

The Audible Train will get me over the finish line with the Horus Heresy series. We now dive into War Without End, book number 33 in the series, which contains 18 short stories. I will want to review some of these independently, while others need to be bundled together. The opening tale is over 1 hour long and rightly deserves its own post. Let's dive into Graham McNeill's book's opening.

Title: The Devine Adoratrice

Author: Graham McNeill

Fluff: Decades before Horus's civil war sunders the Imperium, Raeven Devine, ruler-in-waiting of the world of Molech, prepares for his Becoming, the rite that will elevate him to the rank of Knight and bond him with the mighty war machine that will be his steed for years to come. But traitors within the Sacristans have other ideas, and a shocking act of betrayal sets the stage for one of the bloodiest battles of the Horus Heresy…

This story is a prequel to Graham McNeill's epic Horus Heresy novel Vengeful Spirit, and first, it appears in The Imperial Truth.

Review

First, I must point out that it is disappointing to get a prequel to a book that I have already read. If I had read this before Vengeful Spirit, this would have hit home much harder. But that is the joy of short stories released initially before other titles and then collected together afterwards.

The short story focuses on Raeven Devine and his rise to power within his knight household. We discover through this tale that he is the "disappointment son" of the household. Born to Cyprian Devine, he is the second son, with his half-brother set to inherit everything. The only problem is that Raeven is very ambitious and feels held back by his father and brother. His sole goal is to rule, and it would seem no one will hinder his plans. As the focal point character, Graham McNeill does a fantastic job bringing him to life, with many flaws, quirks and character traits that bring him to life. He reminds me of the villains you always end up like in a story; springing to mind straight away is the Marvel version of Loki, always on the outside looking in, and they can't help themselves becoming bad guys.

For a short story, we explore many of the Molech Nobles. Devine's household leadership is based on a self-built fantasy world. They believe themselves noble and lordly when, in fact, they are no better than Raeven. The only difference is that he has embraced and is true to himself. By the end of the book, the plot twist makes this clear for us all to understand, and the ending alone is worth the read. This is a great listen, full of action, character development, knightly betrayal, and romance.

I just genuinely wish I had got to it before the Vengeful Spirit, as this would have added to the experience of that tale. Go read it already and enjoy!

What are your thoughts on this opening story? Please drop me a comment and let me know.