Book Review // Deliverance Lost by Gav Thorpe
Can I keep the pace going? OR will I succumb to Horus Heresy fatigue? Yesterday, I saw a rekindling of the spark as the Outcast Dead reignited my joy in the Horus Heresy series. I have the subsequent few novels lined up and ready to go, so expect lots of heartbreak and betrayal this week. But for now, we dive into Deliverance Lost by Gav Thorpe.
I have to be honest and state that I know very little about the Raven Guard. They aren't a legion I care much for; my knowledge begins and ends with the fact that they favour stealth and ambush warfare and lean heavily on the emo raven theme. I am glad to see my favourite author, Gav Thorpe is the writer, so I am excited to see what happens.
Book Details
Title: Deliverance Lost
Author: Gav Thorpe
Page Count: 480 pages
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Black Library
Fluff:
As the Horus Heresy divides the Imperium, Corax and his few remaining Raven Guard escape the massacre at Isstvan V. Tending to their wounds, the bloodied Space Marines endeavour to replenish their numbers and return to the fray, taking the fight to the traitor Warmaster. Distraught at the crippling blow dealt with his Legion, Corax returns to Terra to seek the aid of his father – the Emperor of Mankind. Corax begins to rebuild the Raven Guard, granting access to ancient secrets and planning his revenge against his treacherous brother primarchs. But not all his remaining warriors are who they appear to be… the mysterious Alpha Legion have infiltrated the survivors and plans to destroy the Raven Guard before they can rebuild and threaten Horus's plans.
Review
It's nice to learn some deeper info on this Legion finally. I believe Corax was last mentioned in book three(?) on the fields of the Drop Site Massacre. Lucky for us, the book picks up at this location as we follow Corax and his sons retreating across the war-torn planet, constantly chased by the World Eaters Legion and Angron. As all seems lost, aid arrives in the form of the Raven Guard garrison force, who, following a vision, have come to save the Primarch. From here, we join Corax, who attempts to rebuild his Legion using gene tech gifted to him by his father.
Within this story of hope, we have a cloak-and-dagger story. During their attempts to flee Istavan, some Alpha Legion troops managed to sneak in. Their goal is two-fold: step one: discover the gene technology and attempt to steal it or at least destroy it. Step Two; cripple the Raven Guard and take them out of the civil war. This aspect of the book was terrific! I enjoyed the secrets and shadow work by the Alpha Marines, who weren't sure how many members existed within the Raven Guard.
Overall, this is a solid book, not without faults, but full of action, intrigue, and story-expanding lore. I want this more from these novels and hope this storytelling style continues.
