Book Review: Space Wolf by William King
Fancied a bit of hack and slash, Space Marine goodness. I love the escapism of the Black Library range, and this title is very much a classic. I also have a Ragnar Blackmane awaiting a paint job, so this may finally inspire me!
Title: Space Wolf
Author: William King
Published By: Black Library
Genres: Sci-fi
Format: Paperback
Fluff:
''Every hero starts somewhere, and this is the origin story of Ragnar Blackmane. He's the youngest warrior ever to become a Wolf Lord, but how did he come to join the Space Wolves in the first place? Find out here.''
Review
Welcome back for another book review. This time, I'm sticking with Sci-fi and the Warhammer 40,000 Universe. I found this novel for two Canadian dollars in a local thrift store, so you can't go wrong. I last read Space Wolf-related material when I was nine or ten and had the Second Edition game. So, it will be fantastic to reread some background fluff about them.
Here is a quick overview of what a 'Space Wolf' is: firstly, they are an original founding legion of the Space Marines (Games Workshop's most popular miniature line). They have freaky superhuman strength and reflexes granted to them by a gene-seed and have strong links to Vikings fluff-wise: coming from a snow-covered Death World, made up of rival tribes fighting over the small islands dotted on the world. Life is short as a human on Fenris, and 35 is considered old. From these warring tribes, the Space Wolves select promising aspirants and train them to become Space Marines.
In Space Wolf, we get introduced to Ragnar Blackmane, the hero of the tale and one of GW's most popular characters. We find out he is the son of a tribal chief who calls themselves the Thunderfists. He comes across as very arrogant and self-sure. Until he meets a real Space Wolf, during this time, he views everything the Space Wolf does as sorcery, as he does not understand technology, and this is a fun chapter to read.
Time then moves forward a bit, and Ragner is now an adult and looking for a wife (age-wise, I believe he is 14/15). This is when shit gets real! A rival clan raids his homestead and ultimately kills everyone! Ragner is only saved because he fought so well that he impressed a Space Wolf, becoming a potential Space Marine Legion recruit. The story is even more tragic because the enemy who beat Ragnar is recruited simultaneously. Soon, the two of them team up and are forced to cooperate if they ever wish to become Space Wolves. From this point onwards, the book follows Ragner as he faces the trials of becoming a Space Wolf and facing his inner demons. It introduces him to a broader world of warfare and technology and humbles him into realizing how petty his early life had been.
This book ends with Ragner as a Blood Claw (the lowest rank in the Chapter) on a search mission, and I believe it sets us up with an introduction to the main villain of future books, too. Overall I found the book easy to read and more importantly enjoyable. It felt more like an introduction to Ragner, dealing with primarily building a character. I look forward to starting the next book and seeing where King takes us. I want more open warfare, and I want to see the return of the Villain. This is a book series I can't wait to progress with. So, with that in mind, I headed out and snapped up the omnibus of the first three books. Expect more on these soon.
As always, thanks for the continued support.
