Wow....Wow....Wow!!!!! Hello folks, the Ninja here again with a book review and man is it a killer. I can say the only book that I have wanted more than this one was Prospero Burns. When Abnett failed me and the book did not live up to its pedigree Battle of the Fang was only a cover and a release date. But it had Bjorn on the cover so I knew I had to have it. No self respecting Space Wolf would not want this book. Not only was it good, it now ranks as my favorite of all time 40K books. That is right, it is now number 1.
The Story
Since the Second Edition Codex, Space Wolf fans have known of the this Battle. I am not giving out spoilers by saying the book covers the Thousands Sons retributive strike on the Space Wolves and Fenris. Nor am I giving away anything when I say that Bjorn the Fellhanded takes part in the defense. But as with all of the Space Marine Battles books there is more to the story. And man is this a good story. Just enough plot twist and bits of information to make it impossible to put the book down. The Wolves are at their finest. And this is a no holds barred romp for the future of the Chapter. For fluff fans out there this is a must read. It opens some doors and answers some questions while creating a lot more.
The Writing
Chris Wraight is my new best friend. He combines the fierceness of the Space Wolves from King with the prose of Abnett. The combination is exactly what Prospero Burns should have been but Abnett missed for the telling of a convoluted tale. Nothing Convoluted here. This is where the rubber meets the road and Wraight does it well. He tells the tale while dropping info, fleshing out things that have never been touched while expanding on the mindset of the Wolves that Abnett gave us. And it is done well. The combat is awesome. You can feel the anger and picture the carnage. The end is epic. You will see and feel the blows. You will feel the courage and at the end you will know that mortals can stand up to a primarch.
The Rating
5 out of 5. This book has it all. I am really impressed with what Wraight has done. The story is great and does the Wolves proud. I had planned on playing my Crimson Fist for awhile as the Grey Knights are still under construction. Now I want to see my Wolves on the table, beating someones face in.
2 comments:
Interesting... I totally disagree. I found Prospero Burns to be a fantastic read (along with A Thousand Sons), whereas Battle of the Fang really didn't grab me that much. I found Wraight's writing clunky and awkward, especially the dialogue. It was as though he'd read all the really good Black Library books (Abnett, McNeill, Dembski-Bowden) and just tried to copy their styles without really getting it.
Space Wolves being cool can cover up a multitude of sins, so if you're really into the Wolves this is probably a great book for you. Otherwise, in my opinion it's just okay.
Differing opinions are a good thing. I am glad you liked Prospero Burns. I was chomping at the bit for that one and I was crushed after I read it. The fluff you got and some the inside stuff was nice but the story did nothing for me. Spy thriller mixed with Space Wolves is not a good combination.
Battle of the Fang delivered what I had hoped for with Prospero Burns. A look at the culture through the eyes of the Space Wolves, not some remembrancer, spy, sapp.
And yes I am rabid space wolf fan who has played them since the ending of rogue trader. I fully admit that my objectivity has been comprimised with this one.
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