[Review] Priests of Mars by Graham McNeill

Priests of Mars
Warhammer 40,000 series
Graham McNeill
July 31, 2013
Black LIbrary
320 pages

Amazon/Book Depository/B&N

Legend tells of a foolhardy expedition, led by the radical Magos Telok, which ventured out into the unknown space beyond the Halo Worlds in search of the ‘Breath of the Gods’ – an arcane device with the power to unmake and reshape the very stars themselves. Thousands of years later, the ambitious Lexell Kotov musters his Adeptus Mechanicus Explorator fleet and sets out to follow in mad old Telok’s footsteps. With the might of the Imperial Guard and the Space Marines to augment his own forces, he searches for the hidden clues which will lead him to greatest power that the galaxy has ever known. But who knows what ancient perils may yet lie outside the Imperium and the dominion of mankind?

Being a longtime fan of the Warhammer 40,000 universe and its series of games I picked this book up with high expectations, and I have to admit I was not disappointed. Graham McNeill has brought many diverse groups from the Imperium of Man together for a deadly voyage into the unknown.

While the title indicates the Techpriests of Mars might be the focus of the tale, that isn't true. Graham has spun a tale that includes the lowest of the low in the lower crew decks, through the waves of Imperial Guard from Cadia, the intrigue of a Rogue Trader, the colossal might of the Titan Legions, and not forgetting the awe inspiring Space Marines of the Black Templars. Even with all these diverse tales going on, it's amazing how they all blend together into a seamless story focused on a common goal.

Along the way their one of a kind vessel, the Speranza, an Ark Mechanicus that dwarfs even the largest of vessels in the galaxy, unlocks some mysteries of the depths of space before they and the vast fleet that accompanies them even reach their goal of the Halo Worlds.

Now I won't give you the spoilers of what secrets they discover or exactly what challenges they face, but all the parties involved face the rigors of spaceflight and travel through that immaterial realm known as the Warp.

This book kept me on the edge of my seat as I followed the hidden mysteries as members of the lower deck crew discover a long lost secret within the Ark Mechanicus, an alien ship stalks the expedition and targets the Space Marines for special attention, and even the Imperial Guard can teach the famed Skitarii, the augmented warriors of the Adeptus Mechanicus.

This novel truly eared it's five laser pistols, it shines like a nova in the darkness and I eagerly await a sequel. There is much yet to come in the tales of this vast expedition.