I just finished reading Dan Abnett's Legion book of the Horus Heresy series. I feel it isn't as good as his Horus Rising effort. Legion is still excellent and a very good read, however, I think it suffers from having too many central characters. Throughout the books the focus shifts from two Imperial Guard het's (NCO's), a human agent for a xeno race called The Cabal, to a member of the Lucifer Legion. The subject of the book title are seen through their eyes. Abnett intended this so that last Space Marine legion created by the Emperor, Alpha Legion, would remain mysterious and the reader is never sure of the legion's goals and objectives.
In fact, the end of the book is anti-climatic. The first three-quarters of the book leads up to the meeting with the Cabal and Alpha Legion. It happens and concludes in a manner that left me feeling slightly let down. Perhaps it is my own taste for climatic, huge battles where everything is decided and black and white. Black and white is NOT the Alpha Legion. They live and work in the shadows. It is no wonder they are shunned by their fellow Space Marine brethren for their unorthodox ways. Legion is best summed up as a mystery story about the Alpha Legion.
Dan Abnett is one of my favorite military sci-fi authors. I look forward to his next release in March 2010.
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