Even though it is a very short story, I feel like I have learnt more of the different viewpoints that exist within the Salamanders than in any of the stories I have featuring them up until now.

I have to acknowledge this was a very well written story but somehow it didn't manage to really be all that interesting to read for me. I can't tell if it's something specific about this story or the general themes associated with the Iron Hands which just don't interest me all that much.

This story had several possibilities for interesting threads but none ever managed to actually grip me in a meaningful way. The writing itself was fine and I liked the flashback sequences significantly to the "present-day" story. Characters, except for Vulkan himself, also had a tendency to feel very one-dimensional.

This is a perfect introduction to Vulkan as a character. In very little time, this story has shown me the type of human Vulkan is. I cannot wait to see him interact with other Primarchs in the future, and the inevitable tensions that will arise. But I also can't wait to see how Vulkan will change the other Primarchs, for the better I hope.

It is also nice seeing more of Ferrus Manus, who we never had the chance to see much of in non Iron Hands stories, due to, well, circumstances.

This is the grimness I want from my Warhammer stories. Not some great epic description of a galaxy-spanning war, but a very personal and intimate look at the suffering of the people who inhabit this universe. But also their resilience and humanity, even if it is twisted nearly beyond recognition.