Story doesn't do the synopsis justice, a lot more bolter action and a lot less intrigue then you'd expect. The Alpha Legion loses a lot of its unique character in this story and they seem more akin to other basic legions. Just felt disappointed with this story.

Certainly not the best written novel in the Horus Heresy, especially the first part. The second part got significantly better and more engaging and enjoyable though. The first part suffered from too many too similar perspectives and especially the dialogue and descriptive aspects of the story being mediocre at best.

Not particularly high-quality writing but still an enjoyable read nonetheless.

Not a unique story in the context of the Horus Heresy, and some of the other stories do a better job of being compelling.

I can see why some people might not like it, as it doesn't contribute much to the overall story of the Horus Heresy. But this is a phenomenal horror book, and it could only exist within the contexts of the Horus Heresy.

Yes, if you're reading the Horus Heresy you can skip this book as it won't impact your enjoyment of any of the other books at all, but honestly don't deprive yourself of one of the best books in the series.

Very different and very good, I feel like things related to Chaos can be difficult to capture because they are often so grotesquely evil and vile, but this short story does a fantastic job.

I really enjoy these stories that centre the Shattered Legions as it shows this interesting dynamic between what are essentially unaging soldiers and being forced to adapt and change their ways. The overall plot was a bit basic and predictable but it was well written and still fun to read.