‘Ashes of the Imperium’ – Chris Wraight (Black Library)

 

Page Count: 503 Pages

After (finally finishing) ‘Era of Ruin’ the other day, it felt like the obvious ‘next step’ to pick up ‘Ashes of the Imperium’ and keep trekking along the timeline. So that’s exactly what I did :o) I’ve heard vague talk of ‘The Scouring’ (or ‘What next after the Siege of Terra’) but know next to nothing about what happened during that time. Well, as luck would have it, Black Library have kicked off a new series that will fill in all those gaps so, lets do it :o)

Last week being what it was, it took me a little while to properly get stuck in but, I got there in the end. Yesterday was all about sitting in my favourite chair and really getting to grips with everything that happened after the Siege ended…

The Traitor Warmaster is dead. Terra lies in ruins. The Emperor is silent. Amid the rubble of the Palace, shell-shocked survivors emerge into the light of an uncertain dawn. New powers are present now, ones that have travelled the length of the galaxy to bring salvation to the Imperium, though they are as readily cast as usurpers as redeemers. The survivors of Horus’ Grand Armada, now scattered and desperate to escape vengeance, are riven with doubt and dissension, and their gods too are silent. Amid all the grief and confusion, some hopeful souls believe the war to be over and an era of renewal just ahead. But wiser heads know that this war can never end, and that the only question remaining is who shall rise to power within the perilous new age, and who shall fall.

I don’t know where the time went yesterday afternoon… I sat down with ‘Ashes of the Imperium’, read a couple of pages and the next thing I knew, it was dark outside and I really needed to call my kids before bed. ‘Ashes of the Imperium’ isn’t a perfect read but it comes very close. I should say that I’m a big fan of Chris Wraight’s Black Library output (so maybe have a pinch of salt on hand as you’re reading this) but even so, Wraight turns out consistently excellent work and has done it again here. ‘Ashes of the Imperium’ is probably best read after having read the ‘Siege of Terra’ books (at the very least) so fair warning, long term fans will get more out of this book than newer readers. Having said that though, a little prior reading won’t exactly be a chore… ;o)

In the aftermath of the most devastating war the Imperium has ever found itself in, ‘Ashes of the Imperium’ picks up in the wake of ‘Era of Ruin’, following new plot threads across Terra and out into the Sol System as the Traitors retreat and the Loyalists… Well, Wraight captures the irony of the setting almost perfectly here; a setting where any one faction could dominate the galaxy but only if it wasn’t already riven by internal divisions… To be fair, there has just been a devastating civil war but you can just see the seeds being sown for where the Imperium will find itself in the ‘modern’ setting.

What’s interesting though is that while the Loyalist Primarchs, and their Legions, argue over the direction that the Imperium should take, it’s baseline humanity that gets on with the job while their super-powered ‘protectors’ argue. There’s something to be said here but again, it’s very bittersweet when you think about where the Imperium will end up. I’d say that Wraight does an amazing job here, sowing what looks like hope for the Imperium but with a little ‘nod and a wink’ that suggests otherwise.

And the great thing about ‘factions not being able to co-operate internally’? Yep, there is plenty of scope for a plot that is full of politicking and intrigue, no matter which way you turn. Wraight doesn’t forget that the Astartes look absolutely awesome, when fighting other Astartes, but he pays really close attention to what can arise when the guns stop firing and there is a massive power vacuum on both sides. Everyone is jockeying for position and this leads to several threads that not only brim with possibility but also promise great things for the series as a whole (just so long as it’s not another sixty-odd books affair, please…?) Not only that, ‘Ashes’ has a number of twists that I thoroughly enjoyed, particularly at the end where a lot of the need for secrecy is placed in context and you realise that things are even worse than people suspect. And that’s just for the Imperium…

What was interesting for me is how Wraight looks at the ‘what comes next?’ question and how this applies to both sides. While the Loyalists are making sure that their feet are firmly under the big table, the question takes on a whole new meaning for the Traitors, whether it’s how they carry on the ‘Great Work’ or just simply how they can survive long enough to make it out of the system. I was a little disappointed that potentially most interesting thread (for me, anyway) was cut short, fairly early on, but that’s just a matter of personal preference really. I think if anything, it just shows that Wraight has a little something for everyone here, in terms of the cast.

Anyway… While history is being written (or literally re-written here) by the winners, the losers are in a right mess except for the one man who took a little time out and knows exactly what he is doing. He’s not a character that I’ve been keen on in the past but Wraight casts him in a new light and I’m here for whatever comes next.

I’ve got a busy one coming up today so I’m going to round it off here. I’d say that overall, ‘The Scouring’ series kicks off in fine style with ‘Ashes of the Imperium’. I would have liked to have seen more of some characters, and less of others, but I think that’s on me rather than what Wraight gives us here; events and questions that will resonate down the rest of the rest of the series. A great opening salvo then, that promises good things to come.