Lords of Mars: Forge of Mars: Warhammer 40,000, Book 2

There's a lot to like here! A diverse cast hailing from different social strata of the Warhammer's universe. A captivating journey with ever-rising stakes, never feeling as a mere filler between the first and third tomes. Everything is grand - the spaceships, war-machines, conflicts and ambitions. Trademark grimdark atmosphere, but not excessively so. Several cliffhangers which I can't wait to resolve - the third installment is an instant buy for me.As a side note I'd like to point out one facet of the fictional human technology which I find peculiar, but also strangely fascinating - the ban on AI (a consequence of a robot revolt from millennia ago) is so strict that mankind, having abandoned computers, seems incapable of having any but the crudest automation. In effect, most of the vast crew of the starship is used for repetitive tasks. Data streams from each sensor need to be processed by a crewmember. Senior magos is assigned to constantly calculate the required fuel inputs to the reactor which would surely explode if left unsupervised. It's such a stark contrast to the good practices today (disclaimer: I work as software engineer) that I have a mental image of Adeptus Mechanicus whenever I see feudal corporate organisation structures or a monotonous task for some reason not consigned to a machine. I surely hope our non-fictional future won't rely on "efficiency" of working people to the bone under the false pretense of some divine cause... Still, it's a hell of a story.

Same as the first. I've read sequels to books that of course were worse or better but this was just the same. Although I dont like how human the Black Templar characters have felt so far. They act more like Imperial Guard than Space Marines. Also some scenes seemed to be ended and it skips ahead a little. A situation building since the first book is ended rather quickly and pretty poorly. Really didn't like that. But it was probably the best McNeill could do. Might have written themselves into a corner. Other than that. It's a sequel in a trilogy.

If you are a Warhammer 40k fan then give this a read. I would delay reading this if you are just starting out with the lore, it kind of dives I to the deep end

Amazing book. Graham McNeil really knows how to engage a reader. From first page to last it's a high stakes read. Good length, not too short and it doesn't drag on near the end. I would recommend this book to anyone that is a fan of sci-fi. Especially if your a warhammer fan.

Really enjoyed the book, a great sequel to The Priests of Mars, cant wait for the next one to come out.

Another great installment in the warhammer 40k universe. The end was a little anti climactic and the central portion of the story a bit predictable. Over all I felt like I was reading a solid book. Not overly memorable but an excellent time sink. Quick read."I'm a Prime Magos of the Adeptus Mechanicus... I can do whatever I want." Favorite line from the book. Well set up situation.

Another reviewer, whose reviews I tend to appreciate even when I disagree with them, titled his review of this book as « overblown ». I had the same impression, with the added feeling that the author was somehow playing with his readers and trying out experiments on them. The reason for this is that, in this follow-up to Priest of Mars, Graham McNeill is keen to throw in bit and pieces (Mechanicum, Titan Legio, Rogue Trader, Space Marines, Eldars, unknown worlds beyond the edge of the galaxy etc...), stir them all up, and see how it works out.I do not mind new experiments, provided there are parts of well-thought, well-structured and somewhat plausible story. This is where I started having problems. Disgraced Archmagos Kotov's expedition seeks to discover what happened to the expedition of Archmagos Telok, which was lost some four thousand years before. In both this instalment and the previous one, you (or I, at least) never quite understood why this expedition was so imperative and what treasures and ancient secrets everyone seemed to be after. While the idea of such a "treasure-hunt" is an interesting one, the fact that no one seems to know what they are after and why the whole expedition might even be worth pursuing at the start is somewhat odd.Then there are all the ingredients and components that the author throws into the story to "spice things up". Some of these work rather well, regardless of whether they are really original or not. The bits about the Titan Sirius Legio are among the former. So is the interaction between a Mechanicus Cartographer and his gifted (and also Mechanicus) daughter, with the latter seeking to remain as much human for as long as she can. There may however be a bit of a plausibility issue here because, given what we have seen of this organization so far, it is not very likely that said Cartographer could have maintained his position within the Mechanicum while siring and raising a biological daughter. Another nice and original touch was a piece of "industrial action" of which I will say no more to avoid spoiling the story for others.There were however a number of problems, many of which have also been mentioned by other reviewers. One of the worst is the rather poor treatment meted out to the Black Templars. At best, they only appear as bland "guest stars". This is all the more problematic given the very specific Chapter, burning with righteous Crusader zeal, to which they belong.There are also problems with some of the characters. While some are well-drawn, such as Lexell Kotov, the Archmagos, Ven Anders, the Cadian colonel, or Gunnar Vintras, the Warhound Princeps, others have much less depth, as if the author had been somewhat careless and just not bothered to spend time in describing them and explaining their background. This is particularly the case for Roboute Surcouf, the rogue trader, who has had previous contacts with the Eldar and which is spared by them yet another time, although we learn little about how the first contact happened or why he would have been spared. Also, Roboute Surcouf is mentioned as having had fleets of traders and a vast fortune in the past, yet here he is part of the expedition with a single ship.Also problematic are the discoveries of the crystalline constructs and of systems where the "normal" laws do not seem to apply. The former are numerous and aggressive, but in fact prove not to be that threatening. As for the latter, I had the impression that the author just could not make his mind up as to whether the planets should be decaying and rejuvenating at an accelerating pace, so he tried a bit of both, sometimes for the same planet.Overall, and while not an unpleasant read, I was rather confused and perplexed by this volume, a confusion that the author's laborious attempts at humour did not really dissipate (for instance, Kotov's "Archmagos Telok, I presume", which ends this volume and is supposed to echo Stanley's meeting-up with Doctor Livingstone!).Note that you should read "Priests of Mars" before this one to fully appreciate this one. Three stars.

my son liked the book

great

Continues on with the story at a rollicking pace with great set pieces and insights into the background details that makes the G.W. universe so great. Obviously one for the Warhammer fan but you probably don't know about these books unless you are. Can't wait for the next one!

Great writing as always, an it's nice following that set of characters around ; can't wait for the next volume !

der zweite Teil der Adeptus Mechanicus Serie ist durchaus eine gelungene Fortsetzung. Der Autor schafft es erneut eine spannende story aufzubauen, welche alle Haupt gleichermaßen mit einbezieht. Diverse Handlungsstränge, welche parallel zueinander laufen und an relevanten Stellen gewisse Schlüsselereignisse fördern, geben der Geschichte einen sehr dynamischen Anstrich. Freue mich schon auf die Fortsetzung.

I quite enjoyed the 'Priests of Mars' so I was looking forward to this one.I felt it was a good continuation of the story, with a good cliff hanger leading into the final novel.Particularly interesting (imho) was the insight into 'terra forming' of the Mechanicus, and the fairly detailed (for a book anyway) analysis of the steps that the Mechanicus adopts to begin altering a planet and its environment. Thus far, the Black Templar marines don't really bring anything to the story that couldn't also have been accomplished by 'skitari' or even just the Imperial Guard that are present, for the most part. But I suspect they will play a larger part in the final novel. I find the Mechanicus heavy story arc interesting, and am waiting with anticipation for the final book, 'Gods of Mars'.