The Dark Imperium (Warhammer 40k, Dark Imperium #1) by Guy Haley review

    DARK IMPERIUM by Guy Haley is the first book of a trilogy set after the Indominatus Crusade event detailed in both the Warhammer 40K tabletop game as well as the Dawn of Fire book series. It is a trilogy detailing the Plague Wars where Primarch Roboute Guilliman faces off the Imperium of Mankind against the forces of the Chaos God Nurgle as well as the Traitor Marine Primarch, Motarion. If none of these names mean anything to you then this is probably not the book series for you. This is a series where the more you know about things like the Horus Heresy, the more you will enjoy the work.

    Dark Imperium is fundamentally three separate perspectives on the same event: Guilliam is attempting to rebuild the Imperium from the ground up but is stuck dealing with a backward, superstitious, and frequently stupid population that reveres him as a god. Unfortunately, for Guilliman, their belief in his divinity is the only reason he has any power at all and undercutting that would mean his cause was doomed. We also have the perspective of those fighting on the ground against Nurgle's forces who survive or die based on the whims of fate. Thirdly, we have Motarion, who hates the fact he must use magic as well as miracles to beat his brother but is stuck with the bizarre Addams Family-esque grotesques that make up Nurgle's inner circle.

    Dark Imperium's quality is somewhat varied because some of the perspectives in the book are more interesting than others. A large chunk of the book is devoted to battle scenes where Space Marines and Imperial Guardsman are fighting against the zombie-esque hordes of Chaos. These aren't really engaging and feel like someone is transcribing their Darktide video game sessions. However, these are right next to the fascinating scenes from Guilliman's perspective as he attempts to navigate his complicated feelings regarding both his father as well as religion.

    My favorite character in Dark Imperium is Mathieu, who is a priest of the Ecclesiarchy that Guilliman believes is saner than most of their kind. That doesn't mean that Mathieu doesn't believe in the God Emperor, though, and Guilliman fundamentally underestimates the man because of his disdainful attitude toward religion. He's a character I am very eager to see more development for in future books because he's an ordinary human surrounded by gods.

    The perspective of Chaos is something I have mixed feelings on with the fact that Nurgle's band of followers tend to be weird and hilarious like Muppets that kill billions. They're a kooky family of oddballs except for Motarion that refuses to acknowledge he's among a bunch of deranged weirdos. It's amusing to read about but doesn't really lend the forces of Chaos much in the way of terror. Sort of like how Orks are best treated seriously when they are the primary antagonists of a novel.

    In conclusion, Dark Imperium is a fun but flawed novel. The best parts are ones that deal with questions of religion, the Emperor's divinity, and the fact that a person who knows someone else as family (like Guilliman) might have to deal with someone who knows them as a hero (like Mathieu). Unfortunately, the military aspects are disjointed and the forces of Nurgle lack the intimidation they really need.

Available here