Review of Ruinstorm by David Annandale

Of all the back cover blurbs in the Horus Heresy, Ruinstorm by David Annandale (2017) has perhaps the least chance of inspiring interest. Various legions of space marines encounter Chaos in the Warp, blah, blah, blah. Bolter porn if ever there were, yes? Only seemingly. The 46th book in the Horus Heresy series manages to be engaging for the individual storylines it progresses as well as the criticality of the waypoint it achieves in the overarching story arc. And for those worried by my intro, don't. There is a strong dash of bolter porn, as well.

With the collapse of Imperium Secundus in Angels in Caliban, the three loyalist legions—Dark Angels, Blood Angels, and Ultramarines—get in their ships and head to Terra to defend it. Problem is, the Ruinstorm—that massive cyclone of Chaos unleashed on the universe by the Word Bearers—blocks their traversal. With no choice, the three Legions, led by their storied primarchs Sanguinius, Guillaume, and the Lion (with Cruze imprisoned in the hold), enter the storm. They do not exit the same as they entered.

I stated it in the intro, and I'll repeat it here: Ruinstorm is more than such a plot summary would make it seem. The substance of greatest import is the character development of the primarchs, most occurring in Sanguinius and Cruze. Each is able to see bits of the future, and thus both are aware of their fates. In the novel they are forced to confront these realities both in and outside chaos. Their premonition not 100%, however, the near certainty (as opposed to clear certainty) of knowing, coupled with potential escape routes from their fates, makes for good story arcs. Sanguinius is torn in multiple directions sorting out who he is, who he believes he is, and who he wants to be. And even Cruze, who has tended toward the one-dimensional, gains a touch of depth. This is not Proust, but Annandale does a good job getting into the heads of these primarchs.

Of secondary importance to Ruinstorm, beyond blasting Chaos in the Ruinstorm and developing the Primarchs character arcs, is the manner in which Chaos reveals more of its hand. Yes, Chaos has been and will always be the easy, go-to, de facto bad guy when a little action is needed in the series. And they occupy that role in Ruinstorm as well. That being said, that role also becomes more defined. Based on the information revealed in Ruinstorm, they shift a bit further away from gratuitous cannon fodder and toward active agent to theme. I will not spoil anything, but will say Chaos tips their hand through more than just minions. They start to fully occupy the third pillar the series so badly needs: traitors, loyalists, and Chaos.

Ruinstorm is the first novel by David Annandale I have read. He's solid, at times even good. He takes what could have been mediocre material and makes something of it. The reader feels the personal weight of Sanguinius' dilemma, just as they feel a strong sense of satisfaction landing at the story's conclusion—the key point on which it ends. And they feel a strong motivation to learn what happens next—an indirect compliment if ever there were.

In the end, Ruinstorm is a deceptively good novel in the HH series. Annandale's technique keeps things focused on two things: primarch characterization and the meaning of the battle inside the Ruinstorm. And all is balanced between these macro and personal scale events. This major step in the HH's arc comes recommended, especially for people not impressed by the back cover blurb.