Review of The End & the Death: Volume II by Dan Abnett

Volume I of Dan Abnett's The End & the Death was largely about setting tone and yes, getting the two Bigs off their idle asses. It was the quiet before the culmination of Horus' grand storm. In Volume II, drops start falling and lightning begins to flicker.

Indeed, in Volume II the pace picks up, tension ratchets up (somehow), and worlds begin to twist. Certain characters find themselves far out of their element as Chaos blurs the line between reality and dreams. The narrative rotates through a large fistful of characters—Malcador, Loken, Sigismund, Sanguinius, Horus, Horus, Ull, John, Vulkan, and several others. The dark king emerges from the shadows, but does he go further? The Dark King, a personage who has flitted through the shadows, finally reveals itself. And the BIG Chaos evil (finally) shows his (its?) face in theatrical fashion. Abnett seeming to relish these scenes, the Hansel & Gretel breadcrumbs that have been dropped throughout the series finally amount to a path.

In the end, this isn't a proper review given it's highly unlikely you're wondering whether to read the book. You've come this far; why would you turn back. No reason. Just read it. Enjoy.