Dead Sky, Black Sun (Warhammer 40,000)

Rating:
Summary: I've read better books
Review: As much as I really like reading well-written Space Marine stories, especially those by Graham McNeil, I have to say that I probably won't be re-reading this one. I am all for stories of good vs evil and the overcoming of adversity, but this book was actually kind of depressing.
There is not much character development beyond Cpt Ventris and Pasanius; it's assumed that you have read the previous novels and are familiar with them. There are a fair number of secondary and tertiary characters in the book, but the stories behind them are vague at best, frequently not even mentioned.
The main reason that I was disappointed in this novel is the incredible amount of gore and violence. You know those people who talk about being desensitized to violence after too much exposure? This book perfectly describes what they are talking about. Everything involving Chaos is dressed in human skin, odorned with intestines, mutated to a Chernobyl-like level, and bathed in body fluids. Charles Manson and any other sadist with homicidal gestures/ideations would really like this. The sheer amount of death, mutilation, injuries (both physical, as well as psychological), rusty and blood-coated blades, and filth is overwhelming. Throughout the course of the text, I would have to estimate the casual reference to or the explicit description of around ten thousand deaths. Granted, the vast majority involves losses in large battles and therefore non-specific, but the obscenely exacting descriptions of individual death, torture, and dismemberment is present on just about every page and would probably make Adolf Eichman and the Auschwitz/Dachau/Abu Ghraib/Hanoi Hilton/Andersonville guard alumni turn green and toss their cookies. Almost every perversion and sacrilege of life and death is relayed in detail, as well as many more that even death row inmates couldn't even come up with.
If you're looking for a good story of how the Space Marines of the Imperium overcome the forces of evil, read Warriors of Ultramar or the Ragnar books. If you want a crash course in debauchery or human multilation read this or Jeffery Dahmer's autobiography, life philosophy, and cookbook.

Rating:
Summary: Very Entertaining
Review: As a reader of Graham, I have to say I enjoy how he builds from his previous novels. It makes the experience compounded and well developed. He is my favorite author of the black library so far and I think that although one would have to read his previous works to get my complete experience of this novel...it would just make your experience in the warhammer universe that much better! If I started all over, all I would buy is his books.

Rating:
Summary: Outstanding!
Review: Graham McNeil creates another great Ultramarines epic in fantastic Warhammer 40K style! The story moves along great, but does not become fragmented. Lots and lots of fight scenes, but also some great siege warfare too. Even with the huge amount of fight scenes there is still a good story woven in. Even the bad guys were fun characters. Not, in my opinion, just another bland sequel. I found it fun and exciting. Couldn't put it down.

Rating:
Summary: The Third Installment...
Review: Graham McNeill is fast becoming one of my favorite authors in the Black Library. If you have read his first two Ultramarines books ("Warriors of Ultramar" and "Nightbringer") then this book is a must have. If you are a Warhammer 40k Black Library fan, check this one out! It will make you want to read the first two if you already haven't sampled Graham McNeill's novels.

The writing style kept me gripped. I enjoy seeing how Mr. McNeill can keep the reader interested with the large scale fights, all the while telling a more subtle story of the two main characters, Captain Uriel Ventris and Sergeant Pasanius. He keeps the action flowing well and the dramatic moments are tight and tense.

My favorite aspect of this book is that I was kept guessing as to the fate of my favorite Ultramarine all the way through the book. Up and down, back and forth. One minute I was sure that this was the end of the saga, the next I was SURE it was going to continue. I won't ruin the book for anyone, so order a copy today. That's my .02 cents.

"Courage and Honor!"

Rating:
Summary: The weakest chain in his Ultramarines trilogy
Review: I enjoyed the 1st 2 in his trilogy but this third novel
was a slow starter and was boring during the first half.

There really was no character development and was
almost entirely action-oriented.
I actually got bored and stopped reading less than halfway
through the novel and didn't get back to it until a month
later when i forced myself to finish it. The novel was much
faster paced in the later half and i managed to finish the
rest in one reading.

If you liked McNeil's "Storm of Iron" then you will probably
enjoy this novel as the styles seemed very similar.

As someone else has mentioned, "I have read better", especially
from McNeil.

Rating:
Summary: A Good, But Not Great Installment Of The Series
Review: The 3rd installment of the Ultramarines/Ventris series is a good read. This book gets off to a quick start and the action stays high throughout. Be aware that its important to have read the first two books of the Ventris series and Storm of Iron or you will be lost as there is little time wasted in character development. I was disappointed in the very end of the book as it was predictable and an obviously cheesy attempt to make sure there would be a 4th installment.