Dark Imperium has an interesting genesis. Originally written in 2017, the story took place over a century after the Dawn of Fire crusade. However, when a new edition of the game arrived and the Dawn of Fire series gained traction, the series was edited and rereleased to take place earlier in the timeline. It’s probably the best example of a retcon in Black Library’s recent history, though having not read the original releases, I can’t say exactly how much of the text has changed. On a very basic level, I am opposed to books being rewritten like this (unlike Stephen King, I think a book should be left as is), but having only listened to one version of the story, I have to say it doesn’t bother me all that much. everything I have to say about this trilogy is based on the 2021 rerelease, not the originals. Whatever they may have looked like.

I am currently halfway through the Dawn of Fire series, which is billed as the big narrative event of current Warhammer 40,000. It’s a fine series, but Dark Imperium is more in line with what I expected to find in a setting-altering story. It is Dark Imperium that has major players packing the rafters. As well as the returned Primarch and his fallen brother Mortarion, there are appearances, from full-blown to cameo, from such legendary names as Uriel Ventris, Cato Sicarius, and Marneus Calgar. That cast list alone screams big event to me. It’s also a pretty clear indication that this is a must-read for Ultramarines fans. Yes, those boys in blue get a lot to do in this trilogy, but the most interesting part by far is that we finally get to see how the domain of Ultramar actually functions. On a worldbuilding level, this is the most interesting the Ultramarines have ever been to me.

There’s more than just Astartes here, however. Much more. Historitor Fabian makes a welcome appearance, foreshadowing is role in Dawn of Fire. The personality cult building around the Primarch is filled with lively characters who show the extent of the Imperial cult, and the power of faith in the Warhammer universe. On the other side of the equation, we have Chaos. It is a pretty one dimensional depiction of evil, but the followers of Nurgle are appropriately (and on occasion inappropriately) disgusting. My personal favourite of the Chaotic creations is a horrible little wretch by the name of the Tattleslug. The Tattleslug alone is enough to reinvigorate my love of the monstrous. He’s adorably evil.

Naturally, all of these forces are going to clash at some point. Or indeed multiple points. I can appreciate a good action sequence as much as the next man. Warhammer wouldn’t be Warhammer without some blood and guts, after all. This book has plenty of action to satisfy bolter fans, but for me there was too much. Not in the sense of violence pushed to the extreme, but in the amount of fighting on these pages. Yes, it’s a violent world, but all the action soon blends together. Action is exciting because it is not the norm. Here, it’s just one fight scene after another, with the occasional break for a little bit of scheming. It’s like John Wick in literary form. And like John Wick, my attention starts to wander at various points. The redeeming feature is that Hayley knows how to write a good fight scene, and even those with foregone conclusions remain tense and exciting. There was even a point at which I thought Mortarion himself might actually be killed off.

Dark Imperium is a great example of what to expect from Warhammer 40,000. It might not reach the loftier heights of the smaller-scale novels, but as tentpole series go, it’s reliably solid. It gets across what the universe is all about, and still manages to throw in a few curveballs and oddities. If you’ve got the spare listening time, you could do a whole lot worse.

Series Details
Book I: Dark Imperium
Book II: Plague War
Book III: Godblight