Book Review: Galaxy In Flames

content/reviews/books/galaxy-in-flames.md

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+title = "Galaxy in Flames, Ben Counter"
+date = 2019-11-20
+
+[taxonomies]
+tags = ["en-au", "books", "reviews", "horus heresy", "ben counter"]
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+
+[GoodReads Summary](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/815091.Galaxy_in_Flames):
+Having recovered from his grievous injuries, Warmaster Horus leads the
+triumphant Imperial forces against the rebel world of Isstvan III. Though the
+rebels are swiftly crushed, Horus's treachery is finally revealed when the
+planet is razed by virus bombs and Space Marines turn on their battle-brothers
+in the most bitter struggle imaginable.
+
+<!-- more -->
+
+{{ stars(stars=2) }}
+
+Not much an improvement from the previous books.
+
+The plot could be seen from several books ago, so there is no big plot twist
+-- although one could say that there is one, a la George R. R. Martin
+("oooohhhh, so edgy!"). But the general plot could be seen from the very start
+of the book, so there was no big surprise.
+
+Also, some of very old clichés of every story are so used and abused that,
+when there is something "out of order" happening, you feel a bit like "yeah
+yeah, go on". There are no surprises, no twist that you can't predict pages
+ago.
+
+And yet, there is one glaring plot hole that started in the previous book and
+still isn't explained: Why it happened? When did it happen?
+
+Two books and no answer.
+
+Also, the idea of ending blocks of text (think as subchapters inside the real
+chapters) all end in cliff-hangers, to the point that, when the story gets
+faster -- and the blocks smaller -- the amount of cliff-hangering is simply
+annoying.
+
+On top of that, there is some weird character personalities changing from
+white to black -- which also happened in the previous book, but not with the
+intensity of what happened in this one -- that it feels more like a previous
+character just died and they put a new one with the same name.
+
+The book got to the point that I almost relish on spoilers -- which I did look
+-- 'cause, honestly, I'm not sure I can stand so much of this thing.