Halloween holiday is over, and the time away flew past far too quickly! Maybe I'll get around to writing a blog post about that little adventure another time. But up for review today is Praetorian of Dorn by John French. Let's dive in!
The Details
Title: Praetorian of Dorn
Author: John French
Publisher: Black Library
Format: Paperback
Page Count: 400
Blurb:
As the first assault on the Solar System begins, the strength of the Imperial Fists and the seemingly impregnable fastness they have built is tested at last…
Recalled from the Great Crusade after Ullanor, Rogal Dorn and the VII Legion were appointed as the Emperor's praetorians. But after Horus's treachery was revealed, the full extent of that sacred duty became clear. Now the Solar System faces attack for the first time since the war began, and even Dorn's seemingly impregnable defences prove inadequate.
With all eyes fixed on the threat beyond Terra's gates, who will protect Dorn from the enemy within?
At last, Rogal Dorn and the Imperial Fists take centre stage in a Horus Heresy novel! And it's a doozy, as the assault on the Solar System begins.
Or does it?
The Review
I was excited to spot this novel at the library, so I snapped it up straight away. It's book number 39 in the Horus Heresy series, which means I've still got a long way to go in this series. What really caught my attention, though, was the author. John French wrote the Ahriman novels I'd previously enjoyed, so I was keen to see what he could do with another corner of the Horus Heresy, and what better subject than Rogal Dorn and his Imperial Fists?
After spending so much of the Heresy preparing Terra's defences, it was great to get a story focused on the VII Legion and the burden of protecting the Emperor's home. You'd expect Dorn himself to be front and centre, right? Well, not quite!
Instead, much of the story follows Archamus, leader of Dorn's Huscarl bodyguard. At first, I wasn't sure what to make of this choice. I'd picked up the book hoping for a proper Dorn and Imperial Fists adventure, but French shifts the spotlight onto a character who might not be quite as familiar to readers. Thankfully, it works rather well.
Archamus is an old hand in the Legion: a veteran warrior and builder whose experience has been shaped by a very particular way of fighting. Now he's being dragged into a war where the enemy doesn't necessarily meet you on the battlefield, and where the greatest threat might already be standing beside you. French uses flashbacks to flesh out Archamus, giving us a better understanding of the man behind the armour. These moments help build a character I could genuinely get behind, and his struggle to adapt to a different kind of warfare gives the story a strong personal thread.
This isn't simply a tale about building fortifications and waiting for the enemy to arrive. Sometimes, the walls aren't the problem. Sometimes, it's what has already slipped inside them, and that's where things get interesting.
Alpha Legion, Paranoia and a Whole Lot of Questions
This book is absolutely packed with intrigue and tantalising little plot threads. The Alpha Legion have always been an interesting bunch. They're the Legion of secrets, lies, double agents and schemes within schemes. You can never quite be sure what they're doing, who they're working for, or whether the explanation you've just been given is another carefully constructed lie. Praetorian of Dorn takes that uncertainty and runs with it.
The novel reveals just how long the Alpha Legion have been playing their game, with agents and operatives seeded throughout the galaxy. Their presence raises some fascinating questions, particularly when it becomes clear that their activities aren't necessarily confined to the events of the Heresy itself, and that got me thinking.
Was another rebellion being planned before the Horus Heresy even began?
Why were Alpha Legion warriors already positioned on Terra? What were they doing there, and how long had they been preparing? Were they responding to Horus's betrayal, working towards their own agenda, or following a plan that nobody else even knew existed? Perhaps most importantly, how much of what we're seeing is actually real? These are exactly the sort of questions that make the Alpha Legion so much fun to read about. Every revelation seems to open another door, and behind that door are three more mysteries, each of which might be a trap.
I think that's precisely what French wants us to do: question everything. Paranoia is the name of the game here. Are the Alpha Legion heroes, villains, or something awkwardly caught between the two? Is there a grand design behind their actions, or are we simply seeing different pieces of a plan that even the people carrying it out don't fully understand?
I came away wanting more. More Alpha Legion, more intrigue, more answers! Damn you, John French. You've got me hooked, and now I need to know what happens next.
Final Thoughts
Praetorian of Dorn was a cracking read and a welcome look at the Imperial Fists during a crucial period in the Horus Heresy. Archamus makes for an engaging central character, and the focus on a warrior forced to fight an unfamiliar kind of war gives the novel plenty of substance beyond the big names and epic battles. But for me, the real star is the Alpha Legion. Their long game, their hidden agents and the sheer uncertainty surrounding their motives make for some wonderfully paranoid reading. I love a story that leaves me questioning what I've just read, and French certainly delivers that here.
If you're a fan of the Horus Heresy, the Imperial Fists or the Alpha Legion's particular brand of sneaky nonsense, I'd definitely recommend giving this one a go. Now, I just need to find out what the Alpha Legion are really up to. Assuming, of course, that there is a real answer.
Go read this book and let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
A Sector 102 Adventure // The Enemy Within
One of the things I love about the Alpha Legion is the idea that the enemy might have been preparing for years before anyone even realises there's a problem. You don't need a massive invasion force when you've already placed the right people in the right positions.
So, here's a possible idea for Sector 102. Which is surprisingly as the pieces are already in place thanks to the Sov-blocks.
Imagine a residential block that has been operating normally for decades. Its citizens go about their days, the gangs operate as normal annoying the Judges, and the infrastructure keeps running. Then a routine security audit uncovers evidence that someone has been manipulating the block from within.
Maintenance records have been altered. Security bot patrols have been redirected. Important personnel haven’t been seen for months, only for their credentials to continue appearing in official systems. Even the block's emergency plans seem to have been changed.
The investigation reveals that a network of infiltrators has been embedded in the community for years. Some ordinary citizens, and others might be working for rival factions without understanding the full picture. Worse still, the evidence suggests that the operation began long before the current crisis. Who are they working for? What are they preparing for? And how many people can the investigators actually trust?
This could make a great miniature-agnostic campaign, with each game uncovering another piece of the conspiracy. One scenario might involve raiding a compromised communications hub, another protecting a witness, and a final mission exposing the infiltrators' hidden objective.
The trick would be to keep the players guessing. Some clues should be genuine, others misleading, and a few should contradict what they thought they knew. Perhaps even the apparent mastermind is just another pawn.
Because in Sector 102, as in the Horus Heresy, the most dangerous enemy might not be the one attacking your walls. It might be the one holding the door open.
Cheers for reading, and I'll see you on the next adventure!
