Book Review: The Emperor’s Gift, by Aaron Dembski-Bowden

I’ve been reading books that are a departure from the hobby genre for quite some time, and to be honest it comes from poor choices in Black Library’s publishing. Most of the books seem to come across as nothing more than bad action movies; there is no deeper plot, and every scene is either gratuitous violence or a build-up to just that.

Sometimes this is just what the doctor ordered; we all need to turn off from critical thinking every now and then and just read something that allows us to relax. With Black Library, though, it genuinely felt like they had little else to offer for a very long time.

Then, a friend suggested The Emperor’s Gift. This book is the story of a squad of Grey Knights, leading up to their encounters with Angron on Armageddon and the brittle relationship they endure with the Space Wolves during the aftermath. It is told through the eyes of a Grey Knight Interceptor as he deals with inter-squad turmoil and the constant perils of simply existing as a Grey Knight.

The book asked some truly intriguing questions about the state of human nature and the very essence of right and wrong. It creates a continual grey area (no pun intended) that the warriors of Titan must inhabit. It is obvious by the encounters they experience that no decision can be taken lightly.

Another striking aspect of the book is the way Grey Knights view sacrifice. When it comes their time to teleport into the fight with Angron himself, the warriors have basically accepted that they will not be coming back. Despite this knowledge of their impending deaths, they bravely face their foe with chin held high.

This is normally where 40k fluff loses me. We’re continually told how willingly Marines will lay down their lives for the cause, but then we’re shown a different reality, where they always come out ahead, winning some great victory at little to no cost. ADB does no such thing with this book. The combat between one hundred Grey Knights and Angron of the World Eaters is short, straightforward, and incredibly brutal. Any student of 40k history knows the outcome, and ADB pulls no punches.

As interesting as this first half of the book is, it is even more interesting to see the aftermath, when the Inquisition swoops down on Armageddon and decides to sterilize the entire population before sentencing them to a slow death in work camps. The Space Wolves have always been known as champions of the common man, and once again any 40k historian can tell you what comes after.

Despite knowing the story, reading the actual events as they unfold is worth the price of this book. You truly come to hate some of humanity’s defenders, while grudgingly accepting that there is no easy answer in the war against Chaos.

I’ll stop there; while I’m bursting at the seams to say more, I’ll refrain in the interest of preventing spoilers. If you haven’t read The Emperor’s Gift, it deserves a chance. ADB is one of the best writers Black Library has at the moment, and his work in this volume doesn’t disappoint. If you’re a fan of the Space Wolves or the Grey Knights, you simply must add this book to your collection.