‘Legion of One’ – James Swallow (Black Library)

Not being at work this week means that I’ve got to listen out for Hope doing all the things that she knows she shouldn’t but does anyway; she’s so pleased at her naughtiness that she gives herself away every time… She’s tenacious and I’ve got to have my wits about me; not the best time then to be listening to an audiobook on my iPod. We’re talking a Black Library audiobook though so a compromise had to be found. It involved staying up really late (and I mean really late) and listening to it really quietly but it was well worth it. Like I said in yesterday’s review, I reckon if you wait for a bit you will probably see these stories in print sooner or later.


Formerly of the Death Guard Legion, Captain Nathaniel Garro is now on the business of the Regent of Terra himself. Garro doesn’t fully know what this business is as yet but there is only one minor task yet to fulfil… This mission will take Garro and his comrades to the bombed out planet where Horus’ rebellion truly began and they cannot leave until they have found what they are looking for. What are they looking for though? And will they know when they find it? Falsehood abounds on these dark streets and nothing is truly as it seems…

In Nathaniel Garro’s continuing adventures, James Swallow has the makings of an audio series that could form a defining part of the Horus Heresy series as a whole. It looks like it could be that good. I got the feeling though that a trick was missed here in terms of fleshing the series out that little bit more as we’re only on the second CD and already there are now two people under Garro’s command. I would have liked to have found out more about how the World Eater Marine Varen came to join Garro on his quest…

This is only a small niggle though as the rest of the CD is full of little twists and turns that made the story one that I had to keep following. I could see the ending coming but Swallow does just enough to keep you guessing; I loved delving into the character of Cerberus and when I found out his true identity… Well, if you’re a fan then I think there’s a bit of a treat in store here. I certainly appreciated it. While events are playing out we also get to see a disparate collection of Marines (all reeling from their own betrayals) slowly start to bond into their own team and it looks like something worth following is slowly starting to grow.

I wasn’t so sure about the soundtrack that accompanied ‘Legion of One’ but the sound effects did a sterling job of portraying a dead world and Toby Longworth’s narration was of its usual high standards. I can’t wait to see where this series goes next.

Nine out of Ten