In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only war. Archmagos Lexell Kotov of the Adeptus Mechanicus, an Imperial Cult dedicated to worshipping the Machine God, is preparing to lead a fleet of exploration beyond the borders of the Imperium of Man. With the last of his holdings destroyed by various catastrophies Kotov has staked his position and everything his has on one desperate quest to find a lost exploration fleet and a mysterious artifact called the "Breath of the Gods" which he believes will bring about a new golden age. He has assembled a mighty fleet and stalwart warriors to head it. Roboute Surcouf a rogue trader, a privateer santioned by the Imperium to travel and trade where others dare not. The genetically engineered super-soldier's of the Black Templar chapter of the Space Marines. The mammoth war machines of the Titan Legio Sirius. The stalwart Imperial Guardsmen of the 71st Cadian regiment. Against them are arrayed horrors beyond all imagining.
The first in a two part series set in the world of Warhammer 40,000 (often called 40k), the Priests of Mars is a pretty decent entry into the large body of 40k fiction. McNeil does a good job navigating the large number of factions, goups, and characters and makes them work very well. Often 40k fiction will bog down on how ridiculously over the top the setting. To an extent it does get bogged down in Mechanicus psuedo-science techno babble, but the plot keeps moving at a reasonable rate. The story is dark and while somewhat slow, it is packed with the gritty action the series is known for.
Pages: 317
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