Photo Credit: Black Library
Few franchises are as beloved as Warhammer 40,000. Being a fan of the grim darkness of the 41st millennium myself, the draw for me has always been its deep lore, engaging characters, and wonderfully written novels. The likes of Ciaphas Cain, Eisenhorn, and the Gaunt’s Ghosts series have a special place in my heart. Picking up “The Lion: Son of the Forest” by Mike Brooks was an easy choice. But does it measure up to the bonified classics written by Dan Abnett, Sandy Mitchell, or Aaron Dembski-Bowden?
The story is relatively straightforward: a legendary genetically enhanced warrior wakes up from a 10,000 year-long slumber and confronts a galaxy that is nothing like the one he remembers. As far as Warhammer plots are concerned, that is hardly out of the ordinary. What is out of the ordinary is the fact that the character is a primarch, one of the Emperor of Mankind’s loyal sons. Since the franchise debuted in the 80s, only two of the loyalist primarchs have returned to the setting. The rest are either missing, dead, or count among the Daemonic forces of Chaos that threaten the galaxy.
Brooks, overall, does a fantastic job of bringing such a fascinating character to life on the page. Lion El Jonson, Primarch of the Dark Angels, is a figure mythologized like the rest of his brethren. Here he is shown to be very, very human. When he last walked amongst men, the lion faced a rebellion by his own soldiers. The empire he returns to is a dark parody of the one he helped create ten millennia ago. And the darkness he fought so hard against is stronger than he remembers it ever being.
The author excels at crafting a story that balances the humanity of the primarch with his superhuman abilities. A planet-spanning narrative that sees the lion reunite with old warriors, help humans that were taught that he was akin to an angel of myth, and use his strength to carve out a place free from the encroaching chaos gives the Lion and his supporting cast lots of time to shine. There are moments of deep emotional clarity, fist-pumping action, and mysticism that are a real delight to read.
Where Brooks’ falters is in his reliance on clichés, which certainly hold back the first part of the book. Because it is not a self-contained story and is instead connected to the massive 40k universe, new readers might find it difficult to pick up without a short history lesson on the state of the setting. There are definitely some stereotypical melodramatic moments that might strike some as cheesy. Additionally, because of who the Lion is and how he’s built up, you never really take the main villain that seriously.
One narrative issue that effects books with primarchs is how easily they diminish threats or the accomplishments of their allies. They are just so larger than life it must be tempting to give in to that desire to lionize them to the detriment of other characters. Brooks shows he’s a true master of his craft by sidestepping the issue, putting the focus more on character and interiority than action. Not only do you walk away with a deeper appreciation for El’Jonson, but some of the other characters in the book as well. I’d certainly love to see several of them return in other books.
It ends on a high that will leave readers doubtlessly chomping at the bit for more. Where the narrative goes from here is anyone’s guess. Without spoiling anything, the next appearance of El’Jonson in the modern setting should be an absolute blast.
Regardless of where they take the primarch this is a fascinating read and wonderful addition to 40k’s canon. Like El’Jonson by the end you’ll be ready to dive even deeper into the grimdark.
Ismael David Mujahid, Executive Editor