Titanicus

by Dan Abnett

Book Overview

Titans battle Titans on an apocalyptic scale as the bestselling author of "Horus Rising" and the Inquisitor Eisenhorn trilogy takes his talents to a whole new level. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1844166619
• ISBN13: 9781844166619
• Release Date: October 2008
• Publisher: The Black Library
• Length: 400 Pages
• Weight: 1.45 lbs.

Customer Reviews

That's how you do it!

After Graham McNeill's very disappointing Mechanicum I was reluctant to pick up this semi-sequel. I'm glad I did. Abnett remains the most reliable of the Black Library's authors and he delivers the goods this time around. In the Warhammer 40,000AD universe enormous combat robots called Titans dominate the battlefield like gods of war. Tanks, infantry and even fortresses are just dust beneath their feet. On the world of Orestes traitor Titans clash with loyalist ones while ancient secrets are brought to light. In a story where robots the size of buildings smash one another it's easy to lose track of characters but Abnett does an incredible job of capturing the ordinary humans who swirl around the Titan's feet. He gives us a toymaker hoping to make a fortune with wind-up Titans, a young wife called up in the army reserves, an archivist delving into the forbidden history of the traitor legions and many other memorable characters. But he doesn't skimp on the giant robot action either. His Titan battles are thought through to offer tactical insights and sudden reversals of fortune. Like most 40k books this one will be hard to follow unless you're a dedicated fan. Abnett just assumes you know the differences among Warhounds, Reavers and Warlords and does not take much time to explain the terms. As with many of Abnett's books the ending seems rushed but with 600 pages (200 more than his usual Gaunt's Ghosts books) it's not as bad as usual. But if you are a fan of 40k and of giant robot action this is a solid read.

Titanicus brings the heat and an engrossing story.

I played a lot of 40K in the past and I've always loved the background of the universe the tabletop game is set in. In recent years I've stopped playing but I've always kept an eye on developments in the story. Finally I decided to get into the fiction works based on the universe and Abnett seemed to be the author to buy. I bought Titanicus. Amazing read. The book stays true to the established lore while being something other than a regurgitation of material. Abnett weaves multiple individual stories throughout the book cutting back and forth to keep you turning the pages eagerly following their journeys. The battle scenes both Titan vs. Titan and Man vs. Man are excellently done. It's just a well crafted story that doesn't have flaws to pull you out of your immersion. To me that makes a great book.

Another Great Book!

Another great addition to the W40K series. Battles are described from a new perspective and it is very refreshing as it does not repeat or follow the usual descriptions of "infantry" styled combat. I especially liked how snippets of background information and dialogue make reference to the graphic novel / comic version about W40K titans, also authored by Dan Abnett. Gives it some sense of continuity to those who have followed the W40K story line over the years. As with other recent books, while it makes reference to aspects of the W40K story line, it does well as a stand alone book as well. Added to the fact that its about a story line not written about much makes this book something for both newcomers and oldtimers alike.

Abnett Story-telling At It's Finest

Ever since I started getting more into the lore that surrounds the Warhammer 40K universe, one author always seems to stand out, Dan Abnett. In Titanius, he throws you right into the heart of the battle and conveys the feeling that you are really directing or at least following along with these massive machines of war. The sense of depth and detail he gives to the machines, and people who control them, is second to none. You really feel like cheering on the characters as they go to war. For anyone interested in Warhammer 40k, this book is a good read. For anyone interested in Titans, this book is a must read.

A Branch off of Gaunt's Ghosts

Dan Abnett has cluttered my shelves for a long time, and for good reason. He is a great writer you does not fill you with nonsense that most Sci-Fi writers write; words that make no sense, hard to understand environments, feats of science brilliance that mean nothing, etc. Although Warhamer 40k novels do use wording that would otherwise confuse the non-Warhammer fan, Dan Abnett's novels just take war and place it in the 40st Millenium. His latest book, Titanicus, is a branch off of Gaunt's Ghosts in that it is during the Sabbat Crusade, but has nothing to do with Gaunt or his Ghosts, but has more to do with another branch of the Imperium Crusading Force, the titans, or God Machines; massive robots (in the simplest sense). A good book that is similar to naval warfare, often slow in terms of getting to action, but when it does the destructive levels are awesome and terrifying. Gaunt fans have to pick it up as it does pull from the Sabbat Crusade and Sci-Fi fans should read it for good action, but some of the Sci-Fi wording can get confusing, oh well.