Fulgrim – The Fall of Perfection

After powering through the first five books of the Horus Heresy, Fulgrim ended up being the one I enjoyed the least. It’s not that it’s a bad book, but something about it just didn’t grip me the same way as the others.

The story follows the Emperor’s Children as they push their obsession with perfection to the extreme, leading to a slow but inevitable descent into corruption. Fulgrim himself changes in ways that are both fascinating and disturbing, and the way certain “gifts” influence him makes for a compelling but uncomfortable read. The book also adds a lot of depth to characters we’ve seen before, making their fall feel even more tragic.

There’s no shortage of epic battles, and some moments are unforgettable. The fight against Ferrus Manus is brutal, and the way the Emperor’s Children embrace excess and Chaos is written in a way that feels almost surreal. It does a great job of showing how far things have spiraled out of control, but maybe that’s exactly why it didn’t land as well for me. The overwhelming sense of doom and corruption is so present that it makes it hard to really enjoy the ride. It’s unsettling in a way the previous books weren’t, and while that is clearly intentional, it just didn’t connect with me as much.

That being said, it’s still a major piece of the Horus Heresy puzzle, and I’m glad I read it. The series is only getting darker from here, and I can’t wait to see what’s next.