Book Review No. 2: Space Wolf

Space Wolf is in fact a series of four books by author William King. They are based around a character called Ragnar. They are set in the ficticious future of the 41st Millenium, based on Games Workshop's table-top battle game Warhammer 40,000.

The first book in the series is named Space Wolf. It charts Ragnar's ascencion into the brotherhood of the Space Wolves Space Marine Chapter from a simple life in a small island comunity on his native home of Fenris. It details the processes which take place to transform a normal(ish) young man into a genetically superior warrior of the Imperium. The book ends with the battle against a champion of Chaos on Fenris, homeworld of the Space Wolves.

The second book in the series is named Ragnar's Claw. In this book we follow Ragnar's first real adventure away from his homeworld. It show's how even the finest of The Emperor's warriors can be unsettled by the unknown. The experiences of Ragnar's first offworld adventure bring him sharply to reality. Also we get another lok at the foul evil of Chaos. In this book it is the servants of Nurgle, the Chaos god of pestilence and decay. Also we learn of the most foul abomination of nature, a greater daemon of Chaos, the patron of Nurgle, The Great Unclean One.

The third book in the series is named Grey Hunter. The most sacred relic of the Space Wolves, The Spear of Russ, a legendary weapon said to have been used by the great Leman Russ himself has been stolen. Almost the entire chapter of battle brothers embark on a quest to another world to recover this artefact. Experience of space battles and siege warfare are rife and once again the foul legions of Chaos are at the centre of it. The champion of Chaos from the first book, Madok, is found to be at the centre and once again Ragnar faces off against his arch-nemesis.

The fourth and final book in the series is named Wolfblade. It is called after an elite group of Space Wolves who are based on Ancient Terra under the terms of an ancient agreement between the Space Wolves and the Navigator House of Belisarius, an agreement that pre-dates the Imperium itself. Ragnar finds himself on Ancient Terra, embroiled in an assassination attempt and surrounded by the intracacies of politics, namely corrutpion, bribery, betrayal and death. A quite exaggerated view of politics today.

These four books are a very good accompainiment to any fan of the Warhammer 40,000 universe. A good fictional story charting the background of one of the most successful military commanders of the Adeptus Astartes.