The Outcast Dead cover art

The Outcast Dead

The Horus Heresy, Book 17

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The Outcast Dead

By: Graham McNeill
Narrated by: Jonathan Keeble
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About this listen

The galaxy is burning. The Emperor's loyal primarchs prepare to do battle with Warmaster Horus and his turncoat Legions on the black sand of Isstvan.

Such dark times herald new and yet more terrible things still to come, and when Astropath Kai Zulane unwittingly learns a secret that threatens to tip the balance of the war, he is forced to flee for his life. Alongside a mysterious band of renegades, he plunges into the deadly underworld of Terra itself, hunted like a criminal by those he once trusted. In the face of betrayal, Kai must decide where his own loyalties lie and whether some truths should be buried forever.

©2011 Games Workshop Limited (P)2011 Games Workshop Limited Fiction Science Fiction

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The story is mediocre and as far as I can tell doesn’t have too much to add to the main storyline however it goes into an unprecedented amount of detail about the astropathica and gives that mysterious part of the Imperium’s infrastructure some character.

This book also gives a great look at life on Terra right at the peak of the Imperium’s might which is as you’d imagine, sufficiently Grimdark.

All in all, a good story with some interesting characters with dimension and people you really want to succeed even if the “big reveal” that is built up is something that we already know.

The real quality of this story is the Narration of Jonathan Keeble. From the off his voice brings this book to life in a way no one else has quite managed in the Heresy Books so far. I’d recommend the listen just for him.

A decent story taken to exceptionalism by the performance

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I always favored the books that focused more on the adventures and tribulations of mortals versus those that focus on space marines. And this is one such book, expertly written and narrated. Sure, the timeline of the Horus Heresy does not advance in this story, but we get to see another perspective of how the Heresy affects this universe.

Surprisingly enjoyable

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Excellent narrator...except when trying to do Asian accents, and then it descends into cringe. Absolutely everything else though was amazing.

Cringey Asian accents...

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Thus far the best HH book I read. Gripping story, wel done. The performance is also excellent.

best HH book I read

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Good story, showing the 30k Imperium from non-Space Marine angles. Some of the story is a little deus ex machina but I enjoyed it. In particular seeing the panic at the HH in the highest reaches of the Imperium and how that affected decision making.

30k Imperium from non-Space Marines

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