Chris Wraight's, 'Valdor: Birth of the Imperium', is a novella that I have been looking forward to reading for a very long time. #valdor is one of my favourite characters from the Warhammer 40k universe and this is the first novel where he takes centre stage. an injured Samonas is confronted by Valdor who won’t say the truth of what happened with the gene vault but simply that Samonas didn’t fail. He proposes that the Custodes begin war games (I.e. blood games) in the future to keep them on their toes. Samonas responds that she "has His trust." Valdor replies, "I do not think He trusts, Samonas. ... Be mindful -- the stronger you become, the weaker everything around you is. He can grasp on to nothing, for His grip will break it. Imagine that. Imagine the solitude of it." Valdor also opines that "[Valdor] would not welcome seeing her ended. She is a symbol too, of a kind. A better kind than we are. But if the moment comes, of course." It seems that even from it's onset, the Imperium has always been tenuously held together. Many rulers, warlords, demagogues, and even so called 'emperors' have risen and fallen across the war-torn face of Old Earth-what makes the so called "Emperor of Mankind" any different?

Her privilege is on display once again, having lived in such comfort that the difficulty of transporting resources to this location has not occurred to her, as she is too wealthy to be affected by the consequences. Nearing the end of the wars of Unity, Valdor’s courage and purpose is put to the test as never before. The petty warlords and tyrants of Old Earth have been all but vanquished, and the Emperor’s armies are triumphant. What now for the nascent Imperium and what fate its forgotten soldiers, its Thunder Warriors and armies of Unity? A new force is rising, one which shall eclipse all others and open the way to the stars. But change on Terra is seldom bloodless and for progress to be ensured darker deeds are necessary. [2] SourcesThe civilian governmental apparatus has been moved here only recently, as we learned early on in the novel, but here we learn that Himalazia was the original heart of the Emperor's domain. Particularly delightful is the incredible ending that Wraight manages to write in a way that is both solemn and tenebrous, creating a fantastic dichotomy between new hope and a terrible future. Samonas and Valdor banter about the necessity and utility of the Emperor's decision to build his citadel in the Himalayan mountains. Both agree that it is "a ludicrous place for a city." Samonas wonders if Custodians are capable of sustained disagreement with the Emperor.

About Valdor ... And Custodes. If you thought they were the tip of the spear after reading this novella you will put them into completely different category. These humanoid weapons are the ultimate protectors of the Imperium of Man. I liked how Custodes are treated by the people at this time (High Lords especially) - they are seen as just yet another military formation built using latest technology and gene splicing. I do not have to say how big mistake it is to underestimate them. Tales of the Dawnbringer Crusades continue with a new episode of Loremasters devoted to the Coin Malleus – the symbol of enlistment in the Cities of Sigmar’s expeditionary forces. Meanwhile, Battle Report joins a showdown between the resurgent Tyranids and a staggeringly beautiful Deathwatch army in a desperate bid for survival. This was sort of similar in style to the Primarchs series, which is fitting as Valdor is sort of an primarch of the Custodes. Also similarly to many books in the Primarchs series, it didn't really focus on the titular hero of the book, Valdor, but contrary to many of the Primarchs series books which do that, it didn't bother me at all in this book. That's because of the setting of the book and of what is told and revealed in it, it's set right at the point between the Thunderwarriors and the upcoming Astartes, when Terra has just mostly been unified under the Emperor's might. It sheds light on what happened to the Thuderwarrios and why, why and how the Astartes were made and also on the motivations of the Emperor, the Sigilite and Valdor (well, he follows the Emperor in eeverything). It casts some more shades of grey in to the character of Emperor and it's overall very well written. I would highly recommend this to anyone interested in 30K, one of the must read books to understand the setting. The Primarchs were already in the process of creation near the end of the Unity War, and both Valdor and Malcador think they're dead. Near the end it is discovered that the Emperor has "felt" their presence within the ether, possibly due to their coming of age. This causes extreme concern amongst Valdor, as it is his view that, if they're still alive they too will be tainted by the "enemy" and will eventually have similar issues that the Thunder Warrior had (and by proxy, so will their gene sons)!Valdor thinks they should be destroyed if they're in fact still alive.The practical minds of Custodians are keenly aware of the obvious logistical difficulties faced by a city in the Himalayan mountains. A lot of interesting insights into the Thunder Warriors, what kind of warriors they were and how they were ultimately flawed. Particularly fascinating were the recommendations to the primarchs, all 20 of them, being created in addition to shed.