Both are nicely rounded characters, well-defined as to their motivations, and through the novel they undergo changes as they reconcile their beliefs with the changing face of war. Marduk and Aquilius face very different struggles, but in a way they are mirror characters. Still, Marduk is very much the protagonist, and Aquilius plays a back-up.
A quick note about the way Reynolds describes his characters. One thing I have noticed that a lot of Black Library writers are bad at is character description. I don't mean how the character looks or what kind of pants-armor he wears, but how that character is. Many, far too many, BL writers Tell rather than Show.
This is the bane of the English major. Show Don't Tell is hammered into our heads! Reynolds, however, does a great deal of showing, which is very much appreciated. He also uses telling where appropriate, and when to use which and what is a difficult row to hoe. Reynolds shows expertly, and that is a very nice surprise. Like any good novel, Dark Creed explores numerous themes. The two that I want to discuss are the Ambition of the Word Bearers and the Duty of the White Consuls. All the important Word Bearer characters are motivated in some way by Ambition, and Chaos being Chaos this leads to conflict. Their Ambition gives rise to petty feuds, bickering, and threatens the whole of their dark crusade.
The White Consuls draw the Word Bearers in sharp contrast, since the Consul characters are motivated by Duty. Aquilius and Ostorius are prime examples of this, as both struggle with their Duty and their desires. But, as with the Word Bearers, adherence to Duty forces the Consuls to fight against impossible odds, and they, like the Word Bearers, are nearly destroyed by their motivation. Taken together, the Word Bearers and White Consuls present a dual image of what a Space Marine could become, and the themes run through that portrayal. Overall, Reynolds is a very competent writer. He hasn't yet penned the greatest work of the 21st century, but Dark Creed's prose is very, very effective at telling the kind of 40k story that the author aims for. The writing is not overly complicated, and not over-choked with 40k vernacular. Reynolds writes the (numerous) battle scenes with a flair for detail, and alternates between blow-by-blow accounts and broad strokes when appropriate.
I do have one qualm with the writing. At certain points during the novel, Reynolds fails to explain the environment around his characters to my satisfaction. I first noticed this when the 34th Host assaults a White Consuls warship. The fighting is described well enough, but I, as a reader, was left wondering where in the interior of the ship are they? Are they in some large corridor, a hangar, close quarters, hab-decks? Where the heck is this taking place?
Reynolds gets things in hand by the time the Word Bearers fight their way to the bridge, but up until then they may as well have been fighting in a cave. I had no idea of what was around them other than a few very sparse details about the kind of cover the White Consuls were using.
The problem arises again when Marduk faces a White Consul Assault Squad on the top of a defense fortress. The White Consuls come flying in from somewhere, and Marduk pulls back, but I, as a reader, am left wondering where have they come from and where is Marduk pulling back to, and what is around the area that allows any of this to happen? This problem isn't present in all fight scenes. Sometimes, Reynolds paints the reader a very clear picture of the terrain around the battle and how it matters, but other times it's a bit lacking.
Of course, bear in mind that these problems are really the only issues I have with Reynolds writing through 100,000 words. All in all, the book is very well written, and these issues do not get in the way of enjoying the novel at all. Speaking of enjoying the novel, I very much did. Reynolds does a very good job of putting us in the Warhammer 40k universe. 40k have certain expectations: grim-darkery, techno-arcana, brutal warfare, daemons, xenos, etc. Reynolds' nails those, and he nails what a Chaos invasion of an Imperium world should look like. We have a once pristine, beautiful planet doomed and corrupted by Chaos Space Marines. We have brave men and women fighting desperately against overwhelming odds. We have strange and barely understood technology ruling the fate of the battle. It is everything that 40k should be, and well done at that. Overall? Is it a must read? No. It's not going go change your life, but if you're looking for a few days of great heroism, foul villains, and excellent action, then you should give Dark Creed a read. It's damned good fun, and that's the best kind there is.
Interested in reading more? Check out my blog, Rational Imprudence at http://kjosephdavid.blogspot.com/
