The Iron Kingdom

Dawn of Fire: Warhammer 40,000, Book 5

By: Nick Kyme

Narrated by: John Banks

Dawn of Fire Book 5

A depleted Battle Group Praxis returns the slain heir of Kamidar to the Knight world's ruling family – and its embittered ruler, the Iron Queen Orlah.

Listen to it because

Nick Kyme continues the story of the Indomitus Crusade, as a vicious feud breaks out on the Knight world of Kamidar – and the agents of Abaddon are only too happy to stoke the flames.

The story

A war-weary Battle Group Praxis arrives at the Knight world of Kamidar, ruled by the Iron Queen Orlah, to return the queen's slain daughter and heir, who died in Guilliman's name. In truth, the Imperium's mission here is twofold: to strip Kamidar of its resources in order to resupply the flagging armada, and to prepare the Ironhold Protectorate to become part of the defensive Anaxian Line, a crucial bulwark for the Indomitus Crusade.

Yet Kamidar's Knights have survived for many years without the Imperium's aid, and what should have been a simple reunion between allies soon becomes a vicious feud. As division turns loyal souls against one another, the agents of Abaddon move in the shadows, seeking to manipulate this growing rift to their own ends. Can the Imperium restrain itself from laying an old ally asunder, or will the Hand of Abaddon arise triumphant, halting the Avenging Son's reclamation in its path?

©2023 Games Workshop Limited (P)2023 Games Workshop Limited

Weak story

The narration was great as always. Otherwise the story itself was quite lackluster. Not very lore friendly. Clear plot armor for some characters while other characters die to very mundane circumstances even if they should otherwise survive.

Meh

Honestly one of the blandest books of the Dawn of Fire series. it was okay, but paled in comparison to its prequels.

One of the better books in the series.

The complex and overlapping storyline kept me in suspense, wanting to keep going to know what happens next. The use of the proverbial fog of war turned good intentions into bad decisions and contributed to the chaotic events. It was hard to tell who were really the good guys and the bad guys as an overprotective ruler is pitched against an overzealous admiral. The only complaint I have is the unceremonious fate of characters that were well established in previous books.

Ehh, could be better, could be worse

Honestly, it's always fun to get into the theme of a Knight World, especially as it pertains to the Dawn of Fire series. That said, this one left a lot to be desired. The story is definitely in the "grimdark" theme of everything sucks and the Imperium of Man pulls all the stops out to make sure they get what they want in order to win the greater war, but the plot felt a little flimsy and I couldn't help but cringe a few times. The premise for Kamidar going rebellious was a bit weak and the feud between the ruling houses was, as I said before, cringey. The dialogue was a bit too "anime" for me as well, during some of the knight battles. Enjoyable, but not something I'm recommending beyond context in the series, and even then, this one could probably be skipped.

Waaay Too Many Storie Lines

A bit of a waste of some cool characters. There’s like 6 or 7 stories/ perspectives that are followed. Would’ve been better to focus on fewer story lines, and make the plot tighter. Some just felt as a setup for future events.