I felt like I had both too much information and too little information, and it was difficult to sort out what was important to the characters and the world, versus what was more peripheral.

***Thank you to NetGalley and to the publishers for allowing me to access this book in digital form.***

Thank you to netgalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to have access to an eARC for this book in return for an honest review.

Apologies for taking so long with the feedback.

This was a great epic fantasy with many good characters and an immersive plot that had lots of twists and turns. Overall I liked this very much it was fun and the relationships between characters was fun. i will read more from this author inn future

One of the first Warhammer books I bought was Nightbringer. That was a long time ago, but it stuck with me as enjoyable. Now, it's back in one of Black Library's most popular omnibuses that is back in print.

The Ultramarines are known for loyalty and courage, their martial prowess is legendary and is second only to the God-Emperor. There's a reason they are the most popular chapter to write about. Graham McNeill wrote six books in the Uriel Ventris Chronicles and column one is an epic trilogy of non-stop action, containing the novels Nightbringer, Warriors of Ultramar and Dead Sky, Black Sun.

What sets these books out from others is how easy they are to read for newcomers to Warhammer. There are no over-complicated words that you get in some Warhammer books - you know the kind, words where the author is giving words archaic/gothic or legendary qualities. I've read some books where it was hard to get through because it seemed the author wanted to cram as many of these "Warhammer words" into most sentences. It's okay when you know them, but can still be a slog. It's also not very friendly to newcomers, which is where I think the Uriel Ventris Chronicles shines. That's not to say it's simple, it's just easier to read and understand if you don't know the Warhammer lingo.

In typical Warhammer fashion is the brutality. It wouldn't be an overstatement to call this series brutal AF. The opening of Warriors of Ultramar sees Ventris ripping a Xeno's spine out through its mouth, which is described in detail. He really puts the "war" into Warhammer.

As for the stories - Nightbringer is a classic, and rightly so. You get to know Ventris, how he got to his position in command, his uncertainty of whether he should be and how he doesn't like breaking the Codex Astartes even if it means winning the battle. In book two, Warriors of Ultramar sees Uriel lead the team against a Xeno invasion with more questions raised over whether it's okay to occasionally break from the Codex Astartes. It also features the Ultramarines barbaric cousins, the Mortifactors Chapter who are wild and I need more of. And finally, there's Dead Sky, Black Sun where Ventris is on a Death Oath in the Eye of Terror for breaking the Codex Astartes and you get Iron Warriors and heretic Astartes.

Another part that makes this series compelling is that although it's the story of Uriel Ventris, the first three books could easily be referred to as The Uriel Ventris and Pasanius Lysane Chronicles, as Ventris has his faithful friend and Sergeant alongside him throughout. Even when he takes over as leader of the Deathwatch for a short period of time, Pasanius goes with him because where Uriel goes, Pasanius goes. It's a dynamic that works though as when either one of them questions their faith or commitment the other is there for them, giving advice or friendship to help them along.

There's not really much to dislike about the series - I'm struggling to think of anything! I think my only problem is that reading them so long afterwards, I lose a bit of dread at Uriel's fate. He gets sent on a Death Oath to die, but I know he doesn't because there are another three books left after this trilogy. Reading them at the time of release would have added more to it, but that's my own problem, not the books.

If you've not read the books before, then I highly recommend this. Nightbringer is a classic Warhammer story and Graham McNeill has a fantastic writing style. He pulls you into the gravitas that Uriel is meant to project to those around him and it's left me wanting to read the rest of the series. You don't have to be an Ultramarine fan (my favourites are the Dark Angels and Space Wolves) to enjoy this as it's everything you could want from a Warhammer series. Xenos, Daemons, heretic Astartes and questionable loyalist Space Marines from succession chapters. It has it all and I look forward to reading volume two.

Rating: 4.5/5

Now I see why Uriel Ventris is so revered within the realm of Ultramarines - McNeill's omnibus presents three great stories to highlight this champion of the Ultramarines in both his glory and his (non)humanity. Definitely a must-read for any WH40k fan.

An excellent omnibus! A substantial read, to be sure, but well worth it. Introduces us to Uriel Ventris, a long-running character in the WH40k fiction series. McNeill has done a great job of weaving the character's exploits and adventures into the evolving story of the 41st Millennium.

Great action, solid character work, and engaging stories. Very highly recommended.

Uriel Ventris can be annoying and yet also engaging and interesting and these books which form part of the chronicles (1-3 of 6) follow the same pattern, Nightbringer starts strongly and the story is the boys in blue being the boys in blue, the second book for me was ok, not particularly bad but not particularly good either, Dead Sun is by far the best tale in this book, Iron Warriors, heretic astartes and ultramarine heroics blend well and I think that is the main complaint I have about uriel, books that predominantly focus on just him and his antics are not that interesting, as a character he needs more happening him