The Master of Mankind (Volume 41) (The Horus Heresy) [Paperback] Dembski-Bowden, Aaron

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I got what the review is saying about the negativity of the portrayal of the Emperor, but I also think there was a bit of "trust him" in it, too.

Is the Emperor's interaction with Ra throughout the book a manipulation to get him to fall on the grenade as the Emperor requires at the end, or is it the effort of a man who cares for one of his progeny or protegees bucking him and preparing him for the unfortunate but necessary sacrifice that is coming? Having been created from adult troops who had undergone a rapid process of genetic, bionic and chemical augmentation, many did have difficulty coping with the physiological changes.

The Master of Mankind is a fantastic book and I highly recommend you pick it up, if nothing else but to learn a little more about the Emperor himself. The Imperial Truth also held that Humanity was the species which should rightfully rule the galaxy since its physical form was both the most pure and all of the other intelligent alien races, such as the Aeldari, had already tried and failed to maintain ga As great an author as he is, he does have this nasty habit of overly simplifying certain subjects or themes in his worse stories.

To enhance the Primarchs beyond the capabilities that even genetic-engineering allowed, however, the Emperor also drew upon the powers of the Warp he had learned at Molech to enhance His creations, imbuing them with nearly godlike levels of charisma and capability, but also unintentionally making them susceptible to corruption by the entities of the Warp. But as the New Man's psychic powers further developed, He became ever more aware of the terrible dangers that awaited Mankind in the broader universe and He resolved to do all in His power to defend and guide Humanity towards a future as the predominant species in the galaxy. You could find reasons to say that the Emperor only saw the primarchs as weapons, or that there are hints to the contrary which elude the PoV characters, a heartless cyborg, and a bodyguard who is convinced he and his are the real sons and the primarchs just weapons. His mind must remain vigilant at all times throughout the entire Imperium to safeguard the Human race and to offer His protection to the faithful.We wouldn't have Fulgrim's level of self-indulgence and autonomy (not to mention the Emperor would have had to check in on his 'weapons' more often and he'd spot the Blade of the Laer in a heartbeat) and we certainly wouldn't have had the Emperor give up the Great Crusade to Horus the way he did. United under one government, Mankind is able to survive the myriad deadly threats it faces from aliens, the forces of Chaos and the Traitors, Heretics and mutants that lie within the Imperium's boundaries.