So I finally read The Last Church
I put this off for a long time because I wasn't sure if I was going to like it, but its good. It has notable flaws, but it didn't feel mean spirited and I saw where it was coming from. The biggest plus I can say for it, is I feel like I understand the emperor pre 40k a LOT more. Big E is a representation of logic unbalanced from emotion and patience, almost Vulcan like. When he wants something he's going to get it in as straight a line as he can manage. He will not tolerate complications, he will not factor in human feelings and emotions. He will go for what will get him a result in as short and direct a time frame as possible. Dude saw a world that was clearly falling apart mad max style (oceans dried up) and cleaned it up the only way he could conceive of. Violence and control.
The emperor doesn't come across as a malicious man so much as a genuinely well meaning psychopath who doesn't consider knockdown effects down the line. What's the fastest way to peace? A lot of dead bodies and everyone under one rule with no competition. So he gets rid of religion and in his precog mind thinks he's got the demon shit under the bag as well. Not wasting a thought on the human condition in the slightest. I mean you want a perfect example of the emperor's thought process? Look at servitors.
Now he probably didn't invent them, but think about it. They represent everything he is and everything he promotes. "huh I cant use AI, but I need a workforce and a lot of people are dying and or committing crime. Lets tie it altogether in one neat little package and get a lobotomized robocop workforce. They do a job, and they do it very well, but he didn't think about if it was right or wrong, he thought about what was going to efficiently solve a problem NOW. It explains why he made so many bone headed decisions with his sons, because for the emperor, emotion never enters the equation with anything he does for the Imperium. He has his eyes on the price and nothing is going to stop that. The priest could have given the best rebuttal of his life and been correct 100% and the emperor would not have changed his mind at all.
Now the worst part I can say is that I do wish the Priest had a better argument against him. Like he has a wonderful backstory, he is a very compelling character and good fellow, but he has no rebuttal to the "religion causes the most death" argument. It's total bullshit when you factor in communism and all the other genocidal dictatorships that outlawed it, but to be fair this guy doesn't have a huge amount of access to knowledge of the past. However the Emperor should know this shit too, which makes me think that either: A He'll say anything to get what he wants, or B He's not nearly as knowledgeable as he says. I rather like the theory that the Emperor was created somehow and is almost following a sort of directive. In particular the idea that Malcador was his master/creator that let him off the leash and hanged back for an untold amount of time.
Overall I think it's a good Sci FI story that stands on its own, but it could have used a better written defense of religion besides the contrast of the emperor's hypocrisy and narrow mindedness.
They are the “midwit who thinks he’s a genius” trope played completely straight, in as much denial as the IW and the NL but nowhere near as impressive.
The thing I like about the AL was they believed wholeheartedly they were fighting against a corrupt empire, but had no strong cause to fight for aside for their primarch and their legion. They are capable in battle and strategy but rudderless when considering everything else.
It was neat to see them fight mostly conventionally and not kill civilians though. You kinda get a window into what the Heresy would have been like if the demons never showed up.
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The Raptors? Are you fucking kidding me?
I Like the raptors! They are cool.
They totally just saw this fan animation and thought it was nice though.
