Ruinstorm has redeemed David Annandale in my eyes. There are a number of factors working in this book's favour and they combine to make it a thrilling, page-turning ride that shows us what Annandale can do when he gives himself good material.
From the start the plot of Ruinstorm benefits from a powerful motive force; the inner drive of the primarchs Sanguinius, Guilliman and Lion El'Jonson to reach Terra launches the story into action and their distinct perspectives allow Annandale to maintain the pace by switching back and forth between them, meaning we never have to stop for contemplation or the traditional mid-part dip of the three-act structure. Ruinstorm doesn't linger unnecessarily either; at a bit over 300 pages it is significantly shorter than most other Heresy novels but still has time to conclude everything before the end.
Annandale's unique take on the grimdark pervades Ruinstorm just as it did The Damnation of Pythos, but here it benefits the story rather than bogging it down. Set right at the end of the Heresy, Ruinstorm shows us just how thoroughly prolonged exposure to the Warp has altered the galaxy within the Ruinstorm, providing suitably massive obstacles for the three mighty protagonists to overcome. Given the poor reception Damnation received I hoped that Annandale would wash his hands of it, but to his credit he has stuck to at least some of his guns and brings Madail back as the novel's main antagonist, this time showing it at its full power as a terrifying, space-faring high priest of the Chaos Gods capably of mutating worlds with its mere presence. Madail is a superb villain, and his defeat is all the more satisfying for it.
Ruinstorm is an excellent addition to the Heresy. It shows how the three legions of the Imperium Secundus reached Terra and reveals why only one of them was present at the Siege, but it is worth reading just on its own merits. We have read David Annandale at his worst, but now finally we can read him at his best.
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