REVIEW: Garro, Oath of Moment by James Swallow
Black Library extends the Horus Heresy series with a new category of audio drama. This time we follow in the footsteps of Captain Garro…
Black Library has put out several audio dramas before. Most of these are long multi disk affairs that are abridged versions of popular existing novels, such as Horus Rising. With Garro, Oath of Moment, we see a new direction; shortform dramas covering new material. I think Black Library has a winner with these.
Now audio dramas have a unique set of challenges and abilities compared to the written word. First of all, length. With a dramatic reading an author simply cant go into the detail that you expect out of a written format, so you inevitably lose background and other tertiary material that can really flesh out a story. On the flipside you gain some things that no author can muster like music, and sound effects to set a mood, and the human voice, accents and all bringing characters to life.
Garro, Oath of Moment picks up the story of Death Guard Captain Garro immidiately following the events of Flight of the Eisenstein. The captain finds himself sent across the galaxy on a secret mission by Malcador the Sigillite, into an warzone between the Ultramarines and the Word Bearers.
This entire audio drama runs 70 minutes, and is more of a short story, and an effective one at that. As is often the case with Horus Heresy novels we are teased and left with an incomplete understanding of the events unfolding before our eyes. We are witnessing the events first hand, rather than with the omniscient worldwiew of one going over past events.
What is clear is that the writing is crisp, and evocotive, and James Swallow has grown to like Garro, filling out his character with each new story. There are certainly twists and turns, and we are almost certainly being given a glimpse into the first smoldering embers of the birth of a great Imperial institution (hint, hint). The pacing of the story would seem to indicate that this series will have several other chapters headed our way in the future and I can’t wait. Technically, the audio embellishments are well done without being over the top and Toby Longworth has pulled his narration back a bit from the scenery chewing tone he has taken in some of his first Black Library outings.
Overall, I loved it. Garro, Oath of moment has all the intensity and drama of a 40k novel crammed into a tidy 70 minute package that only accentuates the positive aspects of the audio drama format without getting carried away with the pomp and circumstance the format can shovel out in longer lengths. It opens up a new aspect of the Warhammer 40000 universe to us and carries on the story of one of the solid novels in the series. I recommend it.
4 stars (out of 5)
In other non-spoilery revelations, the Ultramarines are revealed as French – accents and all! Who knew Ultramar was Grimdark Space France? Have at it!
