The Killing Ground: Chronicles of Uriel Ventris: Warhammer 40,000, Book 4

Uriel and Pasanius are back in the Imperium, but their troubles are not over. Before they can rejoin the Chapter, they must solve a mystery that threatens a planet, and save themselves from the perceived threat of Chaos taint. After the bizarre trials of the Eye of Terror, facing 'normal' problems is a relief, but the joy of reading about Space Marines in combat (beyond our two heroes) has to wait for the next book. Overall, however, an excellent read with a satisfying ending.

Fantastic,After having read the space Marines Omnibus i was hooked on graham mcneils story about uriel ventris and his counterpart pasanius. When i heard about this book i quickly pre ordered it.Now i recieved this book 3 days ago and i am already onto chapter 14, i have read this book at work in my break, at home, and in the evenings. It really is a page turner.Although i would have to say you will appreaciate this book much more if you read the Space marines omnibus' before as you will get the back story to all the proceeings portrayed in this book.You dont need a summary from me as its on the website but if your after a fast paced action novel with a touch of heroism and an epic story line, please buy this novel.its a credit to graham and a great sequel to the omnibus.Enjoy!

This book is slightly different from the others but still a great read! I would recommend all day

The book itself arrived in great condition, with only a little wrinkling on the edges of the cover. The story is also another good one in the series. I only wish it was a little longer.

everything came as promised, ty

This book is a Christmas gift for my grandson. So, cannot give a good/bad review. It was shipped quickly, though!

Two Ultramarines, Pasanius Lysane and Uriel Ventris, have escaped from the Eye of Terror. They well know that no one comes back from there unchanged and they have no idea if they will even be welcomed back by their brothers. After all, they had fought alongside renegade Space Marines, made a pact with cannibal mutants, and even freed a daemon creature. It may not matter that each decision had been made with the best intentions or for the right reasons. The pair, along with some of their mutant allies (the Unfleshed), travel homeward within one of the Iron Men's vile, daemonic machines. Upon arriving, the Unfleshed hide in the mountains until such time the Ultramarines may figure out what planet (and year) they are on and explain the mutants to any locals.The planet is named Salinas. A designated army of conquest has claimed the world as theirs. Yet after fighting in some of the most horrific war zones in the galaxy year after year and killing countless enemies, they find themselves unable to simply turn off the instincts that had kept them alive. Needless to say, the conquered locals hate their new leaders even after ten years. Everyone remembers the massacre of innocents in the city Khaturian a decade ago. It is referred to as the Killing Ground. A rebel group calling themselves the "Sons of Salinas" still fight against the new ruling government. Eradication of the rebel group is proving difficult and the possibility of a traitor is high.When the infernal conveyance delivering the Ultramarines and the Unfleshed ripped its way through to Salinas and then tore a hole back through the gates of the Empyrean, a lot of energy came through too. The walls that separate Salinas from the warp were worn very thin and something that feeds on death and bloodshed had been attracted to the Killing Ground. The souls of those who died in Khaturian were now massing. They now had a very real, very dangerous wellspring of power to draw upon. And they hunger for vengeance.Pasanius and Uriel must battle terrible powers and somehow keep an oath to the Unfleshed until their brothers can come for them. Only then will they be able to get home to Ultramar and redemption.***** "The bar was crowded and the summering air of resentment that filled its smoky depths was like a current running through Hanno Merbal's body. He could sense the hatred of what he represented in every muttered syllable, every furtive glance and every hostile stare. He lifted the glass before him and knocked the harsh spirit back in one gulp." (Used with permission of the publisher, USA branch.)By simply reading those first three sentences of this story I knew it would be awesome. An author who is able to put such a detailed description of angst within a few simple sentences KNOWS his stuff. From the beginning to the end I found myself compelled forward and into many forms of battles (mental and physical). By the time I finished the story I found myself wondering if the author, Graham McNeill, actually had talent oozing from his pores. The story is so well written that I could almost feel the heat and smell the carnage. The ending left me with the feeling of euphoria, yet a sense of loss too. I only hope there will be more Ultramarine stories in the future. *****Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

I will say that I was slightly disappointed but not overly surprised by the direction this book leads The Ultramarines series in. Where "Dead Sky Black Sun" was less action packed than the previous two, this installment is almost completely devoid of action. There is some, and it is fairly tasty but brief. The book is not bad by any means, but don't go into it expecting typical Graham McNeill action packed fare. The story in this book is more of a semi-mystery semi-thriller with above average character development for a Space Marine based novel.Uriel and Pasanius return, having narrowly escaped the Eye of Terror, to find themselves on an Imperial planet with a few secrets. The population is in a state of discontent, the current leadership is oppressive and cold, and some kind of sinister warpery is in effect. The Unfleshed have come back with our two protagonists, which certain has its effect on the story line. It soon becomes apparent that the planet of Salinas is not what it seems, and so the story unfolds.To comment on the characters and the story a bit: Uriel and Pasanius seem older, wiser, and more comfortable with their emotions in this story. There are definitely times where they seem overly human, especially for a Space Marine. Take this for what it is worth -- everyone reads these books (and books in general) with different expectations. Overall I would say it is a decent book, an easy read, a quick read, but not a stellar addition to what was once a previously brimming-with-action series. For the Warhammer 40,000 consumer this is worthwhile, but if you are new to the Warhammer 40,000 universe, especially if you are craving violence and action, you may want to wait off on this.Lastly, it is hard back. I am unaccustomed to reading Warhammer 40,000 in hard back, so that was a pleasant but odd touch.

Im vierten Teil der Saga um Captain Uriel Ventris von den Ultramarines erleben wir, wie Uriel und sein Freund Pasanius sich auf dem Planeten Salinas wiederfinden. Endlich und mit Glück sind sie in das bekannte Universum zurückgekehrt, womit die Probleme aber auch schon beginnen.....Mit den beiden Astartes sind die Unfleshed, eine Gruppe von mutierten Kindern (eine lange Geschichte, die im 3. Teil nach zu lesen ist). Was tun mit Ihnen? Weiters ist die Gruppe um Uriel in den Ruinen einer ausgebrannten Stadt gelandet. Eine Tragödie scheint sich hier abgespielt zu haben, die im Mittelpunkt der gesamten Geschichte, wie der werte Leser später noch feststellen wird, steht. Und überdies treffen Uriel und Pasanius auf die Soldaten der Falcatas einer ehemaligen Imperial Guard-Einheit, mit denen ebenfalls etwas nicht zu stimmen scheint. Dieser Eindruck verstärkt sich nach dem Zusammentreffen mit dem brutalen Governer des Planeten sowie der scheinbaren Unterdrückung der Bevölkerung; eine epische Tragödie nimmt ihren Lauf, die für das Warhammer-Universum recht ungewöhnlich ist - Vernichtung, Hass, Rache und späte Erlösung und Vergebung....Graham McNeill ist aus meiner Sicht ein hervorragendes Werk gelungen, in dem er die Protagonisten nicht einfach nur simpel als Helden nach Hause zurück kehren lässt, sondern die Vorzüge des fiktiven Charakters Uriels voll ausspielt - Hingabe, absolute Loyalität zum Emperor, Treue, aber auch Mitgefühl!Gerne empfehle ich dem potentiellen Leser sich auf diesen vierten Band ein zu lassen und spannende, aber auch sehr bewegende und berührende Momente zu erleben. Fünf Sterne!

Erster Eindruck:Schickes Hardcover mit Schutzumschlag.Sprache Englisch#4 Teil der Serie.(Vorgänger: #1 Nightbringer, #2 Warriors of Ultramar, #3 Dead Sky, Black Sun)Eindurck beim Lesen:Im Vergleich zur deutschen Version merkt man in der Original Englischen doch schon stark, dass beim Übersetzen ins Deutsche oft Fehler unterlaufen und der Inhalt nicht mehr so gut rüberkommt.Platz in der Serie:Nachdem Uriel Ventris und Pasanius ihren Todeseid auf der toten Welt der Iron Warrios erfüllt haben, entkommen sie eher zufällig aus dem Höllenschlund, zusammen mit den Hautlosen landen sie auf einer Ihnen unbekannten Welt. Die Hautlosen merken schon schnell das auf dieser Welt etwas nicht in Ordnung ist.Ventris und Pasanius gehen den merkwürdigen Geschehnissen auf den Grund und versuchen wieder zurück auf ihre Heimatwelt Macragge zu kommen, jedoch erwarten sie unvorhergesehene Ereignisse...Schreibweise:McNeill entfernt sich wieder von der vermerhten Ich-Form aus Dead Sky, Black Sun und geht zurück zum allwissenden Erzähler der einem immer nur Häppchen auftischt aus denen man sich erst im Verlauf ein konkretes Bild bilden kann.Fazit:Gutes Warhammer Buch, aber nicht das Beste in der Serie.Scheint eher wie eine Brücke zu Courage and Honour.

I have read the omnibus of the ultramarines and found it had a little bit of everything to which i found it fabulous (see my review). wanting to continue the story of uriel and pasanius (this is book 4 of 6)i didn't hesitate to buy the killing ground. This is sadly a rather average affair and as far as i am concerned was written as a stop gap to tie up some loose ends from the last book. This it obviously does in a rather limp wristed sort of way. The unfleshed are fleshed out (pardon the pun) and through the intervention of another well known chapter it looks as though both our heroes may well be welcomed back to mcragge be it under serious scrutiny.This book is for completionists only of the ultramarine books and i cant recommend as a standalone product. Sorry Graham.

Für alle Fans die drei Vorgänger zu diesem Buch gelesen haben, ist dieses Buch ein MUSS. Uriel Ventris und Panasius sind zurück aus dem Auge des Terrors und versuchen nun, wieder nach Macragge zu gelangen...Was mir nicht gefallen hat: dieses Buch ist vom Plot her schlechter als die Vorgänger, fast sogar langweilig, man wartet oft, dass etwas passiert, aber das tut es einfach nicht. Und auch sonst hat das Buch oft seine erzählerischen Schwächen, aber wenn einem das nichts ausmacht, dann ist es guter Abschluss der Saga.

This is a long read for a sad ending. There is one gunfight in the first 70 percent of the book, and it's a bit of a letdown. The surprise marines towards the end were cool, but otherwise this instalment was disappointing. Make me seriously consider going on with this series, but I will in the hope of getting to some serious shooting.